Chapter 13

Arthur gazed at me for a long moment, then lifted his hand and ran his fingers lightly down my arm from shoulder to wrist. I tore my eyes away from his face and watched his hand instead. He paused, before brushing his fingertips over my hip, around my waist, across my stomach and ribs. Goosebumps broke out on my skin and a shiver ran down my spine. Even though he wasn't touching me intimately, watching and feeling him explore so carefully was incredibly arousing. My breathing quickened, and my breasts heaved with each breath. Arthur seemed fascinated by them, his gaze fixed on them as he slowly moved his hand upwards and brushed the back of his fingers along the underside of one. He breathed out rapidly, then sucked in another gulp of air.

"Is this okay?" he whispered.

"It's more than okay. Anything you want to do is more than okay."

He turned his hand around and cupped my breast, rubbed his thumb over the nipple, then pinched it gently. Glancing down, I noticed his obvious erection twitch inside his clothes. I curled my hand into a loose fist to stop myself reaching out to touch him.

"You'll have to tell me or show me what you like. That other time, I only took what I wanted and then ran away."

"I like what you're doing. I love the way you touch me, Arthur."

"What about—?" He slid his hand down from my breast to just below the slight swell of my stomach. "What about down here?"

"You can touch there." I lifted my knee to give him access.

He let out a shaky breath, then breathed in again hard. I watched his fingers slide lower, through my well-trimmed patch of hair and into soft wet flesh. I was the one to release a shaky breath as he brushed over the most sensitive part of me. "Is this—?"

"That's perfect. Right there."

He grinned. "Close your eyes."

I did so, which immediately heightened the sense of touch. Arthur's gentle exploration became more confident when he discovered, from my squirming and gasping, what felt good. I'd had several lovers, but none of them had concentrated so determinedly on giving me pleasure, without a care for their own. I cried out his name as I came, and my eyes flew open to find him inches away, studying my face.

"You're even more pretty when you come."

"You're amazing," I breathed.

"I, um, I—" He looked down and fumbled his trousers undone, at last. He pulled out his erection, thick and glistening with precome. "Can I—? Will you—?" He stroked himself hesitantly, biting his lip. "God, I'm so—"

"Let me." I pushed his hand off and replaced it with mine. "Close your eyes, Arthur."

I wanted to do everything. When he had rushed things that first time, now I wanted to rush. I wanted to take him in my mouth, to taste him, to pull him on top of me and guide him into me. But instead I stroked him off, firm quick pulls until he shot his load into my hand and on the bed covers between us. I leaned over to kiss him lightly, then grabbed some tissues to clean up while he lay there panting, eyes closed.

I got up and turned off the light. "Do you want to get under the covers, Arthur?"

"Oh. Yes, I-I'd like that." He rose quickly and I slid into the bed as he removed trousers, underwear and socks, then joined me. Less hesitant than before, he moved close and slid his arms around me, drawing me against his naked body.

We lay together, cuddling, idly stroking each other's hair, backs, arms—whatever we could reach. I discovered Arthur enjoyed chaste touches as much as I did. His skin pebbled beneath my fingers, his spine twitching when I stroked a particularly sensitive spot, his neck and shoulders quivering when I touched his hair and dragged my nails over his scalp. We were like a pair of cats, arching and writhing, almost purring with delight. Arthur's softened cock twitched against my leg, interested again but not fully hard. We exchanged gentle kisses, loving but without the heat of earlier. My eyelids grew heavy, and Arthur's hand slowed its stroking on my back.

"Do you want to sleep here?" I murmured.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind." I tucked my face into his neck and relaxed. The night couldn't have been more perfect.

When I opened my eyes it was still dark, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. The sun didn't rise until after seven. Arthur still slept, his breathing deep and even, one arm draped across my waist. I reached for my watch to check the time and discovered it wasn't yet six. Carefully, I slid away from him and went to use the bathroom and clean my teeth.

I returned to the bed and when I slipped between the covers, Arthur suddenly opened his eyes, the glint of them just visible in the darkness. He tugged me close to him again, and his erection nudged my stomach. Rather than jump away, or apologise, he merely brushed his lips over mine and rocked his hips a little, rubbing himself against me.

"Oh, you're very awake all of a sudden," I teased.

"I wasn't sure if I was dreaming. This isn't something that happens to me in real life."

"It is now. I can assure you, it's not a dream."

He pressed his lips to mine again, ran his tongue along my lip, then pulled back. "You taste minty."

"I brushed my teeth."

"I should, um—"

"You're fine." His morning breath wasn't at all bad. I kissed him again. "If this was a dream, what do you think would happen next?"

He smiled. "I could show you?"

"I would like that."

Much to my surprise, he rolled me onto my back and lowered himself onto me. I slid my legs apart a little and he pressed between them, pushing them wider to accommodate him. His cock rested in the crease between my raised thigh and the side of my stomach. He hummed with pleasure and rubbed himself back and forth a little.

"In my dream, I'd be, um, inside you."

"That would be in my dream, too." I held him close, my hands resting at the bottom of his back.

"Are you sure you want that?"

"I'm sure, Arthur. I want you."

"I need to be sure you do. Will you do it?" He lifted himself off me a little, enough for me to get my hand between us. I reached down and grasped him, stroked a little until he gasped and shivered. Then I guided him, tilting my hips up until he slid smoothly inside. We both moaned at the same time as he filled me. I put my arm around him again and pulled my knees up more.

"This is what I want, Arthur."

"Oh, God." He began to move, slowly and awkwardly at first. Then suddenly he found his rhythm and thrust into me harder, his pace quickening as he raced towards orgasm. His hair fell into his face, and my hands on his back slipped on his sweat-slick skin. I moved with him, delighted, until it was over all too quickly, his body jerking and shuddering as he came inside me. "I'm sorry. I wanted to last longer." He grinned sheepishly.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. But I haven't finished yet." He propped himself up a little more and slid his hand between us. He was still hard, still deep in me, as he began to stroke me the same way he had before we went to sleep. He knew now, what I liked, and with the feel of him still filling me, it didn't take very long.

"Oh my God, Arthur!" I writhed beneath him as waves of pleasure crashed through me. When he stopped and slipped out of me, he didn't move away, but stayed above me, taking his weight on knees and elbows, his lips an inch away from mine. "That was perfect," I whispered.

"I wouldn't go that far. I'm sure your other lovers were much better."

"No. Experienced, maybe. Considerate? Definitely not. You are amazing, Arthur. I love you."

"You are amazing, too, Audra. I never imagined I could have someone like you in my life, even as a friend. Much less like this. I'm glad I can make you happy this way."

"You definitely do that." I lifted my head to press my lips to his.

"I love you," he whispered, then pulled away and sat up. "I should go. I'll need to take my meds soon, and I have to have food with them."

"I know." I sat up. "Would you like to shower with me first? Then I'll come with you and we can have breakfast together." I didn't want to let him go just yet, but besides that, a tiny part of me feared he might leave, then start worrying about how I felt and panic.

He met my eyes. "You're worried I'll hurt myself again." Suddenly, he grinned. "I won't. I feel happy today. I never felt happy in my life before I met you. Now I do at least half the time. But I'd still like to shower with you. That's another first for me. Could I just have a minute first?"

I left him alone until I heard the toilet flush and he opened the door. Then I pulled the shower curtain across the side of the bath and turned on the water to get hot. When I stepped under it, Arthur joined me and stood silently half under the water, hands at his sides as if he didn't know what to do with them. I poured some shampoo into my hand and reached up to wash his hair. A smile lifted his lips at the corners, and he closed his eyes as I massaged his scalp. After I rinsed his hair, I repeated the process with conditioner. He sighed with pleasure as I moved onto the soap and began washing his chest. As I worked my way lower, his softened penis grew again and nudged my stomach, begging for attention. I lingered as I washed it, then encouraged him to turn around so I could wash his back.

"Now it's your turn," he said, as the last of the soap ran down his body and into the drain. He took his time, washing my hair the way I had his, then working his way over every inch of my body. Never had a shower been so sensual. I wanted to drag him back to bed, but we both needed to get ready for work.

Reluctantly, I turned off the water, grabbed two towels and passed one to Arthur. We dried off quickly, then I found fresh clothes and Arthur put on yesterday's. I locked up and we went to his apartment. He changed clothes while I made coffee and started on breakfast. We ate together and Arthur took his meds.

"What jobs do you have today?" I asked him.

"Children's hospital again. Two different wards. Then sign-spinning for a clothes store. So many stores are closing down. It's a shame for them, but it gives me plenty to do."

"Are you going to the office first?" I asked.

"Yes. We can get the train together." He put the breakfast dishes in the sink, then drew me into his arms. "Will it always be like this? I worry you'll get tired of me."

"That won't happen. I love you, Arthur." I returned his hug, holding on tight. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You might meet someone better than me. Someone normal."

"Arthur, everyone has some kind of problem. No one is 'normal,' as you put it. But I certainly won't find someone better than you. You're everything I would want in a man."

"Really?" He smiled, his hesitant smile with his lips together.

"Really. So don't think otherwise."

We took the train together and parted to go to our respective jobs. We were due to finish about the same time and I thought Arthur might come and meet me, but when I left the shelter, there was no sign of him. Perhaps his last job had held him up. I hurried to the station and caught the train home. It was only when I reached my stop and climbed down to the platform, that I had the sensation of being watched. I looked around me, but I didn't see Arthur anywhere. Smiling to myself, I walked the rest of the way home. I didn't bother turning around, but I knew I was being followed. I wasn't sure why Arthur felt the need to do that now, but I didn't question it.

I rode up in the lift alone and went back to my apartment. I expected Arthur to arrive shortly after, but he didn't. I tried calling him, but he didn't answer the phone. Strange. I got changed, did some housework, listened to some music, and started making myself something to eat. Then my doorbell rang. When I opened the door, Arthur stood outside holding a bouquet of red roses.

"These are for you. Red for romance." He flushed almost to the colour of the blooms and laughed in an embarrassed way.

"Oh, Arthur. They're beautiful. Come in."

He placed the bouquet in my arms and stepped past me into the hallway. "I finished later than I expected. The clothing store wanted me to stay until they closed for the day. I was going to meet you at the shelter, but I didn't leave the office until almost six."

I frowned. If Arthur was still at the store until five, then his office until six, he couldn't have followed me. I'd been home by three. I still had to be sure.

"So, you didn't follow me earlier?"

"No." His smile slipped, and he shook his head vigorously to emphasise it. "I wouldn't do that now. I can see why that would be creepy."

"Someone followed me." I led him into the kitchen and found a vase for the roses. "I felt like I was being followed when I got off the train. I didn't worry about it. I thought it was you."

"You didn't see anyone?" Arthur's eyes widened in alarm.

"No."

"Maybe it could be someone who lives in the block?"

"Probably." I stepped into his arms and kissed him. I wasn't convinced it was either my imagination, or a neighbour heading the same way. I was sure someone had followed me on purpose, and if it wasn't Arthur, who could it be?