9 comments/ 62234 views/ 7 favorites Snowfall By: rosegardener This is a true story. Names have been changed to protect identities. Kevin stared out the window at the falling snow. It always happened. He loved the snow, he loved the mood it put him in, he loved the romance of it. Yes, the romance. Snow took him back. At 52, he remembered past days and events as if they were yesterday. Snow seemed to be a part of the best times. There were the walks he took with his high-school sweetheart, Kay. She was a sweetheart, too. There was never a sexual relationship, but he had deeply and permanently loved her. If it hadn't been for his own damnable insecurity that made him so afraid of losing her, he wouldn't have done just that. In college he turned into a complete jerk, jealous of the new friends she was making. He treated them and her rudely, and she was smart enough to finally tell him goodbye. But before that, there were the walks. She only lived a couple blocks away, so they would go out at night, hand in hand, walking the streets of the neighborhood. Sometimes they would talk. Sometimes they would just listen to the scrunching sounds of the snow beneath their feet. If they stood still, they could hear the sounds of the snowflakes as they reached the ground. How could she be so beautiful, bundled up so tightly so that her face was the only visible part of her body? But those delicate kisses to snow-chilled lips were some of the most precious in his memory. He missed Kay. He had missed her for thirty-three years. Whenever it snowed, he remembered the walks. The snow continued to fall, and more memories arrived with the white snowflakes. Just as the pure flakes covered the dirt and the uneven ground until everything was a smooth field of white, the memories of years gone by were covered by the few special ones. After Kay, for only a brief time was Louise. She was a short-lived excitement, but she was exciting. It was the night before graduation when they were in his dorm room. During previous necking sessions, Kevin had begun to slip his hands up under her shirt and caressing her back. The first time he reached her bra line, he stopped there. Over a few necking sessions he had moved past the bra, but his hands always stayed on her back. This night went just a bit farther. They had been kissing for a long time, first sitting on his bed, then lying down together. At some point, Kevin had drifted off to sleep, his arm lying across her tummy. When he slowly awoke, he discovered to his shock that his hand was under her blouse, and resting on her bra-covered breast. His hand froze. There didn't seem to be any reaction from Louise. He didn't even know if she was awake. Slowly he began to gently squeeze and knead her right breast. Oh, God, it felt so wrong! It felt so good! He used his thumb to rub the underside of her breast, pressing in and moving the thumb toward her nipple, then returning to the starting position. Over and over he felt her, and massaged her breast. He took a silent, deep breath, then moved his hand to her left breast, and began again. This time he began moving his thumb all the way to the nipple. He could feel it's hardness through the bra. In the meantime, Kevin became pretty hard himself. This was a first. He had never touched a girl like this before. He was excited, but he was also afraid. He knew she was awake, but he wondered what was going on in her mind. Why was she letting him do this? She was a good girl, he was just amazed that she hadn't moved his hand away, at the very least. Kevin smiled as he recalled his request to her that night that she remove her blouse and bra. He half expected her to storm out of his dorm room, but Louise complied with his request, swiftly removing the clothes from her upper body, without a word. They held each other closely, and then Kevin pulled back a little so that he could touch the wonders of her body. Full, smooth breasts, soft and tender. Nipples aroused, he had never seen such delicious beauty. With the morning sun dawning, things went no further than continued necking with this half-naked Venus, but it was an amazing night as far as Kevin was concerned. What a way to conclude his college career. Even though that was a June evening, in later years he tended to relate her to the snow as well. Although she had gently and lovingly ended the romance a couple months later, still she invited him to her home in upstate New York for Christmas, since he was so far from his own home. Riding the bus from Manhattan into the Finger Lakes region he gazed out the window and watched the snow fall. He fantasized about resuming the relationship where it had been left off, but it was not to be. Nevertheless, life went on. Graduate school became the focus of Kevin's life, but it was difficult. Also, most of the women there did not seem to do much of anything for him. He probably didn't do anything much for them, either. He was hardly an Adonis. Average height, just an eighth inch under six-foot, average weight, not an athlete, he was hardly eye-candy. That same insecurity that had sabotaged his relationship with Kay kept him from being very adventurous, when it came to women. As the snow continued to fall, Kevin moved forward in time to another snowy romance. He smiled, even as his eyes became a little watery with tears of fond memories and a lost love. Graduate school was also expensive. He took two years off after his first year to earn money to go back. During those two years, he met Evelyn. Evelyn was 32 when they met, nine years his senior. They developed a friendship, and enjoyed talking for hours and hours. He got to know her family as well, and often baby-sat her elementary school-aged children. Evelyn was pleasant in all ways. She was bright, personable, and had a attractive body. Despite having given birth to two children, she was pleasantly slender, with slightly widened hips. She was around 5' 2", in contrast to Kevin's nearly 6-foot frame. Her dark brunette hair probably gave him the passion he carried for brunettes to the present day. The friendship developed over one and a half years. During that time, Kevin found himself thinking of her as something quite different from a friend. He found himself fantasizing about her in a way that was quite inappropriate, considering that she was married. Yet, more and more, as he brought himself to orgasm, she was the center of his thoughts. His sex life was an entirely solo affair, and she was the center of it. He imagined what she must look like, naked. It was all imagination, but Kevin had a well practiced imagination. Finally he went back across the country to school. The friendship continued, over the phone. Outwardly, it all seemed so innocent, but Kevin knew that his thoughts about her were anything but innocent. He was very much in love with an impossibility. Three thousand miles away, married, two children, she was unattainable. Kevin resigned himself to settling for a friendship, when he wanted so much more. There were days when he masturbated five and six times, all the while thinking only of Evelyn, thinking of what he would like to do to her, what he would like her to do to him. One evening in November, the phone in Kevin's dorm room rang. "Hello?" "Hi, Kevin! Guess what?" "I haven't got a clue. What's up? "I'm going to be in Massachusetts in December. What are the chances you can come up to see me?" "Well, it depends on when you're there. I have classes through the fourth, and then a free week before exams." "Perfect!" Evelyn exclaimed. "I'll go to Mom's during the first part of the week, and then we can meet in Boston on the fourth. Would that work for you?" "I can't believe it!" said Kevin. "I didn't think I'd get to see you until June when I came back home. This is fantastic!" "Well, mark your calendar. I'll see you in Boston!" The conversation then turned to other things and continued for a while. During the call, Kevin pulled off his trousers and began caressing his penis. It was already half hard, just from the sound of her voice. It wasn't long until he was fully hard. Kevin hadn't been able to concentrate too well on what Evelyn was saying, he was lost in a fantasy about her. It wasn't the first time that happened, either. The days dragged by. The phone calls continued on a nearly daily basis. The days she didn't call were like torture. The days she did call were like torture. He wanted to see her. He loved to hear her voice. He imagined holding her in his arms. He smothered her in kisses, at least in his imagination. Finally, the last class for the week was done. Kevin had spent the evening before, packing. He had such a scenario built up in his mind, but he also knew it would never happen. Evelyn was a respectable, married woman. She didn't need a dumb kid like him to mess up her life. Sure, there had been a few conversations where she had revealed that her marriage wasn't all she wanted it to be, but then, what marriage ever was? Her husband was a nice man, earned a good living, and provided well for them. They were a good church-going family. "She's just a friend, she's just a friend," he repeated to himself. It was cold the next day, as he ran from his class to the dorm. He grabbed his overnight bag, and raced down to the parking lot. Within minutes he was navigating his way through town toward I-95 to Boston. New London, Old Saybrook, Mystic, Cranston, Providence, the towns and cities went by. Finally he was on the edge of Boston, and pulled out the map to double-check his route into the city. He had circled the location of the Sheraton, and headed into the city. When he arrived, he pulled into the hotel garage. At twenty-five, he was anything but a man of the world. He had stayed in a few Motel 6s as he drove cross-country, but big fancy downtown hotels were a little out of his class. Kevin found his way to the lobby, and looked around him. Evelyn hadn't really said how they were going to meet up. There, on his left were some booths with white lobby phones. He went over to the booths and stepped into one of them. He pressed the button for the operator, and asked to be connected to Evelyn's room. "Mm-Hello." There was her voice. He loved the way she always put that little mm, before she said hello on the phone. "Hey! I'm down in the lobby." "Great! Come on up, room 1723." Why was it that Kevin had never really thought seriously about the sleeping arrangements? He knew, and he knew that Evelyn was fully aware that there was no way he could afford a room. He had just kind of assumed that she was going to get two rooms, and had never discussed it. At any rate, that question suddenly sprang to his mind as the elevator ascended to the seventeenth floor. The doors opened, and the sign in front of him pointed to the left for the room he wanted. Down the hallway he went, and stopped. He couldn't wait to see her. He also knew he was far too excited, because she was just a friend. Moments after his knock, the door opened, and there she was. Her round little pixie-like face had a wonderful smile. She spread out her arms, and wrapped them around him in a warm hug. "It's about time. Did you get lost?" "No," Kevin said carefully. "I told you that I had my last class that finished at 3:30 . . ." Evelyn punched him in the arm. "Oh, come on. You're still too serious. This is vacation time now. You're not late, I was just kidding. Lighten up, will you? You're such an idiot!" As she led Kevin deeper into the room, he saw two queen beds, one by the window, obviously untouched, the other, by the bathroom, with Evelyn's suitcase and a few clothing items on it. "I grabbed the one by the bathroom, I hope you don't mind." she said. "Is it okay with you to sleep by the window?" "Sure, no prob," said Kevin. "Well," he thought, "that answers that question." This would be a new experience, spending a couple nights in a hotel room with a married woman. At least she had to be more concerned about her reputation than he did about his own, so he was pretty sure there wouldn't be any trouble from the situation. He also couldn't help wishing that there had only been one bed. "So, what are we doing tomorrow?" Evelyn asked. "You tell me." Kevin responded. "These are your stomping grounds, not mine. What would you like to do?" "Well, tomorrow how about if we head off to the cape. I haven't seen Horseneck Beach in years. That was my favorite place when I was a kid. I really want you to see it." A love for the ocean was one of the things Kevin and Evelyn shared in common. "Sounds great!" said Kevin. He pulled his road atlas out of the pocket of his overnight bag, and sat on Evelyn's bed, next to her. She pointed out where the beach was, and showed him the route to get there. Then she suggested a trip to Plymouth to see Plymouth Rock, and a few other possibilities. It was so good to sit close by her. He felt a little uncomfortable as his jeans restrained his growing erection, but it was worth it. How he loved being with her. Kevin loved this kind of sightseeing, and was enthusiastic about it all. He was also excited about spending the whole day in such close contact with Evelyn. They stretched out on the beds, Evelyn on hers, Kevin on his. They talked and talked, just like back home, until after one a.m. "Well, we'd better hit the sack if we're going out tomorrow." Evelyn said. "We'll grab a late breakfast downstairs, and that way we can miss the worst of the traffic by leaving around 9:30 or 10:00." "Sounds good." Kevin got up and started unpacking his overnight bag. He suddenly realized that he must have counted on his own room. He didn't have anything that resembled pajamas. He didn't even bring his robe with him! "Well," he thought to himself, "I guess I'll sleep in my underwear. How am I going to pull this off?" Evelyn said, "I'm going to grab a shower, if that's ok with you." "That's fine," answered Kevin with a little relief. "I'm a morning shower person, anyway." That was the answer. While she was in the bathroom, he hurriedly pulled off his trousers, socks and shirt, and slid under the covers of his bed. At least he didn't have to be some kind of exhibitionist pervert and walk around in his underwear in front of her. He just dropped his clothes on the floor between the bed and the wall, so that if he had to get up in the night, he could grab his trousers and slip them on, without being immodest. As the shower ran, he had such an urge to slip over to the bathroom and walk in and join her. He fished his dick through the front panels of his briefs, and slowly stroked at his erection. He knew he didn't dare bring himself off. He just knew that the moment he passed the point of no return, she would come out of the bathroom, so he contented himself with a slow gentle stroke that didn't get him too excited. When Evelyn came out of the bathroom, she was wearing the pink and white striped nightshirt that he had seen her in many times back home. It was well worn and comfortable. It came just past her bottom, so he could see her lovely legs, but nothing more. She pulled back the covers of her bed, got in and turned off the light. "Night," they said to each other, and the day came to a close. "The next morning, they both rose and prepared for the day. While Kevin was showering, Evelyn dressed in the room. Kevin had taken his clothes for the day into the bathroom with him, and dressed there. They didn't really talk about these arrangements, it just kind of worked out, as if they were thinking the same thoughts. After breakfast, they headed to Kevin's little Honda in the hotel garage. Evelyn was very familiar with Boston, and navigated as Kevin drove. Before long they were headed south to Horseneck Beach. Along the way, they chatted, easily. The conversation wasn't particularly deep, or intense, just two friends sharing thoughts. Before he knew it, they were passing through the gates into the park. Evelyn guided him through the driveways to the spot she wanted to park, and they got out of the car. It was cold! Of course, it was December. Then, too, they were on the ocean, and the wind was blowing. That didn't chill Kevin's desires one bit, nor did it cool down the enjoyment they had. They went over the dunes, and out onto the beach. For a moment, they both just stopped, and listened to the waves crashing on the beach. As they began walking again, Evelyn began telling of some of the times she had been there before. It was during her high school days, and she spoke of the boys she came with, and what they had tried to do with her, and how she sometimes defended her honor, and sometimes let things go a little further. "Boy," thought Kevin, "She's never really talked about her sex life like this before. I wonder what the deal is?" They continued to walk, now in comfortable silence. Kevin hadn't brought gloves with him, so his hands were buried deep in his coat pockets. Suddenly he felt her small hand diving into his pocket and grabbing his own. "I'm cold," she said in explanation. "Do you want to go back to the car?" Kevin asked with concern. "No, this is good." With her left hand holding his right hand in his pocket, she reached across her body with her right hand and tucked it between his right arm, and his body. "It's really only my hands that are cold." "Good," thought Kevin with delight. He was loving having her hold his hand. He knew it was just because her hands were cold, and he shouldn't read anything into it, but he wanted to think that she was starting to become a little romantic. "You're being stupid!" he lectured himself. This isn't some little high school walk, holding hands with your sweetheart. Remember," he reminded himself, "she's married. Besides, there is no way that she could have the hots for you." He wasn't even actually touching her. She had thin leather gloves on, but it made no difference to what he was feeling. Her hands were so small, compared to his own. They felt so delicate, and dependent. Holding hands tightly like that just felt warm, from the inside out. Kevin hadn't felt this good in a long time. After a while they agreed to return to the car, holding hands the entire way. Once they had gotten the car going, Kevin kept his right hand resting on the emergency brake handle that was between them, hoping that she would return her hand to his, but it never happened. They spent the rest of the day driving around southern Massachusetts, visiting Plymouth, and again, getting lost in time with their conversation. Even the times of silence were comfortable. They just seemed to fit well together. Evelyn had tuned the radio to a soft rock station out of Boston, and the music set a comfortable, yet romantic mood. Finally it was time to return to the city. Again, Evelyn navigated them back into town and to the hotel. Rather than eat in one of the hotel restaurants, they walked around town for a bit, and settled into a little restaurant that offered New England specialities. It looked like their major business occurred at lunch for people who worked a couple blocks away at the Hancock Center. There wasn't anything fancy about it, and there weren't many other diners, they nearly had the place to themselves. After supper, they slowly walked back to the hotel. A light snow had begun to fall, and was transforming Boston from winter gray to a pristine white. As they passed one store, Evelyn grabbed Kevin's elbow, and said, "Wait a minute. We have to go in here!" Kevin allowed himself to be dragged in, where Evelyn chose a bottle of wine, and told him to pick out some crackers and some cheese. "We'll finish the evening with a little party!" she said to him with a smile. They continued the slow walk back to the hotel. Kevin felt the same longings and urges that he had years earlier with Kay. He longed to pull Evelyn to him, and kiss her on the forehead, her eyelids, her nose and her lips. As he carried the makings of their party, she tucked her hand around his arm again, and they walked along in a relaxed silence. Snowfall They strolled through the lobby of the hotel, and came to the elevators. As if by magic, an elevator door opened in front of them, and another couple stepped out. The couple looked at Kevin and Evelyn and smiled at them, as if they knew something secret, and happy. Evelyn and Kevin stepped into the elevator, and she pressed the button for the seventeenth floor. She then looked up at him and gave him such a sweet and loving smile, seemingly in response to the smile the other couple had given them. Kevin had a nearly overpowering urge to bend over and kiss those lips. "Whoa!" he thought. "Let's not get stupid, here. But, oh God, how I want to kiss her." It was as much a prayer as a mental exclamation. Kevin knew this was a prayer God wasn't about to be answering. Adultery was definitely off the list of approved behaviors. As the doors to the elevator separated, he put his left arm around Evelyn's back, and gently propelled and guided her out of the elevator. She immediately crossed her right arm across her body, and took his left hand in her right, and held his arm in place around her as they walked to the hotel room. When the arrived at the room, she had to release his hand and drop her arm to fish the key out of her purse. She let them into the room, and as Kevin crossed the room to set down the bag with the wine and cheese and crackers, Evelyn went to the phone. She fished a calling card out of her purse and began dialing numbers. "Hi, Ben!" She said brightly. Kevin wilted inside. She was calling her husband. He felt totally deflated. They had enjoyed such a romantic day together, and the very moment she got back to the room, she had to call him. "Well," Kevin said to himself, "That just shows that you were imagining things. She wasn't holding my hand, she was cold. She doesn't really want me, at least, not like I want her to want me." It hurt, but what could he do? He was being so stupid, feeling all jealous. After all, Ben was her husband. Kevin had no business wanting her. It didn't stop his desires, his jealousy, or his disappointment. The fact was, he did want her. He unpacked the bag, unwrapped a couple of the glasses on the counter, and put them next to the wine bottle. He saw an inexpensive corkscrew, inscribed with the name, address and phone number of the hotel lying on the counter near the ice bucket. He put it next to the wine bottle as well. Then he went into the bathroom. In the bathroom, Kevin leaned against the counter, unzipped his trousers and fished his penis out. It had been half-hard the entire day, and his balls were aching slightly. He stroked himself a few times lightly, and thought, "Sorry, old pal. I don't think you're going to get any exercise tonight." Then he turned to the toilet, and waited for his mind and plumbing to focus on the other important task, before he could relieve his uncomfortable bladder. He flushed, zipped up, washed his hands and went back into the room. Evelyn was just finishing her conversation. "Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow. I have some more shopping to finish, I didn't find everything I wanted to find today. I'm sure Filene's basement will have what I'm looking for, and then I'll be home on Sunday. Bye-bye." Evelyn hung up the phone, and turned toward Kevin. Her expression was a little odd, he wasn't sure how to read it. Her tone of voice was flat, in marked contrast to the brightness in it when she was on the phone. "Well, that's done. I can stop worry about checking in now. I hope you don't mind my little white lie. I didn't tell Ben that I was going to be seeing you. I said that I was coming to Boston to do some Christmas shopping. I'll really have to do a lot tomorrow after you go back to school. I don't really know why I didn't tell him, it's not like anything is going to happen." That last sentence came out very strangely. Was it Kevin's imagination? It sounded like there was disappointment in her voice. "How about if you get some ice in the bucket? The machine's down at the other end of the hall." Evelyn turned back to her purse and fished the room key out and handed it to Kevin. I'm going to take a bath now. Maybe it will warm up my toes a little bit." Then that little pixie smile slipped back onto her lips. "Now, am I going to have to lock the bathroom door?" "I'll be good," Kevin promised, earnestly. "Yeah, that's what I figured." Again, was that a little frustration he heard? He couldn't take a chance. He could just imagine her screaming "Rape!" if he went into the bathroom while she was in the tub. Kevin took the key and the ice bucket and traipsed off down the hall. His cock was a lot more than half-hard, now. Each time his right leg went forward, it compressed his penis between his leg and his jeans, and rubbed it, exciting him even more. He stopped for a moment, and looked up and down the hallway. Then he adjusted his cock in his jeans a little bit. As much as he was enjoying the stimulation, he was afraid someone would come out of a room and see the shape of his hard-on through his jeans. When Kevin returned to the room, the bathroom door was just barely ajar. The water was slowly running. Kevin tried to catch a glimpse through the crack between the door and the jamb, but the tub and shower were on the opposite side, so there was nothing to see, not even the mirror. "That'll teach you for trying to be a pervert peeper." he laughed to himself. He put the ice bucket on the counter, and laid back on his bed. The water was still running. God he was frustrated. He couldn't stand it, so he quietly unzipped himself, and released his throughly erect cock into the air. Again, he was convinced that the moment he would start cumming, Evelyn would come out of the bathroom, so he again, just teased himself with a light stroking. Kevin imagined Evelyn lying back in the tub, a few islands of bubbles floating around, but doing nothing to cover her breasts or pussy. He thought about the pleasure of soaping her, washing her, letting his hands slide all over her wet, slippery, soapy breasts, tummy and down to her pussy. He played with the idea of pouring her a glass of wine and bringing it in to her. That sounded so romantic. It also sounded dangerous. He tried to decipher her voice, and to come to some understanding as to why she seemed so underwhelmed about calling home. What did she want? He could understand why she wouldn't tell her husband that he was staying in the hotel with her, but why didn't she even tell her husband that Kevin had come up just for the day? Suddenly the water stopped flowing. Kevin's eyes snapped open and he hurriedly stuffed his cock back into his pants and zipped them up. Really he had time. It was several minutes before Evelyn came out, with her faded old blue terry robe wrapped tightly around her. It was anything but "sexy," but Kevin still admired her in it. She always pulled the sash tightly, and it accentuated her curves. She wasn't what anyone would call top-heavy but Kevin didn't believe that size was all that it was cracked up to be. Her waist was narrow, and her hips were just great. "What, you don't have the wine open yet? Make yourself useful!" Kevin went over and assembled the corkscrew. He then removed the foil from the top of the bottle and twisted the corkscrew down into the cork. He stopped for a moment and studied the label. "Chateau Ste. Michelle." It was hometown stuff. Normally something like this would have made him a little bit homesick, but he had the best of home with him, right now. He pulled the cork out, and poured a little in one of the glasses. It wasn't exactly an elegant wine glass, but you couldn't have everything. He gave it a taste, and was pleased. He looked again at the label, "Gewurtztramiener." He took the other glass, filled it half-way, and then filled his own. He took Evelyn's over to her. She smiled that same smile she had in the elevator, held up her glass, and said, "cheers." They clinked glasses, and each took a sip, looking deeply into each other's eyes. "I want her." It's all Kevin could think. As strong as his desire for her was, his fear was stronger. Evelyn grabbed the HBO guide from the television. "Let's see what's on. We can watch a movie, drink wine and get pleasantly buzzed. Maybe I can tempt you out of being so straight-laced." "Say, this should be good." she exclaimed. "Let's watched "Used Cars!" It should be funny." Then she turned to Kevin with a kind of mocking smile. "I don't know, maybe you shouldn't watch this with your virgin eyes. It's got nudity in it. Have you ever seen boobs before?" "I think I'll survive," Kevin replied. Actually he was kind of embarrassed about the idea. He hadn't ever seen a movie with nudity in it while sitting with a woman. But he wasn't going to let Evelyn get the better of him. Sometimes she could act so superior, and it annoyed him more than a bit. "Then again, maybe we shouldn't watch it." she answered back. "Oh? Why not?" Kevin responded. "Well, any naked woman in this movie has to at least have 44-D's. That's the way these booby movies are. I'll feel inferior with you staring at those big mamas." She actually sounded half-serious. "I don't think you have to worry about that. Personally, I've never seen anything about you to complain about." Evelyn turned around to Kevin, one eyebrow raised. "Oh, really? And just what have you seen about me?" Kevin turned instantly red, which sent Evelyn into laughter. "Well, uh, I haven't seen anything. . . I mean, I think you really look good like you are. I don't think you need 44-Ds. I really like your breasts like . . ." Kevin stopped, even more embarrassed. He started again, "I mean, oh man, I can't believe I'm saying any of this." He took a deep breath. "I'm not trying to be fresh or anything, but I think you are really beautiful the way you are. I don't think you need big huge breasts. Any guy who would change that about you would just be out of his mind." Kevin turned away from her. She had been looking straight into his eyes, and that caused him to turn even redder, so he turned away in embarrassment. Immediately she slapped him, hard across his upper arm. "You idiot!" she said cheerfully. "When you say something as gallant as that, don't you ever turn away from a woman right afterward. That's just about the nicest thing any man has ever said to me." Then the pixie grin returned. "But I don't believe a word of it. I still think you'd like me better with 44-Ds!" She then turned back toward the television, grabbed the remote and switched it on. Once the picture appeared she cycled through the channels until she reached HBO. She then tossed the remote onto Kevin's bed and stretched out on the bed, on her stomach with her feet pointing toward the headboard, and her head facing the television. She propped herself up on her elbows and ordered Kevin to hand her the glass of wine. He gave her glass to her, and she drank the wine straight down, and pushed the glass out for a refill. Kevin obliged, and put more wine in her glass. He then sipped a little of his own, and put the cheese and crackers on the bed next to her. He then lowered himself to the floor, and leaned against the foot of the bed, facing the television, with Evelyn right above him. As the movie began, they continued the same kind of light-hearted banter that had filled the entire day, but it was tinged with more sexual innuendo than ever before. Most of that was coming from Evelyn, but Kevin tried to keep up, without getting too crude, or giving away how much he was enjoying it. He especially didn't want her to know that some of his comments were actually what he honestly would have liked to enjoy with her. When the portion of the movie came where the girl's dress was torn off her, Kevin felt Evelyn's hands cover his eyes. "I don't want your righteous eyes to be offended here," she said lightly mocking him. At the same time, her fingers were spread apart enough that Kevin could easily see the screen. He also noticed that the way she was holding his head kept him from being able to turn his head away from the screen. "There! Didn't I tell you?" Evelyn crowed triumphantly. "Wouldn't you much rather see those puppies than my little babies?" "Well, I doubt I'll have the opportunity to make a direct comparison, but I'll stand by what I said before. Sight unseen, I wouldn't want to change a thing about you." Evelyn slapped him across the back of his head. "Liar!" But Kevin didn't think she sounded displeased. Instead she stuck out her glass for another refill. When the movie came to an end, Evelyn rolled off the bed with a sigh, and went over to the window. It was a kind of bay window, with enough room on the sill for her to seat herself on it. She leaned against the wall at the side of the window, pulled her feet up and wrapped her robe around her legs, and stared out the window at the falling snow, and the Hancock Tower opposite them. Kevin picked up the wine bottle, cheese and cracker leftovers, and set them on the counter. He then took a couple steps over to the window, and stood close to Evelyn. They both watched the snow fall, in silence. Kevin knew that he was a tiny bit tipsy, and he figured that Evelyn was even more so. She had twice the wine he did, and weighed half as much. On the other hand, Kevin usually drank very little, so he figured that maybe he was a little more affected than he might otherwise be. As he stood next to Evelyn, he raised his right hand and put it gently on her shoulder. With his thumb he gently caressed her. This was far bolder than anything he had ever done with her. He slowly moved his hand down her arm, and lightly rubbed her arm with his hand, up and down, with a tender stroke. She didn't respond. She didn't shake it off, she didn't signal approval. Suddenly, her voice came to him, very quietly. "What are you doing?" It was like an electric shock went from the base of his spine straight up into his brain. His hand froze in place. "Damn!" he thought. "I screwed it up! She's angry, she's going to throw me out. Damn!" He hesitated before speaking. "I don't know. Nothing, I guess." It sounded lame. It was a lame reply, but he didn't want to admit that he just wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her. God, it was just perfect! Wine, sexual tension that was as thick as could be, a cold snowy night outside and a beautiful woman inside. What the heck did she think he was doing? But he couldn't say it. He couldn't admit it to her. He was just too afraid. Dejectedly, he withdrew his hand, and it fell like deadweight to his side. Evelyn sighed. "I think we'd better call it a night, before we do something we would regret." "What?" Kevin thought to himself. "Something we'd regret? What was she thinking?" But the moment passed. He didn't press the matter. She had left an opening a mile wide, and he was too afraid to step through. She sighed again, swivelled her cute little buns around on the sill and slipped back to the floor. She turned the television off, turned off all the lights other than the one by Kevin's bed, and slipped her robe off, revealing that same pink and white striped nightshirt. Then she climbed into her bed with her back to Kevin, and pulled the covers over her without another word. Kevin turned the light off by his bed, and sat on the side of the bed facing the window. One thing about being on the seventeenth floor, you didn't have to close the curtains for privacy. The only thing that could see you were the seagulls that hovered around. He gazed out the window at the lights of the city, and the falling flakes. Finally he took off his shirt and socks, slipped off his trousers and slid under the covers. With all the wine, sleep came quickly. It was late afternoon, and the snow was piling up. Kevin watched the birds at the feeder, which was also getting covered with snow. The cardinals had come out and were plucking at the sunflower seeds. He hadn't thought about that corkscrew for a long time. When he left the hotel the next day, he had taken the corkscrew with him. He had kept it for years and years. Long after his wedding. A physical memento of a wondrous time. Kevin woke up a little before five a.m. His bladder was going to explode. Evelyn's slow even breathing in the next bed assured him that she was asleep, but he took no chances. He leaned over the side of the bed and retrieved his jeans, and slid them up his legs under the covers. Then he padded to the bathroom and relieved himself. Returning to his bed he again slipped the jeans back off himself and slid back under the covers. He thought to the events of the night before, and it seemed like his cock swelled immediately. Lord but he was hard. He began stroking it. He was an expert at quiet masturbation, he had done it for three years in college with his roomie across the room, never suspecting a thing. Life was so much easier, his senior year, when he had a single room. This time, there was no stopping him. There was no way he wasn't going to get some relief. He squeezed his cock. He pumped it, up and down, up and down. He had to hold his breath to avoid panting and making too much noise. From time to time he would slow down and just draw the skin up and over the head of his penis and then back to the base of the head. Finally he reached the boiling point, and he squeezed tightly, just below the head of his pulsing cock, to keep all the cum inside. He lay still. Slowly he let his breath out. It felt like he had been holding it for ten minutes. His cock still felt like there were tiny electric pulses racing back and forth within it. Slowly it lost it's firmness and length, and shrank back to its regular soft dimensions. Clutching himself with his right hand, Kevin rolled to his right to the edge of the bed. He retrieved one of his socks from the floor, and brought it below the bedcovers. He poked his thoroughly relaxed penis inside the sock, and released all the sticky fluids that were trapped within. Clutching the opening of the sock around his penis, he gently milked every bit of liquid out, starting from where his cock came out from his body. Then he used the upper part of his sock to wipe his cock dry, and stuffed the soiled sock under the bed. Kevin rolled back onto his stomach, and fell back asleep in the pre-dawn darkness. When he awoke, a couple hours later, there was music playing from the television. It was the same kind of soft, easy listening music they had listened to in the car the day before. He opened his eyes, and saw Evelyn, standing by the window again, watching the snow fall. It was just getting light, and the snow was falling thickly and heavily. Now she wasn't wearing her robe, just that faded pink and white nightshirt. Kevin just lay there, watching. He didn't want to say anything. He didn't want her to know he was awake. He wanted to look at her. She was so damn lovely to his eyes. Without his glasses, he couldn't see as well as he would have liked. Finally he became aware that she wasn't standing quite still. Her shoulders were shaking a little. He heard her. Oh, Lord! She was softly crying! "What's wrong?" he quietly spoke. She didn't even turn around. She didn't say a word. It was silent. Then she sniffled long, held her breath and let it out with a long shuddering sigh. Still she didn't answer. "Evelyn. Please. What's the matter?" She didn't turn, but she spoke, still gazing out at the snow. "I did everything I could. I did everything I knew how to do. But you didn't want me. I'm too old and ugly for you to want me." She began to cry again. Kevin sat up, still careful to remain modestly covered. He was wearing his t-shirt and briefs, but he kept the sheet and blanket covering his lower body as he swivelled and rested his feet on the floor. Snowfall "Are you kidding me? Ugly? That's the last thing you are!" "Then why wouldn't you touch me? Why did you stop when I asked you what we were doing?" Evelyn finally turned in Kevin's direction, but kept her gaze fixed on the floor. Kevin held out his arm, his fingers extended in a gesture to come. Evelyn also reached out, and placed her hand in his. He closed his fingers around hers, and pulled her to his side on the bed. She sat next to him on the covers, him beneath them. With his left arm he reached around her, and put it around her waist. With his right hand he reached up and wiped the tears from the corner of her eye, down her cheek with his index finger. He then put the finger in his mouth, and tasted the bitter salt of her tears. "I wanted you so badly. I was so afraid. I was afraid you would hate me. I don't want you to hate me," he said in a tone, almost too low to hear. Kevin placed his hand on the other side of her head and pulled her to his shoulder. He turned his head and gently kissed her hair on the top of her head. She probably couldn't even feel it. He pressed deeper into her hair with his lips, and again, carefully kissed the top of her head. He hugged her head tightly to his shoulder, then released the pressure. As she began to lift her head a little, he kissed the side of her head, right at the corner of her eye. He kissed her again, softly on her cheekbone, then on her cheek, then on her lower jaw line. He moved his lips to her chin, and kissed her again, right at the point of her chin. He turned her head a little with his hand, and kissed her other cheek. Each kiss was soft and tender, and completely undemanding. He had experience in kissing, but this was something completely different. It was like he was trying to tell her every soft thought he ever had for her, without using words. Lips, yes, words, no. He tilted her head back a little, and again tenderly kissed her right at the angle of her jaw, just above her neck. So far, he had not come close to her lips. Again he adjusted the angle of her head, and softly caressed her eyelids with his lips, then the tip of his tongue; first, her left, then her right. At this point he placed one hand against her jaw and cheek, and softly brushed her lips with his thumb. He pulled back a little, hand still holding her head, and then slowly bent in to her lips. All this time, she had been completely pliant. There was no resistance, no return of his actions. She simply received his kisses. When he brought his lips to hers, she briefly extended her lips to his, and then, somehow, used those lips to softly draw his lips into her own, deeper and deeper, until they seemed to merge into a single pair of lips. He was later to know this special, magic melting kiss of hers only a few more times, and never received a kiss quite like this from any other woman. He sank into her soul in that kiss, and was completely lost within her. They remained submerged into each other for seconds or an eternity. Slowly her mouth began to open, and Kevin willingly followed. Evelyn's tongue tentatively slipped past her teeth, and began to trace the edge of his teeth. Kevin kept his tongue back away. He wanted her to explore him. He wanted her to reach into him. She did so. At first, softly, her tongue reached further into his mouth, then with greater and greater urgency. Kevin could no longer restrain himself, and began responding in a similar manner. Suddenly things became passionate and demanding. Tongues fought for their space, lips mashed hard against each other, and Evelyn reached up, finally and grabbed a handful of Kevin's hair and held tightly. How long did it go on? At times, breathless, they had to part lips, and looked deeply at one another. It seemed like their souls had been completely bared through these actions. Then again, they came back together, with ever greater urgency. This was all Kevin knew. He knew kissing. He didn't know how to go any further. Even that night with Louise, he had no idea how his hand ended up on her breast. But Kevin was not willing to stop with this kissing. He had to leave today. He couldn't stop now, and just walk away. He wouldn't see her for six more months, and he couldn't do that, he couldn't just stop now, not unless she stopped it. Abruptly he pulled away from her. He looked directly into her eyes, and she returned the gaze, with a questioning look. He then slipped his arm down around her chest in a hug, and simply laid down, and pulled her down with him. It was like a jolt of electricity had been sent through her, firing her up into action. He lay on his side, and she, facing him. She threw her arm around him, and pressed her lips into his over and over, short, hard, jabbing kisses, filled with tense energy. She drew him close to her in a hug, and began kissing his neck, and chewing gently on his earlobe. She traced the edge of his ear with her tongue, then lightning quick, slipped her tongue deep into his ear. The necking continued, sometimes gently, sometimes with tremendous, uncontained urgency. Finally they slowed down, and caught their breath. Suddenly she muttered, "Nothing's going to happen with these in the way." She rolled to her side away from Kevin for the briefest of moments, pulled away the bed covers and slipped under them, bringing herself even closer to his body. Now there were only their night clothes separating them. Her nightshirt, his t-shirt and briefs. At this point, Kevin was completely lost. He had never been in this position before. Obviously she wanted something from him, or she never would have been willing to kiss him like this. It was different from any situation he had ever been in. A married woman doesn't neck like this with another man unless she intends it to go further. But Kevin didn't know the steps. At least not from experience. He was more than willing to follow her lead. As a result of his ignorance, things took a long time. There was no wham, bam, thank you ma'am. He followed Evelyn's tempo, which brought them both to fever pitches, and then they slipped back again. It was like riding waves, each wave was just a little bit bigger than the previous, no trough went quite as low as the previous. Everything built, slowly, inexorably to maximum stimulation and desire. Kevin began running his hand up and down her side. She was still covered with her nightshirt, and they were both below the bedcovers. Still, beneath the cloth of her nightshirt, he felt the silky smoothness of her skin, uninterrupted by a bra strap. As they continued to explore one another with their lips, their tongues, their hands, Kevin was suddenly shocked into total immobility. Evelyn had slipped her hand down his stomach, under the waistband of his briefs, and held his erection in her grip. "Oh God," thought Kevin. "I can't believe this. She actually wants me! She's holding my cock!" His next thought was of tremendous relief. "Thank God I masturbated earlier," he told himself. "Man, I would have come in a second if I hadn't relieved myself earlier." "Now, what do I do?" he asked himself. "I guess I follow her lead." He first slipped his hand over her hip, and onto the soft mound between her legs, over her panties. With the back of his knuckles, he brushed her panty covered pussy lightly, back and forth. Then he ran his fingers up to the waistband, and like her, slipped his hand inside, to her furry mount. It was a little tight in there. Her panties were quite a bit snugger than his briefs. Regretfully, he felt her hand release his heavily erect penis and slip out of his shorts. Quickly she pulled her own panties down to her ankles, and kicked them off somewhere down into the sheets. Immediately Kevin followed suit. Both of them were covered from the waist up, and naked from the waist down, still covered by the bed coverings. Kevin didn't wait for her touch this time. He reached immediately for her, and brushed his fingertips over her pubic hair. With his middle finger he pressed further, and found the mystical fold of her lips. He began to idly run that finger up and down the length of the fold, adding a little more pressure each time. Finally, reaching the bottom of her slit at one point, the moistness of her pussy seemed to grab the finger, and it just naturally slid deeper, and he continued running his finger, up and down, but now deep between those wondrous puffy folds. From the bottom of the cleft, up to the little nubbin and fold of flesh where the lips joined back together, he slowly stroked her. She was so wet, so slippery, it took no effort, and he simply reveled in what he was doing, and in exploring what she felt like. He concentrated so hard he was only half aware that she was working his hard cock pretty well, herself. No longer kissing intensively, there were just occasional flicking kisses, to punctuate the slow strokes each was giving to the other. Evelyn's breath especially, was growing a little shorter, she was beginning to pant, just a little. "OH! Please! I want you in me! Please, get in me!" she pleaded. "I can't believe this," thought Kevin. "I'm really going to do it. I'm going to have sex with her. I'm going to be able to be in her." As Kevin rose up to his knees, Evelyn spread her legs wide, to allow him between them. He supported himself on his elbows on either side of her shoulders, and began lowering himself closer to her. "Wait!" Evelyn said, urgently. "Oh, God, no! Don't change your mind." he thought. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. "Once it's done, it can't be undone. Are you sure you want to lose your virginity like this?" Kevin couldn't believe she was asking him this. "Don't you know? I have wanted this for so long. It's all I thought about coming up here. There is no one on earth I want to make love to like I want to make love to you. I'll stop if you want to, but I don't want to, oh, God, no! I want you. I want you to want me." "I want you," she answered back, barely whispering. With that, she reached down and grasped his erection one more time. She guided him to the entrance of her vagina, and he pressed himself forward. She was so wet, so lubricated it was almost hard to tell when he first entered her. He slid in so easily, so fully, and so deeply. Their bodies met, fully, pubic areas pressed tightly against each other. She left her hand down there, now trapped between their bodies, and cupped her fingers to hold his dangling balls. He pulled back a little bit and she encircled his scrotum with her thumb and forefinger, and kind of tickled his balls as he gently pressed himself forward again. For just a moment, he stopped. He was supporting himself on his elbows and knees, so you could hardly say that he was resting, but he was luxuriating in the sensations that were focused on his cock and balls. With her pussy walls she was squeezing his cock. With her hands she was gently tightening on his balls. It was more than he had ever imagined. He thought his wet dreams were exciting. They were nothing. How can you really dream about something you've never experienced. This was real. This was intense. This was more than he could have ever hoped for. Now he began to take over. Again he was glad that he had released himself earlier, or he could not have lasted five seconds in her. He had no way of comparing her to anyone else, she was his first. He didn't know tight from loose, and he didn't care. He was in his lover, and that was all he wanted. Besides, the things she could do with her pussy muscles made tightness irrelevant. She could be as tight as she wanted to be. He began to stroke slowly, in and out, trying to feel every square millimeter of her, but wanting to last as long as possible. He would push himself into her, and then, when their pubic bones met, he pushed again, just a little harder. He could hear her grunt and moan softly, every time he did this. He took it as a kind of approval as he stimulated her clit this way. "Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes." She repeated it over and over, until it wasn't English anymore. Pretty soon it became "oh, unh. Oh, unh." Then it was just a long drawn out, "Uuunnhhhh!" Kevin began to feel the telltale signs that things were reaching a climax. He felt his scrotum tighten up in her hand. Those tingling feelings running up and down his cock went faster and faster, colliding in the middle and then spreading out in all directions. Evelyn moaned again, "Uuunnhhhh!" and her pussy suddenly pulsed and constricted. It tightened and clenched his cock, and her legs, which had been wrapped tightly around his waist clenched around him as she spasmed. Simultaneously she threw one arm around his back and pulled him down to her. That was it. All that squeezing sent Kevin over the age, and he began to spurt and spurt and spurt. It was like time had stood still. All he knew were the pulsings of his cock and the matching pulsings of her whole body. They grunted and moaned at each other and came to a complete, squeezing halt. A few more weak pulses of his cock, and he came to a complete rest, but she wasn't quite done yet. He felt the walls of her pussy randomly constrict and jerk and squeeze him tight again. The muscles of her abdominal wall randomly jerked with her pussy. Finally, she too, came to a rest. He lay there for only a moment. She was small, and he didn't want to crush her, so he raised himself up again to his elbows. He moved his arms over so that he could caress her cheek with his thumb, with his cock still hard inside her. He slowly began to pump again, just slightly, and finally his cock began to deflate until it slid wetly out of her and dangled limply from his body. Evelyn released his balls. She had been handling them the whole time, somehow keeping control of herself even through her orgasm so that she did not hurt him by squeezing them too tightly. After dropping his balls, she held his wet, limp cock and rubbed it for a moment, and gave it an affectionate squeeze. She then unwrapped her legs from around his waist. Kevin rolled to his side, and lay next to Evelyn. The thrashing about had warmed them up, considerably, and she kicked the covers off the both of them. For the first time, they could actually see one another, at least from the waist down. Kevin looked at her face first though. He leaned forward and gave her a long, firm kiss, again sliding his tongue deeply into her. He placed his hand behind her back and held her like he would never let her go again, nor would he ever allow this kiss to end. Finally they both had to breathe, and they backed away from each other. "Thank you, Oh my God, thank you so much," he breathed. "Was it what you expected?" she laughed. "Oh, no! No one could ever expect anything as wonderful as that! It was more than I could have possibly ever hoped for!" Tears came to her eyes, immediately. "Oh, no!" he softly cried. "I've hurt you. I shouldn't have done this to you!" "No, that's not it, idiot." she smiled through her tears. These are good tears. I don't think I've ever had it this good before. I know this is the first time I've ever come together. Simultaneous orgasm is actually pretty rare, no matter what you hear people claim. At least I've never experienced it before. That was one hell of a session, kid." Kevin felt like he could explode again, just out of joy. He reached over and put his hand on her naked hip. He began to stroke her again up toward her tummy, then down over her hip and onto her thigh. He loved touching her, and for the first time feasted his eyes by looking closely at the pussy he had so recently filled. He reached down and began tickling her pussy hair. "Whoops!" she said. "Things are a little sensitive there, cowboy." Kevin moved his hand back up to her hip and cheek, and just stroked her lightly with his fingertips. "You are so beautiful." he whispered. "I don't think I could ever get enough of looking at you." "Yeah, well, you're not too ugly, either." she responded. "And look at you! How could you be getting hard again?" She reached toward him and wrapped her fingers around him again. "Don't count on anything much, now. You've about worn me out!" Nevertheless, she kept hold of his semi-erect cock and fondly squeezed and rubbed it from time to time. They lightly kissed each other for some time to follow, and held each other, murmuring words of love, and words of silliness. She had been lying with her back to the window, and languorously rolled over to watch the snow fall. Even so, she backed herself up a little until she felt her bottom make contact with his crotch. She gave herself a little wiggle, just to tease him, and he put his arm around her, held her close, and from time to time, kissed the back of her neck. As they watched the flakes fall, he heard Olivia Newton-John's voice from the radio: I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable I'm not trying to make you anything at all But this feeling doesn't come along everyday And you shouldn't blow the chance When you've got the chance to say I love you I honestly love you If we both were born In another place and time This moment might be ending in a kiss But there you are with yours And here I am with mine So I guess we'll just be leaving it at this I love you I honestly love you I honestly love you Finally she rolled back to face him and gave him one more firm kiss and slapped his arm. "Okay, bub. You've had your fun. I sure as hell know I've had mine. It's time we got rolling here." He reached out for her as she climbed out of bed, and her nightshirt settled back down, covering her delights from his view. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I'd be willing to give this another try." She laughed, deliciously. "Yeah, I'll just bet you would. No, we need to get moving. You have to get back to school, and if I don't get some shopping done, someone is going to get a little suspicious. You missed your chance for a shower, kid, I'm taking it instead. And when I get out of there, I expect to see you up, dressed and packing." Kevin watched her as she grabbed her robe and walked into the bathroom. Then he climbed out of bed, got some clean clothes from his bag and dressed. He stuffed his dirty clothes into the bag, and left it unzipped until he had a shot at the bathroom. Then he took a sheet of hotel stationery and an envelope from the desk. Quickly he sketched out a few words: The flakes wrapped the city, as you have wrapped me in your love. I am kissed by your every touch and your lips will ever enthrall. No matter where I am, or when it may be, You will be first in my heart at every snowfall. He folded the paper, and sealed it in the envelope. Where to put it? He opened her handbag and saw her plane ticket. He slid the envelope into the folder and zipped the bag closed again. A few minutes later the shower stopped, and Evelyn came out, clad in her blue terry robe. Kevin slipped into the bathroom and performed a few necessary duties. As he gave his penis a final shake to release the last drop, he whispered, "Hey, pal, congratulations. We did it!" He then washed his hands and packed up his toiletry kit. He brought it out, put it into his bag, and zipped it up. Evelyn had been drying her hair while he was in the bathroom, and was still in her robe when he came out. "I really hate to throw you out like this, but if you don't leave now, we'll both get really distracted." Kevin saw the tears in her eyes. She didn't want him to leave any more than he wanted to go. But she was right, he had a long drive ahead of him on snow-covered roads, and no end of the snow in sight. He carried his bag to the door, and she followed him. At the door he turned, put his arms around her and held her close. They kissed, then she detached one of his arms, and slid it under her robe. She was naked beneath it, and he wrapped his arm around her and placed his hand on her bottom. He gave it a squeeze, her lips a final kiss, and then turned to open the door. Once more he turned to face her and whispered, "Evelyn, I love you." It was the first time he said it so plainly. Snowfall aThe snow was falling even harder, making hunting nearly impossible. Just seeing anything more than a few feet away was a challenge and he could no longer make out his mate, her short thick ermine fur making her invisible even when visibility was good. He envied her the white fur, so effective in the snow. His own coat, a grey and brown brindle that made him look more than a bit like a tall two legged lynx, was a serious handicap in the snow, though come springtime it would be another story. He knew where she was, though. They never had any trouble finding each other. It was early in the season for such snow, and they were hunting more frequently, trying to eat as much as possibly before the urge to hibernate, already being felt as a kind of lethargy hovering below conscious thought, took over completely and drove them to their den until spring. Movement out of the corner of his eye and He froze. Not his mate... he never saw her move unless she wanted him to. This was a snowshoe hare. Thinner than usual due to the early snow, but food. Caught away from cover, His chances were slim, and he knew it. Upright on two legs made for a good ambusher, but a chase was usually lost even as it began. Fortunately hunger made this particular hare daring. It's very last mistake, as it turned out, it's search for food sending it right past where He crouched motionless, its sense of smell telling it about the nearby predator a split second too late. They would eat tonight, though not much. Smiling, He made his way back to the den. He slowed as he neared the den, looking for signs that anything living had been nearby. He and his mate weren't the only predators in the area, though they were the largest. An involuntary yelp, as He felt something grab his short tail. He had time only to go rigid in surprise when she trotted by him, throwing a mischievous grin over her shoulder before disappearing into their den. Years of hunting together gave them an uncanny ability to tell where the other was, but trying to sneak up on one another was a game they never could resist. Occasionally they succeeded. The addition of the tug on the tail was a favorite for both of them, as it invariably got their juices flowing, in the highly unlikely event that they weren't already. He followed her into the den, though less quickly. The entrance, not large to begin with, was nearly covered with snow and ice. Soon they would be hibernating whether the wanted to or not. Inside their den, He noticed that a hare had been unwary near his mate as well. It was unlikely that luck was involved, though, as her fur made her a good stalker in the wintertime, whereas he had to rely on ambush and luck. In springtime that would reverse, of course. They made a good bondpair that way. They cooked their meal in silence. Though lacking speech, they were thinking creatures, and were able to communicate in a rudimentary fashion. Enough to make themselves understood as much as they needed to, and their hunting instincts compelled them to silence a great deal of the time, regardless. As they ate, their eyes lingered on each other across their small cookfire. It was clear that His juices were, indeed, flowing, and it was clear that such was her intention in sneaking up on him. They finished quickly, and just as quickly extinguished their cookfire. Moving to the back of their den, they curled up in their sleeping area, now so full of insulating material for the oncoming hibernation that it was difficult to move without contacting the other. Fortunately, avoiding physical contact with each other was not on their minds at the moment. Nuzzling her way up his body, she slowed briefly to kiss, lick, or nibble at various places that she knew would fan the fire. She was not very subtle about what she wanted, or when. Though he was the aggressive one outside the den on the hunt, inside the den was another matter entirely. She stopped at his neck, kissing and nibbling his short, sharply pointed ears before turning to look into his eyes. A low guttural growl and smoldering eyes said all that she wanted to say; I want you. Now. He pulled her close, growling his own desire in response as he nuzzled her neck, nipping gently at her ear. They kissed passionately, bodies entwined, white fur contrasting with brindle as they moved sinuously against one another, touching as closely as they were able, until their fur sparkled, crackling with static. Rolling her onto her back, he began to kiss his way down, pausing at her breasts, the nipples, normally invisible, hardening with her excitement so that they could be seen, felt, sucked and licked. Though she sometimes disliked the sensation, she growled her approval, her back arching as her nails scratched along his back, moving up to his head as he moved his way lower still. Arriving at the juncture of her thighs, he resumed his licking and kissing, teasing her outer furred labia open to expose the more sensitive lips and clitoris inside. She whimpered and whined her appreciation, the heat coming on her now, nearly overwhelming as his tongue painted tracks of pleasure up her inner lips to her nub and back down, to start again and again until the sensations were almost unbearable. At other times she might have tugged on his leg, enticing him to move so that she might lick her way around to his Cock, now erect from the effect her smell and the noises she was making were having on him. Not this time, though. She wanted him inside her, and soon. Grabbing his shoulders nearly hard enough to cause pain, she pulled him up to her, opening her arms and her legs in a pose that she hoped would give him the right idea. It did. Sliding up her body, he came to rest with his cock lying on top of her now soaking wet cunt. A few grinding thrusts against her clit and he entered her, slowly at first, but steadily more insistently, until they reached that delicious tempo experience had taught them was the most pleasurable for the longest time. Not very long, this time, as they both felt overcome with lust, he pushed up with his arms to ease the sense of overstimulation and impending orgasm somewhat. She took advantage of the space between their sweating bodies to reach down between them, her fingers slowly rubbing her clit, then faster and with more urgency as she felt her own orgasm approaching. He reached down to pull her knees up slightly, allowing him to thrust into her more deeply. The change of position and her fingers furious motion sent her over the edge, her orgasm crashing into her like a tree falling, her moans and howls echoing through their small den. Her senses were still reeling somewhat as he withdrew and pushed gently on her leg, enticing her to roll over. His last sight of her face was of a sleepy feral grin as she complied, wiggling her short tailed bottom enticingly at him as she settled into a comfortable position on her hands and knees. He knelt behind her and entered her, pulling gently on her tail as he did so. She never failed to respond, and did so now, loudly and enthusiastically, pushing back hard against his cock and wriggling her tail in the hopes that he would tug just a little bit harder. He did, sensing her desire, and the rumbles of another orgasm made her reach for where their bodies joined once again, this time alternating stimulating her own nub with gently caressing his balls as he thrust into her, until, deep guttural and high sharp, their moans and cries blended together as orgasm overcame them both. Their den smelled overpoweringly of sex. Curled up together, fur no longer sticky, having gently cleaned and groomed each other in their post coital bliss; they nuzzled each other gently into a comfortable embrace. Languid with the now unavoidable urge to hibernate, they both gave little playful grunts and barks, nipping and caressing each other as sleep overcame them. His final thought as oblivion took him was that they would be quite hungry come springtime. Maybe one season they would learn to avoid such a wasteful expenditure of energy so close to hibernation. Unlikely. Snowfall Note: This is something really different for me, inspired by a song that really touched my heart (if you've heard it, you'll probably know what it is). ----- The weak sun filtered through the bare trees as Jonah walked across the Millers' fields to get to Bethany's house. He listened to his feet crunching over the light snow, and wondered what Bethany's news could possibly be. They had been dating for five years, ever since the seventh grade, and Jonah could count on one hand the number of times she'd ever had anything approaching news to tell him. They lived in a tiny, fairly insular town peopled solely by followers of Christ seeking a simpler, more holy way of life. Most people lived without television or internet, and there wasn't a mall or a movie theater within twenty miles. There just wasn't much going on in their town, and most "news" was about marriages, or babies, or deaths. He didn't think it could be any of those. Yet... Bethany had been complaining of pain lately, and Dr. Forrester hadn't been able to find anything wrong with her. Bethany's father had finally taken her to the nearest hospital, over 50 miles away, to see some doctors there. Perhaps they had been able to fix whatever was wrong with her. Yes, that must be it. Jonah hopped the low wooden fence out of the field, spotting the Taylors' house rising butter-yellow before him. He knocked on the back door, and Bethany answered, neatly attired. She led him to the sparsely furnished sitting room, and sat on one end of the sofa. The rising sun pressed a warm line of light around her figure. There was a book open on the table, a careworn Bible. From the place it had been left open, Jonah thought it must have been Psalms. He sat a careful distance away from her. "Is your father still asleep?" he asked. "No," Bethany answered, with an odd expression. "He went for a drive. He's been gone a long time." Jonah thought nothing could have surprised him more. Although he and Bethany were regularly allowed to be alone in the sitting room, usually studying or reading the Bible together, her father was always nearby. He was vaguely uncomfortable in the silence that followed. "Did the doctors find out anything?" "Yes. They said it's, um, osteo-, osteosarcoma," she said, fumbling a bit over the words. "Cancer of the bone." An even longer silence followed. "Did they give you medication?" "They, um, they said that, um, there's nothing they can do. All I can do is trust in God." She didn't cry, or even seem all that upset. Still, there was a trembling fragility about her that made Jonah want to gather her up in his arms. "Then let's pray together," he said. He scooted farther over on the couch until he was sitting on the cushion next to hers. He held out his hands, and felt his heart skip a beat when she placed hers in them. They both closed their eyes and bowed their heads. Jonah tried to calm his mind, but his thoughts were racing. With every cell in his brain, he cried out to God to spare her, his oldest friend, his best friend, his only love. He lifted his head and, before he could talk himself out of it, leaned over and kissed her firmly on the mouth. He felt her stiffen slightly, and then relax enough to move her lips against his. Her eyelids fluttered open, and suddenly he was looking directly into her pale blue eyes. Then she pulled back, a strange, panicked expression on her face. Jonah turned, and saw Bethany's father, Samuel, standing in the hallway, watching them with a pained expression on his face. Jonah stood immediately, dropping Bethany's hands. "Sir, I'm sorry," he stammered. Samuel's expression softened. "You don't have to apologize, son." "I should get back home. I'll see you tomorrow, Bethany." Jonah was halfway across their backyard when he realized that there was something he had wanted to ask Bethany. As he approached the house again, he saw through a crack in the shade that her father was embracing her, tears rolling down his cheeks. Whatever his question had been, it was forgotten again. Jonah left to go home, deep in thought. ----- Tuesdays, the dozen or so kids in their grade all met at someone's house for Bible study. It had been six weeks since Bethany's diagnosis, in deepest winter, January. Every week, they spent half an hour in prayer for Bethany, but she didn't seem to be getting any better. This week, they had met at the house of Jonah's cousin, Michael Blake. Bethany was in good spirits despite the pain she was no doubt in. Night had fallen, and most of the other kids left early. When everyone was trooping up the stairs from the basement, Bethany caught the edge of Jonah's shirt to hold him back. The overhead light had been flicked off, and the only light was the dim glow from the kitchen upstairs. Bethany rested her forehead against Jonah's back, and grasped his hand tightly in hers. "Jonah, I think we should talk." "I'm sorry about the other day. It was forward of me," he responded. "I thought it was nice." She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss on his neck, just below the ear. He shivered and turned to face her. "I want to do it again." Jonah leaned forward and barely brushed his lips against hers. He reached up to put his hands on her waist, but suddenly the light flared to life again. "Come on up, everyone's gone!" called Michael. "Let's meet in the glen tomorrow," Bethany said, and dashed off home. Jonah scratched his head, dazed and a little baffled. He felt uncomfortable. As far as he knew, there was no specific Biblical provision preventing kissing or holding hands. It had just always been impressed firmly upon him that kissing was a special, private act, something you did only with the person you truly loved. Many young couples in their town shared their first kiss on their wedding day. He supposed it was possible that many other kids were doing the same thing, but it seemed that no one was really talking about it. ----- Jonah bundled himself up tightly in layers of wool, pulling a scarf around his ears, and struggled through the snow to the glen, one of many small clearings in the woods behind his house. It was so quiet, often with just the soft trilling of a nearby bird. He had always felt closer to God here, even closer than in the building they called church. But, Jonah reasoned, God hadn't actually built the church, but he had built their entire planet. Wasn't it all really God's house? He remembered the first time he had confessed this to Bethany, she had been a little scandalized. After she had visited, and they prayed together, she finally understood. Sometimes Jonah thought she visited the glen more than he did. Certainly these days he often saw a lone set of tracks in the snow leading there. Stepping neatly between the trees, he saw that Bethany was already there, kneeling silently on the thick blanket they kept folded in the hollow of a tree. She rocked back and forth gently as she prayed, and her cheeks were already pink with cold. He knelt before her, placing his hands over hers. Her eyes opened, and she smiled at him. "Bethany, I don't think you should really be out in the cold so much. Shouldn't we go inside?" "Why don't you just warm me up here?" she said, leaning forward and rubbing her nose against his, kissing him. He was so surprised, he didn't do anything for a long moment. Bethany had always been so demure, even blushing slightly when the backs of their hands brushed accidentally. What had gotten into her? His kiss had been impulsive, but was it possible that she had liked it? He did. Her kiss was warming him down to his toes, making his heart beat faster. He kissed her back. When she pulled back, her face was no less flushed, but her eyes were bright. "Jonah, are you still planning to go into the seminary next fall?" He shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't wanted to talk about the future since Bethany had gotten sick. A future without her in it didn't sound much like a future at all to him. He struggled to pull his mind away from those thoughts. He would not cry in front of her. "Um, yes. I can't think of anything I would rather do than study the Bible, to bring the joy of the Word to others. I already talked to the pastor about it, and he said he would be happy to give me a position as his assistant when I graduate. If I want to come back to live here, that is..." he said, trailing off wistfully. "I decided to withdraw my application to the girls' college." When Jonah started to break in, she interrupted him. "Please, you and I both know there isn't any point. Even if I am still here in September, will I want to spend my last days in a classroom? I just want to spend the time I have left experiencing new things." "What kind of things?" "Well... things like kissing." She gave him a small smile, looking up at him expectantly. "Ah, well," he said, taken aback. "We can kiss." She dropped her gaze to the ground and said quietly, "I want to do more than kiss." Jonah was so surprised, he sat back on his heels suddenly. Was she talking about...sex? In the back of his mind, he supposed he wasn't even sure that Bethany knew what that was, though that was ridiculous. Surely her mother had told her about it before she had passed away? Jonah's father had sat him down at thirteen and explained the mechanics of it all, telling him it was something married people did to make babies, and that was all he really knew. He had discovered masturbation shortly before "the talk," and his father had said that was an unholy urge, that it might feel good now, but it would feel ten times as good when the urge was satisfied within a conjugal relationship. "Bethany, I don't think that we should. That's something people do to have children," he said, confused. She looked at him like he had sprouted a second head. "Is that what your parents told you? It's not only for that, you know. Mother told me that it's one of the most Godly expressions of love." It sounded sort of blasphemous to Jonah. He looked at her dubiously, but her mother had been a very pious woman. According to his parents, one of the least sinful people they knew. So if she had said it was all right. "But it's something you can only do once you're married," he insisted before he had thought of the implications of his logic. "I'll never get married," Bethany reminded him sadly. "You don't know that," he argued back. "Just because the doctor said..." "Stop it, stop it!" she shouted, even though for her it was still a quiet sound, like she was shouting through a pillow. "We have to be adults about this, Jonah. I am going... to die." They sat in silence together for a long time. Jonah felt bad for upsetting her. There had to be a way to make things right. "Bethany," he said softly, resting a hand on the back of her cheek, so cold. "Let's get married." "We can't! Daddy would never approve, and what about your parents? Besides, we would need a license, and witnesses, and everything." "Only if we want to be legally married. I'm sure Pastor Stevens would do it, if we asked him. We're adults now. The only witness we need is God." "Let me think about it," she said. ----- It was the last week in February. Bethany was still sick. She hadn't said a word about Jonah's suggestion, and he was sure she had forgotten about it. That Friday morning, she did another very un-Bethany-like thing, passing him a note in the middle of class. It said, "Monday morning. Meet me at church." ----- Jonah's hands were shaking as he tied his shoes and straightened his tie. If he was going to be married today, he was at least going to wear his Sunday suit, even if he had just worn it the day before. It was six o'clock, the sky just barely lightening. He wanted to get out before anyone else was awake. He didn't want to answer their questions. Remnants of the last snow were still on the ground. He shivered in his jacket, and stuck his hands in his pockets. When he got to the church, he stood outside, looking at the tall wooden doors, the little spire, the cross that topped it. He thought about what he was going to do, wondered if he was making the right decision. He was going in to ask a man of God, whom he greatly respected, to confer upon him one of the greatest permanent human connections, and all so that he and Bethany could experience this one physical act without sinning. To Bethany, though, it was more than just a physical act. It was the pinnacle of human love on earth. He couldn't deny her that. Soft footsteps behind him alerted him to her presence. She wore an ankle-length quilted jacket with the hood up. Her face was very pale, but she gave him a tiny smile. He opened the doors, and they entered the sanctuary. The Pastor wasn't in sight, but he would most likely be in his quarters, four small rooms behind the sanctuary. Jonah tapped lightly on the door to his office, and the door opened, showing a kind, puzzled face behind it. "Jonah, Bethany, what are you doing here at this hour?" "Pastor, we need to talk to you." The door opened wider, admitting them into a small office with several chairs and bookshelves crammed with books, notebooks, and papers. The Pastor sat in front of his desk and gestured for them to do the same. They engaged in a few pleasantries. Their parents were fine, cousins were fine, friends were fine. Finally, Jonah got to the point. "We want you to marry us," he said. There was a long pause. "Do you understand what you're asking?" asked the Pastor. "Yes. I want to do this before I die," said Bethany with certainty. "Normally, I only marry couples who have had a chance to talk with me at length about marriage and the commitment it requires. I have never married any couple before their 19th birthdays, and I've been doing marriages in this town for over thirty years. Why, I married both your parents!" He paused, evidently thinking hard. "Let's pray together." They fell silent and bowed their heads. Jonah questioned his decision again, but at last came to peace. "Pastor," he said. "I understand that it might not be a traditional marriage in a lot of ways. But Bethany and I love each other. Ever since we started dating, I knew that she was the one I would someday marry." As he said it, he felt the truth of it. "The day may have come a lot faster than we thought, and 'til death do us part' will come a lot sooner than we want, too. But I am sure this is the decision I want to make." Pastor Stevens looked from one to the other again, sighed gently, and preceded them into the sanctuary. Jonah and Bethany removed their coats before kneeling. He noticed that she was wearing a long, white cotton dress and a string of seed pearls. "This is what my mother got married in," she explained. "Daddy doesn't know I have them." The service was not long. In fifteen minutes, Jonah was pressing his lips against Bethany's, feeling her tremble against him. The Pastor retired to his quarters where, Jonah was sure, he would be praying all day. Jonah and Bethany left the church hand-in-hand, but Bethany said goodbye to him outside the church. "Daddy is leaving me alone tonight to go see his sister in the hospital. I hope you'll come." ----- That night, Jonah told the only lie he could remember telling. He told them he would be up before the sun to go to church, so if he wasn't home when they awoke, that was why. In reality, he stuffed some clothes into his backpack and, after his parents and brothers had gone to bed, snuck out of the house. It wasn't until the walk to Bethany's house that he really thought about the reason he was going over to her house. They wouldn't be studying the Bible all night, anyway. Suddenly, he was really nervous. He wiped his sweating palms on the leg of his slacks, and let himself into Bethany's house. She had left the door unlocked so his knocking wouldn't rouse the neighbors. The house was dark, only a weak light shining down from the top of the stairs. Jonah swallowed hard, feeling more nervous than he had ever felt before. He climbed the stairs, deliberately stepping on the squeaky fifth one to announce his presence to Bethany. Before he had made it to the landing, she was peeking at him from around the corner. They hugged briefly in greeting, and she took his hand, leading him toward her bedroom as if he was a child. I am a child, he thought to himself, and tomorrow I will be a man. He dropped his backpack onto the floor by her door, which she closed behind them. The click of the lock sounded very final. There was no going back now. Jonah took his first good look at Bethany, surprised to see her still in the white dress she had worn that morning. She smiled at him demurely, guessing what he was thinking. "I took it off when I got home so Daddy wouldn't see it. I really don't think he'd be happy if he knew. But...this is what she wore the night they, um, well, got married, and I wanted to..." She trailed off, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "So, uh, do you know how we're supposed to...?" Jonah asked, blushing bright red. "Oh! Yes. My mother, well...let's...let's get into bed," Bethany suggested. She slid onto the narrow little bed, covered with a sunny yellow spread. Jonah sat down beside her, finding there was just enough room for the two of them to sit side-by-side. She looked up at him, and he felt himself leaning toward her, toward the softest lips he thought he would ever feel in his life, toward his...wife. As he kissed her, she trembled beside him. For a long time, Jonah held Bethany close, gently kissing her lips, and occasionally trespassing upon her cheeks, her ears, her neck. She gave a nearly inaudible sigh each time his lips brushed along her collarbone, and eventually he knew the time was right. He slid his fingertips along the back of her dress, finding the zipper and drawing it down shakily. He pulled her dress over her arms, exposing her plain cotton bra for the first time. As simple as it was, he found it tantalizing. Bethany helped him push it over her hips when his nerves failed, and he saw that she was wearing matching panties. She lay back on the bed looking so thin, and so beautiful. His mouth went dry looking down at her. Eventually his inaction made Bethany falter, and she lifted her arms to cover herself. "You don't like..." she began. "You're beautiful," he rushed to assure her. Hands shaking, he undid the buttons on his own clothes, very aware that Bethany was watching his every move closely. He set aside pants and shirt, socks and shoes, and eventually stood in her bedroom clad only in his underwear. He soon drew those down, too, conscious of exposing himself for the first time to anyone as far as he could remember, and then knelt on the bed again. Bethany was unclasping her bra, and then she held it in front of her, afraid to let it go. He leaned over to kiss her again, and he felt her jerk as he brushed against her thigh. He rested his hand lightly on her stomach, and she released her bra, dropping it to the floor. When he drew back to see her, she hooked her fingers into her panties and slid them down her legs until she was as bare as he, save for the seed pearls encircling her throat. Then she was touching him, bringing him to full hardness while he closed his eyes and tried to relearn how to breathe. When she parted her legs and he slid inside her, it was like he was stepping into a whole new world. Her soft skin slid against him as he moved, pressing into her tight, wet heat. She was murmuring his name as she cried out beneath him, and he could only follow her under, sinking beneath the pleasure like a drowning man. ----- Jonah and Bethany woke with the dawn and made love again, this time more eagerly, with the anticipation born of knowledge. When it was over, they lay in bed, silently, enjoying the sound of the chittering sparrows outside the window. The silence was broken by the soft sound of a door closing downstairs. Bethany's head snapped up, and she grabbed for her underclothes, hurriedly pulling them on. Snowfall "Father's home," she whispered to Jonah, whose eyes grew wide. He snatched up his clothes and they both dressed in a flurry of silent activity, with the gentle thudding of footsteps on the staircase. Jonah was tucking in his shirt and Bethany fastening the last of the buttons on hers when the door swung open, Samuel having forgotten to knock. In that moment, everyone was frozen, each looking at the person they thought wasn't supposed to be there. Then Samuel cast his eyes around the room, taking in Jonah's backpack, the gently discarded wedding dress of his late wife, the seed pearls still around Bethany's neck. Bethany's eyes wheeled around nervously, and she pushed past her father, running down the stairs with her shoes untied, laces flying behind her ankles. Jonah ran down after her, catching her in the kitchen doorway, but she wriggled out of his grasp. "No, no, I can't!" she cried. "Don't follow me!" And then she was gone, sprinting across the damp grass until she was out of sight. Jonah paused on the threshold, and then he felt a hand come down on his shoulder. He turned to see Samuel looking at him, not unkindly. "Let her go, son. Let's go inside and talk." Well, he was a man now, Jonah thought, and sometimes, a man needs to face up to what he's done. He turned and went into the kitchen with Bethany's father. ----- Jonah left before Bethany returned home, knowing her father would want a word alone with her. He wasn't angry. Just...tired. Jonah went back to his own house, laid listlessly on his bed, homework for once forgotten. He could only think of the night before, and the way Bethany had tasted, the way she felt underneath him, the way she'd sighed. The way his heart had burst open with the love he felt for her, and how he saw it blossoming on her face, too. He would probably never see that again. He smelled her, on his shirt. He rolled over, curling up on his side, and cried for the first time since he heard the news. At first just silent tears, by the time his parents had come into his room, they were great racking sobs that he feared would tear him apart. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair! Why did it have to be Bethany? Why couldn't God take him instead? It hurt too much. He was a man, but he let his mother hold him again until he quieted, his father occasionally stroking his hair. ----- Bethany returned from her last trip to her open-air temple knowing it would be her last trip anywhere. She wasn't sad, simply resigned to it, and she took to her bed, never complaining of the deep, thrumming pain she felt. Jonah spent his days at her bedside, and his nights in her bed, though his prediction had come true. He never did see the shining joy on her face again, caught up in the hazy web of their love. But she did take enormous comfort from resting in his arms. It was the first day of March, and the snow was falling again, thickly. Bethany called for the pastor, and spent the morning sequestered with him in her bedroom. At last, Jonah went in to see her, and the sight of her tiny body beneath her bright yellow blanket made his heart weep. Neither of them seemed to know what to say, so they said nothing at all. He lay down beside her, holding her gently, until her eyes fluttered open. She smiled radiantly, murmuring "glory, glory, glory..." Then, as suddenly as she had moved, her body was still. After a moment, he thought he saw her breathing, but it was only the fluttering of the blanket as a chill draft swept in from underneath the cracked window. His heart squeezed inward until he thought he would break from the pain of it all, and through the mist of tears, he saw a flash of red outside the window. He stumbled to it, and there, in the orchard, was a cardinal, his color gaudy and almost obscene, making wide joyful circles beneath the bare apple trees. Jonah felt the storm of emotions within him crest. How could anything be so happy, so at peace with the world when his own had just been wrenched from him? He pushed the window open, intending to shoo it away. The snow was still falling, and tiny, icy flakes tickled his cheeks as he leaned out. Suddenly, the cardinal turned from his wheeling, alighting on Jonah's hand and cocking his head to the side. It bent down, nipping his finger gently, then flew up, and up, and up.