3 comments/ 16235 views/ 8 favorites Karen's Tale Ch. 01 By: CarolinaPeach Many thanks to GentWithHandcuffs, my editor. (This story has a long build up and we don't get to the hot and sexy part in this chapter, so enter at your own risk.) CHAPTER ONE It was one of those shitty mornings. I slept through my alarm, the neighbors used all the hot water, I ran down to my car only to realize I'd left my wallet upstairs, and then I was late to work. Standard shitty morning. Ordinarily my boss Heidi was no slave driver. She didn't mind occasional tardiness. Not that day though. Christmas Eve isn't the best day to be late when you work in retail. I burst through the back door just as Heidi was unlocking the front door. "Karen, get your ass in here!" yelled Heidi when she heard my entrance. I bundled my thick blonde hair up in a braid and mentally readied myself for the day. The usual stock room smell of fresh paper and plastics was overlaid with cinnamon and ginger. It smelled delicious... the first three days of the Christmas season. It had become obnoxious after that, lingering in my clothes and hair, even in my coat. It was nerve grating to hear every single customer exclaim "Oh it smells so good in here!" as they entered the store. And boy were there customers. The tiny toy shop was packed day and night with slow moving clumps of parents, while children darted about and generally wreaked havoc. I was continually re-stacking pyramids of toy boxes, re-folding t-shirts, straightening out piles of books and otherwise trying to keep the place in some kind of order. Normally, that was my favorite time of year. The crisp weather, happy anticipation of seeing family and friends, parties, exchanging special gifts... But not that year. Justin talked me into moving here, to Shermer, two months before and it had quickly gone very wrong. As in, a trip to the ER for a dislocated shoulder and sundry bruises, and talking to victim's services about domestic violence. I had finally decided to not press charges. Bruce, Heidi's husband, escorted me back to our apartment to collect my things unmolested and we were done. Justin tried to apologize, but I changed my number and Bruce explained to Justin exactly what would happen if he discovered any stalking behavior. No man would ever get a chance to hit me twice. All that was behind me, but here I was, alone in a strange town for Christmas. Heidi apologized... she wanted to invite me with them to Bruce's grandparent's house, but with his grandfather so sick it was impossible. I'd decided to pretend it was a normal day off and take advantage of having the apartment complex laundry room to myself. But first I had to make it through Christmas Eve. We had had a major avalanche of model train cars and it had spilled over into the window display. I had just righted the last Christmas tree in the window and was backing away when I felt something brush my ass. I quickly turned, amazed someone would try to grope me IN A TOY STORE. I knew I had a figure that inspired such attention, but really, this was pushing it too far. I met the eye of an entirely embarrassed young man, holding the offending kite kit that had just rubbed me. His arms were full and it was no surprise he had had trouble managing his bundle of goodies. "I'm so sorry," he ducked and bowed, almost demolishing the stack of ginger bread cookie tins. I quickly assessed the situation... bull in a china shop came to mind. "Here, let me," I said as I relieved him of the kite, two stuffed pandas and a slinky. He was as disheveled as he was clumsy, short curly brown hair sprawling above wide blue eyes. His shabby tweed jacket matched his battered jeans and scuffed loafers. We were almost eye to eye, but then, most men are as I am 5'10". "Come with me, we can stow these behind the counter for you." I led the way to the swamped cash register counter. Tucking the items into a corner, I turned to relieve him of his other boxes and parcels. "You can keep shopping, we'll have these things right here for you," I assured him. When he hesitated, I asked if I could help him find anything. "Well," he began, "I need one more gift, for my dad. Some kind of logic puzzle maybe. Could you show me where the adult toys are?" I looked at him. Had I heard him right? Was this some kind of joke? Adult toys? No, it wasn't a joke, because he suddenly turned beet red. "Not that kind... I mean, not like that..." he stammered. I took pity on him. "I know just the place for you to look," leading him to the 12+ area. "Here you go, all of these items are designed for ages 12 and up." Heidi signaled me urgently and I hustled off to the cash register to assist. I was rather pleased when he approached the cash register just as I finished up an elderly lady with a doll. I scanned his items into the computer, impressed with the number and variety of his selections. He looked young to have children, but you never can tell. "Lots of good kids on Santa's list this year?" I inquired. "For my nephews. My brothers have swamped me with nephews. I'm up to my eyeballs in them." I bagged his last items. His debit card read: "James McDowell" It suited him. My eyes locked with his intense blue ones as I handed him his receipt. Feeling a bit foolish, I smiled and thanked him. *** Christmas day I managed to launder every single item of clothing and piece of linen in the entire apartment. I'd also polished the furniture, cleaned out the fridge and vacuumed under the bed and couch. Feeling quite pleased with myself, I showered off the dust and sweat and got into comfy pjs. I popped in "It's a Wonderful Life," and settled down for a cozy evening. But I found myself restless and moody, unable to concentrate. I had instructed myself that moping was not allowed, that I would just have to keep busy and plan a special treat for myself for the evening. Finally I gave up on the movie. I got dressed and decided to find an open restaurant. Seeing other people, even strangers, would be better than being at home with thoughts of Justin. Denny's was the only place open at 9 o'clock on Christmas night. I was mulling over the menu when I was surprised by none other than James McDowell, appearing to take my order. I felt my face blossom into a smile. A friendly, familiar person, even if only a customer, was very welcome on what had been quickly becoming a dismal evening. "How are your nephews?" I asked. "Little savages, one and all. They are in bed, exhausted from being naughty all day long." "Oh, you don't fool me. You love them, don't you?" Feeling suddenly mischievous, I added, "And how did your father enjoy his adult toy?" He blushed again, but took my ribbing in a friendly way. "He likes his puzzle cube quite well, thank you." I tucked into my pancakes, feeling much happier. But when a waitress brought me my check, I was disappointed. I had expected James to bring it to me. "Where's James?" I asked. "He's off at ten." It was ten past ten. Damn, I had hoped to see his blue eyes and his smile one last time. I finished my meal and paid up. In the parking lot I jumped back in surprise as someone approached me from the side of the building. It was James. Clutching my chest, I panted "Oh my god, you scared me!" He was holding a poinsettia. Well, actually, he wasn't just holding it... he was presenting it to me. "I hope you don't mind... I thought you might like... It's not nice being alone on Christmas," came tumbling out. He steadied himself, slowed down and said, "Would you like to have a drink? At Molly's?" I thought of my clean, empty apartment. I didn't want to go back there. Going off with a strange man? Well, but a bar was safe, a public place. "Sure." I smiled into those deep blue eyes. *** At Molly's, we settled into creaking leather chairs at a table lit by a green shaded reading lamp. It was warm and cozy, quite the Irish pub. The walls were covered with photos of famous Irishmen and famous Irish pubs. The long wooden bar gleamed darkly, with the traditional mirror and range of bottles behind. There was a convivial crowd; we were lucky to get a table. I asked James to order me a Bohemia. "That's utter blasphemy! I can't let you drink Mexican beer in an Irish bar!" "You're Irish?" I asked James. "Not me... I'm Scottish. But you must respect your hosts. I'll tell you what, try a Harp and if you don't like it, we'll get you a Bohemia." Our pints came and the Harp lager wasn't bad at all. "Made the mistake of asking for a glass of beer in Scotland... that gets you an Imperial pint of beer, which is quite a bit larger. Being manly, of course I had to finish it." This reference to Scotland brought about a wealth of amusing stories about his stay in Scotland with his family, including a comical description of trying to wear a kilt properly. ("The shoes alone took a half hour to lace, god help us.") He kept me laughing until the bartender announced last call. "I'll walk you to your car," he insisted. I was glad. I'd had to park several blocks away in the middle of downtown. Lucky for me he was a true gentleman and stayed on the pavement long enough for me to start the car and pull away, because I couldn't start the car. It wouldn't even turn over. His jumper cables didn't work either. By the time we determined that, it was 2:30 am and bitterly cold. "I'll call a cab." I got out my cell phone, but James stopped me. It didn't take much convincing to get me to accept a ride. We set off in his 20 year old Subaru. Our easy conversation continued the few miles to my apartment. I turned to thank him for the poinsettia, the drinks, the company, and met those bright blue eyes. "You've saved me a lot of money, Karen," James said confidentially. "How's that? You wiped us out yesterday, buying up the store for your nephews." "If you hadn't come into the restaurant on Christmas night, I would have been reduced to buying toy after toy just to get a glimpse of you... and work my way up to asking you out." "Hey, I'm easy... just poke me in the ass and ask for the adult toys. That'll win my heart every time." I couldn't see him blushing but I knew he was. I relented. "James, I'm very glad we met up again, I had a good time." I turned to face him more directly. "The poinsettia was sweet." I had it in my lap, the top leaves were tickling my chin. "Can I call you?" he asked. "Maybe we could do it again?" I gave him my number, and then impulsively gave his cheek a quick kiss. Karen's Tale Ch. 02 Thank you again to GentWithHandcuffs, my ever helpful editor. The next day, the shop was open and it was almost as crowded as before, everyone coming in for the after Christmas sale. Heidi knew something was up. I was exuberantly cheerful but absent-minded, happily screwing up any number of things. My latest mistake (undercharging a mother of three for her Lego set) rectified, Heidi cornered me. "Who is he?" "Who is what?" I honestly didn't know what she was talking about. "Who," she asked with relish, "is the man who made you so happy?" I was disconcerted, an unusual state of affairs for me. I am normally on top of things, in control of myself and most definitely not transparent. "Umm..." I'm usually not at a loss for words either. "Well, he gave me a poinsettia. I couldn't say 'No' to a drink, could I?" Heidi gave me a smirk and returned her attention to the cash register. I floated through the day. Why had this man affected me like this? James was nothing like my previous boyfriends. I preferred confident, sophisticated men. Men who didn't poke women in the butt with kites and bungle simple requests for help finding a toy. But Justin was my "type" and look where that got me. Maybe it was time for a change. *** Around 5, I got a text from James. "I had a good time last night. Would you like a repeat?" I really did want one, but my mother had promised to call that evening. Anyway, one shouldn't appear too eager. "Sure. Thursday?" was my response. We finally decided to meet at a tea shop downtown Thursday night. I'd never been there. I figured, tea shop, that sounds nice and neutral, a good place to start. Well, it was beautiful, but hardly neutral. Brocaded Indian hangings created sheltered nooks for each table, bringing to mind palanquins and desert oases. As I looked about with wonder, a server approached me. Waitress seemed too ordinary a word for such a poised, elegant woman. She led me to the table where James scrambled to his feet to greet me. He handed me into our nook and took his place opposite me. The tiny table had a candle encased in a filigreed lantern. The lovely woman waiting on us provided luxuriously bound menus... books really. Each page described a tea in detail: history, flavor, origin, medicinal values, traditional tales and beliefs; I couldn't believe so much could be said about tea. We finally settled on a tea for two. It came in a curiously shallow, open pot. What looked like chunks of leaves expanded and opened into lovely flower shapes when we poured the hot water over them. To say I was bowled over was an understatement. I'd never been on such a romantic date. The best fine dining in town, yes, but this beat out all the elegant dinners I'd ever had. All those sophisticated boyfriends of mine had preened and used me as some kind of accessory to impress others. (I sometimes suspected anyone with blonde hair and big boobs would have been acceptable.) James was entirely focused on being there with me, oblivious to everyone else. That was far more flattering than any fancy dinner. I found James easy to talk to, even without Scotland to spur the conversation. In the course of the evening I learned he was a big baseball fan, he was pursuing a master's in Medieval Scottish history and wanted earn a doctorate and become a professor, he had a large family here in his hometown, his brothers seemed unable to stop churning out nephews ("Never a niece among them!"), and he shared with me a love of cooking. He learned less about me. I am skilled in keeping the focus on others and I avoid revealing personal things about myself. I couldn't help explaining my solitary Christmas. I skimmed over Justin quickly and dwelt on my mother, who I missed terribly but was on a cruise and out of reach of the telephone this Christmas. When we found ourselves on the sidewalk outside the tea shop, I didn't want to say goodbye. He suggested dinner and I jumped at the idea. We agreed on a popular bar and grill several streets over. After dinner, James offered me a ride home as my car was in the shop. We headed for his car. I was starting to feel nervous. Is nervous the right word? I felt giddy and had butterflies in my stomach. There would be kissing, I was sure of that. The moment of decision was approaching; we were almost to my house. James parked in front of my building. Then I looked up and was annoyed. The porch light was out again. The damn thing was out half the time, some kind of wiring problem, but it was dark up there. I kept a mini Maglight in my car, but obviously without my car I didn't have it now. "James, do you have a flash light? The porch light is out." He leaned over to rummage in the glove compartment, came up with a circular LED light that looked sort of like a spaceship. "I'll walk you up," he offered. His spaceship light was very bright. The building was perched on the top of a steep hill and it was a bit of a climb up to the porch, but we made our way easily with his light. At the top, he shined the light on the door as I unlocked it. Door open, I turned to him. My butterflies had returned. "We don't need this anymore," I said. I clicked the light off. Then our kiss just happened, all by itself. It was a soft kiss, no hardness or rushing on his part. I leaned in slowly, went from the caress of lips to the light brushing of tongues, my hands on his shoulders, his arms around my waist. We lingered, tasting and touching, a gentle exchange of tongues. If I had to choose one word for that kiss, it would be respectful. Which doesn't sound sexy, but I was accustomed to Justin, who assumed sex would happen and his kisses were all pushy preludes to what he considered was the main act. James expected nothing and gave me no more than I asked for, waited for me. In my experience, that was far more sexy than aggressive tongue dueling. Then I heard my neighbor coming down the stairs. She brushed past us, full garbage bag in hand. James looked at me and I was swallowed up by the blue eyes that had drawn me in from the very beginning. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, just by my ear. "Can I call you again?" Oh boy, after that kiss, he could call me every day and it wouldn't be too much for me. Karen's Tale Ch. 03 Once again, thank you to my editor, GentWithHandcuffs." Thank you so much for your help and hard work. :) I didn't wait for him to call first. The next day, on my lunch break, I texted him "Had a great time call me." Not terribly eloquent, but clear. Heidi was full of mischief about my new man. I played up the comical nature of our introduction. Spontaneous confessions were not my thing. I kept my strong feelings to myself for the most part. And there was a superstitious fear of jinxing things somewhere in there too. James did indeed call me. He was working through the weekend, but I asked him to Heidi's New Year's Eve party on Sunday. Heidi was delighted when she heard she would get to meet the mystery man who had so captured my attention. *** My car still in the shop, James picked me up Sunday night. Heidi had invited us for a family dinner before the party, so we departed my house at 6. When we got to Heidi's we were greeted by the delicious aroma of Heidi's famous stew. Bruce and Heidi's daughter Lydia, a teenager, was whispering with her two girlfriends when we arrived, and they laughed giddily when I introduced James to Bruce and Heidi. Evidently word had gotten around that I had a new man. As their son Tom had been away in college when I was hired at the toy store, he was a new face for me. Heidi started interrogating James immediately, asking him about his family, his course of study, his intended career, obviously wanting to ask exactly what his intentions with me were... should she buy a new dress for our wedding? Never mind that this was our third date. Luckily, dinner preparations called her away. Bruce and Tom invited him into the den for a drink, leaving us girls to serve up dinner. Lydia and her giggly friends were banished to the dining room to lay the table. That gave Heidi the opportunity to congratulate me on my new catch. "He's so much nicer than Justin!" she exclaimed, ladling the stew into a huge tureen. "Well, seeing as Justin landed me in the hospital, anyone would seem nice in comparison." I was slicing hot bread at the kitchen island. "Justin was a stuck up asshole," she pronounced. "Even before all of that... I never liked him." She looked at me from her rummaging of the utensil drawer. "You need a good man like James. Someone who will treat you right. These fashionable men... Pfft! I have no use for them. They just want eye candy." I was amused. "So you approve? I have your permission?" Heidi beamed at me. *** Bruce and Tom seemed to like James too, inviting him for another drink and a game of darts after dinner. The bartender had shown up and was arraying his tools and supplies. The girls did a great job with the decorations. We mature women needed only to lay out the finger foods. Finally the guests began to arrive. By nine, the place was packed and humming. The champagne was wonderful. I think, ordinarily, Heidi would have been introducing me around, connecting me with kindred spirits, but she left me and James alone. We ended up on the porch swing. James fetched our coats as midnight approached and there would be fireworks to follow. I had switched to this incredible peachy drink that had very little bite to it, disguising the alcohol almost entirely. Normally rather reserved, I found myself cheerfully chattering away with James, confessing all kinds of hidden thoughts and feelings. I believe I mentioned my penchant for poetry in the 10th grade and my ardent desire to be published in The New Yorker. I also became huggy-kissy, not my normal mode. I was practically in James' lap out there on the porch swing. At midnight, we cheered and I locked James into a serious soul kiss. Then we were saying our goodbyes. I exuberantly thanked Heidi for the smashing party. I half noticed her pulling James aside as I said goodnight to Bruce as well. On the ride back to my place I continued my virtual monologue. Some distant part of me said 'You're drunk and making a fool of yourself.' When we parked in front of my apartment, I swooped down on James with an energetic kiss and quickly over-heated. I started trying to undo his shirt buttons while I licked at his neck. James gently pulled my hands away. "Whoa, Karen. You've had a lot to drink," he cautioned. I had forgotten we were in his car. "Come upstairs," I invited. James carefully steered me up the steep front steps, took my keys from me after I dropped them the second time, unlocked the front door. Up more steps, more locks, then he had me in my bedroom. He pulled back the covers. "C'mon, girl, sit down before you fall down." I laughed and pulled him down with me. He managed to get my shoes off and laid me back against the pillows. "Karen, you're beautiful." I tried to focus on him and said, "You're a sexy Scotsman. What do you wear under your kilt?" More giggles. "I'll see you tomorrow." He kissed my forehead. *** "I swear I don't drink that much usually," I told James in the morning. I had called him first thing when I found his friendly note on the kitchen counter. "Heidi told me that when she charged me with your safe-keeping. She also strongly implied Bruce would have something to say about it if I mistreated you." He laughed. "I like Heidi." James' remedy for a hangover was a hearty brunch at Molly's. Their buffet offered roast pork, several potato dishes and, of course, cabbage, as well as more ordinary brunch foods like quiche and fresh fruit. I started feeling more human by noon. James had a short shift at Denny's, one til eight. After work, he wanted to take me to see the holiday light display Shermer city park hosted every year. As my car was still in the shop (damn my bad luck, car breaking down in the middle of the holidays) James picked me up. The "Celebration of the Oaks" display was fun. I had never been to it, being new to Shermer, so it was one surprise after another. We took our time. Holding hands, we wandered under the oaks looking at the gaudy designs picked out in colored lights, then between corridors of fancifully decorated Christmas trees, and finally through the botanical garden's formal pathways, which glittered with tiny white lights. It was relatively warm in the greenhouse, so we settled on a bench tucked between climbing tropical plants. James had been talking about his family, then suddenly turned to me. "I know nothing about your family except that your mother lives a few hours away." "It's just me and my mom. My dad died when I was sixteen. Since then, it's just us girls." "Oh Karen, I am sorry. I didn't know..." "Don't be sorry. I don't talk about it much." "Do you miss him?" "Well, no... He was a real bastard. I'm sorry he died, but I am glad he's out of our lives." I looked at James and saw complete attention there, no judgment. "That's why the thing with Justin hit me so hard." "The thing with Justin? The guy you moved here with?" "Yes. One night we got into an argument and he dislocated my shoulder before I was able to get away and call the police." James' face became hard. "Fucker. If he ever bothers you again..." He looked murderous when he said this. I gave a short laugh. "You and Bruce both. Don't worry. Bruce set him straight." After a while in silence, I confessed, "I feel like I should have known better, I should have seen it coming, I should have learned from my mother." "It's not your fault, Karen. And you did learn from your mother... you got out." I hadn't thought about that before. It lifted my burden a bit. "You really think so?" "Yes. You're one tough lady; you knew what to do. You're lucky, so many women don't." I put my head on his shoulder; somehow I trusted James. He learned more about me on our cozy bench than Heidi, my closest friend, had ever known. *** Back at my place, the porch light was out, so we put James' LED light to use again. But something was wrong. The front door was hanging open. Once we climbed the steps up from the side walk, we could see the doorjamb was broken, splintered apart where the lock had simply torn through. That was enough for me; I called 911. We waited for the police in James' car. There was no way we were going to go in there when who knows who could still be up there. The police found the intruder gone. The front door had been forced open, and someone had tried to get in through my door as well. The other three apartments were unmolested, so this person was only interested in me. When the police started questioning me, I suddenly had a bad thought – Justin. I told the police about him and they gravely took down the information I had about him too. Finally they left. James hugged my shoulders. I was exhausted, too tired to be scared. "Well, your door and lock held, so there's that on the plus side. It's hard to break in here." The thick oak door was set into a sturdy, deep doorjamb, not one that could be forced open as the front door had been. "Do you want me to stay?" The idea was surprising and appealing. "I can sleep on the couch," he assured me. "That would be silly," I said. "My bed's big enough for two, you might as well be comfortable." I changed into modest pajamas and offered him a spare toothbrush. His only concession to comfort was removing his belt and his button down, leaving him in a t-shirt and chinos. He meant to be the complete gentleman, and I meant to allow that. But I woke into striped moonlight and found James was curled around me, his arm draped over my waist. He had evidently assumed this position in his sleep and was still sleeping. I caressed his arm; he stirred and pulled me closer. His hand fanned out over my belly, stroking me. The stirrings of excitement were folded in sleepy ease. My pleasure emerged as a deep purr. "Karen?" James murmured. "Hmm?" "Are you awake?" "Yes." I snuggled closer against him and put my hand on his. James began exploring me with gentle touch, running his hand from hip to waist, down to my belly again, up to cup one breast. He paused. "Yes?" he asked. "Yes," I answered, meaning yes, touch me, yes, make love to me. Nuzzling my neck, he continued his exploration. His hand was slow and warm as it slipped under my pajama top, skin against skin. It took my breath away; I felt desire burrowing into my belly. I turned to kiss him. The feeling of my body against his was sensuous; I wanted to meld with him, pressing my body against his. He tugged at my pajama top which I shed readily, releasing my full breasts. The night air cooled my flushed skin, hardening my nipples. Pushing me back, he trailed kisses down my neck and into my cleavage. Using the lightest of touches, he tantalized me, never touching my nipples but teasing the skin all around, all the while nibbling and licking and kissing the rounded shape of my breasts; it was exquisite torture. His lips finally fastened on a nipple and I cried out. The arousal that had been building was unleashed. I twisted and thrust against his touch. He continued sucking and flicking and nipping at one nipple while circling the other with his fingers, trading off. Then one hand left my breast and trailed down to my hip, hooked under my thigh and grasped my bottom; my blood surged. His hand traveled to the small of my back, then slipped under the waistband of my pajama bottoms. I helped him push them down. His mouth returned to my breast. He slid his hand over my leg and to the tender skin of my inner thigh. I parted my legs and with the gentlest touch he barely brushed my trimmed pubic hair. This tickling touch pushed a sob of pleasure from me. He continued to rub my hair so that I experienced just the lightest stimulation of my mound, but I was so primed it was indescribably arousing. I was not aware of when his mouth left my breast, only that he now planted an open-mouthed kiss at the top of my pubic triangle. He followed it with another and another, adding to the tormenting teasing of his hand's motions. Whimpering cries emerged from me as this touching and kissing continued. Finally he directly touched the skin surrounding my outer lips, bringing a sharp intake of breath as I held onto the pleasure. The kissing and licking of the line above my pubic hair and the stroking around my lips became my only consciousness; my breath was now a constant moan. When he finally relented and stroked my outer lips directly I was at a peak of pleasure I'd never experienced, but it went on. And on. And on. My panting was interspersed with loud cries. Then he firmly ran his finger up my puffy lips, breaking through so that I flowered open, exposing my slick interior. His tongue followed this motion, licking me from bottom to top, anus to clitoris. His saliva mixed with my own juices creating a lake of wetness as his tongue glided over. Now he worked me over in earnest, no tormenting tease any more. He dipped his tongue into my entrance, licked my inner lips, wiggled my clitoris all in one smooth progression and repeated the motion. Then he honed in on my clitoris entirely, nibbles and licks finally giving way to a constant, firm wiggling with the tip of his tongue. Drawing from the center of my being, a hard pleasure mounted deep in my belly and expanded out into a mind shaking orgasm of an intensity I had never experienced. I smelled myself on him as he kissed my cheek. I was completely spent. "Wow," I whispered. "That was..." I searched for a word to describe my amazement. "That was incredible." Somewhere along the way he had lost his pants and we were pressed together, skin to skin. As I recovered, I became aware of James' erection pressing against my hip. I turned on my side and hugged him close so that it was trapped between us; I loved the way it felt against my belly. Then I urged him onto his back and kissed him animatedly. I could taste my juices on his tongue. Backing down, I knelt between his legs. Taking him firmly in hand, I slid my other hand gently around his balls. My mouth started to water in anticipation. After licking my lips, I took his head just into my mouth so that I rubbed the rim of his head with my upper lip, while my tongue curled around it from the bottom. Meanwhile, my one hand gently investigated his balls. I snuck one finger behind them, touching that flat spot just beyond. With my other hand, I grasped the base of his cock firmly. My tongue explored the rim of his head, all the way around, licking and rubbing, letting it enter my mouth just a little, then pop out. I switched to licking his full length like a popsicle; his smell was arousing and delicious, making me eager. Back inside my mouth, I slowly sucked in more of his shaft, then pulled up so only his head was in. I repeated this, taking more and more each time, until I was engulfing so much I gagged. His breathing had become ragged, tiny moans escaping him. Bobbing up and down, I developed a rhythm, sucking him in earnest. His hips started to thrust in time. I could feel his hands lightly brushing my hair out of the way. I was lost in the taste, the feel of his cock, my whole self focused in my mouth. After a time, short or long, I do not know, I heard James say, "Karen, stop, I don't want to cum." I slowly let his length slide out of my mouth and retracted my hand from behind his balls. Supporting myself on my hands and knees I made my way up to kiss him, straddled him, continued kissing him long and slow. Then I slid down, took his cock in hand and guided him into me. "You're a gorgeous woman." James let his hands rest on my hips as I impaled myself on his shaft. I sank all the way down and we stayed there; then I began to move, slowly. James stroked my sides, my hips, then fastened on my breasts. I bent so he could take one in his mouth, moving faster. Heat rose from my pussy, knotting itself into hard pleasure in my belly. I pressed myself against him, chest to chest, feeling the warm contact. Still moving, I kissed him, then rose up again, riding him faster and faster, breasts bouncing. He began thrusting up to meet me, hands on my hips guiding me, pushing me. As I felt an orgasm begin deep inside, I let him take over, pounding into me, hard and fast. My pleasure mounted, up and up, until it overtook me, tearing a strangled wail from me. My whole body clenched; there was nothing but this rapture. James was still thrusting, on his way to his own orgasm. I watched his face as it gathered. I clamped down my muscles as hard as I could, and he came with a huge groan. As he became still, I lowered myself to feel his body against mine, to feel pressed together, to try to meld with him. I kissed his neck, his ear, then his mouth as I melted into his side, resting my head on his chest, his arms encircling me. In a sleepy warmth, I eased onto my side and snuggled in until we were two spoons. *** The next thing I was aware of was the smell of coffee. I lay there, dreamy and content, feeling happy for some reason. Then James and our midnight union came back to me. I padded into the kitchen in my silky cream robe, feeling shy. "Coffee's on the table. One egg or two?" James had reached a new level of dishevelment, pants crosshatched with wrinkles, t-shirt a complete mess. I rubbed my face. "One scrambled, please." I came to stand next to James and hugged him. "Was that a dream?" I asked. James turned away from the stove, and I was caught once again by those blue eyes. His hands stroked me through the slippery material of my robe. No, it had not been a dream, he touched me as if I was his own. "It was real. You are as beautiful as a dream, but that was real, last night." Then he looked worried. "You don't feel... I wasn't... taking advantage of you?" Always the gentleman. I smiled. "I believe I was the one who started it." I squeezed him tight. "I am glad you are so friendly in your sleep though. I never would have thought of it on my own." I kissed his neck, then glanced over his shoulder. "You'd better take care of your eggs." I had to hurry through my shower and tossed on the first clothes that came to hand. James was rinsing the dishes when I emerged, ready for the day. I offered him the dishtowel as he stacked the last plate on the drainer. But I didn't let go. I allowed him to reel me in. I was so close I could see the light and dark streaks in his blue irises. His digital watch chimed. I jumped away. "Oh my god, I'm late," I exclaimed, looking at the microwave clock. I started scrambling around, stuffing wallet in purse and grabbing my keys off the hook by the back door. Then I remembered. "Oh no," I moaned. "My car! Can you give me a ride?" More swiftly than I had thought possible we were in his car and on our way. Heidi was lurking at the front window and saw me emerge from James' car after bestowing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Well, well, aren't we moving fast?" was Heidi's greeting. She looked pleased. I crushed her hopes for juicy details with my story of the break-in. "Justin?" she asked. She got there before I did. We hashed things over. I provided all the information she asked for. We reached no conclusion except that I should be careful, and that one call from me would bring Bruce over in a flash. Karen's Tale Ch. 04 The attempted break in and Justin slipped from my mind as nothing further happened over the next few weeks. Winter break ended and James returned to his studies. He landed a work-study job and was able to quit Denny's, so his evenings were free, as were mine. Although free was a relative term... James still had to work on his thesis. Which left me plenty of time to cook for us. I loved to cook for others and had missed that while living alone. We usually spent several week nights at James' apartment so he could work and most weekends at mine as it was bigger and homier. Heidi continued to be delighted with James, and Bruce shared the sentiment. One evening in February, as I was serving tortilla soup, James mentioned his parents' anniversary celebration. I stopped, mid-ladle. "A party?" I hadn't heard anything about this before. "Yeah, next Saturday. I said you could come. You'll be done with work, right?" "James, I have no idea what you're talking about. What party?" "Didn't I say? My parents' 32nd wedding anniversary." "Who will be there?" "Everybody," he said calmly. I couldn't contain myself. "James! You said I would attend a party without asking me first, without even telling me about it?" He seemed startled. I tried to keep my voice even. "James, you can't just assume I'll go wherever you want me to go. You need to ask me first." Now he looked crushed. "You don't want to go? I mean, no, of course I should have asked. I thought... I thought you'd want to meet my family." "I want to go, I want to meet them, but you need to consult me first. And not 4 days before hand." He appeared so contrite, I softened and kissed his cheek. "Now tell me who will be there, what I need to wear and whether a gift is appropriate. I need to know these things before attending a party." It turned out to be a low-key affair, just the immediate family, no need for gifts or fine clothes. That cut two ways... I wouldn't be overwhelmed by a huge to-do, but I'd be stuck in close quarters if his family didn't like me. *** James picked me up on time and we headed off for our party. As we drove further into his parents' neighborhood, my nervous anticipation turned into apprehension. This was more than nice neighborhood, it was a bastion of wealth. This was not what I had expected. Passing through the cast iron gate, we ascended shallow steps up to the beveled glass door. When James opened it for me and I entered the house, I found it was furnished with antiques and Persian rugs. I suspected many of the finest pieces had been in the family for generations. James had never mentioned his family had money. But I guess, to James, it wasn't important or noteworthy. Which said good things about him, but left me a bit wrong-footed. I was glad I had already wanted to make the best impression I could. Well, of course I did. And what did money really matter? If James didn't care, why should I? I still felt intimidated. I was introduced around... I met Doug, the eldest, and his wife Sarah; Ian, the middle son, with his wife Janine; and all five of James' nephews. And finally, his parents: his mother, Aileen and his father, Douglas Sr. The siblings were polite and his nephews passed in a blur, but I really warmed to his mother. She greeted me with both hands and said she'd been wanting to meet me for quite a while; I was flattered. His father was a red-faced, good-natured man who surprised me with a kiss on the cheek. Over dinner, I saw not all were so pleased with me. Sarah and Janine were quite warm and friendly. Ian was much like James, cheerful and good company. But Doug was distant and frowned when he looked my way. After dinner I found out why. We raised the usual toasts and then adjourned to the living room. The eldest nephew, DJ, was 6. He came to stand next to me, looked up with awe and said, "You work at a toy store?" I said I did and his eyes widened. "And you can play with toys all day?" "Well, no, I have to work when I'm there." He looked disappointed. "But you could come visit me and I'll show you the trains." He perked up. "And you have a lot of gold?" "Gold?" I was puzzled. "Daddy says you're a gold-digger." I identified DJ... Douglas James the third, Doug's son. "No, honey, I don't have a lot of gold. Your father was just kidding." Sarah had been watching this interchange and looked mortified. Doug was oblivious, his back to me, talking to his father. Well, that explained a lot. I pretended not to notice Sarah had been following the conversation and determinedly focused on DJ, asking him about his favorite toys. She had seemed so welcoming... but she didn't necessarily hold her husband's views. Returning from a visit to the powder room, I was glad I hadn't been judgmental. Sarah caught me in the foyer. She apologized for DJ's indiscretion. I laughed as casually as I could and said "Little pitchers have big ears." "What DJ didn't mention was that Doug and I disagreed about that; it was actually a pretty big argument." I could tell she was sincere. "Sarah, I couldn't be a gold-digger because I had no idea there was gold to be dug. I thought James was a penniless grad student." "I knew that. James would never mention it. He doesn't seem to notice much about money." That was certainly true. "Doug thinks every woman walks around with a list of Forbes' most eligible tycoons, checking last names." That didn't paint a pretty picture, but I was glad Sarah had told me. She pressed my hand and said, "Thank you for not holding this against me." To lighten things up, I suggested she bring DJ to see the model trains. We had quite a big display in the window. "I will," she promised. *** "I'm all wound up," I declared. "Let's stop at Molly's on the way home." The party had ended early; we were on our way out by 10. I let James drive, feeling stressed out and wired. Molly's was packed. We were lucky to nab a single stool at a high table covered with empties. I asked James get me an Irish coffee. I luxuriously sipped the sweet coffee and whiskey through the thick layer of cream and felt myself relaxing immediately. James stood next to me, drinking an O'Hara's stout with a noble head on it. He accumulated a mustache of foam with his first sip. I wiped it off for him, then gave him a long kiss. I was happy to be away from Doug and all the tension. I hugged James, putting my head on his shoulder. James' arms around me felt like heaven. I felt so safe, so sheltered and cared for. Suddenly all I wanted to do was get home and get our clothes off, to be skin to skin, to be joined. I communicated this general idea to James with a whisper, an ardent kiss and a well-placed squeeze; he enthusiastically agreed. We abandoned our half full glasses and hurried to the car, giggling together, arms around each other. James' apartment was closest so we headed there. Once inside the apartment, I pushed James down on the couch, laughing, and straddled his lap. "Ride 'em cowgirl!" I exuberantly jounced on James' knees. I whipped my shirt off and he began licking my breasts through the sheer mesh bra. That came off too and he burrowed in my cleavage. His hands seemed to touch me everywhere at once, breasts, back, arms, sides, waist and ass. I bounced gently, making my breasts dance. When I bent down to kiss him, it was like fire in my veins. I hitched up my skirt, which had already crept far up my thighs, and crammed my crotch against the tent in his pants, rubbing energetically back and forth. He got his fingers under my panties and squeezed my bare ass. I struggled to unzip James' pants, releasing him. I stroked him firmly, his hardon getting harder by the moment. He had found a way to sneak his thumb into the leg hole of my underwear and was massaging my clitoris. I jumped up, stepped out of my panties and yanked his pants and shorts down to his ankles. Not even bothering to remove my skirt I remounted his lap and placed his hand between my legs, while my jiggling breasts bounced in front of his face. I fed a nipple into his mouth as both of his hands were busy down below. When he plunged two fingers into my wet hole, I couldn't stand it any longer. I guided his cock into me and slid down his pole until he was in me up to the hilt. I began my ride slowly, relishing the feel of him stroking my inner walls. His hands were on my ass, mouth latched onto one nipple. I rose up so that only his head was buried in me, then slid all the way down again. I did this several times, then settled down, rocking back and forth until I found my sweet spot. Rubbing my clit I bounced gently as heat built higher and higher. James had his hands on my nipples while I moved faster and harder. I felt like every part of me was under delicious assault. It didn't take long to reach an unbearable frenzy of pleasure that exploded into orgasm. I kept moving and another orgasm crashed over me, then another. As my muscles clamped down on him, I heard him reach his own climax. I collapsed onto his shoulders, my cheek against his. When my panting slowed, I dismounted and came to rest next to him. He put his arm around me and I snuggled up close. Eventually, as my eyes drooped, I said, "Let's go to bed, sweetheart." We walked back to the bedroom hand in hand. I settled into his arms. He kissed my hair and absently said, as I was on the verge of sleep, "I love you Karen." I mumbled, "You, too," snuggled closer and then slipped into sleep. *** I was staring into the dark, bolted out of sleep by something. James was sitting up too. We both looked into the darkness, not saying anything, waiting; then we heard the breaking glass. I lunged for the phone, reacting more quickly than James. I was stabbing out 911 as he scrambled out of bed. He plunged into the closet, coming out with a baseball bat. We heard a curse and tinkling glass, then the distinct sound of the French door in the living room rattling open. My heart was pounding and my back suddenly felt cold. I slid off the bed and ducked down, taking the phone with me. "911 what is your emergency?" I said in a low voice, "Someone is breaking in, it's my ex, it's Justin Lender." The operator started the litany of question and answer, then I heard Justin's hoarse voice calling my name. James gestured me down, bat at the ready. The operator continued asking if this was the James McDowell, 1808 Stone Street residence as I plastered myself to the floor. I whispered, "Yes." "Karen I know you're here. I know you're here, you whore. I know you're fucking him. Goddammit, where the fuck are you?" More crunching glass, heavy footsteps. I couldn't see what James was doing as I squeezed myself under the bed, taking the phone with me. The operator was asking another question, I couldn't hear what. I saw James' feet, braced like a batter ready for a ball. The footsteps hesitated, then came down the hall. I watched as James' feet twisted, heard his grunt, heard a sick thump, then a deafening shot. James had hit Justin but oh shit, Justin had a gun. I whispered, "Gun," into the receiver, then covered the earpiece with my hand. Another thump and then a clatter as Justin dropped the gun and it spun across the floor, oh shit, right under the bed. I grabbed it up, scooted backwards from under the bed and jumped up, pointing the gun straight ahead. They were wrestling with the bat between them. Justin was succeeding in getting it under James' chin and pinning him to the wall. "Jesus fuck, drop it, let him go!" I bellowed. Justin half turned and with this distraction, James kneed Justin in the nuts. Justin dropped the bat and hunched over. Like an arrow, James flew to my side, jumping right over the bed. "Stop right there, mother fucker." My voice had murder in it. The trigger started to move just a tiny bit under my finger. "Karen, don't do it, he's stopped, don't shoot him," James' voice was calm, but I could sense tension. Justin, still hunched over, had put his hands up in a comical imitation of how it is done on TV. We stood that way for I don't know how long, until my arms started shaking. I relaxed my finger, uncurled it from the trigger and lowered my arm. I became aware of sirens in the distance, coming closer. We all listened raptly. Finally pulsing lights appeared and then the police burst in. Karen's Tale Ch. 05 It was full morning before we were done at the police station. I was dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt of James'. We had both been buck naked while all of this went on. I grabbed the sheet and covered myself the minute they disarmed me. When we were allowed to leave the police station, I immediately called Heidi, my mother and the McDowells. I didn't want them to hear it on the news. We went to Heidi's house. I don't know why, it just seemed like the right place to go. Heidi folded me up in a blanket, forced me onto the sofa in the den and made me drink sugared tea. She tried to do the same with James, but Bruce extracted James from her grasp and succeeded in making him sit down. James put his arm around me and, bundled in my blanket, I leaned into him the best I could, while I tried to untangle myself. Then James' brothers arrived. Not long after, his parents showed up. Heidi had coffee and tea for everyone to hold. No one drank it, but they looked glad to have something in their hands. Bruce unlocked the bar and the whiskey was more readily accepted. Even Mrs. McDowell had a tot in her tea. Once everyone had assured themselves everyone else was ok, people started to trickle out. I had been quite worried about Mrs. McDowell who looked grayish until she got her whiskey down, then her color returned. Heidi and James both smothered me with care. The brothers were the first to depart, seeing everything was well in hand. Eventually I was alone with James. I started shivering as it dawned on me: I had almost shot a man, the trigger had moved. It didn't matter it was low-life Justin, a woman beater and scum. He didn't deserve to be shot and I had almost done it. James pulled the blanket over us and held me tight. "James, I almost shot him." I was sick inside. "Honey, situations like that go through you, yanking every single switch in your head. You were feeling survival instincts." I clutched him closer. "The trigger moved. I was so close." "But you didn't." "Oh Jesus, I would have, if you hadn't stopped me." "You don't know that. And you didn't do it. You knew you shouldn't. Some people would figure 'He hurt me, he deserves to hurt too,' and would have shot him without thought; you didn't, even though all those hormones were pumping through you and he had really hurt you in the past. A dislocated shoulder... It's a good thing you had the gun, not me." "Really? You would have shot him?" "Maybe. It would have been awfully hard to back down, like you did." James hugged me tighter. "The important thing is no one got hurt." I giggled unsteadily. "Justin is going to be hurting once those painkillers wear off. How hard did you hit him?" "As hard as I fucking could. He had a goddamn gun." This made me laugh harder. Then my laughter turned into crying. *** James went home to take care of the broken glass and clean up after the police, and I went back to my place. After a long hot shower, I sat in the living room with some tea. I was startled by a knock on my door. James didn't bother to knock, he had his own keys, who could be here? I answered the door and to my surprise I found Doug standing there. I stepped back and invited him in, gestured him to the sofa. I offered him something to drink, then sat down opposite him when he politely declined. He seemed to be struggling with something. I waited. When he looked up, I was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "You saved my brother's life. James told me everything that happened. That man would have killed him one way or another." I looked on with compassion. "Sarah told me about what happened at the party last night. I want to--- No, I need to apologize. I feel protective of James and he has no sense of things to do with money and status and all that rot. I am a bit jaded as I am a divorce lawyer." He paused. "But Sarah was right. I apologize." He was looking me straight in the eye. He had the same blue eyes as James. His face was older and harder, but he had laugh lines in the corners of his eyes. "No need to apologize, Doug. You thought you were taking care of James." I laughed. "He really is hopeless, isn't he?" Doug's gravity retreated and he had a fond smile on his face. "He is. But I feel good knowing you're here for him." Then he stood up. "I have to go sit with my mother. Her heart isn't good and all this excitement stirred her up." I walked him to the door. He turned to give me his hand, but I hugged him. "Thank you for saving his life." Then he was gone. After Doug left, I looked out at the tree tops across the street, thinking, for a long while. Then I heard James on the stairs. He came in, threw his keys in the bowl by the door as usual, and his smile lit up. I had been seeing that smile for so long, how could I have not understood it? "You look marvelous." I was wearing cargo pants and a slouchy t-shirt, with my hair up in a messy braid and no make up. It was as if my eyes had been opened to the obvious after hearing him say, "I love you," last night. Everything he did and said shouted love. He must have been in love with me right from the beginning but I had chosen not to see. But it was out of the bag now. He had said what he said, and I had responded the way I had responded. Apparently I returned his affection. I had said I did, last night. It hadn't felt like all the other times I had said it to Justin. It seemed, before, I had said it in the hopes that saying it might make it true. Last night when I said "You, too," it felt natural and true. I consulted my inner self, the deepest part I always avoided. I saw James picked out in golden light, I saw what he meant to me, how I felt, and the hugeness of it all. The primal Karen loved him without reservation. The rest of me fought it, tried to push it away, tried to reason myself out of it. But I couldn't lie, it was there. James bent down to kiss my cheek as he always did. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down for a real kiss. I put all my thoughts and feelings into it. "Wow! Where did that come from?" James wanted to know. "Almost getting killed will do that to you." Why did I lie? Why couldn't I say how I felt? I was an abject coward. Fear. I had always picked superficial, shallow men because I knew they would not challenge me with real feelings. But what to do now? I kept his hand in mine, pulled him onto the couch. I leaned in to kiss him again and he put his arms around me. When my hands were on his back, it was as if some new brand of desire insisted I touch his smooth skin. I slipped my hands under his t-shirt and sweater. My long slow kiss did not seem to be enough. This new feeling left me breathless, a frenzy of desire that moved in slow motion. Tenderly, slowly, I moved my mouth to his earlobe. My hands continued their exploration, pushing his shirt and sweater up as they went. I dropped an open-mouthed kiss just below his ear, then another and another, in a trail that led down to where his shoulder joined his neck. This spot seemed new to me, as if I had never touched James before, as if this were the first time all over again. I laid a kiss down, my softened tongue gently licking. My lips and tongue moved over him. I realized that this sense of fragile intensity was my love focused and concentrated, my movements transmitting a wordless message that could not be expressed any other way. I pulled his sweater up and off, the t-shirt followed, went back to slow kisses, my hands on his shoulders, devouring the sensation of warm skin and taut muscles. James was responding in kind, hands moving in long sweeps over my back, gentle arcs. I stopped long enough to pull my shirt off, bra-less breasts bared; James cradled them. When his thumbs brushed my nipples my breath caught, slow fire spreading down in twin courses. I put my mouth near James' ear and whispered, "Let's go to bed." I took off my cargos and lay down on the bed. James shed his pants as well and crawled in beside me. He pressed himself against my side, one leg draped over mine. I kissed him as softly as I did on the porch, that first time. Gradually my heat rose. James caressed me in long, smooth motions, hip to flank, knee to waist, across my back. As I heated up, his touch became more intimate, cupping a breast, squeezing my bottom, massaging my inner thigh. My own hands became more animated, pinching his nipples, dipping into his boxers to cradle his balls. I stopped there. I pulled his underwear down to further to expose them. I lightly licked them as he hardened in my hand. Being oh so careful, I took one of his balls into my mouth and just barely sucked, then rolled it around on my tongue. Meanwhile his cock had come to attention. Still stroking James' cock, I returned to kissing him, expressing the inexpressible feeling I had for him. He seemed to hear and understand, touching me tenderly, neck, shoulders, breasts. I sank into the experience of the now, holding nothing back. I lost track of things, James was pushing my panties down, kissing my thighs as he went. He spread my legs wide, kissed his way up my inner thigh until he was licking the crevice between my leg and sex. The wet, warm touch of his tongue on this sensitive skin drew moans from me. His hand had joined, thumb caressing the opposite crevice. Then he used both thumbs to pull my lips apart and dipped in to taste me. This time he teased me, tickling my inner lips with the tip of his tongue, lapping at my entrance but not entering, using his thumbs to massage the area around my clitoris, never touching it directly. I wiggled and thrust my hips, trying to rub my clit against his fingers or tongue, but he would not relent. I was on the edge of orgasm, I needed only one touch to push me over and finally, finally I received that touch as James began licking the base of my clitoris. That pulled a long cry from me as my orgasm raised tidal waves of pleasure that washed away all consciousness of time and place. When I stopped shaking and my hips returned to the bed I scrabbled for James, brought him up to me and kissed him with every ounce of excitement in me. He pushed me back as he returned my kiss with matching passion. I helped him guide his cock into me; he inched in and groaned. When he began to move, my wetness, his girth and the friction combined into one delicious sensation. I whispered "Yes," meaning: Yes, I want you inside me; Yes, I need to be this close to you; Yes, don't ever stop. I had never felt so melded with him as right that second, my knowledge of his love of me as well as my love of him. I cried out, but not just from physical pleasure; I had never felt anything so intense. So quickly and I was cumming, wrapped around all that mattered now: James. And he was with me, saying my name as if he could find no other expression of all he felt, reaching his own climax. James came to rest atop me. I loved being pressed together, nothing between us, skin to skin, face to face. I kissed him with my whole self, every part of me affirming our union. Then I started crying. "Honey, what's wrong?" James looked into my eyes. "I'm scared." "Scared? Why?" "All my life, I've been afraid of being hurt. I've dodged feeling anything deep for anyone because that means you can be disappointed, hurt, betrayed." James smoothed my hair back. I burrowed into his chest wanting to hide. I felt deformed, damaged, cowardly. I felt undeserving. James stroked my back and held me close. How could this man love me? But he did. I gave myself over to that, opened myself up to his comfort and care, allowed myself to be soothed. Allowed myself to be loved wholly. It felt like an amazing gift. We stayed that way for a long time. When I lessened my fierce grip on him, I looked into his eyes. I felt loved and cared for, safe. "It scares the shit out of me, James, but I love you too." EPILOGUE We were married on Christmas Eve. Seven years later, we're still together. We have added to the McDowell clan one girl and two boys. ("A girl at last!" James rejoiced.) James is a professor of Medieval History at the state university and I run Heidi's new online toy store. Life has been good to us. I still tease James about adult toys and kites.