Ismet or Happenstance?

This chapter turned out longer and different than originally planned. But I had to follow where the characters wanted to go. I debated splitting it in two, but it just felt more complete as one whole chapter. Thank you for your votes, comments and emails. Several came at the perfect time and I wanted you to know I appreciated you taking the time to write. Though song lyrics from the following songs aren't quoted in this chapter, they're referenced indirectly.

*My Way: English version, lyrics by Paul Anka, derived from 1967 French pop song, Comme d'habitude performed by Claude Francois with music by Jacques Revaux and lyrics by Gilles Thibault .

* SexyBack by Justin Timberlake.

August

******

Saturday, November 18th, 2006. 12:35 AM

L

ights sparkled and flashed. Cars passed in dots of color and form. The sidewalks buzzed with weekend energy. Impatient horns shouted over laughter and distant music. People walked in their individual packs on their hunt to and from the next good time. Ana strolled hand in hand with the man whose presence elevated everything around them into something beautiful. Every matching step they took was pure perfection.

"I had my doubts about Daniel Craig but he really pulled it off. That was one of the best bond movies ever!"

Sean's blue eyes lit up and his right brow twitched in that way when something struck him as funny. "You actually noticed his acting?"

Ana tugged his hand. "Yes I did," she swore, "but c'mon you have to admit his physique's —" she trailed off, trying to find the best adjective as the trailer featuring the blond Adonis rising from the ocean, beads of water rushing over muscle, then stripped and bound in a seatless chair, looped over and over in her head. "—insane. That interrogation scene in the chair—"

"Hurt to watch. Every guy in there felt it."

Her fingers left his so she could sneak her arm around his waist. She ran her hand under the hem of his ribbed black sweater-shirt, touching the roughness of his jeans below the warmth of his skin. "Aw," she pouted sassily. "Maybe you need someone to kiss the pain away."

Sean's arm hooked her shoulders making her halt her steps when he paused to contemplate. "The only someone I've got is you."

He rendered the information in a flat, unaffected tone, one that didn't match the way he looked at her. Not one bit. She wished she could hit the pause button or slow this moment down.

"Gee, thanks. You sure know how to make a girl feel wanted and special."

"Anytime."

He gave her a quick, appropriate-for-public-viewing kiss and escorted her to the passenger side of his silver Range Rover. She followed his unhurried stride to the driver's door. His legs covered a lot of ground with masculine grace. The black sweater-shirt hugged the breadth of his shoulders. Its high neck touched the black waves of hair at his nape. She smiled and felt a dart of envy at how his hair always had that perfect three-weeks-after-a-hair-cut look. Her eyes poured over every detail that made him and saw past them. He was still the same man she'd met four months ago, only he'd become...more...of everything. She couldn't quite describe it, but it felt good. The incessant chime of the car key finding its home made her jump out of her reverie. His question came over the click of his seatbelt.

"You okay?" The simple question warmed her from the inside; she saw in his eyes that her answer truly mattered. These, simple, unfancy moments were a treasure.

Ana leaned to him as far as her seatbelt allowed; Sean met her halfway. Her fingers combed the thick strands behind his ear as she whispered, "Everything's perfect."

He couldn't agree more as her tongue traced his lower lip before melding with his. The sealed cabin amplified the smack of mouths meeting and the dry creak of leather as they leaned into each other and parted. He sampled the taste of peppermint and Ana over and over to make up for the three days he'd gone without. But it wasn't enough. She gasped when his hand left the back of her head, sliding over the delicate ridge of her right clavicle then lower to the swell of her breast. Perfect. That's how she filled his hand. She arched into his caress, letting him feel her response. Ana was so generous, so welcoming—even more so as time went on. She made a tiny sound as he strummed her nipple, feeling it rise and harden under his attention. He imagined tasting the light brown peak while he his tongue licked and circled it.

Whistles and cheers jangled their intimate silence. Teenagers.

Ana hurried into her seat as if she'd morphed turned into one, just caught doing something very adult and very naughty. Sean smiled as she dipped her head to avert the boys' curious gazes. He cupped her chin and stole another kiss, eliciting a roar of catcalls from the three voyeurs standing in front of the SUV. Ana blushed and ducked her head. The gesture reminded him how uninhibited she'd be once they rushed inside her apartment. He turned the key. Yes, he better take her home and put her to bed. Very soon.

The drive home should have cooled her off. It didn't. Every stoplight extended their journey to her place. The anticipation was a bittersweet torture; being in a tight space near what she wanted and having to wait. To make matters worse the police car cruising in the lane next to them, guaranteed that Sean observed the speed limit—something he often treated as a friendly suggestion. Two lights later the cruiser turned off onto a side street.

"Okay. All's clear."

It took but a few seconds before they surged ahead again. The white stipples on the road rushed towards them in a continuous line as the headlights pierced the night. The cityscape whizzed past her window. Her lips curled in a smile as they drove through her neighborhood. Three more lights before she shared her secret with Sean. She pressed her legs together unconsciously, imagining his first reaction when her panties were gone and he saw...

The idea sprung up from a distant curiosity, one she'd never felt the urge to act on until three days ago. Ana hadn't expected she'd feel so naughty and sexy—in the days after her spa appointment. She'd done it mostly for Sean, now it felt utterly self-indulgent. Slices of amber light slid across Sean's face and chest. Her eyes drifted where the streetlights didn't, her hand followed. It started as a need to be linked by touch, then need gave way to desire. Another latent curiosity took shape, and became a fantasy. One she had to try on. Now.

Two more lights.

Sean caught the hand sliding up his thigh. He cast a quick look to his right and felt a dull ache where Ana intended to touch him. Her hand shifted impatiently under his before he lifted it to his mouth.

"Soon," he promised against her knuckles and released her hand.

He smiled, thinking ahead to when he'd slowly undo the buttons on her khaki trench dress. The devilish look on her face made him long to tease her in every way until she begged for mercy, the way she hated to love.

He'd just casually tossed a flare into a sea of gasoline with one word. Instead of placating her, he taunted her with the pleasures to come. Her hand fell onto his denim covered thigh. But this time her fingers didn't inch up the rough material. This time her touch was bold and direct.

"What are you doing!?" His words thundered in the tight space.

Another flare got tossed into the fire when his hushed moan touched her ears. Nervous excitement covered her skin. Could she really pull this off? Ana studied his face and flicked away the last shreds of hesitation. Her hand moved over the ridge of his zipper. She purred with brazen confidence when she spoke. "You mean you don't know? I thought you graduated the top of your class."

One more light.

Sean's hand circled her wrist. He could have pulled her hand away already—if he really wanted to. "Keep both hands on the wheel." Her demand brokered no argument but Sean being Sean, he wouldn't submit easily. Yet.

"We're almost...home," he announced as they cruised under the yellow traffic light.

"That's nice," she quipped as her palm curved over the growing bulge. "Now put your hand on the wheel." Ana shook her head, cutting him off when he tried to speak. "Stop your half-assed protesting, counselor." Her fingers flexed and he squirmed. "My counter argument keeps getting stronger, doesn't it?"

Sean gave her a wry smile and turned into her apartment complex with both hands on the steering wheel. Ana's seatbelt clicked and flew back to the doorframe as they drove past row after row of parked cars until they came to her building. She leaned over and pressed the release button on his restraint the instant he cut the engine. The button on his jeans had already slipped through the hole when he realized Ana intended to continue. His cock leapt as she tugged at the zipper. She really wanted to do this? Here?

Despite the adrenaline and lust racing through his veins, he had to be sure she wanted this.

"Belle, we should go upstairs"

Her sultry brown eyes stayed on his.

"Why?" Her eyes went to his mouth "I really want to do this here. It's kind of been a fantasy of mine—going down on you in a car." She licked the corner of his lower lip with the tip of her tongue. "You'd be doing me a favor in letting me act it out, there's even an outside chance you might enjoy it too," she whispered to his mouth. "Will you let me?"

His hands found the back of her head and he kissed the question right off her lips. As if he could ever say no when she spoke in that kittenish voice. The tip of his tongue touched hers and slid slowly inside. Ana melted into him; her shallow breaths drifted over the side of his face, making him hot and achy. The scrape of the metallic teeth coming apart sounded unnaturally loud to his ears. It was the unzipping of a lifetime.

She broke the kiss, her eyes on his while her fingers snuck inside his parted jeans. Her smile was slow and knowing as she felt him react to her caresses. The next moments were a flurry of her hands pulling and tugging at his jeans while Sean shifted in his seat to help Ana free him from the confines of his boxers. Sean watched as her fingers closed around his hardening shaft. Her gentle touch sent prickles of energy right there.

Head in his lap, Ana looked up at him. "Maybe you should adjust your seat."

She didn't have to say it twice. His hands fumbled to find the lever before he felt the backrest recline.

She chuckled at his eagerness to comply. "Much better." Her voice was low, her breath a hot wisp of air along his overheated skin.

Ana ran her tongue over the smooth column from base to tip and back, making repeated passes until his cock was moist enough for her hands to fondle him easily. Before Sean, she'd always felt detached from this part of sex. She'd done it for her partner's pleasure—being a source of enjoyment rewarded her with a mild ego boost. She watched the textures and contours of his erect skin become beautiful proof of his desire for her. With Sean, every lick of her tongue, every stroke of her hands became an expression of lust and affection. His whispered moans were more than a gentle pat on the back, giving him pleasure was as much for him as it was for her. Ana looked up at him.

She

made his face contort, made his nostrils flare, made him arch his head into the headrest. This power awed and humbled her at once.

His fingers threaded her hair. "Yes," he hissed as she nuzzled the pouch between his legs. Her other hand's index and thumb circled the base of his cock, keeping it in place while her tongue repeatedly flicked the seam of his reddish pink glans. The sounds he made sent a rush of heat and arousal under her skin. She licked the tiny drops from the smooth oval head and wrapped her tongue around the sensitive ridge.

Sean pushed back the waves of hair veiling her face, capturing it in a loose ponytail. Shadows and light drifted over her face, shoulders and back. He wanted to see her face, to watch his dick disappear into her mouth. There was a fire in her tenderness tonight, her mouth ambitiously taking more of his length than he recalled in the past. His eyes were glued to the outline of his cock bulging below her cheek. Every drop of blood in his body raced south as she tilted her head repeatedly.

"Ah, yes!" he spat in a muffled sound while writhing under mouth and guiding her head with his hand, "just like that. Yes. Yes!"

The tingle of peppermint and the change in texture around his dick—from the suede of Ana's tongue, to the slick, silk inside her cheek—dragged almost inaudible grunts and sighs from him. She released him from her mouth with a wet pop. The sound bounced around his head and scraped his spine. He sucked his breath while her lips descended to the base then lower; her questing fingers found the secret spot below. His broken sounds filled the air.

"Oh—

God

!"

A bright light danced over the dashboard, reminding him they were in a parking lot. The threat of discovery turned up the erotic temperature inside the cocoon of the SUV. His skin felt tight and feverish. His heart pulsed and throbbed straight to his cock where Ana's mouth had taken up residence again. The gentle serration of her teeth along the sensitive underside tickled and made him lurch. She touched and licked and sucked him until the energy between them merged, gathering strength like a hurricane over warm water. Everything moved faster, together—her hands, her mouth, the jut of his hips—hurtling him towards climax. Sean felt his pleasure pulsing, surging up from the deepest part of him and rocketing to the surface. She needed to know how close he was—she must have missed the signals.

His warning came on an urgent whisper "I'm going to to come." He tugged gently on her hair. "Belle," he choked, "I'm close...close...I'm gonna—"

Ana's eyes met his, her moan of approval let him know she understood.

Only she wasn't responding the way he expected.

Realization pummeled his drunken brain, one after the other, after the other. Ana wasn't stopping. He couldn't stop himself. Oh, fuck! His vision hazed over. He was about to come—in Ana's mouth. Their first time. Her first time. His hips jerked under her ministrations. Her moans hummed around the swelling head, calling him to his release. And then he was there. He fisted the ends of her hair in one hand; the other flung against the door handle with a thud. He felt no pain, only the agony of imminent pleasure.

"Ah,

fu-uck

!" he groaned as he shuddered and burst in Ana's hot mouth. A wave of ecstasy rode in on the heels of the quick, liquid spurts she drank from him. He felt like broken straw, panting and barely able to smooth her back with his trembling hand.

Ana raised her head, high on lust, power and feminine sensuality. She licked her lips, testing the mysterious, metallic taste of the cloudy dollops Sean had poured on her tongue. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears when she spoke. "I think I want to do this again."

Sean nodded, still looking dazed as she helped him adjust his clothes.

She

put that satisfied look on his face. Ana kissed his damp cheek as he pulled the key out of the ignition. Suddenly energized, she reached to the backseat, grabbed her boxed portion of dinner and vaulted from the Range Rover.

A beige, shaggy little dog approached her as she waited for Sean to exit. The canine's nose zeroed in on the plastic bag dangling from her hand. The poor thing looked so thin, she had no choice but to pull out the Styrofoam container and put it on the ground. The dog pounced on the chicken pasta but scampered away after the first bite when the car door slammed on Sean's side.

"It's okay," she whispered and crouched down. She turned her head to Sean with her index tapping her mouth. The dog returned to swallow the gourmet offering in three hearty swipes. "Aw," she cooed with regret, "if it wasn't for the steep pet deposit, I'd take you home with me."

Sean heard the disappointed note in Ana's voice while she talked to the stray pup. He swallowed as an invisible heft lurched in his chest. He recognized what it was and knew where it was going.

Ana stood, her eyes fixed on the dog as it dashed behind the bushes. She turned and held out her hand as she walked towards him.

"Ready?"

Sean took her smaller hand in his and nodded But for the first time in months, he wasn't so sure of his answer.

* * * * *

"I don't remember seeing these before."

Ana leaned against the front door, her shirtdress hung open like a long coat and grazed her knees. Sean's palms were planted on either side of head. The roughish glitter in his blue eyes made her feel feverish. Her legs shifted and squirmed while his gaze drifted over her like a warm caress.

"They're new. I bought them for you—and me too," she explained of the white tulle embroidered bra and matching string bikini panties. Panties that were damp—her awareness of it more acute now that her sex was bare, but for a tiny strip of curls. The secret knowledge of what he'd find when he touched her there made her want to hurry him. But Sean had other ideas as the back of his right hand started its descent from her ear. He planted a kiss below her earlobe, making her gasp and tremble.

He heard the sound Ana made. God, she was hot tonight. His lips curled as he lifted his head. Tonight would be a long, slow burn. His knuckles swept down her neck and across her shoulder. He traced the thin gauzy strap and the dainty ribbon above the swell of her breast. The white color set off her golden, creamy complexion. The material was sheer enough to allow glimpses of skin to show throw. He saw a light brown half-circle peeking from under an embroidered flower. Lower he went, brushing the scalloped edge of the demi-cup down to the valley between her breasts. The pad of his index finger snuck under the clasp. Good. Easy access. He was about to release her from the delicate restraint then hesitated. She looked so gorgeous, he couldn't decide whether he wanted to enjoy her naked or in her innocent lingerie. A few more minutes wouldn't hurt, after all she'd bought them with him in mind. The idea she'd done so was such a turn on.

He stated the obvious just in case she didn't already know. "They're very sexy." His palm smoothed down her stomach, making it retreat from his touch when she took a sharp inhale. "Just like you."

His fingers traced the string along her hip, skimming along the waistband. Ana arched her body, seeking more contact. Sean didn't deny her and cupped her lace covered mound. His hand settled over her, feeling her heat and dampness. He kissed her neck before he spoke; his hand stroking between her legs. "I'm going to have to thank you over and over."

Sean could have meant it a hundred different ways. The wicked promise of his words created a sensual coiling in her core.

He looked down at her. "You're very hot tonight."

She proved his point by pulling his head to hers. Her tongue sought his and he tasted himself there. He was instantly reminded of those feverish moments when she pleasured him with such unabashed generosity and delight. She made a soft sound as his hand moved over her sex.

"I don't know if I'll be able to put out the fire. But I'm going to try."

He kissed the corner of her smile.

"Again."

He nipped her ear and caught a whiff the honeyed vanilla-patchouli she reserved for the evenings. It was faint enough to make his nose seek more of her perfume.

"And again."

She gasped and buried her fingers in his hair when he cupped her breasts.

Ana's bangle clanked against the door as Sean suckled her nipple. The heat of his mouth and the sheer veil of her bra made for an exquisite torment. She felt his fingers at the catch and the felt the fabric give. His mouth quickly covered the tight peak, while his fingers rolled its twin. He switched sides, one hand behind her shoulders holding her to him as if she'd ever think to leave. She rubbed against him and the rough textures of his clothes against her skin made every nerve sizzle.