It was late on a winters day, chill rain pattered against windows pushed by gusting wind, darkness draining light from warm pools this side of the glass, flickering flame shifting shadows across walls and ceiling as a crackling fire pours heat into the room.
Craig had arrived a few hours back, unannounced as usual, bearing gifts of prime lamb, fine wine and the more upbeat side of his bi-polar personality. Typically, the lamb came, no questions asked, from an acquaintance at Smithfield meat market and the wine likely left the store undetected by the cashier. Not so typically, the persona. Craig is usually bearable, often fun but can fall on a sliding scale from deep depression to obnoxious highs with or without prescribed, or otherwise, medication.
This night Craig was a little full of himself as storyteller, accounts real or imagined, likely true, of heroism, compassion and bravado regaling the audience of two, Rose Mary and me.
I'd known Craig for five years or so and had been living with Rose Mary for a couple of years. Rose was a little wary of Craig. Of all the ways to describe him, gentle and retiring were not among them.
Physically large, a motorcycle accident smashed him up pretty badly when he was younger, surviving the horrific injuries. He once said that before the accident if all else failed, he had his strength but the accident took that away. Don't get me wrong, he is still stupidly powerful, swims like a fish and drinks like one too with no apparent effect.
We were very different but had remained good friends over the years.
Returning from a bathroom visit I find Craig and Rose Mary dancing to a slow number coming from the stereo. Well, dancing may be optimistic, Rose seemed to be avoiding Craig's attempts to kiss and grope her. As I walked over to them she was pushing his hips away with both hands, a full erection quite evident.
"Will you keep your friend under control?" She wasn't really annoyed, likely appreciating the comedy, flirting with Craig in full view.
"Well, you either asked him to dance or said yes when he asked. Dancing to slow, smooching music is supposed to be sexy." Not quite managing to remain serious, Craig can barely keep the laugh in.
"Men, you're all the same. You want me to groped by your friend?"
"Only if you want it too. Craig, if she gives you any more trouble I'll hold her arms."
"You'd hold me down while he ravishes me? You're supposed to be my protector. Jeez."
Rose Mary turns to Craig, giving up on me, "behave and I'll dance with you to teach my pimp a lesson."
Holding his arms out Rose Mary snuggles up to him, pulling back when her tummy contacts his bulge, Craig closes his arms around her. He seems to be behaving himself for the first fifteen seconds or so. He is bent on kissing her, Rose waving her head side-to-side to avoid him. I left them to it.
Sitting, taking in the sight of my girlfriend and best friend dancing, pouring another scotch, watching as Craig's hands explore her back under the sweater she is wearing. Rose Mary has one hand pushing his hip away the other pushing firmly on his shoulder.
You couldn't say they looked good swaying to the music, Craig is as wide as a house, his balding pate failing to cover the scar where his skull broke like an egg in the accident. The story, at least how Craig describes it, has the medics scooping his brains back into the empty skull. How close to the truth, only the first responders know. But the scar is pretty scary looking.
Rose Mary is tall, curves where there should be curves, but slender with pale, freckled skin and a mass of hennaed hair, naturally red with a little silver creeping in. She is ten years older than me.
Craig has calmed down a little, gently pulling her to him while Rose Mary is holding him away the best she can but their hips bounce gently against each other as they move. I'm OK with that so long as she is. I actually find it quite sexy.
A wicked thought swims into focus, getting up I go to change the CD to the make-out one I made up for Rose Mary when we first met. Super slow and very sexy. I can't help myself. I turn the main floor lamp off so one small table lamp and the fire the only illumination. Grabbing another scotch, I sit in the leather recliner watching my friends smooch in the shadows.
Rose Mary pulls away from Craig with one hand on her hip giving me the look, "making yourself comfortable there? You want to watch your friend slow dance with me?"
"You look good together." I lied.
Craig holds the bulge in his pants with a shit-eating grin that says 'I want to fuck your girlfriend'. I smile back, code for 'sure, why not?'
Rose Mary turns back to Craig who slides his arm around her waist gently pulling her against his cock. Her back arches and she pushes away, "not so fast mister, behave."
Laughing, Craig looks at me, "hold her down."
"Don't you dare," Rose Mary turning to me as I run my hands up her arm, "stop that," gently pulling her arms back, "Jake, not funny," the partial erection now bone hard, wondering how far to go with this. No, maybe not that far. Maybe.
Rose tenses, trying to pull her arms from my grip but not putting up too much resistance as Craig's hands stroke her breasts. gently squeezing them while Rose breathes deeply. My cock is hard against her ass, if she notices she is not giving anything away. She may be enjoying the attention, the restraint an excuse to have another man fondle her.
Of course, Craig has to cross the unmarked line, a wicked smile as he says, "you feel really good," while slipping a hand up under the sweater. She is breathing short shallow breaths as Craig explores her, now with both hands, wrapping one around her waist pulling her to him, his stiff cock pressing into her belly.
Rose yanks her head around as Craig leans in to kiss her, his fingers fingering the hem of her skirt, tugging. The head butt bringing tears to my eyes too.
Momentarily stunned, a forced smile crosses Craig's lips.
"I don't know Craig, maybe tonight is not the night."
Rose Mary turns to me, more on me, spitting, "bastard. I didn't like that. You both scared me."
Pointing out, carefully, the obvious, "you seemed to be enjoying the attention," pushing it, "didn't you?"
Rose Mary lunges at Craig, kissing him hard, who takes a few quizzical seconds before curling his bear like arms around her, responding to the kiss, his paw squeezing her ass.
Rose Mary breaks away from the kiss and struggles again as Craig slips his hands under the sweater. She's breathing deeply but Craig is not being too obnoxious as I watch his hands moving under the sweater. Not groping. Probably running fingers around the edge of her bra. I imagine the warmth of her bare flesh on his palms as his thumbs stroke the underside of her breast, not recalling if she is actually wearing a bra. Damn.
Then there is the slightest change, barely perceptible in the gloom. Rose Mary is less tense, holding but not pushing Craig away. Their hips are fully against each other. I can't see where Craig's right hand is but get the impression he has it on Rose Mary's breast, while the other is obviously high up her back under the sweater.
She looks up at Craig, they slowly bring the mouths together, seconds pass before their lips touch lightly, then more completely. I missed several breaths watching them. Rose turning to me, warning, "be careful what you ask for," slipping away from Craig's embrace she leaves the room and heads upstairs.
Craig making eye contact. "You OK with this?"
"If Rose Mary is. Go for it," a sudden panic attack rears but is as quickly put back down, "it'll be tough to watch you with her and I don't know how far she'll go so don't get too excited," both of us enjoying the joke, "she could just be teasing both of us." Now that could be a dangerous game.
Rose Mary enters the room again, she has changed into a dress that I like to see her in. It is quite thin and fits close to her body. I have danced with her when she has worn it before. I recall her warmth through the material, hands smoothing her curves, my cock pressed hard into her soft belly. Now as then, she does not wear a bra.
She turns the thermostat higher although the room is pretty toasty as I add another log and stoke the fire.
Moving to Craig, she says, "no promises, I just want to make Jake suffer a little bit," smiling sweetly at me then turning to Craig as his arms fold around her, while I watch her melt into him. Now they dance close.
I watch them for a minute or two, locked together, barely swaying, music oozing from the speakers, suggesting dancing 'feels like making love', while Craig's hand finds the small of her back while the other hand smooths down the gentle swell of her ass. Rose Mary placing a hand on his, moving it to a safer place but it is soon back where it seems the most natural.