I Want To Play 1

My first entry in a Lit contest. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Many thanks to stevieraygovan for his careful editing, and also to PennLady for giving the story an extra set of eyes. I appreciate all the help.

(c)2012, annanova. All Rights Reserved.

I want to play

.

That was all the text said.

He read it with a sense of bemusement. Her spontaneous nature was something he had learned to enjoy. Of course, her current message left him with one problem.

She was out of the state on a free-lance assignment.

Before she left, she'd made sure to give him her full itinerary and they'd talked about a time he might be able to fly west. Having always wanted to see the Oregon Coast, he had agreed to take advantage of the Labor Day weekend and return with her when the job was over the following Tuesday. Once he reached a stoplight, he hit speed dial, allowing his hands-free system to handle the call.

"Wilson Travel, this is Karen. How may I help you?"

"Hi Karen, it's Brad... again." He watched the light change and moved back into traffic. "I know this is last minute, but can you possibly get me on an earlier flight west tonight?"

He could hear her nails clicking on her keyboard. "I think I can. What's going on, Brad?"

"Something came up, and I need to get there as soon as possible."

"When?"

"Two hours ago."

The travel agent chuckled. "I might be good, sugar, but I still don't have a time machine." A few more clicks and she hummed, "When can you get to the airport?"

It was Brad's turn to laugh then. "I just left my place and I can be at the airport in... oh, one hour."

"Great! I can get you on a three o'clock flight, which will land in Portland at a little after five. Will you still need a car?"

"Yes," he stated. "Although, if you can upgrade me to a convertible...."

"Are you sure about that, hon? I hear it rains a lot out there, even in the summer."

"That's what Anna tells me, but she also said last night that it looks like they're in for a spell of good weather. I like the idea of her red hair blowing in the wind while we drive along the coast."

"I'll see what I can do for you, Brad. Of course, you may not find out until you land. I'll text you whatever I find."

"Thanks, Karen. I appreciate it."

He ended the call and thought about the strange path his life seemed to be on. Earlier in the year, he'd been on an assignment that had kept him from Anna for three months. Her eye and skill with a camera managed to bring her up for a couple gallery discussions and a show at one of them. It had been enough -- barely.

Once he returned home, she'd moved in.

Looking back, it was funny how that had worried him. After months of telling her his house was a confirmed bachelor place, it had taken very small steps, if he was honest, for things to shift into feeling like a home. The biggest change was the garden.

He grinned. Okay, the biggest change was coming home to Anna. Every so often, he'd walk in to hear music in the living room where he'd find her wearing a sexy dress, a silk robe, or one of his dress shirts.

Or even nothing.

But she knew how much he enjoyed opening surprise gifts, so she generally wore something he could remove.

Since her photography had taken off, that didn't happen every night. He shook his head, remembering the night not long ago that he'd come home with some friendly colleagues. Anna had received word that some of her pictures were being used in a travel magazine pictorial and she was ready to celebrate.

Most of Brad's meetings that day had placed him in a dead zone, which meant he wasn't able to let her know he'd also had a good day. The two members of his team who'd been with him had brought invaluable experience, sealing a major deal, so he decided to bring them home for a celebratory barbecue. He tried calling as they got closer to the house, but her phone kept sending him to voice mail.

It wasn't until they were walking into the kitchen and he heard the haunting vocals of Enigma coming from the patio that he knew. He stopped suddenly and his friend Mark walked into him.

"Dude, what's up?"

"I'm sorry... can you guys wait here a minute? Grab a beer from the fridge if you want, but I need you to just... wait here." Brad stifled a groan, knowing that their missed messages were going to prove important.

There were a few chuckles and winks, but the guys agreed to sit back until the coast was clear. In the meantime, he headed for the patio, wondering what he'd find.

She craned her elegant neck in order to see him, a broad grin on her beautiful lips. "Hey there sexy, how was your day?"

Drinking in the view of her long legs, he wished at least one of their calls had gotten through. She was wearing, sort of, the skimpiest bikini she owned that could still claim to give her any amount of coverage. The back yard had been set up for a small celebration with her iPod deck providing their favorite soundtrack and an ice bucket chilling a bottle of sparkling wine.

"Looks like you had a good day," he chuckled, leaning down to kiss her nose.

Twisting on her lounge chair to lie on her side, she drew the backs of her fingers over his cheek. "I did... I got some great news and I've just been waiting for you to get home." She brought him back in for a tender kiss, the water she'd been drinking cooling his mouth. When he pulled back, she asked, "What were you up to? I tried calling you, but kept getting sent to your voicemail... if my call went through at all."

He crouched next to her without taking his hand from her face. "I was in meetings east of town and we were stuck in the middle of a bunch of dead zones."

"We?"

"I was with Mark and Tim and as it turns out, I've got good news, too."

At the sound of the refrigerator door closing, she giggled in amusement. "They're here, aren't they?"

"Yeah, I wanted to call you, but... you know... dead zones. When I was able to get through, we were so close to the house I figured... I don't know. I'm sorry, babe. I can always take them to the pub if you'd rather."

She sat up, tucking her hands into his and slid over to let their knees touch. "I'd rather hear your news. You implied that something great happened with your meetings, and I'd love to hear about it."

Her voice was soft and low, the way it was so often in their bedroom when she was asking -- pleading sometimes -- for him to touch her, to take her just a little harder, a little faster... a little slower. Or better yet, those times she told him what she was going to do to him before he was sent into orbit.

"We got the contract for the first group," he told her. "I know we're in the running with the second, but they have another meeting tomorrow and should call us in a couple days with their decision."

"Brad, that's wonderful!" She slid further forward and with just a little wriggle, ended up kneeling between his knees, her arms around his neck. "I know how hard you were working for this, for both of these, and I'm so proud of you."

Adjusting his crouch, he was able to place his hands on her lower back. "Well, I have to give a lot of credit to Tim and Mark... they were rock stars. In fact, that's why they're here. I thought grilling some steaks would be a great way to kick back and celebrate."

Brushing her lips over his, she whispered, "That's a wonderful idea, and I love you for thinking of them." She pressed her body to his, kissing him with a familiar ease that spoke of things to come. When she pulled back, she asked, "Do we have enough food for everyone tonight?"

"Probably not." He nibbled her lower lip for a moment while thinking. "I'm not even sure what we've got."

"We should probably get into the kitchen and check on that."

They remained in their huddle, kissing and caressing until a sound from just inside the door brought them back to a sense of reality. Her warm smile as they separated sent a new surge through his body, and she giggled when his hands jerked briefly against her back.

"Do you need a minute, babe?"

"No," he laughed. "Once you walk in the kitchen looking like that, they won't have room to laugh at me."

After changing the bikini, which had indeed been noticed by their guests, for a light sundress, it turned into a fun evening of laughter with good company over good food. The men were pleased with the results of their work, yet when Anna was finally persuaded to share her news, cheers broke out again.

"Anna, that's cool!" Tim enthused. "I've never known anyone who was published, let alone in a magazine I actually read. How did

Travel Time

get in touch with you?"

"I read them too, so I'm familiar with their work," she replied. "It was actually Brad's idea that I contact them with a story suggestion based on something I'd been telling him. They liked it, so they're sending me to Oregon next month. I have to say, the idea of escaping a Texas summer, even if only for most of August, makes me happy."

Curious about the logistics, Mark asked his colleague how he felt about the project. "I don't know how I'd react if my wife was taking a trip with another man."

"Oh, no," she broke in, "I sold them on the idea of a pictorial. I'll be writing and photographing everything... it's just me."

Stepping up for his lover, Brad added, "She's a fantastic photographer. Most of the stuff we have on the walls is her work. Besides, even if she was traveling with someone, there's nothing to say it wouldn't be another woman... and I trust her either way."

"Well, congratulations, Anna!" cheered Tim. "Writing, photography... is there anything you don't do?"

"Firearms," she deadpanned to the men's laughter.

Later that night, after their visitors left and the kitchen was clean, she wondered, "Brad, how do you really feel about this job that's coming my way?"

They were preparing for bed. With his shirt hanging open, he stopped what he was doing to bring her into a warm embrace. "Anna, except for your mother, I'm your biggest fan. The fact that this freelance thing has come your way... to me, it just confirms what I already know."

Kissing the tip of her nose while her fingers played in the soft hair on his chest, he added, "You're an amazing woman and an incredible photographer. You've had a couple shows that were successful, so this opportunity will just allow more people to see why."

"But the itinerary has me visiting four bed and breakfasts... I'll be away for nearly three weeks."

"We've been apart longer."

"I know, but --"

"But nothing, sexy lady, it'll be fine. This is your project, and I'm here to support you in it." He smiled and kissed her again while cupping her face. "Besides, there's nothing to stop me from doing what you did while I was on that three-month assignment. I'll take a long weekend and fly out to join you toward the end, then we can fly back here together."

Her expression softened from the earlier worry, into gratitude and more. "Do you know how much I love you?" she whispered before nibbling on his lower lip.

"I have a good idea," he breathed. Covering her lips with his, he deepened the kiss while curling his fingers into the soft hair at the top of her neck.

She sighed into his mouth, relaxing in his strong arms. When his tongue brushed the edge of her lip, she happily granted it entrance where her tongue was waiting to dance with it.

He moved his hand from her back and resumed removing the light dress she'd put on for dinner. "You know, the guys wouldn't have minded if you'd stayed in that bikini for dinner."

Feeling the dress start to fall, she gave a slight shimmy, helping it to glide past her hips to the floor. "Is that so?" she teased. "What about you? Would you have minded watching them ogle me?"

"That's a tough question. But I guess as long as they know you're with me, I don't mind if they look."

Her hands migrated from his chest to push his shirt from his shoulders. "You'd let them look at me?" Once his shirt was gone, she leaned in to flick her tongue over his nipples.

His groan made her both smile and notice her wetness increasing.

Taking a light yet firm grip on her hair, he growled, "In my house, looking at you... in that sexy bikini you had on before... could be a problem."

She was becoming excited by the way he was tugging on her hair. "Just think," she gasped, "if you'd been alone... you could have taken it off me... with your teeth."

That was the last straw. He let go of her silky hair long enough to wrap both arms around her nude body and lift her, only to drop her on the bed. Placing one knee next to her thigh, he pinned her shoulders down and leaned over her with a look in his eyes that further thrilled the redhead.

Her smile lit up the room.

She clasped her hands behind his neck, drawing him to her. "I've wanted you all day." Her words came in a slow whisper that wound through his body like a drug, bringing his desire to a low boil.

"It's too bad we missed each other's calls... I wouldn't have brought the guys home."

"I know," she murmured. "But you did and it turned out just fine." They were kissing with a heightened tenderness that served to spark their shared need. "They're nice guys, but they're gone now, lover... what do you plan to do about this situation?"

His hand responded, sliding down her side, over her hips, to a spot just above her knee. Curling around the ticklish area, he drew her leg up his thigh. With a sultry smile, she draped that foot over his hip, pulling him to her waiting embrace.

She could feel his firm length pressing against her belly. The heat coming off his body was driving her own temperature higher, and the only thought she had dealt with getting him inside her, and quickly.

"Anna," he moaned, "I wanted the guys to leave in the worst way, and there you were, playing the good hostess."

"You're the one who invited them." She teased him, knowing she could and that he was expecting it.

"I know, but I couldn't reach you to see where you were."

"Please Brad, let's not worry about it now." She stroked the light whiskers on his cheek and added, "The guys were here and we all had a great time, but they're not here anymore, so we can celebrate all we want. And believe me... I want."

He had taken hold of his aching cock to rub the head along the dewy lips of her slit. They both moaned at the light pressure, ready for a full celebration of the news each had received that day. Her added sigh spoke to him at a primal level and he couldn't hold back any longer.

Under other circumstances, he would have taken his time. However, the long, needless delay caused by his earlier good mood meant that he wanted nothing more than to be buried inside her, and preferably five minutes ago. Breathing her name, he thrust deeply into her slick, tight well.

"Oh, yes," came her breathy moan. She tilted her hips to his, making him moan in turn.

He stopped, partly to adjust his stance, partly to revel in her warm embrace. Gazing at her loving smile, he couldn't help thinking how lucky he was to have this smart, sexy, playful woman to cherish.

"Come back to me, baby," she whispered, pulling him close and nibbling on his bottom lip. "You went away for a minute there."

"I can't help it... it's just something you do to me." Withdrawing until only his head remained in her wet, velvet grip, he smiled. "The strangest things seem to happen to me when you're around... and sometimes, even when you're not." He slid forward, lowering his body to hers at the same time, covering her with his weight. God, he loved that; he loved feeling that he was sheltering her, protecting her from whatever might be out there.

Anna wrapped her legs around his hips, rolling up to meet him. "Funny...

good

things happen to me when you're around," she teased back.

They kissed tenderly, moving together and finding their rhythm. He pressed his forehead to hers and they gazed into one another's eyes, adding to the heartfelt moment.

Everything they said was through touch paired with soft gasps and sighs. He could get lost in the sweet, quiet sounds she made, while she craved the feel of his hands on her body. She melted at the way he seemed to make sure he caressed every inch of her, rather than just rushing for the highlights.

That night, Brad kept his stroke long, slow and deep until her nails started to dig into his hips. When she arched her back and neck to press her head into the pillow, he increased his speed enough to deepen their breathing. The greater speed was what she needed, and they immediately felt the walls of her pussy begin their spasms.

She cried out, pulling him further into her and soaking his cock and thighs with her juices. When she felt him twitching inside her, she nibbled on his earlobe, knowing it would make him crazy. He succumbed to her pleasure, erupting deep within her velvet clutch.

Their bed was a haven and they spent the rest of the night holding one another, forgetting about the world outside.

One week later, he drove her to the airport for her assignment.

~*~*~

Arriving in the small, coastal town, Brad was amazed by how engaged his senses were. The light clouds let the sun warm his body while also painting the ocean a deep blue. A gentle breeze brought a clean, salty scent which mixed in a unique way with the warm sweetness of the half dozen confectioners he'd passed upon hitting the coastal highway.

He stood on the abbreviated boardwalk, watching the whitecaps and letting their crashes echo in his ears. Other than having Anna beside him, all he could think of to make the scene perfect would have been a beer.

Just then, Sugarloaf's "Green Eyed-Lady" chimed from his pocket. It was funny how often it happened -- he'd think of her and she'd call or text within three minutes.

"Hey, baby, what's up?"

Her voice was an angel's song, lifting his spirit.

"You know, for all you've told me about being here and all your pictures... heck, even my own travels... you're right about how magic this place is."

"You made it?" she gasped in surprise. "I didn't think you'd be here for a few hours."

He laughed, "I got lucky and made an early flight."

"Not that it matters that much," came her grumbled response.

"What do you mean?"

"The guy I'm meeting here is running crazy late. If you hadn't gotten in so early, it wouldn't be a problem, but now I'm not sure."

"Do you have any idea when you'll be done?"

"Not really... I was counting on you having that later flight. I had a few plans for you."

He chuckled, remembering her earlier text. "No worries, Anna. If you can recommend a place to get a beer, I'll be happy. We'll have all weekend to, as you put it, 'play.'"

"Oh, I can do that."

He could hear her smile over the phone.

"Where are you, babe?"

He took a quick look around. "I'm looking over the ocean, not far from a sign declaring Depoe Bay as the world's smallest... something or other."

She laughed, saying, "I know exactly where you are. Turn around."

"Okay."

"On your left, about one-third of the way down the row of businesses across the street, you should see a funky wooden sculpture."

Scanning the storefronts he was facing, he saw it easily. "Yeah, there it is."

"That's a neat little restaurant and bar called 'The Sea Hag.' If you're really hungry, you can get a great meal there and I'll call or text once I have an idea when I'll be back."

"That sounds fine, sugar... any suggestions on what might be good?"

"Babe, you're on the Oregon Coast... they get fresh fish all day long," she giggled. "If it's on the menu tonight, you might try the crab plate."

"Sounds good to me," he agreed. "I'm just sorry things got messed up for you. I was looking forward to this." He could hear something moving on her end of the conversation and asked if she was okay.