12 comments/ 67731 views/ 27 favorites Expectations Ch. 01 By: LiquidFyre Brian Delaney looked around him and finally took a seat in one of the chairs on the front porch of the bungalow in downtown Phoenix. The woman he'd talked to over the phone yesterday was 10 minutes late and he was quickly losing patience. Just as he reached for his cellular phone, an older Audi A4 pulled into the driveway. He watched as the driver opened the driver side door and got out of the car. She reached into the backseat and grabbed a backpack before heading up the walkway. Aisha Morgan cursed silently as she pulled into the driveway. She'd hoped to make it home before the prospective roommate arrived, but it couldn't be helped. She grabbed her bag out of the backseat and glanced at him as she walked towards the front door. Brian watched as she made her way towards him, she was shorter than he was which was fine given that he was shorter than most men. She briefly apologized for being late, explaining that rounds had run longer than planned. Brian followed her and got his first look at the home. The living room was decorated tastefully, with hardwood floors and wood mini blinds at the full size windows. A chocolate brown leather sofa and club chair were decorated with pillows in jewel tones and a throw. A corner armoire with its doors closed, he figured that housed the television. Houseplants topped the armoire as well as the massive bookcase on the far wall of the room. A mirror framed the wall over the sofa, and the wall was bare other than that one piece. Aisha dropped her pack on the floor next to the front door and placed her keys in the wooden bowl on the table before heading off towards the rear of the house. She called back to Brian to make himself at home and look around while she used the restroom. When Aisha returned from the restroom, Brian was standing in one of the two empty bedrooms, looking into the empty closets. The room was decently sized, with a window overlooking the backyard patio. The only downside to the room was the bathroom that adjoined the other bedroom. It had a walk in, glassed wall shower and a vanity with plenty of space. The other bedroom was also empty and was identical to the one he was standing in. Aisha left the bedroom and entered the kitchen, asking if he wanted anything to drink. Brian asked for water and followed her voice into the kitchen. It was galley style with new appliances and ceramic tile flooring. The galley opened onto a bay style area that held a dining table. Brian stood in the doorway of the kitchen and watched Aisha for a bit before answering with a request for water. She was dressed in hospital scrubs and wooden clogs. Her hair was cut incredibly short, maybe an inch and a half all over. The shortness of her hair brought out the features of her face, wide-set large brown eyes, full lips and delicate ears. Despite its lack of length, it was a very feminine look on her. Aisha felt his eyes on her as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with ice and water. She turned around and handed the water to him before heading out to the living room. She curled herself into the club chair facing the sofa, placing her glass of orange juice on the wrought iron table next to the chair. Brian settled on the sofa He was around 5'6" which was short for guy, with thick hair curling hair and a small goatee. Dark hair peeked out the ends of his shirt sleeves and Aisha had a distinct impression that he was that hairy all over. Dark brown eyes, framed by lashes that most women would kill for, rounded out what was all in all, an attractive package. A package that she had no interest in due to her schedule. A bit more small talk and they were able to hammer out the details of being roommates. She just needed someone to share the rent, and he needed a place to stay. So it went for three months. Since Aisha was busy with her latest surgical rotation, Brian didn't see much of her other than a quick glimpse before she headed off for work at 6 am and then he heard her coming in late at night. They communicated by leaving notes for each other, "We're out of milk, can you grab some", "I'll be out of town over the weekend", "the cable company called; they will be here to install your cable tomorrow". At the beginning of spring, he left a message for Aisha, "my best friend and girlfriend are coming to town to visit this weekend, is this okay with you?" Aisha wrote back "of course, there's a blow up mattress in the spare bedroom closet." Aisha didn't mention that she would be around this weekend, the first time in three months and would have preferred to have a bit of quiet. She was sitting on the sofa, with headphones on, listening to a compilation that she had created earlier that day, when Brian walked in with his friends. His girlfriend was just as Aisha had expected; a tall willowy blond, perfectly coifed and manicured with a strong southern drawl. She immediately turned around to Brian and said "well honey you didn't mentioned that your roommate was...black" Brian looked at her and said, it never came up, what does it matter? She smiled a tight smile and just said "I guess things are different out west". His best friend stood back taking in his surroundings, about 6 feet tall, thick and stocky, with clear green eyes and red hair, his voice was deep and Aisha was sure that his southern drawl had seduced many a southern belle into his bed. "Aisha, this is Marnie, my girlfriend, and Ewan, my best friend", guys, this is my roommate Aisha." Marnie stood pensively eyeing Aisha while Ewan moved forward to shake hands with Aisha. "It's nice to meet you Aisha" Yep, Aisha was certain that listening to his voice for too long was akin to sailors listening to the siren's call. "You too. You guys have a good flight?" "Yeah it was pretty good, coach is no place for tall guy though". Aisha glanced at Brian and Marnie and noticed Marnie's possessive stroking of Brian's arm. "Well, I'll let you folks get to it." Again Ewan was the only one to speak "hope we see you around later". Aisha smiled and nodded as she headed out of the room. Ewan turned back to look at Brian and Marnie, chuckling as he noticed the look in Brian's eyes as Marnie whispered furiously at him. The group got settled and headed out for a tour of Phoenix and grabbing a bite to eat. Brian called back to ask Aisha if she wanted to join them, ignoring the glare on Marnie's face. She didn't answer and Brian explained that was probably sleeping, having just finished a surgical rotation in her residency. They stopped at a Mexican restaurant for dinner, lounging over margaritas and tortilla chips. Twilight descended, bathing the city in a purplish glow as they headed towards home. Pulling into the driveway, they noticed that Aisha's car was gone but the house had a rosy glow from the lights left on. On the kitchen table Aisha had left out a bottle of wine and wineglasses with a note for Brian "in celebration of your reunion with your friends". It had been a long flight from Tennessee, but the group sat down to relive old times until weariness overcame them. It was close to 11 when they retired to their respective rooms, Marnie and Brian to Brian's room and Ewan to the spare room. It wasn't long before the antics from Brian's room woke Ewan. He lay there staring at the ceiling and listening to the creaks and groans. Throwing off his covers he looked at his wristwatch, it was 12:45. Sensing that he would get no sleep for a while, he slipped on his jeans and padded into the living room, barefoot and bare-chested, to watch TV. He stopped at the threshold of the living room when he saw Aisha curled up on the sofa, cartoons on the television and headphones on her head. She beckoned him in and took off her headphones. "Are they usually that..noisy?" Ewan grinned, "No, I think it's for your benefit." "That's what I was afraid of. I hope she knows that there's nothing going on between us, we barely see one another." "Don't worry about it. What are you listening to?" Aisha handed him the headphones and he caught the ending of Susan Tedeschi's "Looking for Answers" before Sting's "Whenever I Say Your Name" started. He handed the headphones back to her and nodded at her choice of music. Aisha didn't put the headphones back on, instead she got up and walked over to one of the stereo's satellite speakers, turned it towards the window, opened the window and asked if he wanted to hang out on the enclosed front porch. "It seems the performance is getting louder". On the way out the door he grabbed the bottle of wine and the glasses, while she grabbed some goat cheese, olives, crackers and nuts. On the porch they sat in the pappasan chairs, listening to the faint sound of the music from the stereo and the crickets. Ewan poured them each a glass of wine and they sat not speaking for a while. Breaking the silence Aisha asked him what he did "I'm the Director of Training for a small computer company." During the course of their conversation she found out that he was raised in Boston and moved to Memphis when he entered college. That's where he met Brian. He had been single about four months, ever since he found his fiancé in bed with someone else." He went on to mention that Brian was trying to get him to move out to Phoenix. Aisha shared that she was on her second year of relationshiplessness, she giggled after she made up that word. At his raised eyebrows, she explained that being a resident didn't work well with relationships. They sat in silence for another thirty minutes before deciding it was safe to go back into the house. They parted ways in the hallway and Ewan stood for a moment watching her walk, the soft sway of her curves and the mahogany sheen of her skin sending strong signals to him. The next day the friends headed out to do some shopping and Aisha started working on stripping the kitchen cabinets. She was still at it when they arrived home six hours later. Moments after they arrived, so did Aisha's appetite. She asked about their day while washing dust from her hands. She watched as Marnie pulled Brian from the living room towards the bedroom. Marnie glanced at Ewan, who shrugged his shoulders. She decided to run out and grab something for dinner at the local tacqueria. She excused herself and went to her bedroom, changing into form fitting jeans, a brown "nappy girls rock" t-shirt and sneakers. She walked back by the guest room and found Ewan sitting on the bed. Marnie and Brian had started their nightly performance and feeling generous, she invited Ewan with her. Walking out to the car, she threw Ewan the car keys and told him he could drive and she'd navigate. Sliding into the leather seat, Ewan adjusted all the seat controls in order to fit comfortably in the car. Backing out the driveway, he watched as she scanned through the available radio stations and finally settled by popping a Los Lonely Boys cd into the cd player. When they arrived at the local shop, Ewan hesitated before getting out of the car. She grinned over at him "come on, you'll be fine". There was a line of people standing at the outdoor window, waiting to order, families sitting on cars eating fresh tacos and burritos, a group of young men spread out over the picnic tables slurping menudo and music blaring. When they made it to the front of the line Aisha ordered two carne asada tacos for Ewan and two fish tacos for herself. They grabbed their order and Aisha led him across the street from the shop, to a narrow strip of earth populated with additional picnic tables. Looking around Ewan could see people at the tables and few didn't appear to be eating their food as much as making out. Aisha didn't appear to notice what was going on around her as she had already unwrapped the foil around her tacos and was busy liberally applying salsa and guacamole. Taking her cue Ewan started doing the same. They sat in relative silence, watching cars stream down the road, juices from their food dripping down their hands. When they finished Aisha hopped down from the table, wiped her hands on a napkin and asked if he was ready to go. He popped the last bite of his food in his mouth and nodded. As they started across the street, Ewan tripped in a hole at the edge of the sidewalk and twisted his knee. Aisha helped him up and helped him limp across the road. Driving home she asked if he was okay, he said he was but would probably be sore the next day. Pulling into the driveway Aisha asked if he wanted to use her tub to soak his knee. He thought about it a minute and then took her up on her offer. They entered the house to relative quiet and Ewan stopped off in his room to change into the swim trunks he'd brought with him. Aisha went into her bedroom and started running water in the big deep whirlpool tub. She laid out fresh towels and dimmed the lights. She returned to her bedroom to find him standing there looking around. He thought that her bedroom suited her, shades of brown and blue created a soft welcoming haven. "the bathroom is right through there, take as much time as need". He entered the bathroom closing the door gently and looked around, the bathroom was spacious, with a laundry closet, deep bathtub and walk-in shower stall. There were double sinks, a makeup vanity and stool. Ewan spent an hour with jets soothing away his discomfort before he was ready to leave his comfortable environs. Rubbing himself down, he pulled off his swim trunks and was toweling himself off, when the door cracked open and Aisha peeked her head in "I wanted to check to make sure you..." She stopped talking when she noticed that he was fully nude.. "Sorry Ewan" She backed out of the room, feeling her face go flush. Ewan walked into the bedroom, attired in his swim trunks once again, his deep voice rumbled "sorry Aish, didn't mean to flash you in there". She looked at him for a moment, "did you call me Aish?" "yeah, hope it's okay". "yeah, no one's called me that in a long time is all." "thanks for the tub, I cleaned it out for you." "you're welcome, anytime you need to use it, feel free." Ewan began walking out the door when Aisha stopped him. "When are you leaving Ewan?" "In two days, why?" "Just wondering." Ewan turned and caught the look in her eyes, he began walking back towards her "just wondering, why." Aisha eyed him carefully before saying "No reason, just wondering." Ewan stopped a foot from where she was standing, reaching out he touched her chin "Aish, why do you want to know?" Instinctively, Aisha's face moved forward into his large hand. Looking up, she saw his face descending towards her, "Really, no reason." She placed her hands on his chest as his mouth moved closer to hers, veering off to place a kiss at the corner of her mouth. Closing her eyes she smiled and settled herself against him. He kissed the other corner of her mouth, then her chin and each eyelid before finally taking her mouth. His lips covered hers briefly before gently sucking her lower lip into his mouth. His hands came up and buried themselves in her short coily hair as he positioned her head. Pulling his mouth away from hers, he looked down "Aish, open your eyes." She did as ordered to find that his eyes had taken on tones of gold. "Are you sure about this?" She chewed on her lip for a moment before nodding her head. With her consent he ran his hands from her head, over her back and cupped her backside. Pulling her closer, he pressed himself into her torso. For a moment they stood quietly, swaying gently before Ewan sat in the chair in the corner of the room. Holding her hand he guided her down into his lap. They sat there nibbling at each other's lips, hands roaming, learning the lay of one another's bodies. Ewan slipped his hands beneath her t-shirt and stroked her back. Dipping slightly into the waistband of her pants, before traveling back up her spine and to push her head forward into his kiss. She leaned back in his hands, guiding his head to her breasts, heavy with need, the nipples straining against the fabric of her t-shirt. Taking her cue he leaned down and lavished one nipple through the cotton. Nipping and biting, moving from breast to breast. In one fluid moment she stood and pulled her shirt over her head, dropping it to the floor. Ewan took in her rich dark beauty, the large thick nipples and dark aureoles. She reached a hand up and tweaked her own nipple, a move which caused Ewan to get to his feet. She stepped just out of his reach and using one hand to cup her breast, she used the other hand to unsnap her jeans and shimmy them down her hips. Ewan laughed out loud at the sight of her panties, Supergirl panties cut like men's briefs. That laugh was enough to lighten the mood and walking up to her, he pushed her back onto the bed before coming down to lie beside her. He stroked from her head to her thigh, while his mouth moved over her breasts, his tongue bathing each breast before his mouth suddenly pulled one nipple which made her moan low in her throat and squirm against the bed. Ewan rested the heel of one palm against her mons and ground through her panties. She made tiny noises which pleased him. Slipping one hand beneath her panties, he found her as wet as any woman he'd ever been with. She spread her legs to give him better access and sighed as he stroked one finger over her clit before dipping that finger inside her. He pulled the finger out, repeating the action over and over before suddenly thrusting two fingers inside her. She moved against his hand when he sharply bit her nipple. Pulling his fingers out of her, he licked them with his tongue before sliding them into her mouth. Her tongue lapped her juices from his fingers, sucking steadily. He replaced his fingers with his tongue and drank deeply from her. Getting to his knees, he slid the panties down her legs and she smiled at him as her hands gravitated to her sex, opening the lips to give him a view of her engorged clit, glistening with her juices. Ewan hesitated for only a second, to take in the sight and scent of her, before dipping his head down and kissing her stomach. Trailing his tongue down her thigh before licking her clit just once. He moved her hands, holding them to her sides before burying his face in her pussy. Tickling her clit with his tongue before dipping his tongue inside her. Her hips lifted off the bed as he sucked her clit into his mouth and he used his fingers to penetrate her. With her one loose hand, she stroked his hair, pulling on it to bring him even closer as if that were possible. "Ewan, come here." He barely heard her the first two times she called him, but when she yanked on his hair, it got through to him. He moved up her body and her mouth sought his out, lapping up her juices from his chin and lips before slipping her tongue into his mouth. His body covered the length of hers and his groin naturally settled into hers. Even through the material of his swim trunks, she could feel his length and thickness and she wanted nothing more than to have him inside her. It was all Ewan could do not to rip off his pants and plunge himself into her warmth, but he didn't have a condom in the room with him. With one final grind against her clit, he put his forehead to hers "I don't have any protection." Tears of frustration leaked beneath her eyelids which were drawn tight. "In your room?" she asked. He shook his head, he hadn't thought he would need any. Aisha ran her hands down his back, stroking his buttocks, urging him against her. Raising her hands to either side of her head, clasping her fingers in his, he began to grind against her in earnest. He legs fell to the side and her body began responding to his simulation, cradling his cock and stroking it against her clit. His tongue snaked out and twirled around one dark nipple and he took joy in the contrast of his skin against hers. Letting go of her hands, he moved back down her body and began stroking her clit with his tongue while finger fucking her. Expectations Ch. 01 He was able to quickly bring her to a boiling point, her hips off the bed, and sounds of pleasure quietly escaping into the room. She panted his name, "Ewan, I'm going to cum." At that, he picked up his tempo. He could feel her contract around his fingers and welcomed the stiffening of her body and her whimpers as he continued sucking her clit. She pulled his shoulders up to her and nestled against him. I want you to cum for me Ewan. Take yourself for me. Ewan was aroused and a little embarrassed, he'd never masturbated in front of a woman before. He stood at the side of the bed, pulling his trunks down his legs. Her eyes widened at the sight of his cock, long and thick, with a beautiful red head on it. He pulled a chair to the side of the bed and before sitting down, used his fingers to collect some of her wetness and apply it to his cock. Sitting in the chair, his legs spread wide, he watched her as he began to fondle his cock. His hand stroked the length, moving up to cover the head before heading back down. His hand made swirling stroking movements, moving up and down the shaft, over the head and then down to cup his balls. The sensation of having her watch him heightened his pleasure as did seeing her reach her hand down between her legs and begin pleasuring herself. He matched his strokes to hers, quickening when he saw that she was close to coming. He closed his eyes and pictured himself buried deep in her as he felt his seed begin boiling, pointing his cock towards his body, he grunted deeply as cum shot out onto his stomach, his cock pulsing repeatedly. Opening his eyes, he found her watching him with a smile on her face. She got out of bed and padded towards the bathroom, running warm water over a washcloth, she came back and tenderly washed his ejaculate off his stomach. He stilled her hand with one of his own as he pulled her face down to him. Taking more pleasure from her mouth than he could have believed possible, he began regretting the decision to head back to Memphis in two days. Aisha took him by the hand and led him to the bed, moving the covers back, she slid in and welcomed him into her arms. At seven-thirty the next morning, he made his way back to the guest room, just in time as the door to Brian's room opened and he and Marnie made their way out to the kitchen. Expectations Ch. 02 This is the continuation of the story of Aisha and Ewan. Later that morning Aisha walked into the kitchen to find the three friends sitting on bar stools at the counter eating pizza. Brian and Marnie looked up as she entered and Brian offered her a slice of pizza. After declining his offer, she looked over at Ewan and frowned when she noticed that he still hadn't looked up or spoken. Grabbing a bottled water from the fridge, she moved into the living room, grabbed her car keys and headed out the door. Aisha ran errands most of the day; picking up paint and varnish for the kitchen cabinets, getting a manicure and pedicure, shopping for clothes and picking up new glasses. She returned home to an empty house and a note from Brian indicating that they had gone to a graduate school party and wouldn't be back until late. Aisha popped the new Keith Urban CD into the player and walked into the kitchen. She'd stopped at a Thai restaurant and picked up Massaman curry and Thai crazy noodles. To the strains of "Making Memories of Us" she glided from the microwave to the place that she'd set for herself at the table. Turning around to grab a wineglass for the wine she'd opened, she almost screamed as saw Ewan standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She abruptly turned back towards the table and started fussing with the food. "Aish, turn around and look at me." Aisha ignored his command and stiffened as she felt him come up behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards him, enclosing her in his arms. He tilted her chin up with his thumb, staring into her eyes before leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead before brushing his lips across hers. He removed his arms from around her and took a seat at the table and waited for her to sit down. She walked to the cupboard and took down a second plate and grabbed a set of chopsticks from the cutlery drawer. She sat at the table and without speaking, portioned out food for each of them. The only sounds as they ate dinner were the music in the background and the sounds of their chopsticks striking the side of the plate. After dinner they remained without speaking as she cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. He took her hand and lead out onto the porch and in the darkness they danced in each other's arms, to the sounds of crickets and nightfall. Burying his hands in her thick hair, he pressed her close to his chest. She could hear and feel his heartbeat. They sat in the dark for some time before Marnie and Brian pulled into the driveway. Marnie took a look at the two of them and simply asked Ewan if he he had packed for the trip back to Memphis the next day. Ewan laced the fingers of his left hand through Aisha's right hand before responding "Yes." Marnie sucked on her bottom lip before nodding her head and walking into the house. Brian leaned against the porch railing in front of them and asked, "So what's next?" Aisha looked calmly at Brian and said, "This, is what's next. This is where it started and ends for us." Brian looked at Ewan, "you thinking of moving out here with me?" "Nope, I'd be too close to temptation, always wanting what wasn't mine to have and relationships don't work well with residency." Brian looked at Aisha for a moment before shaking his head and walking into the house. The next morning Aisha was in the kitchen staining the cabinets when the group began loading Brian's car with luggage. Ewan hung back for a moment as Marnie and Brian got in the car. He looked at Aisha and for a moment considered waving Marnie and Brian away, taking Aisha into the bedroom and loving her until she purred. "Take care Aish." She smiled at him, "You too." Later that day, cleaning up from her housework, she came across a package, exquisitely wrapped, on her bed. Sitting down, she played with the brown suede ribbon before opening it. Inside was a short note "Come to me when your residency ends in 6 months. The airline ticket is open ended." Sure enough, he'd included an open-ended airline ticket for her, along with a pair of lace panties with leather laces that criss-crossed the back of the panties." On the long ride to the airport, Ewan kept quiet, listening to the relentless chatter of Marnie and wondered if she'd found his gift yet. Reaching into his carry-on bag for a book, he came across a gift-wrapped package. He smiled before tearing into the wrapping paper. It was a new Ipod. There were no instructions and no card or letter. He slipped on the headphones and played the only song it had "Please Come to Boston" by Dave Loggins. He didn't need to get to the end of the song to know what it meant, and he couldn't wait for the next six months to go by. 1 year later... Aisha was on a plane headed for Memphis, but not into Ewan's arms. Six months prior he'd called to say that he and his ex-fiance were getting back together. This despite six months of talking on the phone, emailing and webcamming each other. She'd flown out to Memphis one month after he left, for a quick visit and that had gone very well. They'd spent most of their time in his townhouse, wrapped in each others arms. She was on her way to Brian's wedding. He and Marnie had decided to tie the knot, due in large part to Marnie being pregnant. At least Brian had finished grad school. He'd taken a position as a business analyst with a company in Seattle. After the wedding, he'd come back to Phoenix to pack up his things and have them shipped to the home they were going to rent in Seattle. Aisha made her way to the hotel that wedding guests were staying at and quickly unpacked. She wanted to grab something to eat before heading to the pre-wedding festivities. The happy couple had planned activities for the entire weekend; golf, pottery lessons, dinner cruises and strolls down Beale Street, the birthplace of the blues. She threw on a pair of bootcut jeans, a brown blazer and camisole and a pair of brown mock lizard skin high-heeled boots. Her hair had grown in the past year, but given its curly nature, it grew out and not down. She put a leather scarf around her hair to create a headband. She checked her makeup and her breath and giving the room one last glance, headed out the door. Aisha stepped off the elevator and looked around the busy hotel lobby. She didn't see anyone she knew and after gathering information from the concierge, she went outside to wait for a taxi to take her to the sushi bar that was recommended. As Aisha was pulling away from the hotel in her taxi, Ewan and a strikingly beautiful woman stepped out of a car and headed into the lobby of the hotel to wait or the rest of the wedding party. They were going out for drinks before breaking into separate groups to escort wedding guests to various attractions for the night. Aisha made her way back to the hotel at 7:30 p.m., in time to catch the groups forming up for excursions. Since she had no interest in pottery, and she had already eaten dinner, she opted to go with the group heading to Beale Street. As the group started forming up and deciding who would ride with whom, she heard his voice, trying to get everyone's attention. "The van will hold 12 people and since we have 14, two people will need to ride with the groom." Aisha looked around and found Brian standing at the rear of the group. He caught her eye and winked at her. Turning back around, she found Ewan staring at her. She returned his gaze, before walking back to Brian and giving him a hug. She spotted Marnie across the room and walked over to say hello. In the past year, they'd become friendlier, once Marnie realized that Aisha had no interest in Brian. The group gathered to leave and Brian grabbed Aisha's shoulder and steered her towards his rental car. His older brother and Ewan were relegated to riding with the rest of the guests in the van. A woman joined them as they stood next to the car watching the van passengers load up. "Aisha, this is Erica Donohue." Aisha smiled and extended her hand to the other woman, "You must be Ewan's wife. It's nice to meet you." Of course she didn't mean it, but she was better than to let her dismay show. The other woman looked confused for a moment and then grabbed Aisha's hand. "No, I'm his sister. It's nice to meet you." Brian hustled them into the car before they could say anything else. They arrived at the parking area in downtown Memphis immediately after the rest of the guests. During the ride Aisha and Erica made small talk and found out that they were both in medicine. Erica was a Nurse Practitioner at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. After finding out that Aisha was a doctor, Erica turned smiled knowingly in Aisha's direction. The night was warm and the streets were crowded. Music flowed gently out of several clubs and the smell of barbecue hang heavy in the air. The group walked along, with people stopping off here and there, to check out the talent in a particular spot or look for souvenirs. Erica and Aisha strolled along together, mostly stopping to look in the storefronts that evoked images of earlier days in Memphis; old sewing machines, LPs, clothing and sepia toned photographs. Across the street, Ewan watched his sister laugh at something Aisha pointed out and felt his heart thud. "Why didn't you tell me she was coming?" he abruptly asked Brian. Brian just looked at him and shrugged, "What difference does it make? You moved on and she's a friend of mine." Ewan glared at his friend for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders in defeat. Later that night, after returning to the hotel, Erica and Aisha sat in the hotel bar having a drink. "You love my brother?" Erin asked impulsively. "Thought I did," Aisha answered honestly. "What happened?" "You tell me. He called to tell me he was getting married. I guess I was his distraction for a while." When Erica arrived at her brother's townhouse later that evening, she found him in the living room brooding. "Pout more why don't you." She said teasingly as she walked by him on the way to the bedroom. "Don't start Erica; it's hard enough having her here, without you riding my tail about it." "Why did you tell her you were getting married?" "I thought it was for the best and I never expected to see her again." "She loved you Ewan, she gave up a shot at a great position in California thinking there was something good with you." "Where did you hear that?" "She told me tonight. One of the attending physicians offered her the chance to work with him in a new neonatal unit in San Diego and she turned it down to go after a position here, which she had to turn down once you pulled your stunt." Ewan leaned forward and put his head in his hands. Erica patted him on the back and left the room. The ceremony went off without a hitch. Aisha thought Ewan looked exceptional in his tuxedo, standing and performing his duties as best man. The wedding reception was held in the ballroom of the hotel the guests were staying in. Aisha begged out of catching the bouquet but did consent to dance with anyone who asked her. The night was wearing long and she left the reception early to head to her room and pack for her flight the next day. Aisha was in the middle of unzipping up the back of her knee length sheath when there was a knock on the door. She looked through the peephole and saw Ewan standing there. She hesitated for just a moment before opening the door. She stepped backwards into the room and Ewan entered, closing the door and leaning against it. Aisha's hair fell to her shoulders in tight coils on the sides, while the back was pinned up in some elaborate working of pins and combs. Her pale lavender sheath hugged her curves and accentuated the color of her skin. They stood for a moment, lost in thought before Ewan walked over to her. Tipping her chin up with one finger, he stared into her deep eyes. "Thank you for coming." She smiled and told him that she hadn't come for him. He took a breath and told her that he knew that. He sat on the edge of her bed and told her that he wasn't getting married. That he'd made it up when he saw where things could go with the two of them. He wasn't sure whether she would forgive him, but wanted a second chance. She considered him and his sincerity and asked him to leave. With that, she walked into the bathroom, firmly closing the door. Ewan headed back downstairs to the party and sat at the bar. He didn't notice his sister watching him with concerned eyes. At 2 am, all the party-goers had finished celebrating and he and Erica headed to his townhouse. As they entered the front door, "Please Come to Boston" was playing on the stereo and he looked at his sister. He was certain that he hadn't left the stereo on when they left. He hugged Erica goodnight and headed to his bedroom. Entering in the dark, he turned on the bedside lamp and found Aisha asleep in his bed, nude except for the panties he'd bought her before he left Phoenix. Ewan walked out of the bedroom and knocked on his sister's door. "How did you manage this?" She just smiled and hugged him, and pushed him away. Ewan returned to his bedroom and stripped all his clothes off, turning back the covers, he slid into bed, curving around Aisha and pulling her tight against him. With a clear voice, Aisha said "Hi." Ewan turned Aisha over so that he could see her face, "Love me?" "Think so" Aisha answered honestly. Ewan stroked the sides of her face before meeting her lips with his. "I know so Aish." He cradled her face in his hands, fingers tracing the contours of the only face he'd wake up to for the rest of his life. She kissed his fingers and turning her back to him so that they were in a spooning position, guided his hands down her torso. Ewan lingered at her breasts, holding their heft in his hands, while using his thumbs to stroke her nipples. With his left hand he continued his stroking, meandering down her stomach, lingering over the plane of her stomach before dipping into her navel and continuing his journey. His hand stroked the smooth skin on either side of the single strip of hair covering her pussy. He finally reached his journey, his palm cupping her while a solitary finger sought out its treasure. Reaching his destination, he slowly stroked her clit, and she moved her bottom against his groin in anticipation. Aisha purred deep in her throat and spread her legs in invitation. Positioned as he was, Ewan could only slide his fingers into her pussy to verify her readiness for him. Rolling Aisha on her back, Ewan settled himself between her legs, his cock spearing up from the juncture of their bodies. Holding himself up on his arms, he looked down at her face as she looked down at their bodies. She reached a hand between their bodies and stroked a finger across the tip of his cock, collecting his pre-cum on her finger and bringing it up to her mouth to taste. Ewan groaned and sat back on his haunches. He lifted her legs, hooking them over his thighs and taking his cock in one hand, stroked it along her slit. He moaned at the visual display of his white cock nudging her dark pussy. He moved his cock along her slit and then up to stroke her clit, then back down and leaned forward as he started entering her. Just a little bit and then back out. Over and over he teased her, never fully penetrating her. Aisha's body started moving, she tried meeting his thrusts and was frustrated when he reached up and tweaked her nipple without completing their union. "Say it Aish." Ewan moved in a little bit as he gave her the order. Aisha's eyes were closed but she said "Fuck me, Ewan." Ewan groaned but instead of sinking inside her, he pulled out and then inched inside just a little. "Say it Aish." "Ewan, take me." Again, Ewan pulled out and inched back inside. "Aish, I'm losing patience." Aisha opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Love you Ewan." With that Ewan leaned forward, capturing her mouth and urging his hips forward, sinking into her. They both groaned at the sensation of joining. Ewan rocked his hips, his cock filling her and Aisha wrapped her legs around him, meeting his thrusts, over and over. Aisha snaked her hand between them and started fingering her clit. Ewan bent his head and sucked one nipple into his mouth, nipping and biting, his hips pumping frantically. "Ewan, I'm close." Ewan stopped his movement and leaned his forehead against hers. Just as suddenly he started rocking his hips again, stroking in and out. Aisha contracted her pussy muscles, tightening around his cock. Ewan stroked in one final time and ground against her. Aisha could feel his cock spurting inside her. Maneuvering to stay connected, they rolled onto their sides, facing one another. "Aish, stay with me." Aisha took a deep breath and nodded. Ewan wrapped his arms around Aisha, surprised at the sudden swelling in his cock. Pressing his body against hers, he smiled as Aisha arched a brow in amusement at his readiness. Aisha moved suddenly, which resulted in Ewan lying on his back while she lay on top of him, legs splayed on either side of his. Moving her body back and forth on top of his allowed his cock to fall between the lips of her pussy. She knew how easily she could come in this position so with one final stroke, she backed down this body towards his feet. On the way down she nipped at his nipples, loving the look of pleasure that flitted across his face. Laying her head on his stomach, she looked up at him, desire filling her eyes. Her face hovered over his cock, loving the look of his cock, nestled in his red pubic hair. She stroked her hand along the inside of his thigh, gently tugging stray hairs before reaching his balls. As she stroked them she noticed that they felt like warm silk. Her tongue darted out and licked, just once, but that was enough to have him prop himself up on his elbows to watch her. Her darkness nestled between his legs, was enough to make him cum. He stroked a hand across her check and couldn't get over how much he loved her. The sounds of Ewan and Aisha making love woke Erica and she glanced at the clock. She picked up her cell phone and dialed a familiar number. Hello "Your lovely bride asleep yet?" "Yes" "Room 314." "Erica, I can't just leave it's my" the phone line went dead and Brian slid out of bed, anticipation making him hard and heavy. The story of Erica and Brian continues in the Erotic Coupling section, under the title Expectations, Part 3. Expectations Ch. 03 This very short story is the offshoot of a story in the Interracial Category, Expectations. This story is not interracial in nature, however to get a sense of who these characters are, you may want to read the other story first. * The sounds of Ewan and Aisha making love woke Erica and she glanced at the clock. She picked up her cell phone and dialed a familiar number. "Hello" "Your lovely bride asleep yet?" "Yes" "Room 314." "Erica, I can't just leave it's my-" the phone line went dead and Brian slid out of bed, anticipation making him hard and heavy. Grabbing a change of clothes, he went into the living room, leaving a note for Marnie, "Taking a quick run out to mom's house, the alarm company called, be back soon." Brian took the elevator down to the third floor, grabbed the passkey from under the floor mat and entered the room. Sitting in darkness, he contemplated what he was doing, what he was risking by meeting her here. 15 minutes later Erica entered the hotel room. She walked in to find him attired simply: Wearing nothing but the c-ring that she'd sent him as a personal wedding gift. She dropped her bag at the side of the bed and started shedding her clothes, the only attire she kept on was her harness and the long thin dildo that she attached to it. Wordlessly, she walked over to Brian and leaned down to kiss his mouth. She held the shaft of her "cock" in her hand and guided Brian's mouth to it. Without a second thought, he began tonguing the head, sliding the shaft into his mouth and then back out. She smiled to herself, thinking how far he'd come since their first time together. She recognized that she allowed him to express his deeper, darker desires, while still presenting a picture perfect relationship to the rest of the world and she was content in her role as his occasional mistress. Brian began taking the dildo into his throat and cast his eyes up to look at Erica. She was pleased with him; he could see it in her eyes. It was a feeling he didn't get when fucking Marnie. She wanted plain, vanilla, boring sex and Brian couldn't even get her to go down on him, much less play with toys. Moving away from his mouth, Erica again held the shaft and this time tapped it against his jaw, dragging the head across his lips. She looked down to see that he was fully erect, his balls held securely by the leather cockring he was wearing. It was her wedding present to him. Taking his hand, she led him to the bed, gently kissing his lips before ordering him to turn around and position himself on his hands and knees. Brian did as told, making sure that he was positioned just at the edge of the bed. Erica ran her hands down his back, making sure that she dipped her fingers into the crevice of his cheeks before reaching into her bag and pulling out lubricant. She used her fingers to liberally apply lubricant to his bottom before doing the same to the cock. Moving between his legs, she placed the cock between his cheeks, pleased to see him move back to cradle it there. Stroking the tip up and down, she began to insert it into him. As always she let him set the pace. Slowly moving just the tip in and out initially, until he indicated he was ready for more. Holding onto his hips, she began increasing her depth, until she was more than halfway in. Standing still she watched as he rocked himself back and forth, taking more and more. The curtains were wide open, giving anyone in the suite of rooms across the way, a perfect view of their activities. Brian's ck was leaking fluid and he reached down and wrapped his hands around it and started stroking. Erica changed her angle of entry and began hitting his sweet spot, the one that made him clench his cheeks and groan uncontrollably. He pulled on his cock until he was sure that he would explode and gave Erica the signal. She pulled out of him and took his place on the bed. Spreading her legs with his knee, he reached down and transferred some of her juices to his shaft ,before nudging into her ass. There was no preliminary gentleness given her, he immediately sunk all the way in, holding still for a moment as he took in the view of her upturned ass. Pulling out he rammed back in, over and over, grasping her hips to pull her to meet his thrusts. She mewled like a kitten and urged him on. They came in a wild explosion, grinding together furiously. Brian pulled out of her and sat on the bed, "Why do we keep doing this to each other?" he asked. She turned around to face him, "Because no one else will do it for us." Expectations Ch. 04 Ewan rolled over onto his back and watched Aisha as she got dressed. "Who's flying in today?" He groaned as she leaned forward to place her breasts into her front closure bra. Aisha smiled at Ewan in the mirror as she watched him begin stroking himself under the quilt on the bed. Shaking her head at him, she rattled off the names of friends and family who were attending their wedding in Las Vegas, "Your Aunt Siobhan, Lyndsey, Karen, Darren, Lourdes, David, Amir, Galen, Raija and Regina. The last two should be arriving in the next thirty minutes or so and I'm going to meet them downstairs for a drink before the rehersal." Ewan watched as she sat on the side of the bed and started rubbing shea butter into the velvety skin on her thighs and arms. "So Aish, what do you say we get started making a baby." Aisha started laughing and turned around to look at Ewan. At the expression on his face her laughter died. "Are you serious? We're getting married the day after tomorrow. We just moved to Seattle and you're starting a new job. We don't have the time or energy for a baby now." Aisha's words didn't have the desired effect on Ewan; in fact they made him want to watch her belly grow fat with their child even more. He rose to his knees and moved behind her. Leaning forward he placed a light kiss on either side of her neck before digging his hands into her hair. She loved having her head massaged and he loved doing it for her. She leaned back into his chest and smiled. "We've got 35 minutes before I have to be downstairs honey. Let's make a baby." She shivered at the sensation of Ewan's tongue trailing over the left side of her neck. Raija swiveled around on her bar stool and stared at the door leading to the hotel lobby. "I can't believe Aisha has the nerve to stand us up." When she didn't get a response she turned back to her cousin. Regina stood next to her tapping her foot, a sure sign that she was getting annoyed. Regina was in the process of looking at her watch for the third time when Aisha stepped through the doorway. The three cousins grinned at each other and hugged before breaking apart to give each other a long and thorough perusal. Galen was checking in at the front desk when he heard the peals of laughter. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw three black women standing together. He smiled, recognizing Aisha from his brief trip to visit her and Ewan in Phoenix the past winter. He'd flown in from Austin to witness his cousin Ewan's marriage to Aisha. "Girl, don't look now but you've got another white man giving you the once over." Raija grinned at Aisha and nodded her head towards the man standing at the registration counter. Aisha glanced over her shoulder and raised a hand and waved shyly. He returned her greeting and she turned back to her cousins. "That's Galen, one of Ewan's cousins." At that moment Ewan joined Galen in the lobby and the two men hugged before heading for the elevators. The women sat and made small talk, drinking cocktails and catching up on family gossip. Several family members were noticeably absent from the celebration. They didn't agree with Aisha's decision to marry someone white and couldn't see beyond their own prejudices to help celebrate her happiness. At dinner that night, sixteen friends and family members sat at a long table, headed by Aisha and Ewan, and toasted the happy couple. Galen gazed at the happy couple, excited for them, while suppressing his own longing. Obligations at home prevented him from possibly ever finding that happiness for himself. Galen looked from Aisha to the other women he'd seen her with earlier and noticed a similarity in their features. They were certainly related. The group went around the table introducing themselves and Galen found out that they were Aisha's cousins. Regina was the petite one with closely cropped hair and vivid green eyes. Her eyes were startling and Galen wondered if she wore contact lenses. Raija was the tallest of the three cousins and had full womanly curves. Not fat, but not thin either. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate, with a tinge of red just beneath the surface. Her eyes were brown and quite possibly the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen, topped by incredibly long lashes. Galen had never consciously been attracted to black women. He loved looking at all women, but there was never a distinct attraction there, but he sat staring at Raija most of the night, looking away whenever she cast her luminous eyes in his direction. After dinner, the group headed for a karaoke bar. Only a few brave souls dared get up to sing and the three cousins were among the few. In fact, they seemed to dare one another to sing. Galen moved to the bar to place another order for the table and turned to lean his back against the bar to watch Aisha as she made her way to the microphone. Ewan joined him at the bar and stood with a look of wonderment on his face as his bride-to-be began singing Etta James' "At Last". "At last, my love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song Yeah, yeah At last The skies above are blue My heart was wrapped up in clover the night I looked at you I found a dream, that I could speak to A dream that I can call my own I found a thrill to press my cheek to A thrill that I have never known Ohh yeah yeah You smile, you smile Oh and then the spell was cast And here we are in heaven For you are mine at last At last... at last". Aisha finished her song and sashayed over to Ewan. She elbowed him in the ribs and turned to wink at Galen. Ewan bent down and whispered something in her ear that made her blush. "So Galen, how are things back in Austin?" Galen sighed deeply without answering, his hand automatically going to fidget with the wedding ring on his hand. Things were the same as they had been for the past 6 years. Kate and Ryan were still a large part of his life. Aisha noticed the nervous fidgeting and stepped closer to him, "Galen, why in the name of all that is good in this world, do you allow her to keep using you like this? What about your happiness, when do you plan on standing up for yourself?" She would have continued if not for Ewan grabbing her by the arm and pulling her against him. "Honey, Galen can take care of himself." He looked at his cousin and noticed the tiredness and loneliness in his eyes. While he worried about him as well, he didn't think Galen would be able to handle Aisha's brand of tough love at the moment. "I'm marrying into this family and I will not sit by and watch him destroy himself, to keep a promise to someone who doesn't love him. I wouldn't keep quiet for any cousins related to me by blood and I won't keep quiet for one related to me by marriage." With that, Aisha elbowed Ewan in the ribs and he released her. She immediately stalked over to her seat at the table. Galen turned to Ewan and raised an eyebrow. Ewan just shrugged at Galen. Maybe being pregnant would temper some of her fire. Galen turned to watch Raija as she fended off the advances of a persistent drunk. The moment the guy leaned in to try to kiss Raija, Galen took off across the room to stand behind Raija's chair. The drunk looked up and then looked back at Raija and stalked off, but not before casting her a nasty look and calling her a sell-out. Galen stared down at the top of her head, bemused by the tiny coils that sprung up from her scalp in every direction. She wore a brown t-shirt with the silhouette of a woman's head with an afro puff and the words "Pretty little black girl" on it, a brown blazer, a denim skirt that fell below her knees and knee-high brown leather boots. "I could have handled that on my own but thank you." Raija turned around and glanced up at Galen. He was dressed in the jeans that she imagined all cowboys living in Texas owned at least six pairs of. Of course, she was just guessing that he was a cowboy since they hadn't really talked to each other. His dark hair was surprisingly curly and reached the collar of his tucked in white dress shirt. She couldn't read the emblem on his belt buckle, not without getting dangerously close to his groin and his feet were shod in well cared for boots. She glanced up at his eyes and he looked away quickly and began twisting the wedding band on his left hand. Raija felt a jolt to her system. Somehow she hadn't noticed that he was married and she hadn't seen or heard anyone speak of his wife. "So, is your wife coming to the wedding?" she asked. Galen looked at her for one dark moment before replying, "No" and walking back to the bar. Galen was lost in his thoughts, sipping on a Hefeweisen with lemon when the karaoke host called Raija's name. She strode to the front of the room and took her place. Her voice, clear as a winter's night, raised the hairs on his arm as she sang a song he'd never heard before. The song title "Plenty of Room" and the artists name, Anita Baker, flashed on the screen before the lyrics began appeared. "I thought I told you everything you needed, You needed to know I thought I gave you everything And then you, you decided to go. Ooh, you know I understand Child I love you with an open hand If you should ever need me, you know where I am. I've got room, plenty of room Never lonely again Just open my door, come on in 'cause I got room, plenty of room You'll never be lonely again. Open my door, come on in 'cause I got room Don't you know I love you child Wherever, wherever you roam on your own? Lord knows it gets cold outside And if you, you should want to come home, come on home. You know I don't lie. Should the world outside make you want to cry Don't you be shy darling why don't you come on by, 'cause I've got room. I've got room, plenty of room Never lonely again Just open my door, come on in 'cause I got room, plenty of room You'll never be lonely again. Open my door, come on in 'cause I got room Oh, right now would be a good time to find, That you have walked into my room Any time is a good time, baby It ain't never too late, baby, never too soon Love is all I wanna give, I wish I knew what you were gonna do. And ain't no one in the world boy, but me and you. You know it's true Sit down at my table til' your spirit is fed Lay your burdens by the fire Rest your worries in my bed I'll never leave you lonely, oh boy, now Don't you hear what I say? Lord, I got room I've got room, plenty of room Never lonely again Just open my door, come on in 'cause I got room, plenty of room You'll never be lonely again. Open my door, come on in 'cause I got room." Even though he knew it wasn't possible, it felt like she was singing directly to him. He looked at Aisha sitting at the table. She was staring right at him with a pensive look and he wondered if she'd told anyone about his problems. He broke eye contact with Aisha when Raija walked up to him at the bar. Staring up into his eyes she said, "I'm sorry if I brought up something uncomfortable for you." Raija was truly sorry to see the pain in his eyes. She didn't know what the issue was, but had a few skeletons in her own closet that could bring that kind of pain to light. Galen didn't say anything but his chest heaved as he sighed deeply. "Aisha shouldn't have told you." "Aisha hasn't said anything to me." "Then how?" She smiled up at him, "Your eyes are clouded over with something: pain, despair, lost love, the need for things that can't be had." Looking into her eyes, Galen was overcome by the desire to unburden himself, to share his sorrows, even for one moment, but that desire was fleeting. He'd made his choices in life and he'd been raised to honor his promises, no matter the personal cost. The next day everyone was busy getting ready for the wedding and all thoughts of the night before were lost in the rush of finding stockings with no runs in them or nail polish to fix the runs and finding something blue for Aisha. Aisha had decided to forgo having attendants, so none of the women had been forced to buy some ridiculous pastel concoction that they would never wear again. The ceremony was surprisingly simple and emotional. Ewan and Aisha had prepared their own vows and the reading of them was punctuated by sniffles and tears. In lieu of a formal reception, the small group headed out for dinner and dancing. Galen fought his instinct to hide out in his room until his flight the next day. Being around this much happiness was painful for him. He was directed to his assigned seat next to Raija. They were seated at a table for six, with other guests. A string quartet played softly in the background as guests made small talk over the salad course. Raija was speaking with the gentleman sitting on her left side and subconsciously noticed Galen's silence. She smiled and excused herself from the conversation and turned to find him looking down at his salad. Putting on her best smile she angled her body to face him. "Galen, Ewan tells me that you live in Austin. Are you a native?" Galen was unsettled by her attention and answered shortly. "Yes." She smiled. "I just moved to Houston from Boston after finishing grad school at Boston University. What do you do for a living?" "I'm a network security analyst." Galen wanted to leave it there but knew he was being rude with his silence. "What do you do?" She beamed at him and winked. "I work as a child advocate in the legal system. When social services takes a parent to court or vice versa, I serve as the representative for the child's best interests, to make sure everyone is focusing on what really matters, the child." "That sounds pretty intense." "Oh it is, but someone's gotta do it." "How do you like Houston? Big change from Boston I'll bet." "It's nice, in a country, country kind of way. And wicked hot and humid. I'm pretty sure I prefer the cold of New England, but I'm here to stay for a while, so I'll deal with it." "What about your family?" "They live in New Hampshire. What about you?" "I'm the youngest of three kids, I have a brother and a sister. All happily married with kids. My parents are still alive and my sister and brother and their families live in the same neighborhood as our parents." It didn't escape Raija that he hadn't mentioned his wife. And given what Aisha had told her about him, it didn't surprise her either. Knowing that she shouldn't push, she ignored the internal warning and did so anyway. "What about your wife? Do you have any children?" Galen looked into her eyes and knew immediately that she knew at least a bit about his life. "I've been married for 9 years. My wife, Kate is a nurse and our son Ryan is 9." That was it. He figured she knew the rest of the story and he didn't want her looking at him with pity. Raija took Galen's hand and led him from the table to the dance floor. To the strains of Patti LaBelle's "Come What May" they swayed in sync. "Wish I was your child Hold me in your heart We could love so free And no, we'd never part. But I'm not a child And wishes are Just child's play, my love. Now I'll never be afraid Of who I am And who I'm not Come what may Wish I was a bird I'd warm you in my wings Safe from all the storms You know true love can bring But I'm not a bird And wishes can Just fly away, my love And I'll never be afraid Of who I am And who I'm not Come what may Oh, I'm no fool Shining in your eyes Of the stars, my love No, we'll never be afraid Of who we are And who we're not Come what may Of who we are And who we're not Come what may Wish I was your child Wish I was a bird Wish I was a child." ****************************************************************************** Standing in the darkness of the hotel room, Raija fidgeted. Galen stood leaning against the door of the room and moved to turn on the light. "Don't turn on the light". Galen frowned for a moment but did as she asked and left the room dark. Galen slowly walked across the room, coming to stand in front of Raija. Leaning forward, he allowed himself the pleasure of burying his nose in her hair before reaching for her face and tilting her head up. She stared into his eyes for a moment before closing her eyes and slightly parting her lips. Galen stroked his thumbs along her jawline before lowering his head and brushing his lips against hers. Raija leaned into his kiss and placed the palms of her hands against his chest. Galen moved his lips to her forehead and settled his hands on her hips. Pulling her tight against him, Galen was aware that Raija could probably feel the thickness of him, pressing against her stomach. Sitting on the edge of the bed with Raija standing between his thighs, Galen reached over to turn on the light. Raija began to protest and Galen stilled her with his words, "I want to see you. I don't want to miss anything and I need to take this memory back with me." Galen leaned his head forward as he bared the skin of her stomach. She was wearing a lacy black bra that unhooked in the front. Sliding her blouse off her shoulders, he caressed her skin, marveling at the softness. Raija stared down at his hands, glowing faintly in the dimness, as they trailed up her torso. He moved to unclasp her bra and she covered his hands with her own. She unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts to his gaze. Her breasts were firm and her chocolate nipples were distended, waiting for his touch. Stroking his palms across her nipples he watched as she closed her eyes, focusing on the sensations. He rubbed the callused pads of his thumbs across each nipple before grasping them lightly between his fingers and tugging gently. Raija's legs went weak and she leaned her legs against the edge of the bed. Galen loved her responsiveness to his touch and flicked his tongue out and lapped at one nipple. When she pressed closer against him, he suckled her nipple into his mouth and lightly teased her with his teeth. She raised her hands from his shoulders and placed them on his head, sifting through the silken strands as her fingers reflexively curled against his scalp as he alternately suckled and nibbled. With an audible pop, Galen allowed the left nipple to tug free from his mouth before moving on to the right and treating it to the same ministrations. Galen leaned his forehead in the valley between her breasts, resting for a moment before slowly kissing his way to her belly. His hands stroked a similar path down her back, coming to rest on her hips. The musky smell of her arousal rose up to meet his nose and guided him lower on her body. His hands tentatively stroked over her panty-covered mound before pulling her panties to one side. For a second he stared in rapt attention at the engorged lips of her sex. Still holding her hips, he reversed their positions and as the back of her knees met the bed, he pushed her back so that she was lying on the bed. Galen pulled Raija's hips until they were even with the edge of the bed before kneeling between them. He stroked his hands up the insides of her thighs before taking up his previous activity. Pulling the left side of her panties to the right, he gazed at her sex once again before sliding one finger along her slit and then dipping slightly inside her warmth and wetness. Pulling his finger back out he looked at the glistening fluid and promptly stuck his finger in his mouth, tasting her. Watching Galen while perched on her elbows, Raija was more aroused than she'd thought possible. Reeling from the taste of her, Galen slid two fingers inside and parted her lips, bringing her clit into full view. It stood proudly and it seemed that it was begging for his attention. Galen made a v with his two fingers and slid one finger on either side of her clit, cradling it. He leaned forward and stroked the length of his flattened tongue against her clit. At the contact Raija gripped his hair, pulling him closer to her. Expectations Ch. 04 For long moments, Galen was lost in his own world, licking and sucking her clit and running his tongue down to her vaginal opening and then back up. With two fingers of his other hand he slid inside her pussy, deeply a few times before focusing on the rough area just inside her pussy. He applied stroking pressure as he continued suckling her clit. He could feel her wetness on his chin and lips and her scent went right through him. He knew that he'd be carrying her smell with him when he returned to Texas and knew that it would make the coming lonely nights more bearable. Pressure built for Raija and her legs began to tremble from the strain of keeping them open to him. Her hands moved to her breasts and she began stroking her nipples, long pulls that gave the delicious sensation of painful pleasure. Raija felt her orgasm coming and her hips began to squirm, rising off the bed and she started mewling sounds of pleasure. "yes, yes, yes". Galen looked up briefly, mesmerized by the desire on her face, before applying firmer pressure on her g-spot. Raija's legs tensed and then began to shake and she felt her control slipping. Giving in to the sensations, she wasn't prepared for the fluid that suddenly leaked from her. Smiling against her thigh, Galen continued licking until he felt her trembling cease. He slid up her body, taking her hands in his, twining his fingers with hers, raising them over head head as he leaned forward to take her mouth. He lay hard and heavy against her, riding out the desire to plunge himself within her depths. She looked embarrassed when he broke the kiss and started to turn her head. "What's wrong?" He frowned down at her pensive look. He could barely hear her whisper, "I think I had an accident just now." He grinned at her, "no, you ejaculated." She snapped her attention to his face, searching his eyes. "I take it you've never done that before then?" "No" Secretly he was glad to hear it. He wanted to give her something to remember him by. She raised her head from the bed and sucked his lower lip into her mouth, bathing it with her tongue, nibbling it suggestively. Galen began moving his groin against hers, stroking back and forth. Raija tried to tug her hands free of his, but Galen didn't budge. She could feel his hips making circles, moving up and down and pressing steadily on her clit. Raija closed her eyes and sighed as Galen's tongue lashed out at her nipple again. He sucked softly until Raija whispered, "Harder love". Galen gladly obliged, using his teeth to gently surround her nipple before applying slight pressure which increased with her moans. Galen freed one hand and dragged his jeans and briefs down his legs. He fumbled with a condom and then looked into Raija's eyes as he sunk his cock inside her softness. He stilled as they both became accustomed to the sensation of being joined. The stillness lasted only until he felt Raija's hips twisting and urging him to action. She stroked her legs against the roughness of his jeans and opened herself wider for him. Taking her invitation, Galen began lazily thrusting himself into her, drawing out until just the tip was still within her before stroking back in. The sensations were incredible for Galen as Raija was tight, wet and hot around him. He lowered his head and captured her mouth with his, grinding his hips against hers. Raija wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him deeper. It wasn't long before Galen felt his orgasm approaching and he dropped his head to the curve of her neck and began licking and sucking on her pulse point. Raija knew she would have a bruise on her neck in the morning but she wasn't concerned enough to ask Galen to stop. In fact, she liked the bit of pain it caused. She was lucky that she was off the rest of the week which would give the bruise time to fade. With one last thrust, Galen ground down hard on her pelvis, engaging her clit which caused Raija's pussy to tighten around him. Galen felt as though he were coming apart when he came. It wasn't just the physical release, which he had certainly needed, but there was an emotional release provided by being with someone who made no demands on him. When Galen didn't move, Raija wondered if he'd fallen asleep, but then she felt his hot wet tears on her neck. She stroked his back and sang quietly, "Sit down at my table, until your spirit is fed, lay your burden by the fire and rest your worries in my bed." Rolling off Raija, carefully holding the condom, Galen turned onto his back and started talking. "Kate and I were best friends from junior high through high school and the first two years of college. She got pregnant during our junior year of college. The baby's father didn't want to marry her or have anything to do with her or Ryan and she came to me for help. We both knew that her family would be disappointed in her and I promised to help her through it. What I didn't know is that she told her family that I was the father. They'd wanted the two of us to get together since we were kids and were happy by the news. They in turn told my parents and instead of standing up for myself, I accepted responsibility and married her. Everyone thinks we're this happily married couple raising a son. The only people who know the truth are my brother and sister and Ewan and Aisha. We work opposite shifts, everyone thinks it's to cut down on childcare expenses, but honestly, it's to avoid drawing attention to the fact that we don't and have never slept together. Ryan's in school now, so there's no real reason for Kate to work the night shift. So that's the life that I'm living. I love Ryan like my own flesh and blood and I made the decision to go through with it, so it's the life I'm leading and now you know." Expectations Ch. 05 Galen picked Ryan up from school. It was the third time either he or Kate had been called to the principal's office in the past two weeks. This time it had been for fighting. The last time it was for acting up in class. They were at a loss over this new behavior and had been advised to have Ryan speak with a child psychiatrist. Sitting over their dinner of spaghetti and meatballs Galen tried drawing Ryan out with no success. Ryan had turned from an idolizing, chubby faced kid, to a surly belligerent pre-teen almost overnight. He needed help and only knew one place to turn for it. "Hi Ewan, it's Galen." Raija looked at the message left by the receptionist and wondered if she should call. It had been six months since her trip to Las Vegas for Ewan and Aisha's wedding. "MicroTek enterprises, Galen Dunne speaking." Raija smiled as she listened to his deep voice accentuated by his Texas twang. "Galen, this is Raija. Returning your call." Galen had thought that he would be much more nervous than he was. He was glad to hear her voice, but more so because of the favor he needed. "Ah, thanks for calling me back. Listen, I need your professional assistance. You work with troubled kids and well; we've got a troubled kid on our hands." He mentally kicked himself as he knew that he should have at least asked her how she was doing. Raija put away lingering thoughts of Galen in her bed. As Galen told her about the recent problems with Ryan she picked up on his love for the child. "Galen, I'm not a psychologist or a social worker. What I do with kids is different." "I know, it's just that you spend time talking to them, finding out what they want and I thought." "Okay, listen, I can meet with Ryan anytime this week or at some point this weekend." "Great. When and where." Raija gave Galen directions to her office and a time to meet in two days. When she hung up the phone she called Aisha. "Hey girl. I just got a call from Galen." "Ewan mentioned that he called looking for your number. What's going on?" "He and Kate are having problems with Ryan, they've asked me to talk to him and see if I can help him." "Are you going to?" "Of course, when have I ever been able to turn down a child?" "Yeah, I know, but." "Yeah." What went unsaid was that once Raija met with Ryan, there couldn't be anything between Galen and Raija. She couldn't break Ryan's trust. Raija wasn't sure if Galen knew or cared, but she did. Bright and early Saturday morning Raija headed for her office. On the way she stopped to pick up pastries, juice and coffee. Raija had been in the office for ten minutes when she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door and found a petite redheaded woman and a red-haired young boy who strongly favored the woman. Standing directly behind them was Galen. "Hi there. Come in." The Dunne family entered the reception area warily. "I'm Raija Montemayor and you must be Ryan." She spoke directly to Ryan who giggled. She raised her eyebrows at him in question. "What kind of name is Montemayor?" "I'm Latina and my last name is Peruvian, just like your last name is Irish." "But you look black." At that last comment his parents looked mortified and started apologizing to her. Raija stopped them. "It's okay." Again looking directly at Ryan she said, "I'm black and Latina. You didn't know that there were black people all over the world?" Ryan looked at her in surprise. "No, all the Hispanic kids at school are brown." She winked at him, "well hang out with me for a while kid and you'll learn a lot you didn't know." She showed Ryan to her office and closed the door. She turned to his parents and asked, "So you've told Ryan why he's here?" Kate spoke up first, "yes, we told him that you work with kids who may be struggling and that you just want to help him." Galen was quiet and when she received no response from him, she turned back to Kate. "I plan on spending about thirty minutes with Ryan today, just talking. You do both understand that this isn't a quick fix. He probably won't want to do much talking today. Are you guys planning on staying around?" Kate answered again, "If you don't mind, we thought that we'd just sit out here, unless you think differently." "Tell you what, there's a new café on the corner, they serve a great breakfast. Why don't the two of you go on down and we'll walk down and meet you when we're done." Leaving them in the reception area, she walked into her office. Galen sat staring out the glass front of the café. Raija had been right, the café served great food. "Galen, did you hear me?" In honesty he hadn't. He was busy wondering what Ryan was telling Raija. "Sorry Kate, what were you saying?" She frowned at him, "How do you know her?" Galen thought there was a hint of jealousy in her voice, which, considering their marriage, was ridiculous. He'd known over the years about various relationships that she'd had. They'd never amounted to much and he'd never cared as long as it didn't impact Ryan. "She's the cousin of Ewan's wife Aisha. I met her at their wedding and called Ewan to get her information." Kate considered Galen for a second. She knew that he'd never stepped outside the bounds of their marriage and she wasn't sure why. As far as she was concerned, sex was sex and didn't need to lead to anything more. Twenty minutes later Galen spied Ryan and Raija walking down the sidewalk. Ryan was staring down at the ground as he walked while Raija talked non-stop. Stepping into the café Raija looked around. Finding his parents she waved goodbye to Ryan and walked out. Galen ran out of the café after her. "What's going on? What did he say?" She smiled at Galen. "We talked in general, about what he likes to do, school, the usual getting to know you stuff." She sighed deeply, "I told you this wasn't an instant solution or process. If anything serious or threatening to Ryan is going on, I'll let you and Kate know, otherwise, I'm here to help Ryan, not you and your wife. Ryan has the appointment card for next week." With that, she walked away. Every Saturday for a month, she met with Ryan. Sometimes Kate dropped him off, sometimes his father but never since the first time did they both come with him. During their fifth meeting they made some headway. "So Ryan, have you talked to your parents yet." "Nope." "Why not?" "I don't know what to say to them." "That's understandable but how long do you think you can go on without having some answers? All you can do is tell them how you feel and see what happens.?" "Can't you talk to them for me?" "Nope, kiddo, we've talked about his before. I'll go with you if you need me to, but I can't do this for you." "You know how it hurts less when you just rip the band-aid off than if you peel it real slow? That's what I should do huh?" "Ryan, sometimes ripping it off causes more damage, even if it's not immediately felt." "So, why are you all dressed up Ms. Montemayor?" Raija could swear that Ryan just liked saying her name. He'd never called her Raija although he'd been invited to do just that on more than one occasion. "I've got a date." "In the middle of the day?" "Yep, we're going to brunch. Brunch is an odd combination of breakfast and lunch." "What do you think will happen when I talk to them?" "I don't know, but your parents are adults. They can handle anything you throw at them and will love you all the more." "Okay, next weekend then, we can talk to them." "If that's what you'd like." "Okay kiddo, I think someone's here to get you." Ryan and Raija walked into the reception area to find Galen standing staring out the window. Galen turned to Ryan and asked him to wait in the car for a moment. "So how's it going?" "Good. Both you and Kate need to be here next weekend; Ryan is ready to talk to you." Galen sat down in one of the plush chairs in the waiting area with his head in his hands. "Do you know what he wants to talk to us about?" "Yes." "I don't think I can do this. I thought I could, but I can't." Raija sat down next to him. "You've done a lot in the past nine years that I bet you never thought you would or could. Don't worry about this. He loves the two of you more than you can imagine." Raija looked at her watch and stood up. "Am I keeping you?" "I do have plans and I'm sure Ryan is wondering what's keeping you. See you next weekend." The following weekend arrived well before Raija would have liked. Despite the fact that it needed to be done, Raija didn't want to see any of the Dunne family in the pain that would surely surface today. At 10 a.m. she ushered them into her office. Ryan had a look of trepidation on his face and Raija gave him a conspiratorial smile. "We're here because Ryan wanted to get some things off his chest and I'd ask that you listen, without jumping in or trying to your side of things. Just listen." Galen and Kate looked at Ryan expectantly. Taking a noticeable breath, Galen started. "First I want to say I'm sorry for the way I've been acting lately. I know it hasn't been much fun putting up with me." He looked at his parents and his lower lip trembled. "I overheard Aunt Valerie talking to grandma a couple of months ago. She was saying that she thought it was interesting that all the men born into the family had the same birthmark, in the same place on their bodies." Galen looked crestfallen. "Ryan." Ryan ignored him and continued. "I looked for a long time to see if I had the birthmark at all, maybe on some other part of my body. But I don't." Tears began spilling down his cheeks. "Am I adopted?" Kate rushed forward, "Of course you're not adopted Ryan. Honey your father and I love you very much." He interrupted her, "Then why don't I have the birthmark." At that simple question, Raija could see them struggle with the choice of continuing to lie, perhaps spinning some fantastic yarn about there being one Dunne male born every 100 years without the birthmark, or telling him the truth. Truth won out. Raija left the family in her office as Kate and Galen started telling Ryan the truth. Two hours later Raija returned to the office to find Kate and Ryan wrapped in Galen's arms. At 9 pm that night, Raija's phone rang. "Hello." Silence on the other end. "Raija." She heard the pain and weariness in his voice. "Galen. Is Ryan okay?" "Yeah?" Galen wanted to lash out and strike someone with his anger and despair. He wanted to ask if Ryan was all she cared about, but knew it wasn't fair. He'd spoken with Ewan and Aisha before he ever called Raija and knew that once she decided to talk with Ryan that anything else was out of the question. "So what do we do now? How do we make it better for him?" "I can give you the names of family counselors in your area who can help you work through this. You all need to get some help Galen. The only difference between now and then, is that everyone in your house knows the truth now. That's only the first obstacle." 6 months later on a Sunday afternoon.... Aisha held an exquisite denim jumper up over the crib and cooed to her daughter, "And this is from your cousin Raija." "Hi everyone." "Galen, you came. And you brought Ryan with you." Raija turned to watch Galen and Ryan walk through the door. Ryan hung back shyly until he saw Raija. "Hey Raija." "Oh! What happened to Ms. Montemayor?" He blushed. "How are things going kiddo? You're a long way from home right now." Ryan looked around and deciding that they were out of earshot of most whispered, "It's okay. Mom and Dad are getting divorced. I'll stay with dad one weekend and mom the next weekend. We're on vacation, Dad brought me down to see SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo." With grace that only the young could muster, Ryan bounced from one topic to the next with ease. "I'll bet your father is happy that you'll be staying with him part of the time." She smiled down at him. "Yeah. I was mad for a long time that they didn't tell me." Later Galen followed Raija into the kitchen room. "So I guess Ryan told you the big news." "Yeah. I'm sorry it didn't work out Galen, but Ryan seems to have accepted it pretty well." "Yeah, well, we've been spending a lot of time talking about things." "So how have you been?" She nodded her head as she drank a glass of water. "Pretty good." "I never did thank you." "It's okay, as you might expect, there's nothing that I wouldn't do for a hurting child." He chuckled, "Yeah, I did see that in you. How long are you in town?" "I leave in three days, what about you guys?" "We leave in six days. A whole week in paradise. Have dinner with us tomorrow as a thank you." "Listen, I don't want to intrude. Ryan seems pretty excited to have this time with you." "Intrude on what?" Aisha walked into the kitchen carrying her month-old daughter. "Nothing nosy." Raija held out her arms for the baby, only to have Michaela placed in Ryan's arms. "Hey! I've been waiting all day to hold her." "Well, when you learn to stop being so sassy with me, you can hold her." Aisha turned away from Raija and towards Galen. "Galen, Ewan wants to know if Ryan would like to stay overnight at SeaWorld Tuesday night. A couple of times a year they offer behind the scenes tours and an overnight stay in the auditorium for kids around his age." From behind them they heard Ryan shout "YES!" "I guess it's decided then." Aisha walked out of the room without gathering her offspring. Galen looked over at Raija. "Have dinner with me on Tuesday then?" Raija could see something in his eyes and had an idea of what he had been like 10 years ago. At noon on Tuesday Galen called Raija's hotel room. "Hey, I'm bored. Come have lunch with me." Raija frowned at the phone. "Okay, lunch instead of dinner." "No, Lunch and dinner. We can explore town together or maybe head down to Mexico." Apparently the Galen from ten years ago was also impetuous and used to getting his own way. Throwing good sense to the wind, Raija accepted his invitation. At 12:30 Raija met Galen in the lobby of her hotel. Galen wore a red polo shirt, khaki shorts and a pair of European style brown sneakers. Galen grabbed her hand and started pulling her out of the hotel lobby. "Whoa big fella, what are you so happy about?" "New city, free time, beautiful woman, happy kid, beautiful woman. What's not to be happy about." Raija stared at Galen, this was the most he'd ever said without being prompted. He pulled her over to a late model Mercedes convertible. She whistled. "Great car. The two of you are going all out huh?" "Yeah, decided to treat myself on this trip and make it a trip to remember for Ryan. What are you in the mood to eat?" Sliding into the car's leather interior Raija watched him walk around the front of the car. He slid into the driver's seat and winked at her as they took off out of the parking lot. "How about fish tacos?" Galen made a face at her suggestion, finally giving in when she promised that he would love them. They drove around until they came across a fast food restaurant that specialized in them. Sitting across the table from him she watched as he devoured his third Fish Taco Especiale: battered whitefish, coleslaw, a white sauce with onion and cilantro, a squeeze of lime and salsa, wrapped in corn tortillas. "So, can we say that I was right about the tacos?" Galen reached across the table snagged one of her tortilla chips, digging into his bowl of pinto beans. "We will say no such thing. In fact, this lunch never took place. I will disavow all knowledge if asked." Raija shook her head at Galen and chuckled. "Where to next?" "A walk on the beach might be good. I need to walk off those mythical fish tacos." They took a drive across the Coronado Bay Bridge and pulled into the public beach access. Raija pulled off her shoes as they began strolling along the edge of the water, digging her toes into the soft sand. Just off the shore was a naval aircraft carrier, heading out into deeper water. They made small talk as they walked until they reached a large boulder sitting in the sand. Raija perched on a flat spot on top of the boulder with her legs hanging over the edge. She patted the space next to her and Galen joined her. They sat staring out at the ocean and the families frolicking in the water. "So really, how are you doing Galen?" Galen exhaled. "Honestly, I'm, I don't know, relieved and sad and tired and worried and horny and happy." "That's a lot of feelings you've got going." "Now that it's over between Kate and me, I'm pissed. I wasted so many years but I pissed at myself, not her. I let it start and continue. I could have told my parents that I wasn't Ryan's father and still been her friend; I didn't have to marry her to help her out. I know that. I'm sad for what could have been because we haven't been best friends for a long time and I'm worried about who she might find now and how he'll react to Ryan. There's just a lot to worry about." He looked over at Raija. "I don't know how to get back in the game and start dating. I don't know if want to date. I don't know if I want to bring women around Ryan. Hell, I don't know anything at this point other than that I have my life back and I have you to thank for that. Kate and I were undecided on what to do, but we saw one of the therapists on the list you gave us and she asked us what we were hanging on for. We thought it was for Ryan's sake but she asked what we thought we were teaching him about marriage, relationships and love and whether the model we were giving him was how we wanted him to live his life. That gave us the nudge we needed." Raija jumped down from the rock, "Come on, let's go celebrate having your life back." They toured the city, walking in Olde Town, driving through La Jolla and Mission Hills. They stopped to stroll in Hillcrest and walked by a tattoo and piercing parlor. They looked at tattoo artwork displayed in the window and Galen grabbed her hand and pulled her in. He thumbed through books looking for something specific and finally settled on a script type that he liked. Without saying a word Raija took a seat as he talked to the tattoo artist. He came back to sit next to her while he waited for the artist to prep. "Aren't you going to try to talk me out of this?" "Nope." "Good." When the artist finally called him back to the area, Galen asked if she wasn't coming with him. She smiled and followed him back to the tattoo area. A short time later, Galen had a flowing script of Ryan's name tattooed on the back of his right shoulder. The artist gave him instructions on how to care for the tattoo and then looked at Raija. "How about you?" Raija shook her head, "No tattoos for me. But I do want a piercing." Galen had been standing in front of the full length mirror, looking at his tattoo but at that news he raised his eyes to meet hers. Galen hoped it wouldn't be some odd facial piercing, like a ring through her nose. Raija finished talking to the tattooist/piercer who began setting up for her procedure. She excused herself and went to the restroom. When she came out the piercer had her sit on the cold table. Galen watched her reflection in the mirror and couldn't believe it when she pulled up to skirt and spread her legs. She wasn't wearing panties, which was a bigger shock than the fact that she was about to be pierced. Leaning back, she placed one leg on either side of the chair the piercer was standing in front of. Galen stood transfixed, staring into the mirror as Raija had the hood of clitoris pierced. She elected to have a curved barbell inserted into the piercing. During the procedure she hadn't made a sound and after a cursory cleanup and instructions similar to those for his new tattoo, she hopped off the table and pulled her skirt down. Expectations Ch. 05 The piercer told her that it would take at least a week to heal and at that time she could swap out the barbell for something else. They walked out of the parlor after paying for their procedures. Galen just stood and stared at her. "What?" "How long have you wanted to do that?" "For a while now. Just figured that there was no time better than the present." "Does it hurt?" "No, does your tattoo?" "Not really, it's more an unexpected sensation." It was close to 7 p.m. and Raija suggested that they go back to her hotel to have dinner. "There's a great restaurant or we can order room service and watch a movie." "Are you sure, I promised to take you to dinner." "I know, but it's been a busy day and I don't want to be too active right now." Expectations Ch. 06 There was a 25 minute wait at the hotel's restaurant, due to a business convention and they decided to eat in Raija's room. Raija headed to the restroom while Galen picked up the room service menu and thumbed through it. She came out dressed in a long nightshirt that reached her thighs and white socks. Galen handed the menu to Raija, "Pick out your food, I'm starving." They placed their order and Raija dumped the contents of the toy store bag on the bed closest to the door. She'd picked up a Scrabble game. "Is that a hint?" "Yep, after dinner, it's Scrabble time." Galen laughed. "Laugh now, 'cuz you'll be crying later. I am the Scrabble champ in our family." He shook his head and flicked on the television. 15 minutes later room service was at the door with their meals. Raija had ordered a chicken fajita salad while Galen had ordered a 10 oz. ribeye dinner. They ate in companionable silence while watching the weather channel. The weather channel was a compromise as Galen wanted to watch the news and Raija wanted to watch "King of the Hill". After they finished eating Raija set up the scrabble board on thesmall table next to the window overlooking the courtyard. Three rounds later, she was down two games. She glared at him across the table. "You can't just add super onto the front of my word. Superfealty is not a real word." "Oh yeah, look it up." That had been his response to a number of questionable words since he knew that she didn't have a Scrabble dictionary with her. Raija stared down at her tiles intently, determined to win the fourth round. She looked up during his silent spell and found him staring at her hair. "Why are you staring at my hair?" "I like the way you have it done. What does it take to get it like that?" She smiled at him. "This is its natural state." From the women he worked with, he knew that hair was delicate subject, but wasn't sure how delicate it was with black women so he wasn't sure if he had to tread lightly. "So it doesn't grow straight?" "Nope." "Hmm." She raised her eyes from her tiles and looked at him, arching an eyebrow. "Not many black women born in this country have naturally straight hair Galen." "Are you sure?" It was out before he could stop it. Of course she was sure. "It's just that most of the women I see have straight hair." "It's a chemical process they have done on their hair every 4 to 6 weeks. It relaxes the curl so they can have straight hair." "Why?" Raija wasn't offended; in fact she was warming up to one of her favorite topics. "To fit into society's image of what a woman should look like. Women are supposed to have long flowing straight hair. That means that women who don't naturally have hair like that: black women and other women with curls, waves or kinks in their hair, put themselves through various chemical processes and labor intensive hair maneuvers, to make it straight." "Would you do it?" "Never again. Relaxers contain some of the same chemicals as Drano and hair removers. They cause serious damage including hair loss, scalp burns and infections and I personally think they cause a lot of heartache for women." "So women put themselves through that just for straight hair? I don't get it, men wouldn't put themselves through pain and hair loss just for straight hair." "Probably not, since men aren't inundated by what someone else thinks they should look like, on a daily basis. There are black men who don't realize that black women's hair doesn't grow out of their heads straight, because their mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunts and cousins religiously visit the beauty shop every month to get their new growth relaxed straight." Galen looked disbelieving. "Galen, every man dreams of having a woman's hair spread across his pillow. Usually the straighter, longer and blonder the better. Why else do so many women pay to have someone else's hair sewn onto their own heads?" Galen wasn't listening to the last two sentences; he was imagining sinking his hands into her hair at the same time that he slid himself into her wetness. Raija snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, are you listening. It's your turn to play." Galen stretched and yawned. "I'm willing to say that you've won if we call the match right now." He got up and walked over to the bed closest to the door and stretched out. Raija stretched out on the other bed on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "Tell me everything I'd already know about you if you hadn't spent the last few months working with Ryan." "I'm 32, I like long walks in the forest and listening to sounds of whales." He glared, throwing a pillow at her. "Be serious." "What do you want, the cliff notes of my life?" "Yes." "I'm 32, I don't like long walks in the forest because I'm pretty sure that ticks and spiders would fall from the trees and get lost in my hair. I was raised in foster care in New Hampshire. I have a cat named Myrdoch. My likes: shoes; science fiction; cartoons; any food that has a combination of chilies, cilantro, mint and basil; music; animation; the original Degrassi Junior High TV series. My dislikes: air conditioning; rude people; people who are afraid of exploration, not including my fear of forest ticks and spiders; pretense." "You were raised in foster care? So you're not related to Aisha by blood?" "Oh we are. We ran into one another our first year in college and got along really well. She took me home to meet her family at Christmas one year and her mother noticed a strong resemblance to her side of the family. We did a little digging and found that Aisha's mother and my mother were sisters." "Then why were you in foster care?" "When my mother married my father, her parents stopped speaking to her, because he was Latino and not the "right" kind of Latino. We moved away and lost touch with everyone in my mother's family. Both my parents were killed in an automobile accident when I was six and I was sent to the foster care system when no one showed up to claim me. My father's family isn't in this country and there were no records pointing to my mother's family." Galen was quiet for a moment before responding, "So if I Ryan and I wanted to take you camping, you wouldn't go?" She laughed at him. "Unless you're talking about camping in a hotel with running water and featherbeds, the answer is no." "So that's why you're an advocate for children in the foster care system?" "Yes. I didn't have it bad, like some other foster kids did. I had a great foster family who wanted to adopt me, but they faced strong institutional and cultural opposition because they were white and I'm not. Through my foster family I have a sister and a brother who are my parent's natural kids." "My turn. Why'd you stay in your marriage so long?" "I didn't want Ryan and Kate hurt. What's the real reason?" "That is the real reason. I didn't want to hurt them. I didn't want Ryan growing up without a father or people thinking that Kate was less than what she is, which is a great mother and person." "How is your family handling it?" "Good so far. My sister Valerie isn't keen on it, but she tends to think that you stay married regardless of what is going on in the marriage. It's a good thing that her marriage is happy." "How is Kate handling it?" "Pretty good. She's dating here and there and last I heard, Ryan's father had contacted her." "I have to be honest Galen. I'm a bit worried about how well you're all adjusting to this. It's a big change." "So was I. I talked to the counselor about it and she thinks it's been a long time coming. Other than Ryan, Kate and I haven't had anything in common. There's been no passion, no sexual connection and no spark. I do worry about what Ryan is taking away from all of this, I don't want him to distrust women or marriage or love." For a while, they lay in silence. Galen heard gentle snores coming from the other bed and got up to leave. "Don't go, Galen. You can stay. I've got plenty of room." Galen laid back down on the bed. The next morning he woke to find Raija on the phone. "Yes Aisha, he's here. No we didn't. Yes, I will tell him. Yes, whatever girl. See you later." "That was Aisha; she wanted me to let you know that Ewan and Ryan are back from SeaWorld and wondered if we wanted to have breakfast with them." Ryan grunted once before heading into the bathroom. Raija heard water running and the sounds of him brushing his teeth. With her toothbrush! When Ryan exited the bathroom she stood glaring at him. "Why would you use my toothbrush? That's gross Galen." Galen closed the distance between them and captured her mouth with his own. Nibbling at the corners before sliding his tongue between her closed lips, asking for forgiveness and permission. Raija sighed and opened her lips and teeth, her own tongue sliding along his. Galen's hands snaked their way to her hips and then down over the curve of her bottom, pulling her gently against him. At the soft moan in her throat he nipped her ear before whispering, "When will your piercing be ready for me?" At the hint of possessiveness and desire in his voice, Raija arched herself towards him seeking to cradle his hardness in her softness. "In 2 weeks." Galen moved away from her, not wanting to cause her unintentional pain. Raija spun away from him and Galen took the opportunity to stroke her jean-covered ass before placing a sharp smack on it. Her eyes flew to his face and she blushed due to the desire she was sure was etched across her features. "Raija, you seem to have left out some important details from your list of likes. Galen walked into Ewan and Aisha's home, stopping first by the bassinet in the living room to gaze at the baby. She had her mother's features, with coloring that was just a shade paler than Aisha's was. Next he joined everyone in the kitchen. "Hey dad, it was the most amazing thing, you should have come with us." Ryan launched into a minute by minute recounting of his time spent at Sea World. "I bet you were bored without me yesterday huh?" "I sure was Ryan. But I did get to do something special." "What?" Galen turned his back to Aisha, Ewan and Ryan and pulled down the shoulder of his shirt. "I got a tattoo." Ryan was floored. "Dad, that's so cool. It's my name!" *************************************************************************** Raija was sitting on the settee in her fenced backyard reading a professional journal when her phone chirped. "Hello." "Hey pretty lady." It had been two weeks since she'd left San Diego and she hadn't heard from Galen. "Galen, how are you?" Galen noticed that it was the first time she hadn't automatically asked about Ryan. "I'm good darlin' how about you?" Goosebumps rose on Raija's arms as she listened to the timbre and depth of his voice. She wasn't sure if he was more relaxed back in Texas or if his voice deepened during the evening, but whatever was happening was warming her up. She also liked this new use of darlin' when he talked to her. "I'm doing well Galen. How's Ryan?" "He's doing good as well. He's with his mother this week and I'm calling to see if you'd like to have dinner with me, in a restaurant this time." "Of course." They made plans for dinner on Friday night in Austin. Galen planned to drive down and pick Raija up and wouldn't take no for an answer when Raija suggested meeting him there instead. At 6:00 p.m. on Friday night she was running late and just stepping out of the shower when her front door rang. She slipped into a terry cloth robe and wrapped her hair in a towel before looking out her front window. There was Galen, standing on her front step, holding a houseplant. She opened the door and ushered him in. Galen took one look at her robe and then looked at his watch and grinned. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek before asking him to grab something from the kitchen while she finished dressing. Galen put down the houseplant and looked around the living room. It was sparingly decorated in tones of rose and chocolate brown. There were a multitude of plants covering the top of a corner armoire and he was glad that he'd called Aisha to see what he should bring. He grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and wandered into the rear of the house. Her bathroom was still steamy from her shower and she hadn't put on the exhaust fan and he flicked it on to prevent moisture buildup and mold. There were two rooms beyond the bathroom and one had the door closed. The other door was cracked and he peeked inside to find Raija with her back to the door, bending forward, as she finished putting on her shoes. The shoes had ankle straps, with a black leather rose positioned at the back of each heel. His eyes traveled up her form and he inhaled when he reached the tops of her thighs. She was wearing stockings. Not pantyhose, but stockings, with a seam running up the back of each leg. The stockings ended at the tops of her thighs, connected to a garter belt. The garter belt's rear straps hugged the outline of each globe of her butt perfectly. He could see a pair of lacy boy cut panties beneath the garter belt and wondered briefly, if she had to undo everything to go to the bathroom. Raija straightened and he noticed that the height of the heels caused her hips to angle forward, giving her a deliciously feminine stance. Galen moved back down the hall, subduing the urge to trail his tongue down her spine while he separated the cheeks of her ass before sliding himself into her pussy. He sat on the leather sofa and adjusted himself in his pants. Something about her brought out primal urges in him. He'd thought it was the lack of sex for so long, but he'd had a number of women at work stop by his cubicle while making passes at him and tossing their hair, and he'd felt nothing like what he did when he was with Raija. There was something about her that made him want to put his stamp of ownership on her. Galen sat, thinking unpleasant thoughts to deflate his still growing erection when a large orange puff of fur sat on the sofa next to him. The cat's yellow eyes focused on him as if to ask who the hell he was. He reached out a hand to pet the cat and it sunk it's teeth into his thumb. Galen let out an involuntary yelp as the cat sat back, licking his paws and looking pleased with himself. Raija walked into the room smiling, "I see you've met Myrdoch." Galen could only stare at her. She looked beautiful. Her hair was pulled back from her face into a high puff. A blue and green silk wrap dress showed off her waist and her curves. Once again, he had to subdue urges. This time to keep from pulling her into his lap and slipping his hands under her dress. Raija walked into the kitchen and filled Myrdoch's food and water bowls before grabbing her purse and waiting for him at the door. On the drive to Austin, Raija kept Galen entertained by constantly flipping through the music stations, from one song to the next. As they pulled into the parking lot of the Brazilian restaurant, Galen spoke up, "Before we go in I have to tell you something." "Galen, no good has ever come of a conversation that starts with, "I have to tell you something." He cleared his throat, "We're meeting my brother and his wife for dinner." Raija whipped her head around to look at him, "You don't bring a woman you've had sex with just once, to meet your family for dinner Galen." Galen looked at Raija. "You're not someone I've just had sex with once darlin'. You're the woman I'm seeing and the woman I enjoy spending time with and the woman I like." Raija considered his words for a moment before speaking, "All right, let's go meet the family." Galen watched Raija with his family. She hadn't batted an eye at his brother's wheelchair. In fact, she'd flirted with him nonstop throughout dinner, without tap-dancing around the fact that he had no use of his lower limbs. "So, Rob, you were a cowboy huh?" She flashed her dimples at him. Rob blushed. "Yeah, I was." He didn't normally refer to his former life, understandable given that it wasn't that long ago that he was thrown from a horse while working on his ranch. "Chaps and all huh. Do you still wear them?" Galen could see where Raija's thoughts were headed and vowed that he would pick up a pair of chaps just for her personal viewing pleasure. Rob's wife Mari laughed at his bashfulness. "Honey, there is nothing finer than seeing him in a pair of chaps, waiting for me in bed. Hell that's part of the reason I married him." She winked at her husband who returned her affectionate gaze with one of his own. It had taken Rob some time to get over his initial embarrassment, shock and self-consciousness and see that they would still have a full and strong sex life. Galen commented, "I don't really think that Raija needs to know about what goes on in your bedroom." Everyone laughed at him and settled down as the waiter appeared carrying long skewers of beef and pork. The only sore spot that emerged was when mention was made of Galen's sister and her husband. They had opted out of coming to dinner because they thought it was too soon for Galen to date someone, even though they knew what his marriage had been like. Galen considered stopping by his home, but didn't want Raija to feel out of place. There were still pictures of he, Kate and Ryan up on the walls. They had a largely silent drive back to Houston, punctuated only by Raija humming along to various songs. He was impressed by her musical tastes, everything from R&B to jazz to rock and country. Raija felt Galen standing closely behind her as she unlocked the front door. He seemed to be sniffing her hair. Walking into the house, he pulled her backward into his arms as soon as the front door latched shut. "Thanks for having dinner with me." Her response came out as a sigh as his lips drifted down the side of her neck, settling in the crevice. His tongue laved away at the skin covering the tendon. "Can I have you Raija?" Her response was to push herself even deeper into his embrace. Still holding her in his arms, he walked her forward and pushed her against the breakfast bar that separated the living room and the kitchen. Stooping behind her, he ran his hands up the backs of her thighs, tracing the seam of the stocking. His hands then slid up over her cheeks, marveling at her softness. "Is there a way to take off your panties without taking off the garter darlin'?" She moaned as Galen palmed her cheeks, moving them apart, before placing small bites on each one. "No." "How important is it that you keep this particular pair?" She was about to tell him very, considering how much they had cost, when he positioned himself so that he was kneeling between her legs, but facing her groin. He pressed his face into her mound and she decided that the panties could be replaced. "They're not important Galen." He grinned against the fabric of her panties before ripping the small piece of fabric apart on either side of her hips. The material floated down to the floor and he gathered them up, burying his nose against the fabric, inhaling her wet musky scent. He was staring directly at the source of the scent and leaned forward to kiss her mound. Running his hands up the fronts of her full thighs, he parted her and there it was. Her hood jewelry. "Does the piercing make sex better for you Raija?" He wanted to know, although the thought that she'd been with someone else was unsettling. "I don't know Galen." Galen smiled again and ran a fingertip up and stroked the barbell, causing her knees to give briefly. "Have you been waiting for me Raija?" "Yes." For that she was rewarded by his finger circling around her clit before it pulled away. Expectations Ch. 06 "How long have you been waiting for me Raija?" Desperate for his touch, she told him the truth. "Since Las Vegas." Galen struggled to contain his emotions at hearing her admission. He channeled his emotion into his fingers and tongue as he stroked her clit and her jewelry. Teasing and tugging her grabbed hold of her cheeks in his hands and pulled her closer to his mouth. With one hand he slid two fingers deep inside her as his tongue lapped at her. The sensations created by Galen's tongue and fingers inside her and playing with her jewelry had Raija crying out in pleasure. She ground herself against his face and with a shudder felt her orgasm rip through her body. Galen was pleased and reluctantly slid his fingers out of her pussy. He placed a final kiss on her clit before moving from between her legs to stand behind her. Raija was still leaning forward on the bar, her womanly charms on display for him, begging for attention. Galen unbuttoned his pants and let them slide down to his feet. His boxer briefs followed shortly and he used her juices to coat his shaft. He slid on a condom and bending his knees slightly, entered her slowly from below. He loved the way her body seemed to form to his. She spread her legs to give him room to enter her deeper and he obliged. They were silent and motionless for a while, relearning the feel of one another and then Raija moved her hips forward, causing Galen's cock to leave her warmth. She slowly slid her hips back, taking him inside her again. Galen's eyes reflexively were drawn down to the picture of his white cock sinking into her brownness. The visual was enough to spur him on and he grabbed her hips in his fingers and began stroking in earnest. Galen pulled all the way out and then thrust in deeply, burying himself. He snaked one hand around and stroked his fingers across her lips. Her tongue lashed out and stroked a finger which tasted just like she did. She sucked his finger inside her mouth and matched his strokes. Even though he'd already seen and felt her cum, he wanted it again. He wanted her to cum all over him and call out his name. Surprisingly he realized that he wanted her to acknowledge that she was his. "Cum for me darlin'" Raija mewled her pleasure and moved his hand from her mouth to her clit. His fingers began wildly strumming as she ground herself against him. "Are you going to cum for me?" "Yes." "I couldn't hear you. Are you going to cum for me?" "Yes." The esss whimpered out of her as he pinched her clit. "Now!" Galen slapped one hand again her ass and that pushed her over the edge. He felt her tighten around him and pulse as she let out a long wail. He felt his own cum start to rise up to meet hers and he quickly pulled out of pussy and removed the condom. He placed his cock between her ass cheeks and stroked back and forth between them. He watched as rope after rope of thick cum, shot out onto her ass and up her back. He wasn't one for money shots and wasn't trying to degrade her, he just wanted to see his cum on her brown skin. He leaned forward, kissing her shoulder which spread his cum against his abdomen. He whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry I made you wait so long darlin', it won't happen again." Galen grabbed a paper towel and cleaned her back and ass before turning her to face him. Her skin was flush and her eyes were bright. He kissed her nose, her eyelids and her chin before taking her mouth and mimicking their previous motions. "Take me to bed darlin'." Still not speaking Raija took his hand and led him to her bedroom. She stood at the side of the bed and slipped off her clothes before sliding under the covers. She turned facing the mirrored closet doors to the left of the bed. Galen stood staring at their reflections in the mirror for a moment before sliding in behind her. He slid one leg between hers and wrapped his arms around her waist. He met her eyes in the mirror and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. She smiled and closed her eyes. Expectations Ch. 07 "Honey, if we keep seeing each other you're going to have to talk to Ryan and let him know." "Why? He already likes you." "Yes, but he likes me as the person who helped him. He may not like the fact that we're seeing each other." "Raija, I have no intention of letting Ryan decide who I can and can't date." "That's not the issue. I have a relationship with Ryan based on trust. I don't want that broken and I don't want us to get too much further into this relationship before we find out that if it's a problem for him." Galen sighed and looked at Raija. They were spending another weekend together, this time at his home and were sitting in the backyard on lounge chairs. They had been reading in silence until now. She was curled up with a book about vampire, werewolf and monster hunters having sex while he was reading the latest book by a conservative columnist. "We're also going to have to talk about your reading material Galen." "What?" "How can you read that garbage? It's all about maintaining the status quo. I didn't realize that you were a conservative Republican." "I'm not. I'm a fiscally conservative socially moderate Republican who happens to like this particular columnist." "How can you be fiscally conservative and socially moderate, with the current administration in power?" "I don't agree with everything that comes out of the administration, but I do think they have some good ideas that fall in line with my beliefs." "Even so, their agenda isn't focused on your beliefs." "I take it that you're a liberal Democrat?" "I'm liberal, but I'm not tied to any particular party. I vote for whoever best represents my beliefs." "We're going to have to agree to disagree. If James and Mary could do it, so can we. And speaking of garbage reading material, you're reading about werewolves and vampires having sex." "It's called chick literature and it's good. So there." She stuck her tongue out at him and buried her nose in her book. As they spent more time together, they learned more about one another's beliefs and values and their relationship grew beyond the bounds of sex. "So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" "I'm flying home to New Hampshire to visit my family. What about you and Ryan?" "He's spending Thanksgiving with his mother and Christmas with me. I'll probably go over to my parent's house." Raija looked at Galen for a moment. "You're welcome to come home with me. I'm sure they'd love to have you there and I know I would." "Are you sure? "I asked you, which means that I'm sure." Galen grinned to himself; he'd wanted to spend Thanksgiving with her and whether here in Texas or in New Hampshire, it didn't matter. He was looking forward to meeting her family and seeing her in her native environment. "Galen, have you ever skied?" "No, is it a requirement to be in your family?" He paused for a second. "Not that I'm asking about being in your family, I just wanted to know." Hell! Raija ignored Galen's discomfort. "Well, we do all ski in one form or another. My parents are cross-country skiers and my sister, brother and I are downhill skiers. New Hampshire is supposed to get a ton of snow the day before turkey day and we normally go skiing or ice-skating after dinner." * * * * * On the flight to New Hampshire, Galen grabbed Raija's hand and held tight. "Problems with flying Galen?" "No. Problem with small planes." They were seated on a small regional jet and Galen could swear that he felt each and every bump as the plane raced through clouds Raija laced her fingers with his and turned to stare out the window. She loved flying and everything associated with it; airports, checking luggage and watching the planes taxi. * * * * * Raija and Galen picked up their rental car and argued over who would drive. "Galen, have you ever driven in snow?" Snow was falling slowly, but from experience Raija knew that even a small amount of snow could be disastrous on the roads. "Nope." Galen continued holding the keys over her head. "Then why can't I drive?" "Because I'm the boy and it's my job." Galen laughed at the disbelief on her face "Fine, but if you get us stuck in the snow, I'm not helping you dig us out." On the ride to her parent's home, Raija pointed out landmarks of interest. "That's where we would go every summer for ice cream." "Oh, that's where we get our clam rolls." "That's where we get our apples in the fall." "Okay, does every memory for your family center around food?" "Of course. It does for every New Englander. Apples, maple syrup, cranberries, blueberries, ice cream, clam rolls, chowder, lobster bisque." At the last mention, she had a dreamy look on her face. "I thought you only made those sounds and had that look when we make love?" He frowned in mock disappointment. She smiled. "Is that what we're doing Galen? Making love?" "It's what I'm doing and I hope you're not just fucking some white guy." Galen howled when she punched him on the arm. "Of course not. Oh crap, the farm stand is already closed." She was so adorable with her bottom lip pouting out. They pulled into the driveway of her parent's saltbox colonial and she ran up onto the porch. She waited for Galen who was carrying both their suitcases. She twisted the front door and held it open for him. "Do your parents always leave the front door unlocked like that?" "Of course. They've had this house for forty years, I'm not sure that they even know where the keys are anymore. Galen, this is New Hampshire, the whole state is pretty much one big country town." She thought for a moment. "Except for Nashua, Salem and Portsmouth, and we've pretty much given those over to Massachusetts." "Hey, I'm home." Raija's parents came out of the kitchen giggling. They both had grey hair and wore glasses. Despite the grey hair, they looked very young and energetic. Her mother's hair was cut short and fit her head like a little cap. She also had a floured handprint on the one of her butt cheeks and the front of her shirt, immediately over her right breast. Raija smiled before sternly telling them, "I'd expect the two of you to show some decorum when you know I'm bringing someone home with me." Her mother spoke up. "We could get in the habit of that if you'd ever brought someone home with you before." "Hey baby, come give your old man a hug." Raija went into her father's arms and nestled deep. Her father stared at Galen for a long while, the message on his face clear to Galen. From the stairs a voice piped up, "They've never shown any decorum when we've brought anyone home with us, so why start with you?" A petite blonde waif floated down the stairs. She turned her attention to Galen and almost purred. "I'm Lauren." She winked at Galen before turning her gaze to Raija. "I see you're still going with the natural hair thing." The comment was made dismissively and the hurt shone in Raija's eyes for a moment before being overcome by resignation. "And I see you're still doing the I'm a bitch, thing. Looks like nothing has changed then." Raija walked into the kitchen at the rear of the house and Lauren once again turned her gaze on Galen. She licked her lips and Galen secretly thought that given the amount of frosted lipstick she had on, she would probably be sick to her stomach in a while. "So, you're dating my sister. Why?" There was a subtle emphasis put on the word sister but Galen caught it nonetheless and he wanted to raise his hand to her. He'd never struck a woman before, but he was a believer that if a woman hit you, or hurt someone you cared about, that they could be dealt with the same way as a man. He left her standing in the hallway and followed Raija into the warm kitchen. She had her back to him and was staring out the window into the wooded backyard. He stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her back into his embrace. "I'm sorry but she is a horrible person. How could your parents just stand there and let her spew her bitterness?" Raija sighed and turned around to face him. "They've always fostered a hand's off approach to their children's problems, letting us try to work them out on our own. Lauren has become more difficult since she lost her husband in an accident a couple of years ago." Raija stood on her tiptoes and kissed him briefly on the mouth. "Hey now, I heard you were home and you didn't come to find me?" Her brother was a male version of Lauren. Just nicer. Much nicer. "Hey, you must be Galen or else I'm in trouble." He grinned before shaking Galen's hand and sticking his hand in Raija's hair. "Larry, I've told you before, get control of your HIF disease before I chop your hand off." "HIF disease?" "Hand in 'fro disease. He can't keep his hands out of my hair." "And I've told you not to call me Larry. It's Lawrence. Why they couldn't name me something else don't know." This was Lawrence's yearly protest against his name. It had been happening every year since he turned 12 and felt that Larry was too geeky. "I put your bags up in your room." Galen looked uncomfortable, "Maybe I should stay in a hotel?" "Galen, you're the first guy she's ever brought home, don't worry about it. Plus Mom and Dad will be making so much noise that any thoughts you have about sex will be immediately and permanently driven from you while you are in this house." Raija shuddered. Her parents were not shy about their sex lives and were often quite vocal. That any of the kids had ventured into sex at all was a miracle. Raija spent some time helping her parents with dinner preparations for the following day until they shooed her out of the kitchen. She walked into the family room to find Galen sitting in the lone chair in the room, with Lauren sitting opposite him on the sofa and Lawrence on the floor fiddling with the TV. She didn't trust the gleam in Lauren's eyes when she looked at Galen but she did trust Galen. "It's late and I think I'm going to head off to bed." Galen jumped up from his chair and stood next to her. They said goodnight to everyone and headed upstairs. Raija's old room was similar to her current bedroom. There were mirrors on the sliding doors of the closet and a big pillow laden bed. She went to the bathroom across the hall to wash up and put on her pajamas and slid into bed as took her place in the bathroom. He wandered back into the bedroom dressed in long flannel pajama pants that she'd bought him before the trip. "Galen, lock the door." He engaged the lock on the bedroom door and slid into bed next to her. "Don't even think about it Galen." "What?" Although he knew very well that she was ordering him not to put his cold feet on her. "Thanks for coming home with me." "Where you are, is where I want to be." They listened to the sounds the rest of the family made as everyone made their way to bed. When all was silent in the house Raija turned to him, resting on her side. Her eyes drifted over his strong features, lingering on his lips. She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his chin before settling her nose into the hollow at the base of his neck. She stroked his skin lazily with her tongue, relishing his unique taste. As much as Galen wanted to keep things quiet in her parent's home, her tongue was driving him crazy. He felt himself grow heavy and thick with need and couldn't keep from reaching for her. He took her mouth with an almost desperate intensity, sucking on her tongue and lips. Raija broke their kiss and moved to stand next to the bed, on the side facing the closet. She held out her hand and he followed her. Standing next to her he allowed her to take the lead in their lovemaking and she directed him to sit on the straight-backed chair next to the bed. Going up on her toes, she straddled his lap facing him, stroking herself along the length of his hardness. He could feel her pouring her juices out onto his shaft and restrained himself from taking over. She slid off his lap and straddled him again, this time with her back to his chest. They could both clearly see their reflections in the mirror and he felt himself grow harder. She wrapped one hand around his shaft and held it as she slid down onto him. His hands automatically went to her waist to steady her and she began rising and falling on him. "I love what you do to me'." With that admission, she turned her head to seek out his mouth. Galen's hands stayed her hips from their pattern as he held her down so that his entire length was inside her. She mewled as she tried to move against him but he'd had enough of letting her have her way. He spread his thighs, which forced hers open even further. The lips of her pussy opened and he stared, entranced by the vision in the mirror. Her darkness surrounding him, the glint of her hood jewelry flashing in the moonlight that streamed into the room through the blind covered window. Her nipples proudly pointing outward, begging for attention. He circled one arm around her torso and his long fingers plucked at her left nipple. Stroking and then pinching. She tried moving her hips against him but he stilled her. He watched his other hand in the mirror as it made it's way to her pussy. Fingers combing through her curls before tapping her clit. That tap stroked everything feminine inside her. She wanted to feel him stroking inside her, bringing him pleasure. He circled her clit, varying speeds until her head fell back against his shoulder. "Galen don't tease me. Please." He placed a kiss along her shoulder. "I'm not teasing you darlin'. I just need you to cum for me." He picked up his pace on her clit while his other hand migrated to her other breast. More pulling pressure that made her moan. "Shh darlin', you don't want them to know what you're doing do you?" Raija's legs began to tremble and he knew that she was close. He picked up his tempo on her clit began licking her neck. She cried out and he felt her spasm around his cock. Before her orgasm had ended, he'd started moving his hips, urging her to move up and down on him. The sight of the two of them in the mirror was one of the most erotic things he'd ever seen. He loved the play of their skin against each other. He loved having her and the way she gave herself over to him without reservation. "I'm going to cum baby." It happened at the same time he said it. His body emptied itself inside her and he placed his hands over her abdomen. They'd each been tested for STDs and once those results came back clear, they'd forgone using condoms and instead relied on her hormonal patch to avoid pregnancy. When she made to move off him, he stilled her. "Just let me stay inside you for a while." At some point in the night, Galen wound up inside Raija. She woke to him softly pumping his hips with sounds of pleasure spilling out of his mouth. He had a soft pant and groan that made her weak in her knees every time she heard it. "What a nice way to wake up." He groaned as she reached behind her and cupped his testicles. "I'm sorry, I needed to have you." "You don't ever have to apologize for loving me Galen." Galen continued his pumping, unable to wait for her to catch up with his arousal. This would be the first time he'd cum without making sure that she had cum first. Emptying himself into her body again, he sighed deeply. He felt as though he could spend the rest of his life loving her. "So what's going on with your sister?" His words broke the silence. "What do you mean?" "She seems a little hostile to you having me here." "She's always thought it had to a competition between us. Whenever I would date someone she would immediately start hitting on them, trying to get their attention. It's as though she needed to prove that she was better than I was." "Fat chance of that." Raija smiled in the darkness and Galen could see her teeth shine in the mirror. "You don't have to worry about her with me you know." "Never thought I did Galen, never thought I did." * * * * * The next day was a lazy one, full of nibbling on food and lying around the house. At 3, her father decided that not enough snow had fallen for skiing and announced that he and her mother wanted some time to themselves. The group of kids headed out to the discount movie theater, Raija, Lawrence and Galen in one car and Lauren in another. She had plans to visit a friend later. At the theater, the group debated what to watch. Raija and Lawrence wanted to watch a previously released action movie while Lauren wanted to watch a romance movie and Galen wanted to watch a movie about penguins. Raija teased him mercilessly about the penguin movie but gave in and watched it with him while Lawrence grumbled non-stop about being stuck watching a romance with his sister. The way he grumbled, you would have sworn that he was 16 and stuck babysitting. On the way home, the group passed by an adult toy store and Lawrence pulled into the drive. "Every other store is closed but this one?!" Raija laughed and got out of the car. "Okay, at the register you have to turn your head so you don't see what I'm buying." Galen looked at her, "Why do I need to turn my head?" "Not you, Lawrence!" Lawrence turned to look at her, "Whatever." As they entered the brightly lit store, Galen looked down at his feet. Raija grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind her. She stopped in front of a display case of brightly colored glass dildos. "Glass, wouldn't that hurt?" "They're supposed to retain body heat. But I'm not paying that much for one." "Why would you need one at all darlin'?" Galen looked genuinely hurt. "Honey, you're not with me all the time and sometimes I replay our lovemaking in my mind or I just start thinking about you and then I need to take myself." She then dragged him over to the section that held all the restraint gear. "Uhm, honey, I know you like a little pressure but I don't think I can tie you up and beat you." "Then how about you let me do you. No, just kidding, I'm looking for something specific." Raija grabbed a package before Galen could see what it was. She wandered off to look at something else and Galen went back to the dildo display. She met up with him as they each finished checking out at the registers. They were in different lines so they couldn't see what one another had purchased, but she noticed the gleam in his eyes. They had to wait a few minutes before Lawrence showed up at the car, with a lipstick smear on his jaw and Raija wanted to know where he'd managed to pick up a woman in an adult toy store. "You just have to know where to look kiddo." The rest of the week flew by and on Saturday, they were homeward bound. She'd made Lawrence promise to come visit her and extended the same welcome to Lauren who stared pensively at Lawrence. Raija was busy for two solid weeks with an influx of child court cases and didn't see Galen at all. She talked to him every night and they argued about which version of Rudolph was better, if Fruitcake was actually meant to be eaten and whether you could be a vegetarian if you still ate fish. Galen invited her to his parents' Holiday open house and she accepted. He agreed to come down and spend the weekend with her before the Holiday party and she ordered him to bring his purchases from the toy store with him. They ordered in pizza and curled up in her bed watching "A Toy Story". At the end of the movie, she invited him to open his bag so she could see what he'd bought. He pulled out the blue and white swirled glass dildo. She grew wet just thinking of him usingit with her that night. He had also purchased a beginner's butt plug and plenty of lube. She held up the butt plug and grinned at him. "Is this for you?" Expectations Ch. 07 "No, it's for you." At that he turned red and looked away from her. "I thought we could try it." She was intrigued. Galen was normally very sure of himself when it came to their lovemaking. Did he have doubts that she would say no to him?" "I knew it was for me silly. Although, you might want to think about trying it to. I understand there's some type of male G-spot back there." He looked relieved and terrified at once. He then hauled out a large wooden and leather box with an attached lock. "It's for our collection of toys." Ridiculously, she grew misty eyed. Apparently he'd decided that they would have a collection together. Inside she found a second smaller box with a small ring tied with a ribbon. "What's this?" He blushed again. "It's a new ring for your piercing." She reached over the side of the bed and grabbed her bag from the floor. Reaching in, she pulled out the contents one by one. A pair of nipple clamps, a clitoral stimulator shaped like a bee, with straps to go over the thighs, a black suede ribbon and a selection of cock rings for him. "What are those for? They look dangerous." And they did look dangerous, there were metal ones, leather ones and a studded leather one. You use them to control an erection, but I just want to see you in one. I love they way they look. As much as she gave of herself to him, he knew that he wouldn't be able to say no. She persuaded Galen to take off his clothes and lie back on the bed. She slid the studded leather cock ring around his cock and under his balls and made sure the Velcro was securely attached. She was right, he was glorious in one. "I don't see what the charm is in this darlin'." "I do." She could feel her clit and pussy lips engorge and wanted to slide herself on him. Next he attached the nipple clamps to her already erect nipples. Twisting the screw, he applied just enough pressure until she asked him to stop. Raija then stood on the side of the bed as she strapped the stimulator around her thighs and placed the vibrating nub right on her clit. Galen thought it looked as sexy as hell, all strapped on, covering her mound. She sat back in a low, wide chair and spread her legs. She flicked the switch and winked at him. She never failed to amaze him. Here she was, putting on a show for him, pleasuring herself with him in mind. He reached down to stroke himself, his skin hot and sensitive to the touch. He wanted her in his lap, using him to pleasure herself. He wasn't insecure, but was rather jealous. He wanted to know that he was the one bringing her pleasure, even as he enjoyed watching her take herself. Raija watched him through lowered lids, his hand slow and steady as fluid leaked out his tip. All her senses were heightened, from a combination of watching him, the vibrations and the clamps. She stood, turned off the stimulator and removed it and walked over to the bed, crawling up between his legs until she was even with his cock. She inhaled the scent of his balls and she buried her nose in the crease of his thigh. She gently took one ball into her mouth and tongued it before moving on to the other ball. She replaced her mouth with her hand and lightly grasped them. Galen moaned deep in his throat and arched his hips off the bed. She trailed her tongue up his shaft, lingering over the head and lapping up the small amount of fluid that had gathered there before taking the entire head into her mouth. She sat still for a moment before taking more of him into her mouth and then slowly sliding him back out. She wrapped her tongue around the head on every down stroke and suctioned her jaws, creating a tight fit. Her mouth felt so good wrapped around him and it only got better when she wrapped on hand around the base of his cock and focused solely on the top third. Her mouth rapidly moved over him, in and out, over and over. His hands grabbed the sheets and curled reflexively before driving into her hair. She began stroking her hand up and down in time with her mouth and his hands grasped her head as his hips began moving to meet her mouth. She stopped all her motions, leaving his hips driving up into the air. She looked up at him and winked and he began thrusting into her mouth, taking it in the same way he wanted to take her pussy. "Honey, I'm going to cum." It was more a warning than anything else and she continued her motions, picking up the pace. Galen shot into her mouth, giving himself over to her ministrations. She swallowed as much as possible, keeping him in her mouth as he softened. She kissed his flaccid cock and gave it one last suck before moving up his body. She stopped at his nipples and grazed them with her teeth before suckling one into her mouth. She then nipped one sharply with her teeth, gratified when she felt him twitch against her bottom. Galen raised his eyes at his body's reaction and didn't know whether to thank the cock ring, Raija's talents or her sharp teeth. She moved up to his mouth and bathed his lower lip with her tongue. He opened his mouth and she sighed before tangling her tongue with his. Galen could taste himself in her mouth and was pleasantly surprised by the taste of his cum. Raija kissed him on the nose and settled herself firmly against him. Galen took initiative and spread her legs, driving his growing erection into her. She moaned against his mouth, taking the pleasure inside her. It took only a few thrusts for her orgasm to flow through her. Galen removed her nipple clamps and bathed her nipples with his tongue. She dropped off to sleep with Galen still hard inside her. * * * * * Raija followed the directions Galen had supplied and drove to his parent's home. The door was answered by Rob, who smiled at her. "Hey Galen, your lady is here." Raija blushed as several people turned to stare at her. "Jerk!" she teased Rob. She was wearing a long crinkly brown skirt that appeared to be made of some velvet type material, a brown wrap sweater and knee length boots. Rob was staring at the material and reached out stroking his hand along her thigh. He grinned at her, "I like this material. What's it called?" His wife walked up just then and pinched his arm. "You can stop feeling up Raija at any time now, stud." Rob looked guiltily at his wife before bursting into laughter. Raija met Galen's parents and Lord was his father handsome. An older, sexier version of Galen stood before her smiling. She blushed. What was it about those Dunne men? His mother was tall with full womanly curves. Although she was perfectly proportioned with a beautiful waistline, she'd be considered fat by many people. Galen appeared behind Raija, and wrapped her in his arms. He kissed the side of her neck and his parents stared at him in shock. Raija elbowed him in the stomach. "What?" His father spoke first, "We haven't seen you affectionate with a woman that way in a long time is all." "Get used to it." Expectations Ch. 08 "I don't know why I let you talk me into this Raija." Galen was slumped on a park bench, worn out. Raija had talked him into babysitting Rob and Mari's kids along with Ryan, and she'd had the bright idea of taking the three of them to the zoo. "Come on, you know it's fun." "No, really honey, it's not. They haven't stopped moving for more than a minute." Galen's hands were sticky, covered in cotton candy the kids had insisted on having and then forgotten about, and there was a mustard stain on his shirt from the corn dog Ryan had decided he was done with after only one bite, and shoved at his father. "I do think they might reconsider allowing kids to pet the animals after our group." Raija laughed thinking about Anna trying to hug every animal she came across. ********** At dinner that night, Galen and Raija sat in comfortable silence. She was dissecting her entrée, removing any trace of skin or fat from the sautéed chicken and felt Galen's eyes on her. "What?" His lips curved into a smile and he smiled. "Nothing. I just like looking at you." She blushed. "Well stop it." Galen continued eating his meal and only stopped when Raija spoke. "Galen, I was accepted into the post-Master's certificate program back in Boston." Galen looked down at his plate. He'd known it was coming but still it stung. "How long." They'd spent every available moment together, along with Christmas and he wasn't ready to give up his time with her. She reached for his hand and stroked it. "Just 5 months. Time will fly by." "I know." His voice was gruff and he moved his hand when the waitress appeared at the table, refilling their water glasses. "When do you leave?" "In four weeks." The next four weeks flew by. On the ride to the airport, Galen was withdrawn, barely speaking. He pulled into a short-term parking space and turned off the motor and stared out the window at the parking lot before beginning what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech. "I think we should see other people while you're away." Raija looked at him closely. "Are you sure that's what you want to do Galen?" "Yep." No, he didn't really want to but she was going to be gone for five months and he didn't want to stand in her way in case she found someone else. "So you're telling me that you would be okay with me spending time with someone else?" "Yes." His response was terse. "You'd be okay with me kissing someone else?" "Yes." "You'd be okay with me fucking someone else?" Raija used the crude word deliberately. Galen tensed his jaw and spit out his answer. "Yes." "So for the next five months, you don't want to talk to me at all. Or see me. Or listen to me. Or make love to me?" Galen sighed before turning to Raija. "You'll be back in five months. You know what they say. If you love someone set them free." She smiled at Galen. "Did you just say that you love me Galen? How about you say that again." Galen looked at Raija. "Of course I love you. Why else would I be spending so much time with you?" "You tell me Galen." Galen grasped Raija's chin in his hand and moved in so that he spoke against her lips. "I love you darlin'. I love your sense of humor, your passion, your intelligence, your grace, your ass, the way you like me to bite you." "So are you sure you want to see other people?" "Raija, I don't want you to find someone else, but I want to know that we're doing the right thing. I don't want another 9 years like the last. I guess I just need to be sure." Raija looked at him and wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been going away. Would he have insisted on a separation? Raija moved her head and closed the distance between their mouths. She kissed him chastely on the lips before breaking away. "I love you too Galen." Galen stood in line with Raija at the security checkpoint. When she was almost to the front of the line, she turned to him to give him a kiss and whisper in his ear. "Galen, because I love you, you should know that my heart and everything else belongs to you." She grinned at him and then a TSA agent beckoned her to walk through the x-ray machine. **** Raija missed Galen more than she thought she would. She wasn't a jealous person, not sexually. It was his heart that she didn't want to lose. He could use these five months to get other women out of his system and come to his senses and Raija wouldn't hold it against him. One weekend, Raija pulled out her digital camera and posed, sending the pictures to Galen through email. The pictures were sent at 11:45 p.m. and at midnight, her time, the phone rang. "Darlin'." His voice was loaded with emotion and desire. "Hi Galen." "Who took those pictures for you?" He couldn't keep the anxiety and jealousy out of his voice, even as they warred with the desire. "I took them honey. Remember, my heart and pussy belong to you." Galen walked with the cordless phone to check and make sure Ryan was in bed. He was snoring lightly, cuddled up with his favorite stuffed toy, a snoopy doll. He turned off the nightlight, made his way through the house, cleaning as he moved and went back to his bedroom, pulling the door closed. Raija could hear him as he moved through the house, nighttime noises. The clinking of a glass in the sink, the sound of the television flickering off. "What are you doing Galen?" "I'm taking off my clothes, getting into bed." Galen spread the pictures he'd printed from his computer out on the bed in front of him before slipping under the covers. There she was, in all her glory. In one photo she was wearing panties and a matching shelf bra that only covered the bottoms of her breasts, her nipples and the tops of her breasts on display. In another photo she had her legs spread over the arms of an easy chair and the white and blue glass dido shoved inside her pussy while she tugged on her nipples. In the last photo, she was on all fours, facing away from the camera, giving him a clear shot of the butt plug firmly lodged in her ass. Galen groaned. "Damn." "What's wrong baby." Although she had a good idea of what had caused the groan and the curse. "I need you Raija." "What would you do to me Galen?" He moaned again at the invitation in her voice. How did she manage to make him forget everything but her. Her scent, her taste, her voice, her warmth. He vaguely wondered if this is what his friends meant when they said someone was pussy-whipped. Galen was silent for a moment. He was busy thinking about replacing the plug with his cock. Sliding inside her and making his possession complete. Raija heard the telltale signs of Galen's orgasm. His panting and then the long low moan. She could imagine the arc of thick cum spraying across his stomach and chest. "Galen, you didn't tell me what you would do. What's your fantasy?" "Darlin', you are my fantasy. It can't get any better than this." Galen could hear the pout in her voice as she responded, her breath rushed. "But I need you to tell me a story." He nearly came again, just at the pleading in her voice. He spent the next several minutes recounting their first night together, with enough detail to let her know that he'd never forgotten anything about that night. She started making little sounds and Galen knew she was taking herself. "Put the phone where I can hear what you're doing darlin'." The next sounds across the line had him hard again. The sound of wetness. He could hear her fingers as they slid in and out and he imagined they were his fingers. He knew that her hips would be bucking up off the bed and her legs trying to close to put pressure on her clit. "Damn. If we're going to do this again I need to get a better photo printer darlin'." Raija laughed at him. "Goodnight Galen." The next day Galen received song lyrics in his email from Raija. Oleta Adams' "Just Had to Hear Your Voice." "I know you thought it best That we spend a little time apart But one night with out you Was too much for my heart I know I promised not to call Sorry but I didn't have a choice I just had to hear your voice I had to know that you're okay I couldn't get to sleep this way..." ******** Mari kept Raija updated on Galen's dating scene. In five months he'd only had three dates. From Galen's point of view, it was a wonder that anyone ever found someone to love. The first woman, the niece of his elderly neighbor, was also a network analyst. Despite having that in common, she was too conservative for his taste. They'd gone to see a movie and when the kissing scene came on, she recoiled at the flash of tongue and lips. She commented that the male actor seemed too aggressive and violent with his kisses. The second date was with a woman from his office. At the end of their date, she tossed her long hair over her shoulder and cast a pointed look at him, asking if he'd like to come in. Not only did he not want to come in, he was annoyed by the hair flinging. He imagined that his hands would not get trapped next to her scalp as he held her head while sliding into her body and he knew that his hand-in-fro disease was chronic. The third date was the worst. Mari had set him up with someone from her PTA group. The woman spent the night recounting the sins of every man she'd ever known and then asked if he wanted to meet her kids. In an effort to get away quickly, he'd backed over her trashcan sitting at the curb. ******** Raija stepped off the plane in late May, a gentle breeze ruffling her skirt as she walked towards Galen in arrivals hall. He couldn't stop staring, it had been five long months and he felt the need to drink in her beauty. She wore a white eyelet blouse that bared her shoulders and a knee length white skirt that flirted about her smooth, brown hose-less legs. Her toenails were painted a dainty pink and her feet were encased in sexy pink sandals. He couldn't wait to get her home and wrap her in his arms. He never wanted to go this long without her by his side again and the ring box in his pocket would make sure of it.