Thursday

"I wonder if she can hear my heart pounding from there." he thought as they turned onto Mulock Drive. If so, she didn't let on. She kept up a steady chatter, just small talk really, but he was content just to hear her voice. She wove her way through traffic at a speed that always made him slightly nervous. The case of beer between his feet jingled as she changed lanes.

This wasn't the first night she had driven him home, but it was definitely a change in the routine. Tonight she had agreed to have a drink or two with him. Hell, it was even her idea! His heart rate had been slightly elevated since they got into the truck, and it had nothing to do with her driving. Her right hand lay casually in his left and he caressed the back of it gently with his thumb as she drove.

A few minutes later they pulled into his driveway. They climbed out of her truck and headed through the gate that led directly to the backyard. A wide deck looked out over a small lawn and a pool. Late afternoon sun danced on the water and somewhere nearby a cardinal called to its mate. She sat at the end of the patio table where the large umbrella would keep the sun from her eyes. He made his way inside to put the beer in the refrigerator and returned with two, poured into frosted glasses. His fingers touched hers as he handed her a glass.

They had known each other and worked together for almost two years now and he had been in love with her for more than half of that time. That particular piece of news he had shared with her the previous summer. Exactly how she felt remained a mystery to him but it was clear that there was something there.

They talked some more as they sipped their drinks, about work, about their families. She idly twirled a few locks of her hair between her fingers.

"I'm really glad you're here." he said as he stood to get refills, "I know it's hard for you to find the time."

"I'm glad I'm here too." she replied with a smile that he would remember long after she left.

When he returned with their drinks she had kicked off her shoes and her feet were resting on the chair he had been sitting in. She had pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail and her light summer dress had drifted up to mid-thigh. Her legs were long, lean, tanned and toned, and they took his breath away. He lifted her feet off of the chair, sat down, and lowered them to his lap.

"This ok?" he asked.

"Sure." she replied. "This is a beautiful yard. It's bigger than I thought it'd be."

"I was surprised when I first saw it too." he said. "The whole house is better than I thought it would be."

They chatted a while longer about the house, the pool, the mess the trees made. His hand rested just above her ankle. Her skin felt like warm silk. Other than holding her hand on drives home, this was the longest he'd ever touched her.

"You've never been inside, have you...want the nickel tour?" he asked.

She paused and her expression changed slightly.

"Ok." she said smiling "I need a pee anyway."

"Then the bathroom will be the first stop."

He led the way through the sliding door, through the living room and down the hall and showed her to the small bathroom by the front door.

While he waited he thought of how all of this had come to be. He still remembered the slightly panicked look on her face when he first told her he loved her. He understood that look now. Just recently she had told him that she seemed to attract men who developed an unhealthy obsession with her, some to the point of stalking her. He had worked hard to assure her he was not like them, that his love was not the obsessive, possessive, controlling kind. His came from a place in his heart he didn't know existed until he met her. Over time she had grown to trust him, but he knew that to express love to her would always be tainted by the damage caused by others.

"Ok!" she said brightly as she rejoined him in the kitchen, "let's see the pad."

They went out the other end of the galley kitchen, through the dining room and living room while she commented politely on the furniture and décor and soon found themselves in the front hall near the stairs.

"C'mon, let me show you where I spend most of my time." he said, going up the first two steps.

She stopped, that pensive expression on her face again.

"Please." he said, "I'd really like to show you where I live. I'm not sure why, but it's important to me. Besides, 'whatever you want, whenever you're ready', remember?"

There had been times when he was sure he had pushed a little too hard in the past. Pushed her to take their relationship to a different level and she had pulled back. He would not make that mistake again and he had promised her he would never pressure her. The last thing he wanted was for her to associate him with those other guys that made her feel hounded and cornered.

After a moment's pause she moved toward the stairs. He led the way, exhaling, unaware that he had been holding his breath.

He swung the door open to his room and she went inside, looking around.

"This is nice!" she exclaimed.

The room was a pale sage green with an old pine armoire against one wall and a black bookcase along another. There was a print on the far wall and a framed photograph above the bed in the corner. She turned slowly, taking it all in.

She stepped toward the bookcase, examining the titles on the spines. One shelf was almost entirely law texts. The rest was an eclectic mix of biographies, novels, philosophy, and racing. Interspersed on the shelves were several framed photographs, mostly of his kids from a previous marriage.

She moved to her right to get a closer look at a small black and white photo on the top shelf.

"Who's this?" she asked.

The photo was of a small boy, perhaps three years old, sitting on a man's lap. He was leaning forward with his head on the man's shoulder. The man was looking to his right and seemed to be in conversation with someone out of the frame. Neither was looking at the camera, a true candid moment in time.

"That's me and my dad." he said. "I'm not sure if I remember that day in particular, or if I just did that so often it sort of blended into one memory. I used to love to sit with him like that with one ear against his chest while he talked. I could hear his voice in his chest with one ear and his normal voice with the other."

He had moved close behind her as he spoke and her neck and bare shoulder were right there. She smelled wonderful. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the side of her neck. Her head tilted as if to allow him more. He kissed her again just below her ear as he traced his fingertips down her arm from shoulder to wrist. He saw goose bumps come up on her arm. His kiss lingered as his hand moved from her wrist to her waist and down over her hip. His other arm gently encircled her and she leaned back into him. With her back against his chest, this time she did feel his heart pounding. They had hugged before but never like this, and she had always released the embrace first. He felt her move and let her go, certain he had gone too far. But she turned and put her arms over his shoulders and kissed him full on the mouth. His hands returned to her waist and he pulled her close, feeling her breasts against his chest. And in that moment all the world was perfect.

"I love you" he whispered. She said nothing but kissed him again.

"Will you let me show you?" he asked, his voice a bit unsteady. Again she was silent but remained close in his arms. He was well aware of her apprehension, how big a step this was for her. It was for him too.

His left hand moved slowly up her back while his right moved lower, over the swell of her hip. He reached the nape of her neck and could feel the small tab of her dress zipper beneath his palm. She had once said to him that if something was going to happen between them, it would happen all at once. This seemed to be happening all at once. With a million thoughts racing through his mind, his heart working double-time, and barely breathing, he grasped the zipper and with a final prayer applied the slightest pressure.

The whispering purr as the zipper began to move was the loudest thing he'd ever heard. Time stood still as both of their lives changed.

She stepped back slightly and again he was sure he had blown it. But, one at a time, she slipped the narrow straps off of her shoulders and with a sound like a sigh, the dress pooled at her feet. She was completely and gloriously naked and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was deeply tanned and had worn only the bottom of her bikini when she had stretched out in the sun. The contrast seemed to highlight her nakedness. He drank her in with his eyes, her perfect breasts, flat tummy, the flare of her hips and her hairless mound. He reached for his collar and in one motion pulled his shirt over his head and off. Slowly, his hand rose to cup her breast. His thumb rubbed across her nipple, caressing it erect. He pulled her to him, needing to feel her skin against his. The sensation of holding her, this woman that he loved so much, with nothing between them, was something he had imagined and even dreamed about for so long. And now she was really here, in his arms.

After a moment they turned as if in a slow dance and together they toppled onto the bed. He kissed her tenderly as her thighs came up around his waist. He kissed the hollow of her neck, her shoulder, the swell of her breast and then took her hardening nipple between his lips. He flicked the tip of his tongue across it and she arched her back. He moved lower, down her body, trailing kisses as he went, tasting her skin. His fingertips traced lightly down her side, raising more goose bumps on the tanned skin of her stomach. Now on his knees, he kissed the inside of her knee.

"I can't believe this is really happening." he whispered, "I've wanted you for so long..."

He took a moment to just look at her, trying to burn the image of her into his memory forever. In the diffuse early evening light, she seemed to glow.

Now on her back, her smooth mound became even more prominent. Her inner lips had begun to open like a blossoming flower and she was already wet. Slowly, he traced the tip of his tongue along her inner thigh, occasionally kissing and nibbling as he went. He gently sucked the sensitive skin in the valley between her thigh and her pussy, teasing her. He felt her hand on the back of his head and opened his eyes. She was pinching and rolling her nipple between her fingers as she steered him where she wanted him to be. With the lightest pressure he licked the length of her wet slit from bottom to top and pressed his lips to her soft bulge. She moaned low in her throat.

Moving lower, his tongue danced across her clitoris and her hips came off the bed. Lower still, he probed her opening and tasted her juices then returned to her clit, circling it. He took it gently between his lips and flicked the tip of his tongue across it. Her pelvis rocked as he repeated the pattern, down to her wet opening and back to her clit.

Through half-closed eyes he could see her abdominal muscles beginning to ripple. She clutched the duvet with one hand while the other applied more pressure to his head, her long fingernails gripping his scalp. He focused entirely on her clit now, licking and sucking gently. Her long toned thighs flexed, her hips rose again and she cried out as her orgasm swept over her. He savoured her wetness as she came, but continued tonguing her clit, prolonging her orgasm. Finally she could take no more and rolled half on her side, pulling her knees up, her eyes shut tight and her breath ragged.

He undid his jeans and quickly skinned them off along with his underwear and socks. He spooned behind her on the bed, his hard cock pressed against her.

After a moment she rolled towards him.

"I want you inside me." she said softly.

He moved to allow her to turn fully onto her back and he positioned himself between her thighs. He raised himself up on his hands and gazed down at her. Her eyes were bright and her face and chest were flushed. Again he was overcome by the idea that this was really happening. Again he tried to etch this moment forever in his mind. They might make love a thousand more times, or never again. But this day, this Thursday, would never happen again.

He lowered his head and kissed her softly, his tongue touched hers and she tasted her own sweetness on his mouth. Her hands on his hips urged him forward.

The head of his cock found her entrance and he paused again, wanting to be in this moment forever. Their eyes locked as he began to slide into her. She was hot and incredibly wet and he felt the mouth of her cervix kiss him as the last of his length went into her. He held himself deep inside her as her pussy muscles flexed and squeezed him. He withdrew until only the head was inside and then pushed forward, more urgently this time. He rolled his hips, stirring his cock inside her and grinding against her sensitive clit.

"Oh my God, fuck me!" she growled, "Fuck me."

Again and again he thrust into her in long strokes. Gradually his pace increased as she neared another orgasm. He felt her pussy squeezing him again and he pushed into her as far as he could go. Her pussy clamped down on him, she rolled her hips up and he felt her cum wash over him. He sucked her nipple hard as she came, her fingernails digging into his arms. As her orgasm subsided, he lay fully on her and ran his hand down the back of her thigh. His fingertips found the place where they were joined and he felt her wetness.

He allowed her time to recover but soon began to move inside her again. Slowly withdrawing all the way, then entering her again, and slowly in until he was pressed tight against her. Raising himself up, he looked down where he was buried deep inside her, his eyes traveled across her tanned body, her perfect breasts, to her eyes. He had seen many expressions on her face in the time he had known her. He had seen pain, anger, worry and joy - but never this. Her face now was a mask of passion. This was the face that he had waited his entire life to see and he fell in love with her all over again.

His movements now became less controlled as he neared his own release. He held off as long as he could, knowing she was getting close too, but the events of the last hours finally caught up with him. The images flashed across his mind; her hand in his, her feet on his lap, the smell of her neck, her arms around him, her breasts against his chest, the sound of the zipper, the sigh of the dress, her skin on his, the way she tasted...he licked his lips to taste her again.

With a deep groan he held himself deep and she could feel his cock swell, then the warm rush as he poured himself into her. Again and again he pulsed until finally collapsing into her arms. His breath came in ragged gasps and bright points of light dotted his vision.

With a strength that did not surprise him at all, she rolled together with him until she was straddling him. She sank down on his hardness and ground her clit against him. Leaning forward she traced a nipple around his lips. He sucked it into his mouth and teased it with his tongue. She pulled free long enough to feed him the other.

She sat upright and once again his eyes drank her in. His hands on her thighs felt her muscles flex and she began to raise and lower herself on his hardness. She lifted until just the tip remained inside, then quickly took him all the way in. She cupped her breasts and rolled her stiff nipples between her fingers as she ground against him again. He could feel her pussy tighten as she neared another climax. He held her hips and pushed up into her. She threw her head back, her hair now loose and wild, and came with him as deep inside her as he could go.

She fell forward onto him and he held her. Now he could feel her heart pounding as he stroked her back.

They stayed like that for some time, still joined, her head on his chest, his arms around her. Eventually their breathing returned to normal and they both drifted off to somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.

Her whispered voice tickled his ear, "I have to go." she said. He held her tighter, never wanting the moment to end, but knowing it had to.

She rolled off him and sat for a moment on the edge of the bed. He sat up and kissed her back. He would never tire of the taste of her skin. She stood and retrieved her dress. Watching her step into it, it seemed to him like his dream was now running in reverse.

"Help me with the zipper?" she asked, turning her back to him. Reluctantly he did, then wrapped his arms around her, cupping a breast in one hand. She turned and kissed him.

"I love you." he said quietly. It was all he could think to say.

"Love you too." she replied.

He pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt as she straightened out her hair, putting it back in a ponytail. They made their way back downstairs and out onto the deck where she put her shoes back on, her hand on his shoulder for balance. Again, he was struck by the feeling that time was running backwards, that everything they had experienced was somehow un-happening. He walked her through the gate to the driveway and she got into her truck. She started it and rolled the window down before closing the door. As he leaned in through the open window to kiss her again he noticed a look in her eyes that he had not seen before. There was a warmth and a tenderness there that made his heart swell. She was more beautiful than ever and was looking at him in a way that she hadn't until this magical and wonderful Thursday. It was a look that he would have bet his life that not many men had seen on her face. There was nothing she needed to say, and nothing he needed to hear.

He watched as she backed out of the driveway and pulled away, then made his way back through the gate. Somewhere nearby a cardinal called to its mate. And it sounded like hope.