Mia woke up either very late or very early. The sky was still dark and the birds hadn't yet started chirping. She was alone. She could feel Bill's presence was gone.
She ambled down the dark hall to her bedroom and crawled into her bed. She felt troubled, uneasy. Thoughts of her earlier behavior plagued her mind and wouldn't go away. She had just taken it upon herself to clamber on top of him. She had given into her own want and her own need, with no regard to anything else. It was embarrassing and humiliating. Bill said he wanted to take it slow, and that was okay...she wanted that, too. She had just momentarily lost herself a little. It was a long time since she did anything physical with someone, and she liked Bill, a lot.
He had stayed with her for a while. He did leave, but he did stay first. That had to be good, right? She hoped to get his usual good morning text tomorrow…
Eventually she fell back asleep, though her worried thoughts still continued to swirl in her mind.
Bill was riddled with guilt. So much that he felt sick to his stomach.
He wanted to take things slow. He wanted to build up their relationship more, to something more congruent, something that was stable, something that was strong enough to make it through hooking up. He tried explaining that to her last night, but it got muddled up when he tried, because he's stupid and can't do anything right. And to make matters worse, he just left her there, asleep and alone. Should he have stayed? Should he have woken her up first? He wasn't sure what the right response was, but he probably chose the wrong one, like usual.
He was about to text her, like he did every morning. However, his phone rang before he could, which made his stomach flip with excitement, expecting it to be Mia. He was very surprised to see it was his estranged cousin, Gilbert.
Gilbert was his last remaining relative. Bill was an only child. The rest of his cousins and aunts and uncles, even his parents, all had passed away. Bill and Gilbert didn't have much in common, as they had very different upbringings, and Gilbert didn't make it easy to get along with him. But Bill liked him anyway, maybe because he was family, maybe because Gilbert still made the effort to interact with him. The last time they spoke, however, they had a rough falling out and hadn't spoken since. Bill was going to meet with investors to start selling the Dauterive family's barbecue sauce. It was a surefire hit, and he was proud when he made it, proud to continue on something of his family's legacy...but Gilbert stopped him. Shouted at him, actually, in front of everybody. He insisted the recipe die with the family and said Bill was awful for wanting to commercialize it. Bill didn't want to go against his last living relative, so he agreed to let it lie. Gilbert left, sweeping away with his lilting Southern accent, with his crisp velvet suit, leaving Bill alone again, his passion extinguished.
"Hello?" Bill said into the phone.
"My dear cousin," drawled Gilbert on the other line, "It is so lovely to hear your voice."
"Hi, Gilbert. How are you?"
"I am doing well as one can be in my present situation."
"Um...what situation is that?"
"I have been finding myself staring at the sight of the universe, all too aware of my past misdeeds. I mingle with my peers or no one, and since I have no peers, I mingle with no one."
Gilbert always had an interesting manner of speaking. Bill sometimes had a difficult time parsing what he said. "Um…"
"Guillaume, I have called you wishing to apologize for our last encounter. I would much prefer to do so in person. Now, I am staying somewhere near Austin. Would you care to meet somewhere? Perhaps we may catch up with one another?"
Bill was caught off-guard. He wouldn't have figured his cousin to apologize for much of anything. "That sounds nice, Gilbert. I'd like that."
They discussed the time and place, and Gilbert hung up with an "au revoir." Bill sat back, reflecting. It would be nice to be on good terms with Gilbert again. He was his last relative, after all.
Bill got ready and went out to the alley, where his friends were already gathering. Sure, it was a Sunday morning, but that's all the more reason to start cracking open beers.
"Hey Bill," Hank greeted, "How was your birthday yesterday?"
"It was very nice. Mia and I cooked together and spent time together. She baked me a cake and made me a present, too." He smiled as he thought of it. She really did make his day special.
"Did she give you any birthday sex?" asked Dale, cutting into Bill's pleasant memories.
Bill sighed gruffly. "That's none of your business."
"So she didn't, then."
Bill ignored him. Dale smirked.
"When do we get to meet her?" Hank asked.
"I don't know," Bill responded. The mess that was last night was still on his mind. Would she even want to see him anymore? He tried not to think about that possibility. He tried not to imagine what it would be like to have her vanish from his life and have to go back to his loneliness once more.
"We should have a barbecue. I'll fire up the grill and we can invite everybody, and you can bring your new girlfriend!" Hank was excited for any opportunity to show off his barbecuing prowess.
"Oh, that's a great idea. I will tell her."
They all continued to drink and discuss benign pleasantries, like the weather and sports.
"I'm going to see my cousin today," Bill told them, after the topic of football had subsided.
"Gilbert?" Hank made a subtle face. He didn't have a high opinion of Bill's cousin.
"Yep. Called me this morning. He wants to apologize. In person."
"Is he not still in New Orleans?"
"No, he said he's in Austin right now."
"Huh. Well, it's nice he wants to apologize."
"Yeah...it would be nice to be back on good terms with him again."
And with Mia, too…
He sighed and drained the last of his beer. It was time to go see Gilbert.
Raul led the way through the hiking trail, talking and singing boisterously while Jackie and Mia followed him. He was always the life of the party in any situation, a jaunt through the woods being no exception. He stood tall at well over six feet and rippled with muscles. One arm was colorfully inked with a sleeve tattoo. On the back of his neck was the tattoo of a crown.
He stopped, checking the painted marks on the trees that signified where to turn next. "This way!" he called into the trees, and set off down the path.
"Can you long legged people take pity on me back here?" huffed Mia as she scurried behind them.
Raul dashed ahead even faster, and then Jackie followed suit, their peals of laughter sailing in their wake.
"Brats," Mia mumbled, though she smiled in amusement.
She hadn't hiked in quite some time. Much like everything else, it fell by the wayside when her self-pity took precedence. She hadn't seen Raul in a few months, either. He would often invite her out to different events, but she always made up an excuse as to why she couldn't go. She couldn't stand to socialize with people other than Jackie for those months after the break up. But things were different now; he was happy again, she enjoyed doing things again, she found joy in the things she used to do once more. The suggestion of a hike with Jackie and Raul had actually sounded fun, when before it would have sounded exhausting.
"Finally," Raul chuckled when she made it to where they stopped ahead.
"Let me piggy-back, then."
"Hop on," he joked. His grin was broad, a gleaming white smile, with dimples imprinting in each cheek.
"I think we're halfway there!" Jackie said after observing the next set of marked trees.
They plodded over the dirt path, stepping over rocks and the occasional fallen branch. The scenery was beautiful; as far as they could see were densely grown tall trees, rolling valleys and hills, and sprawling greenery.
"I'm so glad you came, Mia!" Raul expressed, still leading the way. "I never thought I'd see you again!"
"I just thought she'd be too busy with her new boyfriend," Jackie smirked.
Raul looked back at Mia curiously. "What? A new boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend. We've just been seeing each other."
"She talks about him constantly," Jackie said in jest, "It's always 'Bill this' and 'Bill that.' I could write his biography and I've never even met the guy."
Mia snapped, "Well forgive me, I thought you wanted to set me up with him."
"I'm just joking! Sheesh, what is with you today?"
"Sorry," Mia sighed, "I'm just feeling cranky, I guess."
"No being cranky on Raul's Magical Mystery Hike!" called Raul back to them.
The girls both laughed.
"Are you okay, Mia? I was just messing around," Jackie murmured to her sister.
"I don't know. I kind of messed up last night."
"What happened?"
Mia shook her head.
"Let's just get to this waterfall. I've been out of the hiking game too long. I'm starting to get tired."
They cleared another mile, hiking down a slowly lowering slope, which eventually curved down into a valley. A ridge of jagged, mossy rocks carved out around them, and a clear, cool creek crashed into a basin down the side of it, creating a large and gorgeous waterfall. It was things like this that Mia loved most about hiking. She loved discovering new quirks of nature, things one would otherwise never see unless they really went to look.
The girls took off their socks and shoes and sat at the basin's edge to dip their feet into the water. Raul took off his shirt and jumped right in, swimming around and playfully splashing at them. Mia had forgotten how fun it was to spend time in nature and to spend time with her family. Even though she had the mistake of last night looming in the back of her mind, it didn't feel as heavy anymore with the distraction of the waterfall and Raul's goofing off. She was finding her own peace, which was something she hadn't done in a long time.
Raul climbed out of the water and laid on his back next to them. They all talked and laughed for a while, enjoying the clear and sunny weather and the view of the forest together. It was all very satisfying to enjoy after achieving a three mile hike. Just three more miles to get back… Mia knew she was going to be sore tonight.
"Are you still seeing that one guy?" Jackie asked Raul.
He shrugged. "No. I actually stopped calling him and he never tried to call me or anything, so…"
"Wow."
"Yeah. But I think he was hanging with people who were using, anyway, and you know I can't be around that shit."
Raul's older brother, Rafael, had died of a heroin overdose about ten years previously. The two of them were very close. Mia knew the small pair of angel wings tattooed over Raul's heart was meant to honor his brother.
"So, you have a new boyfriend, Mia?" asked Raul.
"I'm seeing a guy, yeah."
"That's great! I hope he's treating you better than the last one."
"He is." Mia smiled, thinking about Bill. The waterfall reminded her of the fountain they sat by together, on the first night they met…
They rested a little longer, taking in as much of the atmosphere as they could, then set back off again to return to the start of the trail. Raul talked and sang into the forest as they walked again, giving Jackie a good cover to talk to Mia.
"So how did you mess up?" Jackie asked her quietly.
Mia was embarrassed to even think about it, let alone tell somebody. "I don't know...I guess I kind of got carried away. I tried to put my hand down his pants and stuff." Her cheeks tinged pink as they blushed furiously.
"So?"
"I don't know. He wanted to take it slow, he said. And he said something like, in the past he would get into sex too quickly and it ruined things."
"Well, that's not a bad thing, right?"
"I mean, no. But I don't know what I was thinking, jumping all over him like that. I just feel stupid and dumb."
Jackie looked at her sympathetically. "Don't feel like that. It's good he was upfront about how he felt."
"Yeah," Mia agreed, "But, last night I fell asleep by accident and he just left. And he usually texts me every morning, but he didn't today. So, I don't know...I'm just feeling off about everything."
"Coincidence!" Raul loudly declared to the girls behind him, his finger pointed high in the air. Both of their heads snapped up in surprise. They hadn't realized he was listening.
"You think so?" Mia asked curiously.
"I do, and I don't even know this dude. But I do know what it's like to be in an awkward romantic situation."
"Is that what this is, then?" Mia hadn't thought of that angle. Her mind went right to the worst case scenarios…
"I'm going to hazard a 'Yes.' I have experienced similar circumstances. Whatever happened last night was awkward and the way it's being handled is awkward, too. Shit happens. If he is as good of a guy as you say, then you'll be back on track by the next time you see him."
"Huh…" Mia stared at the ground as they walked, thinking deeply. Raul did seem to have a point. She was just over thinking. Bill wouldn't ghost her…
"Mia, I'm just so glad you're out doing things again!" Raul cheered. He was still several strides ahead. "I really missed you."
"I missed you, too," Mia grinned, "Let's keep planning other things to do."
"Right now, let's plan on eating. I'm starving."
Bill strolled up to the waterfront restaurant Gilbert suggested they meet at. It was a classy place. The walls were almost entirely made from windows, the foundation was raised on wooden stilts, and it stood right over a large, clear lake.
The hostess led Bill back out to the wrap around deck, which was where he found Gilbert in his signature cream colored suit, sitting at a spindly table. Gilbert was looking out over the water, a tall cocktail in hand, his soft hair feathering in the breeze. His thin face looked almost careworn, a look Bill hadn't seen on him before.
"Gilbert!" Bill greeted his cousin.
"Guillaume!" Gilbert stood and air-kissed each side of Bill's face.
Bill sat down with him eagerly, delighted to see his last relative again.
"I am so glad you could make it, especially on such short notice," Gilbert drawled.
"Of course, I'd never miss a chance to see you."
Gilbert looked pleased. "Oh, cousin. You always know just how to polish this apple."
The server returned to their table with a beer for Bill and a mojito refill for Gilbert.
"What brings you to Austin?" asked Bill, after a refreshing sip of Alamo.
"Many a thing. To begin, I must mention I've grown stagnant and listless in New Orleans," Gilbert had pronounced it like 'Norlinz,' "I began to realize that I've lost my way. And then I began to realize I never learned what my way was to begin with. So, I decided to start traveling across the country, meet new people, experience new ways of living. Austin has always been a good city to me, and after a couple of months of drifting I decided to return to something I knew I could find comfort in. And on my travels, Guillaume, I've done a lot of thinking. And I've thought a lot about you."
"Oh?"
"Yes. My dear cousin, I know I've treated you poorly. I've been simply horrible to you. And you've only ever given me true kindness and decency in return. I want to apologize for my mistreatment of you. And I most especially want to apologize for our last encounter, in regards to the family recipe."
Gilbert took a drink of his Cuban mojito while Bill curiously waited for him to elaborate.
"I was, to put it in the simplest of words, lonely. My parents and my sister, Violetta, had recently passed. My brothers had long been gone. I may not have had a close familial bond with them, but they were still family, we Dauterives. I sold our family estate, as you know, mostly because I couldn't stand to be alone in that big, empty chateau. Every footstep I crept inside it echoed, magnifying how little my life amounted to. Shortly thereafter, I had received your invitation to come visit you. I was pleased to see you, cousin, my last relative, and I might even say, my only friend…" He paused to sip again, thoughtful. Bill sipped his beer while he waited. He didn't realize he was Gilbert's only friend...
"You may remember I left for Austin after seeing you at our lonely family reunion, and there I tried to get my magazine published. You can most probably surmise that it did not go well. The man I was, ahem, meeting there, also did not meet my aspirations. I was feeling lonely and angry, an overflow of my most vicious emotions, when I returned to Arlen and saw you again. I saw you were happy, you were proud, you were creating something you held passion for, the family barbecue sauce, and you were succeeding so greatly. I was, as ashamed as I am to admit, jealous. I lashed out at you. My pent up frustrations and sorrows cut into you in an attempt to make myself feel better. I don't suppose I cared at all about our family recipe. I had never cooked much in my life, anyway, it meant nothing to me, but it meant so much to you, and I took that away from you, my one last attempt at salvaging my own diminished ego."
Bill looked at Gilbert, absorbing everything he had said. Gilbert was typically one to be passive and even apathetic at times, but in the rare times he lost his temper, he erupted like a volcano. He should have known Gilbert was feeling particularly troubled back then. Bill also felt a little selfish too, as he hadn't thought about what Gilbert must have been feeling when Violetta and his parents passed. Gilbert had informed him of their passing so simply, as if remarking on the weather, Bill didn't even think anything of the weight of the news.
"Guillaume, in no way do I expect your sympathy, nor your acceptance. I merely wanted to explain why I behaved in the manner I did, and to extend my deepest apologies. You are a great man, always kind and understanding, especially to those of us who do not deserve it."
The eyes that Gilbert looked at Bill with were tired and sad. Bill had always remembered Gilbert as being indifferent, callous, as having a tough exterior with no fallibility. It was quite a change to see him so vulnerable and open.
"Of course I forgive you, Gilbert. I want to apologize, too. I'm sorry for not reaching out to you more. And I'm sorry for not asking how you felt after Aunt Esme and Uncle Alphonse died, or Violetta, or Girac or Rene…" That was Gilbert's whole family.
Gilbert shrugged dismissively. "Oh, it's nothing. We weren't a close family. In fact, we all loathed each other. I believe we dealt with it to keep up appearances, as an old plantation family. But the legacy has died out, and I'm alone and miserable because I'm a miserable, selfish bastard. I have no one to call a friend, except for you."
"Of course, Gilbert. My friend, my cousin. I'm glad to see you again."
Gilbert looked relieved. "I thank you, Guillaume. My gratitude for your bestowed kindness is boundless."
They smiled at each other. The mood between them had shifted to something more relaxed and happy.
"So, what are your plans once you leave Austin?" Bill asked.
"I don't foresee myself leaving Austin for a while. I found a lovely cabin north of here, actually, where I've been doing more writing and reworking my magazine. Perhaps it's a lost cause, but it's something. A rolling stone gathers no moss, and oh, have I gotten mossy..."
Bill understood what he meant by that. His main focus nowadays had been work, and occasionally things like helping his friends with their house projects. But, lately, it was Mia. He thought of her with a start, feeling so strange to realize she wasn't at the absolute forefront of his mind like she had been for the past few weeks. He wondered where she was, what she was doing...was she thinking of him?
The two cousins talked together for a long time, catching up and discussing their future plans. It was refreshing, in a way, to converse with someone other than his friends. Especially that someone being his cousin who he was on renewed good terms with. Now that Gilbert was living much closer to Arlen, they arranged to meet up together more often. Gilbert seemed relieved and grateful that Bill forgave him and still wanted to spend time with him. Bill also noticed Gilbert seemed much different that he used to be. Less...pretentious? There was still a lilt in his speech and deliberation in his mannerisms, but he appeared more sincere, the rough edges Bill had known him for now seemed to have smoothed, even if slightly.
After sitting and chatting over the water together for a few hours, Bill made to leave. It was getting late in the day, and Arlen was close to an hour away. He and Gilbert said goodbye, air kissing each other, and promised to meet again soon.
Bill felt light and happy, like another loose end had been tied. He had his cousin back! But the mess that was the end of last night with Mia still clung onto him. It wasn't until he had gotten into his car and started driving that he remembered he never texted Mia this morning, like he always did. Would she have noticed? Would she have cared? He wanted to see her in person, he wanted to apologize and try to explain himself better than he did last night. It would hopefully be easier now after a night's sleep and a clear head. He decided to just go straight to her house. Hopefully she wouldn't find that weird…
Mia had gotten home in the evening. The hike in and out took a lot of the day, including the time they spent playing by the waterfall. Then the three of them went out to eat and chatted for another few hours. She was well within cell signal for quite a while now, and Bill still hadn't texted or called. She knew she very well could initiate it, but...well, was he not saying anything for a reason? Maybe he didn't want to talk to her…
She showered when she got home, to wash off the dirt and sweat of the hike. She pulled a short silk robe around her and left her damp hair to air dry down in it's natural loose curl pattern. The sky was dark now, crickets were chirping, the very last strokes of pink and orange sunset were fading under the horizon. Close to a whole day since she last saw Bill, and last spoke to him.
The knock at the door made her heart skip a beat. Somehow she knew it was him before she answered, yet was still surprised when she opened the door and saw him there. He looked hesitant, as if he was planning to say something but lost it.
"Hi," Mia said, looking up at him.
"Hi," Bill breathed. He could feel himself gaping at her, but he couldn't help it. He was almost taken aback at how beautiful she looked standing there in the doorway, bathed in the moonlight. She was only wearing a small robe, which showed more of her legs than he had ever seen before.
Mia waited for him to say something, but moments passed them by. "Um...come in." She stood aside.
Bill sat down on the couch, the same couch where they were sitting together last night, where he held her and kissed her...among other things. The air felt tense, both of them not knowing what to say, waiting for the other one to start.
"I hope it's okay I came by," he said apprehensively.
"Of course. It's a nice surprise."
"Um, I'm sorry I didn't call or text you today. I got distracted."
"Oh. It's okay."
"I mean," he sighed, frustrated that he couldn't verbalize what he wanted to say properly, "I was about to text you this morning, but then I got a call from my cousin who I haven't seen in a long time. It was really unexpected. Then I drove up to Austin to meet him and spent a while there. I didn't realize I hadn't texted you until after I was already driving home, so I decided to just come straight here."
"It's fine," she said simply, though she smiled. She was relieved to know why exactly she hadn't heard from him all day, and that he wasn't upset with her after all. "That's nice about your cousin. Did the two of you have a good time?"
"Yes, very good. We had a falling out when I last saw him, but today he apologized and now we're on good terms again. We're going to hang out again soon. So I'm pretty happy about that."
"That's great." Mia smiled again. The atmosphere was still stiff. They both hesitated a moment.
"Mia-"
"Bill-"
They both had spoken at the same time and chuckled.
"Bill," Mia rushed in, "I'm sorry about last night. I got carried away, I guess. It's been a long time for me so I'm like, touch-starved. I don't know." She shifted nervously as she looked at her hands in her lap. "I should have been more considerate of you."
"No, no Mia, it's not that. I mean, I wanted to, but I, uh..." He rubbed his forehead in irritation.
"It's okay," Mia started to say, but Bill shook his head. He needed to just get it out.
"Mia...obviously, I'm a lonely person, I've been lonely for a very long time. I don't have any luck with dating. The few women who do give me the time of day I end up messing things up. A lot of the time it's because we had sex so soon and it fizzled out after. I don't know. It's been a lot of things. And I like you so much, Mia, I don't want to risk anything ruining what we have between us. I've never met someone like you before. I've never had a relationship like ours before. I can't ruin it…"
His elbows rested on his knees, his hands covering his eyes and he hunched over in defeat. Mia wasn't saying anything, so he kept talking to fill the silence.
"I don't know why you keep seeing me. I know you're by and far out of my league. I can't even talk to you how I want to. I can't tell you I want to take things slow so I don't mess everything up because I don't want to lose you. But I really liked last night. It was so hard for me to stop. But you're worth too much to me for this to just fade away…"
He was pressing his hands into his eyes now, so full of self hate he wanted to rub it out of himself. His breathing felt sharp, jagged like shards of glass. The air around him crackled like static. Mia put her hand on his back and he almost wanted to collapse as the static in the air melted away. He felt so weak, so exposed, and yet she still was sitting with him and comforting him. He had only ever gotten this vulnerable with Lenore, and it only disgusted her, and she would throw it back in his face.
"None of that is true," Mia said softly, "is that really how you feel?"
"Yes," he hissed, the anger directed toward himself.
"Bill...I think you're incredible. I wonder every day how someone like you has any interest in someone like me. I don't know what I possibly could offer you."
He sat up and looked skeptically into her worried eyes.
"Offer me?" he asked incredulously. "Mia, you've shown me so much kindness and affection just in the first day I've known you, let alone all these weeks. No one has ever been so nice to me. You want to be around me, you want to know more about me, I still can't believe I found someone like you, and you keep wanting to see me. You're fun, you're funny, you're smart, you're beautiful...you're so beyond words."
She smiled shyly, touched by things he said. Bill always made her feel so significant, so extraordinary, it was strange and wonderful to her that he was able to find such remarkable things about her. She didn't know she had much of anything worthwhile at all.
"You're so good to me," she expressed quietly, as she brushed her hand to the side of his face. "These past few weeks together have been like something out of a dream. You make me feel so special, and cherished, and you're so sweet and kind. I really like you, I like being with you… I want to be with you for as long as I can…"
Bill enfolded the hand on his cheek with both of his. The last words she said hung in the air, floating around him, swelling his chest with joy. He replayed it in his mind several times to be sure he heard her correctly, to be sure he understood.
"Mia, do you want to...be my girlfriend? Be exclusive? With me?"
Her face broke into a glowing smile. "Yes, of course!"
He grinned, hardly believing everything that had happened tonight. In the past, many times over, and many embarrassing times at that, he got too attached too quickly, he threw his entire identity into whatever woman he was dating, or even women he wasn't dating but wanted to. After dozens of rejections, of altercations, of crashes and burns, it fatigued him. He finally gave up on trying to find a woman to have a relationship with, instead choosing to just yearn from afar. But with Mia, even before meeting her, going by just her picture alone, he resolved to try and behave differently. To not cling so tightly, to not brandish his obsession. And look where he was now: the most beautiful woman in the entire world was his girlfriend.
"I missed you today," said Mia, scooting closer to him, her knees touching his thigh.
"I missed you, too," Bill replied, and slid his arm around her. His hand slipped around the smooth satin of her robe. "How was your hike?"
"It was so much fun! We went down to a pretty waterfall. I haven't seen my cousin in a while, so it was nice seeing him again. We used to be pretty close, especially growing up."
"It's funny how we each saw our cousins today, cousins we hadn't seen in a while."
"Cousins are awesome," Mia agreed.
"Oh, before I forget...Hank wants to have a barbecue soon, and you're invited. Everyone really wants to meet you."
"Great! I can't wait. That sounds like fun."
It was getting late, and they both had work in the morning. But Bill couldn't possibly bear to leave, at least not yet. And she looked so good, sitting in the moonlight that was spilling in from the window, which gleamed off of her smooth skin, her exposed legs. He kissed her gently, which felt different now, sweeter, more intense. Their kisses deepened, their breath quickened, Mia started gripping the front of his shirt. His hand rested on her hip, so close to the satin belt that tied her robe shut…
She pulled back and looked at him, starry eyed and breathless, just like last night. She paused, wondering what she should do. It was because of what happened last night that made her hesitate now. She promised herself all day she would keep herself in check with him from now on, but oh, how difficult of a task that was under such circumstances.
"What do you want to do?" he breathed, sensing her hesitation. She tugged the front of his shirt lightly towards her, gazing intently into his eyes. She didn't have to tell him twice; he let her continue to pull him on top of her as she eased her slender body flat along the couch. He kissed her again, blazing with desire, and he felt her fingertips sliding under his shirt, pulling it up. He hastily dragged it off of himself, only doing so by the cloud of the passionate moment. He was very self conscious, and wondered if she was going to be turned off by his soft body.
But her hands glided roughly over him, her roving gaze intense as she took the sight of him in. He crashed his lips back onto hers, kissing her for a moment, then he moved his mouth to her neck and made to take off her robe. She gasped when he pulled it open, exposing her breasts and a small pair of black panties. She rolled up to slide her robe off and he cupped her breast, returning his lips to her neck. Her legs were spread on either side of him, her back arched as she sighed from his touches. She dipped her fingers below his waistband, which made his head start spinning, and he fumbled for his belt and swiftly pulled his jeans off.
His mouth moved to her breasts now, licking and sucking gently on her hard nipples. She gasped again with every drift of his tongue. He moved down lower, and lower, grazing her skin with his lips, until he was all the way at her panties. She was whimpering now, buckling her hips to him, begging to be given more. He slid her panties off and cast them to the floor. She looked so good to him, her back arched, her thighs spread, breathing ragged, all for him.
He licked her once and she cried out, digging her heels into his back. She whined as she ground her hips hard into him, and he slid a finger into her which made her cry out again. He slid another finger inside and increased his pace. She was whimpering now, gasping, gripping his arm with one hand and the back of the couch behind her with the other. It was so tempting to him to tear off his boxers, that one thin layer of fabric, and just drive himself deep inside of her right then and there. But he instead continued his movements, the sliding of his fingers and licking the rest, and soon she was digging her fingers into his forearm, her black-polished nails surely leaving marks. With every stroke and touch her moans grew louder and louder, her breathing in shreds. Quickly it arrived, and she cried out his name as the waves of ecstasy crashed over her, rolling through her body, sending her over the edge.
He slowly withdrew himself and laid down beside her, where she was limp and dazed, a light sheen of sweat glittering her body. She kissed him, tasting herself on his tongue, which drove him wild.
Bill didn't recall ever being this hard in his life, and didn't believe it would have been possible to grow any harder until she rolled on top of him and moved down, her body slinky and sliding to the hem of his boxers, where she lifted the waistband gingerly and licked ever so gently underneath. Rapidly he yanked them off, unable to take any more, fully exposing himself to her.
She took her time, gliding her lips and her tongue along his length, and finally sliding her entire mouth down to take him all in. The sight of her was almost enough to send him over the edge. His breathing was irregular, his hand buried in her hair, and it was a difficult task to hold her head gently and not force her down rapidly as he heatedly wanted to do. Her hand wrapped around him, sliding up and down in rhythm with her mouth, pace increasing. Bill was so close now, and it felt so fucking good, her mouth was hot and wet, and she kept giving him the most smoldering looks...
The heat and pleasure that built up in him during this latter part of the night was about to overflow. One last slip down of her mouth was it; he groaned and the waves of euphoria burst out of him. She swallowed it all, and Bill trembled slightly from the sensitivity. He caved into the couch, completely spent, his head still clouded, but felt utterly blissful.
Mia crawled beside him and laid her head next to his. They each looked at each other, satisfied and pleased, now feeling sleepy.
"That was amazing," Mia whispered. Her body was tangled with his, her breasts pressing against him, as they squeezed together for room on the couch.
"You're amazing," he answered. It was amazing to him that he denied himself this, this intimacy with her, like the night after leaving the nightclub when he could have taken her home, but didn't, or last night, when he had her in his lap and made her stop. How could he have possibly given this up? He must have had the obedience of a saint…
"What are you thinking?"
"How good you felt."
"You felt so good," she breathed fervently.
He kissed her head and laid with her for a while, whispering together, holding each other. He had dreamed of doing similar things with her since the first time he met her, but his dreams were nothing near like the real thing, the real moment he was actually living right now.
It was very late in the night.
"I have to work tomorrow," he said, wishing he didn't.
"Me, too."
His body wasn't allowing him to get up and leave her. He continued to lie still, holding her against him, looking into her eyes.
"Do you want to stay?" she asked.
"Yes, if you want me to."
"Yes...always."
