15 comments/ 12031 views/ 15 favorites Road Trip Ch. 06 By: foolish_hobgoblin Mitochondrial DNA proves "beyond reasonable doubt" that skeleton in Leicester car park is Richard III. Eve skimmed the article with interest while her fingers busily typed on her phone, not even aware of what she was doing until after she'd hit send. She gripped the phone in a panic, staring at the text message, wondering if there was a way to recall it. Oh, well. He probably won't even see it, she thought shakily, hoping Will still had the habit of barely remembering to check his phone, much less notice text messages. Telling herself to forget it, she searched for more articles about the discovery of Richard III's remains. Caught up in her reading, when her phone rang she answered it without looking at the caller ID. "Eve?" She jumped to her feet and looked around the room. His voice was so rich, so real, touching her in a place deep inside so intensely, it felt like he was next to her. "Will?" she asked stupidly. "Yeah," he said, sounding amused. "Uh, you did just text me...right?" "I did," she said slowly. "I didn't expect you to notice it, I guess - at least not for a few weeks." He laughed awkwardly and there was a long pause. "How have you been?" he asked. "Fine, how about you?" she said, rolling her eyes at herself. "Good." Another uncomfortable silence. Eve bunched the hem of her shirt in her hand nervously. "So," Will drawled. "Curvature of the spine." She couldn't help giggling. "I believe I did admit that he probably had scoliosis," she reminded him. "Did you happen to notice that both arms seem normal - not withered or shrunken or anything?" He chuckled and she swallowed a pleased sigh. She could picture his eyes crinkling up, wondered if he was reclining in his chair as he spoke. With the topic of the newly discovered remains, they were able to talk easily for several minutes, speculating about Richard himself but also about the final burial and what, if any, new facts about him would come about in the future. "I'm seriously thinking of taking a road trip out to Leicester now," Eve told him. "Road trip?" Will exclaimed in shock. "Oh, yeah - you don't know," she said quietly. "I'm in London." "You're...in London," he repeated. "It's kind of a long story." "I have the time, if you do," he said simply. She smiled wistfully into the phone, ignoring the annoying threat of tears now stinging her eyes. He sounded just the same. Maybe they could do this, be friends. Or at least keep in touch. It had been almost six months, after all. Though it could have been six years - more like sixty - and it would still feel like yesterday. She could still feel the pain of saying goodbye to him on the curb in front of her friends' apartment, of watching him get into the RV and drive away. Of those first several weeks when she still turned to point out something funny or picked up the phone to call him before remembering that he wasn't there. That he wasn't hers. It was surreal to not know anything of his life now. Katie had talked to a friend of hers that still worked at their alma mater, learning that Barb had left her position at the college and Will was still on sabbatical. Which didn't tell Eve anything about their relationship; they could have split up with Barb moving on, or she could be with him on wherever his leave had taken him - them. Katie had encouraged her to call him after a few months had passed, but Eve refused. She could only assume they had worked things out, otherwise he would have called her. Wouldn't he? "Are you there?" She blinked. "Sorry - yes. Uh, the basics are that I stayed in Chicago with Janine and Katie," she said. He made a murmuring sound as a response and she heard the faint squeak of leather as if he were adjusting himself on a chair. She wondered if he was at home, wondered what his home looked like. Giving herself a shake, she tried to focus on the conversation. "Anyway, I got a job at a small publishing company - it's mostly educational materials, so it's not thrilling as far as subject matter goes, but it's been good experience. I started out proofreading and transitioned into editing." She paused, sure she was boring him to tears. "That sounds perfect for you," he said softly. "Editing - publishing. I bet you're terrific at it." "Thanks," she said quietly, mildly alarmed by the pleasure washing over her at his praise. "How does that lead to London?" he prompted. "Oh - my boss has been mentoring me. She helped me network, put me in touch with other publishers she knew and some agents. I mentioned to one of them that I had started writing a book about Henry VIII -" "You did?" he asked excitedly. "Yeah - well, in the beginning it was about Henry, then the idea kind of morphed into really being about Katherine of Aragon and possibly Mary...I have some ideas but that might turn into a separate story. It's not a biography or anything," she added hastily. "I wasn't really drawn to that, it became more...historical fiction, I suppose. Anyway, this agent asked to read the first couple chapters and passed it along to some publishers and one of them liked it so much they offered me a small advance," she finished shyly. "Eve," he said warmly. "That's wonderful. Congratulations!" "Thanks," she said, grinning. "So you're here doing research?" he asked. "Exactly. I just got here last week and -" She stopped suddenly, his words registering. "Wait - what do you mean here?" she asked curiously. "What?" "You asked if I was here doing research," Eve repeated carefully, a strange numbness making her dizzy. "Oh, right," he said hesitantly. "I'm in Oxford." "What?" she whispered, gripping the phone so tightly her fingers began cramping. She began pacing frenetically, taking short gasping breaths that she hoped he couldn't hear. "Yes. Small world, huh?" he said quietly. She cleared her throat nervously. "I'll say." "I'm doing some Shakespeare research," he explained. "But it was mostly an excuse for a vacation. I'm staying in Stratford, I just came to Oxford for a few days." "Oh." Stunned and speechless didn't begin to cover it. "Eve?" "Yes?" she said weakly. "I would love to see you while we're here...if that would be okay with you," he said tentatively. "Is -" She stopped and exhaled slowly. "Are you alone?" "Yes. My divorce was finalized last month," he said quietly. She swallowed hard, struggling to pinpoint her reaction to the news. Sadness? Sympathy? Resentment? Anger? She had no idea. "I'm sorry," she said awkwardly. "I'm not," he said firmly. "It was long over." She made a noncommittal sound, still in a daze. "Eve," he began. "I would much rather say this in person, but - I'm really sorry about what happened at the end of the summer." "You don't have anything to apologize for," she said. "I think I was being unreasonable." "You were not. I just hate that you might think I lied to you or misled you -" "Will, you really don't need to do this," she interrupted. "Just - let me get it out, okay?" he said in a rush, continuing before she could reply. "Barb's message that day - honestly, I don't even remember what conversation she was referring to. I may have told her I wanted to work things out, I don't know. But by the time the summer - by the time you...going back to her wasn't even a consideration for me. I think I was just so shocked by her call and then by you wanting to leave that I couldn't form a coherent thought about any of it so I couldn't explain it to you." He paused, clearly waiting for a response, but she had forgotten how to breathe, much less speak. It didn't help that the memory of that day brought a sharp pain to her chest. "I need you to know - last summer...it was the happiest I can remember being in years. Years," he said emphatically. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Eve, I -" He paused and sighed. "Dammit, I hated saying goodbye to you. I miss you." Oh, God. His words. His voice. It was all too much. The longing she thought had been buried was now overpowering her. She lowered her trembling body onto the chair. But what did it mean? What could it mean? "I - I've missed you, too," she finally stammered. "Can I see you?" he asked. "Will -" she said reluctantly. Her head was spinning. What good would it do? To have another brief period of time with him in some faraway place that didn't contain anything real? The pain wouldn't be worth it, not again. She tried to steel her nerves, knowing it would be the most difficult thing she'd ever have to say. "Yes." Her mouth dropped open in shock when she heard her response. Apparently her heart had somehow taken control of the neurons in her brain and had given the answer she really meant. She rolled her eyes. Fine, she thought in frustration. I'll see him but that's it. Nothing else is going to happen. Maybe if she repeated it enough she would believe it. --- Will wrapped both hands around his phone and pressed it to his forehead, tears stinging his eyes. She said yes. And she missed him. He didn't know what to do now, just knew that her words made him happier than he'd been in months. Even through the misery of telling Barb it was over, telling their kids - who were not surprised - meeting with lawyers, dividing up their belongings...none of it had compared with the anguish that been eating at him since saying goodbye to Eve. He'd about fallen out of his chair when he saw her text, his fingers dialing her number before his brain had a chance to catch up. Two days later he was waiting for her at the rail station in Leicester, obsessively straightening his clothes and smoothing his hair. His eyes darting around, afraid he was going to miss her. There. His heart jumped when he saw her, wearing tight jeans tucked into tall boots, bundled up in a cream pea coat and bright orange scarf. She was hoisting her overnight bag onto her shoulder, her eyes bright, her mouth opening in laughter. Her gorgeous hair was tumbling around her shoulders just like he remembered. She was a vision. Suddenly his face fell. She had turned to speak to someone, a young man who was handing her a cup of coffee. Will watched as they stopped, Eve handing him her phone. He typed something on it before handing it back, giving her a kiss on her cheek. Will cursed under his breath, feeling like an idiot. It hadn't occurred to him that she would be seeing someone, but even if it had he wouldn't have expected her to bring him along, at least not without mentioning it. Eve's companion walked away and she followed him with her eyes for a moment before looking around. She saw Will and her smile became guarded, hesitant. He forced a smile as she approached, certain it didn't reach his eyes. "Hi," she said awkwardly. "I hope you weren't waiting long." "Not at all," he said briskly. "Should we go?" she asked. "Don't you want to wait for your friend?" Will retorted. He heard the bite in his tone but was powerless against it. Eve looked confused. "Colin?" she asked, gesturing in the direction of the young man. "He -" Hearing her speak his name was the final straw and Will spun on his heel, stalking toward the exit. "Will?" she called after him. He didn't stop until he was outside, bursting through the doors into the wintry air and stomping down the steps. He paced on the sidewalk, telling himself to calm down but only getting angrier. A flash of orange caught his eye and he saw her walking slowly down the steps. Not even looking for him. She just walked around the corner of the station. Was she just going to leave? With her boyfriend? Just leave without saying anything? No. Will scowled, charging after her. He stopped short when he rounded the corner and saw her in the designated smoking area, pulling a pack of cigarettes from her purse. She caught his eye and lifted the cup of coffee and cigarettes with a sardonic smile. He sheepishly joined her. "Where's your friend?" he asked, his voice tightly controlled. "I don't know," she said. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?" He stared at her, her full lips circling around the cigarette, his mind instantly flooding with memories of how those lips tasted, how they felt. Yearning was spinning around his stomach along with his jealousy. His stupid, horribly embarrassing jealousy. "I just wasn't expecting you to show up with someone," he said stiffly. "I didn't," she replied calmly. "Don't lie to me, Eve," he said loudly. He saw her shoulders bunch up, her first line of defense when someone yelled at her. To his surprise, they instantly straightened and she looked at him directly, somehow appearing to grow an inch or two taller. "I am not lying," she said firmly, emphasizing each word. "Then who the hell is he?" Will demanded. "No. First I want you to tell me why you're acting this way," she snapped, her eyes a steely blue and flashing with annoyance. Will sighed. He was suddenly tired. So tired of being angry and jealous and hurt. Of being in pain. When all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and taste her skin, smell her hair. Feel her melt into him the way she used to, curling up against him, so full of trust. So giving. It was all he wanted and like the fool he was, had only just now realized it would never happen. "Will - what's going on?" she prompted. With nothing to lose, he let the words shoot out of his mouth. "What's going on is that I can't stand the thought of you with anyone else. Okay? Is that what you want to hear? That it makes me crazy to think about another man - getting to be with you, touch you, hold you...when it should be me. Me," he repeated angrily. He stepped closer to her as he spoke. So close she had to tilt her head back to look at him. So close he could smell her hair, that floral scent that smelled like spring. He took a step back and began walking in a small circle in front of her. "I'm not like this, you know," he said harshly. "I've never been jealous. Or possessive. Or bitten anyone or pulled their hair," he added absently. "Or stayed up for hours talking about anything that came to mind. Been willing to drive across the country without it mattering where I was going as long as you were in the passenger seat. It's just with you. Just you." He stopped in front of her. Her face was frozen, staring up at him blankly. He sighed again, looking up at the sky. When he glanced at her, she hadn't moved, her expression hadn't changed. "And I hate the idea of you having that with anyone else, when I want it to be me," he said again, lowering his voice but still seething. "That's all I want, Eve. It's all I've wanted since last summer. It's all I've been able to think about for the past six months." Still no response, just the wide-eyed stare of her brilliant eyes. "That is what's going on," he said coldly before sadness washed over him. "Me being a pathetic fool thinking - thinking something could..." He shrugged, letting his voice trail off. "I -" Her voice faltered and she cleared her throat. "I didn't know," she said weakly. He crossed his arms and grunted in response. "For the record, I met Colin on the train, I didn't bring him here," she said, her voice wavering. "We chatted during the ride and got along so we exchanged numbers." "Well, I hope you two will be very happy together," Will said spitefully. --- Eve's shock was incapacitating. Of all the scenarios she'd imagined as she nervously prepared to see Will again, this had never entered her mind. His mood had worried her, irritated her. Prodding him for an explanation was simply an attempt to get him to vent in the hopes he would snap out of it. The last thing she expected to hear was...this. His long legs moving elegantly as he paced, his sensuous lips ranting, his strong arms folded angrily over the expanse of his chest. She was overcome with memories of how those lips felt, how those arms held her securely, how his body covered hers, wrapped around her, making her feel treasured and safe. So overcome she could barely register his words. The words that were touching her in a place that had lay dormant since they said goodbye. And all thanks to some random guy she'd met on the train. She shook her head slowly in disbelief. "Oh, my God, Will," she said, exasperated. "He's gay." Will blinked in shock, his chin dropping to his chest in embarrassment. "Oh." She covered her mouth and giggled. He looked at her self-consciously. "Sorry," she said, feeling somewhat guilty. "I guess I could have just told you that from the start but...I really didn't expect you to - to say all that." He shrugged again and looked down, actually shuffling one of his feet like a school child being admonished. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked timidly. "You never called." "I - I didn't think you wanted me to," he said, baffled. She sighed loudly, partly in frustration and partly with affection. "I did," she said quietly. "But -" He looked even more confused. "I didn't know," he said, looking dazed. He let out a sigh. "I might not be the most observant man." She chuckled against her will. He gave her a small smile. "Will," she said hesitantly, resting her fingers on his arm. "I - I -" She stopped and pressed her lips together, trying to find words. "What is it?" he asked softly, covering her hand with his. She looked down at their hands, admiring the long fingers closed around hers, feeling the warmth of him through his coat. "Eve?" he prompted. "I just - nothing's changed," she said lamely. His brow wrinkled. "Nothing's changed...meaning what? How you feel hasn't changed?" he said hopefully. "Yes, that," she whispered, her throat constricted. "And everything else." "What do you mean?" "Will," she said, sighing, avoiding his eyes. "Last summer was amazing. But how can it - how can we...how could it work?" she mumbled helplessly. He hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him, his eyes a piercing blue. Eyes that made her want to just swim in them, just curl up against him and feel the warmth of him surrounding her. "Eve," he said decisively. "What do you want?" His thumb caressed her cheek, a blazing heat scorching her skin from the simple touch. She closed her eyes, losing the power of speech. His fingers moved into her hair, tangling in it at the nape of her neck, tugging gently. "Look at me," he murmured. She met his eyes reluctantly. As soon as they locked gazes she felt it again. The charge, the trust, the comfort. Like she was looking at...home. Some intangible shelter that couldn't be defined by a physical structure, it was simply wherever he was. It was him. Her lips parted and she watched with a strange kind of terrified excitement as his mouth drew closer to hers. He barely grazed her lips with his and she shuddered, inhaling his breath desperately as if she needed his air to live. "What do you want?" he repeated softly, his lips tickling hers as he spoke. "You," she whispered without thinking. "I want you." His lips captured hers, hot and persuasive, his tongue eagerly exploring her mouth. Her knees buckled and she clutched his arms, whimpering with desire, with confusion, with surrender. He trailed a path of kisses to her ear, his breath raising goosebumps and making her shiver. "Oh, Eve," he breathed, holding her in silence for long, wonderful, endless minutes. --- "We've probably given everyone enough of a show," he said quietly, his face ensconced in her hair. "Let's go." She nodded dumbly as he took her hand, still overwhelmed with puzzlement and doubt. And need. God, the need. To feel him kiss her like that again, that magical kiss that made the world disappear. To feel all of him, holding her, against her, inside her. It was making her dizzy and she stumbled as she followed him to a cab. He twined their fingers together as they rode in silence, his thumb massaging circles in her palm. She was breathing hard, losing her ability to think clearly, her mind fuzzy thanks to the effect he was having on her. Road Trip Ch. 06 They arrived at the hotel, the hotel where she had booked her own room, but he must have checked in already because he led her directly upstairs. Her feet moved on their own, trailing after him as if they knew something she didn't. He kept a firm hold on her hand as he unlocked the door, his touch both comforting and confusing her. Stopping just inside the door, he took her in his arms and she let herself yield, her body urgently seeking the powerful heat of him. His lips found hers and she succumbed eagerly, lost in the soft, teasing swipes of his tongue which soon became forceful. Demanding. Asking something of her that she was all too ready to give. His fingers worked the buttons of her coat and she broke the kiss with a gasp, her head falling back. Her gasp quickly turned into a whimper of pleasure when his teeth found her neck, grazing and nipping her sensitive skin. Lifting her hands to his head, she found his mass of thick hair and wound her fingers in the soft waves, a low moan emitting from her throat. Her coat was thrown onto a chair and he slowly unknotted her scarf, holding onto the ends with each hand. Her eyelids fluttered, trying to focus on him. Seeing his face get closer, those soft lips brushing against hers, his beard tickling her chin. "I don't want this just for today," he said huskily. "I don't want to ever say goodbye to you again." Her eyes snapped open. He was kissing her again, his eyes staring into hers, right into her. He pulled his lips away and rested his forehead against hers, swallowing hard. His fingers were digging into her ribcage as he pulled her against him, his rock-hard erection obvious through their clothes. He exhaled shakily. "I...don't want to stop, but – I can't...do this unless - Eve, I have to know if you're in this with me. I don't want to let you go," he said, his jaw muscles working furiously as if he were only barely holding onto his control. Tears pricked at her eyes and she looked at him fearfully. "How can it work?" she whispered sadly. He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose. Cupping her cheeks, he held her eyes with his, trapping her with the sincerity of his gaze. "We make it work," he said softly. "It's what people who love each other do." She blinked rapidly, feeling a tear drift down her cheek. He brushed it away with his thumb, looking at her tenderly. "I love you, Eve," he whispered. "I want to be with you. Now, today, tomorrow...here, back at home. Always." "I love you, too," she said, her voice tight with emotion. "I just – I'm scared, Will." "I'm scared, too," he murmured, kissing her gently. She took a shuddering breath, holding his face in her hands, stroking his beard, staring into his eyes. She still wasn't convinced. What his colleagues would think, her family – God, what his kids would say. Did it matter? Maybe. Maybe not. "But I'm also not alive without you," he said against her mouth. She groaned involuntarily. No. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered but this. Him. "Okay," she said shakily. "Okay?" he repeated, still brushing his lips against hers. "Okay, we'll make it work. I can't bear to watch you walk away from me again," she breathed, twisting her fingers in his hair. --- A low growl sounded in the back of his throat at her words, his tenuous grasp on his restraint nearing the breaking point. He plunged his fingers in her luxurious hair and attacked her mouth, begging her to respond, drowning in the deliciousness of her lips. Still as soft and sweet as he remembered, but now so much more. Now filled with some mysterious, breathtaking, drug-like nectar that entered his bloodstream, making him light-headed. He slid the scarf from around her neck without breaking their kiss. He gripped her tiny waist, fumbling for the hem of her shirt, some flowy thing that billowed around him like an angel's wings. He succeeded in lifting it over her head, leaning away to look at her. Her trim figure the color of honey, toned but so womanly with her full breasts and flared hips. He met her eyes and she reached behind her to unhook her bra, watching him as she pushed it off her arms. Stroking her from shoulder to finger, his eyes fluttered shut, reveling in the silky skin beneath his fingers. When he opened them, their reflection in the mirror behind her caught his eye, and he slid a hand to her left shoulder blade. There was a burst of color there, somehow both subtle and vibrant. Countless shades of red and gold and orange that seemed to shift and change with the light, with her movement. It was at once a quiet ember and pure fire, simultaneously receding into her skin tone and exploding with brilliance. He could feel her eyes on him, watching him study her newest tattoo, but he couldn't look away from it. The head was mostly in profile, looking at him almost coyly. The wings spread apart proudly, defiantly; the chest pushed out in a posture of pure, unadulterated freedom. It was her. Her confidence, her zest, her subdued power. It was stunning. Magnificent, really. It encapsulated every detail of who she was. "Phoenix," he said in a whisper, his fingers tracing the ink lightly, afraid he would somehow damage it or take away its meaning, the essence of who she was simply by touching it. She glanced over her shoulder to their reflection and watched his fingers for a moment before turning back to him. "Look at the wing," she said tentatively. "Just under it." Giving her a curious look, he stepped behind her, narrowing his eyes as he studied the Phoenix's wings. There. On the outline of one wing, the only presence of cool color amidst the vivid shades of fire, artfully detailed to look like a simple shadow at first glance. His throat moved against the sudden lump, wondering if he was imagining things. The subtle grey tips of the wing seemed to form a letter. "Is it –" he began, finding speech difficult. He traced the wing slowly with his finger and saw her shiver. She turned to face him. "W," she said simply. "It was the best way I could think to represent our summer...what it meant to me. How I felt - after." He tried to smile, his vision clouding with sudden tears. "It's - it's just beautiful, sweetheart," he said softly. "It's you." His fingers were still on the tattoo as he stood there mesmerized, overwhelmed. It took him a second to register her fingers were determinedly undoing his coat and then his shirt. She ran her hands up his chest until they tickled his hair, lifting her head for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her, walking her backward to the bed. Kneeling in front of her, he unzipped her boots, holding her eyes as she smiled tenderly. He tried to take his time undressing her but couldn't slow himself, needing to see her, all of her. She reclined on the bed, naked and glowing, her eyes a dark green, calling out to him. --- Eve felt the burning heat of his stare, her skin almost sizzling in response. "Take off your pants," she murmured. "I want to feel you against me." She smiled at his delighted expression, sighing happily as he removed the rest of his clothes. She held her arms out to him and he flattened his body on hers, kissing her slowly. Purposefully. Every teasing flick or gentle caress of his tongue driving her, pulling her in. Making her wonder how she could have ever entertained the idea of letting this go. His mouth moved down her neck to her breasts and she gasped when his teeth met her nipple. Starting with gentle nibbles before clamping down in a bite that seemed gradual, steadily increasing pressure, the initial pain quickly morphing into a slow spark of pleasure, spreading out from his mouth over her chest until it reached her extremities. Marking her, claiming her. Taking her pleasure, rolling her response around on his tongue as if it were something tangible, and returning it to her tenfold. Her legs wrapped around his hips instinctively, her slickness gliding along the hot shaft pressed against her. "Please," she whispered. "I need you." He met her eyes, lifting his head so that she could watch his tongue leisurely circle her breast. Seeing the hint of teasing in his expression, she groaned. "Please," she said in a husky moan. "Patience," he murmured against her skin. She whimpered, raking his arms with her nails. "Patience," he repeated. "I'm going to make you mine...all mine. I'm going to make you forget everything but me. But this." Arching her back, she heard a low sound come from her throat, a combination of irritation and longing. God. As if she could think of anything else, of anyone else. She had been his since Chicago, since South Bend, maybe before. How could he not know? Not know that the sound of his voice, even the suggestion of his touch, how every damn thing he said or did affected her, made her heart expand and at the same time contract as if trying to lock him inside. How could he not know? "I'm already yours," she breathed. He chuckled, his beard tickling her stomach. She reached for him with her arms and legs, trying to pull him back, sighing when he eluded her. His hands skimmed her body, resting on her waist, his long fingers massaging her lower back. He surprised her by turning her to her side, running a finger across her dragon tattoo. "Will you tell me?" he asked gently, meeting her eyes. She softened, her frustration waning. She took a shaky breath, moistening her lips. "Are you familiar with Tom Robbins?" she said. "'Human folly does not impede the turning of the stars,'" he mused, focused on the tattoo. She nodded. "And 'We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.' I got it after...Patrick. To remind myself I don't need anyone but me," she explained quietly. His eyes found hers and she looked at him cautiously. "I don't need anyone else to make me happy, only I can do that. I don't need you for that. I want you. I choose you." She swallowed, her throat very dry, watching him. A slow smile spread over his face, his eyes alight with pleasure, with understanding. He stretched out next to her, tucking her into his embrace. Kissing her, touching her, adjusting her legs so they were once again wrapped around him. She moaned as she felt him at the center of her desire, wet and hot and waiting. Moving inside her firmly, deliberately, his hips methodically undulating in steady thrusts. Their foreheads pressed together, his hand cupping her face, staring into her eyes, unwavering in their heated gaze. She came quickly, tensing up before shuddering in his arms, holding his cheek. "God - Will," she cried. "Oh, God - yes - yes!" "You're mine," he whispered, seizing her lips and kissing her sweetly. She was spasming around him, around the heated steel inside her that was now speeding up. Curling her fingers in his hair, her other hand clutched his behind. She forced herself to focus on his eyes. "And you're mine," she said in a low voice. He blinked and buried his face in her neck, surrendering. "Oh - oh - oh," he gasped against her skin as if surprised. "Eve," he groaned. She tightened her hold on him, smiling, moaning, tears welling up in her eyes. He lifted his head, still pumping inside her. They gripped each other's cheeks, overwhelmed. Their bodies merging, propelling each other to the summit. The heavenly summit where they would collectively explode before plummeting. But it wouldn't be a descent. Because they would only soar, drawn together in a whirl of flames, ready, searching for it again. --- Sunlight streamed through the window, glinting off the Phoenix, its wings appearing to flutter when Eve moved. Will watched her from the kitchen, transfixed. Marveling at the sight of her, clad in only a tank top and sexy yoga pants that accentuated her figure, her bare feet resting on the coffee table, her brow furrowed intently as she worked. She leaned forward suddenly, dropping her feet to the floor. Under the table, Maggie rolled over and Eve absently rubbed the dog's belly with her toes. She'd begun editing on a freelance basis after leaving Chicago to move into the small house he'd purchased after his divorce, and for that, she always sat at a desk. Professional, composed, diligent. But when she worked on her book, she wrote wherever the mood struck her - lying on the couch, sitting in any kind of chair, propped up on pillows on the floor, sometimes standing at the kitchen counter. Though he knew the results of her work, he still didn't understand how it was effective. Will needed to be situated at his desk, his notes and writing utensils neatly laid out, regularly consulting his index cards. In contrast, while Eve kept a small notepad with her to jot things down, she rarely used it. Her mind was some kind of steel trap, able to remember details or ideas and organize them mentally, the outcome being beautifully crafted prose that typically required few edits or rewrites. His habit was to schedule blocks of time for writing, during which he would remain in one spot to help him focus. Eve moved constantly, a reflection the way she wrote. The way she did everything. With abandon, with unrestrained joy and fervor. With fortitude. He never got tired of watching her. It didn't bode well for his own work the times she chose to join him in their home office, his fascination with her intense concentration causing him to forget everything else just to study her. The way she impatiently brushed back the lush waves of hair falling into her face. When she scratched a hard-to-reach spot on her back, arching her lovely chest. How her delicate fingers typed furiously, pausing only when she tapped one against her lips in thought. It was all thoroughly captivating. --- Eve could feel his eyes on her. He seemed to think she never noticed, that she was so fixated when she wrote that the house could be burning down around her and she wouldn't look up. She smiled to herself. As if she could ignore the heat of his gaze, her skin prickling with desire and anticipation as if his eyes were physically touching her. Or the occasional pleased sigh that escaped his lips, sending a flush of warmth straight through her. She was helpless against her response to him. The room could be engulfed in flames and that is what she wouldn't be distracted from - his stare, his desire, his love. Him. The phone rang and a smile spread across her face as he spoke. Shutting the laptop and lying on the floor, she closed her eyes and listened to him. To the rich, warm voice, so full of life. So steady and strong, belying the tender man she knew lay beneath. Her man. --- Will was reluctantly brought out of his reverie at the sound of the phone, but smiled when he saw his daughter's name on the screen. "Hi, Leah," he said warmly. "How are you, Dad?" she asked cheerfully. "Great. What's going on with you?" "Well, Drew and I were just talking - we're still trying to figure out this whole two households, two holidays thing," she told him. "I'm sorry, princess - " he said regretfully. "Dad," she interrupted with an exasperated sigh. "I have told you a million times." "Okay, right. No more apologizing. Got it," he said, grinning at Eve as she turned to him with a bemused smile. "Okay," Leah said firmly. "So, Mom is going to Grandma's for Thanksgiving and we wanted to go, too, to see everyone." "Of course," he said. "But we were thinking - if it's okay with you guys - that we'd come there the day after and spend the night. We can cook there or if that's a hassle, we can take you and Eve out." He smiled, his heart swelling. "I am not having my children take me out to dinner. I'm the dad. I take you out." "Well, whatever," she said, sounding pleased. "We just want to see you guys at some point over the holiday weekend. Will you be free?" "Absolutely. We look forward to seeing you," he said appreciatively. "Great. One more thing – Jake is coming with me to Grandma's, and I want to bring him with us...I'd like for you to meet him," his daughter said, her voice shaking slightly. "Hmpf," Will replied gruffly. "Dad," Leah said reproachfully. "I'm teasing you, princess," Will said with a chuckle. "I want to meet him. If you like him, I'm sure I will, too." "I think you will. He's really great...he – he reminds me of you," Leah said quietly. Will opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the words, feeling shockingly pleased. "Look, I gotta go, but say hi to Eve for me and give Maggie a kiss," Leah said brightly. "I will. I love you," Will added. "Love you, too, Dad." He set down the phone and glanced at Eve. She had closed her laptop and was on her back on the floor, smiling lazily at him. "Leah says hi," he told her, sitting on the couch. "Are they coming for Thanksgiving?" she asked. "The day after, sounds like," he said, nodding. "She's bringing Jake?" Eve guessed. "How did you know?" Will asked, raising his eyebrows. Eve shrugged. "She and I do talk, you know," she teased. "Yeah, he's coming with them," Will said, grinning. She nodded dreamily, stretching her arms over her head. She looked at him speculatively. "So...I could use a break," she said suggestively. "Any thoughts?" He grinned devilishly. "Sweetheart, so many thoughts. You have no idea. Come here." She giggled and walked over to him, straddling his lap. Threading her fingers in his hair, bringing his lips to hers. Drinking him in, melting into him. And he melted in return, drowning in her embrace, falling into the abyss. Gloriously, deliciously, forever welcoming the fall. Road Trip Ch. 06: Good Morning AUTHOR's NOTE: Arthur is 60, Kent 38, Pearl, 37, Cherry 36, Rose, Renee and Ross are 18 years old. The characters are a family introduced to Literotica Readers previously in the cantos of the epic poem "O Mother Dear". ***** Ross woke up, disoriented at first, finding himself spooned against his naked mother, snuggled into her sweet coconut-honey scented hair. Then, remembering yesterday's events, he smiled and kissed her bare shoulder. His left arm lay over her left side, bent at the elbow so that his hand comfortably cupped her left breast, resting, squeezed by her body weight, against her right one. Becoming more conscious, Ross sensed another warm, full length presence in the bed and realized his Aunt Cherry lay behind him, her boobs squished against his scapulas, her left arm, draped similarly to his, across his waist, but angled down, with her hand flat in his groin between his left thigh and his balls. "OMG!" he thought, "I'm sandwiched between Mom and Aunt Cherry!" Just then Cherry's eyes opened. Her hand closed around Ross' nuts, then re-opened to move and grab his erect dick. Pearl, like Sleeping Beauty roused from the depths by Prince charming's kiss, yawned "Good Morning" and Ross' ear buzzed as Cherry, nestled against his neck, answered, "Good Morning, Pearl." Then, re-squeezing Ross' cock, "And good morning to you, Ross!" Pearl, recognized the lilt in her sister's voice. "Morning wood?" she asked her. "Like father, like son!" laughed Cherry. "Yay!, crowed Pearl. "Breakfast is ready!" Rolling over to face Ross and Cherry, she gave him a big open-mouthed kiss and put her right hand beside Cherry's left on his ever growing dick. "Uhh, good morning," murmured Ross, as the women teamed up to turn him onto his back. "So yesterday, ooh! Aah! was not a dream?" Ross interrupted his own question with involuntarily grunts as Cherry's nails scratched lightly on his nuts while Pearl smoothly slid her hand, with gently pulsing fingers, up and down his rod. "Mmmm, that feels really good." he moaned, appreciating their attention. Noticing the change in Ross' breathing, the sisters sat up. The covers fell away revealing their resplendent nude forms and Ross reached his arms up, left to Cherry and right to Pearl, aiming for their tits, but the women, still in motion, maneuvered themselves out of his range. Cherry swiveled to face his feet, half couched and leaning over his legs. She lowered her face to suck one of his balls while continuing to lightly flick her nails on his other one. Pearl also turned southward, kissed Ross' knob and took it into her mouth without losing a stroke on his shaft. While Ross could not reach their breasts, he noted their asses were well placed. His left fingers and palm rubbed Cherry's left bun in a light massage as his thumb found her rosebud sphincter and making small circles and slight intrusions there. Ross' right hand occupied itself with his mother's available pussy. Deftly he moved the index and middle fingers inside her snatch, wiggling along her already moist fold and, in the same manner as with his aunt, his right thumb stimulated Pearl's asshole. Ross had good instincts, but still lacked the experience and discipline to hold his fire under seige by the adept and determined sisters. They quickly succeeded in their seed sucking and Ross helplessly ejaculated into Pearl's eagerly waiting mouth. She rapidly lifted her head and Cherry, just as fast, sealed her lips around Ross' still shooting cock to finish off the load. Satisfied, the sisters completed swallowing, kissed each other and scraped and licked the remaining semen, spilled in the transfer, from their chins and noses and used their fingers to 'spoon feed' the residual cum to its provider. Mindblown, Ross lay back and croaked, "Wow!" after cleaning his own seed from his mother's and his aunt's fingers crowded in his mouth. "Enough said, sweetie," commented Pearl. "Yeah, we're thanking YOU!" beamed Cherry at her nephew. "But seriously, listen. We need to get up and get going. Ross has a big day planned at Central and we can play more later," admonished Pearl, bringing the trio back to task. *************** Earlier that morning, hundreds of miles away, Kent and Arthur, tired from driving and deflowering the twins, slept dead to the world. However, overstimulated, the girls independently awoke early from their post coital naps at nearly the same time. Rose, sensing Renee was also awake, padded across Room 189 to the connecting door. Together they tiptoed to the bathroom in 190 for a tete-a-tete. Stifling their giggles as best they could, so as not to disturb Kent, they discussed in detail their commando raids and the results. It was all totally exciting and they could hardly wait for the campus visit, which suddenly seemed both stupid and pointless, to end so they could play again with Daddy and Uncle Art. As they talked, one of them had a "Great Idea." It was immediately deemed "Brilliant" by the other, and eventually agreed by both to be "Epic." "So," summarized Rose, "We'll switch, without telling..." "Yes, said Renee, "You get in bed with Dad and I'll climb in with Uncle Art..." "Oh boy, they'll be surprised when they wake up and find out..." continued Rose. "Yes, IF they find out." concluded Renee. Both twins knew it was impossible to successfully impersonate each other for very long, but it was still possible, for brief periods, to at least confuse everyone. "But really," finished Rose, "it doesn't matter, we're just sharing everything like we always do!" and the laughing twins sealed their plan with a big hug, a kiss and a 'high-five.' Rose snuck into Kent's bed and cuddled up to his broad back, smiled, closed her eyes with a contented sigh, and drifted back into sleep. Renee made the slightly longer trip to Room 189, shut the door and got in with Arthur, assuming Rose's former position. She was too keyed up to snooze, though. Laying against her uncle, she felt that 'funny feeling' in her pussy and she grew more restless. Arthur did not snore, but his deep even breathing signified he would not rouse easily. "Wait a minute," thought Renee, "what if he doesn't have to wake up? Maybe I can play with his thing while he sleeps." The idea appealed enough to at least test the possibility. Quietly she spoke into her uncle's ear, "Uncle Art. Can you hear me? Uncle Art?" but there was no change in breathing or any reaction at all. Touching his shoulder, she whispered in a commanding tone, "Dear! Roll over, Dear!" and she softly prodded him. Arthur snorted and turned to lay on his back, now with his right arm bent up under the pillow, but still asleep. "OMG!" Renee thought, "This is awesome!" Out loud, still in a whisper, she said, "Dear, you're hogging the covers" and she tugged the blanket and sheet until they were down past his rippling abs and the line of hair marching to his crotch from his navel. Arthur, still sleeping, grunted and moved his left hand down and pushed the covers further until his full reach left them below mid-thigh and exposed his flaccid penis and relaxed scrotum holding its round treasures. "OK, OK," thought Renee, "Here goes nothing!" Slowly, carefully, quietly she scrunched herself down beside Arthur's right hip and kneeling over him as if she were the mermaid in Copenhagen Harbor. Arthur was immobile and unresponsive but, Renee found, his cock was a different story. She reached out, tenderly touched it and it rolled agreeably. "Did it twitch?" she wondered, "Or did I imagine it?" It was soft and smooth and warm and dry, laying in the seam dividing the halves of his sack holding his eggs. Renee lightly ran her finger along its neck to the bell and traced its helmet edge in a spiral to the small slit at its end. The cock moved considerably under this stimulation and started to swell and thicken. Renee pulled back her hand, licked her fingers to coat them with spit, and rubbed her saliva on the head until it shone in the half-dark room. The head was very smooth and it bounced as she rubbed it. Arthur's shaft grew longer, stronger and even rose up to face her. "Fascinating," thought Renee, "it's just like a sunflower chasing the sun." Renee ran the back of her right thumb along the big vein under her uncle's cock from head to base and slipped her fingers under his sack to hold his jewels in her palm. Gently closing and opening her hand, she watched the cock come to life and stand, proudly, away from Arthur's body. It bobbed and danced as Renee delicately tapped it with her left hand. After a few taps and squeezes Renee saw the head, still shiny with her spit, had pre-cum drops like her Dad's dick. "Do they taste the same?" she asked herself and bent to kiss and lick the great purple plum. "Mmm, yes, the same, but different," she answered her self. Using her warm mouth and soft pink tongue she licked, kissed and sweetly sucked her uncle's rigid member and observed that, without any touches at all, her pussy was oozing juice onto her thighs. Still cautiously avoiding awakening Arthur, Renee moved so her bottom was lined up with his crotch, her head pointed at his toes with her spread legs straddling his thighs as she rested on her knees still in a crouch. Backing up she lowered her haunches and used her right hand to guide his stiff dick up the loose leg of her tap pants to the entrance of her wet cunt. "Aaah yes," she quietly said to herself but still half-aloud, "that's the spot." She continued to lower away until his pole was entirely hidden in her pussy and her ass was touching his abs. Renee started to rise and then felt assisted by an unseen force. "Hey baby," Arthur growled, "when did you wake up and why did you start without me?" Grasping her waist in his strong hands he pulled her back down onto his hot spike. "Oh! Uncle Art! I, well, UNH! I, OOH!" Renee stammered, trying to explain, but distracted by the funny feeling Arthur was inflaming. "Never mind, sweetie," Arthur cooed, working her hips and his dick like a machine, "It's all good." Suddenly he slid his hands up her sides, grabbed her tits in her teddy, pressing them to her chest. He found her tingling nipples beneath the thin satin and twisted them, causing her to squeal. Her bottom ground back on him even harder as she raised and lowered her pelvis in a frenzy. "Uncle," she shrieked, "OMYGOD, Uncle Art! I'm coming!" "I'm right there with you, Honey" Arthur gasped, "Hang on, ow, here it comes!" as he shot his hot semen into her, continuing to stroke throughout it all. "Oh, uhn, uhn uncle!" Renee cried, as her orgasm peaked and fell away. "Arthur chuckled, "Don't wake the neighbors, baby. We have a big day ahead of us." "Mmm, OK, Uncle Art," Renee agreed, "I think I can sleep now. You're wonderful. Thanks!" and she pulled herself off his swollen, but declining, dick. Pushed the crotch of her tap pants tight between her legs to preserve the happy sticky feel of their mingled juices she rolled over closing her eyes. "Good night, Uncle Art." "Goodnight and sweet dreams...Renee," said Arthur quietly, patting her ass and curling around her. *************** Near dawn in Room 190, Rose was pressed against Kent's back, her right arm over his waist and her palm against his stomach. She awoke feeling something brushing the bottom edge of her hand. Raising her head she saw Kent's eyes were closed and his gut and chest were rising and falling naturally suggesting he was still asleep. Easing herself up, Rose extracted her left arm from under her pillow, twisted her torso and raised the sheet to peer into the shadows. She was dismayed to spy Kent's morning erection emerging like a monstrous eel from an undersea cavern and realized this was the thing that touched and awoke her. Rose lifted her right hand from Kent's stomach and lowered it just enough to pet the huge growth. It jumped with a life its own at her mere touch. Giggling incautiously, Rose closed her palm around the soft, massive knob and thrilled to feel it pulse in her small fist. "So big!" she thought to herself, "It's like one of Oscar's Double Burritos." which, she suddenly remembered, were not only tasty but were very filling. Her memory flash inspired Rose to slip out of the bed. Walking to the end ,she untucked the covers and flipped them over her head and shoulders. She grabbed Kent's ankles, applied sideways pressure to his right leg, held the left one down, and gently coaxed her dad to roll to his right until he was flat on his back. Spreading his legs like a curtain with her hands, Rose wormed her way up the mattress to his crotch to meet her new challenge head on. Under the covers coiled around her head and shoulders, Rose looked like a pink supplicant at her father's monolithic altar. She grabbed Kent's meat with both hands, lowered her head, opened her mouth and took the top between her lips to suck. Kent stirred and opened his eyes. He saw his daughter, poised in her teddy, hunched forward, breasts swinging free beneath the satin, holdimg his cock in her fists and milling her mouth on his bulb. Raising his hands to her bobbing head, he tickled her earlobes, held her hair, and greeted her. "Ahhh, tht's, mmm a very sweet morning wake-up call, unh huh, that is!" Rose ate up the praise as eagerly as she ate his 'burrito', taking still more of his root into her mouth until it poked her throat and she pulled back, involuntarily gagging. "Oh baby, baby," cried Kent, "you are doing so well, just relax a little bit. Don't fight it and don't try to take too much too fast." Encouraged by his words but still blocked, she took her mouth away. "Daddy, I can do this but I neeed a better angle," she complained. "OK, sweetie, try this, "Kent suggested, "turn around and lay on your side with your pussy near my face and we'll work on each other." Rose pulled off her tap pants and followed his suggestion. Kent stuffed his ears between her thighs and his tongue in her pussy's delicious crevice, while Rose re-engaged his dick with her mouth. Her tears had dried, but her jaws still ached from the first assault, however this was a more comfortable position and she got almost all of his staff into her mouth. Rose loved the way her dad slithered his tongue in and out and tugged on her clit with his lips. As she concentrated on that great feeling, she relaxed and opened her mouth more and felt Kent slide in and out, even to the top of her throat, with no more ache or gagging. Rose's hips squirmed and her thighs squeezed her dad in a powerful vice and Kent thought "OMG, I am face fucking my daughter and she is coming heavy!" Rose moved automatically, reflexively, and though her dad's fat cock prevented her from shouting, she mewled loudly with joy in her orgasm. Kent pulled himself out of her mouth. Holding her shoulders, he repositioned his daughter to face him, astride his stomach in a half-squat. Pushing her back and down he lunged his hips up and forward and her cunt was impaled in a single instant. Running his hands down her satin front and then up inside her teddy to her breasts, he tweaked her nipples as they stiffly stood against her puffy areolae. Gently at first, then harder and faster, he raised and lowered his loins. Rose matched his pumping with her own thrusting hips and pulled his chest hairs and pinched him, as she again approached her orgasm. Kent was ready, too and as she shook and shuddered he plunged deep into her rut and emptied his reservoir. Laying together and recovering, she twirled his chest hair in her fingers and nuzzled his neck while he absent mindedly caressed the small of her back and her shoulder blades. They were interrupted by a knock on the connecting door and Arthur calling "Wake up, sleepy heads! Gotta get on the road!" "No worries, Dad," Kent replied, "We're getting there. and then he swatted his daughter's bare but and said, "C'mon...Rose. time to get dressed for school!"