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Five more chapters and an epilogue left...
SAM
The party was winding down, but I made the rounds as fast as possible, only stopping to chat briefly or say goodnight to those who were leaving.
My wife was waiting upstairs in our bedroom... And I couldn't wait to get to her.
When I spotted Alice chatting animatedly with Carlos' family, I approached, smiled and nodded at them, then asked if I could borrow her for a few seconds.
The moment she stepped aside, I said,
"Sorry, Alice, but I'm retiring for the night. Will you please encourage the guests to stay and enjoy the music and the food? If they ask after us, give them mine and Mercedes' apologies. Or just make excuses for us."
"Excuses? Are you sure? There's still..."
"Yes, Alice, very sure."
Then I winked at her and strode away before she could say anything else.
I made it past a few guests who were deeply engaged in conversation and turned the corner to the stairs.
Eagerly, I took them two at a time. But it might've even been three...
When I opened the door to my bedroom, Mercedes was sitting at the small writing desk combing her hair...in nothing but a towel.
At the sound of the door locking, she turned and smiled softly at me...
I noticed the makeup she'd worn earlier had been washed from her face, and her hair hung soft and long down her back.
She looked beautifully innocent and just a tad shy.
However, she stood and stepped around the chair she'd been sitting on, facing me as I approached her.
"Hi, little witch," I murmured, stepping right up to her.
"Hi, dragon," she breathed, reaching up to undo the bow tie knotted at my neck.
Though she seemed anxious to undress me, I noticed the shaking in her hands, and when I reached up to help her, she laughed self-consciously.
"I feel like a new bride."
She delivered the words with a hint of humor, but her eyes were wide and vulnerable.
"You are. That's what you are."
My bride...
Suddenly, I felt on strange ground, too. And the air in the room seemed to close around us, so only she and I existed within it.
My hands dropped to my sides and I let her finish with my bow tie, finally tossing it aside to unbutton the top two buttons of my shirt.
Next, she leaned in and kissed the bare skin of my throat and my breath hitched at the feel of her soft, warm lips.
Her tongue darted out to taste me and then she kissed the spot again, leaning back to undo the rest of my buttons.
And I watched her... Her eyes fixed on what she was doing with her hands.
'This woman is mine. No one else will ever have her,' I thought.
My gaze drank in the dark shadow her lashes made on her cheeks, the way her lips were slightly parted...the bottom one fuller than the top...her now exposed freckles and the exact spot on her cheek where I knew that almost dimple would appear if she smiled.
"You are so beautiful," I said reverently.
Her eyes met mine, large and full of wonder and as beautiful as some misty, mythical land.
My beautiful little witch... There was magic within her and I wanted to bathe in its light.
I would never again look at that maze and not think about her walking towards me in the moonlight with a look of love on her face as she reached out her hand.
Mercedes brought my jacket down my shoulders and let it fall to the floor, and then did the same with my now-unbuttoned shirt, her hands trailing down my bare biceps.
"You are so beautiful," she echoed.
I started to smile, but it faded the moment her eyes met and held mine captive, then she loosened the towel wrapped around her and let it fall to the floor.
I sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her naked beauty, so lush and sweetly curved. How did I get this lucky?
Maybe I finally did something right...
However, I took her face in my hands and leaned in to kiss her, a deep moan coming up my throat.
I felt weak with wanting, even as my cock surged fully to life within the tight confines of my pants.
Pants I needed to get out of...
So I kicked off my shoes even as I sucked at her bottom lip and brought my hands down to undo my belt, tossing it aside.
We continued kissing as I unbuttoned my pants and let them, along with my boxers, fall to the floor, kicking them both off and bending momentarily to remove my socks.
When I too, stood naked before her, her eyes roamed down my body, stopping on my swollen erection. Then they shot to mine, her face flushing a dark red.
"Can I touch you?" she asked.
"Yes, God yes!" I choked. "I'm yours. Please touch me."
It seems as though I had waited decades to feel her hands on me. Centuries... Eons...
Mercedes reached down and took my testicles delicately in her palm, testing their weight. I groaned and forced myself to remain still while she explored.
But my breath came out in a ragged exhale when she gripped my length, sliding her hand from base to tip, where she used her thumb to swirl around the head.
God, it felt good...
"Mercedes," I groaned, placing my hand over hers and drawing it away. I wanted this to last.
Her lips parted as she gazed at our linked hands, and I watched her throat move as she swallowed.
Then I brought my thumb to it, wanting to feel every reaction her body had to me.
I gently moved my thumb up and down her neck for only a moment before I cupped the back of her head and leaned in again to taste her mouth.
I shuddered at the feel of her silky smooth skin against my own, relishing the feel of her softness melding against my hardness.
Giving... Yielding...
After a while, I leaned back to look into her face, desperately needing to see what was in her expression.
Did this mean as much to her as it did to me?
Was this new for her?
Was it different?
I didn't know the words to ask or how to pose the questions, so I looked for the answers in her eyes.
And I became caught in the spell of her gaze before her lashes lowered and she took my hand to lead me to the bed.
When she sat down on it and lay back, I moved over her, keeping my weight on one knee as my other parted her thighs.
Then I pressed against the spot where the warmest of her heat emanated and she moaned softly.
"Here we are," I murmured, repeating the words she'd said to me at the maze.
'Finally... Finally...'
As the word echoed in my head, it felt bigger than just the wait I'd endured to make her mine...
It felt as if it had summed up something I had waited to feel for so very long.
All my life.
Finally you're here.
She blinked, her eyes unfocused before her lips tipped up.
"Yes," she said. "Here we are."
Rolling my hips against hers, we both moaned, her head tipping back into the mattress.
Her hands came up to my head and she raked her fingernails over my scalp causing me to moan in pleasure.
In the past, I'd always had a set order of things I did in bed...not that I ever would've told anyone. But I knew what brought women pleasure, what brought me pleasure and what resulted in a mutually fulfilling experience.
But with Mercedes, it all went out the window.
I tried to remember what I should do first and where I should move on from there, but it all fled my mind, so all I had to draw upon was instinct.
But I could only focus on the heaviness of my own arousal and the heat of her soft flesh as she moved under me.
I felt unsure and unskilled as if she was the first woman I'd ever touched.
'I've done this before,' I reassured myself, but the words felt false. I wasn't sure of anything anymore...
Bringing my mouth to my wife's, I angled my head so my tongue could fully penetrate her mouth.
She made a deep sound of approval, her tongue meeting my own to twist and tangle, even as her pelvis thrust upward onto my throbbing cock and her soft breasts press against my chest.
I grunted at the delicious impact and broke from her mouth, trailing my lips down her throat and licking at her hardened nipples...first one and then the other.
I rubbed and bit softly and then soothed with my tongue until she went wild beneath me, gasping and pressing her body into mine.
"Mercedes," I moaned. I wanted to worship her. Every secret spot, every sensitive valley and each tender curve.
Flipping her over as she mewled softly, I kissed down her spine, inhaling the feminine scent of her skin, breathing her in.
I licked the tiny dimples above her buttocks, feathered my lips over her ass cheeks and down to the backs of her knees and up again.
I lost all control and surrendered completely to the dictates of my body.
I love the sounds she made... They had me wild with want and desperate with love for her.
"Mercedes," I whispered again to the sweet sexy little witch beneath me.
Flipping her over once more, I moved my hands over her body, stroking, shaping and molding as she arched up, offering herself to me.
So I leaned down and kissed the inside of one thigh even as her hands again raked through my hair.
"Please," she gasped as I brought my tongue to her swollen clit and licked around it. Then my body grew even hotter and harder at her sounds of pleasure.
So much so, I knew I wouldn't be able to take much any longer... I was going to orgasm without even being inside her.
And I desperately wanted to cover her body with my own, to sink deep inside her and pump and thrust into her hot, slippery softness.
Settling my weight on top, I rolled my pelvis over hers, my cock aching with need.
And she gripped my shoulders, a look of pure desperation on her face.
"Please," she said again, her voice raw.
"Yes," was all I could manage, my mouth returning to hers, our kiss wild as her hands stroked my arms, my back, my chest...and everywhere.
'Yes, yes, yes!' I thought, somewhere in the recesses of my muddled brain.
This was new... I couldn't even figure it out.
If this is lovemaking, then I've never done it before.
If this is lust, then I've only experienced the lukewarm version of it.
This... this was like dancing with lightning... This was making love with a woman I loved.
I pulled back only momentarily to look into my wife's eyes as I entered her.
And she blinked up at me, her expression a delightful mixture of lust, perplexity and impatience.
"Mercedes," I murmured again, pushing myself inside her. It seemed my entire vocabulary had been reduced to that one word.
Her body was warm and wet and soft, and so tight I could barely fit myself inside.
I gasped out a groan, shaking for control, as I pushed just a little bit farther inside. And she lifted towards me as if I was going too slowly for her.
But despite my desperate need, a smile tugged at my lips...
My God, she's enchanting...
My God, she's mine.
I entered Mercedes a fraction more and she let out a small whimper, wrapping her legs around my hips.
Still, I pressed deeper, finally sinking all the way inside her on one final thrust.
Her eyes fluttered closed, her lips parting as she let out a small sigh.
Then her gaze met mine again as I started moving, and the intimacy of staring into her eyes while I was joined with her became almost too much to bear.
Almost...
I found my rhythm pretty quickly and God, what a feeling! It was incredible!
Then Mercedes' breath started coming faster and faster, her hips meeting mine thrust for thrust, and I struggled to hold back the pleasure that swirled through my abdomen, drawing my balls up tight and prickling my skin.
God, it felt so good it almost hurt...
I vaguely heard myself whisper words to her that were not words, but merely emotions put into sound. They were disjointed, raw and they came from the very deepest part of my heart.
Her hands skated down my back, exploring until they came to my ass, and she gripped it as I moved inside her.
"Faster!" she moaned, and I felt the hairs prickle on my nape at the excitement of that single command.
However, I obliged. I picked up the pace, thrusting into her harder, faster and deeper, my breath coming out in sharp exhales.
I had no idea where I ended and she began. But I brought my mouth to hers for one more kiss...
And that did it.
She let out a small gasp and I felt her muscles begin to contract, so I leaned back slightly to bear witness to her surrender.
I watched with wonder, as my wife came undone. This woman who had resisted me so stridently and challenged me at every turn...
This woman who fascinated me, tested me, pushed me to my limits and kept me guessing.
She was everything to me...
She was my dreams, my weakness and the person who made me want to be strong.
She was the one woman who showed me I mattered... that I was wanted. And that I was enough.
"Mercedes," I groaned one final time, my hips pummeling. Then I exploded into a shattering climax, stars bursting before my eyes as the pleasure peaked.
Immediately after, I sagged limply onto her, my head resting in the crook of her neck as we both struggled for our breathing to return to normal.
Her hands still ran up and down my back, but I needed her touch... I was shaken from what we'd just done.
After a few minutes, I rolled off her and gathered her in my arms, staring blindly up at the ceiling fan above, reeling from having experienced something that made a sad mockery of every sexual encounter I'd ever had before.
And I felt strangely vulnerable, as if she held all the power. And I wasn't sure what to do with these new feelings.
I've always felt like the one in control where sex is concerned. And now...
"How do you feel?" she whispered.
"Like your husband," I said instantly, a smile pulling at my lips. "How do you feel?"
She tilted her head up to look at me, the expression on her face happy and satisfied...
"Like your wife," she whispered.
And I smiled again and pulled her closer.
Mercedes circled one fingertip around my nipple and I shivered, drawing her closer. Then she tipped her head back and looked up at me...
"Is it always like that?" she asked, a teasing note in her voice.
"No," I answered immediately. I gazed down at her, letting her see the sincerity in my eyes. "I've never experienced anything as wonderful as that. And I've never experienced anything as wonderful as you."
Relief and happiness flashed in her expression and she smiled gently.
"Will it always be like that with us?"
I studied her vulnerable expression...
'Yes,' I thought. And I knew it. It would always be like that for us, because she was part of it...her joy, her passion and her beautiful spirit.
But I thought I knew what she was really asking...
She had once been shamed for something that came naturally to her.
An uncomfortable feeling of jealousy threatened and I was unwilling to bring her ex into the room, so I thought it better to make light of her question for now.
Instead, I smiled, kissed her forehead and said,
"We'll have to find out, won't we?"
At that, I turned suddenly and hovered over her, kissing her once, hard on her mouth as I brought her arms up and pinned them above her head.
She laughed and then writhed beneath me, the moment turning light and flirtatious.
So I kissed her again and then let her go.
"We didn't use a condom," I said, my eyes moving over her features to gauge her reaction. I'd only realized afterwards, that for the first time ever, I hadn't even thought about it.
Somehow though, I wasn't very concerned.
I was worried she might be, although she hadn't mentioned it either.
She hesitated, obviously just considering it now for the first time, too...
"One time is probably okay. I'll get on birth control so we don't have to think about it."
"Okay," I said, nodding and wondering at my lack of worry.
We'd be safe from now on, but we were married. And we had a home.
I didn't think I was ready for kids...actually, I have never even thought about it. But it wouldn't be a tragedy either. It's just, I wanted my new wife to myself for a while. But if it did happen, we'd figure it out.
"Need some water?" I asked, rubbing my nose along hers and then kissing the corner of her mouth.
"Yes, please," she said.
I stood and Mercedes sat up, moving back against the pillows at the headboard. And I took a moment to drink her in...
Her dark hair was splayed out all around her, her brown eyes were lazy and half closed...the expression on her face one of pure satisfaction, and her naked beauty was fully on display...that beautiful body I'd just been inside of.
Before I forgot the water and return to bed to enjoy her again, I turned and headed for the bathroom.
And when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I was surprised to see the smile I hadn't even realized I was wearing.
"Will you tell me about it?" Mercedes asked softly, leaning up and kissing my neck. We'd just made love for the second time and was lying against the pillows, her head resting on my chest.
I paused, confused for a second about what she might be talking about...
"You mean going to prison?"
She nodded, her lips still on my skin and the scent of her hair drifting up to me, making me feel peaceful and content.
I sighed...
I wanted her to know everything about me...
I wanted to share things with her I had never shared with anyone, but forcing the words out was difficult and not something I had any practice with.
I smoothed my hand down her silken hair, grasping a handful of it...
"I had just gotten back from New York where I had gone to see my mother..."
"You went to see your mother?" she asked, surprised.
I nodded.
"The trip virtually ended before it had even begun. I've tried to put it out of my mind. But back then, I... Well...I had graduated college and I thought if she saw me...saw the man I'd become, that she'd, I don't know, fall to her knees and beg me for forgiveness. I envisioned just that very thing as stupid as that sounds."
I made a small scoffing sound...
"Anyway, I flew to New York and looked her up. I went to her door with no invitation." I was silent for a moment remembering the hope I'd carried so close to the surface as I'd stood in front of my mother's apartment. "She was married and had a family...two young sons."
"She must've been glad you came to see her," Mercedes said softly.
I made a sound that would've been a laugh if there was any amusement in it. Sadly, there wasn't...
"No. She was so bitter. She told me I had ruined her life, that she had been on the verge of a huge career when I put an end to that. She said she was glad she didn't have to look at me every day and be reminded of all she could've had. Then she asked me to leave. The worst part, though, was the way she looked at her two other boys while I was there. And I realized that it wasn't that she was incapable of love...it was just she was incapable of loving me."
I delivered the words as casually as I could, but I felt the slight flush on my own cheekbones.
The memory of that moment still burned like a red-hot brand.
"Sam," Mercedes said, a whole world of compassion in her eyes as she reached up and stroked my cheek. I leaned in to it...
"I flew into San Francisco and decided to go to a bar afterwards. I needed a drink, or ten."
"You were hurting," she said.
"I...yes. God, if I had just gotten on the road and come home," I admitted.
My voice cracked on the final word, regret filling me. And Mercedes wrapped her arms around my body and hugged me to her.
"I had been at the bar for about an hour when I ran into Brad Pearson, a rich kid I'd known through acquaintances, and had gone to some parties with over the years. His family lives in a town about half an hour from here. But he was in San Francisco for his bachelor party...there was a whole group of them there. Anyway, I hung with them for a while, even though Brad and I had never gotten along. He was a real douche...the type of person who looks perfect and upstanding to the outside world, but behind the scenes, is creepy and self-serving."
Mercedes nodded.
"I'm somewhat acquainted with the type," she said wryly.
I kissed her forehead gently, knowing she was thinking about Chris, or perhaps her father, or perhaps both.
"Yeah, so, we were walking outside to the parking lot and he said he had roofied some girl, and that he and the other guys were going to take her back to their hotel and have some fun."
Mercedes looked up at me and her eyes widened in what looked like surprised revulsion.
"He asked if I wanted in on the action and pointed over to a car where a girl was slumped in the backseat. I kind of went a little crazy." I paused... "I was looking for a fight, Mercedes. And I welcomed a reason to fight with him."
"It was a good reason, Sam," she whispered.
I let out a loud whoosh of air...
"Maybe. I got right in his face, but he was the one who pushed me first. And it was all I needed. I didn't show him any mercy. He got a few good hits in, but most of the punches were mine. And I enjoyed it. Then he fell..."
I paused, closing my eyes as I pictured that awful moment.
"The way he landed... I knew right away he was dead. People started scattering, cars drove off, the police came..."
Mercedes looked up at me, her eyes so compassionate and understanding I wanted to fall into them, believing I might find redemption there.
"You didn't mean to kill him," she said.
"No. God, no, I never meant for that to happen. I just wanted to hurt him...to teach him a lesson. But I acted as his judge, jury and as it turned out, his executioner that night."
Mercedes brought her hand up and ran her thumb over my cheek. How could she look at me with so much love in her eyes after what I'd shared with her?
And yet, she did.
"Did they ever find the girl?"
I pressed my lips together...
"Yeah, they found her, but too late to do any drug testing. And my defense couldn't use her at the trial." I took a deep breath... "My defense. What a joke! My father wouldn't pay for a lawyer...he left me to hang," I said, unable to keep the hurt and bitterness from my voice. "I had to hire a public defender. The guy was totally incompetent and even if he hadn't been, his caseload was so big he wouldn't have been able to do much for me anyway. Still, though, he was sure I'd only get minimal time for what happened...six months at most, community service at best. And so, when the judge came back with five years, I was... I was floored. It felt like my life was over."
I felt Mercedes' body tense but she remained still. So I let out a deep breath...
"I waited for my father to visit me...even just once...but he didn't. And then Stevie came to see me to tell me he'd married Olivia..."
The hurt of that moment still affected me, even if the outcome didn't anymore. I'd been devastated by everything that had happened... And then I'd cut Stevie off too, taking him off my visitor list.
He'd tried. All those years, he'd never stopped writing, trying to visit me, nor had Olivia.
Mercedes lifted her head to look up at me...
"It must've been terrible for you. You must've felt so abandoned, so cheated."
I nodded, knowing how deeply she understood.
"I wouldn't have survived if it hadn't been for Harlan. And you, little witch, had everything to do with that."
Her brows furrowed...
"How?" she asked.
So I told her about what Harlan had shared with me.
She leaned her chin on my chest, a small, serene smile on her lips.
"Maybe in some way I was there with you then," she whispered. "Does that sound crazy?"
I chuckled.
"No, it makes perfect sense to me."
I looked down at her, my heart thumping in my chest. Her sweet, soft body pressed against mine and amazingly, desire filled my body again.
But the aching wasn't only between my legs... The aching was in my heart. And I wanted her in every way a man might want a woman.
I love you... I will always love you, I wanted to profess, but the words stuck in my throat, fear rising to choke down any sound. Instead, I leaned down and kissed her, surrendering, but not completely...
I wasn't brave enough. Not just yet.
Thanks to all for your kind words and fantastic nicknames!
Stay safe!