Summer of Learning – Chapter 6
The next two days went by in a blur, between getting ready for Christmas, running last minute errands for mom to get things for the party, and cleaning and spiffing up the decorations around the house. The weather hadn't helped much either, not quite raining, not quite snowing, making traffic a nightmare every time I left the house. Even if I could have found time to sneak out to be with Sean, I was so mentally exhausted, I wouldn't have been much company. It didn't keep us from texting back and forth every spare chance we got, though. Oh, does that man know how to text…
Hey, sweetheart. How's your day going?
Fine. Crazy busy. Mom's got me running all over the place.
That sucks. You must be super tired.
You've been running through my mind all day.
Oh, Sean. Really? You're resorting to bad pick up lines?
Hey, don't mess with the classics.
You'd know all about the classics. ;-)
Is that an old man joke?
Maybe…
Watch it.
I may need to turn you over my knee and spank you.
Don't tempt me.
Better yet, we could play house.
?
You be the screen door – I can slam you all night long.
Oh my god…
Really?
Don't pretend like you wouldn't like it.
Like I said…don't tempt me.
After a day spent doing last minute cleaning, my mom and I were setting out all the hors d'oeuvres and making sure drinks were ready for guests. I finished making mom's famous mulled cider and headed to my room to change. I donned my ribbed, holly-red turtleneck and a pleated skirt, dark green and red plaid with a thin gold strand running through it. I slipped on my black flats, put in my cute Christmas-y earrings then quickly tamed my hair with my straightener.
I headed back to the living room, looking for anything else that needed to be done. I turned on the lights for the Christmas tree and started lighting the candles placed around the living and dining rooms. I was giving the space one last look when I heard a soft knock on the front door. I turned and opened it, noting that whoever it was had decided to show up close to half an hour early.
There standing on the porch was Sean, looking positively gorgeous in his black blazer with a crisp linen shirt underneath, untucked and the top couple of buttons undone. His jeans were faded just enough to look nice, but still have the edge he so often carried about him. I swallowed the dryness out of my mouth and softly mumbled, "Hey."
Sean stepped into the front hallway, his eyes scanning the room behind me, then cupped my face in his hands and pulled me to him for a searing kiss. My knees almost gave out under me; my hands found their way under his jacket and held onto his shirt for dear life. His tongue sought mine, pouring everything he had into the kiss. I nearly groaned when he pulled away.
"Sorry, darlin'," he said with his signature grin. "Can't have us getting caught now, can we?"
Oh, this was so unfair.
"You look great," he said quietly, his smile softening while the look in his eyes did a number on my pulse.
"Likewise," I shot back, trying to sound less affected than I really was.
We stepped further into the room, the tension between us palpable. God, I wanted him. The fact that he kept sneaking glances over my way told me he more than likely felt the same way. He turned to face me again, crossing his arms in front of him, his arms straining against the fabric of his jacket sleeves. "So…how's everything going?" he asked, as if we haven't been talking every day since the night I showed up at his place. I knew we had to keep up appearances, but I couldn't help but smile at his attempt to look nonchalant. His eyes were still burning into mine after our kiss.
"Things are good, Sean. What about you? Work going okay?" Two could play at this game.
"Yeah, it's alright. You know me, I like to, uh, stay busy," he looked at me pointedly. "I always need something to do, to keep me out of trouble."
"Well, we certainly don't want you to get into any trouble," I replied with feigned innocence. "But you can't just work all the time. You need to have some fun, right? Something to keep you young?" Sean narrowed his eyes at me, and I could read him loud and clear. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.
He was about to say something when my dad walked in, bringing his hand down hard on Sean's shoulder. "Hey man! Glad you made it. Haven't seen you in a while," my father said, opening his arms for a hug.
Sean turned to hug my dad, clapping each other on the back as they always did. I watched as the men talked; it seemed like Sean was forcing himself not to look at me. "Yeah," he said, "guess I've been busy...you know me. Always got something going." He had a look on his face that I just couldn't place, almost uncomfortable, and he made sure to keep his hands in his pockets, which was odd – he was usually very animated, like my father, and talked with his hands often. I realized he was doing what he had to so he wouldn't be tempted to look at me or touch me and give anything away.
I joined my mother in the kitchen, double checking that everything was ready for our guests to arrive. Once we were both satisfied with everything, the doorbell began to ring. I was put on coat detail, taking everyone's purses and jackets and hanging them on the temporary coat rack set up in my parent's room. I soon had both arms full and headed back to hang them up. I walked back down the hallway and was just re-entering the living room when I almost ran smack into Sean, carrying another load of coats.
"Sorry, I was trying to save you a trip," he mumbled, his eyes bearing down on me.
"Oh...thank you," I gazed up at him, starting to reach for the bundle in his arms. More people were filing into the living room, and Sean and I both ended up with our arms full of coats. We both headed back to my parents' room. "You can just leave them on the bed. I'll hang them up. You should head back to the party," I suggested to Sean.
He watched me as I hung up the coats for a moment, then stepped closer to me. "We'll both get back sooner if I help." I couldn't argue his logic, so I just smiled and nodded and accepted his help.
Once we were finished, we made our way back down the hallway, hearing the loud sounds of our friends and family enjoying themselves, glasses clinking together as people toasted with egg nog and cider. Every once in a while I could hear the Christmas playlist filtering through the sound system. Suddenly Sean grabbed my hand and pulled me into my room. It was all I could do to not cry out in surprise. Once I was completely in my room, in his arms, he reached behind me and shut the door softly then immediately claimed my mouth with his.
His lips moved against mine as my arms wound around his neck, pulling myself closer to him until we were flush up against each other. I could feel the growing evidence of his desire pressing against my belly. When we finally broke the kiss, we were both breathless.
"Hey," he mumbled, smirking at me again, his hands running along my sides, playing at my hips.
"Hey," I sighed back, my fingers playing along the nape of his neck.
"I've got something for you," Sean tightened his grip on me.
"Yes, I noticed," I said with a grin.
He narrowed his eyes at me and gently pushed me away, breaking the delicious contact between us. I frowned, more than a little disappointed. I hated leaving the circle of his arms. "Smart ass," he said, then reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box.
"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, louder than I should have.
"Shh! Calm down," he chastised me. "Just open it."
I took the box in shaking fingers. 'No way,' I thought as I opened the box. 'We've only really been together, what, a week? No way he got me a...'
"Oh, Sean!" I whispered. "It's beautiful." I reached in with my thumb and pointer finger, picking up the sun-shaped charm attached to a skinny gold chain. I pulled the chain loose from the box, then closed it and set it on my dresser. I clicked on my bedside lamp to get a better look. The pendant was simple, but elegant, about the size of a nickel; golden rays surrounded a topaz stone in the center...my birthstone. Tears began to prick at my eyes as You are my sunshine... began to drift into my mind. I held the necklace out to him, asking, "Help me put it on?"
I swept my hair up to the back of my head, holding it there in my hand. Sean laced his arms around me, opened the clasp of the necklace, then fastened it, letting his fingers brush against the back of my neck which sent chills up and down my spine. The chain was the perfect length, allowing the pendant to fall just to the swell of my breasts. I turned around to show him, appreciating his gaze on me, then reached out for a hug. "Thank you so much!" I stepped back, suddenly mortified.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Sean asked, his face full of concern. "I know it's maybe a little early for jewelry, but I saw it and it was screaming your name and..."
I cut him off, "No, no no! I love it. I absolutely love it. It's just...god, my gift for you seems so stupid."
The corner Sean's mouth curled up, "You got me something?"
I blushed as I walked to my nightstand and pulled out a small box tied with ribbon, "Yeah...I've actually had it for a while. I was going to bring it with me, um, that night...when we first...you know...but I wasn't sure you'd want...me." I handed him the present, feeling more and more stupid by the second.
He took the box from me and pulled on the end of the ribbon, loosening the bow. He lifted the lid and pulled out my gift to him: an oversized, ornate silver key on a keyring. He looped the ring over his finger and dangled the key, cocking an eyebrow. "What is this to?" his expression seemed to say.
I flushed again and grabbed my car keys off my dresser, showing him a silver heart-shaped locket. "It's supposed to be the key to my heart," I muttered. "It's so stupid, I know. If you don't like it..."
This time it was his turn to cut me off, "Of course I like it." He took a step closer to me. I could feel the heat radiating off his body. "And of course I want you." His hand slid around me, resting on the small of my back, and pulled me into him, his mouth seeking mine. His hard on was just as obvious as before. "I always want you."
I pulled back a fraction, looking up at him; his eyes were dark with desire. "Here? Now?"
Sean nodded, "You in that damn skirt. Since I walked in, it's all I could think about. I want you, right now." The tone of his voice told me he was deadly serious.
"But...the party," I stammered.
"We'll have to stay real quiet...and be quick," he whispered and he moved in for another scorching kiss. How was I supposed to say no to him? I felt his fingers pulling at the hem of my skirt, dragging the fabric over my thighs. His tenacity and insistence had me instantly wet for him, not to mention the risk of getting caught was kind of a turn on. I kicked off my flats as his fingers found the elastic of my panties and started pulling them over my hips and down my legs. He stood up after I stepped out of my underwear and my fingers immediately went to his belt buckle, making quick work of it, and undoing the button and zipper of his jeans, releasing his cock from its tight confines.
He kissed me, hard, his teeth biting at my lower lip, his tongue seeking mine; my hand wrapped around his shaft and started pumping him as his fingers found my soft nest of curls, curving them into my center. "God, you're always so wet for me," he growled as his finger circled around my clit, making my knees go weak. He caught me around my waist and lowered me onto my bed. His fingertips trailed from my knees, down my thighs, then caught the fabric of my skirt and flipped it up over my stomach, exposing me to him fully.
Sean reached into his back pocket and pulled out a foil packet, tearing it open quickly. He rolled the condom on and stepped to the side of the bed, aiming himself at my center. "You ready?" he asked, holding my thighs in each of his hands, my ankles resting on his shoulders.
"I'm always ready for you," I whispered, and he slammed himself into me. I tried to stay quiet, I really did, but a sharp squeak escaped from my lips.
Sean's hand immediately covered my mouth. "Shh...gotta stay quiet, baby. Think you can cum without making a sound?" He started pounding into me, fucking me hard. He kept his hand over my mouth, his other hand reaching between us to press his thumb against my clit. He drove deeper and deeper into me; I could feel my orgasm building already. "Come on, baby...cum for me."
My hands were starting to cramp from gripping the sheets so hard. I felt so naughty, letting this beautiful man fuck me, all our clothes still on, save for my panties, all our friends right outside the door. His thumb circled around my clit, his pace never slowing for a moment. I fought hard not to make a sound. Sean took his hand away from my mouth, trusting me to stay quiet, and returned it to my thigh, using it as leverage to pound into me harder, deeper.
I didn't make a sound, just barely whispered, "Oh, fuck...oh my god...oh...oh my god...Sean...I...oh my god..." Words gave way to tiny catches of my breath. Before I knew it, I could feel myself clenching around him. I held my breath as my climax rolled through me, my mouth wide open in a silent scream, wave after wave of pure ecstasy washing over me. He kept driving into me, making my orgasm last and last. Just when I didn't think I could take anymore, he drove into me one, two, three times more, emptying himself as he found his release.
"Holy shit," he whispered. He released my thigh and laid on top of me, pressing his forehead against mine before kissing me sweetly. "Good girl, baby," he crooned in my ear. "Jesus Christ, that was intense."
I was still trying to catch my breath when he pulled out of me. My body shuddered at the sudden emptiness it felt. I sat up and watched him dispose of the used condom, wrapping it in a Kleenex, just in case. He grabbed another tissue and kneeled in front of me. "Figure I need to clean up the mess I made," he said with a grin as he wiped the slickness from my thighs and the lips of my pussy. Everything was still super sensitive down there, and as he worked, I couldn't help but squirm against him. He looked up at me, then stood up, planting a kiss on my already swollen lips. "You are amazing, you know that?"
"I was thinking the same thing about you," I replied. I watched as he reached down and picked up my panties, holding them out for me to step into. I stood up and placed my hands on his strong shoulders for balance, and reveled in the feel of him pulling the soft fabric back up my legs, replacing them, his hands lingering on my hips for a moment before cupping my ass.
"I love you. I want to show you off. I hate this sneaking around. I want to be able to take my time with you," he said, his words melting my heart.
"I love you, too. We'll figure something out," I tried to sound convincing. I still wasn't sure how we were going to make this work.
Sean kissed me softly and smiled, "So, the key to your heart, huh?"
I giggled quietly, "Yeah. I know it's super cheese-tastic. I was going to have our initials engraved on it, but thought that would be a little much, and plus..." I trailed off.
His eyebrows shot skyward. "S and M?" he laughed incredulously. "Yeah, probably a good call on that one."
"Hey, I may be blonde, but I'm not an idiot."
"I would never, ever think that of you, baby," his eyes bored into mine.
I reached up to hug him and planted one more kiss to his soft lips. "We should head back to the party. People are going to wonder what's taking so long," I said, reluctance weighing my voice.
"I doubt anyone's missing us, but you're probably right," he responded, his hands running up and down my arms. "You might want to brush your hair out a little," he added guiltily.
I checked myself in the mirror. I straightened my skirt and sweater, and quickly brushed through my hair. When I turned around, Sean was standing by the door, looking no worse for wear. I guess there were perks to wearing your hair messy like that all the time.
"I'll head out first," he said, "wait a little bit and then come out. If we came out together..."
"It would look suspicious. I know," I nodded, trying to keep the sadness out of my voice. It was strange to still be feeling the highs of our most recent...session...and the frustration and disappointment of not being able to share my excitement with anyone.
He kissed me one last time and slipped into the hallway. I stepped into my shoes and checked myself one last time in the mirror and followed him out, trying to appear nonchalant.
We ended up meeting in the entryway to the living room after all; a crowd of people were standing just inside the room, blocking our way in. I looked nervously up at him, not sure what I was nervous about. Could people tell what we had just done? Surely not, and we really hadn't been gone all that long.
Suddenly I heard someone call out, "Hey look, the first victims of the mistletoe!" and every set of eyes in the room swept over to us.
I looked up and grimaced, then blushed. Shit. Now I knew why I was so nervous. Stupid plant. Stupid tradition. So much for keeping 'us' a secret. I peeked up at Sean. He was wearing the same expression I was. He shrugged and leaned toward me. He gently pressed his lips against mine, a far cry from the passion we had just shared in my room, but incredibly sweet all the same. He moved against me, oh so subtle, then pulled away, still gazing down at me. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I vaguely remember hearing the other guests cheering for us then returning to their conversations.
I took a deep breath, trying to control my reaction. Sean had just kissed me, in front of our friends and family...in front of my parents! I was sure my face was the same color as my sweater at this point. My brain had completely shut down. I couldn't make myself move. It wasn't until Sean's hand found the small of my back and guided me past the group of people in front of us that my mind reconnected with my body. I headed toward the dining room, looking for something to drink, when I felt a hand close around my upper arm. I turned around and found myself staring into my mother's stern blue eyes.
"We need to talk."