The fire leapt under the hearth as Shelly closed the oak doors behind her. I looked up from my book and smiled as she settled in the leather armchair across from me, a tumbler of Jack Daniels on ice nestled in her hands.
"Getting a bit cold out there," I observed, loving the way her hair tumbled loosely over her shoulders as she wrapped the wool blanket around her.
"A little," she agreed. The flames crackled in the silence for a moment, then she snuggled lower and coyly looked at me. "Can you help warm me up?" She sipped her drink, her eyes shining.
I chuckled. "You like these tales, eh?" She nodded and leaned her head back in expectation. I sipped my drink and looked at the fireplace, the memories flowing easily back.
* * * * *
I first met Christina the fall I pledged my fraternity. Chris was dating one of my pledge brothers. Several of us lived in the same dorm and Chris was on the floor above us. A lot of the residents of both floors grew to be close friends, especially since it seemed we were all pledging at once. In addition, the sorority that
she
and her friends there were pledging was located right next to our fraternity house. It all added up to a lot of drunken partying both at the house and in the dorm, and some good bonding whether fueled by alcohol or not.
This was where I learned how a woman could also be a friend. Chris and her sisters hung out with our crowd quite a bit. Some dating went on, but the main interactions were just between a group of good buddies. We all got through our pledging processes together and soon were comfortable denizens of our respective Greek houses.
Fast forward a couple of years. Now we were older and wiser, seasoned college students who had survived many long aimless nights together. Chris was still dating my friend, and we were all very close and cared about each other.
She was a couple of years younger than I, me being a slightly non-traditional student. Small of frame, she had a short shock of straight red hair above blue eyes, and freckles across her face and down her arms. We were incredibly comfortable with each other, best friends in the truest sense. She swore like a dockworker and didn't put up with any uppity sorority bullshit. During one party, we came out of my room (we're now in the frat house) where a bunch of us had been partying in private. A line of girls waited in the hallway for the bathroom and another buddy was coming up the stairs towards us. She yelled out his name and they both leapt into the air to chest-bump each other. One of the girls in line turned to another and said loudly, "Not very lady-like." Chris turned to her and matter-of-factly said with a smile, "Fuck you, bitch!" and walked down the stairs. It may not read well but trust me, it was a Moment.
Time passed, and we found ourselves at another party as my last year in school started. Somewhere in the late evening/early morning Chris and I found ourselves talking in the chapter room. I doubt if either of us ever knew or cared what we were talking about. But we started talking intimately, and then we were talking about how good friends we were, and then...
I was slowly, word by word, telling her how I felt, how I had lain awake many nights thinking of her. I said, "I've thought about... being with you... I've thought about..." I paused, fearful of saying the words. Yes, she was a good friend but she was also dating one of my best friends. How could I say such a thing, do that to him?
Her hand slipped over and rested on my arm. I looked at it and finished the sentence: "...making love to you." I raised my eyes and met hers. They were soft and she shyly smiled.
"I have too."
We talked a while longer, about her boyfriend and whether it was the right thing for us to cave in to our desire for each other. We both knew where this was heading, but felt a need to share any collective guilt about our mutual lust.
I led her upstairs to my room, locking the door behind us. I was briefly concerned that I was also locking out a visting alumnus who I'd told could stay in the room that night, but I figured he'd find somewhere else to crash.
Chris and I stood in the middle of the room, suddenly awkward. We leaned forward to kiss, and both started giggling. I hugged her and we gripped each other close. My lips pressed into her hair, then around to her face and our lips met again. No laughter this time; our passion flared as we devoured each other. Our hands caressed each other's back as my lips and tongue slipped over hers. I swiftly grew erect and rolled myself against her crotch. She kissed back, watching under half-closed lids as our breath passed between us.
My eyes lowered and I raised my hands to her shirt. She bit her lip as I unbuttoned her, revealing a black one-piece bustier under her plaid flannel shirt.
I blinked. "Wow!"
She giggled again. "I haven't done my laundry yet, and this was all I had to wear tonight."
My hands ran over the material, then rose to cup her breasts. She sighed and pressed forward as my fingers slipped over the flesh that rose above the black material. Her fingers trailed down to my belt, then her movements grew quicker as she began undoing my jeans. Her breathing quickened as she fumbled with the snap, her eyes fastened on my swollen crotch. The pants opened and her hands dove inside my underwear, drawing out my cock as she bent over and took it into her mouth like one possessed.