Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/2780423.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M
  Fandom:
      The_OC
  Relationship:
      Ryan_Atwood/Taylor_Townsend, Seth_Cohen/Summer_Roberts, Sandy_Cohen/
      Kirsten_Cohen
  Character:
      Ryan_Atwood, Taylor_Townsend, Seth_Cohen, Summer_Roberts, Sandy_Cohen,
      Kirsten_Cohen, Marissa_Cooper, Luke_Ward, Julie_Cooper, Anna_Stern
  Additional Tags:
      Explicit_Sexual_Content, Character_Bashing, just_marissa_though, Teen
      Angst, Secret_Relationship
  Series:
      Part 2 of Townwood_HIlls
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-12-16 Chapters: 6/6 Words: 21236
****** This Is School ******
by Obsessed_Romantic_(2SFlovers)
Summary
     The gang returns to Newport to start school and deal with what
     happened in TJ.
***** Telling Tales *****
Ryan gripped the steering wheel and attempted to reverse the direction of his
thoughts. Instead of tryingnot to think of Taylor, now he desperately wanted
the distraction; despite how embarrassing it could become, in his present
company. Summer’s voice was a low mumble from the backseat, talking to her
father (the doctor) about the events of that evening. Seth was unusually silent
in the shotgun seat, hands twisting in his seatbelt. The boy driving imagined
his guts were tangling in the same manner.
Summer was going to be messed up; her best friend had nearly offed herself in a
dirty Mexican alley. Seth’s silence was increasingly unsettling; and every time
he thought of how the Cohen’s would react …….Kirsten’s face the morning after
their ‘little adventure’ the night of the fashion show kept popping up in his
head, accompanied by the disappointed expression Sandy had the night the model
home had burnt down. He’d be lucky to be out on his ear by morning. Even if he
wasn’t, he didn’t think the events of the weekend were going to make a great
impression on Harbor’s admissions office.
‘’My Dad says she’ll be okay.’’ Relief flooded him and he saw his brother go
briefly limp out of the corner of his eyes. His stomach unknotted, a little,
hearing some good news. Now if he only had a guarantee he’d still have a home
tomorrow. ‘’They pumped her stomach and now they’re just waiting for her to
wake up. She’s stable and everything, though; heart beating and all.’’ The
girl’s voice trailed off, eyes dark with guilt and fear. The fear he could
understand; he’d seen the terror in her face as he struggled to breathe life
back into her friend. He had to address the guilt, though; this wasn’t anyone’s
fault but Marissa’s.
‘’It’s not your fault.’’ His tone was a little harsher than he liked, and he
tried to gentle it, feeling two sets of worried brown eyes on him. Now was not
the time to rail about the bitch, now was the time to try and comfort his
brother and his friend. ‘’Unless you handed her the pills and told her to
party…..’’ he flicked his glance towards the other boy, continuing his point
‘’…..or shoved them down her throat; this isn’t your fault.’’ There was a tense
silence, the sound of the engine loud as the three teens rummaged through their
thoughts.
‘’We were kissing.’’ Seth blurted, turning in his seat to face him. ‘’When
Marissa came in from her phone call with her Dad, we were making out.’’ Ryan
caught their passenger’s eyes with his in the rear view mirror, amused when she
nodded, blushing. ‘’Maybe if we hadn’t….’’
‘’I really don’t think Marissa cares about that.’’ Ryan said, feeling a smile
pull at his lips. He could hear Taylor’s voice in his head: ‘those two are so
cute’. He’d agreed, not that he’dever admit it to anyone else. He couldn’t wait
to tell her about the latest development with the other couple. After they
celebrated their own reunion, of course. ‘’Unless there was something she saw
she didn’t want to.’’ He smirked into the mirror, watching the blush on the
girl in the back seat get deeper. ‘’Which clothes were missing, and on who?’’
There was humiliated sputtering from the seat next to him, and he felt the knot
in his gut loosen another notch.
‘’And what condition where you in when we called, Chino?’’ Summer countered,
and he yanked his gaze to the road, feeling his own features flushing
uncomfortably. He really needed to stop underestimating his brother’s girl.
‘’Cohen said you sounded out of breath ……maybe a little ……frustrated?’’ He
squirmed in his seat, wishing he hadn’t tried to tease them. Images of Taylor
on her knees in front of him (mouth advancing up his thigh) flashed through his
head. He swallowed roughly, clenching the steering wheel tighter.
‘’I’m sorry, Ryan. I bet that’s all over now, right?’’ Seth apologized, mis-
reading his reaction and sounding vaguely disappointed. His brother had
apparently been living vicariously through his recounting of his Chino
exploits. He didn’t have any problem bragging, usually; but this was different,
this was her. Not to mention he didn’t want to give too many clues about her
identity to the intelligent couple in the car with him. ‘’I mean …..’’ the
other boy continued ‘’….you ditched her to come help us find Marissa, she must
have been pretty pissed off.’’
‘’It’s okay.’’ He smiled, remembering how relieved she’d been to learn everyone
was okay (more or less), how understanding she’d been of his necessary
departure. He wasn’t worried about her getting home, oddly enough; he felt more
than confident Taylor had a secure exit strategy well in hand. She was just
like that. ‘’She’ll be happy to hear Marissa’s doing well.’’ Startled glances
passed back and forth to his right, further distracting him from his concern
about his future with the Cohen’s.
‘’So that means she knows us.’’ Damn it. Not even a full day into the secret
and he was already screwing up. Summer leaned back, crossing her arms
confidently over her chest. ‘’She goes to Harbor, doesn’t she?’’ He tried not
to react, keeping his gaze locked on the approaching border. He felt a twinge
of pride in his poker face as the girl frowned at him, narrowing her eyes
suspiciously. ‘’Well, does she?’’
‘’I plead the fifth.’’ Seth chuckled at his response, yelping softly when his
girl hit him on the shoulder. The sudden thought that that excuse wasn’t going
to play as well with his new parents tightened the knot in his gut right back
where it had started.
It only got worse when they were asked to exit their vehicle at the border.
Waiting in holding area were two very familiar figures and a graying man who,
from the gasp behind him, must be Doctor Roberts. Oh shit. Summer retrieved her
bag in silence, giving Seth a quick hug before following her father to their
car; the man’s arm a relieved grip around her shoulders. The remaining two
adults were hard to read, directing the boys back to the Range Rover (they’d
apparently come down with the other parent). He could feel the crushing weight
of their perceived disappointment pushing him farther and farther down into the
seat. Finally, he just couldn’t take it anymore.
‘’I’m sorry.’’ He whispered, choking on the rest of it. He knew it was over.
He’d promised to stay out of trouble, and then dumped his best friend in a
foreign country so he could get laid. He wished he could blame ‘the Atwood
luck’ the way Trey did, but he knew this was his own fault. Not that he
regretted a minute of his time with Taylor. No, it was completely worth losing
his place here for those memories.
‘’Dude, it’s like you told us; it’s not your fault.’’ Seth was trying for a
version of his father’s serious face; looking more like he had gas. It would’ve
been funny, in other circumstances. Maybe he could get a group home nearby, so
he could visit his friend. And her. ‘’It’s the Coopers, for getting divorced;
or Luke’s and Holly’s, for hooking up practically in her face. Maybe it’s even
Summer’s step-monster’s for asking us to get her pills, or Summer’s for making
Marissa come with us; or it could be mine……. I mean, you wanted to go to Comic
Con and I said ‘no, we should go to TJ’.’’ He was opening his mouth to point
out that he could’ve refused to go, or stuck with his brother, once there; when
Sandy spoke up from the driver’s seat.
‘’Let me see if I’ve got the facts.’’ Ryan couldn’t read his tone, couldn’t see
enough of either profile to guess how ticked they were. He stared out the
window, a little relieved they were concentrating on drama bitch. No one could
hold him accountable for that mess. It was the driving over the border (when
his license was still suspended) and the underage drinking, the lying; that’s
what would blow his new life apart. ‘’Marissa found out about her parent’s
divorce, went to see Luke and found him with another girl. Then she got the
pills out of Summer’s purse, took off, and swallowed them with nearly a bottle
of tequila. That about right?’’ He hadn’t known how much she’d drunk with the
pills. She was lucky to be alive, he thought, remembering what that much hard
liquor felt like. And she had maybe a third of his body mass, even though she
was taller. God damn lucky to be alive.
‘’That’s pretty much it, Dad. Ryan tracked her down and I called you and we
went to wait for the helicopter and he gave Marissa CPR and the paramedics took
it from there. We got our bags and headed straight home.’’ There was no mention
of where he, Ryan, had been during the crises. There wasn’t even a hint that he
hadn’t been right there, with his brother. He could’ve hugged the guy. Instead,
he settled for a grateful look; getting a not so subtle wink of complicity
back. Thankfully, the adults didn’t seem to catch it.
‘’You gave them her purse, told them about the pills.’’ He felt it necessary to
point out the other boy’s contribution. He hadn’t done the whole thing by
himself, after all. Even Luke’s water polo buddies, parting the crowd for them;
had been a help.
‘’You called us right away; no hiding, no trying to cover it up.’’ Kirsten
praised them, turning around. He blinked, seeing her smile. What the fuck?
‘’We’re so proud of you both.’’ They were?
‘’You are?’’ He was stunned. They weren’t mad? He wouldn’t have to leave? He
was starting to think, not for the first time; that his new family wasn’t
entirely stable. Reliable, yes. Trustworthy? Absolutely. Sane? At least, the
type of sane he was used to dealing with? He wasn’t as sure about that.
‘’Dude, shut up.’’ Seth whispered at him, obviously thinking they were about to
get off without being punished. It was a distinct possibility, but it wouldn’t
be honest; and the lie would eat at him until he confessed. Best to get it out
now and deal with all the consequences, whatever they might be.
‘’Well, I’m not wild about the lying, of course.’’ Finally, something that made
sense. This was more like it. Kind of. She sounded more disappointed than mad,
and less disappointed then he’d expected, really. Great, more confusion. How
was he supposed to fix anything without knowing the rules? He felt a sudden
urge to have Taylor with him. He bet she could figure this shit out, no
problem. Then he could thank her, show her his appreci…. He yanked his brain
back into the car, hoping none of the Cohen’s noticed his sudden flush. Shit,
just when he didn’t need to think of her, there she was. He forced himself to
focus on what Kirsten was saying. ‘’I’m just relieved to have you all back
safely.’’ She frowned (here it came – finally!) and Ryan braced himself for
their punishment. ‘’Just don’t do it again.’’ Okay, what the hell was that?
Where was the grounding, the yelling? Don’t do it again? What kind of family
was this?
‘’Absolutely.’’ His brother promised easily, slumping back in his seat with a
sigh of relief. He wanted to smack him, irritated that the other boy wasn’t
taking this as seriously as it deserved. Someone had almost died, and he was
joking around? Of course, that was Seth. Had he really expected any different?
‘’No more going to TJ. Very overrated, and who needs Chiclets that…..’’
‘’She means the lying, son.’’ Sandy explained, catching their gazes in the rear
view. There it was, the seriousness of this moment realized at last. He was
able to nod into that severe expression, letting his gut unclench as someone
finally treated this like the problem it was. The man’s smile acknowledged his
agreement, his unspoken promise of good behavior. He allowed himself to believe
he wasn’t losing his first real home, and nearly passed out with the draining
force of his relief.
They rode the rest of the way home (and he was beyond grateful he could still
call it that) in silence. Well, except for his friend’s chattering; but that
was starting to have a calming effect. It was kind of like the ocean; cresting
and falling, becoming part of the background, part of the scenery skimming
darkly past in the night’s gloom. Ryan let his mind wander, resting his head
against the window, seeing a figure dancing on the inside of his eyelids. Her
hair moved over her bare shoulders as she danced to music only he could hear,
body concealed and then revealed by flickering patterns of light and shadow. He
crossed his arms over his chest, settling down further into his seat and
smiling at the image of her in his head. His memories added his presence
(solidifying hers) as he passed into sleep.
***** Out of Turn *****
He fought back another yawn, shrugging at Kirsten’s concerned look. She
shouldn’t really be surprised, Ryan thought. He’d been running on adrenaline
ever since Seth’s call, back in TJ. It was why he’d crashed in the car (first
time he’d ever done that) only to be woken an hour later to drag himself and
his bag into the pool house. He’d fallen onto his face and into a great dream:
one where there’d been no phone call and he and Taylor had finished their
weekend tangled sweatily in the sheets. He’d been pulled out ofthat three hours
later (thankfully, by Sandy) to be told that Marissa was awake and asking for
them.
So here he was, at the hospital, watching Jimmie and Julie ignore their once
more slumbering daughter to snipe at each other. Apparently, the girl had only
wakened briefly: he was somewhat resentful that her father couldn’t have waited
to call them down here until the bitch was actually awake. He felt sluggish and
off-center; the cold shower had taken care of the aftermath of the dream, but
he needed coffee if anyone was going to expect him to be conscious. When Julie
stopped him to talk, he wanted to bite her head off. He needed to get home and
grab some caffeine (or another couple hours sleep) before facing school. His
mind snapped fully aware as what the woman was saying registered.
‘’….you’ve nearly killed my daughter.’’
‘’I’ve nearly killed her?’’ He kept control of his temper, barely. He couldn’t
seem to grab hold of his mouth, though; and his exasperated tone of voice
pulled his family over to his side. He was just glad he wasn’t shouting. ‘’I
may be the one who scooped her off your driveway; but I’m not the one who
taught her that drinking yourself unconscious is a fun way to spend an evening.
And I may be the one who restarted her heart; but I’mnot who taught her that
actions don’t have fucking consequences.’’ Sandy’s hand was on his shoulder
but, much as he respected the man, he couldn’t seem to stop. ‘’Chasing a palm
full of painkillers with tequila because your parents get divorced and your
boyfriend cheats on you: it’s stupid and it’s weak; and she learned to be that
a long time before I showed up.’’ The woman recovered quick, glaring at him
balefully.
‘’Come anywhere near my daughter and I’ll …..’’
‘’Lady, staying away from that melodramatic…..’’ His guardian’s hand tightened
warningly and he paused, swallowing the obscenity. ‘’Just keep her away from me
and we’ll all be happy.’’ He turned, relieved when he was allowed to walk away
from the scene. Seth rambled after him, shooting him these weird looks. Behind
them, he could hear Kirsten’s soothing tone. He hoped she wasn’t apologizing
for him; he’d meant every damn word. ‘’What?’’ He asked his brother, stuffing
his hands into his pockets. God, what he’d give for a smoke, right about now,
or a drink. Anything to calm him down. Taylor would be a good choice, her touch
would make everything so much better. His eyes glazed as he considered it,
licking his lips.
‘’You just told off Julie Cooper.’’ Seth whispered, awestruck. He yanked
himself back to reality, thankful for the distraction. He had to see Principal
Kim, after all; and he didn’t think a hard on was going to make a terrific
first impression. ‘’You’re like……a superhero. Not even Dad talks to her like
that, and they can’t stand each other.’’
‘’Nice turn of phrase, kid.’’ Sandy joined them, smiling. He returned the
expression, also remembering their first conversation, that day in Juvie. What
should’ve been one of the worst days of his life had turned into one of the
best. Sure, he’d been arrested, harassed, smacked around and thrown out of the
house: but he’d met Sandy Cohen. Then he’d met Kirsten (who still kind of
scared him, a little) and Seth. All in all, one of the best days, ever.
‘’We should probably go.’’ Kirsten said, approaching them. She flinched at the
angry voices coming from behind her and he remembered that Jimmie was her
friend.
‘’Maybe this’ll help them stay together.’’ Ryan didn’t think so, himself. Those
two seemed to have more problems than bonding over their daughter’s crises
could fix, but he could tell his guardian appreciated him saying it, anyway.
‘’Just don’t do that with Principal Kim.’’ She advised, her tone light, letting
him know she wasn’t more than half serious. She put an arm around his shoulders
and hugged him briefly, just like a mother would have.
She fought for him like a mother, too. That Kim woman looked stunned to be
challenged on her preconceptions, uncomfortable at being called on her bias by
Caleb Nichol’s daughter. The way she’d blinked when he spoke up; too used to
defending himself to let Kirsten take the entire load, was even more surprised.
He couldn’t believe it, either, really. He had learned, early on; not to care
about anything, not to try too hard, and certainly not to talk so damn much.
Yet, here he was, trying to convince some uptight academic he deserved a shot.
He needed to get into Harbor. For Seth, for his guardians, for her, and yes,
even for himself.
-- xxx –
‘’….so we were talking, and she justkisses me. I mean, I certainly wasn’t
expecting that, not that I minded, or anything……’’ Seth was on his third
rendition of the make-out session with Summer and Ryan was starting to get a
headache. At first; it had been a welcome distraction from his thoughts of her,
enabling him to concentrate on the material Kim was going to quiz him on. Now,
though, hearing the same event again…… He glared at his brother, hoping the
guy’d take the hint. ‘’……so she pulled my shirt off, and I was just starting to
open her blouse when…….’’ Yeah, not even a dent, damn it. The chirp of the
phone was a welcome interruption.
‘’I got it, you need to study, dude.’’ Where had that attitude been for the
past 45 minutes? He rubbed at his face, wondering if he dared risk the other’s
hurt feelings by asking Kirsten to call the guy off. ‘’Aerosmith?’’ His friend
was looking at the phone, where strains of music were barely audible. The song
clicked with his memory and he surged up, snatching the receiver from the
other, uncaring of his scattered study materials.
‘’Hey there.’’ He gasped into the mouthpiece, ignoring his brother’s raised
eyebrows. The song cut off with a beep, probably an Ipod or something.
‘’Hey, yourself.’’ Taylor’s cheerful voice greeted him. He smiled, easing down
to sit on the mattress he’d been standing on. He tried to signal Seth to leave
the room, but the guy shook his head, smirking; and settled stubbornly into the
chair. So much for phone sex, he thought to himself, wanting to punch
something. ‘’What are you wearing?’’ She giggled on the other end, reading his
mind.
‘’Seth’s here.’’ A disappointed sigh sounded, making him scowl at his friend.
‘’Well, so much for phone sex.’’ Ryan nodded, even though she couldn’t see him.
Thinking of her on the other end of the phone was turning him on, despite the
presence of the other boy, and he glared harder, knowing suddenly what he
wanted to punch. ‘’I take it he’s trying to figure out who I am?’’
‘’Yeah. Says he wants to help.’’ If he kept his end of the conversation brief,
his brother wouldn’t have any clues to share with Summer; and they’d be safe.
Now that he had some sleep in him, he felt more confident he could keep this
under wraps. After all, no one would think it strange if he didn’t talk much;
it was apparently the first thing people noticed about him. Of course, everyone
looked quiet compared to Seth. ‘’Him and Summer.’’ He figured the more she
knew, the better their chances. Of the two, he thought the Summer was the
bigger threat.
‘’Tell her I’m checking the incoming for her number.’’ Seth told him, grinning
like a monkey. Okay, maybe they were both equally dangerous. Of course, Taylor
was smarter than most people he knew, including the taller boy; whose grin
vanished as Ryan repeated her response to the planned inquiry.
‘’I’m at a pay phone.’’ So she’d been kidding about the phone sex, then. Or she
was throwing his brother off track, calling from a pre-paid cell, or a hotel.
Damn, the possible ways they could spin their investigation into circles
sounded like fun. It was a weird sort of pillow talk he was planning, but it
was a weird sort of situation. ‘’I hear Marissa’s recovering. She should be
well enough to return to school in a few days.‘’ He wasn’t exactly looking
forward to that; the Cooper girl was twice as risky as the others, with her
pride at stake.
‘’Yeah, so I hear.’’ He couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t reveal
something, or make him hornier than he was already, just listening toher voice.
‘’ Can you meet me?‘’ God, did he want to say ‘yes’. Ditching his friend would
be no problem, the guy had the street smarts of a fish. His gaze fell on the
discarded notebook just as he was about to respond. Shit.
‘’I’m studying for this entrance exam.’’ He confessed, wanting to throw the
phone into the pool in frustration. By way of Seth’s once more grinning face,
preferably.
‘’ oh. Oh!‘’ She went from dismayed to excited, all in the space of a few
seconds. He felt a thrill pass through him, imagining her smile. ‘’ Well, I’ll
be at the school all afternoon, so maybe we’ll run into each other. Study hard,
now.‘’ She hung up before he could tell her that Kirsten would be there.
‘’Give me some space, okay?’’ Ryan hung up the phone, pleading that the other
boy would show some restraint, for once. No such luck.
‘’Man, she must really be something if you need ……’’ Something in the look he
gave the guy must’ve registered with his survival instinct, because he shot out
of the chair and headed towards the kitchen. ‘’Guess I’ll just call Summer and
fill her in, get this investigation underway. Don’t think I’m not gonna check
the incoming, just in case your girl’s laying a red herring as well as you…..’’
‘’Shit.’’ He rubbed at his face, wishing he could call Taylor back now that the
other boy was out of the room. Picking up his study materials, he found that
they were even harder to concentrate on than before. Scowling, he settled
uncomfortably into the chair; thinking of his brother and the various ways he
wanted to hurt him. Temporary, all: but satisfying in their retribution. He was
particularly found of the thought of giving the guy laryngitis: too bad he had
no idea how to do it. Baser instincts distracted, he let the information flow
into his brain, losing himself in the patterns of numbers and words.
-- xxx –
‘’Kim’s gonna be back any minute.’’ Ryan warned, wondering what he had to do to
get through one fucking thing without being interrupted.
‘’Look, Chino, we need your help. Coop’s parents, well, her mom, really: are
going to send her to Sacramento.’’ He bit his tongue on the first five things
that popped into his head. From their behavior, he’d thought there was a real
life-and-death emergency. Figures it was just drama bitch, trying to pull him
back into her life. He sat back down, picking his pencil up and refocusing on
the test. ‘’Didn’t you hear me? We have to bust her out.’’
‘’So go do that.’’ He told her, marking an answer onto the test sheet. ‘’I’m
busy.’’
‘’I thought you were her friend.’’ Summer sounded put out he wasn’t leaping to
obey, to come running to her friend’s rescue. He slammed his pencil down
against the desk, suddenly beyond fed up with the whole situation. Just because
he’d saved her life didn’t make him responsible for her, damn it. He was tired
with being the responsible one. Just this once, just this fucking once; he was
going to be selfish and do what was right for him. It was also, oddly enough;
the right thing for Marissa, too.
‘’I’m being her friend.’’ He snapped. Seeing the confused hurt in both pairs of
brown eyes, he gentled his tone a little. It wasn’t their fault they didn’t
understand. It was actually nice to meet people who didn’t have experience with
the realities of addiction. ‘’She needs help, Summer. Help we can’t give her.
And it couldn’t hurt to spend a semester somewhere no one knows about her, or
her father.’’ He saw the remark hit home, just as Kim arrived to chase them
out.
-- xxx –
The look on her face when she and Kirsten had faced off had been good. Her
expression as she finished grading Ryan’s test was perfect. He wished he had a
damn camera, and couldn’t quite keep the gloating out of his eyes (although he
did manage not to smile). Principal Kim sent him off to get his id and
schedule, dazedly picking up the phone to call his guardians with the good
news.
Which meant he didn’t have much time.
He was working on autopilot, scanning everywhere for Taylor. She’d said she’d
be here all afternoon, so, while they wouldn’t have time to do much; they could
arrange matters for later. And damn it, he wanted it to be later tonight, if
possible. All night long, too. Who needed sleep, anyway? He was so focused
that, when they snapped his picture for the school id; he turned automatically
to the right.
He’d answered his cell (disappointed it wasn’t her) but relieved to hear that
Sandy was going to be nearly an hour late. He knew that they were probably
going to make a fuss over his admittance, and that’s what the delay was about;
but he didn’t care so much, if it bought him the time needed to locate her. Of
course, he never did find her.
She found him.
‘’Ryan!’’
He stopped dead in the middle of the hallway (checking that no one else was
around out of the corners of his eyes) before turning his head to see her
motioning to him from a supply closet. He went over, closing the door securely
behind him. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw that she was wearing
a high-collared peach blouse with a pale yellow sweater hanging over her
shoulders. Her hair was braided tightly back, not curling sexily around her
face, and her khaki slacks didn’t cling to her fantastic legs, which he didn’t
like…….no, wait, yes he did; because that meant no one else would ever notice
how fucking hot she was. Yeah, he was loving the blousy, loose look on her. She
should wear a tent, in fact. He’d suggest it. Later, when he didn’t want to
kiss her so badly. Shit, why wasn’t he kissing her now?
Ryan gripped her shoulders, pulling her against him to claim her lips in a
desperate, hungry kiss. She made sort of a squeak, then relaxed against him,
threading her hands into his hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist,
pressing her more firmly too him. It had been too damn long; nearly a whole
fucking day since he’d last held her, tasted her; smelled her heady scent. She
moaned, twitching her hips forward, as he starting easing her blouse out of her
pants. Something pushed urgently at his brain, and he paused briefly to let the
thought form. Shit.
‘’Taylor….’’ She was kissing along his jaw, running her hands over his chest
and pushing the open dress shirt he was wearing over his tee off his shoulders.
He put his hands shakily on her hips; able to keep from continuing, but unable
to push her away completely. ‘’Taylor……’’ She backed him against the door,
blurring his vision and husking his voice as small fingers slid under his tee
shirt, stroking his stomach. ‘’Sandy’s picking me up in half an hour.’’ He
whispered, kicking himself when she stopped, gasping against his neck. At that
moment, he wanted the man’s car to break down, or a client to call; anything to
buy him more time. An hour, that’s all he needed. Maybe two. Two would be good.
‘’Right.’’ She didn’t sound happy. Fuck, the only part of him that was ‘up’ was
going to make the ride home so much fun. Taylor separated from him,
straightening her clothes. ‘’Here.’’ She pressed a cell phone into his hand,
and he smiled at her preparations. ‘’We should probably avoid using each
other’s names from now on; just in case.’’ She was whispering too, making his
heart pick up pace, deafening him to anything but her voice and the effect it
was having on his body.
‘’Sure.’’ He agreed, shrugging his top shirt back into place, trying to arrange
himself comfortably inside his slacks. Her hands joined his, caressing him
through the fabric. He bit his lip on a groan, meeting her burning hazel gaze
with desperate eyes. ‘’That’s not helping, girl.’’ He growled, wondering what
the hell she was up to.
‘’I know.’’ There was a familiar look on her face, a determinedly teasing
expression. She looked as eager as he was to finish what his brother’s call had
interrupted, yesterday afternoon. His pants unbuttoned with what he heard as an
echoing snap, the zipper deafening in the small space as she dragged it slowly
down.
She slid her hands under his boxers, making him swallow another groan as her
fingers ignited electricity wherever she touched him. His body ached and
throbbed in turn, reacting to her. Taylor knelt slowly in front of him, pulling
his clothes down to expose him to the closet air. He braced his hands on the
shelves to either side, watching raptly as her lips kissed the head of his
shaft. Fire exploded over his skin, roaring out of control as she gripped him
gently, starting to lick, long and slow, like she’d just discovered her
favorite lollipop.
Ryan whimpered as her lips closed hotly around him, tongue pressing him against
the roof of her mouth as she sucked gently, cupping his balls with her other
hand. Slowly, she began to swallow more of him, easing up when the pressure of
her teeth made him hiss in mild pain. He bit his lip, watching her obvious
enjoyment; her eyes fluttering closed, her lips vibrating as she moaned around
him. His knees were shaking as she continued to suck him off, getting bolder
with every hitch in his breath, every groan he muffled into a shoulder. She
smiled up at him, her pleasure in doing this to him glowing smokily from her
eyes.
Finally, he could no longer resist the urge to move, thrusting as gently as he
possibly could into her mouth. She picked up the rhythm, matching it with her
lips and fingers. Just watching her work him was a thrill, shooting jolts of
pleasure right through him, sending him higher, faster then he’d climbed
before. He felt it building in his gut, his balls; he was going to come, and
come hard. He grunted a warning, speech being a higher a brain function he no
longer possessed, at that moment. She swallowed, sucking harder as he released,
trembling as his body locked; mindless in the white haze of what she’d done to
him. He went limp in the aftermath, holding himself upright by a death grip on
the shelves and sheer, stubborn force of will.
Taylor stood shakily, licking her lips contemplatively. He pulled his pants up,
tucked his shirt in; tonguing his lip to make sure he hadn’t drawn blood in his
attempts to keep quiet. Predictably different: she didn’t hang her head, or
look ashamed, or try and get him to ‘pay her back’ for the favor; like every
other girl he’d known. Not that he didn’t want to. He wanted to make her scream
and cry out his name, see her face tighten as she spilled honey into his mouth,
feel her clenching around him as he filled her again and again…….He needed to
get control of this; his hands were actually shaking with need. She raised
herself up on her toes and kissed his cheek, freezing him in place as he
resisted the urge to slam her up against the far wall, Sandy be damned, and
just……… Shit.
‘’We should try sixty-nine.’’ She whispered mischeviously, easing the door open
a crack to check the hallway. She was standing entirely too close to him for
comfort; he couldn’t take a calming breath when the smell of her arousal filled
the air, with her body heating his skin. She had to know what she was doing to
him, standing that close. She really wasn’t playing fair, damn it.
‘’I don’t think we’d survive it.’’ He warned, knowing it wouldn’t deter her in
the slightest. Now that he was thinking about it, he suddenly couldn’t wait to
give it a try. And anything else she wanted, so long as it was soon. This must
be what being ‘whipped’ felt like; this pathetic eagerness to obey her. So long
as she kept letting him do nasty horrible things to her; he really didn’t give
a rat’s ass.
‘’Ten minutes.’’ She told him, easing past him into the hall and striding
confidently away.
His heart leapt at her words before his brain came on line, realizing that
she’d meant how long to wait before leaving the closet himself. Ryan never
would’ve guessed, just from watching her walk down the corridor (and what a
view); that only moments before, she’d been on her knees, blowing him in the
supply closet. That was half the attraction: that image of mouth-watering
purity concealing the irresistible temptress within. The other half was raw sex
appeal; he’d never met anyone so carnally attractive, so unquenchably
desirable. Striving for an air of casual innocence, and double-checking that
his pants were secure, he went to meet the Cohens. Whatever his new family had
arranged, he felt he’d already celebrated his admission to Harbor.
It was going to be a great year.
 
***** Student Activities *****
Taylor dug her fingers into his shoulders, gasping as he thrust deeper into
her. His lips traveled across her collarbone, nipping gently at her skin;
making her moan in satisfaction. She un-crossed her legs from behind his hips,
smiling into the blue sparkle of his eyes as he cooperated in rolling them both
over without losing contact…….
…….and she fell out of bed, on her hands and knees on her bedroom floor having,
she noticed blearily,just missed the nightstand with her head.
‘’Well, merde.’’ Her body was throbbing, there was a damp ache between her
legs, and she had the wild urge to run right over to the Cohen’s and make the
dream a reality, consequences or not. The alarm went off and she stood up,
slamming her small fist down onto the button with more force than was really
necessary. This is why they say be careful what you wish for, she thought to
herself. Sometimes you get it, right in the teeth.
She kept flashing on Ryan during her shower, finally turning the temperature to
just short of freezing in order to get through. Dressing didn’t take that long
…….once she decided what to wear. On the one hand, she wanted to wear something
to excite him, something he could get her out of easily. Then again, if she
changed her looktoo much, someone would notice; and all it would take was one
person, noticing. Sighing, she put on a pale green narrow skirt with a teal,
high-collared blouse. Touching the fading mark on her neck, hidden by the
collar; she lost a few minutes smiling into the mirror, remembering how she’d
come by it.
Breakfast with her mother was predictably horrible, she had to bite down on the
impulse to gloat about hooking him every time her ‘unattractiveness’ was
brought up. She escaped as soon as possible (nothing new there) and went to
school. None of the students were acting any differently, their automatic
ignoring of her was actually comforting; it meant no one would notice if she
slipped away. So long as she didn’t do it during class or anything.
Taylor moved easily through the crowd, finding one of her secret spots, where
she’d come to be miserable and alone all last year. None of the kids who smoked
used this spot, closed in as it was by trees and bushes. Making sure the coast
was clear, she stepped back out, waiting in the shadows of the building. Her
heart skipped a beat when she spotted him, moving casually across the quad next
to an enthusiastically gesturing Seth. Every now and then, the taller boy would
point to a girl and smile expectantly at his friend, who would shake his head.
‘’Why don’t you whores go work another corner?’’ Summer snapped nearby,
storming unseeingly past her in a beeline towards the two boys. The girl linked
arms with Seth, pulling him away (under much protest by the boy) from Ryan.
‘’Hey.’’ Even answering a phone, he sounded like he was saying something dirty.
Or maybe that was just her, reacting to him. He didn’t look around, or act like
the phone call was anything special; in fact, he looked a little bored.
‘’Doing anything later?’’ She purred at him, smiling as she stepped into
concealment. He made her feel wanton and sexy, and he wasn’t even nearby. She
was glad they didn’t have any classes together, the way being around him made
her lose all control. Not that such lapses were bad……….If she concentrated, she
felt like she could still taste a bit of musky salt, lingering in the back of
her throat, on her tongue.
‘’Hoping to do someone.’’ Ryan husked at her, sounding as eager as she felt.
‘’We could skip this, just take off…….’’ There was a pleading note to his
voice, maybe he was a little nervous? She supposed this place was a little
overwhelming, comparatively speaking. Well, she wasn’t going to let him throw
his future away for some sweaty fun; no matter how much fun that sweat was.
‘’After school.’’ Taylor promised, glad she couldn’t see him and the no doubt
intense look in his eyes. Her willpower was only so strong, after all. Just
thinking about him made her wonder if she wasn’t being too strict. One day
couldn’t hurt, could it? But one day would become two, or three; and then
they’d both be working minimum wage and bemoaning their fate. Of course, after
school was out for the day……‘’Something to look forward to.’’ She licked her
lips in anticipation. What she wanted to do to him…….what she’d let him do to
her……..
‘’I’ll have to ditch the kids.’’ She giggled quietly at his reference to his
brother and Summer, relieved to be snapped out of her hormonal fog. Next thing
you know, she’d be walking into a door, or something. First bell rang,
interrupting what was sure to be a wonderfully flirtatious conversation.
‘’Shit.’’ The exasperation in his voice told her that he’d been enjoying their
talk as much as she had.
‘’I’ll call you.’’ She clicked her cell shut; exiting her hiding place and
heading the other way around the building to her first class, unwilling to
torture either of them any further by going near him. She couldn’t wait for
school to be over, running through possible rendezvous points in her head. The
teacher had to call her twice to let her know she was wanted in the principal’s
office.
Dr. Kim’s summons was unexpected, and the news that she’d have to take over
social chair duties dimmed her enthusiasm for the day briefly. Of course,
social committee would be aperfect excuse to get out of the house, even when
there wasn’t a meeting. She’d have to schedule her cover story carefully,
though. Her mother may be apathetic in regards to parenting, but the woman
wasn’t a moron. The only difference, she thought, between her prior duties for
social committee and the current ones would be that this time, she would get
the recognition she deserved.
Telling Ryan during lunch was hard, but once she made him understand it was
only a postponement,not a cancellation; he was back to murmuring suggestive
comments in that sexy voice of his. Giving him the cell may have been the
smarter thing to do, but hearing him whispering in her ear (even over the
phone) was a temptation she hadn’t counted on. She had no idea how she
controlled herself the rest of the day, or through the suddenly boring social
committee meeting. She made sure to be the last one to leave, storing the
binder in her locker; moving casually through the empty halls to the student
lounge, where they’d arranged to meet.
Taylor slipped into the room, locking the door behind her, grateful to see that
not only had the other doors and windows been secured (with curtains drawn);
but the lights were only on over the pool table. She’d always wondered why the
school had sprung for the thing; even the science geeks only played one or two
games a year, before defaulting to use it as a giant coffee table, like
everyone else. He was playing with easy confidence, too; looking like he was
enjoying himself. His over shirt hung across a rail nearby, next to his book
bag; and she swallowed at the sight of him in his tee, muscles flexing as he
finished his solitary game. She watched him a little longer, only walking
towards the table as he started to gather the balls out of the pockets, placing
them in that little triangle thing. Ryan smiled at her in appreciation, leaning
against the table with the pool stick in one hand, letting her come to him.
‘’I’ve always wanted to learn to play.’’ She told him, grabbing the stick
suggestively in one hand. His blue eyes flickered darkly, gaze becoming fixed
as her fingers stroked the wood. ‘’Is it hard?’’
‘’It can be.’’ He whispered at her. She expected him to kiss her, but he turned
her gently around, moving so that they both still held the stick, showing her
how to handle it. Her back was pressed against his chest, his arms encircling
her as his warm breath tickled directions into her ear. The heat of his body
was thrilling, the innuendo in his instructions dizzying; and she pulled
reluctantly away from him, saying he was trying to distract her. ‘’That’s not
distraction.’’ He protested, grinning that naughty/innocent grin that he used
when he was being especially bad. Her nipples tightened, her stomach swirled
with heat.
‘’It’s not?’’ She challenged sultrily, bending over to take aim at the ‘cue’
ball. He made a small noise, and she smiled to know that she had the same
effect on him that he had on her. She knewshe did, she’d felt it pressed into
her backside when he’d held her to him. He leaned one hand on the table, just
within arm’s reach, facing her with a hungry expression.
‘’Distraction is saying how bad I want to bend you over this table until you
come; screaming for mercy.’’ He spoke just as she was making her shot, the
sincere lust in his voice causing her to lose control of the sti…..’cue’;
sending it flying up towards his head. Moving quickly, he caught it right in
front of his face, smirking at her as she gasped for breath, staring at him in
a twist of desire and shock. ‘’See? Effective.’’ He ‘chalked up’ the ‘cue’
again, missing the determined look that flared in her hazel eyes. If that was
the way he wanted to play it…….She hopped up onto the table, sitting right in
front of where he’d have to stand, to hit the ball. ‘’What are you doing?’’ He
asked, looking dismayed.
‘’Distracting my opponent.’’ Taylor settled her hands in her lap, crossing her
feet demurely at the ankles. She raised expectant brows at him, daring him with
her expression.
‘’Right.’’ He’s sweating, she giggled internally. Poor boy. He stepped up the
to table’s edge, putting his arms around her to position the ‘cue’. She
swallowed, his musky scent hitting her right in the gut. Suddenly, she didn’t
want to play anymore; at least, not the game they’d been playing, so far. She
shifted her posture, opening her legs as much as she could in her skirt;
letting him take his stance between them, placing her hands on his shoulders.
‘’Shit…..’’ There was a clatter as he dropped the stick on the table, soft
moans as she started kissing his neck and his jaw.
Ryan crushed his lip to hers, driving his tongue into her mouth with the force
of his desire. His hands gripped her thighs, shoving her skirt upwards as he
kissed her hungrily, sucking on her bottom lip and groaning around her tongue.
She pawed at his shirt, panting as he broke the kiss to drag his teeth gently
down her throat, finally easing her skirt up far enough to allow access. He
pulled back, placing a condom on the table next to her hips, blue eyes blazing
with fiery intensity as she abandoned her attempts to get his shirt off to
concentrate on opening his slacks.
He started unbuttoning her blouse from the top, feathering touches across her
breasts with the tips of his fingers. Her insides were melting, there was a
throbbing ache all over, except where he was touching her. Those places were
lit by surges of flaming electricity, making her breath come in heaving gasps
and her heart race into staccato beats. She slid her palms under his boxers,
smiling to hear his muffled, cursing moan against her collar bone. She helped
him free himself from the fabric, pushing his tee up to bunch under his arms so
she could caress the bare skin of his back, his stomach.
‘’God……’’ She whimpered softly, pulling him closer as he fingered her moist
panties aside, entering her so slowly she wanted to scream at him to go faster;
harder and faster and all night long.
She wrapped her legs around to cross behind his slowly thrusting hips, arms
clutching his back; hands sliding down to pull his butt forward, sliding up to
dig into his shoulder blades as he took a grip on the beveled inner edge of the
table. Taylor buried her face in his neck, nibbling at his skin, trailing
heated, open-mouthed kisses up to suck briefly on his earlobe. His pace
quickened, making her tremble at the sensation of him sliding in and out of
her; the intimate pressure of his hard flesh against her softness, the mind-
blowing feeling of him inside her body.
She trembled, the first stages of her orgasm pulsing through her, his breath
hot and heavy against her hair, his lips moving randomly over her ear, her
cheek, her neck. He covered her mouth with his, swallowing her cries of ecstasy
as she climbed higher into pleasure, sucking his tongue into her mouth with the
same eager pull as she’d used yesterday. Ryan moved faster and faster, soaring
her into such heights that she buried her face into his shoulder, biting his
shirt to muffle the noise as they tensed together, united in a blinding burst
of intense pleasure.
His hands were softly stroking her back, holding her soothingly against him.
When she lifted her head to look him in the face, he smiled at her, brushing
hair from her eyes tenderly. They disengaged, rearranging their clothes,
pausing frequently for soft, lingering kisses, gentle caresses. The quiet peace
of the moment was broken by the chirp of his cell; he muttered under his breath
as he retrieved it.
‘’Seth?’’ He nodded, sighing. ‘’Well, at least his timing’s getting better.’’
Taylor smiled at his laughter, storing up these moments for later, when she had
to go home. Something of her thoughts must’ve touched her expression, because
he tossed the cell phone aside, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting
embrace.
‘’We knew it would be hard.’’ She nodded against his chest, snuggling in and
wishing she never had to leave. His phone continued to sound and she stepped
back, letting him answer it.
‘’Seth………well, I finished ……..yeah, be right there.’’ Ryan hung up, shrugging
at her with adorable embarrassment. ‘’I had some reading to catch up on; we
were supposed to meet at the library.’’ Okay, suddenly not so adorable. How
could he be that stupid?
‘’Oh my God.’’ She whispered, horrified at his version of ‘sneaking around’.
What if his brother came looking for him? What if he wasalready looking for
him? She smacked him on the arm, making him back away from her as she advanced,
whispering hoarsely. ‘’You’ve got to find something better than that; some
other reason to cover staying after! That’s the oldest dodge in the book,
R…really!’’ She was scared and that made her angry and …….
‘’I wanted to see you.’’ And now she couldn’t be mad at him. There was
desperate honesty in his voice, a pleading tone of raw need. He wasn’t alone in
that, she wanted to continue their liaison (despite all common sense) long into
the night and, to be fair, she could’ve planned this encounter a little better,
herself. It was a good thing the cleaning staff wasn’t around, for instance. Or
the security guards. She sighed, knowing they couldn’t rely on that kind of
luck again.
‘’You still have to find something.’’ Forgiveness coloring her tone, she tried
to convey a mutual guilt with the tilt of her head.
‘’I will.’’
***** Extracurricular *****
‘’Soccer tryouts, riiiight.’’ Seth smirked at him over breakfast, making Ryan
wish they were eating on the patio. So he could push the other boy into the
pool. Kirsten and Sandy’s arrival quieted the teasing (for a while) but his
brother started right back up the moment they were in the car. ‘’This anything
like last night’s ‘library’ visit?’’
‘’Seth…..’’
‘’Because you don’t get teeth marks on your shirt from a book, man; not even
‘Call of the Wild’.’’
‘’Seth….’’
‘’Just saying that you need to come up with better cover stories. Summer and I
will be glad to help, just give the word and we’ll spring into action like…..’’
‘’Seth!’’
He drew in a shaking, irritated breath; trying to control his temper. Ever
since he’d climbed into the car last night, there’d been a constant flow of
innuendo and ribald comments from his friend. Which wasn’t helping either his
attempt to reign in his lust, nor his need to think of some after school
activity. He’d come up with the soccer team that morning, staring at the side
of the cereal box; where colorful animals were playing several different
sports. A sign-up sheet he’d seen the day he’d gotten his id popped into his
head, and while archery and fencing were way out of his interest; he’d won a
couple games in middle school as a striker. Before the counselors had yanked
his playing status because of his absences, that is.
‘’I thought sex was supposed to relax you? She stand you up? Or turn you
down?’’ He rubbed at his face, biting back a snarl of frustration. He wished,
not for the first time; that he’d never told Seth about the secret. Why
couldn’t he have just made up some story about a nameless hookup and leave it
at that? Because you’re a sucky liar, that’s why, his mind informed him.
‘’Maybe the sex wasn’t that……’’
‘’Don’t even go there.’’ He snapped.
‘’Go where?’’ Thank God, Ryan thought. Summer may be just as interested in
discovering Taylor’s identity as the other boy, but her presence would put a
halt to the smirking comments from his friend.
‘’He hooked up with his honey last night.’’ So much for the chivalrous effect
of the girl’s presence. He felt his face flush at her speculative look, and
wished he dared the Cohens’ wrath enough to strangle their son. ‘’Fed me this
lame excuse about the library.’’
‘’Can’t be that lame if you fell for it, Cohen.’’ She smiled at his brother,
shrugging at the offended expression. She shifted her gaze to him, concern in
her voice as she spoke. ‘’Never thought you’d fall for this play, Chino.’’
‘’What play?’’ He hadn’t told Seth anything, he’d even taken a round-about
route to met him so that the other boy wouldn’t be able to tell which building
he’d been in.
‘’The ‘my-parents-won’t-understand’ play; so she can just use you for sex.’’
His mouth popped open, he was even drawing an outraged breath to yell that
Taylor wouldn’t do that; when he saw it. A tiny light of victory, deep in her
brown eyes. Damn, she was good.
But he was better.
‘’Beats falling for the ‘piss-him-off-so-he’ll-slip-up-defending-her’ play.’’
Irritation flashed across Summer’s face. Seth snickered, then winced as the
brunette whacked him on the arm.
‘’I could threaten to let the cat out of the bag. I mean, you didn’t keep my
friend from going away; why shouldn’t I make sure that your friend gets sent
off?’’ There wasn’t any true threat in her tone, he supposed she was just
ranting a bit. It certainly explained why she’d been so chill at lunch
yesterday. Ryan knew she wouldn’t do it, though; and not just because she
didn’t know who the girl in question was.
‘’Because you’re not a vindictive bitch.’’ Unfortunately, she seemed to take
the compliment as a green light to start questioning him about Taylor’s
identity. He was actually grateful for the distraction of homeroom (more so for
the fact they didn’t have any classes together), the girl was actually managing
to give him a headache. Which was the excuse he used to sit outside, in the
shade of some huge tree, during morning break. Checking that no one was around,
or standing on the other side of the tree; he pulled out the pre-paid cell and
dialed her number.
‘’Hey.’’ He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the bark. Just
hearing that energetic voice eased his nerves. He peeked briefly out from under
his eyelids, checking that the coast was still clear.
‘’Hey.’’ He breathed a heavy sigh, wishing she was physically there. He needed
his fix, damn it. ‘’Can you meet me before lunch ……somewhere?’’
‘’The closet?’’Taylor’s voice was suggestively teasing, she must be somewhere
isolated, too. The urge to look around, to see her………. No, he wasn’t going to
give the game away with some junkie’s mistake. ‘’Just past first bell? ‘’
‘’Yeah.’’ Memories of what she’d done to him in that closet flared up, heating
his skin and choking his voice in his throat. ‘’Got something to tell you.’’
And a cold shower to take, he thought, clicking the cell shut. He leaned
forward, resting his forearms on his knees, rubbing the cool phone against his
flushed forehead. He had noidea how he was going to make it until lunch.
-- xxx –
Taylor walked down the corridor, checking her peripheral vision, altering her
pace so that she reached the supply closet (their closet) just as the hallway
was clear. It didn’t take but a moment to slip through the door. She had barely
registered that he was already there when she found herself pressed back
against the door by Ryan’s body, his hands to either side of her head.
‘’Hey.’’ He husked at her, just seconds before pressing his lips firmly to
hers.
She returned the kiss hungrily, opening her mouth under his with a quiet moan.
It had been too long since she’d felt this wonderful electricity, this fire
running under her skin. Last night’s encounter had somehow made her dreams more
intense (and frustrating); she only hoped tonight’s plan would be enough to
satisfy her growing desire, her need for him. Panting softly for breath, Ryan
moved his lips along her jaw.
‘’Miss me?’’ She gasped, amused by their mutual inability to resist this fiery
connection.
‘’Just had to kiss you.’’ He breathed into her ear, making her tremble
delightfully. She moved her hands up his chest, pushing him regretfully away by
the shoulders.
‘’You had something to tell me?’’ Taylor reminded him, trying to reign in the
urge to rip his shirt off and just…….Easy, girl. You can last the rest of the
day, can’t you? Only because I have to, she fumed to herself.
‘’Huh? Oh.’’ She liked that she was that much of a distraction to him, now if
only he’d let her think. He’d stopped with the kissing, but he made no move to
take his body away from hers; pinning her to the door with his solid presence,
blurring her mind. ‘’I’m trying out for soccer.’’
‘’Okay, that’s good. Soccer’s good.’’ She sounded like an idiot, like one of
those bobble-headed bimbos from the beach. She could feel the warm heat between
them rising, threatening to carry them both away. Her stomach swirled with it,
her nipples tightened; she bit her lip, unable to look away from his intense
blue eyes. He was such a cheater, looking at her like that and then expecting
her to talk, to think.
‘’So; they said I needed a language.’’ Where hadthat come from? Mon Dieu, had
she been so fogged over that she’d blanked out part of the conversation? Ryan
took a hand away from the door, tracing her lips with one gentle, trembling
finger; the move destroying any hope (or desire) for her to concentrate.
Everything else vanished into inconsequentiality as she slid her hands up into
his hair, pulling his lips back to hers. It wasn’t until she broke away,
gasping into his neck, that she realized the reality of what he’d said.
‘’Wait a minute, you speak Spanish.’’ Taylor kept her voice to their
established level of ‘barely audible’, despite the feel of his mouth on her
neck making her want to scream. If only she hadn’t worn slacks today, she
thought plaintively. They could already be quenching their mutual desires if
she had only worn a stupid skirt. Her hands caressed his neck and shoulders of
their own volition; lunch seemed far away and unimportant.
‘’Must’ve slipped my mind.’’ He muttered on her cheek, reclaiming her mouth.
Again, the need for air broke the kiss; leaving them burning more desperately
than before. ‘’Signed up for French.’’ Shock gave her a respite from the
building passion, his eyes twinkled at her as he tapped her nose
affectionately. ‘’I predict I’m gonna need a tutor to help me with it. Such a
tough language to learn.’’
‘’You clever, clever boy.’’ She hugged him enthusiastically, feeling their
connection shift into the less intense calm, quieting the flames a bit. His
arms felt so right around her, so comfortable; she took the time to rest her
head on his shoulder. ‘’You’ll have to pretend to be annoyed with me. ‘That
Taylor is such a freak’, stuff like that.’’
‘’Yeah.’’ Ryan sounded reluctant, rubbing her back more in a soothing fashion
than a lustful one. She was opening her mouth to explain that she didn’t mind,
she heard harsher insults (more sincere insults) than that every day; when he
pulled back, locking eyes with her as he took her hand and planted a kiss
flaming into her palm. She expected to look at the skin and see the brand of
his lips from that innocent-seeming touch. He put another on the inside of her
wrist and it was a good thing they hadn’t broken the embrace completely, as it
was helping to hold her up. ‘’Like ‘that girl’s driving me nuts’, you mean?’’
‘’Not in that tone of voice, no.’’ Their passion reignited with only a look,
rising to consume them both, to burn away all common sense. Once more, she was
pinned to the door by his body, his desire pressed throbbing into her hip. She
fumbled with his trousers, distracted by the feel of his mouth following his
fingers as he opened her blouse, pushing her bra down to free her breasts. A
loud bark of laughter from the other side of the door froze them both in place,
reminding them of just where they were. Sheepishly, he backed away from her;
letting her reassemble her clothing while he took deep, gulping breaths as
quietly as he could. Taylor knew the only way they could really get control of
themselves was if they were in separate rooms. Easing the door ajar, she
checked the hall. There was a girl’s rest room just a few doors down; she could
recover in one of the stalls there.
She didn’t (quite) sprint to that sanctuary, but she did arrive there in record
time. She hoped everyone would assume (if they even noticed) that her rushed
pace and flushed look was due to harassment by someone or other. It had
happened before, after all. She got kind of a weird look from a girl flossing
her teeth, but all the others were in standard ‘can’t-see-you’ mode. She sat in
the stall, gathering her overloaded senses back together; reminding herself of
the dire consequences if they ever lost control like that again. Pulling out
the pre-paid cell, she confidently dialed his number; checking the other stalls
to confirm privacy.
‘’You okay?’’ He was no longer whispering, it sounded like he was in a crowd.
Ryan must’ve adjusted his clothes faster than she thought; from the background
noise, she’d bet he was in the cafeteria.
‘’I am now. We need to be more careful.’’ Her plans for later mocked her
cautious words and she frowned, rethinking the idea. No, she’d gone over and
over the thing (granting the security guards supernatural abilities in her
planning); and it was still perfectly safe. ‘’Tonight. Building 2F, the north
door. Come right after practice and lock it behind you.’’
Taylor clicked the cell shut with satisfaction. He’d call if there were any
question, any alterations to their rendezvous. She sighed contentedly,
remembering the most important revelation from their time together. He’d been
thinking of herwhile signing up for his classes; the thought warmed her, making
her wish they’d dared to finish their fun. The library was looking very
attractive (not as private as their closet, but still); she’d have to do some
reconnaissance, check out some other locations. After all, just because it was
a good place to hide from her fellow students, didn’t make it a good place to
meet him.
And from now on, she scolded herself, wear a skirt!
-- xxx –
Ryan made his way across school grounds, confident no one was following him.
From what he’d seen last night, students who didn’t stay after for team
practices (over in the gymnasium) or club activities (mostly in the
administration building) congregated in the library. The rest of the place was
dark and empty at five o’clock; even the cleaning staff was finished by then.
Security patrolled the perimeter, the admin building; and that was it. They
obviously didn’t feel the need to safeguard any other locations; a laid back
attitude he really wasn’t going to argue with, as it was playing out in his
favor.
Luke had apparently decided that they were going to be friends, making the try
out a lot less tense than it could have been. He guessed saving the guy’s
girlfriend (even if she was going to school elsewhere) had impressed him. Seth
had shown up, but after seeing that Ryan was serious about the attempt (and the
noticeable lack of any ‘sultry sirens’ on the field), his friend had abandoned
him for lit mag. There had been something about Anna Stern (back from her
sailing trip) but he hadn’t really been paying attention to his brother’s
ramblings; too distracted by his own plans. Building 2F was listed on the
campus map as a ‘natatorium’, whatever the hell that was. It was right next to
the pool, too; on the other side of it from the tennis courts, in fact. He
didn’t dare ask anyone what it was, he’d find out soon enough, anyway.
Checking around one last time, he slipped through the door on the north side of
the building, cleverly propped open with a strip of tape holding the latch in.
He pulled it free, letting the door close behind him, making sure it was
locked. He couldn’t believe it, standing in shock by the entrance, letting his
eyes adjust to the dim light. It wasso crazy. It was a pool, this ‘natatorium’
place was a fucking indoor pool; right next to the outdoorpool. These people
were unbelievable. He was shaking his head at the ridiculousness of two
swimming pools when he heard a splash. And remembered who he was meeting here.
‘’Come on in, the water’s fine.’’ Taylor rested her crossed arms on the edge of
the pool, her fantastic body hidden by the side of it.
‘’Why.…’’ He cleared his throat, hating the squeak to his voice. ‘’....why two
pools?’’ He was trying to distract himself from imaging what kind of swimsuit
she was wearing, not wanting to slip in his excitement. He tossed his bag
against the wall, making his way carefully across the floor.
‘’Conflict of practice times with the swim and water polo teams.’’ From the way
she wasn’t lowering her voice, it was obviously safe to talk here. He was
starting to realize just how much he could rely on her careful preparations;
when she had time to makethem, that is. The closet incident still made his
blood heat ……….but it also sent chills up his spine at how close they’d come to
being busted.
‘’I didn’t bring a swimsuit.’’ He smiled down at her, expecting her to tell him
to use his boxers or something. He certainly wasn’t prepared for this; nor for
what she did next.
‘’Neither did I.’’
He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even breath; as she shifted back, letting the
liquid support her as she floated, naked, before him. The water was perfectly
clear, allowing him to see below the surface: the slick curve of her hips and
thighs, the swell of her breasts above the water, droplets of moisture clinging
to her nipples. He swallowed roughly, the unconscious step forward reminded him
that he was still clothed with the soft slap of his sneaker on the tile. He’d
never gotten undressed so fast in his life (spurred by her giggling behind
him), dumping his clothes in a pile a good distance away.
Ryan slid into the water, dropping the condoms just within arm’s reach. The
cold water settled him down, a bit; but he still swam towards his siren,
ducking under the surface briefly to get completely wet. His eyes were stinging
from the chlorine because he hadn’t been willing to close them, to lose sight
of her for even an instant. She moved away, smiling that teasing, come-hither
smile she got when she wanted him to make a move, to take over. Taylor giggled
again (but thankfully didn’t squeal or shriek) when he started to chase her
around the pool. The childish fun of playing around only made him want her
more; turned on undeniably fast by the lure of her innocent temptation.
Finally, he managed to get a good grip on her ankle, pulling her willingly
towards him; her hazel eyes smoldering as they floated together in the middle
of the pool. Legs tangling, he cupped her face with one hand, balancing himself
in the water with the other arm; pressing his lips hungrily to her mouth. The
kiss should have started the liquid boiling; all the sexual tension that had
been building since their last encounter flared to sudden, energetic life. She
moaned, flinging one arm out to keep herself afloat and gripping him around the
waist with the other. Her body was slick and silky-smooth against him, harder
than the water but softer than his own. It was like she was touching him with
her body and the liquid both and he groaned desperately into her mouth. The
third time they started to slip beneath the surface (although the underwater
kiss on the second dive was great) he broke the lip-lock, moving them to the
side of the pool.
Taylor whimpered against his neck, digging her fingers into his back as he
pressed her against the tile, reaching over her shoulder for the condoms.
Covering himself while floating in a pool with her body trapped between him and
the side was a new exercise in co-ordination; but he managed it. He took a two-
handed grip on the edge, letting her small hands ease him into position. Her
legs wrapped around him as he thrust in, trying to compensate for the way the
water shifted them around. Entering her with the water flowing around him (and
into her) was blowing his mind. He caught the look in her eyes just in time,
covering her mouth with his to swallow her orgasmic screaming as he filled her
completely.
Apparently, she was enjoying their pool fuck just as much as he was; more,
judging by her glazed and primal expression.
Ryan picked up the pace, gaspingly directing her to ‘bite me’, not caring how
many marks she left on his body if it muffled her screams of ecstasy. Yes, it
was probably safe to talk (and make other noises); but there was no need to be
stupid about it. It was unbelievable how fantastic this felt, like he was
pulling out of her only to be caressed by the gentle touch of the water. He
buried his face in her hair, muffling his groans in auburn as she sucked
sharply at the skin along his collarbone. Her fingers were going to leave deep
bruises on his arms, not that he cared, anymore. Not with the way she was
practically vibrating against him, humming with animalistic pleasure. Not with
the way she was making him feel, the swirl of emotion climbing with his
passion; so tightly linked he couldn’t tell which was the greater influence.
Only he could do this to her, he thought possessively as he started to lose it,
started to thrust harder and deeper; feeling her tighten around him as he moved
more aggressively into her. Only he could make her lose all control, make her
stop thinking, make her willing to risk everything to be with him. It was him,
Ryan, and no other that would ever, ever see her like this, feel her body
pulsing against and around him as he spent with blinding force, gasping her
name into the strands of silk clinging to his face. One word drifted across his
mind, summing up the deeper impulses he’d just surrendered to.
Mine.
***** Kick Off *****
‘’I can’t believe I didn’t see you in TJ!" Taylor didn’t mind Summer ignoring
her to gush at the other members of social committee as they made their way
across school grounds. She knew the girl was just trying to hunt down the
identity of Ryan’s ‘mystery girl’ and took comfort in the fact that she wasn’t
even on the suspect list. ‘’I’m sure you had loads more fun than I did. What
did you do?’’ There was an aggressive tone to the question, a serious note that
belied the ‘chatty’ words. Considering her audience, Taylor didn’t think the
lack of subtlety was unexpected. She was even encouraged by the other’s
investigatory methods, and how far off-base she was in her pursuit.
She smiled at the other girls’ confused responses, confident that the smug and
somewhat gloating expression couldn’t be seen by the people following her.
Summer didn’t have a clue, the secret liaison was secure. She slowed as they
approached the field where the soccer team was practicing. She’d declared the
need for a caffeine infusion before starting the meeting, and it was purely by
accident that the route she’d chosen to take back from the student lounge went
right by where he was exerting himself in sweaty physical endeavor (this time,
with his clothes on).
‘’Wow.’’
She didn’t turn to see who’d said it, for once in complete agreement with the
boy-crazed gossip clique. No one would notice her stopping to stare, being too
engrossed in the same activity themselves. The boys saw them after a few
seconds, one or two of them waved in greeting, before turning to resume their
conversation with each other. She saw Ryan’s blue eyes flick over the group,
lingering for a few extra burning seconds on her, making her swallow hard at
the rush of heat crawling over her skin.
‘’Looking good!’’ One of the taller boys yelled at them, causing his teammates
to chuckle. He was staring, taking the same risk she was; both of them covered
by the focused attention of their fellow students.
‘’I wish we knew what they were saying.’’ Brenda complained, fussing with her
hair. As much gel as she had in it, it was a wonder she didn’t soak her arm to
the elbow, fiddling with her curls, Taylor thought.
‘’….got some fine lookers, this year….’’ She commented quietly, reading the
lips of the boy who’d shouted his admiration. The startled looks were easy to
ignore, because doing this gave her the perfect excuse to linger, to watch him
just that little bit longer. ‘’…..you gonna try for any of them? ……Dunno. After
what happened with Marissa, I’m not sure I stand much of a chance…..’’
‘’You read lips?’’
‘’Duh, Mandy.’’
‘’Yeah, hush.’’
‘’What else are they saying?’’
‘’Just a minute.’’ Taylor narrowed her eyes at the boys, concentrating. Her
nerves tightened as she discovered what was being said, and who was saying it.
‘’….uhm …..c’mon Chino, just pick one …….yeah, man, ‘less you’re gay ……..’’
There was a whisper of excitement around her, but she was too busy fighting a
sick anticipation. Would she be able to handle ‘hearing’ Ryan talk about
someone else, even if he was just pretending? ‘’…….don’t wanna say something
about someone’s girl, is all …….we’re not dating any of them……… you don’t think
Roberts is smokin’? ……’’
‘’Who said that?’’ Summer hissed, glaring across the field as if she could tell
just by looking.
‘’Brad.’’ Taylor whispered back. ‘’……uh …….they seem really happy ……what would
she possibly see in that Emo geek ……….yeah, Cohen’s such a total queer ……..’’
Ooops. They were talking about Seth and Summer, she really should’ve thought
before translating that. Looked like she’d let the cat out of the bag, however
inadvertently.
‘’Asshat.’’ The brunette girl muttered, flushing a bit. The other girls were
already murmuring to themselves, excited at the newest ‘scandal’. She felt a
tiny pinch of guilt, but was confident that Summer could handle it. Maybe if
she apologized, they might end up friends? Right. And Julie Cooper would join a
nunnery. One of the other girls poked her and she jerked her attention back to
the lip-reading.
‘’…….fine …….’’ She really wanted to see how he’d handle this, what he’d say.
Part of her wanted him to say something about her, stupid as that would be, and
another part wanted him not to say anything at all. Because if it wasn’t about
her, it would be about someone else, and she didn’t know if she could handle
that. ‘’…..the one in pink has big ……..’’ She censored the term, tilting her
head at Mandy. ‘’…..uhm, he said good breasts ……….uh ……..nice …..uhm, nice butt
on the one in slacks …….’’ Okay, she was starting to choke up, even though she
knew that he was just playing along with their game plan. ‘’…….who’s the fox in
yel…….’’ She blushed completely red, looking down at her yellow skirt with pale
gold blouse and matching yellow sweater. ‘’Okay, I think we’re done.’’ The
girls didn’t need to ‘hear’ the other boys identify her as ‘Dorksend’, or
witness the other things they said about her to warnhim off the school ‘freak’.
‘’You made that last part up, Townsend.’’ Sharon accused, catching up to her as
she walked rapidly away.
‘’Yeah, he probably said something about me.’’ That was Andrea, who went
through more guys in a month than most girls dated all year.
‘’It’s really not important.’’ She tried to brush aside their suspicions,
warmed by how he’d managed to conceal his regard while conveying his attraction
at the same time. Not that he knew she knew what he’d said. It was nice to feel
desirable without losing control, as usually happened whenever the desire in
his touch overruled her good sense. Or she overruled his, she was never very
sure which of them had surrendered first, afterwards.
‘’What were you doing last weekend?’’ Uh-oh. Summer was frowning at her, brown
eyes dark with doubt.
‘’Comic con was simply amazing this year.’’ Taylor went on about it for a
while, rambling the details she’d picked up from visiting the web site (just in
case her mother asked after her weekend activities). The other girl was
starting to look sorry she’d asked long before they reached the meeting room,
where Brenda ruined her good mood entirely.
‘’Bet you’re sorry to have missed Cooper’s meltdown.’’
‘’I was not.’’ She snapped, exasperated. There was doubt all over the faces
looking at her, especially Summer’s. ‘’Okay, yes, I wanted social chair. I may
have even wanted something to happen to her.’’ Someone gasped, but she was
concentrating too hard on meeting the brunette’s gaze, trying to convey her
sincerity. ‘’Not this, though. More like …….oh, that she gets mumps, or
something like that. Not this.’’
‘’Sure, Townsend, whatever.’’ Mandy simpered, trading superior looks with the
other girls. She whirled on her, irritated by the presumption that the girl
knew anything of the type of person she was. Had any of them bothered to get to
know her? No. So they had no right to go putting words in her mouth now, to
paint her as the same kind of mean-spirited bitch as her mother.
‘’Well, this will certainly make your rendezvous with Luke easier. Or is that
over now that you’re not ‘the other woman’?’’ Brenda blushed and glanced away
from Summer’s angry gaze. Before the rest of them could defend one of their
own, Taylor turned to Mandy. ‘’Maybe you should send Marissa a letter, I’m sure
she’ll appreciate whatever tips you used, last spring, to recover so quickly
from having your stomach pumped.’’ Now they were all starting to look nervous,
to wonder how much she knew about them, what she’d reveal of their shameful
little secrets. Now that she had a secret of her own, she was a little more
sympathetic about theirs and decided to just cut the matter short. ‘’Let’s
cancel the meeting today, ladies; it’s obvious we all need to take a moment or
two to realize that no one’s perfect.’’ Carnival was pretty much taken care of,
so there wasn’t any real need for them to spend more time gossiping when they
could be doing something more productive. Like slipping in some more Ryan-
playing-soccer watching.
‘’Looks to me like you think you are.’’ Sharon said it, but it was the last
girl to leave who heard Taylor’s whispered response.
‘’If I was, I’d have friends.’’ She didn’t see who was there, and didn’t really
care. Why should she care about them? They didn’t care about her. The old
tricks weren’t working as well anymore, because it wasn’t any fun, being all
alone, and Ryan was showing her what it could be like, to have people in her
life who cared about her.
The click of the door latch woke her from her pity-party. She could stay here
and mope, or she could go watch him run around and kick things and get all
sweaty. She practically shoved the binder into it’s storage cabinet with the
colorful rolls of raffle tickets, checking the hallways as she rapidly made her
way towards the gym. If she approached from there, she was thinking, she could
find a place to ambush him after he left the showers, when practice was over.
Seeing the figure coming down the empty hall, cleats clacking on the floor, she
checked her watch. No, practice wouldn’t be out for another hour.
So why was Ryan headed towards the boy’s locker room?
‘’What happened?’’ She fell into step with him, making him twitch and look
around worriedly. She sighed, poking him in the arm to prompt him. ‘’No one’s
here, now what happened?’’
‘’I tackled Brad.’’ He gave another doubtful glance around and she made an
exasperated noise, grabbing his arm and dragging him into the boy’s locker
room. ‘’Taylor!’’ He kept the shout to whisper level, yanking free of her grip
and just missed having her catch his hand in the door when he tried to stop her
from closing it. She put her back to the entrance and crossed her arms at him
expectantly. There was more to the story than what he’d said, and she was going
to get to the bottom of it. ‘’You can’t be in here! This is……’’
‘’The last place anyone will look for me and the closest place we can be
alone.’’ Which was pretty stupid of her, come to think of it, because now that
she was standing so close to him, she was finding it hard to think about
anything other than kissing him, touching him. She took a deep, calming breath
and instantly regretted it as the heady aroma of him made her dizzy with
desire, made her body ache desperately for his touch. ‘’Uhm……why did you tackle
him?’’ She pressed the fingertips of one hand to her forehead, hoping it wasn’t
for the reason she thought. If he was getting into fights defending her honor,
then it wouldn’t be long before someone figured things out. Jocks were stupid,
but not that stupid.
Well, Brad might be, but not Luke or Zach or some of the others.
‘’Brad was saying stuff about how easy you’d be to ……..get with, because you
don’t have any friends.’’ Her worst fears seemed realized, but he was
continuing, smiling his ‘naughty boy’ smile, the one that made her knees go
weak. Sure enough, she had to lean back against the support strut between the
two doors to keep upright in the flare of crawling need that engulfed her.
‘’Then he talked about some other girls, then bragged about how he was gonna
bag Summer, because Seth wasn’t any competition and he’d just kick his ass,
anyway.’’ Ryan’s voice had lowered in pitch, he was staring at her intently,
licking his lips and wiping his palms on his shorts. ‘’I tackled him right
after that.’’
‘’You might lose your place on the team.’’ She warned him, but it was hard to
care about that when she could feel the heat from his body all over, igniting a
passion she thought their hour in the pool last night had at least dimmed. It
was as if they hadn’t touched in years, so strong was the pull between them.
His blue eyes were almost glowing, the smell of sweat mixing with that of fresh
grass and her own arousal. ‘’We shouldn’t…….’’ He didn’t appear to care any
more than she did. Her whispered protest hung in the air between them,
acknowledged as the token that it was.
‘’Wouldn’t want to be interrupted.’’ He murmured, grabbing the handles of the
doors to either side of her, pulling sharply at them to secure them, which
pressed his body firmly against her. The sound of the locks being turned was
dim in the roaring of blood in her ears.
‘’No, we wouldn’t.’’ She grabbed the front of his maroon jersey in both hands,
hazel eyes huge with need. Her skin felt electrified, she was sure that she was
going to go crazy if he didn’t touch her, or kiss her, or something.
He put his palms on her hips, pulling her against him, pressing his lips to
hers possessively. Taylor moaned, tugging at his shirt, sliding her hands
underneath the fabric to caress his skin eagerly. This was more like it, she
thought as she slipped her shoes off, pushing him back towards the bench
between the lockers. He sat on the end of it, kicking off his cleats, accepting
her onto his lap with enthusiasm, freeing her blouse of her skirt, the sound of
their breathing horribly loud as he worked her buttons open, pushing her bra up
to expose her breasts to the air, nipples already tight when he took one gently
into his mouth.
She shifted her hips into him, tossing her sweater to the floor, closely
followed by her blouse and bra. The more skin she exposed, the more
energetically Ryan’s hands traveled: now pushing her skirt up, now stroking
along her spine, now cupping one breast to more easily ghost his lips across
it, teasing her nipple with his tongue. He discarded his own shirt rapidly,
laying back and pulling her down with him to sear his bare and sweaty chest
against hers, to kiss her hungrily, hands tangling in her hair, making her glad
she’d chosen to wear it down.
‘’Ow.’’ Worried she was crushing him, she pulled back as much as she was able
to see him looking terribly embarrassed and pained as well as aroused. ‘’Cup.’’
What was he talking about, what……..She giggled when she realized he was
referring to the effect their just-interrupted activities would have whilst
wearing such …….sports equipment. ‘’ ‘S’not funny.’’ He muttered, letting her
go so she could stand up, reaching for the waistband of his shorts.
‘’Let me.’’ She stood with her legs to either side of his feet, easing his
shorts down teasingly slow. Taylor let him deal with the rest of what he was
wearing, not sure how it went on or the safest way to take it off. She moved
away from the bench and kicked loose of her skirt and panties, retrieving her
purse and the all-important latex within. Being completely naked with him in
such risky surroundings was heightening the thrill of the moment, her brain
fogging with desperate longing to join him in their fiery connection, their
unity of desire.
She pushed him back down onto the bench with one hand, ripping open the condom
with her teeth. There was an excited light in his eyes at the aggressive nature
of her movements, but he didn’t do more than rest his hands on her hips as she
quickly sheathed his length before impaling herself on it. She whimpered as the
sensations swept over her, calling to mind all the other times, enhancing her
pleasure as she tried not to claw his shoulders. She could see the hickeys
she’d marked him with in the pool, feel his hands sliding over her skin, the
calluses titillating her; especially when he gently rubbed one thumb over her
clit.
Ryan arched into her, groaning softly, pulling at her so they could kiss with
mutual fierce enjoyment. Sounds of ecstasy muffled by the other’s lips, they
increased their pace, rushing towards completion with wild abandon. She
couldn’t believe how powerful this felt, how erotic and dangerous and
irresistible it had become. She took his earlobe gently in her teeth, eliciting
a shuddering groan from him, a harder thrust upwards of his hips. His hands
were in her hair again, his face buried in her neck, mouth moving convulsively
upon her throat.
They climaxed together, something she’d only thought happened in erotic novels.
She rested atop him in the aftermath, wishing she didn’t have to move, wanting
to stay in this lover’s tangle the rest of the day and long into the night. She
could feel the reluctance in his arms wrapped around her, the way he gently
cradled her head against his now even more sweaty chest. Finally, she sighed,
pushing herself up to gaze down at him. He brushed hair from her face,
expression tender and regretful.
‘’You have to take a shower.’’ She whispered, wrinkling her nose a bit. ‘’So do
I, actually.’’ She covered his mouth with her hand, reading the suggestion
behind the hope flaring in his eyes. ‘’I can’t.’’ Her voice shook a little with
the force of her disappointment at not being able to shower together and he
kissed her fingertips softly in apology, letting his arms fall away as she
climbed off of him.
‘’It’s getting harder.’’ Ryan looked utterly forlorn and dejected, sitting
there naked and sweaty, watching her gather her clothes and scramble into them.
‘’Saying goodbye each time, it’s getting harder.’’ She nodded, biting her lip.
‘’Maybe…….’’ He couldn’t finish, couldn’t even really begin (for which she was
thankful), his voice choked over as he hung his head, his noble (sensible)
impulses defeated by his desire for her, his obvious unwillingness to give up
even the little they had.
‘’My mother goes out of town after the carnival.’’ Taylor told him, smiling at
the eager expression that shot up in response, the suggestive grin that spread
across his face. ‘’She won’t come back until the end of the month, then she
goes away again until after Halloween.’’ It was like her mother considered
being a parent to be a monthly inspection, showing up and checking things over,
before taking off again until the next month. Not to say that the woman
wouldn’t go absolutely ballistic if she ever discovered this little liaison,
but there was no reason they shouldn’t take advantage of the opportunity that
was presenting itself. ‘’I’ll be all alone in that big bed…..’’ The way his
eyes roamed over her in response to her suggestive tones spoke volumes about
what he was planning to do to her. She was going to let him, too, because then
she could do talk him into some of the things she’d been reading about in her
recently acquired copy of the Karma Sutra.
--xxx—
Ryan twisted the faucet control sharply, turning the shower’s temperature back
from freezing. It hadn’t been working, anyway.
His alarm clock had pulled him from a dream about Taylor (which was all he
seemed to dream about, lately) involving silk sheets, handcuffs, and some kind
of sweet-smelling oil. He’d woken at the first notes from his clock radio,
arching upwards, hands fisted in his covers. Good thing Seth hadn’t chosen that
morning to come in for one of his ‘talks’, it was embarrassing enough (and a
little weird) to discover that he’d removed his clothes while sleeping, not to
mention the erection he’d been sporting. Was still sporting.
Moving his fingers over his own flesh, he braced himself against the wall with
his other hand and closed his eyes. She appeared (naked and gleaming in the
water with him) behind his lids; lips pouty and perfect as they wrapped around
what he was rapidly stroking. He moaned, grateful she’d had the chance to
provide him with the memory to feed his imaginings. Even when she wasn’t there,
she ruled him, drove him insane with the way she looked at him, the way she
smiled, the sound of her voice, her smell, her taste. His hand quickened as he
totaled up all the ways she appealed to him, all the things that pulled at him,
made him surrender all sense to just to be near her. If he couldn’t have her as
constantly as he wanted, it just made their stolen moments all the more
intense, and it really whet his appetite for what they’d be able to do, once
her mother was out of town.
Rinsing off after, his fantasy Taylor faded as he tried to get his breathing
and his heart rate under control. He toweled off quickly and pulled on his
clothes, glad he’d set his alarm so early. Even with his ……delay, there was
still time for breakfast (and the all-important coffee), which he needed to
have to get the strength to sit through Seth’s teasing and innuendo-laced
questions. When he came out of the bathroom to finish getting dressed, though,
it wasn’t his brother occupying the chair with his irritating ramble.
It was Sandy.
At first, he was sure he was in trouble. But his guardian laid things out
pretty clearly and he soon realized that the man was worried, not angry. There
was fear, too, fear of losing him, Ryan. It hit hard, and he was barely able to
nod, to acknowledge the necessity of future good behavior. The honest affection
in the man’s voice got to him, especially when he mentioned coming to some of
the games, watching him play. It was wonderfully terrifying, this sense of
belonging, of family. He didn’t want to lose it.
Seth either picked up on his contemplative mood or didn’t want to make him feel
bad about being suspended from the team; because his teasing was subdued and
half-hearted. Maybe he was just starting to lose interest as his pursuit of
Summer was finally starting to yield results. She’d sat at their lunch table
every day this week, and met them in the quad every morning. Whether it was the
way her ‘friends’ were acting about the events in TJ or their reaction to her
sudden interest in Seth, she seemed to be sticking to the decision she’d made
with the same fierce loyalty she’d displayed for Marissa. It boded well for the
future of his brother’s relationship with the girl.
Since he didn’t have practice after school (or detention, thankfully), he
walked his friend to lit mag, making small talk with Anna Stern until the
editor called the meeting to order. She’d been looking at him a little
strangely, but he forgot all about it when, just after leaving the room, he got
a one-word call that burned away everything else but the need to remain
unobserved until he reached his goal.
Closet.
A familiar intoxication took hold of him the second he stepped inside. He
locked the door blindly, gaze trapped by the hazel eyes of his personal siren,
eyes he would swear were, for the briefest moment, glowing. He crossed the tiny
distance swiftly, taking her head between his hands gently as he kissed her
tenderly, caressing her lips softly with his own.
She moaned, pulling him against her by his hips, opening her mouth to deepen
their kiss, sliding her small hands under his shirt. Taylor pushed the fabric
up, baring him from ribcage to waist, tilting her head back to accept the
worship of his mouth on her throat. He eased his own hands under her blouse,
stroking his fingers across her stomach, unbuttoning the cloth quickly. His
breath hitched when he saw she wasn’t wearing a bra, he could barely hear her
whispered explanation about ‘saving time’ over the pounding of blood in his
ears……..and elsewhere.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as he moved his lips down her body, nibbling
teasingly at her magnificent breasts with his hands roaming over her back under
her open blouse. Ryan kissed his way down her stomach, liking the way she
gasped in delight as he knelt before her, easing her skirt up to hook the hem
into her belt, It looked like she was ‘saving time’ here, too, because she
wasn’t wearing panties, either. She bit her lip, whimpering, with the first
swipe of his tongue over her clit. He looked up to see her desperate expression
and took off his shirt, handing it up to her wordlessly.
The muffled scream when he buried his face between her legs told him she’d made
use of his clothes, biting down on the fabric to cover her cries as he moved
his tongue in and out, humming with satisfaction at the musky-sweet taste of
her. She bucked into him, head thrown back as she chewed on his shirt and
nearly pulled all his hair out with the force of her climax. He lapped up the
resulting nectar, running his hands up and down her wonderful legs, moving his
mouth back up to her chest, unfastening his pants on the way.
She spat out his shirt, letting it fall to the floor, her movements as she
helped him lower his jeans and boxers almost frantic. He chuckled against her
neck, dragging his teeth over her skin teasingly. Taylor took her revenge,
feathering her fingers up and down his shaft, blocking his attempts to cover
himself. He kissed her, letting the fire of their passion blur her intent for
him. Sure enough, she took the condom from him roughly only moments after he
started sucking at her bottom lip, applied it to him and grunted insistently
when he didn’t move immediately forward to enter her.
Ryan lifted her slight weight easily by her hips, gasping with the pleasure of
her constrictive heat once more enfolding him. He braced his forearms against
the wall, her legs wrapped firmly around him, holding him in place as he pinned
her to the bricks with his body. She was sucking at his neck, marking him
again. He didn’t care that this one would be more noticeable than the ones on
his shoulders; he didn’t care about anything but the feel of her once more in
his arms, the sensation of them speeding once again towards ecstasy. There
wasn’t room for him to slide a hand between them to fondle a breast, or
stimulate her clit; he was pressing her so firmly to the wall that each thrust
of his hips actually lifted her up it a few inches, each return lowering her
back into position.
Her arms were wrapped around his ribs in an embrace that had his chest pressed
so tightly to hers that he was almost afraid he might be crushing her. The
possibility didn’t appear to dim her enthusiasm in the slightest, she kept
moving her head back to suck his tongue down her throat, mouthing his collar
bone when they parted for air and planting kiss after kiss in the hollow of his
throat. He groaned brokenly into her hair, inhaling auburn as he quickened his
pace with the soaring approach of his orgasm, spurred on by the feel of her
clenching around him as she moved through her own.
Afterwards, panting for breath, limbs trembling as he fought not to collapse
and drop her to the floor with the removal of his body, he rested his forehead
on her shoulder and enjoyed a feeling of belonging that was more powerful even
then the Cohen’s sense of family. He didn’t want to be thinking of them while
in this position, though, so was relieved when Taylor lowered her legs,
releasing him.
They made plans to find each other at the carnival the next day, helping each
other reassembled their clothing. Which probably would’ve gone faster (and been
more effective) if they had resisted the impulse to plant more kisses, to
caress, to ride the flames of their passion once more into fiery bliss.
Naked this time, moving with tender care between her thighs, feeling that
fantastic body tense under him, around him, Ryan wondered just how the hell
he’d ended up lucky enough to be nailing this angel to the floor of a storage
closet. Her hands pulled his head down for another searing kiss, stealing his
breath and sending jolts of pleasure crawling over his skin.
He stopped wondering and applied himself more fiercely to his addiction
***** Carnival *****
Ryan tossed another ball up the ramp and smirked at his brother’s crestfallen
expression. Master of video games Seth might be, but skee-ball had more in
common with pool than with Playstation, so the losing streak wasn’t really
unexpected by anyone other than Seth. Bells went off, totaling another high
score, and the roll of tickets lengthened next to his foot. The taller boy
sighed, eyeing the meager handful of his own winnings. Without even thinking
about it, the blonde boy ripped free his tickets and held them out to his
friend.
‘’I can’t……’’
‘’Buy Summer something, then take her for a ride.’’ Hearing his own words, he
flushed a bit. His mind gotreally dirty the longer he went without his Taylor
fix. He hadn’t even been able to see her, today; not like the peeks and
glimpses that fired his imagination (and dimmed his hunger) at school. Off the
eyebrows (slimmer than the boy’s father’s, but still expressive) rising up the
face before him, he rushed to edit his statement. ‘’A carnivalride. Roller
coaster, Ferris wheel, whatever.’’ He shrugged, extending the mass of
construction paper a few inches further. ‘’What amIgonna do with ‘em, anyway?’’
‘’Only if you’re sure?’’ Receiving the affirmative, his brother paused,
frowning concernedly. ‘’And you don’t want to come with? Just because your
secret squeeze isn’t here is no reason to pass on the fun, man.’’ He
practically shoved the pile of tickets into the other’s hands; now anxious to
be rid of him, if he was gonna start thatshit up again.
‘’Three’s a crowd, Seth.’’ He pushed the guy a little, aiming him towards the
object of the taller boy’s affections. Thankfully, Summer was always a sure-
fire distraction for his brother, and he heaved a sigh of relief at the loss of
most of the reluctance in his friend. ‘’And I’ve got this thing about
heights.’’ He was glad that his little dodge of ‘I’m not sure she’ll be there’
was being accepted so readily. Taylor was right, this lying without actually
lying stuff worked great. After all, it was possible (not probable, just barely
possible) that some freak sequence of events would conspire to make her miss
their rendezvous. He hoped not, though. Even if they couldn’t hook up tonight
(which was likely given the public nature of this event) he’d still get to see
her, maybe exchange a heated look, maybe steal a brief kiss or two.
But he had to rid himself of his best friend, first.
‘’Good to know.’’ Clapping him briefly on the shoulder, his brother moved off
towards his own angel. He was grateful for the pass the other took on the
opportunity to tease him. Trey had laughed his ass off for a full fifteen
minutes when he’d found out about his brother’s acrophobia before spreading the
news all over Chino. Comparing the two always came out with Seth on top, but
weighing his new brother against his old wasn’t what he wanted to spend the
night doing. Ryan waited until the two brunettes were engrossed in an argument
over what ride to try before turning away to scan the crowd forher.
He thought he passed a familiar face as he moved through the mass of teenagers,
dodging a pack of giggling bimbos who reminded him of nothing so much as
upright Chihuahuas. Complete with yipping noises and, in some cases, dippy
facial expressions. He was turning to get a closer look at the face he thought
he’d recognized when he saw it. A flash of blue sweater, the glimmer of auburn
in the neon lights.
And a pair of legs that haunted his dreams.
Ryan followed them right up to the trailer housing the ‘Funhouse’, acting as
casual as he could with his heart trying to pound it’s way out of his chest.
The Funhouse was practically deserted, most of the Harbor students judging
themselves ‘too cool’ to be interested in warped mirrors, trick floors, and
mannequins dressed as ghosts being thrust into their faces. They kind of had a
point, actually, but he had an idea that this ‘house’ was about to get a whole
lot more ‘fun’; at least for him.
Fingers he’d know anywhere gripped his hand in the pitch-black hallway between
sections and pulled him through a service door. It was a much tighter fit then
‘their’ closet at school, there was barely room to breathe, pressed up against
each other as they were. No light was able to make it’s way in, but he didn’t
have to see to know it was her. Knowing her body as well as he did his own, he
closed his eyes, raising his hands blindly (unerringly) to cup her face. The
kiss was gentle, tender, no sign of the passion he had been sure would consume
them at this meeting. When they parted for air, he enfolded her in his arms,
glad just to be there with her (however long it lasted), filling his senses
with her presence.
‘’Ryan.’’ She whispered, barely audible even with her mouth so close to his
ear. Taylor tightened her arms around him, returning his embrace and
threatening his ribs. Not that he cared, nor did he care about her violating
the ‘rule’ of not using names. He’d missed her, even in the few hours they’d
been apart, and his resentment of their situation was soothed by the tone of
her voice that said she’d missed him, too.
‘’Taylor.’’ He murmured it against her hair, keeping his voice even quieter
than hers. He didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to move, didn’t want to do
anything but hold her and feel her, solid and real inside his arms. They stood
there until the floor shook a little, marking someone’s passage outside their
hidey-hole and waking them from their gentle trance.
He could feel the regret through the fingertips that feathered their way up his
neck to touch his cheek, to cup his face. He kissed her again, this one more
urgent as he tried to convey his own dragging reluctance to part from her, to
be apart from her. She exited first, and he counted off a silent minute before
leaving the darkness for the swirling lights of the carnival. His eyes were
spotting with the shift, so he paused as he left the Funhouse trailer, blinking
into focus the crossed arms and expectant grey gaze of Anna Stern.
‘’You two really need to be more careful.’’
Taylor sighed, wishing that she’d had time to warn him before he came out of
the trailer. They were so busted, it was only sheer luck that had this section
of the carnival empty. Well, aside from the girl who’d stunned her by talking
to her, freezing her into place until Ryan emerged and stumbled to a halt far
too close to her to be judged a stranger. She shoved aside ‘what if’s’ and a
despairing ‘oh my god’ to step forward, smiling her politest smile as she
started past the other.
‘’I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.’’ She didn’t even look at him, sure
she’d give the game away the minute their eyes locked. It was hard enough
ignoring the feel of his body so close to hers, her skin was still tingling
from their earlier indulgence. ‘’If you’ll excuse me, I have to make sure the
rest of the carnival isn’t as boring as this ‘Funhouse’.’’ The blonde girl
stepped into her path and gave her a far more sincere smile than her own.
‘’Look, I think we can help each other. Right, Ryan?’’ She frowned at the girl,
not liking the casual way the other used his name. Like they were friends or
something.
‘’We should at least hear Anna out.’’ Blue eyes were worried, but not overly
so. He didn’t seem to think this girl was a problem, which meant that ……wait.
Anna? As in, Anna Stern? The girl he was supposed to take to Cotillion, who
ended up with Seth? Things suddenly made a lot more sense, at least in regards
to how they knew each other. She was remembering some of the things he’d talked
about, back in TJ, how he’d said Anna was ‘okay’.
And he’d also said she wasn’t interested in him (which madeno sense), so the
blonde girl hadthat going for her.
‘’First thing we need to do is move this little pow-wow someplace more
private.’’ Anna reached out and took Ryan by the hand, ignoring his startled
flinch. ‘’He’ll call you, tell you where to meet us.’’ He was sending her a
confused and uncertain look, he apparently didn’t want to go off with another
girl without her approval.
‘’Everyone will see you two leaving with each other, so they’ll assume you’re
together.’’ He nodded at her implication of permission and stopped fighting the
tugging at his arm. She watched the two leaving, telling herself that she
didn’t have anything to worry about. The vibe she got off the other girl wasn’t
that of a man-stealer and she trusted Ryan implicitly, so what did she have to
be worried about? Her stomach ignored her better sense and twisted itself into
knots all through the wait, the phone call, and the walk to her car.
Driving to the rendezvous, she went over the possible ways they could’ve messed
up. With a sinking sensation, she realized that the girl probably knew more
than was safe. She knew about the skinny-dipping they’d indulged in, for
instance; that restroom had apparently not been as secure as she’d thought when
she’d called to arrange matters with her guy. Next time, she determined, she’d
text instead of talk, and thereby prevent herself from being overheard by
people flossing their teeth.
‘’Come in.’’ Anna had a frustrated look on her face when she opened the door to
room 12 of The Mermaid Inn. Taylor strode confidently inside, relaxing a bit
when she saw Ryan (still clothed, thankfully) sitting in the one chair. She
turned to face their potential blackmailer, crossing her arms over her chest
and raising her eyebrows expectantly only to have the other address Ryan
instead of her. ‘’Your girl’s here. Now can we talk?’’
‘’Never said she was my girl.’’ He shrugged, slouching down in his seat with
his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. Taylor thought it was a good attempt;
but the time for outright denial had been back at the carnival. Their cover had
been blown, now was the time to discover just how widespread the exposure was.
Of course, he didn’t know about the overheard conversation in the girl’s
restroom, day before yesterday. With the information he had available, it was a
good move.
 
Would’ve been more believable if they weren’t here, trying to determine how
much Ms. Stern knew and what it would take to keep her quiet, though.
‘’Look, I think we can help each other here.’’ Anna’s grey eyes sparkled with
obvious amusement at them both and Taylor felt a little more relaxed at the
evidence of a sense of humor. Until she continued: ‘’It’s not like I’m asking
to go swimming with you.’’
Taylor didn’t have to look at the boy to know he was blushing as fiercely as
she was. Some things, one just knew. The thought that there had been a witness
to that encounter, to the wild abandon with which they’d enjoyed each other
even after climbing out of the water………She had to clear her throat twice to be
able to speak past her humiliation.
‘’What kind of ‘help’ did you want?’’ It couldn’t be money, and it wasn’t sex.
Anna wasn’t looking at Ryan at all, she was…….wait, she was……..Oh my God.
‘’Hey!’’ Taylor snapped her fingers at the other girl, blushing even harder
than before. ‘’My face is up here, missy!’’ She pointed at her stern
expression, turning to glare at her guy when he gave an amused snort. ‘’You’re
not helping.’’ She told his dancing blue eyes.
‘’Well, I can’t really blame her.’’ He raked her with his gaze, sending the
familiar thrill shooting through her body, over her skin. She licked her lips,
forgetting the point of their conversation for a brief moment as she took in
the desire flaring across his face, the casual masculinity of his body. His
fantastic body. His….
‘’See, this is what I’m talking about.’’ Anna’s voice interrupted her
daydreaming and she snapped her head back around. ‘’You two need a better cover
or you’re going to get caught.’’ Anna was right, of course. Now that she wasn’t
freaking out over being checked out by the other girl, the blonde seemed like a
really nice person. Too nice for her to be actually blackmailing them, so what
was going on? Apparently, the same question was passing through the other’s
mind, because she asked: ‘’Why are you hiding it anyway; if you don’t mind my
asking?’’
‘’My mother.’’ Taylor laid out the reasons, seeing the grey eyes widen in
wonder (and a little horror when hearing the darker consequences of the tryst)
at the realization of what they were risking, being with one another. She felt
his fingers twining with hers as she finished, squeezing her hand supportively.
There was a short silence as Anna processed the information, nodding to
herself, smile getting wider the more she thought. Finally, Taylor couldn’t
take the suspense any more, but it was Ryan who spoke first.
‘’Something funny?’’ His tone was half-resentful, like he wasn’t sure whether
the girl was amused at their expense, or not. He stood, still holding her hand,
she could feel the tension almost humming through him. She wanted to tell him
it was okay, that she had a feeling they could trust this person; but she
wasn’t one hundred percent (more like ninety) sure, so she couldn’t in good
conscience reassure him when it might turn out to be false.
‘’This couldn’t be more perfect.’’ Anna lost a bit of her smile as she took in
their faces, the stiffness of their postures. ‘’I mean, it’s gonna be a great
cover for us both, just like I thought.’’ Taylor gasped, putting it together,
gaining a concerned glance from her lover. She didn’t blame him for not getting
it, he was used to surprises like this turning out for the worst, not the
better. Time to elaborate on the super idea her instant new friend had come up
with.
‘’You want Ryan to pretend to date you.’’ She declared, feeling a twist of
excitement at the thought of how far this would throw everyone off track. They
could even go on dates together, provided she found a ‘cover’ boy for herself.
Putting that thought to the back burner, she smiled (sincerely, this time) at
Anna. ‘’People aren’t going to even suspect you’re a lesbian if you’re dating
him, and no one will think he and I are together if he has an obvious
girlfriend.’’
‘’Exactly.’’ Her smile was back, you could really tell she was a dentist’s
daughter by the clean and even lines of her teeth, Taylor thought distractedly,
giddy with relief and the thrill of having help with this scheme. And such
brilliant help, too. ‘’Don’t look like that ‘’ this was to Ryan ‘’it won’t be
as hard as you think. We hang out at school, one or two dinners at your house a
week; that’ll set the cover up good. What people assume about where you’re
going on the weekends is their problem, just so you let me know when we’re
supposed to be ‘on a date’. Wouldn’t want to blow the whole thing by being seen
elsewhere when I supposed to be with you.’’
‘’Are you sure this is a good idea?’’ Blue eyes were doubtful, but eager. She
was sure he was thinking about all the time they could spend together, free of
fear, now that they had someone to cover for them. Something was holding him
back though, and she furrowed her brow at him questioningly. ‘’Seth and Summer
know aboutyou, even if they don’t know who you are. They’re gonna know
something’s up if I suddenly start going out with Anna.’’ Damn, he had a point.
And he couldn’t lie, it was truly appalling how bad he was at it. Made her
wonder how he’d survived such a rough upbringing, being unable to shade the
truth. Wait.
‘’Well, since you can’t lie, don’t say anything at all.’’ Off his startled
look. ‘’Just shrug whenever they ask about your ‘mystery girl’ and try and look
brooding.’’ She pushed at his shoulder with her free hand teasingly. ‘’You’re
good at that. And whatever they assume ……’’
‘’…….is up to them.’’ Ryan frowned, looking specutively over at the other girl.
Anna smiled at him in a friendly fashion, tilted her head. ‘’You’re okay with
this?’’ There was starting to be hope in his voice, his fingers no longer chill
between Taylor’s. Instead of answering, the blonde walked over to them and
pecked him swiftly on the cheek. He twitched in obvious surprise, letting go of
her hand as he stepped back.
‘’See you at school, Ryan.’’ Anna turned her smile on Taylor who picked up on
the teasing air and returned the peck she received on her cheek in the French
fashion, giggling internally at the look on his face. It was as if he couldn’t
decide whether to be jealous or aroused. She was kind of hoping for a bit of
both. ‘’Have fun, you two!’’ Was the final, cheerful blessing of their new co-
conspirator.
The sound of the door closing was nearly deafening in the sudden silence as
they stood there, staring at each other in amazed realization. It was the first
time they’d been alone, truly alone (with all the time they wanted), since TJ.
It was a little nervous-making, she decided, fiddling with the strap of her
purse. Stealing moments here and there at school was one thing; actually being
faced with hours at her disposal (and an actual bed to spend them on) was
confounding.
Because while she had several ideas about what she wanted to do, she didn’t
know which to choose.
Or at least, which to choosefirst.
‘’What do you want to do now?’’ She asked teasingly, lifting the strap of her
purse over her head. His blue eyes burned at her and he stepped closer, closer;
right up into her personal space. His breath was warm against her lips and she
closed her eyes in a belly-swirl of warm anticipation.
‘’We should talk.’’ Disappointment warred with shock and she opened wide eyes
to see him still gazing at her intently. He wanted to talk? Instead of ripping
each other’s clothes off and tangling in the sheets? Maybe he was staring to
have a problem with the sneaking around? Or with lying to his family?
‘’Talk.’’ She couldn’t keep her voice from shaking a little. As bad as guys
thought girls wanting to talk was bad, it was so much worse when a guy
(especially a guy like Ryan) wanted to talk. Most especially if he wanted to
talk rather than engage in sweaty carnal exercise. She bit her lip, wondering
if he was finally losing interest.
‘’Yeah, talk.’’ She gasped in delighted shock when he scooped her up in his
arms, barely having time to register his actions (and drop her purse) before
she was tossed onto the bed. ‘’Y’know, after.’’ He knelt on the end of the bed
and starting crawling up towards her. dragging her purse along by the strap
before tossing it onto the nightstand. He planted his palms to either side of
her shoulders, hovering over her challengingly.
‘’After.’’ She grabbed his shirt in both fists, pulling him down to roughly
kiss him with all her pent up emotion (including the mild irritation she felt
at him teasing her, however briefly). He returned the lip lock
enthusiastically, resting his body lightly on top of hers. Taylor pushed at his
shoulders, trailing kisses along his jaw as they rolled over. Grinding her hips
into the growing evidence of his desire, she pulled at his earlobe gently with
her teeth, smiling a trifle smugly at his ragged moan. ‘’You’re not going to be
in any condition to talk, after.’’ He didn’t answer, too involved, apparently,
with pushing her skirt up over her hips.
She sat up and pulled off her sandals, tossing them aside. Slowly, she started
unbuttoning her blouse, slapping his helpful hands lightly away. He wanted to
tease? Well he was going to get teased in return, no matter how the feel of his
body between her thighs (or the way he was watching her undress) was making her
dizzy. She let the fabric fall slowly back off her arms, leaving it draped
across his knees as she pushed his shirt upwards insistently, dragging the
backs of her fingers gently across his stomach.
Ryan cursed and the next thing she knew, he was back on top, crushing his mouth
against hers, scrambling out of his shirt. His eager pace was contagious, she
almost broke the zipper on his jeans, trying to open them by yanking at them
once the button was undone. He was tugging at her bra, sliding one hand under
her back to release the clasp even as he fondled her chest with the other. She
was forced to abandon her efforts to release the now-visible bulge from his
pants to free herself from the lacy underwear. Her hands ended up on his
shoulders, clutching at them when he started kissing his way down her body. Her
stomach clenched at the familiar fire overtaking them, the wonderful blazing
heat of their passion burning away any other consideration but the desire to
once more be united in it’s flames.
Taylor moaned when he brushed a kiss across her clit, whimpering desperately
when he moved away to continue pulling her skirt and panties down. Soon, she
lay completely naked before him, feeling wanton and desirable, despite the
absence of his touch. Opening her eyes, she saw him divesting himself of his
pants and boxers, getting briefly tangled because he hadn’t removed his shoes
yet. He was cursing again. Sitting up onto her knees, she retrieved a condom
out of her purse, holding it out of his reach when he (finally as naked as she)
knelt on one knee beside her on the bed.
He groaned loudly when she took him in hand, sliding her fingers up and down
the shaft, smoothing the latex over him. She stopped the motion, gliding her
palms slowly up over his stomach, his chest; to cup his face, to softly kiss
his mouth. His actions gentled as well, the arms that embraced her, the hands
that stroked her back as he lowered her to the mattress; they were tender,
maybe even loving. His entrance was at a similar pace, as if his body was just
catching up to the realization that they had all night. Feeling him once again
inside her, the reverent way he looked at her, brushed her hair away from her
face as he (oh, so slowly) moved in and out of her; it was all too much and she
arched, crying out with the sudden burst of ecstasy behind her lids.
Sliding a hand down to cup her ass, to increase his leverage as he kept to the
agonizingly gentle pace; Ryan marveled at the way she just let go and enjoyed
herself. There was no guilt mixed in with her pleasure, no shame or hesitance
to her movements. Feeling her clench around him was mind-blowing, as always,
but he was actually getting off more on the way she instantly matched his pace,
the way she smiled into his eyes in the midst of her orgasm. It was like they
were connected by more than just their bodies, more than just the rising tide
of sensation carrying them along. As always, such thoughts made him more than a
little nervous, and he distracted himself by moving just a little faster. The
tightening of the warm silk engulfing him pulled a shuddering moan from his
lips, the feel of it urging him to quicken his pace again, to send them both
soaring over the edge.
Braced on one elbow, he lowered his lips to her neck, wishing he dared to mark
her again. He pressed his tongue briefly to the fading hickey before lifting
his head to stare into her bottomless gaze, increasing the movement of his hips
at the silent cue he read there. She pushed at his shoulders, and he rolled
eagerly onto his back, pulling at her waist so as not to lose contact for even
a second. Taylor caressed his chest, locking eyes with him as she started
moving up and down, faster and faster. He grabbed her by the hips, thrusting
upwards, unable to look away from the burning hunger (and something more) on
her face. She trembled, cried out, her nails scraping lightly over his skin as
she rode him through another climax.
She arched her back, wrapping her legs around his hips as he rolled her back
over to lay beneath him. They were nearing that final stage, that intensity of
physical pleasure that frightened him as much as it called to him. He’d never
felt anything like it and had a strong hunch that he never would again, not
with anyone else in the world. Ryan slid both hands into her hair, kissing her
with desperation as he moved without thought in pursuit of her completion as
well as his. Only her enthusiastic response to his increasingly forceful
motions (the way she moaned around his bottom lip as he thrust harder and
harder into her willing folds) kept him from feeling like a sex fiend.
Soon, all he would feel would be her shuddering underneath him, nails digging
into his shoulders or his back. Soon, all he’d be able to feel would be her
arms around him as he collapsed, trembling; resting his head on her chest to
listen to her slowing heartbeat. Soon, all he’d feel would be the peace of
being part of the one person he didn’t have to pretend with, about anything.
Soon (now), all he could feel was Taylor.
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