Steve collapsed bonelessly on top of Cheryl and struggled to catch his
breath. *This is wrong*. He knew he should roll off her before she
suffocated under his added weight, but he was completely spent. *This is
so wrong*. His orgasm had been astonishingly intense, and, except for the
small tremors that caused his entire body to momentarily spasm now and
again, he was unable to move. *Oh, God, this is so very wrong*. He just
needed a few moments to collect himself and put all the bits and pieces
back where they belonged, then he would get his things and go.
Steve felt a sickness in his stomach and a tightness in his chest. *This is so horribly, unspeakably wrong*. He never should have allowed this to happen. Cheryl was his partner, his *friend*, and he had used her. He was just beginning to catch his breath when she sighed and wrapped her arms around him, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. Ashamed, he buried his face in the graceful curve of her neck and began to cry.
*This feels right*. Cheryl felt warm, and safer than ever before, as Steve's big body collapsed on top of her. *This feels so right*. His bulk protected her, and shielded her from the world. He was panting and occasionally trembling as small spasms continued to course through him. *Lord, but this feels so very right*. She thrilled with the knowledge that she had made him fly to pieces, and she wished that he could stay forever.
A surge of joy welled up inside her. *This feels so wonderfully, unspeakably right*. Cheryl was elated that this had happened. Steve was her friend, her *partner*, and she was thankful that she could be here for him tonight. He was beginning to catch his breath, when she kissed his temple and wrapped her arms lightly around him to keep him from rolling off her too soon. He cuddled close and nuzzled the curve of her neck. She sighed. It felt so good to hold him in her arms.
As her wits slowly regrouped, Cheryl realized with concern that while the sound of Steve's breathing had changed, it hadn't calmed. He was taking air in short little hiccupping gasps.
"Steve?"
When she said his name, he looked up, and the shame and panic she saw in his eyes broke her heart. What had she done to hurt him? He tried to pull away, but Cheryl hugged him close and, with some grunting and squirming, managed to roll them both over until they were lying on their sides, facing one another in her bed. Steve tried again to move away from her, but she pressed her body to his and tightened her embrace. What ever was wrong, she was not going to let him run from it. She was going to hold him tight and make him stay there and talk to her until they could put everything back to rights.
"Talk to me, baby," she encouraged him. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Don't call me that," he hissed.
Hurt, she drew back a bit.
"Steve?"
When Cheryl said his name, he looked up, and loving concern he saw in her eyes tore him apart. He tried to pull away, before she could see just how ashamed and frightened he was, but she hugged him close and rolled them both over onto their sides, facing one another. Steve tried again to move away from her, but she pressed her body to his and tightened her embrace.
"Talk to me, baby," she encouraged him. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Don't call me that," he hissed.
She pulled back a bit then, and the hurt he saw in her eyes broke his heart.
"Oh, God, Cheryl," he forced his response out between sobs. "I am so…sorry." He bowed his head, trying to hide his disgrace, and rested his forehead against her chest. She wrapped her arms around his head and held him close, stroking his hair and cooing to him, soothing him.
"Shh, Steve, it's ok. It's all right. Tell me what's got you so upset."
He continued to sob, on the edge of hysteria, and told her, "I shouldn't have done this, but I wanted it so bad. I *needed* *you* so bad…I couldn't help it. I…used you, and I'm so, so sorry."
She held him and rocked him, and let him cry it out. As comforting as her presence was, as good as it felt, every time her remembered it was *Cheryl* holding him, it broke his heart all over again. He only stopped crying when he was too exhausted to continue.
"I…used you, and I'm so, so sorry."
Cheryl wanted to tell him it was all right, that he could stop feeling guilty, that he didn't need to be ashamed. She had been a willing participant in their love making, and she was a big girl. She knew whatever it was between them, it was just for now, just for tonight. But Steve was so overwrought, she knew he would never hear her, so she held him and rocked him, and let him cry it out. Several times, he seemed to calm almost completely, but then, for some reason, he would begin to sob again. Finally, he was too exhausted to continue, and she knew she could talk to him.
She slipped a finger under his chin and tipped his chin up, forcing him to look at her. He tried to avoid her gaze, but she put a stop to that quickly.
"Look at me," she ordered.
He met her gaze reluctantly.
"Listen to me, Steve," she said softly. "You haven't done anything I didn't want you to, and you haven't taken anything I didn't want to give. I am not some teenybopper freshman cheerleader in love with the quarterback. I am a grown woman, and I know what I want. I wanted this. I *needed* this as much as you did."
"But, Cheryl…"
She hushed him with a kiss.
"I love you, partner, and when you hurt, I hurt. I needed to make you stop hurting."
"But tomorrow…"
She stopped his words with another kiss.
"Let tomorrow take care of itself. I know this could all be just a rebound thing, but, just for now, just for tonight, we can love each other, ok?"
For a moment, she saw his lower lip tremble, and she was afraid he was about to cry again. Then he set his jaw firmly, and nodded.
"Just for now, Cheryl, just for tonight."
This time their lovemaking was slow and gentle.
Steve felt a sickness in his stomach and a tightness in his chest. *This is so horribly, unspeakably wrong*. He never should have allowed this to happen. Cheryl was his partner, his *friend*, and he had used her. He was just beginning to catch his breath when she sighed and wrapped her arms around him, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. Ashamed, he buried his face in the graceful curve of her neck and began to cry.
*This feels right*. Cheryl felt warm, and safer than ever before, as Steve's big body collapsed on top of her. *This feels so right*. His bulk protected her, and shielded her from the world. He was panting and occasionally trembling as small spasms continued to course through him. *Lord, but this feels so very right*. She thrilled with the knowledge that she had made him fly to pieces, and she wished that he could stay forever.
A surge of joy welled up inside her. *This feels so wonderfully, unspeakably right*. Cheryl was elated that this had happened. Steve was her friend, her *partner*, and she was thankful that she could be here for him tonight. He was beginning to catch his breath, when she kissed his temple and wrapped her arms lightly around him to keep him from rolling off her too soon. He cuddled close and nuzzled the curve of her neck. She sighed. It felt so good to hold him in her arms.
As her wits slowly regrouped, Cheryl realized with concern that while the sound of Steve's breathing had changed, it hadn't calmed. He was taking air in short little hiccupping gasps.
"Steve?"
When she said his name, he looked up, and the shame and panic she saw in his eyes broke her heart. What had she done to hurt him? He tried to pull away, but Cheryl hugged him close and, with some grunting and squirming, managed to roll them both over until they were lying on their sides, facing one another in her bed. Steve tried again to move away from her, but she pressed her body to his and tightened her embrace. What ever was wrong, she was not going to let him run from it. She was going to hold him tight and make him stay there and talk to her until they could put everything back to rights.
"Talk to me, baby," she encouraged him. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Don't call me that," he hissed.
Hurt, she drew back a bit.
"Steve?"
When Cheryl said his name, he looked up, and loving concern he saw in her eyes tore him apart. He tried to pull away, before she could see just how ashamed and frightened he was, but she hugged him close and rolled them both over onto their sides, facing one another. Steve tried again to move away from her, but she pressed her body to his and tightened her embrace.
"Talk to me, baby," she encouraged him. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Don't call me that," he hissed.
She pulled back a bit then, and the hurt he saw in her eyes broke his heart.
"Oh, God, Cheryl," he forced his response out between sobs. "I am so…sorry." He bowed his head, trying to hide his disgrace, and rested his forehead against her chest. She wrapped her arms around his head and held him close, stroking his hair and cooing to him, soothing him.
"Shh, Steve, it's ok. It's all right. Tell me what's got you so upset."
He continued to sob, on the edge of hysteria, and told her, "I shouldn't have done this, but I wanted it so bad. I *needed* *you* so bad…I couldn't help it. I…used you, and I'm so, so sorry."
She held him and rocked him, and let him cry it out. As comforting as her presence was, as good as it felt, every time her remembered it was *Cheryl* holding him, it broke his heart all over again. He only stopped crying when he was too exhausted to continue.
"I…used you, and I'm so, so sorry."
Cheryl wanted to tell him it was all right, that he could stop feeling guilty, that he didn't need to be ashamed. She had been a willing participant in their love making, and she was a big girl. She knew whatever it was between them, it was just for now, just for tonight. But Steve was so overwrought, she knew he would never hear her, so she held him and rocked him, and let him cry it out. Several times, he seemed to calm almost completely, but then, for some reason, he would begin to sob again. Finally, he was too exhausted to continue, and she knew she could talk to him.
She slipped a finger under his chin and tipped his chin up, forcing him to look at her. He tried to avoid her gaze, but she put a stop to that quickly.
"Look at me," she ordered.
He met her gaze reluctantly.
"Listen to me, Steve," she said softly. "You haven't done anything I didn't want you to, and you haven't taken anything I didn't want to give. I am not some teenybopper freshman cheerleader in love with the quarterback. I am a grown woman, and I know what I want. I wanted this. I *needed* this as much as you did."
"But, Cheryl…"
She hushed him with a kiss.
"I love you, partner, and when you hurt, I hurt. I needed to make you stop hurting."
"But tomorrow…"
She stopped his words with another kiss.
"Let tomorrow take care of itself. I know this could all be just a rebound thing, but, just for now, just for tonight, we can love each other, ok?"
For a moment, she saw his lower lip tremble, and she was afraid he was about to cry again. Then he set his jaw firmly, and nodded.
"Just for now, Cheryl, just for tonight."
This time their lovemaking was slow and gentle.
