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Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 00

By: SpotInTheSand



Prologue


"Oh, FUCK!!!" the beautiful blonde goddess called out. "Jesus, Tim, you fuck me so good!"

Laying underneath her, Tim couldn't help but smile. He knew damn well he fucked her good, but confirmation never hurt.

"Your cock gets so... fucking... deep!" she cried out again. "Hitting places I.. didn't know I had! FUCK!!!"

Tim sat up partially, taking advantage of the cowgirl position and latching onto Leira's right breast with his lips. He raked his teeth across her nipple and bit down hard before switching to the other nipple. It was a trick he used nearly every time they fucked, but it always sent her into the stratosphere.

Not that she wasn't already there this time, though. The rough play with her tits just gave her something else to yell about.

"Yes, baby! BITE my fucking nipples, just like I like it!" she exclaimed, continuing to bounce up and down on his dick as hard as she possibly could. He knew his pelvis would be a bit bruised in the morning - he was pretty sure he wouldn't care. 

Through playing with her breasts for the time being, Tim moved his hands to Leira's curvy backside and simultaneously spanked both her ass cheeks. The force of the dual blows caused her to press her tits into his face again, and he managed to catch one nipple between his teeth before she sat back again.

"God, you push my buttons so good!" she said, staring down at him for just a second. "This dick... I LOVE this dick!!"

Tim responded by spanking her ass again, and in turn, Leira answered back with another squeal and more dirty talk. This too was a game they played often - she'd get on top of him, facing either direction, and control the pace while ripping off a steady stream of language that would make most 1-900 operators proud. Unlike other positions and situations, he wouldn't answer back with any nasty talk of his own. Instead, he'd just stay silent and let her do all the talking - until it was time to shut her up. 

"Oh, God, baby," Leira shouted, pinching both rock-hard nipples with her fingers. "I love the way you fuck me. God, you fuck me so good. I'm such a whore but I love this fucking cock and the way it makes me feel."

The words would be undecipherable to anyone but him. She'd pretty much left the English language altogether and switched to expletive-laced babbling. That, Tim knew, was his cue.

He yanked her arms away from her tits and pinned them to her sides with his own as he wrapped his arms around her slim torso, locking his hands behind her back. He fell back onto the bed, bringing her with him as he went. Since both their bodies were covered in sweat, it was easy to slide her just far enough up his body to get the right angle. He bent his knees and planted his feet. He looked up into Leira's eyes - they both knew what was coming.

"You love talking, don't you?" Tim said. "Talk, talk, talk."

With that, he slammed his cock up into Leira's soaked pussy, sliding all the way in with one stroke. Using his feet for leverage, he pounded up into her pussy with lightning-quick strokes, causing her eyes to roll back in her head. He seriously doubted she'd even hear what he said next.

"I think it's time for you to shut up now, slut," he said, whispering into Leira's ear. "Just shut the fuck up, and cum all over this cock you love so much."

He kept fucking up into her pussy - he knew she was seconds away. Tim tightened his bear hug on Leira, squeezing her even more tightly to him.

"I SAID, CUM, YOU FUCKING WHORE!" With that, his lips left her earlobe and fell to her neck, where he promptly bit down as hard he could. 

That was all it took. Leira dropped her head to his right shoulder and bit down, using his flesh and muscle to drown out at least a little bit of what could only be described as a blood-curdling scream. This part always hurt like hell, Tim said to himself, but he figured it would hurt a lot more if not for what was about to happen. 

"I'm gonna fill your pussy with my cum, baby," he said, shouting so she could hear him over her half-muffled scream. 

"Oh, fuck, Tim," Leira cried out, releasing his shoulder for just a second. "Please keep fucking me! Shoot that cum inside me, but don't stop. Please, please, please..."

There might have been more, but Tim didn't hear it. They'd been fucking for nearly two hours, and he'd managed to avoid cumming until now. The orgasms were always the most intense in this position, so he'd wanted to save up. With two or three more final, quick thrusts, he plunged deeply into her pussy and held it as his cock fired bullet after bullet into Leira's pussy, which he could still feel spasming around him.

"Yes, baby! Fill my pussy up with that cum! Oh, FUCK, I can feel it!" Leira shouted.

Tim wasn't sure he'd be able to speak if he tried, so he just went with what he knew he could do. He was still cumming, but he picked the pace back up with his cock, ramming it back into Leira almost as hard as he had been before his orgasm started. Her eyes went wide as he kicked it back into fifth gear. 

"You want me to cum on that cock again, don't you baby?" Leira growled into his ear. "You want more of my pussy juice flowing down your cock, across your balls and soaking this bed?"

His answer was to again catch one of Leira's nipples between his teeth. He didn't clamp down so tightly this time - he knew she'd be too sensitive for that at this point - but he still bit her hard enough to get a reaction. He sucked the nipple and most of the surrounding areola into his mouth, feverishly rolling his tongue around all that he could. He quickened his pace as much as he could with a half-hard cock, but he could tell from her body language that she was close.

Tim slid his hand down Leira's back and onto her ass, rapidly firing several slaps onto the right cheek and then the left. She loved being spanked almost more than anything else, and he knew that would bring her right to the edge.

"Spank that ass, baby! Spank me like the bad, dirty fucking slut that I am!"

She really was in a mood today, Tim thought. She always talked dirty, but she wasn't usually into calling herself names.

"Yeah," Tim replied, talking softly but loud enough for her to hear it. "You are a little slut, aren't you? Well, take this then, slut!"

Tim rubbed his right index finger around the junction between his cock and her sopping pussy for some lube, then quickly plunged it into her asshole while increasing the pace with his cock.

"FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKK!!!!!!!!!" she shouted, and somewhere in his subconscious, Tim was pretty sure the cops were on their way. "CCCCUUUUUUMMMMMINGGGGGGGG!!!"

Understatement of the year, Tim thought. He could feel blood flowing from the spot Leira was biting on his shoulder, the same exact place she'd nailed a couple minutes ago. But the sight of this beautiful woman, cumming for the fifth time that evening while rocking blissfully up and down on his cock, was more than enough to make him forget about the pain.

After what seemed like an eternity but was really probably only a minute or so, Leira's undulations subsided, and she collapsed on top of him, panting and breathing heavily, unable to say a word. She lazily traced a pattern on his right bicep, which he knew was her outlining the Eagle, Globe and Anchor tattoo on his arm.

His cock finally slipped out of her, rapidly softening after its extra shift. Tim knew there were guys out there who could keep an erection even after an orgasm, but if it didn't happen after an extremely intense orgasm like that one, it never would, he figured. Even still, it had stayed hard enough for four or five minutes afterward - long enough to get the job done. 

"I guess every part of me is a Marine," he said out loud, softly chuckling to himself. He got no response from Leira, however - in fact, her fingers had stopped moving on his arm, as well. He looked at her face and saw that she was either asleep or out cold.

"Good God, you are beautiful, woman," he said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and another on her lips before gently rolling her off of him and onto her side on the bed. She still had a goofy smile on her face as Tim slid off the bed and walked into his bathroom.

Tim carefully cleaned the blood off his shoulder, and after stopping the bleeding, he grabbed a first-aid kit from under the sink and applied a large Band-aid to the area. He figured he should be pissed off or at least a little annoyed about the deep bite, but all he could do was smile dumbly at himself in the mirror. Ever since he was old enough to know what he really wanted in a woman, he'd known he wanted a tiger in the sack, and Leira was certainly all that and more.

As Tim started the shower and stepped underneath the hot spray, he thought hard about the woman still lying on his bed in the other room and compared her to that list he'd made in his early 20s. She really was everything he wanted. Sure, the sex was incredible, and they'd fucked at least once a day almost every day in the nearly two years they'd been together, excluding those special times of the month that all men love to hate.

But Leira was a lot more than that. He wanted someone with ambition - she was a RN and was toying with the idea of medical school. He wanted someone he could raise a family with when the time came - Leira had several brothers and sisters and always talked about being a mom. He wanted to be able to hold a conversation with his woman that didn't involve shoes or the latest episode of Gossip Girl, and Leira constantly surprised him with her depth of knowledge about both mainstream and off-beat topics. They both loved to travel. She wasn't a huge sports fan, but she watched football with him on Sundays when she didn't have to work. There was nothing about her he didn't like. 

She was almost too perfect, Tim thought. But he wasn't about to complain.

Finally clean after their marathon weekend of sex - this last two-hour session had just been the final act of a very, very long screenplay - Tim stepped out of the shower and into the steam-filled bathroom. He wiped off a spot on the mirror and carefully appraised himself as he toweled off. He was only three years removed from active duty with the Marines, and he'd managed to stay in pretty good shape. His abs were still rock-hard, and his arms and chest were almost as chiseled as they had been back then. His legs were a little less muscular than they were, but still nothing to laugh at. He'd grown a goatee since then, and his dark brown hair was just a little longer than Marine Corps regulations. 

"Not bad," he said just before the door opened. Leira walked in and gave him the same once-over he was giving himself. 

"Not bad, my ass," she said, running her hands over his flat midsection and her tongue over his right shoulder and across his neck to the Band-aid. "Awww... did I do that?"

"You fucking know you did, woman," Tim said and tried to smack her ass. She moved just enough that all he got was hip and thigh instead.

"Poor baby," she said, starting the water in the shower back up.

"Yeah, I'll show you poor baby," he replied. "I'm taking the blood you drew out of your ass next time."

Leira just giggled as she stepped into the shower and drew the curtains closed. Tim brushed his teeth, and then took a quick peek behind the shower curtain. Sure, he had just seen her naked a few minutes ago, but with a body like hers, a few minutes was just too damn long. 

He threw on a T-shirt and a pair of workout shorts and headed out of the bedroom. He grabbed a bottle of water and plopped down on the couch to check out the Sunday night NFL game while he waited for Leira to finish up. After the Patriots scored another touchdown on the Panthers' uber-soft defense, the first commercial was for a jewelry store. He just chuckled at that - the following day, he would go down to a local diamond shop and make the final payment on Leira's engagement ring.

Tim heard the shower stop at the same time he heard his cell phone beep on the kitchen counter, where it was charging. Someone had called. He went into get it, and saw that the only missed called had been from his best friend, J.T. It wasn't like J.T. to call when the Panthers were on TV - come to think of it, it wasn't like J.T. to breathe when the Panthers were on TV. Figuring it must be important, Tim dialed his voicemail to see what his buddy wanted.

J.T.'s message sucked all the air out of Tim's lungs.

"Hey, buddy," the message said. "Heather just told me about you and Leira. I'm sorry to hear that man. I really thought you two were going to be the ones that made it. Hell, we all did. Anyway, hope you're doing OK, man. I know how much you love that girl. I'm here for you. Give me a call."

The phone fell out of Tim's hand, and he barely noticed when it clattered onto the floor. He felt a little dizzy. He'd brought the bottle of water into the kitchen with him, but now he looked at it like it was a foreign object. 

He tried to recall what he could from the message - no way his motor skills were letting him grab the phone and replay it. Heather was Leira's best friend and roommate, and she'd told J.T. - told him what? As far as Tim knew, Leira hadn't talked to Heather or anyone else since she came over Saturday morning. "I really thought you two were going to be the ones that made it. Hell, we all did." What in the hell was he talking about?

Immediately, he snapped out of the haze he'd fallen into. He snatched his phone off the floor and practically sprinted into the living room as he punched the buttons to return J.T.'s call. Right as the call was about to connect, Leira turned the corner from his bedroom into the hallway.

"What the hell is going on?" Tim asked, more harshly than he should have but not as harsh as he wanted to be. To his knowledge, she'd never lied to him, so perhaps he should have given her the benefit of the doubt. But this was J.T., -- Tim wanted to believe it was a joke, but J.T. wasn't one to play games with him on something like this. Either he'd gotten something really, really wrong, or something very bad was about to happen.

"What?" Leira asked. She tried to pack some surprise into her wide-eyed look, but one thing his girlfriend was not was an actress. He knew the moment she said it that something was not right.

"J.T. just left me a message," Tim said, suddenly talking way too fast. "Said Heather told him about you and me and that he was sorry because he knew I loved you and he thought we were gonna last and - fuck."

His lungs suddenly ran out of steam, and he had to quit. For her part, Leira stood in the hallway looking at the ground.

"What the hell is going on, Leira? Is this some kind of joke?" Tim asked, but after 30 seconds of waiting, he got no response. He stepped closer to her, lifted her chin up and tried to take the sting out of his voice. "Is it?"

Leira only made eye contact with him for a second before turning away. "No," she said finally. "It's not a joke." With that, she spun around and walked toward the bedroom. He followed behind her.

"Then what is it?"

"I think we should start seeing other people," Leira said as she began gathering up her clothes off the ground. Tim fell back against the door.

"You... want to see other people?" Tim wasn't normally one to restate an obvious question, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"Don't you?" Leira asked, glancing at him briefly before shoving some more of her things into her bag. Through the haze he'd slid back into, he realized this must have been planned out. Heather obviously knew about it before Leira had left their house on Saturday, and Leira had brought a bag big enough to take all her things out of his apartment.

"It hadn't crossed my mind, no," Tim said.

"I mean, come on, Tim," Leira said. "It's obvious that things are getting stale with us. I'm bored. I'm sure you are too."

"You weren't bored 20 minutes ago." It probably wasn't the best response, but it was the only one that made it to the part of Tim's brain that communicated with his mouth.

"Oh, the sex?" Leira asked, setting the bag down for a minute and smiling. "The sex with us has always been great, Tim. You know that. You're one of the best lovers I've ever had. But that's all this is about now. That's all this has been about for months now. Don't you want more than that?"

Without waiting for a response, Leira headed into the bathroom. She grabbed the toothbrush, toothpaste and other hygiene items she left at his apartment and stuffed them into the bag.

"Yeah, I do," Tim said, barely loud enough to hear himself. "With you."

Apparently, Leira heard it anyway. When she turned back to face him, he didn't see compassion or even sympathy on her face. He couldn't place it at the time, but when he thought back on the moment a few days later, he'd realize what it was. 

Condescension.

"Seriously, Tim," she said. "We don't have anything like that anymore. I don't know if we ever did."

Tim liked to think he had excellent self-restraint, but he was about to scream. Leira probably felt she had the upper hand in this situation, but if he exploded the way he wanted to, he had no doubt his now-ex-girlfriend would be hiding in the closet. Instead of going that route, he stumbled into the hallway and collapsed against the wall next to his front door. He had no idea how much time passed - maybe a minute, maybe 10, maybe an hour - but eventually, Leira came around the corner again, her bag packed, ready to leave.

She stood there for a moment, waiting for Tim to say something. He didn't. Finally, when Leira reached for the doorknob, he grabbed her wrist and held it tight.

"This isn't right. And you know it."

"It's what I want, Tim."

"You know what I mean. Telling your friends two days ago. Going through this whole weekend with me and not saying anything."

Leira started twisting her arm, trying to get it free from his grasp. He let it go.

"I told you, babe," she said. "The sex is fantastic. I don't plan to stop that part of it. I'll call you in a couple of days."

Tim was shocked - she did what she just did, and then wanted to keep having sex? Sure, most males are shallow and will take sex any way they can get it, but, seriously? If that shocked him, though, Leira's last statement blew him away.

"I'd love to stay and chat, Tim," she said, "but it's almost 7:30. I have a date in half an hour. So, gotta run."

Before he could reply, Leira opened the door and closed it behind her. 



 I've received lots of great feedback on the Road Trip series, and I'm getting back to that very, very soon. I started this project as a way to give myself a little break from those characters, and it turned into the only thing I wanted to work on. It's taken me a while, but it's done. This is the first in what will be a 10-part series (a prologue and nine chapters). They are all finished, and I'm submitting one per day for the next 10 days. Most of them have at least some sex in them - I can only think of two chapters that don't. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one. Check back for the ensuing chapters, and as always, comment/vote/send private feedback. I love writing, and I love telling the stories, but I love interacting with readers just as much! Thanks to LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader for turning my blithering plot into something readable. 

Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 01



 Note: Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. Also, I owe a great deal of gratitude to Romantic1, who took time away from writing to read over this and help me clean up the aviation-specific portions of the story. Of course, his sex scenes are legendary on Literotica, and I'd have been crazy not to ask for suggestions on those portions as well.

As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) As I said, this story will go up with one chapter posting daily until it's all uploaded, so don't get too mad about the cliffhangers. Enjoy!  

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THREE YEARS LATER

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Of all the things Tim Fetters had done in his life, nothing made him feel more powerful than this.

"Left heading one-four-zero, and down to three thousand, Mile High Eleven-Zero-One," Tim spoke into his headset. He punched a couple of buttons to the right of the Boeing 757's control yoke, and moments later, the plane began a shallow banking turn to the left. Tim smiled - knowing he could control this plane, make it do whatever he wanted to... it was truly one of the best feelings he'd ever had.

Tim glanced at a checklist hanging on the side of the cockpit to his left. Temporarily satisfied, he turned to his co-pilot's seat - where a muscular black man, dressed in sagging denim jeans and a blood red North Carolina State football jersey, sat staring at him.

"Yo, Doc," Carlos McDonald said. "Just don't crash us into the airport, OK?"

Tim cracked another smile. "I'll do my best, Carlos. Now, back to you for a minute. What's going on with you and fumbling the ball all the time?"

"You the brain doctor, man," Carlos fired back. "You tell me."

Tim sighed and made a "tsk tsk" noise.

"Carlos, for one, I'm not a 'brain doctor,'" Tim replied, taking his hands off the yoke long enough to make double quotations with his fingers before quickly replacing his hands. "They're called neurosurgeons, and they make a hell of a lot more money than I do. I'm a sports psychologist, and I can only work off of what you tell me. So, why do you think you keep fumbling the ball?"

Carlos squirmed in the seat - and since it was covered in leather and probably more comfortable than it should have been given its purpose, it had to be because he was personally uncomfortable about something. 

"I dunno, Doc," Carlos replied. He took a few more seconds before continuing. "I ain't never had this problem before. In high school, I coughed it up once my whole career, because one of them cheerleaders flashed me on the sidelines."

"That's not a very team-oriented thing to do," Tim replied.

"Bitch cheered for the other team," Carlos said, waving him off.

"Ah," Tim said, smiling. "Then I stand corrected."

"Yeah," Carlos replied. "It was aight, though. I scored three more touchdowns, we won the game by 20, and I fucked her and two of her friends in the locker room after. But that ain't the point, Doc."

Tim just grinned. From what he'd seen of Carlos, there was no reason to doubt his story. "Ok, so the point is?"

"I can't hang on to the fucking ball, Doc!"

"Ah, yes. One minute, Carlos." Tim gripped his headset again, carefully listening to the instructions given to him by air traffic control. "Roger, zero-eight-zero to intercept the localizer. Tower on one-one-niner-point-three. See ya." Tim punched a few more buttons and the plane tilted to the left again. He made quick work of contacting the tower at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, entered the traffic pattern, then motioned for Carlos to continue.

"My first two years here at the State, I fumbled the ball twice. Once 'cause that dumb shit Drexler" - Carlos waved behind him at the football players spread throughout the rest of the plane - "forgot we was on the same team and decided to tackle my black ass. The other was 'cause that badass linebacker at V-Tech last year, the one the Rams took with the eighth pick last spring, ran my ass over like a fucking Mack truck squashing a ladybug."

Tim smiled. He remembered that play - Carlos had spent a good 20 minutes afterward on the sidelines talking about the price of tea in India. The hit had given him a concussion, but he'd talked the real team doctor, Ted Prince, into letting him back into the game against Tim's wishes. Concussion or not, Carlos ended up scoring the game-winning touchdown, surviving a hit more vicious than the first one without giving up the ball.

That just made these past few weeks more mind-boggling. Carlos - the top running back for N.C. State and one of the premier backs in all of college football - had fumbled the ball five times during the past three games. Only one of them had been really costly, but still, the coaches were concerned. 

Tim observed Carlos for a few more moments, trying to pick up on any non-verbal cues he might be giving as to what was going on inside his head. In many ways, Tim thought, Carlos was the stereotypical black athlete - dreadlocks, enough gold in his teeth to start a pawnshop, Ebonics as his first language, spent more time in bed than your average pillow. But underneath this particular black athlete exterior lay an accounting major with a 3.9 GPA, one who would leave Raleigh after his junior year for the NFL just 12 credits short of a Bachelor's degree. And to his credit, Carlos wasn't one who accepted failure or laughed it off like a lot of his teammates did. 

"Why do you think this is a mental thing, Carlos? Why come talk to me and not your running backs coach?"

"I done told you, Doc," Carlos said, getting more and more agitated. "I don't fumble the football. You know Pat Kersee back there?"

"The 350-pound right tackle? Yeah. So what?" Tim replied.

"And you know Tia Lopez? Our head cheerleader?" Carlos continued.

Tim nodded as he said, "Yes, Carlos. Where are you going with this?"

"Pat and Tia will get they freak on under the statue of Jimmy V outside the RBC Center before I fumble the ball twice in a game. I do not give the ball away. But five times the past three weeks, I have. It ain't a physical thing."

"And you're willing to incur the wrath of your teammates by talking to the team shrink?"

"Doc, if it would fix the problem, I'd go talk to Dr. Ruth," Carlos said. "That old bitch still alive, anyway?"

"I have no idea, Carlos," Tim said, trying not to laugh. "I'll tell you what, though. I'll come by practice tomorrow afternoon and sit down with you for a few minutes. We'll see what's wrong."

"Aight, dawg," Carlos said, using Tim's personal favorite nickname for himself. Every guy on the team with pigmentation in his skin called him that for some reason. "'Preciate it."

"No problem," Tim said. "Now get back to your seat and send my co-pilot back up here. We're about five minutes out from landing."

"I got you," Carlos said, and when he and Tim locked hands in a modified handshake/fist bump/whatever the hell it was college kids did these days, Tim noticed the running back cringe as if Tim had punched him in the kidneys. The look was gone almost as quickly as it arrived.

With Carlos gone, Tim turned around and looked back out the window. Raleigh, North Carolina, was a damn beautiful town from 3,000 feet - almost any town was, really. Maybe there were some small towns in Wyoming and Oklahoma that looked shitty when flying over them, but Tim had yet to go there.

Tim pressed his headset closer to his ears, listened for a second, then nodded.

"Raleigh Tower, Mile High Eleven-Zero-One is on the approach." Tim nodded and punched a few more buttons. A few seconds later, the plane turned until it was perfectly aligned with runway 5L at Raleigh-Durham International.

"Ah," J.T. Lancaster said, closing the cockpit door and taking his seat in the chair Carlos had been using. "Already got her lined up, I see."

"Yeah, it was fun listening to Carlos talk about his ball-handling problems while getting instructions from ATC."

"I would have thought Carlos had a deep pool of North Carolina State's finest coeds to handle those problems for him," J.T. quipped. "And yet, he goes to you. Something you're not telling me?"

Tim just laughed. Chris Rock wouldn't have had a comeback for that - neither did Tim.

"You teach that boy to fly yet?" J.T. asked.

"Nah," Tim said. "He's too busy crunching numbers in class and telling me about the foursome he had in high school."

"See, I need to be up here for these chats," J.T. said, laughing. "Speaking of that..."

"Now you and I are going to talk about foursomes?" Tim replied.

"Not so much the foursome, no," J.T. replied. "Though, if I get Sheila drunk enough, that could probably be arranged. What's going on with you and Julia?"

"J.T., whatever do you mean?" Tim asked, sarcasm dripping off his tongue and soaking the cockpit.

"I just-" he stopped, because the controller was speaking in the headset again. Tim nodded.

"Roger, copy the winds, cleared to land, runway five-left, eleven-zero-one."

Tim didn't have to do anything this time because the plane was already on track to land.

"I'm not talking about it," Tim said, putting up a hand to stop his best friend from asking any further questions. "And you know I'm not talking about it. So, what do you say you save your oxygen for the long hike we get to make across the airport in a minute?"

J.T. knew better than to continue, so he didn't.

Two minutes later, the plane touched down flawlessly on the runway. Five minutes after that, Tim and J.T. shut the engines down on the powerful jet as the team deplaned at the gate.

Tim managed to get out of the cockpit before Ted Prince, the football team's head physician, could leave.

"Ted, you got a minute?" 

"Sure, Timmy," the 60-something doctor replied. His thick deep-southern drawl made it sound more like 'Shoo, Teemee.' "Whaddya got?"

The two walked down the jetway and emerged in the terminal at Raleigh-Durham. They were surrounded by players as they walked, so Tim kept his voice low.

"Would it be possible for someone to have a broken forearm or wrist and not know it?"

Ted just stared back at Tim.

"Carlos McDonald," Tim said, as a way of explaining it. "He's been having problems hanging onto the ball lately. He was up in the cockpit talking with me about it, but honestly, Ted, there's nothing mentally wrong with Carlos."

"Sometimes a player jes' fumbles the football, mah boy," Ted said. Tim just gave him a look.

"Come on, Ted," Tim replied. "You know Carlos. Two years here, he fumbled it twice, both times because of damn good hits. Lately, you breathe on the guy's right side, and the football hits the turf. Thing is, I slapped hands with him today when he left the cockpit, and he cringed when our hands touched. Is it possible that maybe he's got an injury to his right forearm or wrist, something he doesn't think is that serious, but is causing him huge amounts of pain when contacted?"

Ted chewed on that for a minute. "I dunno," Ted said. "I imagine he'd know it was broke. But hell, maybe it's just a fracture and he don't know it. We'll get 'em X-rayed today, see if yer right."

"Ted, I appreciate this," Tim replied, but Ted just stood there looking at him.

"You know, kid," Ted said, "Yer a damn boy wonder."

"Sir?"

"Now, don't start that 'sir' bull sheet with me," Ted answered. "How old are you, Teemee?"

"I'm 31, sir," he replied.

"Thirty-one years old.. yer a fully licensed psychologist workin' with jes' about every damn athlete in the state of North Carolina. You got you a commercial pilot's license, and you fly everybody around in 757s and them fancy Learjets. You flew real planes over in the Middle East for five years in the Marines and got you a Navy Cross out of the deal."

It was two Navy Crosses, actually, but Tim wasn't going to correct him. He just stood there, listening. 

"Mah boy, you still have more than half yer life left," Ted said, clapping Tim on the shoulder. "Just amazing how much you've already accomplished."

Ted and Tim shared a laugh, and Tim watched as Ted took a few steps toward the baggage claim area with the football team. Before he turned the corner, though, the doctor turned around and regarded him sadly.

"But son, you ain't got you a damn thing if you ain't got you no woman to go home to."

They shared a look before Ted finally headed off around the corner, and Tim just shook his head and sighed. 

"Everybody is fucking Dr. Phil these days," he muttered to himself. Tim didn't realize that during his conversation with the doctor, J.T. had emerged from the jetway and was standing right behind him.

"Well, I'm part of everybody, and I am certainly not fucking Dr. Phil, these days or any other days," J.T. said. Tim couldn't help but laugh.

"Damn," Tim replied. "And here I thought Sheila was just a way overdone cover story."

J.T. ignored him. "It seems like everybody thinks they know what's best for you, I know," he said, putting a hand on Tim's shoulder. "We're just trying to be here for you, man."

Tim let that hang in the air for a minute. Tim would have taken a bullet for J.T., and J.T. had very nearly done just that for Tim a few years back. They were as tight as two friends could be, but this was about as emotional as either of them ever got around the other. J.T. removed his hand and motioned at the two roller suitcases he'd wheeled off the plane. Tim took his, and they walked through the mostly empty terminal in silence for a few minutes. Both of them knew that if either of them were going to break it, it'd be J.T., and sure enough, a few minutes later, he did.

"I mean, seriously, man," he said. "For reasons passing understanding, everybody likes you. Ted Prince, Carlos McDonald, Coach Taylor. Hell, even Sheila likes your ass. I can't understand why, since she has the perfect male specimen already, but it's something I've learned to deal with."

Tim was smiling widely now. J.T. was sometimes too involved in Tim's personal life, most of the time he was overbearing, and he indeed always thought he knew what was best for Tim. But J.T. could make a paraplegic mime laugh, and more importantly, he'd been the only person to really stick with him throughout that year-long dark spell he'd gone through a while back. For the rest of his life, Tim would let J.T. ramble on whenever he wanted - he owed him that much.

"I just don't understand why it's so hard for you to comprehend that a lot of people want to see you happy, man."

"It's not hard to comprehend," he said. "I just don't understand why everyone thinks I'm not happy."

"Dude, have you seen you lately?" J.T. asked.

"About an hour ago in the bathroom on the plane," Tim said. "And I still look as damn good as ever, if I can be so modest."

"Not what I mean, and you know it."

"J.T., I have two awesome jobs that anyone in either field would happily kill me for," Tim said. "I built my dream house on the lake two years ago. My bank account is swimming in more zeros than my accountant knows what to do with. I travel the country and chat up some of the best athletes in the world - for a living. What, exactly, do you think I have to bitch about?"

J.T. just stared back at him.

"Don't play stupid," J.T. said.

"I'm not playing stupid," Tim said. "So, I don't have a girlfriend, or a wife, or a family outside of my parents and my sister. I would not trade my life for anyone else's."

"What about -" J.T. started, but Tim cut him off.

"Not even Hugh Hefner's life 50 years ago," he finished for his best friend.

"All right, all right," J.T. said. "I'll drop it."

"For now," Tim again finished.

"You know me too well," J.T. said. "And besides, you only have that house and one of those two awesome jobs because of me."

"True," Tim said. "You and your family have been very, very good to me, J.T. I tell you everyday that if there's anything you ever need, all you have to do is ask."

J.T. simply nodded. They stopped by the airline operations office, where it took all of two minutes to finish the necessary paperwork, then made their way down into the baggage claim area, where most of the football team and coaching staff was huddled around the carousel. J.T. had bags to collect, but Tim always traveled light. They said their goodbyes, and Tim headed out into the parking garage.

Just as he crossed the street in front of the terminal, his cell phone rang. The song was "Crash Into Me" by Dave Matthews Band, which meant it could only be one person. Before he realized it, a smile flashed across his face. He forced it away before answering the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tim. It's Julia."

"Hey," he replied.

"That's all I get? Hey?" she asked. "You've been in Boston since Thursday, you're finally back on Sunday afternoon, and all I get is a 'Hey?'"

Tim could tell she was kidding from the giggles she mixed in with the words. Still, he played along.

"Umm... hey. How are you?" His voice was still mostly flat, but that was all part of the joke. 

"Better," she replied. "Where are you?"

"Just leaving the airport now," he said. "We landed about 15 minutes ago."

"Hey, I get off in 20 minutes." She just let it hang there. Both of them knew what usually came next. Tim decided to try and change the subject.

"Oh, I think it will take you a bit longer than that," he quipped. 

Julia laughed. From the sounds of things, it was loud enough to make anyone else still in the Southwest Airlines offices at Raleigh-Durham on a Sunday afternoon wonder what was going on.

"Shut up," she said when she finally settled down long enough to answer. "Besides, that's your fault. If you wanted, it would only take 3 or 4 minutes."

"Yeah, but there's absolutely zero fun in that."

Tim hoped that would send her mind off in other directions.

"But that's not what I meant," she continued, and Tim's face tightened up some. "If you want to wait around for a bit..."

Tim really wanted to tell Julia what she wanted to hear. So many times, they'd arrived at this point in the conversation, and he always teetered on the edge of giving in. He did this time, too, but as it always did, the see-saw tilted in his direction. Instead, he said nothing, and eventually, Julia got the hint.

"Or, I'll just drive out and meet you," she said, ending the nervous silence.

"That would be better," he said, and then before he could shut his mouth, the rest slipped out. "That way, your car will be there in case you want to leave."

"You know, Tim, this is beginning to piss me off," she replied. "I'm not going to leave before tomorrow morning, and you damn well know it."

"Well, just in case." It was about as feeble as replies can be, and even as he said it, he mentally dropkicked himself for it. She said nothing, and Tim figured that as long as she was willing, silence was as good a way as any to not dig the hole any deeper. 

Neither of them said another word until Tim reached his brand new Mercury Mariner SUV in the parking lot. He threw his suitcase on the rarely used backseat and got behind the wheel.

"Jules, I'm sorry," he said, starting the car and carefully navigating his way through the maze out of the airport car park. "Just meet me when you get off work, ok?"

"You know, I don't have to come out there if you don't want me to," she replied. She always did. This happened pretty much every time Tim got back into town after a trip with one of the teams he worked for. 

"Julia, you know I do."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"Ok, then," she replied. It sounded like she was exhaling a breath she'd taken a couple hours ago. "I'll see you soon." 

They said their goodbyes, and Tim dropped the phone onto his passenger seat. 




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 01



"You fucking idiot," he said. He wasn't above fits of rage, and he'd probably be punching his steering wheel right now if this whole thing wasn't so damn familiar. He looked up into the rear-view mirror. "When did you become such an asshole?"

As usual, his reflection chose to keep quiet. He pulled out of the parking area and made a series of turns until he hit Interstate 540. The other Sunday afternoon traffic barely registered as he quickly threaded his way in and out of other vehicles, trying to leave the whole Research Triangle in the dust as quickly as possible. 

Julia Waters had been in Tim's life for well over a year now. Well, more accurately, she'd been trying to get into Tim's life for well over a year now, ever since they met at a picnic in April 2007. The relationship, if it could be called that, had started out as nothing more than friends with benefits. From the beginning, he told her he couldn't do anything more, and Julia was okay with that. 

At first, they only saw each other once or twice a week - he'd see her as he was leaving the airport after returning from a road trip, and they'd get together. He took summers off once the NBA season ended, however, which meant fewer trips out of town and fewer meetings at the airport. Tim couldn't remember who called the other first during that summer, but by the end of 2007, they were sleeping together every other day. When the summer of 2008 rolled around, it was an everyday occurrence.

Through it all, though, Tim had kept himself emotionally detached. He made it clear that this wasn't an exclusive relationship, and that they were allowed to date other people. She was free to come and go as she pleased, and so was he. They'd hook up after work, spend a few hours keeping the neighbors awake at her place or scaring the shit out of the ducks and fish on the lake behind his house, but by sunrise, they'd go their separate ways. That was the routine, and there were very few exceptions to it.

About six months ago, however, Julia had started making things a little more personal. He remembered it pretty clearly - he'd just flown the N.C. State women's basketball team back from Philadelphia, where'd they'd lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and Julia was waiting at the gate when they landed. She kissed him in front of the entire team, which earned him no shortage of grief afterward, and then held his hand as they walked through the terminal. When they got outside, she suggested that she ride with him back to his house. He shut that down quickly and reminded her that nothing had changed. 

She backed off that day, but she still did things that made a lot of people interpret their relationship as a serious one. She cooked for him all the time, even on nights when they didn't hook up. She also cleaned his house whenever she was there. He usually kept things pretty tidy, and he wasn't home much to mess things up anyway, but Julia dusted, vacuumed and scrubbed - things Tim wasn't much into. She started leaving clothes and other personal things at his house, and she insisted he give her a key. Despite the red flags that went off, he finally gave in. Whenever he felt like things were getting too personal, he always sat down with her to remind her that he was still just in it for the sex, and wasn't capable of anything else. She reluctantly agreed every time, but those little chats only fixed the problem for a day or two. 

That didn't stop him from recognizing how special Julia was, however, and how good of a catch she would be for someone. In just three years of working for Southwest Airlines in Raleigh, she'd risen from ticket agent, to gate agent and up to customer service. Now, she was the station manager for Southwest at Raleigh-Durham, answering to a regional Vice President based in Atlanta.

That was probably the career she would choose, he figured, but if not, she also had a Bachelor's Degree in accounting from Wake Forest, and she'd finished up an MBA from Duke a couple months ago, at the end of the summer semester. She knew more about politics and the bigger issues than even Tim did, and she could still recite Emily Dickinson and quote Shakespeare. She didn't talk about this, but he found out through J.T. that she spent all of the last Christmas season volunteering with the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots, a program that helps distribute Christmas presents to underprivileged children. She was also a raging sports fan, especially with the NFL. Tim worked for the Carolina Panthers during the NFL season, so he didn't get to watch much football on TV, but the one Sunday the team had had off this season, Julia had spent the day at Tim's house, watching football and raving like a lunatic right along with he and his buddies.

And then there was her body. Sure, there were imperfections, but Julia Waters exuded raw sexuality like no other woman he'd ever known.

On those rare occasions when he let his mind go there, he realized she was pretty much the perfect woman.

No, Tim thought. There's no such thing as perfect. 

Not anymore.

Tim brought up the Linkin Park folder on his SUV's built-in MP3 player, and the sounds of "Breaking The Habit" filled the car. The appropriateness of the song wasn't lost on him, but he tried valiantly to push those thoughts out of his mind. 

Several minutes later, he finally reached his exit and turned, heading down a more subdued tree-lined highway with a lower speed limit and much lower traffic count. Tim could almost feel the bustle and the worries of the everyday world slipping away as he inched closer and closer to the sanctuary he'd built for himself on Jordan Lake. Carlos and his fumbling problems, J.T. and his nosiness, everyone worrying about him, his issues with Julia - they seemed more and more like memories the closer he got.

Finally, when the road looked like it dead-ended in the lake itself, he hung a left and climbed up a winding driveway about 150 feet before pulling to a stop in front of his house. He shut off the engine and climbed out of his SUV, and as he always did, he stopped to take in the view for a minute.

The house was three levels - two and a half, really - and custom-made for him. An architect J.T.'s family used frequently drew up the blueprints with constant input from Tim, and Tim himself did most of the actual construction work, along with J.T. and a bunch of friends, leaving only the most complicated projects to professional contractors. He'd begun construction almost four years ago, and had started to wonder if he'd ever finish it. After what happened with Leira three years ago, though, the only thing he ever seemed to want to do was work on the house, and he'd finished it about nine months later. That was about the only positive he could think of from what happened with her. 

He entered the house at street level, which was also the basement. In addition to the garage, the basement had two guest bedrooms and all the staples of the quintessential bachelor pad -- a pool table, a few chairs, a full bar, an air hockey table and a flat-screen HDTV the size of your average freeway billboard.

There were two staircases down here, and he climbed the one closest to the garage up to the first floor, which offered a breathtaking view of Jordan Lake out the massive bay window in the dining room. It was around 6 p.m., so the early fall daylight was starting to fade, but he could still see a couple of sails on the lake, and he could see one wake trail left behind by a jetski. He'd built himself a massive kitchen - he had no earthly idea why, since he could list all the things he used in it on one hand: the microwave, the trash can, the coffee pot, and the side of the refrigerator that held the beer. Tim's idea of cooking was either a microwavable TV dinner or something in the Top Ramen family of quality nutritional foods. Julia absolutely loved it, though.

He spent most of his time down here. Across from the kitchen was his personal game room - the room with a giant flat-screen TV, a recliner, a top-of-the-line personal computer, a couple of video game systems and a sound system that could put most professional party DJs to shame. The basement was used when his friends came over or when he hosted a rare party, and this room was just for Tim. J.T. frequently used it as well, when he came out to do some waterskiing on the lake.

Down the hallway was a bathroom and two more bedrooms, but Tim climbed yet another stairway to the second floor, where he did most of his work. He emerged into his office, which was really a private study and a library. The TV, large as it was, was mostly used to watch video of his sessions with athletes and take notes. It was surrounded by dozens of shelves of books, everything from the tens of thousands of dollars worth of psychology textbooks he'd wasted half of his 20s buried in to aviation books, from volumes of Marine Corps and general military history to the latest Harlen Coben novels. Very few people had ever been in this room since he'd finished the house.

He crossed the hall into the master bedroom, which had another picturesque view of the lake, but this window had blinds he could close for privacy. A door at the end of the wall led outside to the deck, which he'd insisted on building. He spent a lot of hours outside, just he and his laptop and a cold drink. Sometimes it was just he and the drink, watching all the various parties being thrown on the lake and its shores after sunset. His hot tub was out there; he'd probably fire that up later.

The master bathroom was equally as impressive. He'd installed a shower that could handle four people, though no more than two people had ever been in it at once. There was a separate bathtub that so far, no one besides Julia had ever used. Tim either took showers or soaked in the hot tub - he didn't have time for baths. 

Tim rinsed off with a quick shower, just enough to wash away the dirt and grime of four days in Boston. He knew he'd take a longer - much longer - shower later, and he wouldn't be alone. The water pressure in his shower could have run hydraulics, and he never ran out of hot water. Most times, he had no desire to leave the steady stream of hot water, and today was no exception.

When he finally forced himself out of the shower, he threw on a pair of workout shorts and a tank top and headed downstairs. He grabbed a bag of carrots out of the fridge and munched idly while watching the last of the boats come off the lake. If this were a Friday or Saturday night, they wouldn't leave until morning, but on a Sunday night, the partiers tended to pack up pretty early.

Tim had almost finished off the bag of carrots when he heard another car pull up in the driveway. Again, he smiled involuntarily, but forced it away before it did any harm. He heard a door slam, and he listened for the distinct sound of high heels clicking on the steps up to his front door. She never came in through the basement.

He listened as she fumbled around in her purse for her keys, and he leaned up against the wall to the right of the door so that when she came inside, she'd walk right past him.

Finally, she put the key in the lock, and the door slowly opened. Tim watched as she walked into his house, closing the door behind her but not looking back. Since she'd just been at work, Tim knew exactly what she'd be wearing, but just the sight of her took his breath away. It always did.

"Do you have any idea how fucking gorgeous you are?"

Julia spun around to face him, a smile lighting up her face, the first floor of his house and half of the lake behind her. She kept her dark hair cut relatively short, pageboy style, and though Tim usually preferred long hair, he thought the style was perfect for her. She stood 5-foot-5, about nine inches shorter than him, so she had to look up to meet his eyes. That gave him a nice view down the front of the dark brown dress she wore, which was fairly low-cut anyway. It stopped a couple of inches above her knees, which was about as short as she could get away with under the Southwest dress code. He didn't care - she still looked unbelievable.

Before she had time to answer his question, Tim closed the gap between them, sweeping her up into his arms. Julia let out a little squeal as Tim carried her into the kitchen, quickly depositing her onto the island in the kitchen.

"Miss me?" she asked.

"What do you think?" was his only verbal response, and he immediately attacked her lips with his own as he pulled the sleeves of her dress off her shoulders. Once that was done, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, returning every bit of the passion he was throwing at her.

Tim broke the liplock and began kissing down her neck and across her shoulders as his fingers set to the task of unhooking the bra that kept her C-cup breasts constrained while she was at work. It put up a moderate fight - he always struggled with the bottom hook when he was working from the front - but he eventually won the battle, tossing her bra onto the floor behind him.

Tim backed up for a second to take in the view, but only for a fleeting moment. He leaned Julia back onto the island and quickly attached his mouth to her left nipple, forcing her to moan and run her fingers through the little bit of hair Tim kept on his head. He alternated between her magnificent breasts, sucking one dark brown nipple between his lips and then the other, switching back and forth early and often. He licked the underside of her breasts, and nibbled all around the tops of her tits, leaving evidence of their encounter for anyone who might be looking.

After a few minutes, his kisses trailed down Julia's chest and onto her stomach. She was constantly telling Tim and anyone else who would listen that she needed to lose 20 pounds. And she did, he thought - if she wanted to be on the cover of fashion magazines. As it was, though, she had a little bit of extra padding in all the right places. Her tits were just a little bit bigger, the curves of her sides were just a little bit softer, her hips flared out just a little bit wider, and she filled out a pair of blue jeans just a little bit more snugly. 

He loved every inch of her body. He'd been with women with perfect bodies before, and while he wasn't about to say they didn't turn him on, there was just something more real about Julia's body. The fact that everything he saw was all natural - something about that just did it for him.

He dipped his tongue into her bellybutton for a moment, making her giggle and squirm under his touch. He didn't waste much time getting her dress hiked up onto her hips, though - with the sleeves off her shoulders, there was now just a dark brown heap bunched around her stomach. He didn't even bother removing the black lace panties she wore beneath her dress - he just pulled them to one side and immediately dove between her thighs.

"Holy shit!" Julia exclaimed when his tongue moved immediately to her clit. "Oh my God, Tim, you don't know how bad I miss your tongue when you're gone."

He pushed her legs apart with his hands, gaining more access to her already-dripping-wet pussy until her panties slid back into place. Tim growled at them angrily before moving them out of the way again and re-attaching his lips to her clit. Normally, Tim would take it slow and build her up, but after four days of being in Boston, the only thought on his mind was giving this mind-blowing woman a mind-blowing orgasm as quickly as he possibly could. He licked down over her pussy lips and thrust his tongue as far into her pussy as he could, but he mostly just focused on her clit.

"I told you you could make me cum in three or four minutes," she gasped, "but I didn't think you were actually going to do it."

"I'm impatient today," Tim replied, pulling away from Julia's soaked pussy to say it. As he did, the panties again slid back over her lips.

"Your panties aren't taking orders very well, young lady," he said, reaching for the one object that normally sat on the kitchen island - a set of cutlery. He grabbed a pair of stainless steel scissors from the middle. "I think I need to teach them a lesson."

Julia gasped as the cold metal touched her skin, and moaned as Tim snipped the waistband of her panties, quickly moving them out of the way. He'd done this before - it seemed to be something she really enjoyed, along with the inevitable shopping trip they would make so he could replace the clothes. 

"Oh, you like that, do you?" Tim asked, slapping the side of the scissors against her pussy, making sure not to catch her with a sharp edge or the pointy ends. She just moaned even louder. "Well, I think I can find something even colder."

He set the scissors down and reached behind him to the fridge, pressing the automatic icemaker's lever on the door. A few cubes of ice trickled out, and Tim caught one of them, quickly popping it into his mouth.

"OH, FUCK!" Julia cried out as the ice cube and Tim's hot tongue simultaneously contacted her pulsing clit. "HOLY SHIT, THAT'S HOT!"

"You mean cold?"

"What the fuck ever!"

Tim threw her legs over his shoulders and really went to town, occasionally forcing the rapidly melting ice cube down into her snatch before sucking it back out again. Julia's moaning was now a string of incoherent babbling, something that might have been English when the thought formed in her mind, but not so much when it got out of her mouth.

"I'm not stopping until I make you cum all over this counter and all over my face, Julia," Tim said, making eye contact with her by looking up at her from between her legs. "I'm sure there's more than enough ice in there to do the trick."

Her eyes rolled back in her head as she moaned at his words, and Tim went back to licking all over her crotch. The ice was gone quickly, but it cooled down his tongue and his lips enough to still provide a stark contrast. 

When he switched to rapid-fire flicks of his tongue over Julia's super-sensitive clit, her moaning and wailing climbed up another octave and her fingers tightened their grip in Tim's hair. He knew she wouldn't last much longer now.

"That's it, baby," he said, mostly muffled by her pussy. "Cum on my face."

When he sucked her clit entirely into his mouth, she did just that.

"FUCK!!!!" she shouted, loud enough to alert any lingering boaters to the activities going on in his kitchen. "I'M GONNA CUM, TIM!"

Tim managed a half-smile despite the fact that Julia's pussy was bucking against his face, soaking his nose, lips and chin with her juices. Her entire body was convulsing.

She finally stopped shaking after 15 or 20 seconds, but he didn't let her rest. He started back up with his tongue on her clit as she wriggled underneath him.

"Tim, it's really sensitive after the ice," she said. "I don't know-"

Little did she know, Tim had dropped his workout shorts to the floor while he was eating her pussy the first time. Her lightning-quick orgasm had turned his eight-inch dick into a flagpole, and without warning, he stood up and slammed it deep into Julia's pussy with one quick stroke.

"FUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!" Julia shouted as she sat up and buried her face in the crook of Tim's neck. That took away a little of his leverage, but not enough that he couldn't keep sawing in and out of Julia's cunt. "Jesus, fuck me with that beautiful cock!"

"My pleasure," Tim said, leaning her back slightly now that the initial shock was gone, so he could plunge as deeply inside her as possible. She was still sitting up, but her ass was at the edge of the island, so that Tim could bury himself to the hilt while still standing up straight. Every stroke seemed to go deeper and make her gasp a little louder.

After a few dozen strokes, Julia found the energy to wrap her legs around his waist and pull him inside her even harder. Since Tim didn't need his hands to support himself, he used them to massage Julia's breasts, pinching the nipples roughly and occasionally flicking them.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 01



"I swear, your cock gets bigger every time you go on these road trips."

"Well, I do spend a lot of time with black guys on the road," Tim replied, extracting a smile from Julia's otherwise-concentrated face.

"I've been with a black guy," Julia said. "He didn't have anything on this dick."

"I'm glad you like it."

With that, Tim pulled out of her and flipped her over so that she was laying flat on her stomach across the marble-topped kitchen island. He could see her breasts flattened under her, with a considerable amount of them spilling out from underneath her. The island was only wide enough to support her upper body - her head hung over the opposite side, and her entire lower body stretched out past the near side.

Tim grasped Julia's hips and entered her from behind, causing her to sharply inhale.

"God, your pussy is so fucking tight, baby," Tim said. "I thought you used that big vibrator I bought you for your birthday while I was gone."

"I do," she replied through clenched teeth. "It's apparently not that big."

Tim slapped her ass, and reveled in the loud clap the spanking made. He switched off, smacking her left cheek with his right hand before taking his left hand to her right asscheek. Julia shrieked with every blow, but Tim could feel her pussy growing even wetter around his cock.

Of course, it had been four days since either of them had had a proper orgasm, and neither of them expected this first time back to last very long.

"Oh, shit, Jules," Tim said. "I'm about to cum."

"Cum wherever you want, baby," she replied. Normally, he would pull out and fire his load all over her amazing tits. Tonight, though, he was awfully close to cumming, and if he pulled out now, Julia probably wouldn't get her second orgasm. So, he simply sped up, rapidly pistoning his hips in and out of her slick pussy.

"Oh, yeah," Tim said. "I'm going to cum right where I am."

"You're going to shoot off in my hot, steamy pussy, Tim?" she asked. She knew Tim loved it when she used his name.

"Fuck, yes," Tim said, needing a separate breath for each word. "Almost there."

"Oh, God, this dick feels great," she said. "Fuck me harder, Tim. Pound my pussy like you're never going to fuck again!"

Tim didn't think it was possible, but he sped up even more, and Julia's moans got higher as he did. Before long, he could feel her juices envelop his cock, and that was all it took.

"Cumming!" he shouted.

"Shoot that cum deep inside my pussy, baby!" Julia cried out, her voice cracking due to her own orgasm. For his part, Tim saw stars shoot through his head as he buried himself in her pussy and held on as shot after shot of cum left his dick and fired into Julia. She was babbling incoherently again as her second orgasm subsided, but he was sure it was something designed to make him cum harder. 

Finally, he was done cumming for the moment, and his softening cock slid out of Julia with a soft plopping noise. He stumbled backward and sagged against the refrigerator, still staring at Julia's body splayed out on the island in front of him.

"Don't you dare," she said, laughing.

"What?" Tim asked.

"My clit is so, so sensitive right now," she replied. "I see the way you're looking at me, like you want to come back for seconds."

"And you're complaining?"

"Now, yes," she said. "In about five minutes, I won't be."

Tim smiled to himself. He wanted to pick Julia up, cradle her in his arms and take her up to his bed. He wanted to lie her down in the middle of his blue satin sheets and kiss her until there wasn't a square inch of her body that his lips weren't intimately acquainted with. He wanted to make love to her - the kind of sex where you look into each other's eyes and don't say a word the entire time, because neither of you has to. He wanted to make her cum so hard she passed out, and when she came to, he wanted to be holding her in his arms.

He wanted to.

But he couldn't.

"I'll be upstairs when you're ready for round two," he said. He reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before he took off up the stairs.



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 02



 Note: Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) As I said, this story will go up with one chapter posting daily until it's all uploaded, so don't get too mad about the cliffhangers. Enjoy! 

**********************

"You know, I heard a rumor somewhere.. someone said you were a psychologist."

Tim had been buried in evaluations and player files for more than three hours now, so when he heard J.T.'s voice outside his office at the RBC Center, it came as a welcome break.

"Yeah," Tim said, looking up briefly before getting back to his files. "Someone definitely peddled you some bullshit on that one."

J.T. chose to ignore him. Why should today be different from any other day, Tim thought?

"I mean, I see the degree on your wall," J.T. said, striding into Tim's small-ish office and stopping by the Doctorate in Sports Psychology degree he'd received from N.C. State, which he'd framed and hung on the wall between movie posters from Die Hard and Lethal Weapon 3. J.T. pretended to study it - Tim pretended to listen to him. 

"And I know all these pro and college teams pay you to talk to their players.. convince them that the world isn't really out to get them, just the other team's 6-foot-6, 400-pound defensive tackle. Personally, I'd take the world, but what do I know? You're the one with the degree and the fancy title."

Sometimes, J.T. got to the point. And sometimes, Tim thought, his best friend took the scenic route.

"You got a point in all this, Mr. Drama Queen, or is this your way of warming me up with senseless rambling before the people I'm paid to work with start showing up?"

"You really haven't figured this out yet, have you?" J.T. responded.

"Apparently not, but I'm sure you're going to enlighten me," Tim said.

"Julia's best friend sleeps next to me every night," J.T. said, catching Tim's attention with that. J.T. plopped down into a chair in front of Tim's desk before continuing.

"Now, you and I, we're men," J.T. continued. "We don't really do the gossip thing. Instinctively, we know there are things we're meant to understand - football, beer, James Bond, the Xbox 360, the G-spot. We also know there are things we're not supposed to understand, and when we come across one of these things, we don't bother each other with the details. We simply move on, secure in the knowledge that if it's not related to one of those things I just listed, and we don't understand it... well, it's probably not that important anyway. Am I right?"

Tim grinned. "You certainly seem to think so, and who am I to tell you otherwise?"

"Now," J.T. continued, almost as if his last question was rhetorical. "Women... women are different, my dear Timothy. They have to analyze everything. Anytime something happens that doesn't sit 100% perfectly right in their mind, conference calls are organized, book clubs meet, and long... loooooong... male-bashing sessions occur."

"English, Einstein."

J.T. finally looked up at Tim. "You want Layman's terms? Fine. You can't get past Leira, and you can't stop taking it out on Julia. You don't understand why you do it, neither do I, but we're men. We don't talk about it."

Tim was pretty sure where this was going. He simply waited.

"Last night, you treated Julia like she was some cheap piece of ass you picked up at the campus bookstore, and still, she acts like you're the greatest thing on the planet with a penis and two testicles. She doesn't understand why you do that, and she doesn't understand why she lets you, but she's a woman. Three seconds after she locked your door, she was on the phone with my fiancée."

Tim nodded. "Here's my question, though, J.T.," he began. "Does something exist out there that has a penis but not two testicles?"

"Yes," J.T. said. "His name is Lance Armstrong. You know - really thin mother fucker, usually wears a lot of yellow in France in the summertime, used to bang the shit out of Sheryl Crow. You ask me, that guy should have both nuts, and we should take one of yours away."

Most people don't laugh when someone lands a pretty deep insult. Most people aren't being insulted by J.T. Lancaster, Tim thought. He laughed out loud.

"I would think just having one would make it easier to ride that damned bike though," Tim said. "See? Here you go trying to make the world a better place, and you're gonna fuck up Lance Armstrong's chances of winning the Tour de France next summer."

"Tim - "

"Stay out of it, J.T.," Tim said.

"Just listen, man," J.T. said, but Tim stood up and turned his back on J.T.

"Julia called Sheila. Not you," Tim said. "Julia didn't tell you about it, and neither did I. I believe that officially makes this none of your business."

"Yeah, but we're talking now," J.T. tried.

"It look like I'm in the mood to talk about this?" Tim fired back. J.T. tried a couple of answers out in his head, but apparently none of them fit, because nothing came out of his mouth. Satisfied his friend wasn't going to respond, Tim turned back around and took his seat. He looked down at the files on his desk, but didn't really see them. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence - a rare thing for two people who'd known each other for almost 10 years like Tim and J.T. - J.T. finally stood up.

"We still on to shoot some hoops tonight?"

"5:30 here, right?"

"That's the plan," J.T. said. "What do you have tomorrow?"

"Trip up to Richmond," Tim replied. "The pharmaceutical merger deal. Think it's Sheila's dad's company, but he's not on the manifest."

"Ah, yeah," J.T. said. "It's his company, but he and Sheila's mom are in Acapulco right now. You have to stop somewhere first, right?"

"Yeah," Tim continued. "Start here with four execs, head down to Wilmington to pick up another passenger, then up to R-I-C," he finished, using Richmond International Airport's three-letter FAA identifier. 

"They have pharmaceutical executives in Wilmington?"

"I'm sure they do," Tim replied, "but I'm pretty sure that's not who we're going to get."

J.T. looked the question at Tim.

"One of the executive's girlfriends," he finished. "More to the point, one of the married executives' mistresses."

J.T. smirked. "Nice."

"Yeah," Tim agreed, at least with his voice. "But, if they're paying, I'll fly wherever they want me to. Gonna be up there three days, so we're just dropping them off. Have some other passengers from Richmond that are coming down for the Panthers game, so flying them to Charlotte, then leaving the G5 there for a charter Wednesday morning. I think Steve and Brenda have to take it to New Orleans. Anyway, Max is my co-pilot tomorrow. We'll rent a car and drive back."

Max, Steve and Brenda were three of the 15 or so pilots employed by MHC, Inc., an air charter company started and run by Howard Lancaster, J.T.'s father. Now in his early 60s, Howard was mostly the symbolic head of the company. He was still the official CEO and ran board meetings and such, but J.T. handled day-to-day operations now. Tim worked for MHC on a "when-able" basis - one of the perks of a long friendship with the VP of Operations - but to his credit, he flew for J.T. whenever he could. N.C. State's football team had a bye week this weekend and the Panthers didn't need him until Thursday, so he had a couple of days free. 

Tim's relationship with MHC had proven to be mutually beneficial. MHC handled air travel for North Carolina State sports, the Carolina Panthers NFL team, the Charlotte Bobcats NBA team and the Carolina Hurricanes NHL squad, which were the same four teams Tim worked for. Tim had brought two of those teams into the arrangement, and Howard Lancaster had delivered the other two. Throughout his doctoral studies, Tim worked for the N.C. State athletic department, and he also picked up an internship with the Hurricanes, who played their home games in Raleigh. When he finished his studies, both teams hired him on full-time, and he convinced both N.C. State and the Hurricanes that it would be cheaper to let MHC handle their travel needs. MHC had handled travel for the Bobcats and Panthers, both based in Charlotte, since both teams had come into existence, and when Tim was fully licensed, Howard had introduced Tim to the owners of both teams. It was a pretty convenient relationship, to have the team psychoanalyst also fly the plane. Plus, Tim worked out a discount with all four organizations.

"You know, I still think it's hilarious, the name of your company," Tim said.

"MHC?" J.T. replied

"What it stands for," Tim answered. "I mean, if you'd started it, then the name Mile High Club, Incorporated, wouldn't shock me a bit. In fact, I'd only be shocked that the name didn't come with a XXX-rated logo. But your dad started the company."

"Named it after something he enjoyed," J.T. said. "How do you think I was conceived?"

"Too much information," Tim protested, but they'd had this conversation a few times before. They were both mostly kidding. The work conversation over now, J.T. stood up.

"We still planning on some boating Wednesday?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Tim answered.

"Cool." J.T. walked to the door, but when he got there, he turned back around and faced Tim. Tim had already turned his attention back to his patients' files, but J.T. waited silently for Tim to pull his eyes back up. Eventually, he did.

"She's not going to accept being your fuckbuddy forever, Tim."

Before Tim could respond, J.T. was in the hallway.

********

Jack Daniels has a lot of power. It can make the most hideous girl look like Megan Fox in a bikini. It can make the whitest of white nerds think they could make it on Dancing With The Stars. It can make picking up the phone at 3 a.m. on a weekend and telling your boss' voicemail exactly what you think of him seem like a great idea. 

Despite all that, though, Jack Daniels was never taught how to talk. So Tim thought it was quite odd that he was peering down into his glass of Jack and Coke as if it would provide some sort of answer to any of the questions coursing through his mind.

He was sitting out on the deck in a lounge chair. He'd pulled the cover off the hot tub, and had started it up. He was sure he and Julia would use it later. It was only 8 p.m., and the evening humidity was casting a thick blanket over everything. The sun would go down fully within half an hour, and that would really cool things down.

Despite his lunchtime talk with J.T., Tim was still pissed at himself for what he'd done the night before. Tim knew J.T. wasn't too thrilled with him either - J.T. had been a little more physical than usual with him during their pick-up basketball game, and since he stood 6-foot-3 and weighed close to 250 pounds, he was generally pretty damn physical anyway. Tim had been unable to get Julia and what he'd done off his mind all day, and if J.T. had gotten in his face about it while they were both showering after the game, Tim figured he might have broken down and told his best friend everything. Instead, J.T. had just finalized their plans to do a little boating on Wednesday and headed home.

Even as he'd gone up the stairs last night, leaving Julia splayed out on the island in the middle of his kitchen, he'd known he was being a first-rate asshole - the kind of man he'd promised his mother he'd never be. He had half-expected to hear the front door slamming as Julia left, and he'd have been the last person breathing to blame her. But after about 10 minutes, he'd heard her soft footsteps climbing the stairs. He didn't even want to face her, but he rolled over onto his back and met her eyes as she opened the bedroom door. She'd carefully closed the door, and just stood there. When she spoke, there was steel in her voice that Tim had only heard her use a couple of times before, and never in his direction.

"Don't ever do that to me again."

"I won't." 

She'd simply nodded and then headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He waited 20 minutes, until finally, she'd come back into the bedroom. The shower was still running, and her stunning body was dripping water all over the carpet.

"Are you coming?"

Tim had planned to wait for her to come back, but he quickly joined her in the shower. He hadn't been able to get off again - Julia certainly gave it a game effort on her knees for 15 minutes in the shower, but he was already pretty mad at himself, and he couldn't do it. Eventually, he'd just pulled her to her feet and fucked her to two more orgasms under the hot spray. 

Nearly an hour after she'd come to get him, Julia had begged him to stop. He'd complied, and by the time he'd finished brushing his teeth, she was asleep in his bed. He'd gone down the hall and crashed in one of the guest rooms like he always did when Julia stayed over, and she was still out like a light when he'd woken up for his morning run. When he'd returned, her car was gone. She'd already brewed a pot of coffee and had taken some with her when she left. She'd left a note for him, telling him she'd come by when she got off work.

Still, apparently, she'd been upset enough with what he'd done to call Sheila and tell her all about it. 

Tim was more than ready to continue beating himself up, but he heard the faint sounds of his front door closing downstairs. A few moments later, the glass door connecting the deck to his bedroom opened.

Before he heard or saw Julia, he smelled her perfume. She always wore it - never so much that it overpowered you, but enough that you'd remember her for a while if you were at all attracted to women.

"Sitting all alone with your thoughts tonight?" she asked, taking a seat on the edge of the hot tub.

"And some damn terrible company they make, too," he replied, smiling at her. "You want a drink?"

"I'm good," she said. "I don't need to be drunk to have sex with you. You, on the other hand..." 

She motioned to the glass in his hand.

"Yeah, right," he said. Julia was grinning from ear to ear. "You know better. Just trying to decompress from a long day."

"I think... I might be able to help with that," she said, sliding off the hot tub and walking toward him.

"Yeah?" he replied. "What'd you have in mind?"

"I think it would be easier to show you, don't you?"

He didn't answer; he simply watched as Julia dropped to her knees in front of him, making quick work of his belt and zipper. Less than two minutes after she'd come outside, she had his dick buried in her mouth.

"Jesus, Jules," Tim said. "You do that so well."

"You taught me," she replied, and went back to bobbing up and down on his cock. She was right - when they'd first begun this arrangement, Julia hadn't been very good at blowjobs. She was raised Southern Baptist, and that meant nothing besides strict missionary position, and even then, only after marriage. By the time she got over that, she was in college and had found the one male in America who matched the strict ideals she'd just given up - he wouldn't let her go down on him. Tim always thought he should track down this person and revoke his man card - anyone who turns down a blowjob from a woman as hot as Julia Waters didn't deserve to share a species with Tim.

Anyway, she had stayed with the dumbass throughout the rest of her undergraduate program, and she'd taken a year off of men after that ended. There had been a couple other guys, but by the time she and Tim began hooking up, she still didn't have a lot of experience in the oral department.

Even a year and a half ago, though, what she'd lacked in ability, she more than made up for in enthusiasm. Tim was more than willing to guide her and help her learn what he liked and didn't like, and now that she knew what she was doing, that enthusiasm simply made her one of the best he'd ever been with.

Julia constantly made eye contact with Tim as she systematically moved her mouth up and down on his rod. He grabbed a handful of her dark hair in either hand and simulated fucking her face. In reality, he was controlling the tempo a little bit, but not enough that Julia wouldn't be able to stop if he started thrusting too deep.

There was no such thing as too deep tonight, however. Sometimes, she struggled to take him down her throat, but tonight wasn't one of those times. She was sliding his cock as far back as it would go with relative ease, and Tim knew he was getting close.

"Stop for a sec, babe," Tim said, and started working on her dress even before she started to pull back. It was probably a different brown dress than she'd worn yesterday, but it looked exactly the same. Within 10 seconds, it was laying in a pile underneath Julia's knees, leaving her only wearing a black thong and a matching sheer bra. Nice touch, Tim noted.

As her lips engulfed his dick once more, he reached around to her back and disposed of her bra. After rubbing her back for a minute - something she loved anytime, whether there was sex involved or not - he reached around her arms and grabbed what he could of her breasts, pawing at them and squeezing them.

"You want to fuck my titties, baby?" Julia asked, pulling off his cock.

"I'm pretty sure I've never said no to that," he replied, and with that, his dick was sandwiched between Julia's beautiful C-cup breasts. "Oh, God, your tits feel awesome wrapped around my dick."

"I know," she replied. "You just love feeling your hard dick in between these nice, big, natural titties, don't you?"

Tim groaned a positive response. He hadn't told her much about his past - nothing specifically about Leira - but he had complained several times about women he'd dated that had surgically enhanced themselves, Leira included. Julia knew that of all the things he liked about her body, the fact that all of it was hers was probably his favorite thing, so she used that often when talking dirty.

Julia pressed her tits together, providing a nice deep tunnel to slide Tim's cock in and out of. He couldn't really fuck her tits while sitting down, but she was more than willing to do most of the work. Every so often, she leaned down to take him back in her mouth, lubing him up so he would slide more easily between her breasts.

She was pushing him to the brink again, so Tim pulled her up and turned her to the side. She stood to the right side of the chair and bent over the arm, taking his cock back in her mouth. He pulled her thong to one side and roughly thrust two fingers into her pussy.

"Oh, baby, I'm already so wet, just from sucking this cock," she cried out, but he didn't pay attention - he just kept sawing his fingers in and out of her pussy. She groaned, and the extra vibrations around his dick drove him wild. 

They continued like that for five or 10 more minutes, until Julia had a mini-orgasm and soaked Tim's fingers. 

"You ready to get fucked?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Out here?" she asked, nodding.

"No," Tim said, taking Julia's hand and pulling her inside the house. She thought they were headed toward the bed, but he spun her around and pushed her up against the glass of the huge window. He quickly removed her thong.

"Holy fuck, this window is cold, Tim," she complained.

"I figured," he replied, bending his knees low enough to place the tip of his dick against her lips. "Let's warm it up, shall we?"

Without waiting for a response, he thrust his hips forward, sinking himself into Julia's sopping pussy with one stroke. With his right palm on her back, he pressed her upper body flat against the window as he stroked in and out of her pussy. She had her back arched enough that he could still get a good angle into her pussy, but anyone who was looking would get a nice view of Julia's breasts pressed flat against the glass.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 02



"You like that, baby?" Tim asked. "You like my dick pounding your pussy while your nipples press into the window?"

"Oh, fuck," she replied. "I love it when you take me standing up."

"Your pussy is so damn tight anyway, but this makes it even tighter," he said. 

"Good," Julia replied, "because I'm not going to last too long right now."

"Me either, baby," he fired back. "You damn near made me cum twice outside."

She didn't reply to that, and Tim set to work fucking her as hard and as deeply as he possibly could. His thighs caught fire in this position, since he had to almost crouch to get low enough to hammer up inside her. Just the thought of her erupting all over his cock was enough for him to fight through it, however.

He grabbed a handful of her hair, turning her head to the side and forcefully attacking her lips with his own as he continued to pump his hips. He knew Julia loved it when he did this - looking deep into her eyes, sharing one of those intense soul-searching kisses. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Tim knew exactly why she loved it so much. This heightened state of physical arousal, the naked emotion of that moment right before a shared orgasm - that was the one moment where Tim could admit he felt it, too.

Tim couldn't even feel his legs at this point, but he didn't care. He shifted gears and pistoned his cock in and out of Julia's pussy as rapidly as this awkward position would allow. It was doing something for her, though - she was moaning even as they both fought to keep their lips from pulling apart.

Her groans climbed the pitch scale, and pretty soon, she was whimpering into his mouth. He couldn't remember anything more erotic - ever. Soon, the sporadic whimpers turned into one long torrent of sound; she'd have been screaming at the top of her lungs if their mouths weren't locked together.

Tim felt a sharp stab of pain as Julia bit down hard on his lower lip, but the sudden rush of warmth that engulfed his cock as her orgasm slammed into her tempered the sting a little bit. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he kept fucking up into her. Just a few seconds after Julia's orgasm, Tim growled back into her mouth as he joined her, unleashing a load deep into her pussy that had been building since last night's shower.

It didn't take long for either of them to come down off their matching physical and emotional highs, and the reality of what they'd been doing hit both of them simultaneously. Julia immediately sagged against the window, and the fire that had been burning in Tim's thighs five minutes before suddenly roared back to life, making him wince. Tim didn't want to pull out, and he could tell by looking that Julia didn't want him to either, but gravity was about to have its way, and it was going to be a lot less painful if they weren't connected at the crotch.

Julia had been sweating throughout the brief session against the window, and she began sliding down the slick window in a hurry. Tim jerked himself out of her pussy and reached down to catch her just before she hit the ground, slowly lowering her to the carpet instead. He fell backwards onto his ass next to her.

The way she'd landed, Julia was facing the window and the deck with her back to Tim. She didn't see the way he stared at her gloriously naked body, the way his eyes bored holes through the gentle curve of her hips, the way he mentally licked up and down the back of her arm, across her shoulders and onto her neck. She didn't see when he moved his hand to rub the soft slope of her stomach.

In mid motion, however, his mind flashed back to a similar moment he'd shared in a ski lodge in the Adirondacks a few years back. Then, there had been a sauna on the other side of the sliding glass doors, but the deja vu hit him like the proverbial ton of bricks. Leira's figure was slightly more trim than Julia's, and her hair was long and blonde as opposed to short and dark, but everything else was the same.

His reflection visibly flinched as he quickly snapped his arm back, almost like an invisible flame had torched it somewhere between his body and Julia's, still lying invitingly in front of him. Almost involuntarily, he jumped to his feet. He wasn't about to abandon her again, but the memories were just too much.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked.

"No," she replied, almost so softly that Tim couldn't hear her. "Not right now."

He nodded. "I promise, I will be right back," he said. "My mouth is so dry right now, my tongue is damn near stuck to the roof. Just let me get a drink from the bathroom."

He thought he saw a subtle nod, and he turned to head into the bathroom. He closed the door, turned the spigot on the cold water up as far as it would go, and quickly splashed water on his face. He hoped if he doused himself enough, the water would wash away the image, one of dozens he wished would fade away forever. He was able to take the tiniest bit of comfort in the fact that while he'd noted the differences between Leira's body, laying there in front of him almost four years ago, and Julia's body still laying just 20 feet away, he didn't find Leira any more attractive than Julia. Later, when he wasn't thinking about the past, that recollection would make him very happy. For now, though, he just wanted everything gone.

For good measure, Tim made a quick pass through his mouth with his toothbrush, drank a little bit of water from the faucet - his mouth really was dry - then headed back into the bedroom. Julia was still lying on the floor, though now her head was propped up on her hands as she watched him exit the bathroom.

"Are you OK?" Tim asked, kneeling next to her.

"I'm going to be sore tomorrow," she said.

"Hey, you and me both, hon," he replied, pounding his thighs with both fists for emphasis.

"Tim?" she asked without looking up at him.

"Yeah?"

"We need to talk," she replied. Something happened to Tim's stomach then - an equal mix of adrenaline, butterflies and good, old-fashioned fear was the best way to describe it.

He extended a hand to her and stood up. "Let's go outside."

Julia took his hand and let him do most of the lifting as he pulled her to her feet. She walked through the glass door - they hadn't bothered closing it when they came inside - and Tim followed her up the steps and into the scorching 106-degree water of the hot tub. They usually sat across from each other as they chatted, but this time, she pulled him down into the seat next to her. She'd found a jet and moaned happily as it worked its magic on her taut back muscles.

"You know, I'm pretty good at that," Tim said.

"Really?" she replied. "That wouldn't violate the terms of our friendship?" She pretty much spat out the last word - Tim caught that immediately.

"No," he said. "What's a little back rub between friends?"

"Is that all we are, Tim?" Julia asked. "Still just friends?" She held his eyes for two or three seconds before dropping them back to her lap. 

"Yes," Tim said, trying to remove the hesitation he felt from his voice. "I'm sorry, Julia. Right now, that's all I can do."

"That's all you'll let yourself do," she said, softly enough that she could feign like she didn't intend for him to hear it, even though they both knew she did.

"What?"

"I could see you in the window, Tim," she said. "I saw the way you looked at me just now. I saw your arm move."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tim said, breaking the eye contact Julia had re-established.

"You want to be affectionate," she continued, not even acknowledging his obvious lie. "Sure, you want the sex, but now, you want what comes after it. It was never like that before, but it's been that way for a couple of months now. Why won't you let yourself?"

Tim said nothing. He knew she wasn't going to let it drop, but honestly, he had no response.

"What happened?" she asked. "You were about to touch me, and you pulled your arm back like I bit you. Something made you do that."

Again, he had no response. He hadn't even thought about the glass. He'd seen himself flinch in the window - of course, there was no reason Julia hadn't seen everything as well.

"I know you don't want to talk about it," she said. "And you know I would normally never bug you about it."

She moved over and knelt in front of him in the middle of the hot tub, her chin barely staying above the water.

"Tim," she said, "you know I want to be more than friends with you, right?"

Tim nodded automatically. She'd never said it before, but she'd never had to.

"And I think you want that, too."

Tim didn't respond to that - negatively or positively.

"I'm ready," she said. "Hell, I've been ready for a long time. But something is stopping you from meeting me there. Maybe if you tell me what it is, I can help you deal with it and move on."

Tim wanted to. He had wanted to tell her so many times. Just like he wanted to let her ride home with him from work, and he wanted to hold her and cuddle with her after sex. In the end, those situations were too familiar and too painful. By comparison, talking about what had happened with Leira would blow those out of the water.

"I can't, Julia," he said, and his stomach dropped as he watched disappointment blanket her face.

"You can't, what?" she asked. "You can't talk to me about it, or you can't be more than friends?"

"Both." He didn't look at her when he said it. He heard the water slosh as she moved, but he didn't feel her presence return to his side. Finally, Tim looked up to see her sitting across from him. "Not right now."

"When, Tim?" she asked, sounding flabbergasted. "This has been between us since we met. You've never wanted to talk about it, and you've never wanted to change our relationship. I don't even want to know the when, Tim. At this point, I just want to know if. I want to know if you're ever going to get there."

"I don't know," he replied. 

"Do you want to?" she asked.

Tim tried to say something, but the words wouldn't form. More accurately, the word wouldn't form. It was a simple word - three letters, something he probably said a thousand times a day. But for whatever reason, he couldn't make it 1,001.

"I don't know," he said again. 

She stared back at him for a few seconds, then broke into a wide grin. "You are SO full of shit," she said.

"Umm.. what?" Tim replied. "I mean, I'll grant you the premise and all, but..."

She laughed and stood up, quickly exiting the hot tub while he watched her naked body attentively. Tim had brought two towels out before she'd arrived, and she wrapped one around her waist and the other around her chest, leaving none for him.

"You're so full of shit, the water in there is brown," she said. "I had to get out before it started screwing with my skin tone."

Tim said nothing. She was right, and they both knew it.

"I'll be in the shower when you want to get out," she said, and walked toward the door. Before she got in the house, she turned around. "And, no, Mr. Porn Star Wanna-be, I'm not doing anything in there. I'm way too tender for that, thanks to you. But, I'll be in there when you're ready."

He watched her walk through the door, her perfect ass cheeks bouncing slightly simply from the motion of it. Even with the orgasm he'd just had minutes before, he felt himself get hard.

Had things changed between them with just that little conversation?

Tim didn't know.



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 03



 Note: This is fiction. Sure, most authors, myself included, try to stick to reality as much as possible, but we must take certain liberties. For example, I learned long after developing the concept for this story that a certain statue doesn't actually exist. That statue plays a very prominent role in this chapter. Now, I won't ruin it for you now, but the statue is of one of the most famous men in the history of sports. So, it doesn't actually exist - it damn well should. And this is my story. Voila. Anyhow, if anyone is from the Raleigh, N.C. area, and that factual discrepancy offends you, then... please, just work with me.

Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) As I said, this story will go up with one chapter posting daily until it's all uploaded, so don't get too mad about the cliffhangers. Enjoy! 

**********************

Tim had done this well over 3,000 times. J.T., acting as his co-pilot today, had probably done it more than 5,000 times. Among the passengers on today's charter were three or four other pilots, and all told, everyone on the plane with a pilot's license had probably executed tens of thousands of flawless landings throughout their careers.

Still, Tim never relaxed once the runway came into view, even during the day when he could see the runway easily. This time, he was turning final for an instrument night landing. He could watch the cockpit displays showing the precise track of the plane relative to the runway he'd be on in a few minutes, but that didn't stop him from being nervous.

Like most of the other pilots he knew, Tim was a big believer in one of the oldest overused pilots' phrases: "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, and if the plane is still functioning afterward, it's perfect." However, he'd also developed a healthy respect for Murphy's Law throughout his career in the Marines: "If it can go wrong, it will. If more than one thing can go wrong, they all will, all at once." He felt he could never be too cautious.

J.T. had been peppering him with questions for the past 10 minutes, but he knew to leave Tim alone during this brief period, the time between receiving the landing clearance and actually touching the tires to the tarmac. Tim's breathing became shallow and controlled as the Learjet inched closer and closer to the runway. As he broke out of the low scud, he was intently focused as first the runway displaced threshold disappeared beneath the plane, followed closely by the numbers on the runway.

Tim's exhalation was audible as the wheels touched down. J.T. engaged the reverse thrusters, and the plane slowly crept to a stop after eating up more than a mile of runway.

"Mile High zero-one, welcome to Raleigh-Durham International. Exit runway to the right when able; taxiway delta to the jet port."

Tim complied with the air traffic controller's instructions, easing the plane to the right, off the runway and onto the taxiway. This was a smaller plane, so instead of taxiing toward the main gates, he headed toward the charter buildings. Just like the main gates, though, there were two linemen ready to greet him and help him get the Learjet parked.

"So, really," J.T. said. "This is a big step for you."

"You know, I would glare at you right now if I wasn't focused on these guys," Tim said. "Glaring is much less effective when you're not looking at the person."

"Seriously, man," J.T. said, simply ignoring Tim. "One of her biggest complaints to Sheila is that you never let her ride home with you, even though you're both going to the same place and coming back to the airport in the morning. So, this is big."

Tim ignored his best friend for just a second and got the plane parked. As soon as he shut down the engines, he signaled for the flight attendant, who opened the door and extended the steps.

"We're still not riding back in together tomorrow," Tim said, turning his attention to his co-pilot as the passengers disembarked. "I'm only letting her drive me home because I left my SUV at her place. I'm fairly certain you know this, seeing as you're the reason why."

Three days before, Tim had returned the N.C. State football team to Raleigh after a game in Tallahassee with Florida State. Carlos had indeed fractured a bone in his right forearm, and wearing the proper splint, he'd become the original fumble-free version of himself. The Wolfpack had whipped up on the Seminoles, and the plane ride home was just generally a good time. It certainly had put Tim in a great mood. Julia was off that particular day, and instead of making her drive all the way to his house on the lake, he'd decided to surprise her at her house instead. 

"Speaking of which..." J.T. said, and Tim could only roll his eyes. He wondered how long it would be before J.T. figured it out. "You got back into town Sunday evening. I picked you up over there this morning. You stayed with her almost three whole days?"

"Don't make a big deal out of it."

"It is a big deal, dude," he said. "You don't even like it when she stays overnight, and now you're over there for three days?"

"What can I say, J.T.?" Tim replied. "She just keeps coming back for more. I fucked her Sunday night right into Monday morning. I was ready to leave, but she convinced me to stay. And let me tell you, she can be pretty damn persuasive. She has this thing she does, where she puts ice in her mouth then goes down on me for a minute, then switches to coffee... it's marketable, dude. Anyway, we stayed there all day Monday. Tuesday, we went to work, but she got off first. I went over there and made sure she got off first a few more times."

J.T. was stunned.

"What?" Tim asked.

"Bullshit," J.T. finally said. "Now you're just making shit up so I'll stop asking you about it."

"Maybe I am," Tim said. "Maybe I'm actually telling the truth."

"But you never offer details."

"Yeah, like it was a big fucking secret what we were doing over there all that time, man," Tim said. "And if it will get you off my back, then, hell. What's a little sharing between best friends?"

Tim left the cockpit, descending the steps onto the asphalt. J.T. joined him soon thereafter.

"Tim, you could show me the video and it still wouldn't get me off your back."

"OK," Tim said, shooting his friend a cautious glance. "You're starting to scare me."

"All the shit we've been through together, and NOW I'm starting to scare you?"

Tim laughed and rolled his eyes simultaneously. "You have a point."

"Still, man, you could have asked me to drive you over there," J.T. continued. "It's a big deal."

"You're about to find out how big a deal it is when I call a cab to take me over there and you have to explain to her how I was gonna let her drive me home, but you wouldn't shut up."

J.T. put his hands up in surrender. "OK, OK."

The pair walked silently into the charter terminal. They made their way through the building and into the MHC, Inc. offices. Julia was sitting in one of the chairs, idly flipping through the latest copy of Sports Illustrated.

"I keep telling you she's a keeper, man," J.T. said, pointing at the magazine. "Any woman who reads Sports Illustrated without being forced..."

"What do you mean, without being forced? You don't keep anything in here but that and Aviation Weekly," she answered. She'd already stood up. There was a look on her face that she always had when she met Tim at the airport - like she wanted to run up and jump into his arms. She didn't because she thought he would get mad. Lately, he wasn't so sure.

"True," J.T. said. "Just trying to turn people on to the important things in life."

"Hey, you," she said when Tim reached her. "I just got off work and figured I would drop by to see if you guys were back yet."

"I know," Tim replied. "I talked to Shelby in your office an hour ago."

"Why?" she asked.

"Wanted to see when you'd be off," he answered. "Turns out I'm going to need a ride to your place."

Her eyes lit up. Tim smiled involuntarily.

"J.T. couldn't drive you?"

"Oh, he could have. It's just..." Tim tried to spit it out, but it wasn't coming.

"He'd rather go with you." That was J.T., being ever so helpful while rifling through the mail. Tim glanced over at him, and then looked back at Julia, who was beaming. He raised his eyebrows a bit and then nodded.

"Cool," she said, clearly trying to conceal her happiness. That was one of the things he enjoyed most about having Julia in his life, at any level: it didn't take much to make her happy. Though Tim had always been willing to go the extra mile to make his friends happy, just the tiniest things - like him letting her drive him 10 minutes to her apartment - made her act like it was her birthday.

"You good, bro?" Tim asked, not looking at J.T. but trying not to maintain constant eye contact with Julia, either. He wasn't sure why.

"Yeah," J.T. said. "You're at RBC tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Hoops at noon?"

"Yeah."

"Later."

Tim headed for the door, holding it open for Julia. He spotted her Toyota Camry in the parking lot and headed for it.

"How was Tennessee?"

"Awesome," Tim said. "Of course, everything looks awesome at 5,000 feet."

"I know," she said, smiling at him. "Who were the passengers? And while we're on the subject, why did J.T. have to come kidnap you at five this morning?"

"We were picking up a bunch of J.T.'s dad's friends," Tim said. "Old friends from when he grew up in Nashville. I guess that's the benefit of being rich - anytime you want to see your friends, just scramble up a Learjet and say, 'Go fetch.'"

"OK, but he just planned it this morning?"

"No," Tim said. "Steve was supposed to be J.T.'s co-pilot, but he called in sick. J.T. knew I was at your place."

"Ah, and since he lives a mile away, he just figured he'd come get you in person."

"Honestly, I think he was trying to set this up," Tim said. "He was pretty adamant about letting him drive."

"Hmm.. guess I have to thank him then," she replied.

"Please don't," he answered. "That boy's ego is already threatening to take over Wake County. Don't encourage him."

"If he's going to keep coming up with ideas like this, I'll give him all the encouragement he needs."

Tim was going to respond when his cell phone started ringing. It was 99 Problems by Jay-Z. That could only mean one person. 

"You have wonderful timing, Carlos," he said, sliding into the passenger seat of Julia's car. "And by wonderful, I mean horrible."

"Sorry, Doc," Carlos said. "I need a favor."

"I can't play wingman for you tonight," Tim said. "Really, now that I'm officially employed by the school, I can't do that for you ever again."

"I don't need you to," was the reply. "I need you to play wingman for Pat Kersee. With the cops."

"Kersee got into trouble? What, did he get caught doing homework during normal partying hours?"

"You remember that shit I told you a couple weeks ago, on the plane ride back from Boston?"

"Not particularly."

Carlos repeated their conversation. Tim's eyes just got wider and wider. He noticed Julia watching him from the driver's seat.

"Jesus, man," Tim said. "What are you, some kind of prophet? I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and looked apologetically at Julia.

"We need to make a pit stop first."

She nodded and started the car. Five minutes and one hasty explanation later, Julia's Camry pulled up in front of the main entrance to the RBC Center. There were only two police cars there, but the dual sets of flashing lights served as a beacon, drawing anyone within range to North Carolina State's basketball arena. Tim saw Carlos' blood red Ford Fusion parked 100 feet away from all the commotion, and he motioned Julia to park behind him.

"Wait here, OK?" Tim asked, getting a nod in return. "I'll just be a minute."

He hastily got out of the car and headed over to Carlos, who was sitting on the hood of his own car.

"I spent the whole drive over here hoping like hell you were pulling a prank, Carlos," Tim said.

"Doc, I can't even make this shit up," he said. He was dressed in early American ghetto - a bright orange Charlotte Bobcats' jersey, sagging blue jeans, and enough jewelry to get himself mugged at this time of night.

"You talk to him yet?"

"Yeah, but just for a sec," Carlos replied. "Po-po got real upset when they found out he texted me."

"So, why am I here?"

"One of the cops recognized me when I got here," Carlos said. "Asked Pat if he was on the team, Pat said yeah. They told him to call a coach to come over here. I said I'd handle it."

"What about Tia?"

"That's trickier. They pressed her until she admitted she was a cheerleader. Got someone at the station to look it up, and they called the cheerleaders' coach, or whoever they have that runs them."

"Ah," Tim replied. To say Nicole Clifford would be something less than pleased would be a huge understatement. Captain or not, Tia would be booted off the team, and Tim wouldn't have a chance in hell of keeping this off the head coach's and athletic director's desks. A thought formed very quickly in his mind. He waved to Julia, and when he caught her attention, he beckoned her over. She looked a bit bewildered, but she got out of the car.

"I didn't know you was bringin' your girl, Doc," Carlos said. "I dropped mine off on the way over here to help Pat, but if I'd known we was havin' a party, shit."

"She's not my girl, Carlos," Tim said, mostly amused. "But she is going to help get us out of this mess." Tim waited a second, and then realized what Carlos had just said. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Nah," Carlos said. "I just got one I hit it with more than the others. That's who I was with just now."

Tim and Carlos both watched Julia walk over to Carlos' car. She was still wearing her Southwest dress, but she filled it out well.

"Daamn, Doc," Carlos said, but an elbow to the ribs shut him up.

"Julia Waters, Carlos McDonald," Tim said, making introductions as quickly as possible. Tim pulled the Southwest Airlines pin off Julia's dress and pocketed it. "Carlos, you know who the cheer coach is, right?"

"Fuck, no," he replied. 

"OK, let's try this a different way," Tim said. "Carlos, you've fucked one of the cheerleaders, right?"

Carlos grinned and flashed him a set of perfect pearly whites. No further reply was necessary.

"Good. Call her - any of them, since I'm sure we're dealing with plurals here - and find a way to get a hold of Nicole Clifford. Whatever you need to do, convince her nothing is going on. Just stop her from showing up here."

"On it, Doc," Carlos said, and immediately began working his phone. Julia and Tim made their way toward the cop cars.

"What am I doing here?" she asked.

"Were you ever a cheerleader in college?" Tim answered back with a question.

"Do I look like I was a cheerleader?" Julia replied.

"No," he agreed. "You look much, much better." Julia turned her smile up to high beams as they continued speed walking toward the cops. "Anyway, you're the N.C. State assistant cheerleading coach. Just play along."

She might have put up a fight, but they'd reached the two cop cars. Two of the cops got into the near police car, so Tim and Julia made their way to the other car. Tim spotted a hulking figure leaning against it, with his back to them. About 10 feet away, a drop-dead gorgeous Latina sat on the curb, carefully observing them as they approached.

"Can I help you?" the officer asked. He was short and black - not as well built as Carlos, Tim thought, but he looked about as fast. The nameplate on his uniform said Blue.

"Sure," Tim replied. "I'm Tim Fetters, one of the doctors for the North Carolina State football team. I understand you've detained one of my players?"

"I'm Sergeant Blue. You have some ID?"

Tim pulled out his wallet and handed the officer his driver's license and a business card identifying him as the team psychologist.

"I asked for a coach."

"Yes, I understand that," Tim replied. "Carlos only has three coaches in his cell phone, and he told me he tried to call all three, but none of them answered. I did."

It was a blatant lie, but after a few seconds, the cop bought it.

"Fine," he replied. "Who is this lovely young lady?"

Tim was about to answer for her, but Julia stuck her hand out.

"I'm Julia Waters, one of the cheerleader coaches here," she replied. "We're sorry to have caused you all this trouble."

"Not a problem, ma'am," the officer replied. "How did you both get here so quick?"

Julia took that one as well. "Well, that football player over there didn't know this, but when he called Dr. Fetters here, he called me, as well." She was laying it on thick now, even stepping up her Southern accent for effect. She batted her eyebrows as she jerked her head toward Tim. "Let's try and keep that between us, if you don't mind."

Sergeant Blue eyed Tim now. Some of it was jealousy, but some of it was the classic 'What's he got that I don't?' look, as well.

"Not a problem, ma'am," he said again. He directed them to follow him. As they did, Tim leaned over and whispered the girl's name into Julia's ear, so she could correctly identify her.

"Tia, what the hell happened?" Julia started. Tia looked back at her, clearly trying to figure out who she was. She was dressed in a white sweater and a blue denim skirt. The sweater looked disheveled - clearly, it had been balled up somewhere and just recently thrown back on.

"Why the hell do you care?" Tia replied. Uh, oh, Tim thought. He shot Tia a hard glare before responding.

"Careful, Tia," he said. "You're lucky Ms. Waters here was the one Carlos called and not Ms. Clifford." Tia stared back at him for a second, and he eventually saw the light click on.

"You're right," the girl replied. "Sorry, Ms. Waters."

"Sergeant?" Tim asked when he realized neither Pat nor Tia was going to offer an explanation.

"Apparently, these two couldn't restrain themselves," he said. "We were conducting a routine patrol and happened upon them in a... let's just say... less than appropriate act."

"C'mon, Sergeant," Tim said. "You can level with me. You caught 'em fucking out here?"

Julia laughed. Tia's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Tim looked over at Pat and saw the slightest smirk on his face. For his part, Blue stayed as professional as he could.

"Not exactly," he replied. "Mr. Kersee was leaned up against the statue, and Ms. Lopez was kneeling in front of him. I think you can fill in the blanks."

Tim looked up. Sure enough, there was the statue of Jim Valvano, the legendary North Carolina State basketball coach. Carlos, in his infinite wisdom, had nailed this one, so to speak.

"Yeah, probably," Tim said. "You mind if we talk to them for a minute?"

"As long as you don't mind an audience, go right ahead."

"Pat? Tia? Want to give us an explanation that will stop us from calling Coach Taylor and Ms. Clifford?"

"I'm sorry, Doc," Pat started, finally pulling his weight off the hood of the police car. The car rose up an inch or two. Pat's belt was still unbuckled and his fly was unzipped, but thankfully, nothing was poking out. He also had only a T-shirt on, one that was struggling to keep his large upper body contained. A red N.C. State jacket was lying on the car. "Tia was working out here in the women's weight room. I was working out with the basketball players. We caught each other on the way out, and we got the urge. I didn't think we'd get caught."

"It took us half an hour, you moron," Tia said from the curb. "Of course we were going to get caught."

"Half an hour, Pat?" Tim asked. "I mean, kudos and all, but if you're going to do it in a public place, perhaps a quickie might be the better option?"




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 03



Tia's jaw dropped again, and Tim could tell that even Julia was a little surprised by his question. Pat, though, thought nothing of it.

"Oh, we did that, Doc," he said. "With her? It took five minutes. I mean, she only got off twice, but under the circumstances-"

"PAT!" Tia shouted, throwing her purse at him. It hit him squarely in his right thigh, which made most cinder blocks look ordinary. Pat didn't even notice.

"What? It's the truth," he said.

"I know, but you're all tellin' everybody," she replied.

"Tia?" Julia asked. "If it only took five minutes, why were you still out here for 25 minutes?"

Even in the pale streetlights and the blue police lights, Tim could see the light-skinned Hispanic girl blush.

"Well, I, umm," Tia stammered. Pat jumped in.

"I didn't get off," Pat said. "I told her I could wait till we got to the dorms, but she said no. She went down on me, and... well, they told you the rest."

"For 25 minutes, Tia?" Tim asked.

"It's not my fault," she replied. "He wouldn't cum! I thought I was better at that."

"Oh, you're just fine," Pat said, walking over to the Hispanic girl and sitting down next to her. It looked like a jumbo sack of potatoes had just collapsed onto the sidewalk. "I was just trying to hold out. I could have gotten off right away, but I didn't want to give in that quickly."

"Ya know, Pat," Tim said. "I'm sure 'ol Jimmy V here appreciates the sentiment, OK? But I'm not sure this is quite what he meant by 'Don't ever give up,' all right?"

Julia, Tia, Sergeant Blue and the other officer within earshot burst out laughing. Pat just cracked a huge grin. 

"OK, officers," Tim said. "What's the plan, here?"

The two men looked at each other. 

"Technically, we have to take them downtown and book them," Blue said. "It's indecent exposure."

Tim nodded and pulled the two policemen farther away from the group, leaving Julia with Pat and Tia. He made sure none of the others could hear.

"I'm not going to get in your guys' way if you decide you have to do this, but just hear me out," Tim said, getting nods from both men. "Pat Kersee is a 4.0 student in the electrical engineering program here. Sure, he's got a shot to play pro next year, but he's graduating in December with his Bachelor's degree, five months early. When I first heard he was in trouble, I thought maybe he'd been trapped in the library after hours and set off an alarm or something. Tia Lopez, she's a member of pretty much every college Hispanic leadership committee in the country, and she's one of the top students in our Veterinary Sciences program. They're just a couple of co-eds who couldn't resist temptation. No one else saw them - no one else was hurt here."

Tim saw the two officers exchange a look. The one who hadn't yet said anything - Peterson, according to his nameplate - spoke now.

"I'd just like to know how he managed to hook up with her," Peterson said, making both Sgt. Blue and Tim laugh.

"I hear that," Tim said. "If I were him, I'd be pissed that no one else saw."

"It would just be a lot of extra paperwork for us, anyway," Blue said, and Peterson nodded.

"But Dr. Fetters, you need to make them understand," Peterson said. "They can't be out here doing stuff like that."

Tim stood up straight and spoke to where everyone could hear it.

"I understand, Officer," he said. "We'll deal with this internally, I can promise you that."

The two officers nodded to the cops sitting in the other police car. It drove off a few seconds later.

"Ms. Lopez, Mr. Kersee, we're releasing you into the custody of Dr. Fetters and Ms. Waters here. If we catch you out here again, we'll have no choice but to arrest you. Do you understand?"

Both of them nodded. The two officers got into their car and drove off. As they did, Carlos pulled his Fusion in front of the statue. "It's taken care of," he said. "The cops had to leave a message for the cheer coach, and Christy called her and convinced her it was just a prank call."

"You're dating Christy now?" Tia asked, recognizing the name of one of her fellow cheerleaders.

"Ain't nobody said nothin' 'bout dating," Carlos replied.

"Julia, can you take Tia to the car, please?" Tim interrupted. "I'll be right there." Julia nodded and escorted Tia toward the Camry, still parked 100 feet away.

"Pat," Tim started, and he saw Carlos' eyes follow Julia and Tia across the lot. "I'm not going to mention this to anyone else, ok?"

The big man looked visibly relieved.

"But listen. You almost got yourself arrested, man. I know you didn't mean anything by it, but this would have made the entire team look really, really bad. I'm going to remember this, and if anything happens again, everything comes out. You hear me?"

He nodded. 

"Carlos," Tim said, pulling the running back's attention back to front and center. "Can you take him back to the dorms?"

"No problem, Doc," he said. "Thanks for helping out."

"No worries. Get outta here."

"Sure thing," Carlos said. He started the car again, but before he drove off, he rolled his window down. "Just one thing, first, Doc."

"Shoot."

"Your girl got any sisters?"

Tim grinned. Even at a time like this, Carlos was trying to get laid. There was something about Carlos' expression that made Tim stop for just a second - it wasn't that flirtatious, lecherous grin Carlos usually had when he was on the prowl.

"We don't really have that kind of relationship, man," Tim said. "I'll see you two later."

Tim watched Carlos drive out of the parking lot, and then walked to Julia's car. Of course, he knew Julia had a bunch of brothers and sisters. He'd never met any of them and didn't even know their names. Even if he had, Tim didn't think he'd be doing anybody a favor by hooking them up with Carlos.

When Tim got into the car, he gave Julia directions to the dorms. Tia was in the backseat, and Tim used most of the drive there to give her the same lecture he'd delivered to Pat. Tia was very apologetic, and by the time he was finished, she was on the verge of tears.

"There's no need to cry," he said. "I talked you both out of what could have been a very bad situation. But you're the woman here, Tia. Everyone in this car and in this country knows you have the cooler head when hormones start raging. Next time, get him back home first. Hell, do it inside RBC. I'll give you a key to Coach Taylor's office. Just, don't do it in public, OK?"

Tia giggled. Julia pulled up in front of her dorm, and Tia got out. Through his open window, Tim added one more thing.

"Or, here's an idea. Next time, just make the poor guy cum faster. Then you won't have this problem."

Julia opened her mouth to say something, but Tia turned and headed toward the dorms. Tim was rolling up the window.

"What?" Tim asked, seeing Julia's open mouth.

"I was just going to tell her," she said. "If she needs pointers, I'd be happy to help. You never seem to complain."

"No," he agreed. "Tia, for as hot as she is, and as much as I'm sure she does it for Pat Kersee, is just a girl. You, Ms. Waters, are a woman."

"You calling me old?"

"Oh, hell," Tim said. "You're five years younger than me. You're not old - you just know what you're doing."

"I dunno," she replied, winking at him as she pulled out of the dorm parking lot and back onto the road. "I think you were calling me old. I think I need to prove you wrong."

Tim grinned. "Suit yourself."

*******

Ever since he could remember, Tim had been surrounded by self-assured women. His mother was the head women's soccer coach at Wake Forest from the time Tim turned seven until she retired when he was in his mid-20s. His commanding officer for most of his tour in the Marines was a woman, and she answered to a two-star general who was one of the highest-ranking women in the United States military. The chair of the psychology department at North Carolina State, Paula Ferguson, was one of the most published professors in the world.

Even with all of that, Julia was one of the most secure women he'd ever met. She talked about needing to lose 20 pounds and joked about her curvaceous figure, but unlike most other women who weren't blessed with supermodel looks, she knew she was attractive without having to be reminded. At work, she had no problem dealing with angry passengers, confused employees and overzealous middle managers from corporate headquarters. With the way he'd acted over the past 18 months, Tim knew that a woman with less personal security would have bailed a long time ago. When he let his mind wander there, he realized her sense of self-worth was one of the things he was most attracted to.

That all evaporated into the atmosphere when it came to her apartment. The first time they got together was at Tim's house, and after that, she wouldn't let him come to her place for six or seven months. Really, it had just been within the past couple months that she had started inviting him over occasionally - prior to that, the only times they used her place was when Tim had a late night followed by an early morning and didn't want to drive 30 minutes outside of town.

Tim repeatedly tried to convince Julia that he could care less about where she lived. For one, he'd never really been concerned with financial status or social class. Sure, his family had always had money, but he never felt like that made him better than anyone else. And besides, their relationship was purely sexual -- great sex in a clapboard shack was still great, Tim liked to say, while lousy sex in a mansion was still lousy. 

Julia lived on the third floor of a five-story apartment building in Durham, just up the street from Duke University. Her entire apartment was about as big as Tim's master bedroom and bathroom, which was a sore spot for her. He often told her that his pre-Doctoral apartment, just two miles away from the N.C. State campus, made her apartment look like a luxury suite at the MGM Grand, but it didn't matter. It was still a source of embarrassment for her.

Tim dug the simplicity of the place, though. Julia knew how to use her space - every available square foot was used, but he never felt like she was a packrat. There were some "typical girl" things at her apartment; she had two flowerpots hanging in opposite corners of her living room, there were several romance novels laying on her coffee table, and he was sure her cat was lurking somewhere, scheming up a way to attack Tim when he least expected it. Then again, she had a neon "Open" sign on the wall right next to her front door, and a giant plastic cutout of Steve Smith, one of the Carolina Panthers' receivers, adorned one of her bedroom walls. Tim loved his house because of the view and easy access to water skiing and boating, but Julia's apartment had real-life charm and that "lived-in" quality.

"You handled yourself very well tonight," he said as they entered her apartment. "I appreciate you helping me with that, especially on the fly."

"Hell, you were the impressive one," she said. "I just said two things. You managed to get them out of being arrested."

"I just did my job," he replied. "I'm supposed to look out for the mental well-being of North Carolina State's athletes. I don't think hitting the police blotter would have what you'd call a positive impact on either Pat or Tia's mental health, do you?"

He went into the kitchen and grabbed two Miller Lites out of the fridge. For some reason, he thought, it always went like this. At his house, Julia tended to be the busybody while Tim just collapsed into a chair. At Julia's place, Tim usually got the drinks. Julia just leaned up against the wall, watching him.

"Probably not," she replied, taking a generous swig of beer. "How close were the cops to arresting them?"

"Just watching the two of them, I could tell they found the whole situation more amusing than anything," Tim said. "I don't think they really felt like putting the effort into arresting them. I just said some things that reinforced that idea."

"Well," Julia said, pulling Tim to her. One hand was holding her beer, but she was still making progress on the buttons of his dress shirt with her free hand. "You still could have called their coaches and turned them in. It was a very nice thing to do." 

"I'm sure they thought so," Tim said, running the fingers of his right hand through her dark brown hair. "Yeah, really, the cops were mostly just shocked that someone like Pat could land someone like Tia."

"You heard what they said," Julia said. She finally worked the last button loose and pulled his shirt off his shoulders. "He made her come twice in five minutes. Who cares what the equipment looks like, as long as it still works?"

"Oh, is that right?" he replied. His free hand was now working on Julia's dress, pulling the hem up her legs slowly.

"Yessssssss," she hissed into Tim's ear. "Of course, in your case, I don't have to choose. I get the best of both worlds - the equipment works, but it also looks damn good." She accentuated her point by running her hands across his well-chiseled pecs and tracing the contours of his abs.

"Is that your way of telling me you want to cum twice in five minutes?" Tim asked. He set his beer on the dining table behind him, and did the same with Julia's beer before leaning down to kiss her neck. He dragged his tongue across her collarbone, and when he bit down on her shoulder, she gasped.

"I wouldn't turn it down," she replied. "I will say this: if you can do it, it won't take me 25 minutes to make you cum."

Tim broke into a huge grin and pushed Julia's dress the rest of the way up her thighs, bunching it around her waist. When he moved his fingers to her pussy, he could feel her wetness, even through her panties.

"Somebody's already turned on," Tim said, pulling her panties to the side and immediately jabbing a finger inside her.

"OH, shit!" she said, immediately locking her hands around his neck. "I've been horny all day. You didn't fuck me this morning before you left."

"I didn't, did I?" Tim asked.

"Noooo..." she replied. "I had to go to the bathroom and finger myself twice today."

"Show me," he said, taking her right hand and moving it in between her legs. "I'm going to make you cum twice in the next four minutes now, but you're going to help."

Julia started rubbing her clit while Tim rapidly plunged two fingers into her steamy cunt. She wasn't going to last a whole lot longer, but just to make sure, he leaned forward and caught one of her nipples between his teeth. Even with her dress and bra still covering them, the sensation was strong enough for Julia to let loose with another blue streak.

"FUCK!" she yelled. "I'm gonna cum!"

Tim only increased the pace with his fingers, and he managed to pull back and watch Julia's face as she came on both their hands. He got more than his fair share of memorable views from the cockpit, but for Tim's money, this sight - a beautiful woman cumming because of something he was doing - beat everything.

While his right hand was occupied with her pussy, his left hand had been working at his own zipper. He'd loosened his belt enough to pull his black slacks down around his ankles. As soon as she stopped to take a breath, Tim crouched down, aimed his cock at her pussy and plunged forward.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, fuuuuuuucccckkkk!!!!" Julia cried out, most of it into Tim's shoulder. He figured he had about 90 seconds left to make her cum again. He lifted her right leg off the ground, and after re-locking her fingers behind his neck, she added her left leg, intertwining them around his lower back. Tim supported most of Julia's weight while repeatedly slamming into her pussy, causing the picture frames on the wall to shake. One of them got loose from its hook and crashed to the ground - Tim barely noticed.

His arms were wrapped around her lower back as he held her up, but he freed one of his hands temporarily to lay several light but stinging swats on her bubbly ass. She groaned with every smack, adding something extra to the constant whimpers she was letting loose every time Tim drove into her pussy.

He was quickly running out of time, so Tim resorted to a trick he only used occasionally. He leaned away just enough to establish solid eye contact with Julia, and stared deep into her eyes while he repeatedly slammed his hips forward into her. They exchanged so much with those deep gazes, but it always seemed to grab her emotions and send them hurtling over the edge of a cliff. 

Within five seconds, she was biting her lip. She started babbling incoherently a few moments later, and somewhere around the 30-second mark, he felt a torrent of Julia's juices flooding his cock as she came one more time. She squeaked a little bit, but not much else came out of her open mouth as her second orgasm slammed into her.

Tim usually broke the eye contact once she started cumming, but he couldn't tear his eyes away this time. They stayed locked onto each other throughout her entire orgasm, finally looking away as Julia's body started to sag. He didn't like doing that to her - that kind of deep, soul-searching look could do nothing but give her the wrong idea about how he felt. But for whatever reason, it worked on her every time, so when he absolutely needed her to cum right then and there, it was his go-to trick.

"That's so unfair," she cried as Tim carefully lowered them both to the ground.

"I know."

"You always tell me there's nothing emotional in this for you, then you go and do stupid shit like that," Julia said.

"Hey," Tim replied. "I had a deadline to meet. Normally, I'd have just strung you along for another few minutes until you came from the friction, but I was under strict instructions to make you cum twice in five minutes. Time was running out."

"And that's all it was, huh?"

"Of course," he said. He knew it was bullshit, and he figured Julia probably did, too.

"Right," she said. "Go sit on the couch."

Tim did as he was told and dropped down onto Julia's red loveseat in the living room. She hadn't gotten off the ground yet, but as he settled into the chair, she started crawling toward him.

"Well, you lying sack of shit, you met your deadline, so I guess I have to hold up my end of the bargain," she said. She was grinning enough for Tim to know that she wasn't totally serious, although now he was sure she knew he was lying. 

After what seemed like 10 minutes but probably only took 10 seconds, Julia crawled in between Tim's legs. She didn't waste time on pretense and small talk - she immediately dropped her head to his lap and engulfed his cock with her warm mouth.

"Oh, God, Jules," Tim groaned. "I'll never get used to that feeling; those first few seconds I'm in your mouth are just amazing."

"You like that, do you?" she asked, looking up at him and smiling around his cock.

"You know I do," he replied. "How do you taste?"

"How do I-" she almost finished repeating Tim's question when she finally realized what he meant. He saw her cheeks blush slightly, which just got him harder. She said nothing for a minute; she just continued bobbing her head up and down on his cock.

"I taste pretty damn good actually," she said, pulling him from her mouth ever so briefly. "You hear about how some guys can suck their own dicks - I wonder if it'd be possible to lick my own pussy."

Tim's eyes bugged out of his head, and Julia laughed as she popped his cock back into her mouth. There were about a million replies to his last question, but Tim had fully not expected that one.

"Though, I doubt it," she said a few moments later when she took him out of her mouth and started stroking him. "I'm sure I'm not flexible enough for that."

"Well, it's all about wanting it," Tim said, placing his hands behind her head. "Flexibility, we can work on."




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 03



"Later," she replied, and started licking up and down the length of his cock. She was using one hand to massage his balls and the other was wrapped around the base of his dick. 

For the next 10 minutes, Julia steadily worked his cock with her tongue and her lips, with just the slightest contribution from her teeth. She only stopped once, to take off the dress that was still bunched around her waist. Tim's eyes must have rolled back in his head a dozen times, as she kept finding ways to make something that already felt really damn good even better.

Finally, she started deep-throating Tim, which pushed him right to the edge. Just as he was about to cum, though, she gripped his cock tightly around the base, cutting off the cum from rising up from his balls.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not letting you cum just yet," she replied, grinning.

"I don't think that's how it happened," he answered. "Pat said Tia was doing enough to make him cum, he just wouldn't let himself. She wasn't purposely stopping him."

"So?" she replied back. "You said I'm better at this than Tia."

Tim just groaned as Julia removed her fingers and started sucking again. She'd waited just long enough - he wasn't getting soft, but his orgasm was delayed a few more minutes. He tightened his grip in her hair and moved her up and down on his dick, feeling himself inch closer and closer with every up-and-down movement of Julia's mouth. She really was good at this, Tim thought, and if she wanted to tease him and make it last a little longer, that was fine.

Just a few minutes later, Tim discovered Julia's ulterior motives.

She was rapidly moving her mouth up and down on his cock, occasionally taking him down her throat, and Tim tightened the grip he now had on her shoulders to let her know he was about to cum. Instead of speeding up, or even backing away and using her hands to finish him off as she sometimes did, she pulled off completely. Her hand lightly stroked his dick, just enough to keep him hard, but that was it.

"What's going on?"

"I'm still not letting you cum yet."

"Oh, God," Tim groaned. "C'mon, Julia. Once was bad enough, but you're going to kill me here."

She rocked back on her heels and sat down Indian-style on the floor, still stroking his rock-hard cock.

"Oh, I'll make you cum," she said, a strange gleam in her eye. "You just need to tell me first."

"Tell you what? That I want to cum?" Tim blurted out, exasperated. "Jesus, Julia. You know I want to cum."

"Not that," she replied, half-chuckling. "I want you to say it."

"Say what?" Tim replied. He was starting to get rather annoyed. His dick was still standing at attention, with Julia's tiny hand wrapped around it, not even covering half.

"You know what I'm talking about, Tim," she replied.

Oh, fucking Christ, he thought to himself. "You can't be serious."

"I am serious, Tim," she answered. "I want to be serious. You want to be serious. But you can't get over yourself and admit it, can you?"

"Julia, this is not the time."

"It's never the time, Tim," she answered back. "You just made me cum a few minutes ago with one of the most intense, passionate looks I've ever seen in my life, and yet, you still say it's just about the sex."

Yet another image from the past trickled to the front of Tim's brain. It was of himself, about three years ago, in an apartment much smaller than this one. Then, it was Tim himself sitting Indian-style on the floor, right next to the door, while Leira loomed over him. She'd been standing, trying to leave, and Tim was sitting down, but the similarities were too much. Just as Tim was about to respond, he remembered Leira's words, all too clearly in his mind:

"The sex with us has always been great. But that's all this is about now. Don't you want more than that?"

All at once, Tim's anger shot up to the surface, and his body followed suit, ripping his cock from Julia's grasp as he sprang to his feet. He made a B-line for his shirt and slacks, still crumpled in a pile next to the fallen picture frame by the dining table. Now it was Julia's turn to be confused.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" she asked frantically.

"I guess it isn't even about the sex now," he replied, much too harshly. As he pulled his boxers and slacks up over his now flagging cock, he turned to look at her. The look on her face was pure panic. It tugged on him - it really did. But he was so angry with her right now, he couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry, Tim," she answered. "I didn't mean it. Please, don't go."

"You did mean it," he answered, speaking about as loudly as he could without yelling at her. She was on the verge of tears now. "You wanted something from me. You couldn't get it from me any other way. Here, I thought you were trying to do something for me... and all you wanted was something to make yourself feel better."

"I did want you to cum!" she exclaimed. "I just-"

"I got news for you, Julia," Tim replied. He didn't want to say this next part, but the words came before he could clip them. "The last person who used sex as a weapon with me? I haven't spoken to her in more than three years."

Tim patted his pants to make sure he had his keys and his phone. Without looking back at Julia, he opened the door and slammed it behind him.



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 04



 Note: I warned that there would be a chapter or two with no sex in it, and I don't make empty threats. This is one of them. Don't worry though - there is plenty of heat, so I don't know if you'll even notice the lack of sex. If you're simply reading for a quick stroke, you haven't made it this far anyway. Even still, I promise the next chapter will make up for it.

Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) As I said, this story will go up with one chapter posting daily until it's all uploaded, so don't get too mad about the cliffhangers. Enjoy! 

**********************************

Just as Tim turned the TV on, he wished he hadn't.

"No!" he shouted, as if some microchip in his monstrous plasma TV could hear him and do something about it.

Apparently, the last time he'd been in his second-floor game room, he'd been watching NBC, because Sunday Night Football sprang to life. The Cowboys and the Redskins were playing, and as a casual Cowboys fan, Tim had a mild interest in the outcome of the game. He'd never lived in Texas, but both his parents had grown up within two hours of Dallas. Even when they'd moved to Kentucky and then North Carolina to pursue his mom's coaching career, they always loved the Cowboys and raised both their children to love them, too. Now that he worked for the Panthers, he was a Carolina fan through and through, but he still rooted for the Cowboys when they played anyone besides the Panthers.

Still, he could check the score later.

"No more fucking football today!" he exclaimed, hitting random numbered buttons on the remote until the channel changed. That wasn't something you'd normally hear out of his mouth, but he'd pretty much had his fill of the game over the past two days.

His hectic sports extravaganza weekend actually began on Friday, when he'd ridden on the Hurricanes' team bus to Washington, D.C. for a game against the Capitals - he had begged the coaches to let him fly the team up, but it was some kind of preseason team-building exercise. After six hours in something that was only marginally more comfortable than the big yellow busses from his childhood, Tim no longer wanted to be part of the team.

He had grabbed a seat on an MHC charter from Washington back to Charlotte Friday night, though, because he had to be in Raleigh for N.C. State's big game with North Carolina at noon Saturday. Carlos had again played fumble-free, and the Wolfpack had edged out the Tar Heels by three points. Pat Kersee played an inspired game from his right tackle position, although for whatever reason, he found it hard to maintain eye contact with Tim.

The next day was a Panthers' home game against the Tennessee Titans. NFL games only took three hours - four at the most - but it was an all-day process. He'd driven to Charlotte at 8 a.m. for a 1 p.m. kickoff, and had just barely returned home 30 minutes ago, well past the sun's bedtime.

He hadn't really had much time to even think about Julia. Well, that wasn't true. He'd stormed out of her house Wednesday night and all day Thursday, he hardly thought of anything else. Once Friday began, it had been easier to shift her to the back of his mind while sports occupied center stage, but since he'd left Charlotte for the ride back home, she hadn't left his mind.

Instinctively, he knew it was time to call her. Tim got up off the couch and went to get his phone off the table by the door to the study, but he heard his front door close downstairs. Before he knew it, his heart was doing double-time. Had she finally gotten tired of waiting for him to return her calls and just decided to come out here? He hoped so.

"Dude, where the fuck are you?" 

Tim's chest deflated a little bit as J.T.'s voice echoed through his house.

"Upstairs," he called out. Tim heard him start up the stairs, but the footsteps were too plentiful to belong to just one person. A few seconds later, J.T. opened the door and came into the room, followed by his fiancée, Sheila.

"Wow," J.T. said. "You look like hell."

"Thanks," Tim answered. "That means a lot, coming from you." J.T. plopped down on the couch next to him, and Sheila sat on J.T.'s other side. J.T. was one of three people with a key to his house, and two years later, Tim still didn't know why he had ever agreed to give him one. 

"Dude, why is your TV on the Home Shopping Network?" J.T. asked. Tim looked up for the first time since changing the channel. Sure enough, his best friend was right.

"Looking for something large and blunt I can use to crack you over the head," Tim replied. Sheila laughed heartily.

"Yeah, I guess that's what it would take for you to knock me out," J.T. said, grinning.

"Nah, I think we both know that's not true," Tim said. "Anyway, I just changed channels a bunch to get away from football. This is where it landed."

"Wow, never thought I'd hear that from you," J.T. said. "Our boys looked good today, though, didn't they?"

"Yes," Tim nodded. J.T. and Sheila had been there, in their customary seats on the home 40-yard-line, and they'd definitely seen a show. The Panthers quarterback had thrown for three touchdowns, and Carolina's defense held Tennessee's Pro-Bowl running back to just 37 yards and no touchdowns. Carolina had won 31-10.

"Has she called you yet?" Sheila asked. Tim rolled his eyes.

"Are we really going to talk about this now?" Tim answered, exasperated.

"Yes, we're really going to talk about it now," J.T. said. "If we don't talk about it now, we're never going to talk about it."

"I choose option B," Tim replied, dryly.

"Has she?" That was Sheila again. 

"You know, sometimes, you act like a female version of him," Tim said. "And despite what he says, that wasn't meant as a compliment."

"And by no means am I taking it as one, Tim," Sheila answered. "But seriously, this has gone on long enough."

Sheila had been Julia's best friend for a long time. Tim didn't know how long, exactly, but neither of them ever talked about a time when they didn't know each other, so he assumed it was at least 10 years. Sheila's father was one of the area's top pharmaceutical executives, and J.T. had been the pilot for one of their family trips. He met her just a few weeks after Tim and Leira broke up. About a year after they started dating, Sheila started pressuring Tim to let her introduce him to her best friend, but Tim had refused to give in. Finally, J.T. had popped the question - for reasons Tim still didn't comprehend, Sheila had accepted. Even a year and a half after Leira, Tim was still in no mood to go to any engagement party, but since it was J.T., Tim had grudgingly agreed to make an appearance at the picnic they'd planned. Of course, it was a setup - Tim hadn't been at the park for five minutes when Sheila walked up to him with Julia. The thought actually made him smile a little bit.

"You're her best friend," Tim answered. "You know she's called."

She'd actually tried to call seven times since Wednesday night; twice in the time it took for him to get home from her apartment, and twice more on Thursday. She'd dropped down to one phone call per day the past three days - just enough to leave a voicemail saying she was sorry. Truthfully, he hadn't even listened to the last few voicemails.

"Why won't you talk to her?" Sheila asked.

"She told you what happened, right?" Tim knew she had, and he also knew Sheila had told J.T. Sheila nodded, so Tim continued. "Then, you know that, too."

Neither J.T. nor Sheila said anything, and finally, the silence grew too uncomfortable for Tim.

"C'mon, guys," Tim said. "I'm still pissed about what she did."

"Is that all of it?" J.T. asked.

"That's not even most of it," Tim answered. "Three pro sports teams and a college pay me to have a mastery of the human mind, and I can't even rein in my anger for two fucking minutes? And besides that, it seems like lately, I can't open my mouth in Julia's direction without hurting her."

"Not according to what she says," Sheila answered, the smuggest of grins on her face. Tim couldn't help but laugh - J.T. was damn near ready to fall off the couch.

"Well, I'm glad I get good reviews," Tim answered, "but you know what I meant. Anytime we have a conversation, I say something that upsets her. She doesn't deserve that, Sheila. No one does, but most of all, Julia does not deserve this."

J.T. had made a smart move, bringing Sheila over for this conversation. Tim wasn't in the mood to talk about any of this, and if it had just been J.T., he would have stonewalled till his best friend gave up. Tim was always nice to Sheila, though, and she had a way of getting people to open up.

Of course, now she turned things over to J.T. Great, Tim thought.

"Tim, I've been thinking about this, OK?" J.T. replied. "I know I don't have a Doctorate in sports psychology like you do, and I'm really not the person to talk to for relationship advice - it took me six or seven tries to find a woman I can be with long-term, and even then, I'm pretty sure she wants to kill me most days."

"Not most," Sheila answered. "Just some." Tim couldn't help but grin.

"Yeah, see?" J.T. replied. "Not exactly a ringing endorsement of my male-female relationship comprehension skills. But... you gotta promise me you won't punch me in the face when I say this."

Tim's grin widened. "Now, why in the bloody hell would I make a promise like that? I don't want to give up the right to punch you in the face even if you don't say something that pisses me off."

Sheila laughed. J.T. simply rolled his eyes.

"You're doing pretty much the same thing to Julia that Leira did to you."

Tim's blood pressure went from normal to off-the-charts in about 1.2 seconds. 

"I never agreed not to punch you," Tim replied, as flatly as possible. "I suggest you say something else, right now, because it's becoming a better idea by the second."

"Listen," J.T. said. "You're not pissed because Julia wouldn't let you get off until you told her what she wanted to hear."

"Which, by the way, just happens to be the truth," Sheila added, ever so helpfully. Tim shot the nastiest of glares at her, but Sheila simply smiled and shrugged.

"Now, granted," J.T. said. "What she did wasn't the best way to go about getting it. Sheila told her that, and so did I. I told her a little bit about what happened the last day you were with Leira."

"You WHAT???" To hell with being best friends, Tim thought. This fucker was going down. His fist clenched, but before he could do anything, J.T. smartly got on with it.

"Not much, Tim," J.T. said. "Just that she decided she was going to dump you on a Friday, but still slept with you for two days straight before letting you in on that plan. I thought it was important Julia know that the other night wasn't exactly your first experience with sex not being what you thought it was. And I'm not going to apologize for that, so hit me if you want."

Tim relaxed, if only just a little. It was probably fair that she know that, he reasoned.

"As a general rule, I'm not a fan of using sex as a way of getting anything," J.T. said. "Except more sex, of course. You do it right one time, and she just won't stop coming back for more."

"Oh, Lord," Sheila replied, and Tim couldn't help but smile through his dissipating but still-present anger. "Please don't talk about how great you are in bed. I don't feel like lying right now."

Tim could actually see his best friend grin now. Most people joke about their sexual partners being so loud that someone called the cops. It had actually happened the first time J.T. and Sheila had sex after he proposed to her. Tim had laughed so hard that he offered to pay the $120 fine they'd incurred for disturbing the peace.

"Anyway, I told her that I couldn't blame you for acting the way you did, and that she should have known better," J.T. said. "Which she agreed with, by the way. But, like I said, that's not why you're mad."

"Well then, Sigmund, how about we cut through the shit and get to why I'm mad?"

"Three years ago, Leira told you it was just about sex after nearly two years of letting you believe it was way more than that. You're mad because three years later, you're telling Julia it's all about sex when you know damn well it's not."

J.T. was content to let that hang in the air. He took Tim's almost-full beer from his hand and took a healthy gulp.

"Leira lied to you then," J.T. said. "You're lying to Julia now."

Tim went to reach for his bottle, but J.T. had already raised it to his lips again. Tim just sighed.

"I know we don't talk about things like this much, man, but I know sex was such a powerful thing between you and Leira," J.T. said. "And right when you least expected it, she blew it off and acted like it was just that - good sex. It's a powerful thing between you and Julia now, but you're acting like there's nothing more to it. You know you're lying, and you know you're hurting her."

Tim glared back at his best friend now. Not that he'd admit it with present company, but somewhere in his swirling mind, Tim realized that everything J.T. was saying was true. Still, this was pretty harsh. J.T. saw his look and put a hand up to signal for Tim to wait a second before talking.

"And it's pissing you off, Tim."

Neither of them said anything for a long while. Maybe five or ten minutes - Tim didn't know. The only sounds were Sheila's steady breathing and the clinking of J.T.'s now-empty Miller Lite bottle as it joined several others in the trash can.

"OK, then," Tim said, standing up. "Glad we've had this little chat."

"Tim, you're not Leira," J.T. said, not even looking at Tim when he stood up. "Everyone who knew both of you way back then knows that. Stop fucking acting like it, OK?"

Most people would be shocked at J.T.'s candor, even if he were their best friend. Not Tim. One of the things he liked the most about his best friend was his unrelenting bluntness. He knew how to be subtle when a situation called for it, but he was mostly just really good at calling it like he saw it.

"I'm gonna get sappy and emotional for a minute," J.T. said. "Sue me."

Tim nodded. It had been coming to this for a while. Tim had sat down J.T. for a number of heart-to-hearts like this over the years. It was only fair, Tim supposed, that J.T. got to return the favor at least once.

"I know you, buddy. You've served our country. You stand up for what you believe in. You always do the right thing. There isn't a motherfucker alive who would question your manhood, and if he did, I'd be the first person standing in a long fucking line to shut him up. You gotta be a man now. Handle this shit like you've handled every other situation in your life - the right way. You know what the truth is. You've known it for a while. It's time to get over whatever is stopping you, and be honest. With yourself, and with Julia."

The silence in the air was palpable. J.T. wasn't necessarily waiting for a reply, but Tim finally came up with something.

"You're not going to try to hug me now, are you?" Tim asked, and Sheila burst out laughing, the first sounds she'd made in 20 minutes. J.T. just rolled his eyes.

"You kidding? With Sheila sitting right here? Sorry, dude. Normally I'd take a hug from you anytime, but I happen to have a better option right now."

Tim laughed at the lighter situation, but his mind was focused on what J.T. had just said. He'd known he was being an asshole all along - maybe not quite the colossal asshole he'd been lately, but an asshole nonetheless. Tim had thought he was just protecting himself. He'd never wanted anyone to get hurt.

"You guys here to hang, or did you just come over to deliver that little pep talk?" Tim asked.

"No, we gotta jet," J.T. said. "Something, uh, important to take care of."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Dude, I got like 12 guest bedrooms in this place. I believe you were the one who insisted on adding all these bedrooms I've never been in. I figured it was for just this purpose."

"True," J.T. said. "And don't think I haven't made use of those when you're on the road."

Tim shot a "What the...?" glance at J.T., who just grinned. Sheila turned the color of a stop sign.

"And we'd love to stay this time," J.T. continued, acting as if he'd said nothing out of the ordinary. "But, we don't have our new toy here."

"J.T.!!!" Sheila yelled, half-slapping and half-decking her fiancée. "Shut up! Tim doesn't want to know."

"Yeah, he does," J.T. answered. Tim nodded. Now it was time to make Sheila a little uncomfortable. All is fair, etc., and all that.

"Yeah, I do," Tim concurred. "I'm always up for learning new tricks, and you guys are awfully adventurous. But, in deference to you, I'll wait to hear about it from J.T. tomorrow."

She just buried her face in J.T.'s bicep. "Umm, my cue to leave," J.T. said. "Yep, pretty sure that's what that is."

Tim walked the pair to J.T.'s Porsche, which he only took to Panthers games. J.T. opened Sheila's door, and before he came around to get in himself, he clapped Tim on the shoulder.

"Think about what I said, OK?" Tim only nodded, then watched as his best friend and his future wife tore out of the driveway.

As Tim walked back into the house, he was doing just that - thinking. On one hand, everything J.T. said made sense. Three years was long enough to let an ex-girlfriend dominate his life, even one who was completely mind-blowing like Leira had been. He needed to move on and stop taking what happened out on people who had nothing to do with it - hell, on people who didn't even know what had happened.

At the same time, though, this wasn't the first time he felt like he was ready to push things farther with Julia. He'd been there two or three times, and each time he was ready to tell her, something happened - an image flashed in his mind, or a memory he thought he'd repressed swam back to the surface - that made him stop. He simply couldn't risk getting hurt that way again. Sure, Julia seemed harmless, but so had Leira, and -

"Enough!" he shouted out loud. "Enough of this shit."

He didn't know. He didn't know if he could do it or not. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to move past what happened, and even if he did, he was sure he'd have no idea of what to do or say after that. 

It was all still jumbled, and it would probably stay that way for a very, very long time. Through all of his musings, only one thing made sense. Only one thing really stood out as clear and undeniable:

He had to talk to Julia.

*****************

Tim spent all of Monday morning at the RBC Center. College basketball season was right around the corner, and he had to meet with all the players on both the men and women's teams prior to the year. They'd already started practices, but each coach wanted full psychological evaluations of each player before redshirt decisions were made.

He finished that work around 12:15 p.m., hit the gym at RBC for an hour, and then headed over to the airport some time around 1:30. J.T. hadn't scheduled him to fly today because of his meetings, and although he could probably find something to fly if he flirted with the secretary at MHC enough, he wasn't really looking to leave town. He just wanted to spend some time with the airplanes. Something always needed washing, and though pilots didn't generally have to do that, Tim found it was something he enjoyed. He didn't know the airplanes inside and out, like some pilots and all the mechanics did, but he knew enough about physics to know what they did on a daily basis was truly incredible. On some level, it was a peace offering - maybe if he washed the aircraft and treated them really nice, they wouldn't bail out on him at 30,000 feet over Atlanta.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 04



Later, he checked his watch - 6:30, or a half-hour before he was meeting Julia after she got off work. Tim had finally called her that morning.

"Hi," Julia said, sounding clearly relieved. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," he answered back. "Listen. I love your voice, and as much as I would enjoy listening to it for the next hour or five, I think we'd better have this conversation in person."

"I think so, too," she replied. "I get off work at seven."

"I'll be at the airport this afternoon. I'll meet you there."

And that was that. Tim walked from MHC's office to the main passenger terminal and decided to hit up the Starbucks in the baggage claim area to kill some time before Julia got off work. He ordered a drink for himself and grabbed something for her, too. They were both addicted to coffee, he thought, rather unfortunately.

He sat in the corner of the small café and thought about what he would say to Julia. She'd certainly sounded happy to hear from him this morning, but she had every right to be upset with him. He still felt he had a right to be upset about what she'd done last week, but he should have called her back before today. Had the four days of not returning her phone calls finally made her realize that he wasn't worth it? Was it too late?

He was lost in thought when the short, pretty blonde sat down across from him.

"Hi," she said, offering a hand. "Tim, right?"

Tim turned on the brightest smile he could. She was pretty attractive, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He took her hand and gave it a light shake before nodding.

"I'm Brandi," she replied. "I work with your girlfriend at the Southwest office here."

"Well, Julia's not my girlfriend," Tim said reflexively, noticing how stupid the words sounded coming out of his mouth. He noticed her eyes twinkle as he said it, though. "But we are very good friends. Is there something I can do for you?"

The girl looked doubtful for a moment, which was fine with Tim. He was so very much not in the mood for flirting right now.

"Maybe," she answered. "She's not going to take that job, is she?"

Tim felt his eyebrows furrow as his face narrowed. "What job?"

"Oh!" Brandi said. "She didn't tell you? I'm sorry. It's totally not my place to tell you."

"It's all right," Tim said. He knew Brandi's type. She knew it wasn't her place to tell him - with the right amount of silence, she would anyway. So, Tim simply nodded and sipped on his coffee.

"It's just, she got this job offer," Brandi said. "An assistant VP of Southeastern Operations for Southwest."

"Ah," Tim smiled. "Yes, she did tell me about that." It was a blatant lie, but he wanted to keep her talking. "She didn't tell me where the job would be, though."

"Oh, at our hub down in Miami," she answered. "She flew down there this weekend to interview for it, but everyone here is sure that was just a formality."

"I'm sure it is," he answered. "Why do you think she won't take it?"

"Well, they wanted an answer today, and she hasn't told anyone about it. We only know because one of the pilots stopped in today, while Julia was at lunch, and told us what he'd heard through the grapevine."

People still said that? Tim hadn't heard that particular phrase in ages.

"He heard she'd said no, that she wanted to stay here. But like I said, she hasn't brought it up, and she'd be really pissed if she knew we knew."

Yes, she would, Tim thought. Julia was generally a very open person, but if she didn't want you to know something, she didn't. 

"And what's your interest in all this... Brooke, was it?" Tim asked, as politely as possible. She'd been staring at him pretty intently throughout the conversation, and he was doing all he could to make it clear he wasn't biting. He figured forgetting her name was a good start.

"It's Brandi," she replied. "And, well, I'm the highest-ranking person in the office. After Julia, of course."

"And you wanted to know if you should be expecting a pay raise, what with the holidays coming and all?"

Brandi smiled. "Something like that, yes."

"Well, I can't help you," he said. "I know she was talking to them about the job, but we haven't spoken since she left for the interview. You'll have to ask her yourself."

Brandi didn't look pleased with that idea, but Tim said nothing else. 

"So," Brandi said, turning on the charm now. Tim could almost see her flip the switch from professional to personal. "You and she are just friends, huh?"

"That's right," he replied flatly.

"Well, I get off at eight," she answered. "Do you want to go get a drink?"

Tim smiled. This girl didn't seem all that bad. She wanted a promotion - who didn't? She didn't really start hitting on Tim until he'd told her that her boss was just a friend. So he tried to let her down easy.

"Julia gets off at seven," Tim said. "She and I have some things to talk about tonight, so I'll have to pass. Thank you, though."

She just smiled. "Yeah, I thought that 'good friends' thing was crap."

"Excuse me?" Tim asked. He was rewarded with an even bigger smile.

"Nothing," Brandi replied. "Have a nice evening."

Tim watched her walk out of Starbucks. He shook his head. In another life, maybe. As soon as she was out of sight, his mind slid right back to Julia. A job? A promotion? In Miami? And she was turning it down?

He checked his watch - just five till seven now. He got up, tossed out his empty cup, and took Julia's with him as he headed toward the Southwest office. Brandi was nowhere in sight.

Just as he opened the door, Julia was walking out, and they bumped into each other rather hard. Tim managed not to spill her coffee, but that didn't stop Julia from colliding with the glass outer wall of the office.

"Oh, shit," Tim said. "Are you OK?"

Julia grimaced a little but forced a smile. "I am. It looks like your coffee survived the crash, as well."

"Oh," Tim said. "Um.. actually, it's your coffee." He held it out to her. "Your favorite."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, genuinely excited about something as small as a cup of gourmet coffee. She took a sip, then looked back at him. "Thank you. You didn't have to."

"I'm aware of that, Jules," Tim replied. "You know, not everything I do around you is out of necessity." 

She just grinned. "So?"

"We need to talk," he said.

"I know," she replied. "Your place?"

"Jules, I -"

"Tim, I don't want to talk right here, OK?" she answered back with an interruption of her own. "We'll talk about whatever you want. Just... not here, OK?"

"You're right. My house is fine."

They left the terminal and headed into the parking lot. He started heading for his car, and he noticed she was following him.

"You should probably take your car, Jules," he said, and she almost scowled back.

"Not this again!"

"No," he agreed. "Not this again. I have to leave for Charlotte at four a.m. If you ride with me now, I'll be happy to wake you up at three, so I can drive you back to your apartment before I head south. Or, you can take your car, sleep till whenever, and drive straight to work. Your choice."

Julia chewed on her cheek for a minute. "Oh," she said finally. "Well, that's actually a good reason."

Tim nodded, smiling. He watched her walk to her Camry, parked a few rows away from his SUV, and the lyrics to a popular country song popped into his head:

"We hate to see her go, but love to watch her leave."

Trace Adkins had nailed that one.

Tim hopped into his SUV and mindlessly navigated the long route to his house. His mind was fairly jumbled. A week ago, he'd have gone nuts if she'd turned down a promotion. Now, he was still pretty upset that she'd put her career on hold like this, but, maybe for the first time ever, he was able to admit to himself that the thought of her leaving hurt more than just a little.

He turned on the radio and found some monotonous sports talk show to occupy his brain for the rest of the drive out to his house. He'd deal with Julia and this job offer when he arrived. No use obsessing about it now.

Tim hadn't bothered waiting for Julia in the parking lot at the airport; she'd driven to the lake hundreds of times by now and didn't need to follow him. She wasn't in his rear-view mirror when he hung the left into his drive, so he had a few minutes. He went inside, grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, and waited.

His wait wasn't a long one. Just as he sat down at the table, he heard her Camry rumble up the driveway, the gravel announcing anyone who arrived by a means other than walking. 

Julia opened the door and spotted him immediately, sitting in one of the dining room chairs. She strutted seductively over to him and took a seat right on his lap.

"Howdy, pilot," she drawled, laying on the Southern accent extra thick. "You in town long?"

She started kissing his face, down his neck and across his collarbone. It'd been four days, and he hadn't cum the last time they were together, either, so he was more than ready to go. However, Tim just couldn't do what he'd accused her of - he couldn't fuck her first, knowing there was something very important they needed to discuss.

"Wait," Tim replied, pulling her off his neck. "We don't talk for four days, and you're ready to go at it as soon as you walk in?"

"What can I say?" she replied, grinning seductively. "You just do it for me."

She started back in on his neck, and his hands instinctively moved to her back, rubbing up and down. He was about to move them down to cup her ass through her dress, but he managed to stop and pull away from her kisses.

"Julia, wait a minute."

"Seriously? The last time we were together was Wednesday, and I know I left you with a wicked case of blue balls. You're not ready to throw me down on the nearest flat surface?"

"I wouldn't even need a flat surface," Tim replied, gently sliding Julia off his lap before standing up. "And yes, I know this is a very un-me thing to say, but before we do this - and believe me, I want to - we need to talk."

"Wow," she answered. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Me either," Tim agreed. "But then, I never thought I'd storm out on you like I did the other night." It wasn't the most important topic on Tim's mind at the moment, but it seemed like a good place to start.

"I know," she answered. "J.T. and Sheila both talked to me about it. I know what I did was wrong. It would have been wrong, even if you didn't have reasons to be upset because of what happened in your past. Since you do, that just makes it worse. You needed some time to stop being angry. I could stand here all day and tell you how sorry I am and it wouldn't be enough. So, I just thought I would show you instead."

Tim had moved over to the kitchen bar, so Julia hopped onto the nearest barstool and pulled him back toward her again. Instead of working on his neck and collarbone with her mouth, she pulled his head down to her own neck. She smelled damn good all the time, but at this distance, her scent was almost intoxicating. He couldn't help it - he ran his tongue from the base of her neck all the way up to her left earlobe, gently sucking it between his lips. She let out one of those sounds that was uniquely Julia - a half-gasp, half-moan that sounded like she'd just walked in on something unexpected. Tim felt himself get hard just from that.

He nibbled on her neck and traced the outline of her jaw for a few more seconds while her hands roamed all over his chest and back. Eventually, though, he found the will to back away. It wasn't easy.

"I'm sorry, too," he replied. "I know you're getting impatient with me, and you're waiting for me to tell you what you want to hear. I'm probably driving you up the wall. I wasn't happy with what you did, but I do understand why you did it. I just couldn't comprehend it then."

"I know," she replied, looking down at the ground. That just wouldn't do, Tim said to himself as he lifted her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes again.

"And, I'm sorry I didn't call you," he continued. "I'm sorry I didn't answer any of your calls. In all fairness, I didn't even see the last three calls till late last night."

"It's OK," she answered. "I know you were very, very busy this weekend."

"Yeah," Tim replied, and then pulled away from Julia completely. She looked at him quizzically. "I heard you had a pretty eventful weekend, too."

The confused look vanished as she looked down at the ground again. The new look was.. almost guilty. That was a good thing - Tim thought she'd be upset that he even knew.

"Yeah."

"You turned it down?"

Now the guilty look was gone, replaced by something in the shocked neighborhood.

"How did you-?"

"Doesn't matter," Tim replied. "I know."

She hesitated with her response, so Tim continued.

"First off, why didn't you tell me?" Tim asked. "I know things weren't great last week, but... I would have been really happy for you, Jules. Hell, I am really happy for you. I'm just not sure why you turned them down."

"I did tell you," she answered back. She slid off the barstool - even that was sexy as hell - and started pacing in front of the bar. "At least I tried to. I know you didn't answer my calls, but did you not listen to your voicemail?"

That's why she wasn't angry when he brought it up, Tim thought.

"Wait a second," Julia continued, turning to face him. Her cheeks were starting to flush - not the first time Tim had caused that reaction, but this time he knew it wasn't a good thing. "If you never checked the voicemails I left you, how did you know about the job in the first place? Who have you been talking to?"

Tim wasn't about to sell Julia's co-worker out. Fortunately, he had a somewhat-believable alternative.

"Julia, come on," he answered back. "Between me, J.T. and J.T.'s dad, we know pretty much everyone who has anything to do with things being airborne east of the Mississippi."

She didn't say anything.

"OK, you're right. It's mostly J.T.'s dad. Howard Lancaster knows people who manufacture kites."

Tim thought he detected the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corners of Julia's lips. That was something, at least.

"It doesn't matter how I found out," he continued. "Nor does it matter how I found out you didn't take it. What matters is that you didn't take it. Are you out of your mind?"

Yeah... that smile was nice while it lasted. Her face was doing the cheeks-flushing thing again.

"You would have wanted me to take it?" Her voice was starting to climb up the decibel chart.

"Hell, yes!" Tim answered back with equal fervor. "You're damn right I would have wanted you to take it."

"But..." Julia trailed off. All at once, the anger was pushed to the back. It was still there, yes, but now something else - hurt - was at the forefront. "What... about us?"

"To hell with 'us,' Julia," Tim replied, doing the quotations with his fingers. Her voice may have dropped - his didn't. Julia looked as if he'd just slugged her in the stomach. He could hear her drawing short, clipped breaths.

"What did you say?" she managed to choke out. "To hell with - what did you just say?"

Shit, Tim thought. 

"Aw, hell, Jules," he answered, taking a half-step toward her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. To hell with everything else. This is your career, and this was your shot. Nothing should get in the way of that. Not 'us' -" he did the quotations again - "not anything."

She stood there and stared back at him for a few seconds. Then, she spun on her heels and headed toward the door.

"Julia!" he called out. She stopped just before reaching the door, but didn't turn around to face him. When she spoke, her words were carefully measured, and her voice was almost eerily calm.

"I know you have two jobs that almost anyone would love to have," she said, speaking very slowly. "I know you worked very hard to get them, and you didn't let anything stand in your way."

She turned slightly now, so that he could see the right side of her face, but she still refused to look at him. As she went on, her voice became less controlled and more frantic.

"But not everyone is like you, Tim," she continued. "Sure, my career is important to me, but it's not the most important thing. It's not even in the top two. There are other things I value more than how much money I make, how much responsibility I have or what my business card says."

She made another turn, so now she was facing him completely. Still, she didn't look up from the hole she was burning in Tim's hardwood floors.

"I want more than just a friend who gives me great orgasms, Tim," she said, her voice continuing to move toward hysterical. "I know you've been hurt - God knows you won't ever talk to me about it, but it's pretty fucking obvious. And whoever she was, the dumb bitch obviously did a fucking number on you. But that wasn't me, Tim. Me? I want to get married, and have kids, and grow old with somebody. I don't care about the front yard and the white-picket fence, but I do care about the relationship. I want that, Tim, and somewhere inside that stupid fucking brain of yours, you want that, too."

Uh oh, Tim thought. Julia didn't cuss unless her clothes were off, so this was pretty far beyond not good. She let that hang in the air for a minute. If Tim was going to say something to reassure her, this would be the time.

He didn't. So, Julia kept going, and now, she was yelling.

"I'm not ready to give up on you quite yet," she screamed, "but I'm a lot fucking closer than I was 15 minutes ago. You keep treating me like this - like all you want from me is pussy and blowjobs - and it won't take long for you to get your wish. I'll leave you alone, and I'll take a job somewhere else."

Now she was near tears. Tim wanted to reach out and wrap her up in a huge hug - he would have, too, except he thought she might punch him in the nose.

Julia got right up in his face now, poking him in the chest with every "you" she screamed.

"But you better fucking be careful what you fucking wish for," she shouted. "Because I don't think you'll like me being gone as much as you think you will."

She ended with one final punch to Tim's chest. It hurt, but not as much as what she'd just said. Before Tim could gather up the words to say anything, she was out the door and down the steps.

Tim closed the gap between him and the door in a split-second, and took the stairs three at a time, nearly rolling an ankle twice. He was almost in the driveway by the time she got in her car and closed the door. She started the engine just as he reached her car. She put it in drive and tore out of the driveway, oblivious to the fact that he was right behind the car. Or maybe she wasn't. Either way, gravel flew up and pelted Tim all over his body as he ran after the car. Still, he couldn't catch up, and he could only watch as her taillights disappeared down the highway.

He stood there for a minute at the end of his driveway, trying to catch his breath after the unexpected sprint. He turned around and slowly walked back up the driveway, and was surprised to feel tears welling up in his eyes. He shook his head almost violently, determined not to cry. When he reached the stairs, he took them much more slowly this time. He quickly grabbed his phone off the charger in the kitchen and hit Julia's speed dial. It rang twice then went straight to voicemail. She hadn't turned it off, Tim thought - she just didn't want to talk to him.

Without really thinking, Tim reached for the cutlery set on the kitchen island and swept it off, sending the knives crashing into the wall next to the refrigerator. He was looking for something else to punch, but suddenly he stopped. The tears were coming back.

He looked at the ground, and his first thought was that he was glad he didn't have a dog. All those knives scattered across the floor wouldn't be a good thing.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 04



Tim opened the cupboard above the stove, where he kept all the liquor. He jerked the bottle of Jack Daniels from its resting place and made quick work of the cap, tossing it onto the counter. He looked down into the bottle for a long second - just like before, Jack had nothing to say. He kept staring, and twice, he raised the bottle to his lips only to lower it again. 

Out of the corner of his eye, something glimmered, catching his attention: his car keys. 

There weren't many moments in life where everything suddenly cleared up, but he had one right then.

Within 30 seconds, the whiskey was back in the cupboard, the keys were in his hands, and he was in the driver's seat of his SUV. The knives would have to wait. He was probably already too late.

He'd been headed toward the interstate for five minutes when the phone rang. It was the chorus of Queen's "You're My Best Friend."

"Yeah," Tim answered.

"You in the car?" At a time like this, Tim was thankful for J.T.'s bluntness.

"Yeah," Tim replied.

"You going after her? Or you want to talk it over here first?" 

"Dunno where she is," he said. "I'll be there in 20 minutes."



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 05



 Note: Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) As I said, this story will go up with one chapter posting daily until it's all uploaded, so don't get too mad about the cliffhangers. Enjoy! 

************************

Ever since J.T. had moved in there two years ago, Tim had thought of the three-story luxury townhouse overlooking Duke University in Durham as J.T.'s place, but it really wasn't. The house and those around it were actually owned by Sheila's father, the pharmaceutical executive. Some of the company's younger, married executives used the houses until they could build or purchase larger houses of their own somewhere else. The company also used them as short-term hotels for visiting executives. Tim didn't know the full story, but sometime before Sheila met J.T., she had had a falling out with her mother and left home. Her father was concerned, though, so he convinced her to move into one of the townhouses so she wouldn't split and leave town altogether. 

For his part, J.T. lived with his parents until he was 29, and then he had moved in with Sheila a few months before they got engaged. It wasn't like he mooched off his parents or anything - the first four years after high school were spent at Saint Louis University in Missouri, earning an aviation sciences degree, and the next four were spent flying jets in the Marines. That's when Tim and J.T. met, and after becoming friends, each was stoked to find out they were from the same area. After J.T. returned home, his parents offered to let him stay in an empty floor of their mansion outside Raleigh - between flying and MBA work at Duke he was hardly ever going to be home anyway, so he accepted. 

Like Tim, J.T. had always dreamed of building his own house. He had had many conversations with Sheila over the past three years about what her dream house would look like, and unbeknownst to her, he'd hired a builder and signed off on the project. The house would be finished just a few weeks after their June wedding, which would come a month after Sheila finished her Bachelor's degree at Duke. He figured he would tell her about it as a graduation present, so if there was anything she didn't like or wanted done differently, the construction crew would have about six weeks to make the changes before they moved in after their honeymoon.

For now, that meant staying in this townhouse. As Tim parked his car in their three-car garage, he figured there were worse ways to kill a couple years. It was pretty typical as far as townhouses went - most of the important stuff on the ground floor, a couple of bedrooms upstairs. This one had an extra floor, which J.T. and Sheila had more or less converted into their party floor. That was where the deck was, which provided one of the most breathtaking views of a city Tim had ever seen while still on the ground.

Tim headed up there now, knowing that was most likely where J.T. was hanging out. When he made it up there, J.T. and Sheila were sitting side-by-side in a couple of lay-out deck chairs J.T. had stolen from around his parents' pool. Her head was on his shoulder as they both stared out at the Raleigh-Durham nighttime skyline. Tim simply stood there for a minute in the stairway, watching them. Not for the first time, he silently envied them.

J.T. was truly happy with Sheila, and Tim could think of no one who deserved it more. For all his money, knowledge, job experience and self-confidence, relationships had really been the one place J.T. was never very good. He'd gotten married his sophomore year at SLU, long before Tim ever met him. The girl was the only one in his program who could even hold a candle to him where schoolwork was concerned, and they had so many other things in common that J.T. figured it just had to be right. Of course, to hear him tell it now, she'd slept with about half of the aviation sciences program - male and female - and was working her way through the other half before he found out about it. His father had threatened to cut him off if he didn't force the girl to sign a pre-nuptial agreement before he married her, so at least J.T. had lost nothing but his pride in the divorce. 

After that, though, his friend had had more one-night stands than a Cancun resort at Spring Break. He was just coming out of that phase in the Marines, but he still had a hard time committing to a woman. Most of his actual girlfriends dumped him because of that, and the only one he'd really had long-term feelings about, a fellow officer stuck in Kabul with Tim and J.T., didn't really have any use for marriage or any kind of long-term commitment. 

He'd dated around some when they'd come back home, but he made no secret of the fact that he was extremely jealous of what Tim had with Leira. Toward the end, J.T. had stopped dating altogether, instead choosing to live vicariously through Tim's relationship. Of course, nobody took what happened harder than Tim, but J.T. finished an awfully close second. Sure, they were best friends, but more than that, it was almost like she'd betrayed J.T., too. He'd tried to explain it one night at a bar, when neither Tim nor J.T. was fit to drive or even walk, but he'd given up after about a minute, convincing himself he'd never be able to explain it in a way that Tim would understand.

Standing there watching J.T. and his soon-to-be wife sitting together under the stars, Tim thought he understood it perfectly. Tim had his own life and his own relationship - well, maybe - but he knew he would still take it very hard if things ever went south between J.T. and Sheila.

"You planning on standing there forever, or you gonna come out here?" J.T. called out, not having turned around once. 

"Yeah, I'm coming, man," Tim said, and headed for the deck. It was a little cooler outside, but really, it was a pretty warm night for late October in North Carolina. Of course, there was a blanket of humidity over the entire area that never went away, and that added another five or six degrees to the temperature.

"Hey, Tim," Sheila said, offering him a warm, genuine smile - no simple task considering her best friend had just called her, most likely in tears, and told her what he'd done. A slight breeze fluttered across the deck, whipping a couple loose strands of Sheila's curly red hair all over her face.

"Hey, Sheila," he answered back. "How pissed is she?"

"I've only seen her this way a few times," she replied. "I don't think she's really, truly angry, though. She's very hurt. She didn't know what else to do, so she got really mad at you. Now she's driving around the city aimlessly."

Tim simply nodded. "I figured. That's why I came over here instead of heading to her place." He thrust his hands in his pockets and stared out at the city, not sure what to say or do next. 

"Can you give us a little while, Sheila?" J.T. asked. She nodded and pulled herself out of the chair. 

"I'll be back up in a bit with drinks," she said as she walked back through the open glass door into the main room. 

"What took you so long, man?" J.T. asked.

"Dude, if there had been any cops out, I'd be in jail right now," Tim replied.

"Not what I mean," J.T. answered. "I heard you climbing the stairs, but you stood there for at least three minutes before I said anything."

"Ah," Tim replied, taking Sheila's seat next to J.T. "I was just looking at you two. Wondering what might have been."

"You mean, where would I be if Sheila hadn't decided to go with her parents to the Bahamas that fall?" Tim just nodded. "I think about that all the time, bro. I come up with different outcomes each time, and they all suck."

Tim chuckled. "She's certainly turned your life around."

"I would say you have no idea," J.T. started, "but really, you do. You know all about that."

More nodding. Tim wished he had a beer. Not because he particularly liked the taste of beer, or because he wanted to get drunk, or even because he was thirsty. This just seemed like a lull in the conversation that required sipping on a beer.

"Have you ever thought about that in your life?" J.T. asked.

"What my life would be like without Sheila?" Tim replied, knowing that wasn't what his friend meant. "Well... you'd probably hump my leg a lot." Even at a time like this, he couldn't resist nailing the easy zinger. J.T. slugged him in the left arm.

"What your life would be like now if you were still with Leira," J.T. responded.

"I can't go down that road, man," Tim replied. 

"You don't think about her at all?"

"I didn't say that," Tim answered. "Of course I still think about her. I mean, not every day, but every now and then something happens that just jogs my memory. Like in March, I flew the Bobcats up to Toronto, and the flight plan took us over the Adirondacks. I started thinking about the week we spent up there in that cabin. Or this summer, when you and I went down to Myrtle Beach to play golf with your dad, we drove right past the hotel where she and I stayed the last time we went down there. Just the other night, when Julia was sitting on the floor in front of me... it just brings back memories. I'd get rid of them if I could, but it's no use. Sometimes, they creep in. But anytime my mind starts wandering toward what might've been, I stop myself. Can't go there."

"You're still not over her, are you?" J.T. asked.

"Over her? Sure I am," Tim replied. "I don't miss her. I don't want her back. I wouldn't even think of giving it another try if she suddenly reappeared."

"Then what?" J.T. asked. "Every time you try to move on, something about her snags you. If you say you're over her, then what is it?"

"I am over her," Tim said. "I'm not over what she did to me. I might never be."

J.T. nodded. A few seconds passed, and Tim heard footsteps on the staircase. A few moments later, Sheila emerged on the deck with drinks - a Miller Lite for J.T., and just water for Tim. Tim thanked her as she walked away. J.T. waited until he heard the footsteps on the stairs before he continued.

"Here's what I don't get, man," J.T. said. "You're one of the most resilient people I know. It's been three years since that happened."

"How do you know if I'm resilient?" Tim shot back. "Resiliency means being knocked down and getting back up. When have I ever been knocked down, J.T.? I had the typical American childhood - loving parents, lots of good friends, never worried about money or where the next meal was coming from. Sure, there were tough times in the Marines, but everybody went through those; it was just par for the course. I've never had money troubles, I've never had legal troubles, and I've never had family troubles. Before three years ago, I'd never had woman troubles, either. So, again, how do you know?"

J.T. had nothing, so he said nothing. He just sipped his beer.

"That's why it's taken so long, man," Tim continued. "I'm many things - one of them is naïve. I've always been a very trusting person. You heard country songs all the time growing up, the 'somebody did somebody wrong' type of song, and I always looked at that the way a monk looks at AIDS - that would suck, but it will never happen to me. I never once saw that happen to anyone, and it certainly didn't happen to me. I've always been a good guy. I've treated people with respect, I've always genuinely cared about others more than myself. That was just the way I was raised. I figured there was no way karma would let me get screwed over this way."

J.T. said nothing. He knew it was his turn to shut up and listen. Regardless of his propensity for being extremely talkative, he did know when to keep quiet.

"I know I'm not the first person that ever happened to, J.T. But most people I've met - you included - have a natural distrust for people. They aren't all assholes like you, necessarily, but they have a natural skepticism about others that serves as kind of a cushion. If someone screws them over? Oh well, they kind of expected it. But you knew me long before this ever happened. I was never cynical, I was never jaded or paranoid. So when she did what she did, I never saw it coming, and it hurt that much more."

J.T. just nodded.

"I mean, we both jumped out of way more than our fair share of planes in the Marines, right?" Tim asked, and waited for J.T. to nod. "You jump out with a parachute on your back, and the landing is gonna be a lot smoother than if you don't have a 'chute. Most people, they get shoved out of the airplane, they already have the 'chute strapped on. Me? I was never planning on getting off the plane."

"I know, man," J.T. said. "I told you about what happened to me in St. Louis, bro. You skate through life without a care in the world, convinced you're living the right way and life is loving you for it, and then everything comes apart."

"Yeah," Tim agreed. "But things worked out well for you in the end."

"They certainly have," J.T. said. "I suppose this is where a corny line like, 'You have to go through the rain to get to the rainbow,' would fit."

Tim nodded. "For a long time after we broke up, I wondered why. Why she did it to me, but also, I wondered why life would let something like this happen to me."

"And?" J.T. asked. "You come up with anything?"

Tim nodded. "It had to happen, or I never would have found Julia."

Out of nowhere, he heard it - that tiny little half-gasp, half-moan. The one that sounded like someone had just seen something they never expected.

The same one he'd heard a little less than an hour ago.

Tim and J.T. exchanged glances - J.T. had heard it, too. Neither of them turned to look, even though both of them knew she was there. For his part, Tim knew there were things he needed to say, things he had to vocalize now, or he'd never get them out. He also knew there was no way he could say them to Julia. She'd look into his eyes, give him one of those soul-stealing gazes, and he'd melt inside.

And then, he would run. 

Almost as if in tune with his thoughts, J.T. placed a hand on Tim's wrist. He simply nodded.

"So, I'm guessing that's a good thing?" J.T. said, encouraging Tim to continue as he pulled his arm back.

"You were around me all the time back then," Tim said, choosing not to directly answer the question. "I remember I used the word 'perfect' a lot. She had the perfect body, the perfect personality, the perfect everything."

"I remember, too," J.T. said. "The rest of us knew there were imperfections, man. You just wouldn't hear it."

Again, Tim chose to ignore what his friend had said. He needed to get to the point before he drove himself crazy. 

"And even after everything that happened, I'm not going to sit here and tell you I wasn't in love back then. I know I was. Everything I thought I knew about her, before she dumped me, was great. But as perfect as I thought she was... Julia is so much better."

He hoped she was smiling. After everything he'd put her through, please let her at least be smiling now, Tim thought.

"You always said there wasn't a more perfect female body on the face of the earth than Leira's," J.T. reminded him. Tim could tell he was playing along, asking questions that would allow Tim to give the right answers.

"Yeah, well, I was wrong," Tim replied. "You should have seen Carlos the other night, man, when we had to go bail out Pat Kersee. He saw Julia walking up to the car, and I swear he went right into insta-drool mode."

"And with the female company Carlos generally keeps, that's saying something," J.T. replied.

"It is," Tim agreed. "She's just... so real, man. These girls running around with their store-bought boobs, surgically enhanced noses, botox all over the place... it bugs the hell out of me. Those are bodies by the Nip/Tuck doctors. Julia's body is the one she was born with, for better or for worse, and believe me - it's definitely better. You know I'm not much of a God guy, man, but every time I see Julia Waters naked, I can't help but appreciate the man's craftsmanship."

"Stop it," J.T. said. "You're turning me on."

"Shut the fuck up," Tim replied, slugging J.T. in the arm. There was no fire behind it, but it still probably hurt a little.

"So, you dig her body," J.T. said.

"I do, but... man, it's just way more than that. Leira was a nice person, but she always had this air of being better than other people. She was never a bitch about it, but I could always tell she sort of looked down her nose at people who didn't have as much money as we did. Julia, she's never been rich, so she's never had that feeling of entitlement. But at the same time, she doesn't feel inferior to people just because they have more than she does. She knows she has a ways to go to get where she wants to be, but she's able to be proud of where she is without being ashamed of where she's been. That kind of confidence... sexy doesn't even do it justice. And she's so driven and ambitious - an MBA at age 25 - yet she can relax enough to lay out on a boat in the sun all day."

J.T.'s grin couldn't have gotten any larger.

"I don't have to explain my near-lunacy when I'm watching football on TV, because she goes just as nuts. The woman has a life-size cutout of Steve Smith on her bedroom wall, for crying out loud. Honestly, if I didn't know Steve personally, it'd be a little intimidating to try to have sex in that room with him staring at me."

J.T. laughed a little bit louder than he would have normally. Tim figured it was to cover up an unexpected chuckle from their audience. It was all he could do not to look back into the house, but he wasn't finished.

"Who the fuck have I been fooling, J.T.?" Tim asked after a few moments of silence. "I know you were never fooled. All this time, I've been saying that we're just friends, and that we're free to date whoever we want. It was bullshit, the whole time."

"Have you dated anyone else since you met Julia?" J.T. asked.

"Fuck no, man," Tim replied. "For the first two or three months, I barely even saw Julia. Maybe once or twice a week."

"And after that?" J.T. asked, again setting Tim up for the perfect response.

"After that, I didn't want to see anybody else."

Tim started to wonder if he'd just imagined the noise he'd heard earlier, because there was no sharp intake of breath after his last statement.

"What about her?" J.T. asked.

"Hell if I know," Tim replied. "I know she has male friends that she talks to. Unless they're all blind, I'm sure they hit on her. I'd guess she's been out a time or two. I don't really know. What I do know, man, is that we see each other almost every day. If she's seeing someone else, she's got a future in the circus as a juggler, because I have no idea about it. Not that I'd have a right to complain if she was."

Again, silence. Tim thought he could hear someone breathing behind him, but then, he was really, really trying to hear something - anything.

"She's been so patient with me, throughout all this," Tim continued. "She's been so willing to wait for me to work through this, and I've never even been nice enough to tell her what this is. She gives me the space I need, but she stays around enough to let me know she's not going anywhere. Except now, man... I might have fucked up just a bit too much."

Tim thought she might reveal herself right then, if she was even there, but no one said anything. Tim polished off the rest of his ice water, and then kept going.

"I don't really let myself think about it too often, but when I do... we just fit, man. I thought I knew what perfect was before, but I had no fucking idea. I know Julia has imperfections, but I think they just make her even more perfect for me."




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 05



Tim listened carefully for any reaction - he'd finally gotten out what he needed to say. He didn't hear anything; knowing Julia, she was holding her breath now. 

A burst of wind suddenly gusted across the deck, and it brought with the easily recognizable scent of her perfume. That left no doubt in Tim's mind that she was behind them.

"How long have you known this, bro?" J.T. asked helpfully.

"No idea, man," Tim replied. "Three or four months, at least."

"Three or four months?" J.T. asked, genuinely shocked. Ever since they'd heard Julia's gasp, it was almost as if J.T. and Tim had been reading a script. J.T. knew what his best friend was feeling, and was asking him questions designed to help him get everything out. Apparently, Tim had gone off-script.

"You've known this for three or four months, and we're just now having this conversation?" J.T. reiterated. "Jesus, Tim. I knew you were an idiot, but you might be the dumbest person alive with a Doctorate."

"I know, man."

"You might have lost her tonight, dude," J.T. said. "You know that, don't you?"

"Trust me, J.T.," Tim replied. "I know. I waited five minutes before I left the house, and I had a 25-minute drive over here. I had half an hour to ponder what my life would be like without Julia in it."

J.T. looked at him intently now. Tim imagined Julia was doing the same.

"I came up with a bunch of different outcomes. They all suck."

J.T. grinned now. Finally, he looked over his shoulder, and the look on his face confirmed what Tim already knew.

"You need to tell her all this, Tim," J.T. said.

"He just did."

Tim turned around to see Julia standing just in front of the doorway. Now he knew why she hadn't made any noises in the past few minutes. Tears were streaming down her face, and judging by the dark spots at the top of her dark brown dress, they had been for quite a while.

"Aw, jeez, Jules," Tim said, genuinely upset because she was crying. "Come here."

He could tell she wanted to, but she hesitated. Tim took a step toward her and locked his eyes onto hers.

"Please, Julia," he said. "I've fucked up so many things with us. Let me make it right."

That worked, because Julia closed the small gap between them with speed that would have made Carlos proud, and immediately buried her face in Tim's shoulder.

J.T. picked up his empty beer bottle and turned to head for the doorway.

"I'll take your morning flight," J.T. said. "Take tomorrow off. Stay here as long as you'd like."

Tim nodded. "I'll pick up one of yours next week."

"I figured. You two have a good night," J.T. replied. "Just please, don't break my chairs."

Julia pulled her face away from Tim's body for a second and delivered something that was half-laughter and half-crying. It made Tim want to simultaneously rock her to sleep while promising everything would be ok and bend her over the railing on the deck. J.T. turned off the lights in the main room before disappearing down the stairs.

Tim led Julia to the chair he'd been sitting in and pulled her down on top of him. She was still crying, and Tim was stroking her back and playing with her hair, trying to calm her down.

"It's OK, baby," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, she pulled up and looked him in the eyes.

"Did you mean it? What you just said?"

Just briefly, Tim looked away. He knew answering this question with the truth could lead to some pretty severe consequences, but he was tired of pushing Julia away. He'd been lying to himself for some time now, and now that he knew that's what it was, he simply couldn't anymore.

"Every word, baby," Tim answered. "I can't promise it's going to be easy or that I'm going to be able to change overnight. I just need you..." he trailed off.

"You just need me... to what?" Julia replied.

"Nothing," Tim answered. "I just need you. The rest of it is going to have to work itself out."

Tim could see the waterworks fire up again in Julia's eyes, and though he was generally against Julia crying period, much less being the reason for it, he was willing to make an exception this time.

"Oh, God," she sobbed. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that."

"Probably about as long as it's been the truth."

There were so many things they needed to say, so many topics they needed to discuss. But as Tim tightened his grip around Julia's back and she snuggled up even closer to him on the deck chair, he realized those discussions would have to wait. The emotions of the day - the past week, really - were too much for both of them. Within five minutes, both were sleeping soundly on the deck.

**************************

The first thing Tim felt when he woke up from what felt like hibernation was warmth - incredible, overwhelming, all-encompassing warmth.

The source of his physical warmth was obvious - he looked down to see Julia still sleeping peacefully with her head on his chest. Tim was never going to be a poet, but the recollection of what he'd said earlier made him feel pretty warm on the inside, too. But there was something else there, too, and in his groggy state, it took Tim a few moments to realize what it was:

Rain.

Raindrops on his face had woken Tim up, and they started falling a bit more consistently as he lay there. There was no awning or cover of any kind on the deck, so he and Julia were fair game for whatever the elements wanted to throw at them. Within a minute or two, his hair was soaked, as were his right arm and his right leg. Julia took the brunt of it, since she was covering up his left leg, left arm, and most of his stomach.

He looked down at her again. He couldn't see her face because she'd twisted into a sort of fetal position, with the back of her neck facing him. Her dark hair was getting darker with the rain, and he had to force himself to fight the temptation to run his fingers through it.

It took five or ten seconds for him to realize that he didn't have to fight that temptation anymore, and a smile slowly spread across his face. Still, he was a little tentative as he gently pulled his fingers through her soaked hair. But damn, did it feel right, Tim thought. Before long, he'd moved to her right arm, and was gently stroking her shoulder when she stirred.

She lifted her head slowly and looked Tim straight in the eyes. She seemed to hesitate for a minute before finally croaking out two words.

"Wasn't... dreaming?" They seemed to be two separate thoughts. She looked so helpless curled up on his chest, and the pleading look draped across her face shook Tim to the core.

"No," Tim said, smiling as widely as he could without getting overly cheesy. "You weren't dreaming."

Tim was pretty sure she started crying again right then, but with the rain coming down, he couldn't be positive. Even still, he leaned down to her and did something he'd have never done in the past - he kissed both of Julia's eyelids, trying to scare away any tears if they were there. He followed that with several kisses across her forehead and down both cheeks.

Julia shifted slowly, unfurling herself and laying directly on top of him. The little bit of makeup that had survived her earlier tears was streaking down her cheeks, and several strands of hair were plastered to her face. Still, Tim never remembered her looking more beautiful. He never remembered anyone looking more beautiful.

She crawled up his chest until her face was level with his, and she perched herself on her elbows for a fleeting moment. It was almost as if she was searching his soul herself, to make sure none of what he'd said earlier was a lie.

Julia must have decided he was genuine, because she dipped her mouth down, brushing their lips together before quickly pulling away. A playful smile pulled at the corners of her lips and she dove down again, this time catching his bottom lip between hers and sucking gently before pulling back up. She started down a third time, but he snaked an arm behind her neck and pulled her down, forcing their mouths together as she let out a muffled squeal.

Her brown eyes continued to sparkle as he held her down, thrusting his tongue in and out of her mouth tenderly yet with enough intensity to let her know he was serious. Julia met him with just as much passion, seemingly trying to fuse their tongues together - which was fine with Tim, because he was trying to do the same.

He ran his hands up and down her back, rubbing her body through her damp brown work dress. When his hands reached down and cupped her ass through the dress, she whimpered into his mouth.

They lay like that for ten minutes, just making out on one of J.T.'s lounge chairs sometime after midnight. Tim hated to pull his lips away, but when he did, he trailed kisses all over Julia's forehead, her cheeks, over the bridge of her nose and down to her earlobes. He traced her jaw gently with his tongue and made sure to hit several places on her neck and throat where he knew she was sensitive.

Julia, on the other hand, was content to just lie on top of Tim and enjoy the sensations he was giving her. He'd done this many times before, peppering her head, neck and shoulders with soft, gentle kisses, but this time it felt new to Julia. For the first time, she knew the kisses and caresses and gentle bites were more than just simple foreplay.

Tim dug his head under Julia's chin and dipped his face into the little bit of cleavage he could get to with her dress on. She rested her chin on top of his head and let out not-so-subtle moans whenever he hit a sensitive spot - which was with almost every kiss.

Meanwhile, Tim's cock had wasted no time getting ready for action, getting hard virtually the moment their lips met, and throughout the high-school style make-out session, Julia repeatedly ground her pelvis into his dick. She was creating as much friction as she possibly could through their many layers of clothing. 

A loud clap of thunder shattered their silence, causing them to pull apart for just a moment. A second later, the rain doubled in intensity, soaking any parts of their bodies that had somehow managed to avoid it. Tim sat up in the chair, forcing Julia to do the same. Her feet touched ground on either side of the chair as she straddled his crotch.

The thunder and driving rain did little to temper the mood, though, and within seconds, he gripped the back of her head and pulled her down into another wet, steamy kiss. She started running her fingers up and under his dress shirt, and they broke their embrace just long enough for Tim to pull it and his undershirt off. The two items of clothing landed in a sopping mess a few feet away. 

Tim's hands were working their way as far up Julia's thighs as they could go with her dress in the way. Her nipples, now wet and cold to go along with her arousal, pointed out through her dress and bra like darts, and he couldn't resist the urge to bite down on one of them, causing a shiver to run up and down her spine.

Tim slid the bottom of Julia's now-drenched dress up and over her hips, revealing a pair of red lace panties he'd bought her on one of the rare occasions she had dragged him out shopping. He'd really liked them then - he wasn't so much a fan of them now. He rubbed her pussy through them with the palm of his left hand and roughly kneaded her breasts with his right hand while she licked across his collarbones and down his upper chest, eventually stopping at his nipples. 

Finally, Tim slipped a finger under the red lace and directly into Julia's pussy, which was dripping from more than just the rain. She let out a deep groan and immediately collapsed against his chest, making it tough for him to move the finger in and out. Still, he wiggled it around as best he could. He figured she was having a mini-orgasm just from his finger.

Julia pushed herself off Tim's chest and stared into his face. It didn't take much of that before he quickly stood up, picking Julia up and standing her up next to him. As she kicked off her shoes, he wasted no time removing her dress, relishing the revelation of each new inch of bare skin. Her dress joined his shirts on the ground, and he slid her panties down her shapely legs as she unhooked a matching red bra and added it to the pile.

Their joint actions left Julia completely naked, but Tim still had his pants on. Julia quickly fixed that, dropping to her knees and deftly negotiating his belt buckle despite the driving rainstorm. It took some effort, but she slid Tim's pants and boxer shorts down to his ankles, chuckling slightly as his throbbing cock slapped her lightly on the jaw.

Tim stepped out of his shoes and his clothes, and they stood there with each other for a few moments, ignoring the rain as it washed down all around them. In the back of his mind, Tim recognized that there was something symbolic about this whole thing - just a few hours ago, he'd finally admitted to Julia how he felt. Now, they stood here naked in front of one another under the moon, with the rain wiping clean a slate that was full of mistakes and gargantuan fuck-ups on his part.

He took a second to really look at her. Stray strands of dark hair clung to her cheeks and her forehead. Her makeup was all but washed away now, but her eyes danced around playfully as he took in the sight of her. She had the smile to match, and as his gaze intensified, Julia bit her lip, almost as if she could sense what he was feeling and was matching him every step of the way.

Suddenly, Tim scooped her up and pressed her body into his as he French kissed her. She locked her hands behind his neck and jumped up slightly, wrapping her legs around his lower back. They were in the right position for it, but Tim resisted the urge to settle Julia on top of his cock.

Instead, he walked both of them over to the hot tub, which J.T. kept covered up when it wasn't in use. He sat Julia down on the edge of the bulky brown plastic cover and gently laid her down before leaning into her. All at once, they melted into each other, their tongues and lips becoming virtually inseparable. He wasn't consciously aware of entering Julia, but he could feel his cock being drenched in Julia's hot, sticky warmth. 

Tim was in absolutely no hurry whatsoever, so he took his time. Julia's legs were still locked around his lower back, and he used the leverage he got from having his feet planted on the ground to forcefully drive into her with stroke after stroke. He wasn't going fast enough to make himself cum, but he was certainly pounding her hard enough that a quicker pace would have sent him over the edge.

They never broke their kiss, even while Julia reached and rode through what Tim guessed was her first real orgasm since the week before, when he'd made her cum twice in five minutes, once with his tongue and once with his cock. He'd do his best to give her a few more of those tonight, but he was going to make damn sure she came with him when he was finally ready to explode. 

Throughout her orgasm, Tim continued to saw in and out of her pussy at almost a perfect 45-degree angle, and he saw Julia's eyes roll back in her head each time he bottomed out and drove in as deeply as he could. She might have had another orgasm immediately following the first - then again, it could have just been one really long, low-intensity orgasm. He didn't know, and didn't really care since it looked like she was enjoying it either way.

Julia unlocked her legs and slowly backed away from him, scooting backward on the covered hot tub until she had enough distance between herself and Tim to turn over onto her hands and knees. She looked back at him over her shoulder and winked as she crawled to the far side, right next to the railing at the edge of the balcony. While standing on the ground, the railing was four and a half feet off the ground - not exactly something she could bend over. The hot tub gave her an extra foot and a half though, and he watched as she rested her ample chest on the polished wood posts and thrust her ass back at him.

Tim wasn't sure if the hot tub cover could support both their weights, but he didn't much care. He quickly scrambled on top of the tub and walked on his knees to where his prize awaited him. As much as his cock was screaming at his brain to put it back in her pussy, her ass looked so delicious that he simply couldn't resist the temptation to lean down and have himself a taste. He slowly dragged his tongue from right below her asshole and down over her pussy, spending considerable time on her clit before reversing direction. He darted his tongue around her asshole a couple of times, but didn't spend much time there - they'd experimented with anal sex and ass play a few times, but it always required gentleness and patience. Tim wasn't inclined to show much of either right then.

Apparently, neither was Julia, who whimpered throughout his tongue play, but as soon as he stopped, promptly looked back at him with a pleading look on her face. That was all it took for Tim to square his hips up against Julia's ass and thrust his cock into her pussy from behind.

"FUCK!!" she cried out into the otherwise quiet Durham night, clearly unconcerned about anyone in the neighborhood who might hear. This townhouse was at the back of the group of houses, so there was no one directly across from them. Still, Tim was pretty sure she'd woken up some neighbors with that, but he didn't care. Certainly not enough to stop what he was doing.

He left his right knee on the cover and planted his left foot, giving himself a little bit of leverage. Using that, he increased his speed while randomly slapping either ass cheek. Tim enjoyed watching her ass jiggle ever so slightly each time his hand landed, and Julia's ever-increasing moans just encouraged him.

Pretty soon, Tim fell into a rhythm where his balls were slapping against Julia's clit with every stroke. He looked down to see Julia playing with her left breast with one hand, pinching the nipple coarsely and squeezing as hard as he ever had. He could feel her other hand between their legs, feverishly rubbing her clit and occasionally his cock as he pounded it into her mercilessly.

Tim reached up and grabbed a tuft of Julia's slick hair and used it to pull her head back, increasing his grip on her hip with his other hand. He closed his eyes and turned his head upward as the building sensations continued to wash over him. The rain, falling as hard as it ever had, pelted his face and chest, but he barely noticed.

He looked down and saw the rivulets of water cascading down Julia's back, forming a pool in the middle that routinely rushed down either side and over the edge like a waterfall. He released his grip on her hair to rub his hand up and down her back, and then used the index finger of that hand to tease her asshole.

Besides her exclamation when Tim first entered her from behind, neither of them had spoken in a while, so it surprised him when Julia moaned out, "Tim! I want to cum." 

Tim couldn't help but smile. Julia was as self-confident and in control as any woman he'd ever met, but occasionally she got the urge to be submissive. Most nights, she told him she was going to cum, and he'd pick up the pace to make sure it was a good one. This time, she'd said "I want to cum." That meant she was close but wouldn't get off until he told her to.

Armed with that knowledge, Tim moved his free hand back to her hips, gripped both sides tightly and began pumping in and out of her tight pussy as fast and frantically as he could. He knew she would do her best not to cum until he said to, but under normal circumstances, this pace would hit her like a freight train.

Maybe a minute later, Julia started screaming with her mouth closed, leading to a kind of high-pitched humming. She'd done that once or twice before, and Tim knew that meant she couldn't hold out anymore.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 05



"Cum for me, baby," Tim said. It wasn't so loud that the neighborhood would hear it, but it was loud enough to break through whatever noise Julia was likely hearing in her head. She opened her mouth then, and while it wasn't quite a scream, it was a shout that, if nothing else, probably woke up J.T. and Sheila downstairs.

She started babbling incoherently, as she often did when she had a strong orgasm. Tim thought he could make out his name somewhere in there, but he couldn't be sure. Either way, a few seconds later, the dam broke as Julia's pussy flooded with her juices. The instant liquid heat effect it had on Tim's dick was almost too much to handle, but, for reasons he didn't comprehend, he managed to hold out. Julia would have wanted him to cum, but he knew that wasn't the biggest orgasm she could have, and he wanted to send her back to sleep with a mammoth mind-blower.

He lessened his pace and his grip on her hips as she rode through that orgasm, either her third or fourth as near as Tim could tell. When she was through, her elbows slid off the railing as she collapsed onto the hot tub cover, forcing his dick out of her.

Despite the raging hard-on still waving lewdly in front of his body, Tim scooted off the hot tub and gently pulled Julia by her legs to the edge of the tub. Once she was close enough, he picked her up and carried her back to the chair. The chair was soaked, and the puddles of water were slightly cold on his back as he sat down on it. He arranged Julia into as comfortable a position as he could for both of them while she finished coming down off her high.

"Mmmm," she purred as she nestled her head into his shoulder. "Too long." Tim assumed she meant it had been too long since they'd had sex.

"Tell me about it," he replied. "I still have another few minutes to go."

Julia pulled back and looked at him, her eyes half-wide with a little bit of shock. "You didn't cum?"

"I didn't."

"Why?"

"I want to give you one more, way better than the one you just had," Tim said. "I will cum with you."

The fire that had been in Julia's eyes since she'd woken up was smoldering, but he saw it kick back to life a little bit. She used her tongue to leave a trail of saliva from his elbow, all the way up his arm, across his collarbone, his jaw and his cheek, before she finally reached his mouth. Even after however long they'd been going at it, the kiss was still as passionate as the first.

Temporarily satisfied with the kissing, Julia sat up on Tim's lap and grabbed his cock with her right hand. She squirmed around a little bit before Tim finally felt his cock slip back into her now-soaked pussy.

Shit, she feels so damn good, Tim thought to himself. He wanted to say it out loud, but Julia's eyes had locked on to his own, and they were sharing a look that told her everything she needed to know. She slowly rocked on top of his cock, occasionally lifting herself up with her hands on his chest and settling back down. 

Tim knew this was Julia's favorite position, but it wasn't one they did very often. They didn't do it at all for the first year or so of their arrangement, but Julia had insisted one night, and he'd given in, but told her she had to stay upright, and that she couldn't lean over to lie on top of him. She asked why, but he refused to explain it, instead just asking for her to understand and accept it. Like everything else, she'd done just that.

Of course, Tim knew why. 

Julia was quite the vision in front of him, with the rain finally letting up some and the moonlight clearly visible in the background. Her head was tossed backward slightly, her eyes were closed, and she cupped a breast in either hand as she gradually increased her pace on his dick. Tim knew it wouldn't be the same if he was anybody else, but he also knew that right now, Julia was in her own little world.

He was content to let her stay there for a few minutes, but when she started bouncing wildly up and down, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her right nipple, letting his tongue drag under it as she softly moaned. He did the same to the left nipple, then bent down and dipped his tongue ever so briefly into her belly button. She shivered at that, which made Tim smile.

He would have kept going, but Julia didn't let him. Instead, she placed her hands on his shoulders, gently forcing him to lie back down on the flat chair. He thought she would sit back up, but instead, she stayed there, not lying down but instead, perched over top of him with her hands firmly on his shoulders. Her breasts swung like twin pendulums, just inches away from his tongue, and the intense gaze was back on her face. It was almost as if she'd decided to force the issue to see what Tim would do.

For the moment, Tim did nothing - except slowly start to panic. He was still out of danger for now, but Julia was inching closer and closer to a place he hadn't gone in more than three years.

Sure enough, she slid her hands off his shoulders, replacing them with her forearms, which dropped her a little closer to full contact. She never quit looking at his eyes, and she must have seen something she wasn't comfortable with, because Tim saw her face screw up a little bit. It vanished about as quickly as it got there, though. Tim didn't know what to think.

Finally, she slid her arms off his shoulders altogether, placing them on either side of his head. She was lying flat on top of him now, flexing her pussy muscles around his cock but unable to do a lot more than that. She moved a little to keep the friction, but was more focused on Tim's reaction.

For his part, Tim was convinced his brain was scrambled. He was looking at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but he was seeing someone else. This had been his and Leira's position. She'd lie on top of him, he'd start pistoning his hips upward, and it never took long for her to explode, pissing off the neighbors in the process. They did it nearly every time they had sex, and Tim couldn't think of that without thinking of her.

He was losing it. His mind was flailing, trying to hold on to something. His cock was still hard, but in a few seconds, it wouldn't be. This is exactly what I was afraid of, Tim thought-

"My ass, Tim."

Tim's eyes had gone back to their Marine Corps days, rapidly searching every square inch of the horizon for threats, but now they snapped back to Julia's face. He'd heard the words, but didn't understand.

"Grab my ass, baby," she added.

The haze was still there, but the primal part of Tim's brain - the part that wasn't stupid enough to turn down such a request - did as she asked, cupping a firm cheek in each hand. He squeezed slightly, causing a quiet moan to escape Julia's throat.

"Come back to me," she continued. "It's me. Nobody else."

Holy shit, Tim thought, she's in my mind. She knows exactly what I'm thinking. 

And... she's still here. 

Tim squeezed a little harder, and was rewarded with a louder moan from Julia. She leaned down and showered his face with kisses before pulling back to look at him again.

"Your cock feels so fucking good, Tim," she said. "So damn good."

She wiggled around a little more, keeping up some friction on his cock to keep him hard. God bless her, Tim thought - he had no idea how she stayed wet through that, but he could still feel her juices leaking out and running down his balls. It had been a while, but his hips still remembered how to do this. He started bucking a little bit, grabbing Julia's attention. She locked her eyes back onto his, and her face steeled up. 

"Now," she said, somewhat sternly. "I want you to fuck me. I want you to fuck ME."

Tim didn't dare take his eyes off hers, but his hips sprang into motion. He thrust his cock up into her tight tunnel a few times, and stopped to look at her. The stern glare hadn't lasted long - her smile was widening with every stroke. 

The haze was lifting now. He'd meant everything he said earlier - he was over Leira, he didn't want her back, he needed Julia now, and that was all that mattered. The position had caught him off guard, and he'd had no choice but to go back - for a second. 

But that was the past.

Now, it was time to dazzle Julia. It was time to fuck this woman like he'd never fucked her before - which was saying something.

Tim steeled his spine, and he hoped some of that steel made it into his eyes for Julia's benefit. He wrapped his arms around her lower back and pulled her as tightly to his body as he could without squeezing the oxygen out of her lungs. The look on her face told him she was surprised and she was caught off-guard. But Tim had seen this look before - mostly, she was just fucking turned on.

The rain helped him slide her forward on his chest, and he planted his feet on either side of the chair. He lifted his hips and ass off the chair and started hammering into Julia's pussy as hard as he could. Her eyes just got wider and wider.

Tim tilted his mouth up and caught Julia full on the lips, and she answered back by attacking him with her tongue while hanging on for dear life. He would have kept kissing her right through both of their orgasms, but Julia wasn't having it. She pulled away, their lips making an audible popping noise as the contact was broken. He heard and felt her take a huge gulp of air.

"Breathe, Julia," Tim said, whispering in her ear. "Breathe for me, while I shove this fucking cock into you. Breathe, while I slam my cock into that pretty, tight pussy of yours. I'm fucking you, Julia. And I'm not going to quit until you cum harder than you've ever cum in your fucking life. If it doesn't happen now, I'll keep fucking you. I'll fuck you all night, all day tomorrow, for as long as it takes. I don't care. You're going to pass out from being fucked so hard."

Now it was Tim's turn to babble incoherently. He kept talking, partly because he knew Julia loved dirty talk, and partly because finding the words took a tiny bit of the focus off his impending orgasm. Just like Julia, he hadn't gotten off since early last week. He didn't know if he could hold on much longer - he hoped like hell she was there.

"So, breathe, baby," Tim continued. "And now? CUM, JULIA! CUM ALL OVER MY COCK!" The first part had been a whisper - the second part was Tim's contribution to early-morning noise pollution. He was shouting at the top of his lungs.

Julia was no slouch in the noise department usually, but her strongest orgasms didn't elicit much in the way of vocals. No, when she came really hard, she inflicted pain. He was far enough out of the haze now to realize that Leira had been the same way, without taking a trip back. She bit hard enough to draw blood, and that's exactly what Julia was doing now. The high-pitched humming was back, but she was going Count Dracula on his shoulder. 

"I feel you cumming, Jules," Tim said. "I'm almost-"

The words caught in Tim's throat as his orgasm slammed into him. His hips were thrusting furiously, he couldn't feel his legs, his shoulder was probably bleeding, and he didn't care about any of that. Jet after jet of cum erupted from his cock and deep into Julia's spasming pussy. With each thrust, he felt more weight coming off his shoulders - almost as if he was letting go of the past and the pain right along with this huge load of cum.

Julia never had a cooling down period. Instead, she did exactly what Tim had demanded. She was cumming on his cock, and then she collapsed, even before he was completely finished with his own orgasm. Tim could feel a mixture of his cum and her copious juices flowing out of her pussy and onto his legs. It felt slick, slimy and messy. 

But mostly, it just felt right. Julia lying here with him outside in the middle of the night, with a light drizzle enveloping both of them, after what Tim knew was one of the most important evenings of his life... it just felt right. He couldn't explain it any other way.

He lay there with Julia on his chest for about five minutes, but she showed no signs of waking up. Her chest was still rising and falling, but she wasn't moving, and she wasn't conscious.

Tim somehow slid out from under her, his rapidly deflating cock slipping out of her pussy along the way. He reached down and gathered her up in his arms, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before taking her inside the house, leaving their clothes on the deck.

He walked through the main room and down the hallway to the only guest bedroom on the third floor. He gently lay Julia down on the bed, then pulled the covers out from under her and tucked her in before walking around the other side and crawling in behind her.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt Julia stir. She took his hand, which had been resting lightly on her right hip, and pulled it across her breasts. Tim clutched her left breast and pulled her tightly into his body.

"That was amazing," she said, finally.

"You're amazing," he replied. "And I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said. "You were gone for a second there, but you came back."

"I'm not leaving again," he answered.

"I know," she said, effectively ending that line of conversation, which was just fine with Tim. They lay there quietly in the darkness for another few minutes.

"Do you want me to call them back and accept the job?" Julia asked some minutes later.

"Do you want to?" Tim said, without hesitating.

"No."

"You wouldn't lose me. My best friend owns airplanes. I'd come down once a week."

"I want you every day."

"Me, too," Tim said, and tried to find a way to pull her even closer. "It's your life and your career, Jules. I won't get in your way. You need to do what's best for you. That's what I was trying to say earlier, but it all came out wrong."

"You're what's best for me, Tim," she said, and rolled over in the bed to face him. "Southwest loves me, Tim. There will be other jobs. You can't leave in the middle of a season. I know you don't mind leaving this area, and I'm not tied to it, either. But I'm not leaving without you."

"Okay," Tim replied. He smiled, and she answered back with an even bigger smile.

"How did you find out, by the way?" she asked.

"About what?"

"Miami."

"Oh," Tim said. "One of your co-workers."

"What? Who?"

"Brandi, I think she said her name was," Tim continued. "She saw me at Starbucks in the airport, while I was waiting for you to get off work. She asked me if you were taking the job. I got her to tell me everything while making her think I already knew everything."

"Of course you did," Julia said, chuckling slightly.

"Don't be mad at her," Tim answered. "She just wanted to know if she should be expecting a raise, and she was afraid to ask you."

"It's okay," she replied. 

"It was funny though," Tim said. "I told her we were just friends when she sat down, and when she was finished, she asked me out."

"She what?"

"Calm down, hon," Tim said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I told her I had plans with you. She said something about us being just friends, and how it was bullshit."

Julia laughed.

"Everyone knew," Tim continued. "Even people I don't know knew. Everyone knew but me."

"You knew," she replied. "You just didn't let yourself admit it. You have now."

"I know," Tim said. "But it took a year and a half. All this time, we could have--"

Julia put a finger on Tim's lips and said, "Shh."

"You were worth the wait," she added. "Don't worry about the past. Just focus on the future."

Tim didn't have a reply to that.

"So, were you tempted?" Julia asked.

"To do what?"

"Go out with Brandi."

Hello, loaded question.

"Wait," Tim said. "You're pretty much my girlfriend now, right?"

"I'm not a fan of the 'pretty much' part, but besides that, yeah," she answered. "If you're okay with that."

Tim pondered it for a half-second. He was expecting red flags and warning bells in his mind - he got none.

"More than okay with it," he said. "But now that we're together, you can't ask me what I think about other women."

"We weren't together when she asked you."

"Doesn't matter."

"Oh, shut up, Tim," Julia said. "She's attractive, right?"

"Most men would not kick her out of bed, no," Tim said. "But no, I wasn't tempted. You heard me outside earlier. I haven't wanted anyone else for most of the past year. Certainly not now."

"I believe you," she said. "But... I think she's pretty hot."

Tim's jaw muscles took a vacation. "You what?"

Julia laughed hard. "We're both open-minded, right? Never know what might happen in the future..."

Tim leaned down to kiss her, and they made out for a few more minutes. It lacked some of the intensity of a few minutes prior, but none of the passion.

Julia drifted off to sleep first. Tim wasn't far behind her, but he fell asleep wondering what might lie ahead.



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 06



 Note: Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) As I said, this story will go up with one chapter posting daily until it's all uploaded, so don't get too mad about the cliffhangers. Enjoy! 

*******************************

"Sheila, let me tell you a story," Tim said, hopping off his jet-ski after cutting the engine. Julia stayed on as Tim walked the machine back to shore. "Once upon a time, this dude stayed out in the sun too long and got burnt to a crisp. The next day, he invented sunscreen."

"Oh, fuck you," was Sheila's brilliant reply.

"Or, ya know, not," J.T. said, doing the same with his own jet-ski while his sun-soaked fiancée stayed on board.

"Not a fan of that either," Julia said. "But seriously, Sheila. You're baked, girl."

"Pretty sure I know that," she replied.

"You know, babe," J.T. added, "Tim is right. Not that I won't enjoy rubbing that cold, green gel all over your body later, but I think it would have been more fun to do that with sunscreen before the fact. Plus, you know, with my skills..."

"Look at you," Tim said. "Your fiancée is broiled, and you're still thinking about sex."

"Does that surprise you?" Sheila asked, gingerly hopping off the jet-ski as J.T. loaded it onto a trailer that Tim would later pull forward into the garage. "Besides, that's what you get for asking a pale-skinned redhead with half a zillion freckles to marry you. I burn quicker than a marshmallow in a bonfire."

Tim had his friends and some of the players over for a little get-together. The N.C. State football team had played Wake Forest that morning, with a made-for-ESPN kickoff time of 10 a.m. Of course, the win made the Wolfpack 9-1 and might move them into the top 10 nationally, so Tim didn't guess they'd have to play any more coffee-and-donuts games this season.

More engines died off behind them, and Tim turned around to see five more jet-skis pull up to shore. All the riders were either football players or their girlfriends. Pat Kersee and Tia Lopez were one of the couples. Pat had been out here a few times before, but it never ceased to amaze Tim how a 350-pound lineman could get on a jet-ski without it sinking to the bottom of the lake. If Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein could handle that, Tim reasoned, they could handle Tia's 100-pounds-dripping-wet frame on top of that. 

The jet-ski in front was driven by Carlos, with his passenger being whoever he happened to be banging this week. He'd told Tim her name, but Tim didn't see much point in learning it - the next time he saw this girl again would be the first time he'd seen one of Carlos' hook-ups more than once. All Tim knew was she was hot - pretty much a standard thing for Carlos - and she was a redhead. The last one he'd seen him with was a brunette, and according to some other guys on the team, Carlos had been with a blonde a lot lately, too. Tim could never keep up. 

For his part, Carlos had only scored one touchdown in the 35-10 rout over Wake, but he'd gone over 200 yards for the third time that season and, most importantly, he'd hung onto the football for dear life. After the game, ESPN's crew had called him "One of the most reliable and consistent running backs in all of college football." Coach Taylor had only taken issue with the first two words.

"Damn, J," Carlos said, using the team's nickname for J.T. That's how lazy Americans have gotten, Tim thought - initials are no longer short enough. Everyone just used the first letter. "I know you love you some Red Lobster, man, but I didn't know you loved it enough to have the red lobster brought to the party."

Tim bit his lip - Julia did no such thing, and burst out in laughter. Tim could tell J.T. wanted to laugh, but his best friend knew better.

"You know what?" Sheila said, spinning to face Carlos. A faint smile played on her lips. "I don't even know you, and still, you can bite me."

"Don't I have to crack you open first?" Carlos asked. "Like, with some lobster crackers or something?"

Sheila was still slightly amused, but didn't respond. Instead, she looked at her fiancée.

"Who, exactly, is this?"

"Carlos McDonald," he said, extending his hand. Sheila looked at it but made no move to accept it.

"Charming, I'm sure," she replied, and spun back around to continue her walk to the house.

"I don't think your girl likes me very much, J," Carlos said as he and his 'friend' hopped off their jetski. Tim took it and loaded it onto the trailer as the rest of players followed suit.

"Perhaps if you hadn't insulted her right out of the gate, Carlos," Tim replied.

"Hmm," Carlos answered back. "Yeah, but I can't hit on her, 'cause she's engaged to the dude who flies our plane sometimes. What else is there?"

"Maybe just being nice?" Julia tried.

"Carlos can't do that with women," Tim replied before the player could speak up on his own behalf. "Not without trying to get them into bed."

"That must be tough," Julia answered, laughing heartily.

"That's what it's like bein' me, but I make do," Carlos said, playing along.

Tim and the players finished loading the jetskis onto the trailer, and Tim carefully backed into the garage as everyone headed up into the house. The party was far from over, Tim was sure, but the sun was setting, so it was time to put the $12,000 personal watercrafts away, thereby protecting them from any cases of drunken stupidity that might arise later.

When Tim got back into the house, most of the players were in the basement along with their girlfriends. Julia was not among them, however, so he went to the second floor, to the room he used as his personal gaming space. He found Julia there, along with J.T., Sheila, Carlos, Pat and Tia. Carlos' girlfriend-for-a-day was not in the room.

There were several side conversations going on when Tim sat down next to Julia on one of his black leather couches. Despite his large circle of friends, Tim wasn't much of a social butterfly, so he was content to let everyone else talk while he half-listened. That didn't last long, though. A few moments after he sat down, Carlos slapped Tim on the shoulder to get his attention.

"So, Doc, I have a problem," Carlos said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tim said, smirking. "But I'm not on the clock right now, and even if I was, we'd need to lose the crowd."

"Nah, nah," Carlos replied. "Nothin' like that. Just want to run somethin' by you."

"What's up?"

"You got any brothers or sisters, Doc?"

"A sister," Tim replied. "Why?"

"You loaded, right, Doc?"

Tim grinned. "That was a random question."

Carlos ignored that. "I mean, I know you ain't no Bill Gates or nothin', but you swimmin' in cash, right?"

"I do okay for myself," Tim replied. The list of things team staff didn't discuss with the players was long and distinguished, but salary was right near the top.

"Your sister ever try an' leech off you? Ask you for money?"

Tim couldn't help it - this time, he let out a nice, deep belly laugh. "Mallory works as a script writer for a sitcom in Hollywood, and her husband is one of the country's foremost plastic surgeons. If anyone's asking for money, I'm asking her."

Carlos contemplated that for a second.

"Yeah, ok."

"Why, Carlos?"

"If she wasn't rich, and she tried to leech off you, would you let her?"

"I don't know," Tim said. "It'd depend on the situation, I guess, but she's my sister. She's family. I probably would."

Julia had turned her attention from a conversation she'd been having with Sheila and Tia, and focused on Tim and Carlos' discussion.

"What about you, Julia?" Carlos asked. "You got any brothers or sisters?"

"Yes," she replied. "Why?"

"You Doc's girl, right?" Carlos asked. Julia looked up into Tim's face and made eye contact. They shared a smile before Julia nodded at Carlos. "I figure, Doc ain't gonna date a dumb lady. I want all the advice I can get."

Julia giggled at the "dumb lady" comment. "Well, I'm only really close with a couple of them, but I have six. Why?"

"Any of them still live close?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I have a sister that lives in Durham."

"She ever try to borrow money from you, now that you have a bunch of it?"

"Tim and I are just dating," she answered. "It's his money, not mine."

She paused for a minute, and Carlos was content to wait for a reply. For that matter, so was Tim.

"But, even if it was mine, we're not close enough for her to ask me for money," Julia replied. "And she's doing pretty well for herself."

"Really?" Carlos asked, his interest piqued. "What does she do?"

"Carlos, tap the brakes, buddy," Tim said. "She didn't sign up for an interrogation."

"I'm not tryin' to," Carlos said. "Look, I ain't all that tight with my brothers either, down in Atlanta. But I'm having a great season. I started this year as a fifth- or sixth-round pick. Every time we play, my stock rises. Mel Kiper had me as a low first-rounder or early second, and we still have at least three games left."

Tim started to understand where he was going with this. Julia did too, and beat him to it.

"And people you don't talk to except during the holidays are starting to act like you're their favorite relative?"

Carlos snapped his fingers and pointed at Julia. "Exactly."

"Well, I don't think I can help either," she answered. "Last I knew, about six months ago, Ashley was a lab tech at Durham Memorial. She makes way more than I do at Southwest."

Carlos looked a little confused, but it only lasted for a few seconds.

"So, Doc, whaddya think?"

"About your family?"

"Yeah."

"Do what you have to do. From my work with the Panthers, I'd say it's fairly common, man. You have that kind of coin, people are going to come out of the woodworks. You want to reward the people who have stuck by you and helped you get where you're going to be in a few months? That's cool, and it's the honorable thing to do. If they're people who should have been there for you, but haven't been until now? I'm not saying you cut them out of your life, but you know who your people are, man."

Carlos contemplated that for a few moments.

"I'll tell you what, Carlos. This conversation has gotten too serious for my tastes," Tim said.

"Seriously," Julia answered. "You guys beat Wake this morning! It's supposed to be a party!"

"Come by this week, sometime in the morning, and we can talk more about it if you want," Tim replied.

"I think I'll do that," Carlos said. They bumped fists. "Thanks, Doc."

Carlos jumped into a conversation with Pat and J.T., and Julia relaxed her body into Tim's. He snaked his right arm around her shoulders, but felt her flinch a little when he touched her right arm.

"Get too much sun there?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, but I think that's the only place," she answered.

"Hmm," he replied. "Still, though, the right bicep... very important part of the body."

"Yeah?" Julia looked up at him now, curiously interested.

"Oh, yeah," Tim replied. "I think I'm gonna have to steal the green stuff from J.T. and Sheila, and pay special attention to that area."

"Just that area, huh? Your hands won't do some wandering?"

"I make no guarantees," he answered. "I am just a mortal male, after all, and that right arm is connected to this very hot body..."

He trailed off, but his left hand was lightly stroking the outer part of her left breast, out of view of everyone else. Tim heard Julia moan very quietly, but it got louder as she leaned closer to his ear.

"Can we kick these people out now?" she whispered, to which Tim laughed.

"Nope," he replied. "I'm gonna make you wait."

She pouted. "Why?"

"You're already this worked up now," he answered. "I can only imagine how much fun you'll be in a few hours."

"Hours?!" she exclaimed. "Hell, no. This isn't my house, but I'm throwing people out in thirty minutes."

Tim grinned. He knew she'd do nothing of the sort. Julia enjoyed a party as much as anyone else, and Tim knew she'd be patient. Sort of.

"Hey, I know it's your house and all, but not everybody appreciates the show like I do," J.T. said, softly enough that no one else heard. He'd taken Carlos' seat to Tim's left.

"Well, that's about all the show you're getting," Julia answered.

"For now," J.T. replied. "Tim will film whatever happens later and send it to me."

"That's fine, but not until after we get film of you, Sheila, and the bottle of lotion," Julia replied, to which both Tim and J.T. laughed. Julia could banter with J.T. just like Tim could - something Tim appreciated.

"Let's go grab a beer, man," J.T. said.

"I'm good, man," Tim answered.

"It certainly looks that way," J.T. replied. "But I need to talk to you for a minute."

Tim nodded, and leaned over to give Julia a quick peck on the lips. "Be right back."

They walked down to the kitchen to grab beers from the fridge, then headed back upstairs, through the master bedroom, and out onto the deck that overlooked the lake.

"What's up?" Tim asked.

"How have things been?" J.T. questioned.

"Just fine, man." Tim answered.

"You don't have to bullshit me, Tim," J.T. answered back. "Remember the last time you kept something from me for three months? You damn near got dumped."

"What are you talking about, man?" Tim responded. "Things are good."

"I'm sure they are," his best friend answered. "Except when you two are alone together."

Tim sighed. "I swear, I want to put her on my cell phone plan just so I can take away her phone. She tells Sheila more than I tell you."

"They've got breasts, don't they?" J.T. replied. "Of course they talk more than we do."

It had been more than two weeks since that night on J.T.'s deck, and for the most part, things with Tim and Julia were rolling along nicely. Their physical relationship, which Tim already thought was as good as it could be, had grown even stronger. That whole going four days without sex business was a thing of the past - lately, it was rare if they made it through an entire workday.

It was the emotional side of things Tim was struggling with. That night, everything had come so easy, once he had realized she could hear everything he was saying. In the privacy of J.T.'s third floor, with no one around but just the two of them, the normal barriers he felt when trying to open up to Julia simply weren't there.

They'd stayed at his house for most of the day, with Julia calling in sick. They'd had sex a couple more times, but mostly, it was just laying around in bed, sleeping off and on, and enjoying each other's company.

The real world had roared back to life after that, though, and Tim found himself dealing with the same insecurities that had always blocked him from pushing things further.

"It's just hard for me, man," Tim said. "I like being able to do the little things for her, the things I couldn't do when we were just friends with benefits. I really do have feelings for her that go so far beyond friendship, that I really couldn't justify keeping things there any longer."

"So, what's the problem?"

"I'm not a stupid guy, J," Tim said. "There was a reason I stopped myself from getting into a relationship with her for so long. I knew there were going to be problems; shit I struggled to get past. And, lo and behold, there are."

"Like what?"

"It's hard to get a handle on, really," Tim said. "I have a hard time opening up to her about things. That night at your house... everything just flowed out naturally."

"Trust me, I know," J.T. said. "And I should thank you, I guess. Sheila got so tired of hearing the two of you, she practically jumped me so we could drown you out."

"Glad I could help," Tim said. "But I was able to tell her so many things that night, and since then, I can hardly talk to her about the things I really need to say. Even if it's completely stupid, she's a big girl, and she knows me really well. I at least owe it to her to tell her how I feel so she knows."

"Like, what are we talking about here?"

"Well," Tim said, and trailed off. Finally, he sighed and continued. "She likes to go out with her friends. Granted, we spend a hell of a lot of time together, so it's not like she does it all the time. But she's still a very independent woman, and maybe once a week, she likes time to herself. And hell, man, I chill with you and a lot of the other guys at least that much, usually a lot more. Even if I didn't, I'd have no right to stop her."

"So?"

"The last woman I dated was the same way, and at some point while she was out with her friends, she met the guy she dumped me for."

"Ahhh," J.T. said. "And there it is. Sooner or later, it all comes back to Leira."

"No," Tim said. "Well, I mean, yeah, but not because it was Leira. I told you before, J - I'm over her, and I meant it. But that's really the only long-term relationship I've ever been in, man, outside of a few flings at college. That's all I have to go off of."

"Man, you have to let that shit go," J.T. said.

"I know that, but I have no idea how to," Tim answered. "Sometimes, it just gets to be too much and I just need a break. You asked me why I volunteered to take that trip to Milwaukee for you last week, even though it was an overnighter. The walls were starting to close in."

"After less than two weeks?"

"Let's not bullshit ourselves - it's been a lot longer than that," Tim said. "It's been official for a couple weeks, but we were heading down that road for a long time, man. I refused to recognize it, but the feelings have been there for a long, long time. Hers too. Sometimes, it just feels too... I don't know. Comfortable, I guess."

"That makes sense, dude. Things are feeling too good - GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!"

Tim looked down at the ground for a second, then sighed again. "Think about it for a second, J.T. Your brilliant use of sarcasm notwithstanding, think about it."

He let that hang a minute.

"You remember how I was after Leira dumped me?"

J.T. nodded.

"Just think how I'll be if things with Julia get to the level they were at with Leira... and then she does the same thing."

Just the thought of it made Tim want to throw up a little bit, and he could tell by the look on J.T.'s face that it was unsettling for him, too.

"It wouldn't be pretty," J.T. said.

"And I know that," Tim replied. "And my brain knows that. Fascinating organ, the brain - it puts up defense mechanisms we don't even know about."

J.T. pondered that for a minute - or maybe he was just chugging half his beer and couldn't talk.

"So, what, then? You're just going to stay in this thing knowing that every couple weeks you're gonna have to bail for a while because she's getting too close? Because it's getting too serious? That ain't gonna work, man. You have two choices. Get over this shit and give her the chance she deserves, or get out of this relationship."

Tim looked at J.T. for a second.

"And I can tell by the look on your face that ending things with Julia is about the last thing you want to do."

Tim just nodded.

"I know what you need," J.T. said, after pausing a few moments.

"Amnesia? Something else to erase everything from before about a week before I met Julia?"

"Oh, no," J.T. said. "Then you'd have never met me. You think life without Julia would be bad."

They both chuckled.

"You need closure."

"And how do you suppose I get that?"

"I don't know, man," J.T. said. "You said it's not Leira that you're stuck on, and I believe you, dude. But she is the one who did all this to you. You know that not every relationship ends like yours did. Your parents, my parents, happily married for a long damn time. It's something she did, specifically. Some people could just accept that, but you? Somewhere in that brain you were just raving about, you need to know why. You need to understand. Then, you'll be able to move on."




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 06



"Which brings me to my last question," Tim said. "How?"

"The answer hasn't changed," he said. "I don't know. She was going to school at Duke, right? I know everybody there - I can probably get a phone number."

Now Tim looked at J.T. like he was nuts.

"Yeah, right," Tim said. "Three years, I've tried to get this off my mind, and now I'm in another relationship. You suggest I call my ex-girlfriend?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Yeah. Not calling her. Not talking to her ever again."

Tim didn't wait for a response. He walked back through the bedroom and disappeared down the hallway.

****************

"Seriously, man," Tim said. "I'm going to be on the plane anyway. I can fly it."

"You've been working all damn weekend, dude," J.T. replied as the two walked through the terminal at Raleigh-Durham International. "If I could find a way for you to not have to make the trip at all, I would."

"But you can't, because it's the N.C. State basketball team traveling, and I have to be with them," Tim said. "Hey, wouldn't it be great if I had a pilot's license and could fly a 727?"

"Smartass," J.T. replied. 

"Just trying to make life easier for you," Tim answered. "You don't think Sheila would prefer to have you home instead of flying to Bumfuck, Iowa, when someone who's already going can fly the plane just fine?"

"She knows about it, and she's fine with it," J.T. replied. "Now shut up and get on the plane."

"I can't, then, genius," Tim said. "Not time for the team to board yet, and I'm not a pilot today, remember?"

J.T. rolled his eyes. He dragged Tim up to the gate, where the ticket agent was waiting. "He's a relief pilot," J.T. said, pointing a thumb at Tim. The agent simply nodded, and both walked down the jetway. 

When they boarded the 727, it was completely empty except for two flight attendants and the co-pilot, Kevin. 

"Kevin, you can go home if you want," Tim said. "I can take the right seat."

"Don't listen to him," J.T. said to the co-pilot, then turned to Tim. "It's my company, Tim. Quit giving my employees instructions."

"Dude, you know how I am," Tim said, quasi-pleading with his best friend. "If it can travel faster than I can walk, I'd prefer to be driving. I'm not a very good passenger."

"You will be today," J.T. said, taking Tim's carry-on and setting it in the third seat down the aisle. "Shut up and enjoy the flight."

Tim sighed and just watched as J.T. disappeared into the cockpit and closed the door. He signaled for one of the flight attendants to get him an ice water, and while she went to do that, Tim grabbed his toothbrush and went into the front bathroom.

It had been another typical week from hell. Tim hadn't seen his house in almost a week. Even worse, it'd been three days since he'd seen Julia, and by the time he got back home, it'd be closer to six. Tim loved his jobs and his life, but sometimes - especially this time of year - it got to be a little much. Thankfully, Thanksgiving was this week, so he'd get at least a little downtime.

He splashed water on his face, and carefully considered his reflection while he brushed his teeth. The bags under his eyes were slowly going away, he noticed. Not that he'd been getting any more sleep; Julia thought it was because he wasn't so stressed out anymore. He'd gained six pounds over the past couple months, mostly due to Julia's southern holiday cooking, and his face was a little bit rounder because of it.

Tim left the bathroom and was stashing his carry-on in the bin above the seat when he heard her voice.

"Wow, you're so helpful," she said. "I thought I was going to have to put my own bag up there, and I didn't know if I could reach."

Tim spun around to see Julia standing behind him, beaming at him like it was dark and she needed to see where she was going. Tim felt a smile spread across his lips.

He quickly crushed her in an embrace, but she wasn't complaining. She left her bag standing in the middle of the aisle as they kissed for what seemed like five minutes, but probably wasn't more than thirty seconds or so. Finally, he put her bag in the bin and sat down in the aisle seat, pulling her down on his lap.

"About five minutes until the team starts boarding," Tim heard J.T.'s voice say over the intercom.

Tim just grinned. Suddenly, he understood why J.T. refused to let him fly.

"I think I'm going to kill him," Tim said.

"Why?" Julia replied. "You hate his surprise that much?"

She had a point. Instead of telling her that, he just pulled her down into yet another passionate kiss. His hands roamed up and under the blood red sweater she was wearing, surprised to find she wasn't wearing a bra. She closed her eyes and bit her lip softly as he rolled one of her bare nipples between his fingers. Within seconds, Tim was rock hard, and Julia was grinding against him as if trying to find a way to get him inside her despite his slacks.

Within a few minutes, they could hear the players noisily clambering down the jetway, and Julia slid off onto the seat next to Tim. He had to act professionally in front of the players, and Julia knew that. She didn't make it easy on him though.

Tim greeted each player as they filed past his seat - except for the ones with headphones jammed into their ears, surely blaring 50 Cent or T.I. or some such music past their eardrums and into their souls. As he did this, Julia leaned over and put her head on his shoulder and tilted her neck to where her mouth was next to his ear.

"Are you surprised I'm not wearing a bra?" she whispered, to which Tim only nodded. "I just got so turned on when I was getting dressed, I was so excited that I got to see you tonight, and when my tits rub against the fabric..."

She trailed off, but only so she could moan softly into Tim's ear.

"My nipples have been hard since I got on the plane, Tim," she continued. "And if you're surprised that I'm not wearing a bra, you should see what else I'm not wearing."

That snapped Tim's attention back to Julia, who just giggled softly. 

"Give me your jacket," she said, and Tim dutifully took off his school-issue N.C. State windbreaker. Julia spread it across her lap, and her left hand promptly disappeared underneath it. Tim raised his eyebrows, quite certain of what he was about to see - or more accurately, taste.

"Dr. Fetters. Glad you could make it."

Tim had stopped paying attention to the passengers boarding the plane, and he looked up to see Luke Williams, the head basketball coach, standing in the aisle. He was taking off his black suit coat, which he handed to one of the attendants to hang up.

"Hey, coach," Tim replied, reluctantly turning his attention away from Julia, at least for a minute. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I heard you had a busy weekend," he said. "Where all did you go?"

"Let's see," Tim replied. "Left Thursday with the women to go to Georgia for Friday's game. Football played at Clemson yesterday. Drove down to Atlanta to work for the Panthers earlier today."

"How'd you get back so soon?"

"The guy flying tonight, J.T.," Tim said. "He's a Panthers fan, and he was in Atlanta for the game. We flew back on his private plane. Got here about thirty minutes ago."

"We pushed back the flight an hour for you," he answered. "We couldn't leave till seven tonight anyway due to NCAA regulations, so one more hour wasn't going to kill us."

"I definitely appreciate it," Tim said. "Though, I'm sure I'd have found my way out there either way."

"I figured," the coach replied. For the first time, the 6-foot-4 black man seemed to notice Tim's companion. "Who's this?"

"Oh, sorry," Tim said, and then abruptly realized what Julia was doing under the windbreaker. He hesitated, but Julia did not. She quickly extended her right hand to shake the coach's.

"I'm Julia Waters," she said, turning the smile up to about half wattage. It was still dazzling. "I'm Tim's girlfriend."

"Luke Williams, the head coach," he answered. "A girlfriend, huh? We had a pool going, wondering how long it would take for a woman to get a hold of you."

"Well, if you bet on a month ago, you win," Tim replied.

The three made small talk for another few minutes, as the coach took his seat across the aisle. Once the flight attendants began the safety briefing, though, the conversation ceased. Julia went back to whispering in his ear.

"I wonder if he could smell me," she said, and Tim's jaw slackened.

"You used that hand?"

"No, silly," she answered back, gently licking his earlobe between words. "But I'm really, really wet, Tim." She moaned lightly as she hit a sensitive spot.

"Show me."

Julia slid her left hand out from under the jacket, and Tim leaned in to kiss her. His tongue battled hers for a moment, until she slipped her index and middle fingers between their lips. Tim hungrily sucked both into his mouth, lapping up as much of her juices as he could.

"God, I miss tasting you," he whispered back.

"I just miss you, period," she replied.

"Good evening, players and coaches," J.T.'s voice crackled over the intercom. "I'm J.T. Lancaster, and I'm your pilot tonight. I decided to take the flight instead of Dr. Fetters, who normally flies you guys because, well... I wanted to make sure you guys got there safely."

Everyone laughed at that. Tim just chuckled.

"It's about a two-hour flight from here to Cedar Rapids, and we don't anticipate any bad weather along the way. We are first in line for take-off tonight, and we should be in the air shortly. I'll be turning off the cabin lights now. Enjoy the flight."

Tim and Julia cuddled together in the darkness as the plane pushed back, taxied to the runway, and finally took off into the North Carolina night. A few hundred feet off the ground, Julia spoke softly, without turning her attention from the view out the window.

"Are you glad I'm here?" she asked.

Tim gently turned her head to face him. "Are you kidding? I'm ecstatic." He could tell by looking at her that she wasn't convinced. "Julia, when J.T. and I landed just a bit ago, I wanted nothing more than to get in my car and drive to your house. Unfortunately, my job forced me to get right back on a plane again, but I would have loved nothing better than to just spend the rest of the night with you. I missed you."

She smiled brightly. "Really?"

"No, babe," Tim said. "I'm making all of this up." He made sure she knew he was kidding.

"I believe you," she answered. "I just wondered because... Sheila mentioned that sometimes you like to have a little time away from me."

Tim's first response was to tighten his grip around Julia's left shoulder. His second thought was to kill J.T. for having loose lips. He figured his third should have something to do with responding to Julia.

"Oh, God, baby," he answered. "Like, an hour or two, once in a while. I was missing you by the time our plane landed in Georgia on Thursday, and it's now Sunday night. Even if I was a guy who wanted a whole bunch of 'me time,' and I'm not, that would be too much. When I heard your voice behind me when you got on the plane..."

Tim trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"Ah, to hell with it," he said. "Let's just say I was as happy as I've been since last month on J.T. and Sheila's porch."

Julia looked over her shoulder and smiled. "I just worry, is all."

Tim returned the smile. "Well, stop it." He bent his head down to kiss an exposed part of her shoulder. "My turn now. Why are you here?"

"Easy," she said and turned around in her seat, abandoning the view in favor of eye contact. "I missed you. I was talking to J.T. yesterday, and I said I needed to find a way to come on one of these trips with you, so we didn't have to go so long without seeing each other. He suggested tonight, so I took the next two days off."

"Well, I'm glad you did," Tim replied.

"There is another reason, though," she said.

"What? You couldn't miss out on a chance to go to Iowa?"

Julia laughed into his shoulder. "Umm, no."

"Then what?"

Julia hesitated, but only for a split second. "What's the name of J.T.'s company?"

Tim's eyes immediately widened. He didn't need to answer in any other way.

"Are you a member?" she asked him.

"I am," he said. "Way back in my Marine Corps days. What about you?"

Her eyes were dancing. With a large, mischievous smile on her face, she giggled and shook her head.

"No time like the present," Tim said, and leaned down to kiss her. There was nothing slow or gentle about it -- it was hungry and it was intensely passionate. Their lips would probably be a little tender the next day, Tim thought as his tongue battled Julia's, but he could live with that.

Taking advantage of the darkness, he forced his hand up under Julia's sweatshirt, craving another moan like the one he got when they were still at the gate. When he captured her right nipple between his thumb and index finger and clamped down, he got his wish.

"Blanket," Julia managed to utter between words, and Tim smiled. He stood up and took a quick look around - so far, no one had seen them, or if they had, they weren't letting on. He walked to the front overhead bin and pulled out a blanket and pillow. When he got back to his seat, Julia was sitting in the aisle, leaving her window seat open. 

"So we can spoon," she whispered, answering his unspoken question. "The other way, the coach could see your hips moving, even under this," she continued, touching the blanket. "This way, anyone who looks will think I'm asleep."

"Yeah," he replied. "And they'll think you're sunburnt, the way you're going to be blushing in a minute."

Tim stepped over her gingerly, desperately not wanting to ruin the mood by kicking her in the face. When his crotch came to eye level for Julia, she leaned forward and rubbed her head up and down the length of his rapidly hardening dick a couple times.

Tim half-grinned and half-glared at his girlfriend. It was exciting, this game they were about to play, but he knew it was also dangerous. If Coach Williams caught him, it could mean his job. He figured that was part of the excitement.

Tim settled into his seat next to the window and quickly spread the blanket over both their laps. His hands searched under the blanket for a moment, and a few seconds later, Julia's skirt was bunched around her waist. Tim went to work on his own pants, moving them down over his knees and leaving them around his calves.

Julia backed up as close to Tim as she could, to where both of them nearly fit in just the window seat. She turned and looked back at Tim over her shoulder - Tim thought it was one of the five sexiest moments in the history of their relationship - and mouthed "Fuck me."

Tim imagined there might be a twinkle in his eye, so he made sure his whispered response matched that: "Not yet."

With that, he snaked his hands between Julia's legs from behind, and immediately sank his index finger between her soaked lips, causing her to gasp and bite down on her lip. 

"Come on, Tim," she breathed, keeping her voice as low as possible, "stop teasing and fuck me."

"Me?" he whispered back, licking lovingly around the outside of her left ear. Normally she appreciated the sensuous foreplay, but it was very out of place for the mood they were both obviously in. "Stop teasing? I doubt that."

"Not here," she answered. "We have to be quick."

Tim nodded. "And we will be." With that, he started jamming the fingers in and out of her pussy, and after about ten strokes, he added, "At least, once we start doing something people might be able to see."

She just whimpered in response, and he kept up the pace with his fingers. A minute or two later, he reminded Julia that she was supposed to make people think she was sleeping, and was met with a glare that would have killed him dead if it were armed. He simply had to brush her clit with his pinkie, however, to melt that look and replace it with one of intense passion. 

It was a look that sent him a loud, clear message that if she could, Julia would be screaming her head off right now, both at him and because of what he was doing.

Tim went on fingering Julia's pussy for five or ten minutes, fast enough to keep her on the edge but not so much that she got off. If this was going to be her first orgasm on an airplane, he damn sure wasn't going to let his fingers have the pleasure. Occasionally, he used his thumb to massage her asshole, never quite penetrating it but frequently threatening to do so. Each time his thumb rubbed the area, she drew in a sharp breath, clearly expecting something that never came.

Finally, Tim removed his fingers and used them to point his cock toward her opening as best he could. He wrapped that hand around Julia, but did nothing else. After a few seconds, she looked the question back at Tim.

"I tasted you earlier," he said. "Now it's your turn."

The last thing he saw before she turned her head was her licking her lips as sexily as he'd ever seen. As soon as he felt her take his first two fingers between her lips, he pushed forward with his hips. Thankfully, he was lined up correctly, and the first two or three inches of his dick plunged into Julia. 

She bit down harder on his fingers than Tim even thought she could, and she'd drawn blood from various parts of Tim's body more than once. She used his fingers to bite back a scream, and he filled the dead air with a whispered string of cussing.

"Warn me next time, then," Julia said, fitting the words in wherever she could in between ragged breaths. She let his fingers fall from her mouth.

Tim didn't reply. Instead, he just pushed his seat back as far as he could, thankful that the seat behind him was empty. He rose up on his right elbow for leverage, gripped her left hip with his left hand, and quickly built up a nice rhythm sawing in and out of Julia's pussy. She'd been right - if they'd done this facing the other direction, with Tim's back to the aisle, there'd be no doubt what he was doing; his hips were moving far too fast. He could only hope Julia's "sleep" was believable.

Unlike most of their sexual encounters, Tim wasn't trying to give Julia the best orgasm of her life this time. She had far too much trouble staying quiet when things got really intense, and he didn't want to draw attention from the coaches or players. J.T. had set this up for this very reason, so Tim knew he'd have no problems with the charter company, but he probably wouldn't be so lucky with his job at the college.

No, Tim figured, it was best just to give her a mild orgasm now, something that would satisfy her but not alert everyone on the plane as to what they were doing. It might not be the best orgasm he'd ever given her, but she'd remember it for other reasons, anyway.

With that in mind, he increased the pressure on her hips, pulling her as close to him as he could. His strokes were shorter and harder now, with minimal movement involved on either of their parts. He also leaned down so he could whisper in her ear.

"You know what's going to happen when we get to the hotel, right?" Tim started, pausing every few words to lick the top of her ear or suck gently on her earlobe. "We're going to have to wait in line while the players get their room keys, then we'll have to wait for the elevator, and we'll probably have a room at the far end of the hall when we get upstairs."

Julia just whimpered lightly in response.

"Once we get to the room though..." Tim trailed off, and focused more attention on Julia's ear, the space right behind it, and the nape of her neck. He let her use her imagination to fill in the rest of the sentence herself - for a second, anyway.

"As soon as the door closes, I'm throwing you on the floor. I'm going to rip your clothes off, and I'm going to take you. Hard. Fast. I'll make you hold your legs behind your head while I pound your pussy into the floor. I'll flip you over and give you rug burn while I fuck you from behind, pulling your hair, spanking your ass, reaching under to rub your clit while I plow this pussy... the same pussy I'm fucking right now."




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 06



Normally, Julia would have already moaned several times by now. She was doing her best to keep quiet now, though she did let the occasional gasp slip from her lips.

"When I'm done with that, I'm going to carry you over to the desk by the window and lay you flat on your back. I'm going to put your legs over my shoulders, and I'm going to lick your pussy, from your clit all the way to your ass, and back and forth, until you're begging me to stop. I'm going to tongue fuck you so hard you won't even be able to scream. I'm going to finger fuck you until you beg me to stop using my fingers and give you the real thing."

Tim just kept pounding away, moving his body as subtly as possible while still driving in as deep as the awkward position allowed.

"And I will. I'll push you down onto your knees on the floor in the middle of the hotel room, tie your hands behind your back with your panties, and shove my dick down your throat till you gag on it. I'll grab you by the hair and face fuck you until I cum in your mouth. And you'll swallow every drop of it."

Tim wasn't sure if they'd actually do everything he'd just said, but Julia had quite the submissive side sometimes, and he knew it would turn her on either way. Tim did know, however, that all this dirty talk was getting to him in a big way. Since Julia was facing away from him and being relatively quiet, he wasn't exactly sure how close she was. He knew what he could say to get her there quickly, though.

"That sound good, baby?" he whispered. She mewed back a positive response. "Yeah? Why don't you show me how good it sounds? Show me how much you're looking forward to that."

He sped up now, moving a bit more but knowing it wouldn't take more than a few seconds at this pace.

"Show me how much you want that by cumming all over my cock, baby," he said, surprised he managed to get all the words out without cumming himself. Somewhere in his brain, he knew he was holding out until he felt her orgasm, but he didn't exactly know how.

Suddenly, it no longer mattered. He felt a warm rush as Julia's juices enveloped his cock, and just like he had subconsciously held out, his own orgasm began without his realizing it. Before he knew it, his cum was spurting out into Julia's soaked pussy as he whispered incoherently in her ear. It didn't matter what he was saying, because he doubted she was listening anyway.

Tim knew there would be a sloppy mess between Julia's legs, but didn't know what to do about that. He kept pumping in and out of her until his cock was no longer hard enough to do so, then gently slipped it from her pussy as she moaned, so quietly that he wasn't 100% sure she had. 

Julia's breathing was labored and staggered as she recovered, and Tim's wasn't a whole lot better. He tightened his grip around her waist now, holding her tightly to him as they both came down together.

About ten minutes later, Tim had gotten no closer to a decision about how to clean up the mess he was sure was all over Julia's legs as well as their seats by now. He vaguely heard a clattering from the back of the plane, and realized as it drew closer that it was the beverage cart. Most of the players were asleep, so it didn't take long to get to their seats.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" The flight attendant's question was directed at both of them. 

"Water," Tim answered, and Julia repeated his request. The flight attendant smiled, reached into her cart, and handed Julia a stack of washcloths. She winked subtly at Julia and Tim.

"Certainly," she answered. "I'll be right back with that."

Julia looked over her shoulder at Tim, as bewildered as he was. But when the flight attendant turned and walked to the back of the plane, leaving the beverage cart right beside their seat in the aisle, Tim started to get it. The cart blocked them in, but it also served as sort of a curtain, blocking Coach Williams and anyone on the other side of the plane from seeing them.

Tim couldn't help but crack a huge smile.

"J.T.," he said simply. Julia's stare narrowed. Tim pulled the blanket back, but Julia caught his hand before he uncovered anything. 

"J.T. knows what we're doing," he continued. "He probably told her to wait till we were through then start the drinks. She gave us the washcloths, and she left the cart right there so we could clean up a little."

Julia looked at the cart, looked back at Tim, and then rolled her eyes.

"That's a good friend you have, babe," Julia said, peeling back the blanket and wiping up what she could of the mess they'd made.

"You don't have to tell me," Tim answered, cleaning off his cock and the backs of Julia's thighs with another rag. "He got you on this plane, didn't he?"

She briefly stopped what she was doing and turned into Tim with a full body and soul kiss. It didn't last long, but it left Tim momentarily breathless.

"What was that for?" he asked when he could talk again.

"Just for being you."

Julia pulled her skirt back down over her thighs, and Tim did the same with his pants. When the flight attendant returned a few moments later, they were fully clothed but still cuddled together under the blanket. She poured their water into cups and handed one to each of them. Before pushing the cart forward, she leaned down into their seats.

"The pilot wanted me to inform you that we could make the galley available to you if have anything else you need to take care of."

Tim and Julia both laughed as the flight attendant rolled the cart forward. Across the aisle, Coach Williams was still sleeping as soundly as he'd been the last time Tim had looked at him.

Julia quickly drained her water, and after another intense, passionate kiss, she settled back into his arms and drifted off to sleep. Tim tried to do the same, but he couldn't. There was no turbulence, no unreasonably loud noises coming from the few players who were still awake, and they were still at least half an hour from beginning their descent into Cedar Rapids.

It was nothing external, Tim knew. He was simply worried.

Not about what had just happened, of course. He knew J.T. had that covered. Even Coach Williams, if he'd caught them, would probably just crack a joke about it the next time he and Tim were alone in a room for a minute and then forget about it. And he wasn't worried about making good on his promises when they got to the hotel - they might not follow the script he'd written exactly, but whatever they did, he knew it would be fun and they'd both be thoroughly exhausted afterward. That was never an issue with him and Julia.

No, Tim worried about her being here at all. He knew J.T. was just being a friend, and Tim was certainly thrilled when he'd turned to see her standing in the aisle behind him. But this was his job - his career. For the almost two years they'd known each other, Tim had been able to keep Julia separate from his job. Sure, she was generally around at the airport when he got back from trips, and he'd had to improvise and pull her into that situation with Pat Kersee a while back. But those were the exceptions to the rule. 

Tim's two jobs were about the only places he ever felt comfortable anymore. He knew how to fly a plane, and he knew how to help players mentally prepare for games. If nothing else, he was damn good at those things.

He always felt comfortable around Julia when the clothes started flying, but in every other situation lately, he was as tense and nervous around her as he'd ever been. She'd start talking about the future, and he'd either change the subject or pretend to receive a call on his cell phone - anything to not go there. They held hands in public a lot, but it hadn't yet grown to feel natural to Tim; he still felt like everyone in the area was watching them, even when he knew that was ridiculous.

She'd said "I love you," early on in the relationship, the night he'd invited J.T. and some of the team over for jet skiing and a party after a morning game. He appreciated the sentiment, and she'd certainly never pushed him to say it back, but honestly, the whole thing was a foreign concept to him. He'd never even said that to Leira, even though back then he was sure that was what it was. He'd admitted as much to J.T. that night on his porch. 

But that was then. Now, he didn't know if he'd ever fall in love again, and even if he did, he wasn't entirely sure he'd know it. Really, Tim thought, just what the hell is love?

Tim loved Julia's body, loved the things she did to him and the things she let him do to her. That, Tim knew, was a different four-letter word that started with an "L." He liked being around her, loved her sense of humor, and wasn't a big fan of spending more than a day away from her. 

But did that mean it was love? Tim didn't know.

There were also the lingering doubts, the unwavering feeling that at any moment, Julia would pull the rug out from under his feet and simply walk away. She didn't deserve that, Tim knew, but he couldn't help it. He'd been in this situation before, feeling like everything was perfect and nothing could ruin it.

And then, he'd spent the next two-plus years in a bottle or a textbook. 

She was getting way too close. Even when he'd agreed to push things past friendship with Julia, he didn't realize it would mean her coming along on road trips and meeting the coaches and players he worked with. And it wasn't that he didn't like her being there, or that he was embarrassed to introduce her to the team.

It was just one more part of his life he'd have to remove her from if she ever did what Tim still had a hard time not thinking of as the inevitable.

"I swear, ten minutes after cumming and I'm this fucked in the head," Tim said out loud, softly but apparently loud enough for Julia to hear. She stirred for just a moment.

"You OK, babe?" she asked sleepily. 

Tim replied by running his fingers through her hair. "I'm good, hon. Go back to sleep."

She did. A few seconds later, Tim put his head against the cold window and tried to force himself to do so as well.



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 07



"Do we have to do this now, genius?" Tim asked, bitching as he made his way down the dark staircase.

"Yeah, we do," J.T. answered from a few steps behind him.

Tim reached the foot of the stairs and felt around in the dark for a light switch. He found one, and the basement of J.T.'s parents' house flickered to life. Sure, the Lancasters owned a mansion - three, actually, but this was their home base, the one they spent the most time in. But if all you saw was the basement, you'd never guess their son was the heir to an aviation fortune.

"Wow," Julia said, following Tim off the steps. "Apparently the rich aren't exempt from unfinished basements, either."

"I'm not even sure my mom knows we have a basement," J.T. said, joining them in the mostly plywood room.

"And if she does, she's certainly never, ever been down here," Sheila added, the last to come down the stairs.

"Seriously, man," Tim said, picking up his earlier theme. "We can't do this another day?"

"My dad is bringing someone in to have the basement finished early next week," J.T. said.

"Why?" Julia asked. "The hotel upstairs isn't enough room for them?"

Tim and Sheila snickered. J.T. ignored it.

"So, I promised my dad I'd have everything out of here by the end of the weekend," J.T. continued. "It's Saturday afternoon now. If not today, that just leaves tomorrow. You think any of us will feel like doing this tomorrow?"

"No," Tim agreed. "For the same reason I don't want to do it now. Now, I have a big 'ol party to get ready for. Tomorrow, I'll have a big 'ol party to recover from, and at noon, I have a plane to catch. You can't tell me you didn't know this was coming for a while, man."

"No, I told my parents back in October I would have this stuff out of here by the weekend after Christmas," J.T. said. 

"And Christmas was yesterday," Tim replied. "I get that. What I don't get is how Christmas fucking snuck up on you, jackass."

"I got busy," J.T. said. "The point is, you're my friends, and you're here to help me, and I appreciate it."

"They are your friends," Sheila said, pointing to Tim and Julia. "I'm your fiancée. I'm not here to help. I'm only going to help so I can find some of your goofy shit to display prominently at my house."

"Our house," J.T. corrected.

"Whatever," Sheila answered.

"The stack isn't that big," J.T. said, pointing at two stacks with about six boxes each. "The sooner we dive in, the sooner we can get done, and the sooner we can all get ready for this thing."

"Fuck," Tim said, and pulled the first box off the stack. He reached into his pocket for the box cutters he'd brought with him. "I know I owe you for something. I just have no idea what that could be."

It was December 26th, and in just a few hours, the entire North Carolina State football team, coaching staff, family of the players and coaches and whoever else would be attending a large party on the court at RBC Center. The party was to celebrate the accomplishments of the football team, which would be playing Ohio State in five days in the Orange Bowl in Miami. The team had dropped its final regular season game, but won its division by a tiebreaker and beat Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. Two losses were too many to play for the National Championship, but after missing the bowl season altogether the past three seasons, the Wolfpack was more than happy with an 11-2 record and an Orange Bowl berth. As the team shrink, Tim was invited to the party. Coach Taylor had personally invited J.T., who flew in either the left or right seat for most of the team's trips.

That was tonight, Tim thought. For now, he had to help his scatterbrained best friend get all his crap out of his parents' house and into Sheila's townhouse. Sheila didn't know it, but in about five months they'd be doing all this again, moving all of their stuff out of the townhouse and into the new house J.T. was building as a wedding present.

Regardless of how easy J.T. thought this process would be, the quartet had only plowed through half the boxes after the first hour. There were old clothes, trophies, boxes of baseball cards, model airplanes, yearbooks, certificates from the Marine Corps days, and a bunch of other stuff the average bachelor packs into boxes and stashes in the basement.

About an hour in, Julia turned around from working through a box of pictures, spanning from before J.T. was born to just a couple years ago. She wiped the sweat off her brow - it was 45 degrees outside, but they were in this old, musty basement sweating like pigs - and sighed.

"I need water," she said. "Anyone else thirsty?"

Three voices simultaneously agreed. "It's just one floor up, but it's a ways down the hall," J.T. said.

"I'll find it," she replied. "Need to use the restroom, too. I'll be back."

It was quiet again for a few seconds as the remaining three worked on their boxes. Sheila, who was helping Julia with the pictures, pulled one out and held it up to the dim light.

"Hey, Tim," she asked. "Who's this?"

"Ask your fiancée," Tim replied.

"I would, but you're both in it, and the girl is clinging to you."

Tim and J.T. both walked over to Sheila. Tim took one look at the picture and turned away. J.T. looked a little longer, a slightly wistful expression playing on his face.

"I can give you three guesses, but just looking at Tim's face should knock out two."

"Wow," Sheila replied. "Is this her?"

"Yep," Tim answered, looking back at the picture. "That's her."

The picture was taken their second summer together at Myrtle Beach, just a few months before she'd decided the grass was greener somewhere else. Tim was still working on his ratings back then, so he'd had to fly right seat as J.T. took Tim, Leira and another girl - whoever J.T. was pretending to date at the time - to the Carolina coast for a few days of much-needed R&R. J.T.'s friend wasn't in the photo - presumably because she was taking it - but the other three were. J.T. was on the far right, wearing a muscle T-shirt and doing his best Most Muscular mock pose. Leira was in the middle in a bright yellow two-piece bikini, with her hands wrapped around Tim's arm. He was standing on the far left as Leira rested her head on his left shoulder.

The picture hadn't faded at all, but even a worn photograph couldn't have hidden Leira's beauty. Her natural blonde hair - streaked to dirty blonde back then - was blowing behind her in the wind. Her breasts filled out that skimpy yellow bikini top the way few women could and even in the basement three and a half years later, Tim thought she still exuded raw sexuality.

"Wow," Sheila said. "She's beautiful." Both J.T. and Tim shot twin glares at her, and she quickly stammered. "I'm sorry. Doesn't mean she wasn't a bitch."

She studied the picture for a moment, looking closer.

"She looks very familiar to me, though," Sheila said.

"Yep," Tim answered. "Blue-eyed blondes. Don't see them everywhere you go in this town during the summer."

Sheila sensed it was a sore subject, so she stopped talking about it. Still, she couldn't resist swiping look after look at the photo, trying to place the familiarity.

A few moments later, Julia started coming down the stairs. Sheila didn't see the point in letting Julia see the photo - she'd ask the same questions, and it would undoubtedly be a different conversation this time. So, Sheila dropped the photo back into the box and closed it up. Just as her best friend reappeared with four bottles of water in tow, she turned to J.T.

"So, guessing this goes in the house pile, and not the Salvation Army pile?" She knew the answer, and started walking to the pile of boxes they would load up and drive over to the townhouse.

"Do you know anybody who would want to buy a picture of his scrawny eight-year-old ass dressed up like Superman?" Tim asked.

"Besides me?" Sheila grinned.

"Yes," Tim nodded. "I'm talking about sane people."

Sheila responded by pulling one of the bottles from Julia's arms and launching it at Tim. It hit him square in the ass.

"You know, I'm glad I go to the gym on a daily basis, or that might have hurt." He picked the bottle up off the ground, opened it, and chugged about half. "Thanks, Sheila."

She rolled her eyes and went back to work. They all did. About an hour and a half later, they were finished. Five of the boxes were in Tim's Mariner, headed for the Salvation Army dropoff area around the corner from the football stadium. The other seven were in the back of J.T.'s car, headed for the storage room at the townhouse.

"See, dickhead?" J.T. said, pointing at his watch. "The party is at seven. It's 4:30 right now. You have two and a half hours to drop this stuff off and then go make yourself all pretty before the party tonight. And you were worried."

"I wasn't worried about me," Tim said. "And I wasn't worried about Julia or Sheila, either - they don't need prep time to be pretty. You, on the other hand... you could have started getting ready at 4:30 yesterday and you'd still look like a sack of shit."

"Not true," Sheila said, snaking an arm around J.T.'s waist from behind. "He has me to take care of that for him. I actually have fashion sense."

"Yeah, well, wonders never cease," Tim answered. He took Julia's hand and started walking toward his car. "We're heading out. See you guys in a few hours."

****************

"So, are you going to ask him tonight?" Sheila's voice blasted out of Julia's speakerphone and bounced around the still-damp walls of Tim's master bathroom. They hadn't been out of the shower very long, and the water was so hot the walls were still sweating. She'd had to make several passes over the mirror with a towel just to see. Of course, what they'd been doing in the shower hadn't helped with the temperature much, either.

Tim, who was ready to go five minutes after they got out of the shower, was across the hall watching some meaningless bowl game while he waited for Julia to get ready. 

"Take your time," he'd told her. "I already think you're beautiful, but even I'm not one to rush perfection."

The recent memory made her smile.

"Hello?" Sheila's voice rang out again.

"Sorry," Julia said. "I'm struggling with this stupid earring, and - there. Got it."

"Are you?"

"If everything goes well, and I have enough to drink to keep my courage up, then yes," Julia said. "That's my plan."

"That's so exciting!" Sheila exclaimed. Even from two towns away, Julia could hear her friend's excitement.

"Let's wait till he agrees to it before we get all giddy."

"You think he won't?"

"He's Tim, Sheila," Julia said, and set to work on the other earring. "He's very private. Not sure how he'd like living with someone this soon after getting into the relationship."

"Soon?" Sheila asked. "You guys have only been calling it that for a couple months, but this has been going on for two years. How much longer does he want to wait?"

"I don't know," Julia replied. "He might not want to wait at all. And then again, there's a chance he'll flip out when I ask him, too. He's also fairly unpredictable."

"Another reason you like him."

"Love him."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"You told him that yet?"

"Yes."

"He said it back?"

"No."

Sheila didn't reply immediately, thinking Julia had more to say. After a few seconds, it was clear she didn't.

"And?"

"And what? I know he does. He'll say it when he's ready to. Not going to push him."

"Wow," Sheila replied, sounding exasperated.

"What?"

"I just don't know how you do it," Sheila answered. "He's not making this easy on you."

"No," Julia agreed. "But it's not easy on him, either. I swear, Sheila, if I ever meet the bitch who did... whatever she did... to him, I'm gonna punch her in the mouth."

Sheila thought back to the picture she'd seen earlier in the day, but didn't say anything about it. Just: "I think I would pay good money to see that."

"I'm sure Tim would, too," Julia said, laughing as she gently applied makeup to her cheeks. "Anyway, if things go really well tonight, then yeah. I'll probably ask him if I can move in."

"That's great. Maybe next weekend we'll be moving all your crap, instead of J.T.'s."

"I hope so," Julia answered. "Oh, I almost forgot. I talked to my real dad about an hour ago. He usually calls me every day during the holidays. Anyway, I told him I was going to this party tonight, and apparently, my half-sister is, oo."

"Who?"

"Ashley, the one who works over at the hospital," Julia said. "Remember? You met her a few years ago, when I dragged you to a family reunion with me."

"Yeah, I think I vaguely remember that," Sheila said. "How long has it been since you spoke to her?

"I'd guess maybe a year," she answered. "We weren't close then, and we're not now, either. I mean, we've tried to be, but there's mutual resentment there. She resents me because he tries to give me some of the attention he's always given to her, and I resent her a little bit, I think, because she's always had him in her life and I didn't until I was thirteen."

"Yeah, I guess I could see that," Sheila replied. "Anyway, why is she going? Isn't this an N.C. State-only thing?"

"I guess she's dating one of the players," Julia answered. "That's what my dad said, anyway. She doesn't talk much about it, according to him, but she was pretty excited about the party."

"Ah," Sheila answered. "But if you see her, things will be ok with you two, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Julia replied. "We're cordial with each other, and we can hold a decent conversation. We're just not really friendly."

Just then, Tim walked back into the room. Julia had already told him her sister would be at the party, and he'd actually seemed genuinely happy about the possibility of meeting someone in her family.

"Personally, I think we should just wipe all that makeup off," Tim said, unaware that Sheila was on the phone.

"If it was up to you, we'd take all these clothes off, too," Julia replied.

"Damn right," Tim answered. "And with your body, I could take you into the party that way and not a damn person would complain."

She just giggled.

"Course, I'd have to beat a whole bunch of football player ass when they tried to attack you, so I guess we should leave the clothes on."

"You two are gross." That was Sheila. Tim spotted the phone on the counter.

"Seriously?" Tim asked, gripping the phone. "Do you two talk 24/7? I bet you when we're having sex, the phone is laying under the pillow so she can hear everything."

"No, thanks," Sheila said. "Besides, all we have to do is have you over to the house, and you'd keep us up all night anyway."

Julia blushed. Tim ignored that.

"Seriously, Sheila," Tim continued. "If you want to be that involved in our sex life, just talk to your fiancée about it. I'm sure we could work something out."

That earned Tim a slug in the shoulder. If Sheila hadn't been 25 minutes away, both arms would have got one.

"I'm sure," Sheila answered.

"Anyway, babe, you ready to go?" Tim asked. "It's almost seven."

"Yeah," she answered. "Sheila, we'll see you at the party."

Sheila hung up the phone, smiling widely and genuinely happy for Julia. She'd been on a whole lot of first dates before she met Tim, and even a couple of them after that, when they were still in the early stages. Her friend could have had just about anybody she wanted, but she was very selective and had an uncanny ability to hold out for what she knew she deserved.

Still, something was tugging at the back of Sheila's mind. She couldn't place it, but she couldn't get rid of it, either. Her mind went back to Julia talking about what she would do if she ever met Leira, and it made Sheila laugh out loud. She'd only seen Julia fight one time, and she had to be the most awkward looking brawler Sheila had ever seen, not that she had a whole bunch of experience in that area. She had to admit, though - Julia had won that particular fight.

Suddenly, something clicked in her head, and she stopped dead in her tracks from the master bedroom to the hallway. 

"Oh, shit," she said out loud. She wasn't 100% sure, but she knew how she could be.

She left the bedroom and headed downstairs, bustling past J.T., who was watching football and waiting for her.

"You ready, babe?" he asked.

"Just a second."

"Where are you going?" he asked, getting up off the couch when he saw how quickly she was moving.

"I'll be right back, hon, I promise."

She headed to the end of the hallway, not sure if J.T. was following her or not and really not caring. If she was right, he'd be the first person to know it, anyway. She opened a door to an unused bedroom - the one they were using to store all the boxes they'd moved out of J.T.'s parents' mansion a few hours ago. She had to move two boxes to find it, but after a few seconds, there it was.

"What on earth are you doing?" J.T. asked. Sheila turned to see him standing in the doorway, watching her with one of his signatures looks, that half-perplexed, half-amused thing he did sometimes. It was the same look he gave her the first time she'd asked him to come to dinner with she and her family on that first trip to the Bahamas almost three years ago.

"Just a second," Sheila said, quickly opening the box and rifling through the pictures she'd been checking out earlier in the day. It took a few seconds, but she found the one she wanted - the one of her fiancée flexing his muscles, while Tim and Leira stood next to him.

She looked at it carefully. This would have been about two years later, she thought, and...

All the sudden, she dropped the photo as her hands flew up to her mouth.

*********

They'd pulled the basketball court up at the RBC Center and moved all the courtside tables and seating away to make room for the party. This was just team, staff and family and friends, but even still, that was around 300 people, and they didn't want a half-billion scuff marks jacking up the basketball court, especially since the N.C. State basketball teams were playing at home in just a couple days.

That left a giant concrete pad, on top of which the RBC staff had set up dozens of tables and hundreds of chairs. There were four catering tables with plenty of food and drinks to go around - nothing alcoholic, of course, seeing as more than half the guests of honor weren't old enough to drink it, though Tim knew a couple players would sneak it in anyway.

He and Julia strolled in around a quarter to eight. There was some kind of ceremony scheduled for 8:30, Tim knew - showing a highlight video, giving out a few awards, etc. Until then, it was just eating and mingling. All the coaches were already here, but only about half the players had shown up yet. It was a required event, so he knew everyone would be here, but apparently fashionably late was still as in as ever.

Tim and Julia set their coats on a nearby table and as they turned around, they bumped right into Ted Prince, the team physician.

"Tim, mah boy!" Ted locked Tim in a huge bear hug, something the barrel-chested 60-something year-old doctor did to everyone he hadn't seen in more than, oh, ten minutes or so. "And this? This must be your sister."

Tim remembered Ted worrying about his lack of a wife or girlfriend earlier in the year. That was just the kind of guy he was - he'd been married for more than 40 years, had umpteen grandkids and a couple of great grandkids by now. He thought everyone should be married by the age of 30.

"Not so much, sir, no," Tim answered back, grinning.

"Whaaaaaat?" Ted answered, incredulously. By now he was sure Ted had heard he had a girlfriend - news didn't take long to get around the team, and telling Carlos was just as effective as taking out an ad on the scoreboard at Carter-Finley Stadium. Still, he was playing it up. "The Last American Bachelor, Tim Fetters, has a girlfriend?"




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 07



"That's the rumor, sir," Tim said, trying to match his smile. "Dr. Prince, this is Julia Waters. Julia, Dr. Prince is the football team's primary physician."

"Well, now," Ted said, his thick southern accent making it sound more like "weh nah." He wrapped Julia in a similar bear hug - Tim was pretty happy she escaped from it with the ability to breathe. "Now I understand why you waited so long, son. Always thought that 'good things come to those who wait' business was hogwash, but, I'll be."

"Thank you, Dr. Prince," Julia said, already blushing less than five minutes into the party.

"You got yourself a fine man here, Ms. Waters," Ted continued as Tim tried to roll his eyes backward out of their sockets.

"Trust me, sir, I'm well aware of that."

"A damn shame it took this long for someone to snap him up."

"Others have tried, and others have failed," a new voice said, and the trio turned to see Hank Taylor, the head football coach, walking toward them. Tim quickly made introductions.

"I wondered why he was so happy all the sudden," Taylor said. "He's always helped our guys mentally, but I was beginning to think he was the one needed a shrink. Not so much anymore."

"He does as much for me as I do for him," Julia said, smiling at Tim, who was quite frankly embarrassed at all the attention. "Probably a lot more, I'm sure." She winked at Tim.

Ted and Hank broke out into a conversation about the second-string slot receiver's hamstring, and Tim pulled Julia aside.

"Babe, I need to mingle and chat with the coaches for a few minutes," he said. "Why don't you go off and find J.T. and Sheila? I'm sure they're around somewhere."

"Tim, I know I'm supposed to be an arm decoration at these things," she answered, "and I'm perfectly okay with that."

"Maybe you are, but I'm not," Tim said. "Besides, all they'll do is talk about how I so badly needed a woman. I'm sure you'd love to hear that all night, but I don't."

"Awww, does the truth hurt?" Julia joked, but she was walking away even as she said it. Tim reached out and slapped her ass as she walked away.

Julia wandered around the room, not really knowing anyone besides Tim, but drawing plenty of appreciative stares from the football players and the other men in the room. She did her best to be polite and smile back at each of them, but really, she was just searching frantically for either J.T. or Sheila.

Instead, she found her sister. She was standing on the other end of the court from where Tim was talking to the coaches, chatting animatedly with Carlos. She was drawing more than her fair share of leering looks as well, but Carlos was acting as a barrier between her and everybody else.

"Ashley?" Julia said, walking over to them. The other girl's face tried to light up, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Julia! Hi!" her sister said, as they quickly embraced each other. "How have you been?!"

"I've been good," she answered back. "Finished my MBA last spring, working my way up the ladder at Southwest. You?"

"Starting med school next fall, still working at the hospital," Ashley replied. Carlos was looking back and forth at them as if he was watching a tennis match. They made small talk for a few more minutes until Julia finally tried to include him.

"How long have you two been seeing each other, Carlos?" Julia tried. Carlos was about to reply, but Ashley cut him off.

"Wait - you two know each other?" she asked.

"Yeah," Carlos said. "This Doc's girl."

"Doc?" Ashley asked. "The guy you've been talking about, asking for advice about the draft and everything?"

"Yeah, that's Doc," Carlos replied. For some reason, Julia thought, he was a bit nervous. "Speaking of, where Doc at?"

"Over there, chatting with some of the coaching staff," Julia replied.

"Wow," Ashley said. "It really is a small world. This is my sister," she said to Carlos.

"Yeah, I know," Carlos said.

"Half-sister, actually," Julia said, probably a little too quickly. Then: "Wait, Carlos. How did you know?"

"I put shit together, s'all," Carlos said. "You 'member that day at Doc's, when I asked all them questions about brothers and sisters? Day before, she told me she had a sister who ran the Southwest shit out at RDU. I knew Doc was dating the woman who ran the Southwest shit out there. You told me your sis worked as a lab tech at Duke."

"Ah," Julia said. "Why keep everything a secret then? You could have just told me."

"That's the thing," Carlos said, and began squirming. "You don't really know me that well. But Doc... you and Doc in love, right?"

Julia didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"So, that mean Doc is protective of you. That also mean Doc would be protective of your family, right?"

Julia wasn't sure where he was going. "I suppose, yes. But Tim has never met Ashley."

"Well, yeah, but-" Carlos was cut off when Ashley interrupted the conversation.

"Wait," she said. "Did you just say Tim?"

"Yes," Julia replied. "Tim Fetters. He's the athletic department psychologist here."

Everything was quiet for a second.

"Oh, shit," Ashley said. "I knew he was an intern here back when..." she trailed off. Julia just stared at her. With neither woman saying anything, Carlos went back to talking.

"And what's with this 'Ashley' shit anyway?" he asked.

"That's my first name," she said, blankly. Julia was still trying to figure out what was going on. "Family calls me that. Everyone else calls me... what you call me."

Julia was about to ask what that was, but Carlos kept going.

"Anyway," he said, turning back toward Julia. "I didn't want to say anything because... well, Doc wouldn't be too happy. See, Doc know how I do, and-"

"Yes, Carlos. Everyone knows how you do."

J.T. sauntered up into the middle of the group. To Julia, it seemed like he'd been sprinting. Julia also noticed that Ashley refused to meet his eyes. She saw Sheila hanging out about 20 feet behind J.T., and though she tried to gesture her best friend over, Sheila begged off.

Unbeknownst to any of them, J.T. had been standing off to the side for a few minutes, wondering exactly what to do here. He'd been standing close enough to hear what they said, which was how he figured out where Carlos fit in. 

"J! My second-favorite pilot!" Carlos said, and the two bumped fists.

"I better be your favorite pilot," J.T. said. "The other one is about to be suicidal in a minute here."

"Say what?" Carlos asked. "Why?"

"Never mind," J.T. said. "You ready for Miami, big man?"

"Son, I was made for Miami," Carlos replied. "In fact, I'm gonna wear a Dolphins jersey all week, just to convince the Dolphins they need a running back with that top ten pick."

"I know Tim is lobbying the Panthers to pick up the hometown college hero," J.T. said, clearly stalling.

"Shit," Carlos said. "That be cool, but the Panthers can't afford me." The Panthers were going to be in the playoffs, and unless something dramatic occurred, wouldn't have a high enough draft pick to even sniff Carlos.

J.T. had no clever response to that, so instead, he turned his attention to Ashley.

"So," he said. "Ashley, right? How long have you and Romeo been dating?"

She looked down and hesitated long enough for Carlos to return one of her interruptions.

"Look, I wanted to wait for Doc, but this shit gotta stop," Carlos said, as all eyes snapped onto him. "We ain't dating. I don't date. I fuck. We fuckin'. That's all we doing."

Ashley looked at him like he'd just crawled up out of the floorboards. Julia was partly amused, but also partly ticked off - family is family, after all.

"Well, that, and I cook for her once or twice," Carlos continued. "Don't judge. Just cuz the black man has gold in his teeth and can tote the rock don't mean he don't have skills in the kitchen."

Carlos finally noticed the evil eye Ashley was shooting at him. 

"Look, babe," Carlos said. "I ain't lied to you. I tol' you from the beginning. Pussy is pussy. I ain't in school to get a wife. I'm in school to get laid, and get paid. I'm gon' head off to the NFL, make me some millions, then maybe in a few years I settle down. Right now, it's all about hittin' the holes and hittin' the sheets. I told you that way back."

"I'm sure you did," J.T. said. "But you didn't believe him, did you? You thought you'd be the one to change him." 

J.T. paused. He'd been rehearsing this little speech for three years, never really thinking he'd get to use it. Now that he could, he'd forgotten every word. Ah well, he figured. He was better on the fly anyway.

"Wow. You gave up everything you guys had to look for something better, and three years later, you're just another blonde the stud running back is using to get his rocks off. Out-fucking-standing."

"Wait," Carlos said. "This is where being the black man is cool, cuz, everybody already think I'm stupid, so when shit happens I don't get, ain't nobody surprised."

"Let me guess, Carlos," J.T. said. "You came here tonight, worried as hell, nervous as shit, thinking Doc was going to be pissed when he found out you were using his girlfriend's sister as a real-life sex toy, right?"

Carlos was momentarily stunned.

"Uh, yeah," Carlos said. "That about right."

"Trust me, man," J.T. said. "He's gonna be pissed you brought her here, but not because of that. No, the fact that you're using her for sex is probably the only thing about tonight he'll be happy with."

"J.T." That was Julia. "Tell me what the fuck is going on here."

"Carlos," J.T. said. "You were talking about being confused a second ago. How confusing is it that we keep calling your girl Ashley?"

"Yeah!" Carlos said, as if someone had finally read his mind. "Ashley this, Ashley that. I been banging this girl for almost two years, and-"

J.T. didn't realize why he'd stopped until it was too late. He followed Carlos' glance, and noticed Tim walking toward their end of the court. Carlos, being the only one who didn't know what was going on, flagged him down.

"Doc! Yo, Doc!" Carlos waited till Tim turned their direction. "Me and your girl over here!"

Tim was close enough to hear him, but apparently something was blocking his view of the girl standing next to Carlos. Tim was smiling right up until he got to the group - his smile immediately turned upside down when he saw who Carlos was with.

"J.T., what in the holy fuck have you done?" Tim asked. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Doc," Carlos said, still trying to speak his piece and clear his conscience. "You can deck me if you want, but I gotta say something."

"No, Carlos," J.T. said. "Let me." He called Sheila over - he knew this was going to get ugly, and wanted to make sure there was someone on his side nearby. When she got there, he continued. "It appears some introductions are in order."

He walked over to Julia, and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Ashley, this is Julia Waters - your ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend."

He then moved across the circle to Ashley and pointed at her.

"Julia? This is Ashley Anderson, but better known to Tim, Carlos and myself by her middle name: Leira. She's the woman responsible for all the hell Tim's put you through over the past few months."

This time, J.T. wrapped his arm around Leira's shoulder, as much as it pained him to touch her. She cringed a little, but didn't move away. He turned his attention to Tim.

"And Tim? This is one of the squadron of fuckbuddies that follows our boy Carlos around like a puppy dog."

He took a deep breath. Neither Leira, Carlos nor Julia jumped in here, so J.T. steeled himself to deliver the bad news.

"She's also Julia's sister."

**********



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 08



 Note: Nearing the end now. Thanks for sticking with me if you've made it this far. I've been getting killed in the voting because of the cliffhanger, which I suppose I should have expected. Hopefully this chapter goes a ways toward changing your mind. 

Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) 

**********************

"Indiana is not one of our rivals," Tim's voice said. "It's not an ACC school. Hell, they went, what... 8-23 last year? They're not even a good team."

"I know," a female voice replied. "They just have one player in particular that I always choke against."

"You play in the ACC. Surely, you've gone up against better players."

"Yes," the woman answered. "But, none of them are my sister."

The digital voice recorder beeped as Tim turned it off. He tossed it onto his desk and watched as it landed squarely on Hailee Sullivan's athlete file. Hailee was one of the most talented off-guards in the ACC - when the vast array of mental blocks bouncing around in her head didn't get in the way. The women's basketball coach had specifically asked Tim to work on Hailee's mental training this year, because she was the team's top returning scorer.

And, Tim remembered now that the recording had jogged his memory, she had a sister.

He sat back in his chair in his office at the RBC Center, blankly staring out the window at the parking lot. His SUV was parked 30 feet beyond the glass, but he didn't see it. He didn't see anything.

"Leira is her fucking sister," Tim said out loud, not for the first time since leaving the party the night before. Even more than 12 hours later, he was still having trouble processing it.

Many of the things that defined Tim's life had taught him a lesson about how to handle what would be referred to as, in clinical terms, a massively fucked up situation. Flying had taught him to take a deep breath and think. Psychology had taught him to close his eyes and visualize a happy place. The Marine Corps had taught him to rely on his instincts.

So, Tim took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and held both for maybe 30 seconds. When he exhaled and opened his eyes, his instincts were still telling him to scream or beat the living hell out of something.

Who was he going to punch, though? Carlos? There was no way he could have known about Tim's past with Leira unless she told him, and one of the few things he remembered in the blur that followed J.T.'s revelation was the look of pure shock blanketed across Carlos' face when he finally realized what was going on.

He definitely felt like punching J.T., and J.T. probably would have let him, too, but that wouldn't be fair. It was the whole "Don't shoot the messenger" concept. Sure, J.T. had a flair for the dramatic, but this wasn't the kind of thing he'd keep to himself even for a second. Tim had left his phone in the car to charge during the party, and when he went out to get it earlier that morning, there were about 20 text messages from both J.T. and Sheila, most of them coming in the 30 minutes before they showed up at the party. He guessed the same was true for Julia, who'd left her phone at Tim's house. Their best friends had done all they could.

And yelling? Sure, that would feel good. Never mind that it wouldn't solve a damn thing - who was he going to yell at? Julia? She was almost as stunned as Tim was. He was quite certain she had no clue her half-sister was the woman responsible for the multiple hoops she'd had to jump through to earn Tim's trust over the past two years. Hell, she had wanted Tim to meet some of her family a few months after they'd met, but Tim flatly refused, hiding behind their status as just friends with benefits to get out of it.

He knew whom he really wanted to unload on, of course, but there was no point to that, either. He'd told J.T., Sheila, Julia and anyone else who would listen that he'd moved on. Humiliating Leira in front of the entire football team last night, as satisfying as it might have been, really wouldn't have helped prove that point. 

Not that he didn't have the right, he thought. She'd just... left that day. Tim remembered the feeling, and he didn't like it. He'd felt more vulnerable that day than he ever had in Baghdad or the caves of Afghanistan. 

There was one truth that managed to seep through the haze, though. All the things he'd been telling J.T., things even Tim himself only half-believed... they were all true. Now that he'd seen her again, he knew it without a doubt. 

He didn't want Leira to change her mind. He no longer wanted to go back to that day, three years ago, and alter the past. 

Tim didn't want Leira back. He just wanted answers. 

Like J.T. had said at his party that day, Tim needed closure. He'd just never expected to get it like this.

Tim's exit from the party had been as graceful as he could manage. Honestly, he'd wanted to throw up the moment J.T. told him Leira was Julia's sister, but he'd fought off that particular urge. There was no way he didn't flinch or cringe, he thought, but he'd recovered pretty quickly, at least physically. He stood there for at least a minute, probably more, with five sets of eyes glued to him, waiting for a response.

Finally, he'd given them one.

"That's great," he'd said, not really sure what he was going to say even as he opened his mouth. "Please, excuse me for a minute."

He'd turned around and began a brisk walk toward the exit. Both J.T. and Julia had called his name, but he'd put up a hand, waving them off without looking back. Once off the court, the walk turned into a jog. He took the stairs two, sometimes three at a time until he reached the concourse, then sprinted down the hall.

His first plan was to get to his car and just drive until he ran out of gas or ran into the ocean, whichever came first. When he passed his office, however, he changed his mind. He went in, locked the door and sat on the floor across the room, where no one could see him through the window or the door. He pulled out a small flashlight and started working on player evaluations.

He dozed off sometime around three a.m. and slept right there on the floor. Three hours later, he'd woken up stiff and sore as all hell but really, really not caring. He needed a shower, so he'd grabbed the workout bag from his SUV, and that's when he discovered his voicemails and text messages. Without returning any of them or even taking his phone with him, he went back into the building, to the locker room just down the hall from his office, and cleaned up a little.

That was four hours ago now. In about an hour, the team bus would depart from the football stadium, on the other side of the massive parking lot, for the airport and the flight to Miami.

Tim was about to get back to the women's basketball team and Hailee Sullivan's sibling rivalry when his door opened. He didn't even look up.

"I must have forgotten to lock the door when I got back this morning," Tim said. "These aren't office hours."

"C'mon, Doc," Carlos said. "I been here four years. When have I ever gave a fuck 'bout office hours?"

Tim looked up in time to see the star running back plop unceremoniously into a chair in front of his desk. As Carlos' ass hit the seat, the stench hit Tim's nostrils. Carlos' red T-shirt was soaked through at the chest and armpits, and sweat dripped from his forehead onto his equally red workout shorts as he leaned forward in the chair.

"Jesus," Tim said. "You know we have showers in this building, right?"

"Yeah," Carlos replied. "Right 'round the corner from the weight room."

"Think now might be a decent time to avail yourself of that particular luxury?"

"Do what?" Carlos answered, his face screwing up. "Available for who?"

Tim chuckled. He knew damn well Carlos understood, but he liked acting stupid sometimes. "We're leaving in just a bit, Carlos. What can I do for you?"

"Not a damn thing, Doc," Carlos said. "Just up here for a little pre-flight liftin'. Saw your car outside, figured you was in here."

Tim waited. Carlos said nothing.

"And?"

"And, I just wanted to check on you."

"Touching," Tim said, shaking his head and looking back down at his notebook. "Really."

"C'mon, Doc," Carlos said. "You know I didn't know anything."

"Do you know anything now?"

"I know everything now," he replied. "Your boy and your girl filled me in after you took off last night."

"Good," Tim said. "You probably know more than me."

Carlos was only too eager to fill in the gaps. "You shoulda seen what happened after you left. Leira--" Tim put his hand up.

"And let's keep it that way, OK?" Tim said.

Carlos was silent for a second. "You really don't wanna know?"

"No, Carlos," Tim answered. "I really don't."

Carlos chuckled, but stood up. "Aight, Doc." He extended a fist, and Tim dutifully bumped it.

"Please, go get a shower before I have to sit on a bus with you for 20 minutes and then a plane for two hours."

Carlos ignored that. "You know... I wish you'da let me tell you what went down last night. 'Cause maybe, you wouldn't be so pissed at me for what's about to happen."

"And, what's about to happen?" Tim asked, not really paying attention now.

"You'll see." The door opened, and Carlos left. Tim never looked up, still making some last-minute notes in Hailee's file. After about 20 seconds, though, he realized the door had never closed behind Carlos. Besides that, something was off. There was still a presence in the -

"Are you OK?"

Tim closed his eyes when he heard her voice. 

He expected something to wash over him - old feelings, vivid memories, anything. Instead, he just caught goose bumps from the drafty concourse air.

"I'm great," Tim said, finally looking up as Leira took the chair Carlos had been using. 

"You look good," Leira said. "Except... doesn't look like you got much sleep."

"Glad you approve," Tim said. "How did you get in?"

"I convinced Carlos to let me in."

"Still banging our star running back, I see," Tim said. "Good to hear."

She grinned, but it didn't get past her lips.

"What do you want?" Tim continued.

"Just to talk to you."

"Well, that's going to be one hell of a one-sided conversation, but knock yourself out." Tim stood up and started putting away the women's basketball files in a locked filing cabinet.

"Come on, Tim," she pleaded. "You must have questions."

He said nothing. He yanked open another drawer and haphazardly threw player files into a laptop case. He had everything he needed for Miami on his laptop, but he was trying to appear busy.

"For example," she continued, "why I walked out on you the way I did."

Tim stopped moving the files around in the cabinet and virtually froze in place. He rocked his head back slightly, and then turned around. He stayed quiet, and after a few seconds, Leira took that as her cue to keep going.

"I'm sorry, Tim," she said, standing up. Tim was afraid she was going to approach him, but instead, she just paced back and forth in front of the chair. "I was confused back then. I had just finished my Bachelor's degree, I had a job that could take me anywhere, and I just felt trapped."

Tim made his way back to his chair and sat down gingerly, as if even the slightest impact could bruise him. He finally took Leira's appearance in, for the first time in more than three years. She wore a pair of dark oversized Ray-Bans that covered up much more of her face than 99.9% of heterosexual males would have preferred, even though it was overcast outside and pretty dimly lit in his office. That was the only thing that was off, though. Her long, blonde hair hung down in loose curls, the tight yellow turtleneck she wore managed to accentuate her ample assets without coming off as trashy, and her blue jeans looked like they'd just been manufactured a few minutes ago - by Sherwin-Williams. 

Standing there in his office, more than three years after she'd dumped him, she was still head-over-heels gorgeous.

"I didn't know what I wanted, Tim," Leira said.

Then again, Tim thought... so were most porn stars. 

When he spoke, the ferocity in his voice shocked even Tim himself. He could only imagine what it did to Leira.

"Well, Leira," Tim said, "I'm glad you've finally fucking figured it out. I'm sure Carlos is great in bed. Probably even better than me. I hope he gives you all the orgasms your little pussy desires. Enjoy it. Enjoy it for the next four months. Because in April, Carlos is going to be a Top Ten pick in the NFL Draft. And once he signs that $13-million-a-year contract to carry the ball for the Chiefs or the Dolphins or the Texans or whoever gets lucky enough to take him... he's barely going to remember your name. He'll replace you with five others that look just like you, and if you even so much as mention moving to whatever city he's playing in, he'll laugh at you like that one dumb kid in the locker room who just doesn't get the fucking joke."

Tim felt like he should stand up now, with the roll he was on, but he calmly stayed seated. He gathered up a few notebooks and a couple dozen pens from a cup on the desk and nonchalantly deposited them in his bag.

"In one of the landmark cases of turnabout being fair play in the fucking history of mankind, Carlos McDonald is going to drop your ass like a bad habit. He's going to leave you in little old Durham, North Carolina, while he moves onto bigger and better things. Oh, he'll never forget you - after all, you're the dumb blonde he fucked the shit out of in college who honestly thought she was the one who could change him. He'll always remember you. But about three seconds after they call his name on ESPN, he'll forget your number."

Just then, Tim heard someone banging on one of the outer doors to the building. It was probably another player in to grab a quick ten-minute lift before taking off for Miami. Either way, Tim didn't care. He was more focused on the look on Leira's face. She was clearly stunned - he could tell that even with the sunglasses hogging up half her face. He had no idea if she was crying, but it wouldn't have shocked him. She was always quick to start the waterworks if things didn't go her way. Back then, he'd thought it was cute.

"Impressive," she croaked out after a minute. "That was never your style, Tim. You always did the right thing. You let J.T. bring the hellfire and brimstone."

"Yeah," Tim agreed. "Well, J.T. isn't here right now, but I'm glad he taught me well."

Leira started inching closer to him, effortlessly sweeping around the corner of his desk.

"And besides," Tim continued. "Who's saying it wasn't the right thing?"

Tim knew what was coming as she continued to creep closer. He braced himself for it, and when she plopped herself down in his lap, pressed her chest against his and draped her arms around his neck, he was ready for it. He thought it would overpower him, her scent and her touch enveloping him again after all this time.

It didn't.

It still briefly overwhelmed his senses, though, which is why it took him a few seconds to stand up, even with Leira in his lap. She fell back to sit on the edge of his desk. Out in the concourse, he heard Carlos yelling something as a door slammed again.

"So," Leira said, looking more than a bit put off. A lot of women would have thrown themselves at Tim one last time, but Tim knew better than to expect that. She had too much pride for that. "You really think you're going to be happy with Julia?"

She spat out her sister's name like it was poison she'd sucked from somebody's snakebite wound. For the first time since Leira had walked in the room, Tim felt his blood start to boil. He was nervous and panicked when she first came in, but he'd calmed himself down. Now, he was getting angry. His face hardened and he snapped his glare onto Leira.

"As opposed to you?" Tim said. "I think I'd be happier dating Rosie fucking O'Donnell."

Apparently Carlos was still hanging around, because he noisily choked back a laugh in the hallway outside. Tim picked up his office phone and started punching numbers. 

"Now," he said. "I'm calling campus security. Even on a Sunday morning, I don't think it'll take them more than five minutes to show up. Pretty sure you won't like what happens if you're still around when they get here."

She glared back at him for a long moment. During their relationship, they'd had fights as nasty as this one. They'd exchange vicious looks with each other, and sometimes hurled some brutal insults. But the rage would dissolve as they dragged each other down onto the nearest flat surface for passionate make-up sex.

Not this time. Without another word, Leira spun around and slammed the door behind her as she left. 

Tim sat back down in his chair and took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down again. He tried to process what had just happened.

Leira was probably telling the truth, he decided. She probably was confused back then, and maybe she wasn't ready to be in the kind of relationship they'd built together. Still, Tim thought... for one, she could have done things differently back then; she could have ended things a lot better than she did. Secondly, if she'd ended up with a husband and two kids by now, Tim might have bought the whole 'I didn't know what I wanted' bit. But no - Leira had eventually decided that sleeping with Carlos was a better life plan.

Even still, she'd been right. That little outburst wasn't Tim's style at all. And while he was glad to have said something that might have at least registered with her... he'd been right before. He didn't feel any better. Not one damn bit.

Tim couldn't put his finger on it, but cussing out Leira and telling her how worthless Carlos was about to make her feel did not stop Tim's world from spinning dangerously close to out of control. It didn't make things worse, but it really didn't make things better. 

He still felt like shit, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Tim threw a few final things into his bag, and five minutes after Leira left, Tim did the same. Carlos was leaning against the wall not even a foot away.

"Daaaaaamn, Doc," Carlos said. "That shit was ice cold."

"Did I say anything that wasn't true?"

Carlos considered that for a minute. "Yeah," he finally answered. "I know you pissed at her, Doc, but... you a red-blooded straight dude with a well-developed appreciation of the female form. I don't care what the bitch did to you -- you would not fuck Rosie O'Donnell over Leira. Even if she was into dick."

Tim laughed, hard. He didn't feel any better, but it did feel good to genuinely laugh at something. 

"I didn't say anything about fucking," Tim said as he locked up his office. "I said dating."

"Oh," Carlos said as they started down the hall. "OK, then, yeah. That big 'ol bitch might be fun to take out on the town one time."

Tim laughed again. "Who was that trying to get in while Leira was in my office?"

"Uh, yeah," Carlos said. "See, the thing is, Doc..."

Tim stopped and waited.

"Yeah," Carlos stammered, his eyes searching for a way out of this conversation. There wasn't one. "That was... yeah. That was your girl."

"Julia?" Tim was genuinely surprised.

"Yeah." Carlos looked like he'd just swallowed a bug.

"What is it?"

"She came in wanting to see you. By the time she got to the door though, Leira was all up on your jock, tryin' to break it down for you VIP style. She stood there for a second, then she stormed out."

Tim's fists started to clinch.

"I'm sorry, Doc. I tried to stop her. I was gonna tell her how bad you'd just smacked the girl down before she showed up, but she took off."




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 08



"Son of a ... fuck!" Tim said.

"You gonna go after her?"

Tim stood there in the concourse and stewed for a minute. He looked at his watch.

"No," he said, to Carlos' surprise. "We have about half an hour left before the bus takes off. If you don't get a shower, I'm FedExing your ass to Miami. I need to go to talk to Coach Taylor for a few minutes."

With that, Tim turned and walked away.

******

"Richards!" Hank Taylor yelled, piercing the dull roar of nearby Wednesday afternoon traffic - and quite possibly the sound barrier. "Get in there! And for God's sake, please show McDonald how to keep the fucking football off the grass!"

A player sprinted off the sidelines and into the practice huddle, and on his way, he passed Carlos, who was taking his time walking off the field. When he reached the sidelines and his irate coach, Carlos shrugged his shoulders and simply said he didn't know what was going on. 

"I know what's going on!" Taylor bellowed. "You started this season as another boring three-yards-a-carry running back in the ACC, and now you're close to being the top running back taken in the NFL Draft. And for some reason, now you think that means you don't have to hang onto my god-damned football!"

Tim stood nearby, chatting with the placekicker and watching Hank deliver an ass-chewing that would have made some of the offensive linemen cringe. N.C. State's football coach was not normally known for his calm demeanor anyway, but Tim noticed his face turning a shade of red generally reserved for little sports cars and the stop signs they're fond of running. 

He had his reasons, though - Carlos had coughed the ball up on three straight plays. He'd begun the practice by catching a tiny screen pass and breaking it for a touchdown, but it had been all downhill after that. Usually Hank let the running backs coach or offensive coordinator deal with such problems, but since the Wolfpack's game plan was more or less built around Carlos - specifically, Carlos not handing the other team the ball every time he touched it - Hank decided to dive into Carlos' ass with both hands.

Hank continued yelling, then finally turned his attention to the field. C.J. Franklin, N.C. State's sophomore quarterback, handed the ball to Carlos' understudy, Ashad Richards. To his credit, Richards didn't fumble the ball. He didn't make it past the line of scrimmage, either.

"Shit!" Taylor yelled, as Carlos just looked on. "You see that? You can't hold onto the ball, and Richards can't move the ball. You really want me to force C.J. to win this game for us?"

C.J. was pretty good at not making the big mistakes that tend to cost the team a game, but he was not the type of quarterback to take over a game and win with his arm. For that matter, N.C. State didn't have those kind of receivers, either. Taylor cussed quietly under his breath, waiting for a response that Carlos wasn't about to deliver.

"Go talk to Dr. Fetters," Taylor said, half-shoving Carlos toward Tim. "Whatever's in your head right now, you have about 12 seconds to get it the fuck out."

Carlos strode over to Tim, who sent the placekicker on his way. Neither man said anything for a minute, but when Hank looked over his shoulder and growled, Tim felt compelled to say something.

"I think your 12 seconds are up, Carlos," Tim said.

"Fine by me," Carlos said, grabbed his helmet off the bench and started back toward the field. Tim grabbed the sleeve of his jersey.

"What's going on?" Tim asked.

"Act like you don't know some more," Carlos replied, refusing to make eye contact.

"I don't know, Carlos," Tim answered. "You haven't made me aware of any problems."

"No," Carlos agreed, "I haven't. You made me aware of a couple, though. And you ain't doing shit to fix 'em."

Tim stared back, stunned. It didn't take him long to fire back a response.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Carlos?!" Tim yelled as loud as he could without attracting the attention of the rest of the team and the coaches. "The biggest game in school history is two days away, and you're going to half-ass it on the field because of something going on in _my_ personal life?"

Carlos was about to respond, but Tim wasn't near finished.

"That's un-fucking-acceptable, Carlos," Tim said. "My personal life is none of your God damned concern. You NEVER put yourself in front of the needs of this team, especially for something that does not involve you!"

Tim ran out of breath, but Carlos didn't have a response, either, so both men stood there icily staring at one another in the sweltering south Florida mid-day heat. Even on New Year's Day, it was still ridiculously hot, and both men were sweating.

"This isn't like you, Carlos, so I'm not going to say a damn thing to Coach about this," Tim said. "But you get your ass back on that field, and stop this junior high nonsense bullshit."

Carlos didn't budge. "No."

Tim turned his face to the side, almost as if he'd been slapped and was trying to absorb some of the sting.

"Excuse me?" Tim replied. "Look, McDonald," he said, using his last name for the first time since Carlos' sophomore year. "You come over to my house a lot for parties and such, and I consider you a friend. But right now, we're not friends. I'm a team official you just disobeyed. Guessing Coach Taylor won't be all that pleased."

"And I'm guessin' Coach Taylor won't give a shit," Carlos said. "You see Richie Rich out there, getting his ass drilled by the third-string D-line. I get a DUI tonight and Coach'll find a way to get me on the field Friday night. Disrespecting you ain't going to matter."

Tim was unmoved. Carlos had a point, but Hank Taylor did put a lot of stock in Tim's thoughts on his players' mental health. Tim knew if he really wanted to, he could convince Coach Taylor that their star running back was having mental issues and couldn't be trusted to hang onto the ball. 

"Let's test that theory," Tim said after a few more seconds of silence. He started toward the coach, but Carlos stepped in front of him. He put the helmet back down on the bench and put a hand on Tim's shoulder.

"Listen, Doc. Listen to me for one damned minute, and then I'll get back on the field, just like you want. Hell, I'll even tell Taylor that I just fumbled three times to get your attention. But stand there, and fuckin' listen."

Tim checked his watch, implying that he was counting to 60 seconds.

"First, I ain't hittin' it with Leira no more."

"Carlos, what you do is your business," Tim replied.

"I know that," he said. "And while I know this is the pot callin' the kettle black, I can't be with no girl who could do you like that."

Tim nodded. "The whole 'bros before hos' concept."

Carlos made a face. "Uh, yeah, if this was like ten years ago."

"Thirty seconds," Tim said impatiently.

"Let your girl off the hook, Doc," Carlos said.

"Oh, now you're the one giving orders?" Tim replied indignantly.

"For the next half a minute, yeah," Carlos said. 

"Why the hell is this even your concern?" Tim asked.

"Because you and I both own cell phones, but apparently, I'm the only one who answers mine."

Tim had no reply to that, and looked at the grass.

"She didn't do a damn thing wrong, Doc," Carlos continued. "Well, she did almost get herself arrested for beatin' the shit out of Leira at the party, but that shit was actually kinda funny. Anyway--"

"Say what?" Tim asked curiously.

"You saw them ginormous sunglasses Leira had on the other day," Carlos answered. "Bitch had a black eye the size of a damn grapefruit. Your girl caught her with the best left hook I seen since Ali-Frazier."

Tim couldn't help himself, and let out a small laugh. He'd seen Julia when she was angry. Incredibly sexy, just like every other moment of her life, but not a whole lot of fun to be around.

"Anyway, she ain't done nothin' wrong, Doc," Carlos said. "Yeah, you findin' that shit out was like gettin' yo ass whooped by Kersee and the fat boys over there. I get that. Needed some time to work shit out. Get that, too. But see, you and I ain't the same. Me? I do all my business between the sheets, and when it's over, that right there is the door, and it closes kinda fast, so get through it kinda quick-like, know what I'm sayin'?"

Tim looked down at the ground and shook his head. Carlos certainly had a way with words.

"But you? And most people, I guess? Y'all do this whole love deal. I ain't never gonna understand it, but even I ain't dumb enough to miss the way you look at her, man. You love that girl. You had some time to deal with shit. Now, leave it in the past, and get back to what's going on in the here and now."

Tim looked up and made eye contact with the star running back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized this scenario was, on the surface, extremely absurd. He held two post-graduate degrees in psychology, and yet, here was a dread-locked, gold-toothed, soon-to-be multi-millionaire athlete standing here putting things in terms even the biggest moron in the world could understand.

Coach Taylor again glared at Tim and Carlos, and gestured toward the field. Tim nodded.

"Do me a favor, Carlos," Tim said after a few seconds. "Don't go around making this much sense in the NFL. You're gonna give N.C. State a bad reputation. Football players are supposed to be idiots."

"Hey, you know how I do," Carlos said. "I can be the dumbest smart dude in the room, if that's what I gotta be."

"Yes, I'm well aware," Tim replied. "And not that it's any of your business, but..." Tim trailed off. Carlos waited, despite hearing several coaches groan at yet another bad play by the backup running back. 

"I've got a plan," Tim said. "We get back on Saturday, and I'm kidnapping Julia and taking her to Hilton Head Island for a few days. Just the two of us in a little cottage by the ocean."

"Some body rockin' knockin' da boots," Carlos replied, blatantly ripping off an R&B song from the 90s.

"In your language, yes."

"Well, definitely do that," Carlos said, "but you know how that Snickers commercial goes, right? Why wait?" Carlos grasped his helmet and turned toward the field.

Tim looked the question at Carlos.

"Might wanna get back to the hotel, Doc," he said. "Never know who might be waitin' on ya."

He grinned as he ran back onto the field, inserting himself in the huddle and sending Ashad Richards back to the coaches. Tim walked over to Coach Taylor.

"What the fuck was that about?" Taylor asked him.

"Sir, keep in mind, if you ask me that question again, I'm going to have to answer it," Tim replied, and Taylor threw him a look.

"OK, let me put it a different way," Taylor said. "He gonna fumble my football anymore?"

"No, sir."

"Then I don't give a fuck."

Tim figured as much. "I need to get back to the hotel, Coach. Have to get some notes together for the basketball team."

"Get outta here," Taylor replied. "See ya in the morning for film."

Tim took off toward the exit. The last thing he saw before leaving the field was Carlos putting the ball on the ground again - in the end zone after a 70-yard touchdown run. 

Tim treated the rented Honda Accord like there was a logo spray-painted on the hood, zigging and zagging through mid-afternoon south Florida traffic like it was the Daytona 500. He got Carlos' meaning, and he didn't want to keep Julia waiting. She had to be pissed off about what she'd seen in his office. Obviously, things weren't completely torched -- Carlos could be pretty convincing, but if Julia really thought Tim and Leira were messing around in his office that morning, not even Carlos could have convinced her to come down to Miami. Still, he hadn't been returning anybody's phone calls, Julia's included, and Tim had no idea how long she would wait before giving up and going back to the airport.

Tim left the car with the valet and sprinted into the lobby at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, the ridiculously expensive hotel N.C. State was shelling out large wads of cash for. He didn't see her in the lobby or the gift shop, and he was just about to go upstairs and check his room when he spotted her sitting at the bar in one of the resort's restaurants.

He took three steps toward the bar, but the sight of her froze him in his tracks. She wore a purple diagonally pinstriped blouse along with a black skirt that made most standard-issue miniskirts look like hand-me-downs from an Amish village. It was barely four on a Wednesday, but she was dressed like it was midnight on a weekend in South Beach. The restaurant was about half-full, but she might as well have been the only person within four blocks.

Tim made his way into the restaurant and stopped behind her without letting her know he was there. Just watching her sit patiently, twirling the umbrella in her fruity drink, seemingly oblivious to the attention she was getting from the men in the joint, sucked all the air from Tim's lungs and left him momentarily breathless.

It took him a minute to find the words.

"Good God, you are the most gorgeous woman in the world," Tim said, and waited impatiently for her reply. When he got it, he was sure everything was okay. 

"You haven't even seen the front of me yet," she replied, still facing the bar.

"True," Tim said. "Would you care to fix that?"

"If you want something, you have to go out and get it."

Tim grinned to himself. He stepped up even closer to Julia, placing his hands on her shoulders and enjoying the coy moan she let slip from her lips as a result. He tried to savor the moment, relishing her scent and memorizing the curves of her shoulder, the gentle slope of her neck, and the way her dark hair hung loosely over both. 

Finally his impatience took over, and he quickly spun Julia around on the barstool. She became the aggressor then, pulling Tim's face down to her own and crushing him with a violent, passionate kiss that left anyone who might have been watching stunned. For one, the bartender was staring blatantly.

Tim felt Julia's hands roam up and under his red N.C. State polo shirt, and he had to fight not to return the favor with her purple top.

"Upstairs?" Tim said, pulling away from Julia's oral assault for a split-second.

"Now," she replied, breaking away and pulling Tim after her. Tim spotted the bartender chuckling slightly as they half-ran, half-jogged out of the bar and to the bank of nearby elevators.

The ride to the fourth floor was short, which was probably the only reason their clothes stayed on the entire time. Luckily, Tim's room was only three doors down from the elevators, or he might not have been able to resist the urge to throw Julia down in the corridor.

Once inside his room with the door locked, their clothes never stood a chance. Her up-scale, attention-attracting attire, and his practical, N.C. State issued casual gear - all of it landed in various heaps throughout the room. Before they hit the bed, though, Julia needed to use the bathroom really quickly, one of those mysterious "freshen up" things that Tim neither understood nor cared to.

When she came back, Tim decided to offer her an out.

"You know, I figured you'd want to talk first," Tim said. Julia quickly closed the gap between she and Tim and pushed him backwards onto the bed, falling on top of him with the momentum.

"Oh, we'll do plenty of talking later," she promised. "I'm only going to talk now if you make me."

******

"Can we play a game?" Julia asked.

"I'm pretty sure we just played several," Tim replied, eliciting a long, drawn out giggle from his girlfriend. The pair sat in the in-room jacuzzi tub, naked and tangled up together in the 106-degree water, nothing else in the room but a bottle of champagne and two glasses. The sun had gone down about an hour ago, but neither Tim nor Julia had really noticed. They'd spent the entire afternoon wearing out every available surface in the room, with a few choice power naps mixed in here and there.

"Sure we did," Julia answered. "But we _do_ need to talk. So, let's do it this way. I ask you a question, you ask me one. We go back and forth till we're both satisfied."

"Define satisfied."

"Mentally satisfied," Julia responded. "It'll take a lifetime and then some to physically satisfy you, you pervert."

"Yeah, and the next time you complain will be the first time."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing."

"Go ahead. I'll answer anything you want."

"Except my phone calls?"

Tim's face fell. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I knew you were mad at me, and I didn't really want to deal with that this week. I needed to focus. If it's any consolation, I didn't answer J.T.'s or Sheila's either."

"You're not dating either one of them," Julia said. "And thinking about me makes it hard to focus?" Julia asked. It was clear she was a little bit hurt.

"That's another question."

"My game, my rules," she replied. "And I get a follow-up."

"Ohhh, I see how this is going to go. Next you're going to tell me I'm only allowed to ask yes-or-no questions."

"No, I won't," she said, poking Tim in the ribs. "How does thinking about me affect your focus?"

"Well, let's see," Tim said. "Maybe because thinking of you tends to send all the blood that's supposed to be in the one head racing uncontrollably toward the other?" 

Julia laughed heartily, but refused to let the subject go.

"Really, babe," she said. "You didn't answer my calls because you thought I'd be mad. Why?"

"Carlos told me about your trip to the arena. The last time you saw me, your sister was doing her best Spearmint Rhino impression behind my desk at the arena," Tim replied. "He said you took off before he could catch you, which is saying something considering how fast that fucker is. Anyway, that sounded pissed to me."

"Oh, I was," Julia said. "I got outside to my car, cussed worse than you, and started the car."

She let that hang in the air for a second.

"But then I realized you wouldn't do that."

"You have that much faith in me?" Tim asked.

"Yes, but that's not why," Julia replied. "Look, I know she's drop dead sexy, and I'm not naïve enough to think any red-blooded male wouldn't enjoy having her bouncing on his crotch, even if he had me to do the exact same thing for him."

As she spoke, Julia slid closer to Tim on the seat and draped her right leg over Tim's left. It was half-sexual and half-cuddly, but it felt very right to Tim.

"But when I thought for a half-second, I knew there was no way you'd let that happen. Not with her, not after... whatever she did. I have no clue what happened, but just being around you these past couple years, I knew you wanted nothing to do with her again."

Tim began stroking her leg, lightly massaging her calf and the underside of her knee. Julia sighed contently.

"So, I started walking back to your office, and I was just about at the door when she came outside. Tears were streaming down her face, but when she saw me, she started sneezing. Guess she was trying to act like it was her allergies. Anyway, I asked her what had happened, and she just glared at me and told me to, and I quote, 'Figure it out for your fucking self.'"

"Sounds about right."

"I told her that whatever you'd done or said, I had no doubt she deserved it. She got back in her car before I could give her a matching set of black eyes."

"Yeah, Carlos told me about that," Tim said as he busted out laughing. "As much as I wanted to get out of there, I wish I'd stuck around just a little longer to see what you did."

"Not my finest hour," she admitted, "but it felt damn good at the time. Anyway, I couldn't get back inside the building, but I saw your office lights were off through the door."

"Ah," Tim said. "I wish I'd have stuck around a little longer."

"Me too," she said, and then things got quiet for a minute. "How did that feel, though? Having her on your lap again?" Her voice sounded so shy, as if she was a little nervous about hearing the answer. Tim knew how to fix that.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 08



"You ever felt great physical pleasure while simultaneously wanting to throw up all over yourself?"

It was Julia's turn to laugh out loud now.

"First off, she was on my lap about two seconds before I shoved her onto the desk. The physical sensations... it felt like every lapdance I've ever had. Like you said, she's not tough to look at, and there's a reason men enjoy strip clubs. A small part of me was interested, sure."

"Oh, I don't know how small it is," Julia teased, licking her lips seductively. 

"Eh, well, I'd hope only a couple inches were actually interested, and the other five or six were just giving in to peer pressure."

Julia spit out the champagne she'd been sipping as she laughed.

"Anyway, the rest of me... not only did it not feel right, it felt wrong. Very, very wrong. I jumped up and dumped her onto the desk in the process."

"I can understand that," Julia said. "It's fight or flight. Someone who's done what she did, your mind wanted to get as far away as possible."

"That's part of it," Tim agreed.

"Oh? What's the other part?" Julia asked.

"Enough questions out of you. You'll get another turn."

"Fine," Julia said, psuedo-pouting. She slid over to sit on Tim's lap, laying back against his chest.

"How is she your sister?" Tim asked. "Much to your dismay, you're stuck with me now, and much to my dismay, she is family to you. Chances are good that Sunday won't be the last time I see her. What's the connection?"

"We have the same dad," Julia answered. "Right around Ashley's - Leira's - first birthday, my dad cheated on her mom. He met my mom at some kind of business conference in Charlotte, and one thing led to another. The affair lasted maybe three months before my dad ended it. He wasn't ever going to leave Ashley's mom, and he knew it. My mom was pretty mad at him, so she never told him she was pregnant. Just before I was born, she met my stepdad, so I always thought he was my dad. On my thirteenth birthday, they sat me down and told me about it. My mom called him and told him, and I actually met him the next day, along with the four kids he had with his wife."

"Wow," Tim said. 

"Yeah, and then my mom and step-dad had two kids of their own, so I'm kind of stuck in the middle. I share a dad with four people and a mom with two, but no one else on Earth has the same two parents I do."

"Wow," Tim repeated, and hugged Julia to his chest. Her nipples brushed up against his forearms. "I'm sorry, hon; that had to be rough."

"Sometimes," Julia agreed. "But really, my brother and sister from my mom and step-dad, they've always treated me like a full sister, because they were ten and eight when they found out I wasn't. By that time, you realize love is thicker than blood, you know?"

Tim nodded, not that Julia could see.

"Besides," Julia continued. "When I think about it, under the circumstances, I got off pretty lucky. I was mad at my mom for keeping it from me for so long, but I understand why she did it. My step-dad is the primary person I think of when I think of a father figure, so I've never felt cheated, but my real dad always has told me he'd have been there from the beginning if he'd known about it. Even his wife, the little I know of her, seems like a good person."

"How did she take the news that he'd had an affair?"

Julia tilted her head back and smiled. "Now who's asking the follow-ups?"

"Well, if you want to keep talking about this all night, that's fine with me," Tim said, lightly stroking Julia's stomach. It wasn't flat and taut by any means, but he liked her that way. "I just don't want to have to come back to this subject. It's certainly not my favorite, and I get the feeling you'd rather spend your words elsewhere, too. Figured we'd just get it out of the way."

"He told her about it a year after it happened," Julia said. "They separated for a while, but eventually she forgave him and they got back together."

"Good-hearted woman," Tim said, and Julia just nodded. Tim leaned down and kissed her behind the right ear. "I know one of those."

Julia purred.

"I will never, ever cheat on you, but I've put you through plenty," he continued. "I think you've earned that title."

Julia quickly spun around on Tim's lap, draping a leg on either side of him. "I want to say something about that, but I want to ask another question first."

"Anything."

"What did she do to you, Tim?" Julia asked. "I know you don't like talking about it, but really, I'd like to know."

Tim took his own glass of champagne off the edge of the tub and took a sip. He didn't really care for the taste, but he swished it around in his mouth for a few seconds anyway - as good a way to stall as any, he figured. 

"You know, this stuff tastes like a carton of milk and a bottle of apple juice met up in a South Padre hotel over Spring Break, fucked, and then fermented."

Julia laughed. "That's funny. Why do you drink it then?"

"You like it," Tim said. "And I might not like the way it tastes in my mouth, but for some reason, I like the way your tongue tastes when you're drinking it."

"Like this?" Julia leaned forward and drew Tim into another kiss, giving him more than enough opportunity to get another taste. She was silent for a few moments after breaking the liplock.

"I saw how you changed the subject there, Tim," she said. "Look, you don't have to talk about it if you --"

Tim made a "shh" noise and continued to stroke Julia's collarbones with his palms. He drew in a long, steady breath, and expelled it just as slowly.

He told her all of it then. He told her how they'd met, how close they'd become, how serious he'd believed their relationship was getting, and how he was making plans for their future. He told her about their sex life without getting into raunchy details. 

He told her how they'd spend long weekends together at one of J.T.'s dad's houses on the Outer Banks, or how they'd go on week-long road trips, driving up and down the east coast shopping, going to baseball games and trying to have sex in every city along I-95 from Jacksonville to D.C. He told her about their dual struggles to get through school, about how sometimes they'd spend entire weekends cooped up in his apartment or hers, splitting the time pretty evenly between medical books and the bedroom.

And of course, he told her about how it ended with a phone call from his best friend, with him sitting half-naked on the floor of his tiny apartment, wondering if it was all a fucking joke or some crazy-ass nightmare. 

"Wow." It was Julia's turn to seem amazed now. "That's a pretty shitty way to find out."

"Yeah," Tim agreed. "It wasn't a whole lot of fun. Sometimes, when I let myself think about it, I wonder how much further things would have gone if J.T. hadn't called me that day. I mean, yeah, she'd told her friend she was going to break up with me, but I wonder if she would have had the guts to do it. She might have gone off fucking other people and kept acting like we were a couple. Kinda makes me shudder when I think about it."

"Jesus." Julia's hair hung down in front of her face, so he couldn't see her face as she said it.

"Yeah, pretty sure I used his name in vain a few times back then. I haven't spoken to her since, and hadn't seen her until Sunday."

"I'm so sorry, Tim," Julia said. He heard her voice catch, and he brushed her hair out of the way, only to see tears running down her face.

"What's wrong?" Tim asked.

"You know what's wrong," she said. "I love you, damnit, and I can't imagine how horrible you must have felt."

"Ah," Tim replied, and simply wrapped his arms tighter around Julia's buoyant body. "I wouldn't wish it on anyone, even her, and it's certainly nothing I ever want to feel again."

"Look at me," she said, and locked onto Tim's eyes. He met her eye contact 100 percent. 

"I am," Tim replied. "Why the hell would I want to look anywhere else?"

"It's not something you're ever going to feel again," Julia said. Her words were carefully measured. She wasn't excited or overly upset - anyone listening in on the conversation would think it was just a casual chat between two lovers just from the tone. Still, she spoke with a firmness that made Tim believe every word she said, while also talking sweetly enough to sound almost flirtatious. 

"I don't care what she or any other woman has ever done to you, Tim. I know it's hard to forget, but I'm going to do my damndest to make you."

She ran her fingers lightly up and down Tim's chest while she gathered her next thoughts. Tim knew she wasn't done, and he wasn't about to interrupt her.

"I'm a patient woman, Tim. You know that. I waited for you for almost two years. I played your little 'friends with benefits' game because I knew you needed space. I acted like I was perfectly OK with you seeing other women. I knew if I gave you time, you'd come around. The only time I doubted that was that night at your house when you found out about my job offer, and an hour later, you finally pulled your head out of your ass, and we were a couple.

She backed away a little, giving Tim an incredible view of her incredible body.

"Even since then, I've tried to let you ease your way into commitment again. But now, Tim... now I need to say something, OK?" Her pace increased slightly but Tim could tell she was fighting valiantly to keep herself under control. "That whole time we were 'just friends?' The thought of you being with someone else made me sick to my stomach. Ever since I met you at Sheila's engagement party, I knew I wanted to have one of those parties with you a few years down the road."

Tim just sat and listened, half-shocked. 

"You said it yourself that night on the deck with J.T. - we just fit. We like the same things, we have the same goals in life, and we have fun together. You make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, whether I'm dressed to go out or lounging around in sweats. You're my comfort zone and my out-of-the-box adventure all rolled into one. I've never lacked self-confidence, but knowing you're into me just kind of confirms everything I've worked toward my whole life. It's hard to explain."

Tim just smiled and nodded at her. He understood it. Perfectly.

"The past couple years have been hell, Tim. Absolute hell. I've loved you for a really long time, and now you're finally letting me show it. I've been patient, but I can't be patient anymore. There's no way I'm going to do anything to lose you, all right? I know you don't --"

"I love you, too."

"-- feel that way right now, but - what?"

"I'm pretty sure you heard me."

Julia went from speed-talking to speechless in an instant. She went at least half a minute without even breathing, and Tim started to worry she wouldn't draw a breath again unless he said something.

"But, you're going to make me say it again, aren't you?"

The beautiful woman sitting on his lap just nodded.

"I love you, Julia. I really do. If nothing else, these past few days have shown me that."

She finally let her lungs do their job, but she remained silent.

"Being in my office with Leira didn't feel right the other day, not because it was her, but because it wasn't you. I meant what I said to J.T. that night. I believe things happen for a reason. If she'd decided to stay with me back then, you and I might not be together right now. Everything that has happened - my relationship with Leira, your dad and your mom having an affair, all the stupid things I've said and done to you - has led to us being here right now, and I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be."

She stayed glued to his eyes, but hers started to water.

"I've been holding back since we met," Tim said, "and you know that. Even after we started dating, I've found it difficult to give you everything I can. That's not fair to myself, but it's extremely unfair to you. All this time you've been so open, so honest, and so patient with me, and I've..."

Tim trailed off, but Julia wasn't going to let him off the hook without finishing the thought.

"Your patience was so valuable to me, baby," Tim said. "I needed to go at my own pace, and I appreciated that more than you will ever know. But your wait is over, OK? You don't have to be patient anymore."

The tears began again, and Julia melted into Tim's chest. He held her as tightly as he could, not wanting to choke her to death, but also wanting to show her with actions what she'd just told him with words - that he had no plans to let her go, either. 

"Hey, baby," Tim said. "This is supposed to be a happy time, yeah? That's not something to brag to the boys about - 'Yeah, I told Julia I loved her, and she bawled.'"

"It is happy," she replied. "I'm very, very happy. Very happy."

"Hmm," Tim said. Despite all the emotional conversation, his cock was rock hard again. Having Julia wriggling around on his lap didn't hurt, either. "Think I could have a shot at making you even happier?" 

"Do you ever not think about sex?" Julia chuckled, keeping her head on Tim's shoulder but grinding her ass against his crotch for emphasis.

"Sure," Tim said. "Once in a while, I dream about football."

"Football has cheerleaders, though."

"Good point," Tim replied. "So, I guess the answer is no."

"I'll have to learn to live with that," she said, reaching down to grip the base of his cock. A few seconds later, she was sliding down around him.

She was content to take her time, slowly bouncing up and down, savoring the feeling of his cock as she slid gracefully up and down. She was so incredibly beautiful.

"You know, Jules," Tim said. "I did just tell you didn't have to be patient anymore."

"Yeah, but, like I said," she replied, tossing her hair back as she bounced up and down. "I'm usually really good at patience. Tonight, I failed miserably, so, I guess I need more practice."



Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 09



 Note: Special thanks go out to my two regular editors, LilTexasSexFiend and AnInsatiableReader, for making this infinitely better than it was when I first wrote it. As always, let me know what you think, through voting, comments or private feedback. All three works too! ;-) 

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FOUR MONTHS LATER

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Tim savored the view as he swung his SUV up the gravel path into his driveway. Spring was finally in full effect in central North Carolina, and that meant a full Sunday afternoon compliment of boaters and partiers on the lake behind his house. He loved this house, the view, and everything it meant about who he was, everything he'd had to accomplish to make it happen. 

In some ways, it was a shame he'd be leaving it behind soon.

The garage door opened, and Tim couldn't help but chuckle. He'd been trying to buy Julia a new car since January. She needed no convincing that her Camry was a piece of shit on wheels and badly in need of replacing. Letting him buy the car for her, though... that had taken Tim plenty of convincing. When she'd finally acquiesced, Tim told her she could get anything she wanted, and prepared himself to spend a bunch of money on some foreign luxury car or an American psuedo-sports car.

Instead, she had chosen the beast Tim pulled up next to now, a dark green Dodge Ram -- loaded with every option imaginable and fine-tuned to guzzle more gas than a 747. Indeed, Julia was full of surprises -- just one of the many reasons Tim loved her. 

He grabbed the bag off the passenger's seat of his Mariner and made his way into the house as quietly as possible. He and Julia had been at it all weekend, and since they both had Monday off, neither planned to stop anytime soon. The marathon had taken them all over the house, and their last session had ended in one of the guest rooms. Julia had fallen asleep right there on the bed and he'd taken advantage of that to run out and get what he needed. He didn't want to wake her up just yet.

Tim stopped in the game room downstairs and hid the bag in the cabinet with all the 360 and PS3 games. As much as Julia loved all things masculine, she'd never gotten into video games, so he doubted she'd find it there. He also checked his top desk drawer in his office, making sure all the paperwork he needed was there. He so hoped everything would work out like he'd planned.

Julia hadn't been out of his sight for more than an hour, and yet, Tim found himself missing her already. With everything set downstairs, he quickly but quietly ascended the staircase to the second floor and the guest room where he'd left Julia slumbering peacefully. He expected to see her lying on her back, her chest rising and falling gently, and he steeled himself to experience her beauty.

Tim didn't get what he expected.

Oh, what he saw froze in him place, all right, and his beautiful girlfriend was indeed lying on her back. Her chest wasn't rising and falling slowly, though - it was doing so erratically, matching the movement of her right arm between her legs. As she fingered herself, her left hand tweaked one of her nipples, and she moaned softly each time she hit some combination of the right spots. Her dark brown hair, which had grown out some since the new year began, fanned out on the pillow underneath her head.

Tim stepped back out of the doorway so she wouldn't spot him spying on her, but made sure he still had a good view. He'd never watched her do this - at least, not when he wasn't right there beside her doing the same thing - and he knew this was something he didn't want to miss.

"Oh, fuck," she cried out, now sliding three fingers in and out of her slick tunnel. Tim had managed to get three inside her on occasion, but it was also an extremely tight fit. So even though his fingers were larger, he figured she had to be stretching herself pretty good. She continued pumping them in and out of herself for a few more seconds, then focused her attention more on her clit as she inched closer to an orgasm.

Tim's cargo shorts suddenly became very tight, and he loosened his belt and unzipped his fly to give himself more room. Julia was writhing on the bed under the smooth manipulation of her own fingers, no doubt bringing herself right to the edge, only to back down for a few moments to cool off before repeating the process.

"Oh, fuck!" she repeated, now feverishly rubbing her clit. The way she was getting into this, how incredibly worked up she got -- it made Tim more horny than he had been in a long time, which was saying something. 

She was positively gorgeous, but the longer he stood and watched the show, the less he felt like enjoying the view, and the more he wanted to get involved.

He finally pulled his cock from his boxers, and was just about to start jerking himself off when he heard Julia continue. "My fingers are nice, but I wish it was your tongue, baby."

Tim stopped and half-smiled. He should have known she saw him watching her from the hallway. He half-heartedly lamented the fact that he hadn't hidden himself better, because he was sure he really would have enjoyed the show Julia put on. 

Of course, in exchange for missing the show, he got to do what Julia had asked. Pretty decent trade-off as far as Tim was concerned. 

He quickly undressed, leaving his thrown-together ensemble of weekend clothes in a pile in the hallway, and made his way quietly to the bed. She obviously knew he was there, but she didn't open her eyes or make any move to acknowledge his presence as he moved toward her. Her legs were half hanging over the side of the bed, so he knelt down and spent a few seconds watching Julia's fingers work at close range. 

Her scent was much more powerful close up, and he could hear the various noises she made -- the way her breath caught in her throat, her subtle and not so subtle moaning -- much more clearly. He marveled at her mostly bare pussy, following the single "landing strip" of hair from just south of her waist to her clit. He could see how wet she was, and he followed a single drop of moisture as it leaked from her pussy and added to the wet spot on his sheets. 

There were just two senses left to satisfy, and when Tim could take it no longer, he slid his hands under Julia's ass cheeks and dove tongue-first into her pussy, grinning when she screamed at the sudden shock.

"TIM!!!!!" she shrieked. "OH MY GOD!!!"

She instinctively squeezed her legs together, locking her heels around Tim's upper back. He hadn't been planning on stopping anyway, but she was making absolutely sure of it.

"Holy fuck, that's just... I was just thinking about... OH!" Julia exclaimed. "Oh, fuck, lick my pussy, baby!"

Tim held her wrist in place, forcing her to continue rubbing her clit as he tongue fucked her pussy deeply. He knew his tongue wasn't all that long, but for some reason, he felt like he was hitting places with it tonight that he'd never reached before.

"Oh, God, if I'd known," Julia started, but then trailed off. It was like somewhere in her subconscious, she realized putting together coherent thoughts wasn't really worth the effort. "Known... all I had to... think of you and you'd be here..."

Tim ramped up the intensity with his tongue so she would stop talking. Not that he didn't love hearing her voice, but she'd caught him peeping fair and square, so there was no need to act otherwise. He really just wanted her to relax and enjoy the orgasm he was about to deliver.

Tim dug his fingers into Julia's pliable asscheeks, pulling her as hard into his face as he could. As his tongue continued its assault on her pussy, his nose brushed back and forth against her clit, fighting her fingers for the honor. It had been a day or so since Tim had shaved, so he figured she might be enjoying the stubble on his jaw rubbing that sensitive stretch of skin between her pussy and her ass.

Julia moved her hand away from her clit and grabbed Tim's hair instead. Tim also needed a haircut, and Julia was taking full advantage of the extra length. Tim responded by pulling his right hand back toward his body and sinking two fingers into her sopping pussy, which just added to her incoherent babbling. The juices from her excitement were enlarging the already-large wet spot on the bed, but enough of them were dripping down onto her ass that it gave Tim a mischievous idea of how to finish her off. He didn't use it all that often, but when Julia was in the right mood, it sent her spiraling off the charts.

He added his ring finger to the index and middle finger that were already sawing in and out of her pussy, figuring she was lubed up enough for the extra pressure. He pressed his right thumb hard over her clit and used his pinky to gather up a copious amount of her juices. He gently raked the tip of his pinky over her perfect pink rosebud, giving her a split-second warning before pushing it inside her.

Julia's eyes shot open and she looked at him in amazement, but he never gave her the chance to say anything. He fucked her with all four fingers and rubbed her clit furiously with his thumb. With no room for his tongue to contribute downstairs, he bit the soft part of her stomach, just beneath her belly button. Her fingers, tangled up in his hair, became almost painful -- almost.

It didn't take much longer for Tim to finish what Julia had started. She tensed up, and all the random words and noises stopped, replaced by a high-pitched humming, like a squeal trapped hopelessly between her vocal chords and her lips.

Her thighs really locked down on his upper back now, making it a little hard to breathe as Tim furiously fingered this beautiful woman to an explosive orgasm. Julia's pussy gushed, drowning his fingers with juices as her hips bucked against his assault. After a few seconds, he just pushed his fingers in as far as he could and held still while she handled the rest, rocking herself down off her high at her own pace. He simply stared into her eyes, slipping a little bit deeper in love with her as she slipped from her orgasmic perch.

It took a few more minutes after that for her to open her eyes and realize he was staring at her. She smiled as broadly as she could.

"That was amazing," she said. "Just... mind-blowing."

"It was pretty good from down here, too," he answered. "Let me go."

Julia blushed just a little and relaxed her grip around his torso.

"A little too tight?" she asked.

"No," Tim half-lied. "I just wanted to slide up next to you," he said, doing just that, "so I could do this."

Tim crawled up beside her, cupped one of her full breasts in his palm, and gave her a deep kiss, the kind where his tongue fought her tongue for the right to get down the other's throat. There were times when the intensity forced him to close his eyes, but he did his best to keep them open and look into hers. Tim wasn't so good with words when it came to emotions, so he hoped this would do the talking for him.

"Wow," she said. "That was nice."

"That's a word for it," Tim agreed.

"I remember when you used to do that, before you told me how you really felt," she said. "That was so unfair."

"It was," Tim said. "I hadn't told YOU how I felt yet. That didn't mean I wasn't already feeling it."

She simply smiled. They'd had this conversation once or twice -- she understood.

"That was just crazy though," she said, turning away from him and into a spoon position. "I was just thinking about how great it would feel for you to be licking my pussy instead of me using my fingers. I think I may have even said it out loud. And then... all the sudden, there you were."

Tim's face screwed up in confusion.

"You did say it," he replied. "I was standing in the hallway, you saw me, and then you said that. I figured that was your way of telling me to get over to the bed."

"You were there?" she exclaimed, turning her head back to look at him. "I didn't even know you were home!"

A smile slowly crept onto his face.

"I just assumed you'd seen me watching you in the hallway. I couldn't think of any other reason you'd say what you said."

"I have a very active imagination," she answered. "I was visualizing you down on your knees, in between my legs, using that magical tongue to take me places..." she trailed off. "And then you did."

"Damn," Tim said. "I could have stayed out there and watched your show a little longer."

"My show?" she asked, curiously. "Wait, how long were you out there?"

"Not long," Tim said. "Long enough to see that you were enjoying yourself, and long enough to see that I didn't want to miss it."

She chuckled, and Tim felt her neck flush against his chest. "Did you like what you saw?"

Tim laughed out loud and ground his rock-hard cock into her ass. "What do you think?"

Julia pushed her ass back against his crotch, drawing a groan from him. "I think... that I will keep that in mind for the future. But right now, there's something else I want to do for you."

Tim was about to ask when he felt Julia's hand grip his cock. She looked over her shoulder at him and licked her lips seductively.

"Is this for me?" she asked, clearly teasing him.

"No, but, nobody else is around," Tim joked. "So, I guess you'll do."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Uh huh," she said. "Shut up." Julia shifted her left leg forward slightly and positioned Tim's cock at her slick entrance. "Shut up and fuck me."

Tim had grown incredibly hard while he'd been eating Julia out, and he needed no further invitation. He took hold of her leg and speared into her with one thrust, her juices from earlier making it easy to sink most of the way in.

"Fuck!" she spat out. "So fucking full this way."

Tim really raised her leg up now, taking advantage of her flexibility to rest her leg across his left arm. Not only did it give him more leverage for fucking her, but it gave him unfettered access to her ample tits.

"Pinch them, Tim!" Julia cried out. A second later, she added a pleading, "Please?"

Tim grinned to himself. This was a game Julia liked to play sometimes. Tim would decide when she came, he'd be in the dominant positions, and she'd play the role of submissive down to the letter. But make no mistake; it was Julia's show now. Sometimes she just decided she wanted things a little bit rougher, and when that happened, she always dictated the pace of things.

Tim had just been gently caressing her breasts, but he gave her what she wanted, twisting and pulling her left nipple between his thumb and forefinger before moving to the other side. 

"You like that, Julia?" Tim's question was purely rhetorical. Julia knew it, but she answered it anyway.

"Fuck yes," Julia replied. "I'd like it better if you gave it to me even harder."

Tim cut off the dialogue then and focused on slamming his hips into her ass as hard as he possibly could, drawing a slight whimper from her each time he made contact. His pace slowed way down, but he wasn't holding anything back each time he drove back inside of her.

His right hand was still playing with her tits, but she gripped his wrist and slowly moved it up towards her face. He thought she was going to start sucking on his fingers, but she stopped short of her mouth, leaving his hand resting on her neck.

"Squeeze me." She whispered it, but even with all the noise their hips were making, he still heard her loud and clear.

This was new territory for he and Julia. Oh, they'd gotten rough before, but what she was asking now required an extraordinary level of trust. For a split-second, Tim was just flattered she was willing to ask him to do it.

He tightened his fingers just a little, loosely wrapping them around her neck. It was just enough to give her the feeling of being choked but not nearly hard enough to impact the flow of blood or air. She hadn't told him to be gentle, but then, she hadn't needed to. Tim just instinctively knew this was what she wanted.

"Oh, God," Julia said, drawing laborious breaths now. "Never... done this... before."

"Nope, but we're about to," Tim replied. It seemed like an obvious thing to say, but Tim meant it as a way for her to bail out of it now if she wanted to. 

"Yes, baby," she grunted out instead, ensuring Tim everything was fine. "Fuck me. Take me, Tim."

Tim obliged her, keeping up the slow-but heavy pace for a few minutes, then switching to fast, furious strokes that didn't quite reach as deep but created more friction. Every time he heard her moans get louder, he'd change the pace. He figured it'd be frustrating for her, but when she did finally cum, it'd be that much better. 

He stopped mauling her tits and pushed himself away from her, switching from a traditional spoon to more of a perpendicular position. He pushed her bottom leg out a little bit so he didn't crush it with his body weight, and used the extra room to spank her ass. They were pretty light shots, but Tim knew as aroused as Julia was, her body would be feeling everything a little bit more.

"Ow!" she cried out, playing along with the game. "Fuck, that hurts so good, baby! Don't stop!"

Tim grinned and left a few more handprints on each cheek as he fucked her in this new position. He didn't have the kind of leverage he needed to really fuck her hard, but he made up for it by sliding his cock all the way out of her pussy, then forcefully driving it back in, over and over again.

Both cheeks were starting to get a little pink, so he stopped spanking her and turned his attention to the gap in between her cheeks. Not needing to be delicate and polished anymore, he spit on his fingers and began moistening up her asshole again. 

"It's ready!" she shouted. "Just push it in!"

Tim knew it was ready, and knew his girlfriend really wanted it now... but he was going to make her wait. He kept toying with her rosebud, never actually putting a finger in. He rubbed the area beneath her asshole, and even slipped a finger inside her pussy, sharing the space with his cock.

Finally, he thrust his index finger into her asshole and feverishly finger-fucked her ass, increasing the intensity in her pussy as much as he could. Julia began punching the pillows and the mattress as he continued the pressure on both ends, and the blue streak that came out of her mouth now would have made the most hardcore Marines blush. For all Tim knew, he was blushing right now. Didn't know -- didn't care.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck--" she cried out, then suddenly stopped for a few fleeting seconds. All Tim could hear was his rapid breathing and the sound of his hips making constant contact with hers. Finally, the dam broke. "OH, FUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!"

It was more of a long, drawn out grunt than a scream, and Tim could see her knuckles turning white from gripping the pillows so hard. It was sexy, it was gorgeous, but it was also carnal. He continued to fuck her through the wave, then slowly decreased his pace as she came down off it.

Tim hadn't come from this -- he was so focused on heightening her pleasure that he really hadn't paid attention to himself. But when Julia finally opened her mouth again, he thought he might explode right then and there.

"Tim," she said, "I want you to fuck my ass now."

Perhaps Tim shouldn't have been surprised, with all he'd done to her ass thus far, but he was. Julia wasn't shy about letting him play around back there, and she even encouraged him to do so from time to time. But actually fucking her in the ass... Tim guessed they maybe did that four or five times a year.

Still, something about gift horses and mouths was coming to mind. Tim wasted little time sliding his cock from Julia's pussy. He nudged her legs until she rolled over onto her stomach, and he pulled her hips backwards until her ass was sticking out.

"Ooh, you want me doggystyle, huh?" Julia asked. "You want to fuck my ass from behind, baby?"




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 09



"To start, yeah," he said, not wanting to put a lot of effort into the dialogue. 

"Ooh, to start, huh?" she said, teasing as she looked over her shoulder at him. She reached onto the nightstand and tossed Tim the bottle of lube they'd been using earlier in the day. It had traveled from room to room with them throughout the weekend, and it was almost empty now. "Big words."

Tim dipped his cock into her pussy a few times to get his cock nice and slippery while he greased up her ass with the lube. Despite her eagerness, he knew his cock in her ass would be a tight fit - it always was, always would be. He wanted to make sure he didn't hurt her, because once he started, he wasn't going to want to stop.

With the lubrication taken care of, he lined his cock up with her ass and pushed forward. He went slowly enough not to hurt her but at the same time, quickly enough that she knew he wasn't going to let her change her mind.

"Fuck," she said, gasping. "Big cock, too."

Tim grinned as he slowly built up a rhythm in Julia's ass. It probably took 10 minutes, maybe more, before he got all eight inches in, but she took it all without complaining. 

"God, your ass is tight, baby," he said. "I don't know how long I can hold out."

"You don't have to hold out, Tim," she said. "I know what this does to you. Fuck my ass until you cum, deep in my ass."

Tim was tempted to do just that - a couple more minutes at a quicker pace would be all he'd need. Still, this was an opportunity he didn't get often.

"Nope," he said. "You gave me this chance. I'm going to make sure I take full advantage."

She looked back at him a little curiously, and it just so happened that he was in the middle of a backward stroke. To answer her unspoken question, he slammed his hips forward, instantly impaling her.

"UUUGGHH!!" she grunted, slumping forward into the pillows under the unexpected attack. Without stopping his hips, he reached forward and grabbed one of the pillows she wasn't using and forced it under her hips so that she could lay flat and still keep her ass in the air.

"I thought so," Tim said, and then set to work making sure she got off at least once more. It was rare that she came from anal sex -- despite what she'd said about wanting this, it was always more for Tim's benefit than hers -- but it had happened a few times. 

"Well, don't just lay there," Tim said.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked, instantly falling into the submissive role.

"Geez, you make a girl cum a couple times, and she starts getting lazy," Tim quipped, playfully swatting her ass. "Finger yourself, baby. I want to feel those fingers in your pussy while I fuck your ass."

Tim felt her body shift as her left arm squeezed under her torso. A few seconds later, he could feel her fingers toying with her clit and pussy lips.

"Good girl," Tim said. "Take that dick, and play with that pussy. I'm not going to cum until you do. How long do you think you can take this dick in your tiny little ass, huh?"

To emphasize his point, he sped up briefly, using several short, clipped strokes. Julia's fingers started matching his pace. 

"That's it, baby," Tim said, forcefully but without really raising his voice. "Work that pussy!"

He spanked her one more time, relishing the small whimper that escaped from her lips. For a brief second, he was truly fascinated by this whole process. He knew exactly how hard to slap her ass to heighten her pleasure without hurting her. He knew exactly how hard he could work in her ass without causing her more pain than she could handle. It went both ways -- she knew exactly what to say to get him to do whatever she wanted. Of course, it had come from lots of practice, but he marveled at the way they could each play the other like a finely tuned instrument.

"Oh, God, pull my hair, baby," she exclaimed, breaking the few seconds of silence that had settled in. He wasn't expecting it, but he wasted little time doing it, leaving one hand on her hips and tugging her head back very gently with the other. It wasn't about causing any actual discomfort; for Julia, it was more about the sensation of being controlled.

"Yeah, you like that, don't you?" he asked rhetorically. "You like me fucking this ass, don't you?"

She nodded as much as she could with Tim holding a handful of her hair. That wasn't good enough. He pulled just a little bit harder on her hair.

"Don't you, baby?!" he exclaimed, raising his voice just a little bit. That made her moan.

"Oh, God, yes," Julia said. "I love it when you do this to me, Tim. Oh, fuck, I love this."

Tim nodded, and could sense it was time to bring it home. He let go of her hair and put himself in a classic push-up position, stroking himself in and out of her vice-grip like ass a few more times for good measure. Each time he bottomed out, she groaned with what Tim guessed was satisfaction.

Finally, he laid down on top of her and pulled her with him as he rolled onto his side, putting them back in the original spoon position, except this time, his cock was still buried in her ass. Tim lifted her leg and replaced her hand with his own.

"You've had enough, haven't you?" Tim asked her. He'd been in her ass for well over 20 minutes, at least.

"No," she said, but the look on her face and the tone of her voice told him otherwise. She would take it as long as he wanted to dish it out, but that was his responsibility as her partner -- not to dish it out any longer than she could take it.

"Uh huh," Tim said. "I'm still not stopping until you cum. But I love making you cum so much, I'm going to help you."

He spanked her pussy lightly a few times as he continued stroking in and out of her ass, making her shriek with each slap. He moved that same hand up to her breasts and spanked her nipples a few times before roughly kneading both. Tim's right hand snaked beneath Julia's head, and he could feel her lick and suck on his fingers. Their play was rough, but in a strange, almost incomprehensible way, it was gentle. 

Either way, it was what Julia needed. All Tim had to do was stroke her clit a couple of times with his left hand, and he felt her body tense up with another orgasm. Unfortunately, his arm was trapped under her head, and she bit down on the soft part of his palm as the latest wave racked her body. He could feel something warm and wet coming from her mouth, and knew instantly she'd drawn blood again.

Julia's orgasm caused something to shift inside Tim's body. He'd been consciously holding out until she came -- now that she had, his mind switched into self-gratification mode. Suddenly, the grip on his cock was almost unbearable, and within seconds, he was over the edge.

"Oh, shit," Tim shouted as his cock unloaded deep into Julia's ass. Shot after shot fired from his cock, as the excitement that had been building for the last hour finally had a chance to release. Julia liked to talk dirty during his orgasms, but this time, she stayed quiet while he came.

A few minutes later, after his orgasm subsided and he could think clearly enough to check, he found out why. She was either sound asleep or passed out, but either way, her eyes were closed.

She was smiling, and Tim couldn't have been happier.

"Are you okay, baby?" he whispered into her ear. He didn't get a response, but she moved slightly, and her smile grew wider. He took that as a yes, and gently sucked on her earlobe for a fleeting moment before slipping into a dreamy coma himself.

**********

Tim had no idea how much time had passed when he woke up, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. When he gingerly unwrapped himself from Julia's gorgeous body, he realized his palm was still bleeding where Julia had pulled her vampire routine on him. He guessed maybe he should be mad about that, but all it took was one look at her, quietly slumbering next to him on the bed, for any such thoughts to disappear.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world," he said aloud, wondering if his words would manage to break through her haze and wake her up. She still wore a bright smile, but she didn't open her eyes. Tim planted a kiss on her left shoulder then gently rolled out of bed.

He walked down the hall to the master bedroom and, more importantly, the master bathroom in back of it. He turned on cold water and let it run over his bloody mess of a right hand for a few moments. It stung a little bit, and it would sting even more when he cleaned it and bandaged it in a few seconds. Still, what he'd done to get it was more than well worth it.

Tim carefully cleaned the small gashes in his palm and applied a band-aid over the area. He hadn't brushed his teeth since that morning, and with more sex hopefully to come after he gave Julia her gift, he figured fresh breath couldn't hurt. 

The next stop was the shower. The near-scalding hot spray felt ridiculously awesome on his muscles. He was approaching his 32nd birthday, and he couldn't help but consider how much more a sex marathon took out of him now than it did 10 years ago. Tim still liked to think he rose to the occasion every bit as well as he did back then, but it took a lot longer to recover. The shower helped.

Standing there under the stream, his mind automatically drifted back to the equally scalding-hot woman laying a few dozen feet away in the guest room. Things had gone so well during the first few months of this year, ever since he'd finally worked through all his issues. In fact, if things went the way he hoped they would in a few minutes, 2009 would be well on its way to being the best year of Tim's life.

She was just incredible. She was sexy, smart, driven, compassionate, giving, fierce, tender, understanding, loyal, open-minded, adventurous -- there were about 600 other adjectives in Webster's dictionary he could use to describe her, but they all led to one place:

Julia Waters was perfect.

Not _that_ kind of perfect -- Tim had learned the hard way that that kind of perfect didn't exist. She had her quirks, her flaws, and her imperfections, of course. But she was much closer to perfect than Tim would ever be. She was perfect for him. He was perfect for her.

They were perfect for each other.

Tim laughed when he thought about what J.T. or Carlos would say if they were inside his mind and could hear the Hallmark-esque mush he was rolling around in, but he didn't really care. He was deliriously happy, for maybe the first time in his life.

After what seemed like an hour but was probably 10 minutes, he got out of the shower. It was plenty long enough to fog up the mirror, so he wiped a spot clean and sized himself up as he toweled off. He was getting older, but he'd tried to stay in tip-top shape. His abs were no longer the rock-hard six-pack they were in his 20s, but at least they were still clearly cut and visible. He could see the very faint beginning of age lines on his forehead, but guessed they were still several years off. If heredity was any guide, he'd probably start losing his hair in about six or seven years, too, but for now, his head was still full of dark brown hair. He'd flirted with the goatee a few years ago, but much preferred the clean-shaven look he had now.

"Yeah, staring at you is one of my favorite things, too," Julia said. He'd left the bathroom door open, so he hadn't heard her walk in. She was gloriously naked, and even standing there like she was, layered in sweat, hair matted to her face and clearly wanting a shower, she looked good enough to eat. In fact, Tim might have tried to do just that if he wasn't pretty certain she'd knee him in the face.

"Everyone has to have a strange hobby, I guess," he said. "Are you ok?"

"I'm going to be sore for a while," she said. "And I might walk a little funny for a few hours. But other than that, I'll be fine."

"Well, lucky for me, my plans for you over the next few hours have very little to do with walking," he said. He quickly closed the distance between them, and when he moved his lips toward hers, she cupped a hand over her mouth and looked away.

"Uh uh," she said into her hand. "Bad breath. Need to brush first."

Tim rolled his eyes. She got self-conscious about her breath sometimes, and Tim usually went along with it and stopped trying. This time, though, he overpowered her just enough to move her hand away, then put his other hand behind her head and pulled her into a kiss anyway. She fought him for a second, but she slowly stopped struggling and put her arms around his neck.

They stood right there in the doorway for a minute, making out like two teenagers, before he finally let her go.

"Wow," Julia said, clearly out of breath.

"I love you, you know that?" Tim said. She usually said it first, but he'd been trying to get better about that. He didn't see the big deal, but he knew it was important to her.

"I do," she said, walking over to the sink and picking up her toothbrush. "But it sounds so damn good to hear you say it."

She put toothpaste on the brush and waited until she put it in her mouth to answer. "I love you, too," she said, though it would have sounded like Swahili to anyone else.

Tim smiled and left her humming to herself in the bathroom. He threw on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts before heading down into the kitchen. He mixed a Jack and Coke for himself and rifled through the freezer looking for something quick he and Julia could scarf down before getting back to their primary goal for the weekend. Even the highest-quality racecars need fuel.

He found a frozen pizza and stuck it in the oven, knowing Julia would be mad at him for not letting her cook, but figuring she'd get over it when the food was ready in 15 minutes. He walked into the game room across the hall, where he'd left the gift for Julia, and fired up the TV for a few minutes. It wasn't football season so there wasn't a lot going on on ESPN, but it was as good a way to kill time as any.

Tim was watching ESPN's baseball experts lie to him -- something about his team of choice, the Texas Rangers, having a chance to win the AL West this season -- when he heard his voicemail ringer go off. He'd left his phone down here to charge when he got back, and he was glad -- apparently, someone had decided to call while he and his woman were having incredible sex. He wouldn't have answered it; not in a million years. He might have been inclined to throw it against the wall for interrupting, though.

He picked it up and dialed his voicemail. He had three new voicemails, but the first one made his blood run cold.

"Hey, buddy," J.T.'s voice said, and the tone took him back to a dark place more than three years ago. A place Tim thought he'd left in the past. "Sheila just told me the bad news about you and Julia, man. It's gotta be devastating for you. I know this was not in your plans at all, but... man, I guess it was bound to happen sometime. You know I'd be there for you, but we're not leaving for two more days. So, I hope you'll be OK until then."

There were loud noises in the background, and the voicemail ended. The phone slipped from Tim's grip and fell to the carpet, but it barely registered. He was consciously aware of his mind going numb.

"No," a voice shouted out deep inside his mind. "This isn't happening."

He bent down to retrieve the phone, and pressed the button to replay the message. The words hadn't changed.

The room began spinning, but Tim tried hard to fight it. He stumbled back into the kitchen, still clutching the phone in his hand. He found his way to a barstool and pressed the replay button once again, hoping he'd just imagined the first two times. 

He hadn't.

"This can't be real," Tim said aloud. "This... this can't be real."

It didn't add up. Hadn't she just... hadn't they just... what was going on?

"This isn't fucking happening!" he shouted it.

"Baby?" Her voice made him smile, like it always did, but it also made him stiffen his back. "What's not happening?"

He didn't turn around to face her, so Julia made her way to the opposite side of the bar. She'd stolen an extra-large N.C. State T-shirt from his closet, and that came down to mid-thigh. She wasn't wearing anything else that he could see, and even in this haze, he wondered if she was wearing panties underneath. Under normal circumstances, he'd find out.

"What's wrong?"

Tim tried to pull his mind together. He wasn't going to go off the deep end, he told himself. He was stronger now. He could deal with this. 

He briefly thought back to that night in mid-November, when Julia had stormed out of his house and left him standing all alone in the living room. He remembered how terrible he felt when he realized she wasn't coming back.

No, he told himself. No, he couldn't deal with this.

"Tim, talk to me," she said, but Tim's internal monologue continued.

He couldn't deal with what? What was this, exactly? Hadn't she begged him to trust her? No, she'd demanded that he trust her! She made him promise, after the incident at the party in December, that the next time anything like that happened, he would talk to her first before jumping to conclusions. He agreed that he would.

Of course, that was when he didn't think there was anything to hide.

"You told me you'd be honest with me, right?" Tim asked, still refusing to look at her face.

"Of course, Tim," she said. She stroked his arm, right across the tattoo on his right bicep. He wanted to pull away, but he steeled himself against it. "Ask me anything."

"What's going on?"

Julia waited, thinking he would say more. When he didn't, she answered.

"What's going on... with what? What do you mean?"

"J.T. called," he said. "And..." he trailed off. He figured he could recite his friend's words by heart after listening to the message three times, but he thought he might break down in the middle of them.

This didn't look good, but there had to be an explanation. He at least owed her the chance to explain it.

He re-dialed his voicemail and handed her the phone. She listened, her eyes growing wide as J.T. continued. When it was done, she gave him the phone back.

"With that," Tim said. "What's going on with that?"

Julia started rubbing her arms with her hands, as if it had suddenly gotten cold.

"I don't know, Tim," she answered.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Tim felt his voice rising, and tried valiantly to stop it.

Julia, of course, was even-keeled and steady. "I said, I don't know."

"There has to be something, Julia," Tim said. "Look, you told me to trust you, and I do. But J.T. has been my best friend for almost 10 years. He wouldn't lie to me."

Julia had no response.

"This is exactly how it happened with Leira," Tim said. "We had great sex, I came into the living room, there was a voicemail from J.T. waiting on me, telling me 'Sorry about the bad news.'"

"NO!" Julia shouted. Even-keeled Julia was a distant memory now. "Don't even think about that! I don't fucking know what's going on, but THAT is not what this is!"

Tim was briefly taken aback by her sudden tone, but it was the ferocity of her words that drove the point home. Sure, she was confused, too, but she had done nothing wrong. It was one of those rare moments of lucidity -- he'd had one the night she took off, when he'd suddenly realized the only option was to chase after her. He still had no idea what was going on, but he was suddenly sure Julia was blameless.

He took her hand and held it firmly. "OK."

"Damnit, Tim, why don't you just --" she stopped short. "OK?"

"OK," Tim repeated, nodding. "You're right. I believe you."

She looked relieved, but she also looked pissed. Tim understood completely. He got up from the stool, leaving the phone on the table, and wrapped Julia in a tight hug. His stomach was still tied in knots, and his brain was still trying to comprehend what J.T.'s message meant, but that could all wait for a few seconds. He wasn't going to lose her, and he wanted to make sure she knew how much that meant to him.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 09



Julia hugged him back just as firmly. He imagined she felt something similar.

"It must just be a misunderstanding," Tim said when they dropped the embrace. "You must have told Sheila something, and she told him, and he got it wrong."

"I don't know," she said. "I mean, I told Sheila that..."

"You told Sheila what?"

"That... wait," Julia said. "It said you had three voicemails."

"Yeah," Tim said. He'd completely forgotten about those. "Yeah, there are. So?"

"Did you check the others yet?"

"No, Julia," Tim said. "I'm sorry, but that first one kinda knocked me over."

"I understand that," Julia said. "I'm sure it would have done the same thing to me. But maybe he left another one. There was a loud noise at the end, so maybe he had something else to say."

It made sense. Things Julia said usually did.

"OK," he said, pressing the speaker button on the phone. "We'll listen together."

They listened to the first voicemail again, and Julia instinctively grabbed his hand again, her grip growing tighter as J.T. went on. Tim pressed the button to save it, and the next message began. As it ran on, Tim's heart soared -- while his brain plotted ways to kill his best friend.

"Holy fuck," J.T.'s voice started. "I'm sorry about that, man. I really hope Julia's already told you, or at least I hope you listen to all these messages in a row, or you're going to kill me. I was just fucking around, and all these people -- Sheila, my parents, some of our family -- are in on the joke. Somebody was laughing so hard, they bumped into my arm and the phone hit the ground. The call dropped."

His best friend stopped to breathe.

"Anyway, like I said, I hope she already told you, because you'll already get the joke. I don't want to steal her thunder if she didn't, but after that message, I guess I kinda have to. She --"

Julia pressed the disconnect button, drawing an incredulous look from Tim.

"What the -- why did you do that?" Tim asked. "He was about to explain it! He was about to tell me why he left that message, so I could fully justify beating him to a bloody fucking pulp when he gets back!"

"I know what he was going to say," she said. The timer Tim set for the pizza suddenly went off, startling them both. Julia turned abruptly and went to get the pizza out of the oven. When she bent over to open the oven door, Tim got an answer to his panties question. It was a good answer.

"This is not the way I wanted to do this, but... he's kind of forcing me," Julia said, just softly enough for Tim to hear her on the other side of the kitchen.

"The way you wanted to do what?"

She set the pizza down on the counter, and with her back still toward him, she answered.

"Tim... I want to move in here with you."

He was momentarily stunned silent. Momentarily.

"Say what?"

"You heard me." She spun to face him now, but saw him looking at the ground instead.

"He was joking about..." Tim suddenly got it. His friend was joking about Julia wanting to move in, about the loss of bachelorhood, and how it had to happen eventually. It was stereotypically a sad time in every single man's life.

"If you listen to the rest of it, I guarantee you, that's his explanation."

Tim dialed his voicemail yet again and raised the phone to his ear. He listened carefully.

"... after that message, I guess I kinda have to," J.T.'s voice said. "She's going to ask to move in with you. She was supposed to have done it on Friday night, so like I said, I hope this is just an unfortunate screwed up joke. Anyway, I just figured it would be a good thing because..."

Tim visibly exhaled as he listened to the rest of the message. He played the third message, too, which was from Sheila. It was another apology for J.T.'s botched joke.

He gingerly sat his phone down on the kitchen counter. "I," Tim started, gathering his breath back, "am going to fucking KILL THAT FUCKER!!!"

He slammed his fists into the countertop and saw red for a minute.

"Why would he do that to me, huh?" Tim asked. "I understand playing a joke, and crying over lost bachelorhood, but... that was the worst day of my life. Why would he make me replay that?"

Tim walked over to the window, and seconds later, he felt Julia slide up behind him. She put her arms around him and rubbed his chest through his shirt.

"Like he said, baby," she answered. "He thought I was going to tell you earlier this weekend, so he didn't think he'd be scaring you."

"Yeah, I get that part, but still," Tim said. "He was there after all that. He knows how much damage that phone call did."

Julia moved around to Tim's front side and leaned back against the window. The lake was nice, but this view was much better.

"I'm sure he wouldn't be able to explain it to you this way," Julia said, "but I think his heart was in the right place."

"What?" Tim retorted. "How?"

"He knows that, Tim," she said. "He knows that was a terrible day for you. And I'm guessing you've told him how things are going with us, and he probably figured you'd happy about me moving in."

Tim said nothing.

"He was just trying to replace a memory from one of your worst days with a memory from a better one, babe."

She leaned forward and put her head on his chest. "And while he definitely scared the shit out of me, too... I hope it worked."

Tim finally came up with something to say.

"J.T. owes you a great deal of gratitude," Tim said.

"Why?"

"Because without you, I'm pretty sure I'd have flown to Cancun right now and beat the ever-living shit out of him."

She giggled, and Tim walked over to the stool and sat back down. "Holy fuck. I didn't need to have a heart attack today."

Julia took the chair next to him.

"You know," she started, tracing her fingers across his forearm. "I'm very happy with you."

"Yeah?" Tim asked. "While just knowing that is good enough for me, is there any particular reason?"

"Well, you did give me about 30 orgasms today," she said, making them both laugh. "But... you didn't freak out just now."

"Yeah I did," he said. "Julia, I went nuts."

"No," she retorted. "You wanted answers, sure. Based on the voicemail, you thought I could give them to you, so you asked me. But, Tim... the night you stormed out of my apartment, and that night at the football party... you didn't return my calls for three or four days. You completely shut me out while you dealt with what had happened, instead of letting me be there for you."

"Yeah," he said. "Not moments that will make the Tim Fetters highlight reel."

"Don't worry," she said laughing. "You had a bunch of those today." 

Tim laughed softly.

"I can only imagine what you thought when you first heard that voicemail today, Tim. You probably thought you were losing me, or even worse, that I was doing something like Leira did to you."

"I don't know what I thought," Tim said. "You've worked so hard to get me to trust you, that there was no way I could picture you doing that to me. But yeah, the thought of losing you ran through my mind a couple times."

"If I can be arrogant for a second, I'm sure that hurt you. A lot."

Tim wasn't even going to make a joke about it. "It did," he said.

"But instead of flipping out, throwing me out of the house and grabbing a week-long charter to California or something, you trusted me."

Tim looked up at her, realizing she was right.

"I had to," Tim said. "You know, you should have been careful what you wished for, Julia."

"Oh?" she asked. "How so?"

"Back when I was still acting like we were just friends trying to break all existing world screwing records, you had an out," Tim said. "Before I was willing to admit how I really felt about you, you could have left, and I wouldn't have had the right to stop you. But now, you've made me trust you. Wasn't sure I'd ever do that again."

Julia waited. Tim tried to see if he could roll this over into what he really wanted to do this afternoon, into what he really needed to say. He needed a little more momentum first.

"Basically, what I'm saying," he said, "is you're screwed."

She looked a little disappointed, but Tim wasn't too worried about that, because he was pretty sure she wouldn't be soon. She did laugh heartily, though.

"No, I was that earlier," Julia said. "This, I'm totally okay with."

Tim sat there at the bar, looking at the pizza getting cold on the other side of the kitchen. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry anymore. He was going to wait until after they'd eaten, but to hell with that. This was happening now.

He was just about to open his mouth, but Julia beat him to it.

"Um, Tim?" Julia asked.

"Yeah?"

"So... can I?"

"Can you what?"

"The whole reason for this mix-up," Julia answered. "Can I move in?"

Tim spun around to look at her. Like a jackass, he had completely forgotten about that. The fact that she wanted to move in had been totally drowned out by the way he'd found out about it. He wasn't really sure what to tell her, and apparently, his silence scared Julia.

"Look, I'm sorry," she said. "I told Sheila I was going to tell you Friday, but ever since we got here we've been either having sex or sleeping. I was just waiting for the right time."

Tim understood, and nodded. He was still trying to form a response when she kept going.

"I was actually going to ask you last year," she said. "My plan was to go to the party with you, dazzle all your co-workers with how beautiful I was, make all the players jealous, tease you relentlessly, then take you home, give you the best blowjob of your life, then ask you if I could move in."

"Weaken my defenses first, huh?" Tim snickered.

"Of course," she said. "But then everything happened, and..." she trailed off. "I was just waiting till things calmed down and got a little more stable before I thought of asking again."

Tim knew what he had to do here. Julia had been forced to ask Tim what she wanted because of J.T.'s phone call, and Tim had envisioned a different situation for telling Julia about this, too. But there wasn't ever going to be a better moment than this one.

"I'd like that," he said. Her face lit up with a glow normally reserved for post-orgasmic bliss. "I'd love that, actually. Just not in this house."

She was still beaming, but she was confused now. Tim didn't wait for her to ask the question. 

"Come with me," he said, getting up and heading for the staircase. "I want to show you something."

Without waiting for her to answer, he climbed the stairs to the second floor and entered his office. She followed soon after.

"In the top drawer, there's a black folder," Tim said. "Pull it out, open it, and look at what's inside."

Julia looked at Tim inquisitively, but he wouldn't budge. So, she crossed the room and pulled out the folder, spreading its contents out across the desk. She rifled through papers for a moment, moving things around into different piles as she tried to solve the puzzle. Tim patiently waited, and after a good five minutes of silence, Julia finally looked at him.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Well, that depends," Tim said. "What do you think it is?"

"Tim, please," Julia pleaded. "Just tell me."

So he did.

"Do you remember when we went down to Charleston for a party at J.T.'s uncle's house, just a couple months after we started getting together?"

"Yeah," she said. "It was our first trip."

"Yeah," Tim replied. "That first night we were in town, we all went out to that bar to meet up with one of the guys J.T. and I served with in Afghanistan."

"Yeah," she answered. "Brian, maybe?"

"Brad," he replied. "Brad Carver."

"That's right," she said. "Brad. Didn't he end up playing wingman for one of J.T.'s cousins?"

"Yep, that's him," Tim answered. "Did a good job of it, too. He took the really loud girl, the main one trying to cockblock J.T.'s cousin, up to his hotel room."

"Yeah!" Julia said, clearly remembering it all now. "And then because she was loud, that thing with the cops!"

"Dude always leaves an impression on everyone he meets," Tim said. "Anyway, he's a younger guy, but he's one of the most business-savvy guys I know. Even then, he was putting money away to start a business, and he happens to share my passion for aviation."

"OK," she said. "So..."

"This," Tim said, picking up a contract from the pile, "is one of the many dozens of documents I've signed over the past couple of months. J.T.'s father is opening a new charter company, called Mile High West. It was pretty much all Brad's idea. He's put together an investment group, including a few of his parents' rich friends and a couple of his own rich friends, including one of the players for the Texas Rangers."

"Ok," Julia said, her business brain turning on. "Obviously J.T.'s dad will have a bigger share in the company."

"A much bigger share, at least at first," Tim said. "There's a plan in place for Brad's group to slowly buy more and more of the company until they own a 33.3 percent share."

"Just 33.3 percent? There's two partners, right?"

"Right now," Tim said. "There will be three."

"Three?" Julia said.

"Yeah," Tim answered. "J.T. and myself have worked out a deal to slowly buy Howard Lancaster's side of the business, in equal portions. It's complicated, and I'm sure you'll understand it better than I do when you read everything. The short version is: In 10 years, J.T., Brad Carver, and myself will all be equal partners and have complete ownership in Mile High West. That's right about the time Howard will give J.T. full control of the original Mile High."

"Wow," Julia said. "I knew you guys were working on something, but I had no idea it was this big."

"Yeah, we've tried to keep the rumors to a minimum while we were working out the details. Anyway, the company will be based in Dallas."

Julia's jaw dropped. "That's why you said, 'Not in this house.'"

"It is," Tim admitted. "This packet," he said, picking up another stack of papers, "is a slide show of some preliminary plans I've had drawn up for a house on a lake east of Dallas. It'll look a lot like this one, but the plans are still very preliminary. I've got a rental property nearby I'm looking at to live in while the house is built; all that's left to do is sign the lease."

"What's holding you up?"

"Well... if you say you'll come with me," Tim said, taking her hand, "nothing."

"Of course I'll come with you!" she blurted out, not even hesitating or thinking about it. "I've always known you wanted to move closer to your parents, and there's nothing really here for me, either. We had this discussion in November, about my job offer. I want to be with you; I don't really care where we are."

"That's..." Tim said. "Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what I wanted to hear. That's why the plans are preliminary -- it'll be your house, too, so I want you to have input."

"What about your other job, though? I know you love working with the athletes at N.C. State and on the pro teams."

"Yeah, Howard Lancaster and Jerry Jones are pretty tight, apparently," Tim said. "I'm not going to work for the Cowboys - at least, not until I know I will have the time to put into it. Flying for MHC is one thing, but I'll have a hand in running it, too, so I'm not sure how that will go. But Jerry knows the president at TCU, and I'm going to come on board there and do pretty much what I do now for N.C. State. I might work a little with the Cowboys on a part-time basis, too."

"That's great, Tim."

"There will be a job for you at Mile High West, if you want it, probably along the lines of Chief Financial Officer. Haven't worked all that out yet. If not, I know Southwest is based there, as is American Airlines. I didn't think you'd have trouble finding a job, if you even want one. Because you certainly don't need one."

"Yeah, right," Julia said. "Tim, I'm so glad we're moving in together, but I'm just your girlfriend. I'm not living off your money and just sitting at home being lazy."

Tim grinned. He had to hold it in just a little while longer.

"Whatever you want," he said. "We can figure that out later. Of course, we'll also have the fleet of MH West at our disposal, so flying back here for J.T. and Sheila's wedding won't be a problem. Anytime you want to see your family, that won't be either."

"Wow," Julia said, nodding as she flipped through the slides again. "I can't believe we're going to move to Dallas!"

She was excited, like a little girl who just got a pony. Tim wanted to pick her up and twirl her around, but he resisted the urge -- only because there was one thing left to do.

"Listen," Tim said, getting Julia's attention. "This last hour or so has been very emotional. With J.T.'s little prank -- I'm still gonna kick his ass for that, by the way -- and this thing with Dallas, I'm a little wound up. I need to blow off a little steam."

"I think... I can help with that," she answered, and any other time -- literally -- he'd have taken her up on it, right then and there on his desk. But he had a plan.

"I'm sure you can," Tim agreed, "and I'm sure you will -- in a little bit. Right now, though, I think want to relax and play some video games."

Julia's face twisted into something sort of comical.

"Video games?"

"Yeah," Tim said. "I think I want to play Madden. After Carolina's humungous choke job against the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game, I want to give them a little redemption."

"Are you serious? You know I'm still here, right?"

"I do know that," Tim said. "And trust me, I don't ever want you to leave. But I like my Madden. Just let me play a couple games. You can even watch if you want."

Julia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She turned to go, but Tim grabbed her arm to stop her. This next part was going to sound callous, but there was no avoiding it.

"Could you go grab the game for me from downstairs and bring it back up here?"

She looked at him like he'd sprouted antlers. "Are you out of your mind? You're going to ignore me to play your stupid game, and you want me to help by bringing it up here? That's funny."

"Please, baby?" he asked. "Talking about these plans reminded me that I need to make a phone call. I can take care of that in two seconds, and then it will be just you and me."

"And John Madden."

"Thank you, babe."

Julia half-smiled and turned to leave the room. Before she left, she turned around and said, "This is just like a man. We reach a huge moment in our relationship -- you finally trust me now, and we're going to move across the country -- and now you think I'll just wait on you, hand and foot."

"I'll make it up to you," Tim said, grabbing his office phone to start making his phantom phone call. "Tomorrow, I'll wait on you hand and foot, and whatever other body parts you want."

"Hmm," she said. "I'll hold you to that." She finally left then, and Tim hung up the phone. He heard her start walking down the stairs, and when that noise ceased, he made his way to the end of the hallway and took the other, less noisy staircase to the first floor. He crept to the other end of the hall as silently as he could, and stopped just outside the door to the game room.

He'd only been waiting a few seconds when he heard her shout. "Oh my God!" That was followed by something -- he assumed it was the video game -- hitting the ground. Tim peeked around the corner, and saw her holding a small, square, velvet-covered box in her right hand. Her left was holding the bag from the jewelry store and, probably unbeknownst to Julia, another box.

She was breathing rapidly as she stared at the box, willing herself not to open it. When it looked like she was going to explode, Tim turned the corner and went in.

"Hi," he said, and she spun quickly toward him displaying the classic deer-in-the-headlights look. To her credit, she didn't drop the bag or the box, but she looked like she'd been caught red-handed.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 09



"I'm sorry," she said. "I came to get the game, and the bag was --"

"Shhhh," he said, cutting her off. "Why do you think I asked you to come get the game for me?"

Her eyes widened as he took a few steps toward her.

"What... is...?" She tried to ask him a question, but her brain and voice couldn't get on the same page.

"I'll explain," Tim said, taking the bag and box from her. She didn't want to let either of them go. He set the box down on the arm of the nearest couch and reached into the bag, producing a long, slender box. He opened it in front of her, and watched her eyes get even bigger.

"This," Tim continued, pulling a diamond-encrusted necklace from the box, "is to thank you for everything you've done for me." He walked behind her and gently draped the necklace around her neck, latching it as he talked. "For putting up with me, for being patient, for being persistent, for always believing I was worth it, even when I made it ridiculously hard to believe that. For never giving up on me, and most importantly, for making this one of the easiest decisions I've ever made."

"What decision?"

Tim took the other box from the couch and opened it as he dropped to one knee. Julia's left hand flew up to her mouth, and Tim chuckled.

"Babe, I'm, uh, gonna need that."

Tim reached up and gently tugged her arm away from her mouth, sliding his fingers from her elbow across her forearm, past her wrist, and finally locking her fingers with his. 

"I'm not great with words, so I hope I don't embarrass myself right now." He pulled a small diamond ring from the box and looked into Julia's eyes. Tim had wanted to get something bigger, but Sheila had insisted Julia would prefer something simple. He hoped she was right.

"I have four college degrees. I have two great jobs; one doing something I've been obsessed with my entire life, and one doing something that allows me to help people. I have a bank account I never dreamed I'd have. I have a house most anyone would kill for. I have a lifetime of experiences that it would take some people five or six lives to compile, and I'm just barely in my 30s. Julia, in anyone's eyes, I'm living a charmed life."

He touched the ring to her fingertip, and her eyes flashed down to look. When she realized he wasn't going to put it on yet, she snapped her eyes back to his. He thought it would be hard to maintain the eye contact, but he didn't even have to think about it.

"When you have all those things," Tim said. "When you have everything you've worked so hard for, so many things you've wanted your entire life... and you know without a doubt you'd give them all up in a heartbeat just to get the woman of your dreams to say one little word..."

He trailed off now, as the tears streaming down her face hit him harder than he thought they would. He knew they were happy tears, and he didn't want them to stop, but he thought they might have some company very shortly.

"Yeah, Julia, this was pretty much the easiest decision I've ever made," he said. "I liked my life before, but I only love my life now because you're a part of it. You're a part of me. Something just slides into place whenever you're with me, and it doesn't quite feel right when you're not."

He slowly slid the ring onto her finger, stopping between the two knuckles.

"You said once that you wanted the relationship, the family, and that you wanted to grow old with somebody. You said you knew that I did, too. Well, you were right, Julia. I do want all those things, and I want them with you."

He pushed the ring down the rest of the way.

"Please take this, Julia," Tim said. Now, he was fighting mightily to keep the eye contact. "Take this ring, make my life complete, and let me make your life complete. Please, Julia... marry me."

Tim didn't think she could cry harder, but as soon as the last two words came out, she did just that. Her head moved up and down as she lifted her hand to her face.

"Is that a yes?" Tim asked. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes now.

"What do you think?" Julia responded, smiling through the crying.

"For my sanity, and by extension, your sanity, please make the next sentence you say contain the word 'yes.'"

"Oh, God, Tim," she said. "Yes. Of course. Yes. Are you stupid? Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Tim stood up now, and Julia flung herself at him with a ferocity he wasn't prepared for. They tumbled backward onto the couch, with Julia landing on top. She showered his face with kisses, intermingled with continuous calls of 'I love you.'

She eventually stopped kissing his face, and settled her head onto his chest. Her T-shirt had ridden up, and Tim absent-mindedly caressed her ass as they laid there on the couch, her crying on his chest and him willing to let her as long as it took. The few tears that had escaped his own eyes trickled down his cheeks toward his ears, but no others followed. He hadn't fought them back -- he was simply too happy to cry.

"So what do we do now?" Julia asked. Tim guessed maybe a half-hour had passed.

"Whatever you want, baby," Tim replied. "At some point we'll have to tell people. We'll need to start packing and tying up the loose ends here. But that's next week. That's later. Tonight, and tomorrow, we'll do whatever you want."

Julia's hand slid down his torso, coming to rest on his still-soft cock. This whole thing had been far too emotional for his sex drive to come into play, but as Julia gently squeezed, that all changed.

"Well, then," she said. "You, Mister, have earned yourself the greatest orgasm of your life."

She got up then, and she pulled him up with her free hand, never letting the hand on his crotch fall away. 

"I don't know, Jules," Tim said, teasing. "You've given me some pretty powerful ones in the past. Earlier today, even. I don't know if you can top them."

She licked her lips and led him out of the room.

"You wanna bet?"

********************

"That's all of it," Tim said, loading yet another suitcase into the back of the rented Chevy Traverse. "Finally, it's all in here."

He shut the back door and walked back up the stairs into his house, where all that was left were a few appliances, a couch Tim had decided to donate to the house's next owner, and Julia, who Tim wasn't about to give to anybody.

And apparently, a black T-shirt that had somehow escaped from one of the suitcases and duffel bags and found its way onto the remaining couch. Perplexed, Tim walked toward it.

"I put it there," Julia said, standing near the door.

"Oh," Tim answered, picking it up. "Did you need it, or you want me to go stuff it into a bag?"

"I need it for something," she answered, and Tim tossed it to her. "We're done here, right?"

"Yep," he answered, wrapping her in an embrace. "Off to the airport now. The Learjet is waiting for its pilot, not to mention its incredibly gorgeous passenger."

Julia grinned at him. "Can we make one stop first?" she asked.

"Where?" Tim asked. "I mean, yeah, sure, but I don't know what's open at 1 a.m. on a Wednesday morning."

"It's a surprise," she said, piquing Tim's curiosity. He didn't do surprises very well, but he'd gotten better at them, mostly because Julia liked giving them.

"You know I can't say no to you," Tim said.

He looked around his empty living room one last time, then walked hand-in-hand with Julia down the stairs and over to the car. 

"Where am I going?" Tim asked.

"Let me drive," she answered. "Like I said. A surprise."

Tim opened the driver's door for her, then got into the passenger seat. She leaned toward him, the black T-shirt in hand.

"Let me put this on you," she said.

"I'm wearing a shirt, thank you very much," he answered, though he knew what she wanted. He leaned his head down enough that she could tie the T-shirt around his eyes as a blindfold. She was very gentle, making sure it wasn't too tight but ensuring he wouldn't be able to see anything.

"Just sit back and relax, babe," Julia said as the SUV roared to life. "I've already called the night manager at MHC, and they know we're going to be a little late. I promise, you'll enjoy this."

Tim had no doubt.

It had been just under a month since he'd asked Julia to marry him, and things had happened very quickly. In the days following the proposal, Brad Carver and his investors had flown to Raleigh to meet with Tim, J.T. and Howard Lancaster, so the final contracts could be reviewed and signed. Julia was at the meeting, and Howard and Brad had formally asked her to be Mile High West's CFO. Southwest had offered her a transfer to their corporate offices, too, but it had only taken Julia a few seconds to accept Howard and Brad's offer.

Tim put his house on the market the same day, and despite the rush to get things moved out, they had managed to find time to squeeze in a couple showings. There were a couple of buyers interested, but Tim was in no hurry. He didn't really need the money, so he could afford to wait for a really good offer.

Julia had gotten her wish, after all - she basically moved into the house for their final month in North Carolina. It had taken Tim, Julia, Sheila and J.T. a few hours to pack up everything in her tiny apartment and move it out to Tim's house, and she'd simply stayed there with Tim. A few days ago, a moving company had picked up everything from the house -- both cars, the boat, the jetskis, the hot tub, and most of the furniture and appliances.

One of he and Julia's first stops to make once they arrived in Dallas was the land Tim had purchased to build their new house. Like Tim, she wanted the house in Texas to look very similar to the house they were leaving behind, but with a few small improvements. As huge as Tim's old kitchen was, she wanted an even bigger one, and she also wanted a hot tub right there in their bathroom as well as one outside on the deck. He knew she would never try to abuse the fact that they had money, but she wasn't shy about building the house of her dreams, either.

As the miles flew by toward wherever Julia was taking him, Tim let his mind meander over the past few months and how everything in his life had slid neatly into place. Not just for he and Julia, but for everyone in their lives, as well.

J.T. and Sheila had never been happier, and they both thought that had something to do with the fact that both of their best friends had finally found happiness as well. Everyone had shown up to watch Sheila walk across the stage to get her Bachelor's degree the week before, and as promised, J.T. took her out to show her the construction on their new house as a present. To say she had been thrilled would be an understatement -- Tim wouldn't have been shocked to hear reports of more cops showing up later that night. They were both sad that Tim and Julia were moving to Texas, but as much as they all flew, they figured they'd see each other at least once a month.

Just a few days after the party at RBC Center, Carlos had led N.C. State to perhaps the biggest win in team history. And led really wasn't even the word -- more like, Carlos McDonald had single-handedly won the Orange Bowl. 

With the Wolfpack down by four scores at the start of the fourth quarter and the defense giving up huge tracts of yardage on every play, Carlos had asked Hank Taylor to put him in the game on defense. Hank refused, so Carlos put himself in the game anyway. Before the coaches could do anything about it, Ohio State's quarterback already had the ball - and he was the last player that tried to tackle Carlos as he returned the interception for a touchdown. N.C. State's next offensive play was an 81-yard touchdown run by Carlos, and he caught a pass for a score on the following series. Carlos threw a touchdown on a halfback pass to the regular quarterback, C.J. Franklin, with just seconds remaining in the game to get the Wolfpack within one. Instead of tying it with a point after kick, Coach Taylor decided to go for it. 

For his coupe de grace, Carlos ran the two-point conversion straight up the middle, right into the heart of Ohio State's defensive line, and dragged about half of their team into the end zone. It was only fitting, because he'd just metaphorically dragged 80 other guys onto the platform to accept the Orange Bowl trophy. The announcers called it one of the most dominating individual performances in the history of college football.

A few weeks ago, the best player in N.C. State history had been drafted fifth overall by the Washington Redskins. When he'd seen that on ESPN, Tim's first reaction had been to vomit in his mouth -- he was a lifelong Cowboys fan, after all. Still, it was Carlos, so Tim was going to have to suck it up and root for the Redskins this fall.

He wasn't the only N.C. State player drafted, though. Pat Kersee hadn't even considered playing football after college until this past season, when, like Carlos, he'd come out of nowhere to be hailed as one of the top players at his position in the ACC. He got good reviews at the NFL Combine, but he was hopelessly devoted to Tia, and was determined not to leave Raleigh until she graduated in the spring of 2010. He told anyone who would listen that if he were drafted by anyone but the Panthers, he wouldn't sign.

Instead, he'd been picked in the fourth round by the Atlanta Falcons, and after a couple days of Tia begging him to do it and convincing him Atlanta was close enough that they could see each other weekly, he'd finally agreed. Mini-camp started for both Pat and Carlos in a couple weeks.

All that was on top of the relationship he and Julia had carefully built since he'd finally exorcised his last demon. J.T. really had been right -- all he needed was closure. One conversation with Leira had been enough to let him move on.

He was half-inclined to call her up out of the blue one day and thank her. Forgiveness was pretty powerful, and it was something Julia deeply believed in. 

Maybe someday. Just not today.

He was still lost somewhere on Memory Lane when the SUV pulled to a stop.

"We're here," Julia said.

"And where's here?" Tim asked.

"Silly boy," she answered. Tim heard her door open and close, and a few seconds later, his door opened and Julia took his hand. She helped him out of the car and closed the door behind him.

It was almost 2 in the morning, but it was also late May, so the temperature was somewhere in the mid-60s. Tim took a deep breath and tried to hold it as long as possible, attempting to savor the moment.

He let her lead him into the night for another minute or so, until she pushed him up against something cold and bumpy. He felt the surface with his hand, but only figured out that it was metal before Julia playfully slapped his wrist.

"Hey, keep your hands to yourself, buddy," Julia mock-scolded him. "I've got something better for you to do with those."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and forced her tongue into his mouth, and Tim wasted no time joining in. His hands rubbed up and down her back and roamed across her chest as well.

As if trying to one-up him, her hands found the growing bulge in his cargo shorts, and Tim groaned. Their kiss grew more forceful as she stroked his cock through his pants and he kneaded her breasts through the sweater she wore.

Tim completely forgot that his vision was blocked and that he had no idea where they were - right up until her fingers began working on his zipper. In no time, she had his cock out and in her hand, and Tim broke free from their liplock.

"Julia, where are we?" Tim asked. "You sure about this?"

"You'll see in a minute," she replied. "Trust me."

He wanted to yank the blindfold off his face and make sure no one was watching, but he fought that instinct with all his might. Julia must have knelt in front of him, because a moment later, he felt his cock slide into her mouth. He was still nervous about their surroundings, but at least she'd given him somewhere to put his hands.

"Yeah, baby," Julia said, backing up off his cock for a second. "Grab my head, and fuck my face."

Tim did just that, thrusting about half his cock in and out of her warm, wet mouth. He'd done this enough to know just how much of him she could take without being able to go at her own pace, so he made sure he didn't choke her.

After five minutes of that, Julia pulled him from her mouth long enough to slide his shorts down to his knees. She quickly popped him back into her mouth, cupping and massaging his balls this time. Occasionally, she let a finger slide toward his ass, tickling and teasing the sensitive skin just below his balls.

That went on for a while, and then Julia redoubled her efforts on his cock, grunting as she really went to town on him. She made loud slurping noises and moaned around his cock several times, making up for his lack of vision by giving his other senses more to take in.

In most circumstances, her ministrations would be more than enough to make him cum in her mouth, but not tonight. Part of it was that he was concerned about being in public -- he had no problem with public sex, but he liked to be in control of it. A larger part was that he was simply trying to hold out on Julia. If she didn't want to tell him where this incredible episode was taking place, then he was going to compensate by making it last as long as he could.

It was almost as if she read his mind as he was thinking that thought.

"OK, fine," she said, and he heard her rustling with something. "You don't want to let me make you cum in my mouth. I get it."

She was silent for a second. "You know, most men would think you were nuts, Tim. How many men would hold themselves back from cumming if I was sucking their dick, huh? I'll tell you how many. Not a damned one."

He smiled. 

"But, fine," she said. "I'll give you want you want."

He thought that meant she was going to take the blindfold off. It didn't. Instead, she pulled him off of whatever he was leaning against, walked him a few feet away, and then turned him around.

"I'm bent over, with my hands on what you were leaning against. Find my hips."

His hands moved toward his waist, and then out from his body. They found her ass first, then moved slowly up to grip her hips.

"So, now, you're going to fuck me," she said. "It's going to be hard and fast, deep and dirty. I'm going to cum within a few minutes, and then I'm going to go back to sucking your dick. And you're going to cum, damnit."

Tim said nothing. He gripped his cock and slowly stepped forward until it came into contact with her body. He felt around until he found her pussy, then moved his cock along his finger until he lined it up at her entrance.

"That's how it's going to be, huh?" Tim asked, emphasizing his point by thrusting forward, spearing her pussy with one stroke.

"Son of a -- fuck me," Julia said, trying to stay quiet. "Fuck me, baby. If you don't want to cum in my mouth, then make me cum on your cock."

Tim cinched in a death grip on her hips and sawed into her pussy as fast as he could. It was awkward, not being able to see what he was doing, but he was trying to stay in tune with his other senses even more. He could hear her subtle whimpers and whispered dirty talk loud and clear. He could feel her skin growing slick beneath his fingers. He could tell just by breathing through his nose that she was more than a little turned on, and he longed to get a taste of her juices.

Not right now, he thought. Oh well -- maybe on the plane in a few minutes.

Just as she'd dictated, it took less than five minutes for her to start cumming. She kept her voice mostly to herself, chanting out the stray expletive just loud enough for Tim to hear it, but he could feel her juices flow around his cock. He kept plowing into her as hard and deep as she'd asked for it, until a few moments later, when she asked -- told -- him to stop.




Don't Ever Give Up Ch. 09



She stood up, leaving his slick, wet cock bobbing freely in the late-night air. Within seconds, she'd forced him back up against the cold, metal surface, and took his cock back in her hands.

"That was hot, Tim," she said. "I've done my part. Now, don't hold back. I want you to cum in my mouth."

With that, she slid his cock back into her mouth. The heat of her tongue felt good on his cock, which was getting cold without something to do. She swirled it around the top and first couple inches of his cock, then alternately slid five or six inches into her mouth.

Tim wondered if she was going to try to deep throat him when the familiarity of the situation struck him. She got off quickly from them having sex, but was egging him on during the blowjob, teasing him and telling him not to make her wait.

They'd been here before - both in this situation, albeit with other people playing the sexual parts, and this exact location.

"I know where we are," Tim said, gasping for breath. He was letting his guard down now, and he knew he was going to cum pretty quickly.

"Oh, yeah?" Julia asked without stopping what she was doing.

"Yep. This is too familiar."

"Take the blindfold off, then," she said. Tim did, and was not surprised to discover he was leaning up against the Jimmy V statue outside the RBC Center - the place where Pat and Tia had played out this same scenario a few months ago.

Of course, that had ended with cops. Julia was back at work on his cock now, bound and determined to make sure that this time around, the only lights Tim saw were flashing in his head while she made him shoot off in her mouth.

"Why here?" Tim asked with the only air he had available. Able to look down now, he saw Julia smile.

"You know why," she said. "Now, stop talking."

He tried to figure it out, but coherent thought was a difficult task with the miracles her mouth was working on him. They'd had sex in his office on more than one occasion, and they'd had sex in his car in the parking lot, but they'd never done it out here. Sure, they'd bailed out Pat and Tia that one time, but that didn't have anything to do with them.

Tim thought back to that night, and how he'd cleverly manipulated the cops into letting the two co-eds go. He tried to think of what he said -- and suddenly it him.

And then, so did his orgasm. His knees buckled as the first wave barreled into him, and his hand pushed up against the concrete base of the statue. He felt shot after shot erupt from his cock and into Julia's waiting mouth. He gripped her head with his free hand as the last few streams spurted from him, and he realized there was no way at least some of his cum hadn't gone straight down her throat.

"I hear you," he said, but couldn't add more just yet. Fireworks had indeed shot off inside his tightly closed eyelids during the orgasm, and he was waiting for the blinking blotches to disappear. Through the spots, he saw that just a few drops had escaped from her lips. She waited until he was clearly focused on her, then made a big production out of swallowing. She opened her mouth as if to say, "See? All gone."

"What do you hear?" she asked after a minute had passed. She stood up, pulling her shorts back up. She'd been using them as a cushion on the ground.

"I know why we're here," Tim said, doing the same with his own shorts. Within seconds, they were both fully clothed, just a love struck couple cuddling near a statue to anyone passing by.

"Of course you do," Julia answered, cuddling up close to him and nestling her face into his shoulder.

"But see, here's the thing," Tim said, snaking his arm around her back and squeezing tight. They stayed that way for a moment, until Tim took her hand. Her symbolism wasn't lost on him - he fully understood what she'd gone through, how hard she'd worked for what they had between them now.

Still, the joke was too good to pass up.

"I'm still pretty sure that's not what Jimmy V meant by, 'Don't ever give up.'"

******************

Note: Thanks for sticking with me until the end, folks! I gave serious thought to splitting this chapter up, and ending the first part with the cliffhanger, after the voicemail. But after the beatings I took with the first few chapters, and the cliffhangers there, I decided I didn't want to do that to you guys. ;-) 

Hopefully, this was the happy ending you were all hoping for as hardcore readers of the romance section (you'd have to be to make it this far). I spent almost a year working on this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

If you want e-mail notices when I send out future chapters of my other story, Brad's Road Trip, or when I post new projects, check out my bio for details on how to do that.