The One That Got Away 9

Naked, I wrapped a towel around my waist, grabbed soap and shampoo and headed for the shower. As I turned the knob and stepped under the hot water, I had to blink away the image of Leoni standing there waiting for me.

It was easy to imagine she was there. Let me paint a picture for you.

She was five feet and three inches of perfection. Long brunette hair, halfway down her back, wavy, dark brunette but not black. Dreamy brown eyes. Perfect lips, like you'd find on supermodels in those lipstick commercials. Skin the color of butter. Small boned. Petite figure. A body that looked like it was sculpted from stone but was softer than a cloud. Slim waist. Small shoulders. Slender arms. And perfect buttery breasts with eraser-sized cocoa nipples surrounded by matching cocoa areolas.

That was Leoni Miranda Owens.

It was true that I haven't taken any new lovers lately, not since Leoni left. And I knew why. She was the best thing to happen to me. Ever. She made life a whole lot easier to deal with. I'm still not sure how I lost her. But I did.

It really sucks. I miss her.

Buddies of mine have suggested that I take this time to play the field and get back in the game. That's what guys do. But I'm content to sit on the sidelines, if you follow me, and mourn a little longer, until I'm ready to move on. Sorry about all the sports metaphors. That's how guys look at things.

Yes, guys do mourn. I read somewhere in one of my men's magazines that when we lose something, like a relationship, that it's important to take time to mourn the loss properly. Maybe in a few more months, I might feel like dating again. But definitely not at this time. I'll be honest and say up front that I compare every woman I meet to Leoni. And nobody comes close.

To be honest, I didn't really feel like going out tonight. But it's also true that I haven't been out in a long time. I owed it to myself to let off a little steam. After Leoni left me I pretty much threw myself into my work.

All work and no play make Matthew a very dull boy.

Once I finished my shower, I got dressed again, in the same suit I'd been wearing all day. This was one of my favorite suits, dark grey with light grey pinstripes, and I didn't want to go out in it and get club smells in it, but since this was business, I supposed I needed to have it dry cleaned, anyway. So I put it back on, without the necktie this time. I towel-dried my hair and just left it as is.

Finally I left the health club, went to my hybrid SUV and fished out my keys. I tossed my gym bag in the back seat, got in and turned the ignition.

I pulled out and drove into the gathering darkness, all the headlights letting me know I wasn't the only one having a night on the town this Friday evening. But now I couldn't get Leoni off my mind. Why did she have to leave me? I couldn't believe Rob brought that up. Brought her up.

I remembered that weekend like it happened yesterday.

* * * *

Friday night after work, I went to this adult-novelties store looking for something to surprise Leoni with, but nothing was leaping out at me - at least, not until I got to the wrist cuffs, feathers, and blindfolds.

A crafty expression took over my face.

Considering how I had never done this before, this meaning tying someone up, I took the wrist cuffs made of soft rope. After all, the box did say For beginners. Then I got the feather. And the blindfold. I also got the purple patent-leather bra with peek-a-boo nipples, too, and the matching crotch-less purple boy-short panties and took it all home.

When I got home, Leoni was already in my kitchen, making something for dinner. She stood at my kitchen counter, wearing a cute blue camisole and baggy pink velour drawstring pants, barefoot, her shiny pretty hair up in a teeny tiny bun, humming happily as she dumped whole grain pasta in a pot full of boiling water.

I came up behind her and covered her eyes. "Guess who?"

She played along. "Well, I hope it's my boyfriend Matthew, or I guess this is going to be a home invasion."

I uncovered her eyes. "Good guess."

She laughed, turned around and gave me a big hug. "Hi, honey!"

I smiled back. "Hi."

"You're a little late getting home."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

"Traffic bad?"

"Nope. I stopped and got something for us to play with."

"Oooh, goody! What is it?"

"Leoni-"

"Don't tell me! You bought a puppy."

"Nope."

"You bought a kitten?"

"Nope."

"Aw, come on, tell me! What is it?"

I grinned. "It's a surprise. But I promise that when we're done, you'll wish I'd gotten it sooner. Much sooner."

"What on earth-"

Placing my finger on her mouth, I shook my head. "Dinner first. Then we can devote our full attention to it."

Leoni grinned back. "Oh, okay. Guess I'll just have to wait till then, huh?"

We kissed. "Guess you will."

"Yes, I will!" We kissed again.

"What's for dinner? It smells good."

Leoni released me and turned back around. "Thanks. I'm making my spaghetti for our six month anniversary."

I nuzzled the nape of her neck. "Sounds good. Do I have time to change clothes?"

"Mmmmm. Yes you do, naughty boy."

"Cool."

"Can you believe we've been together six months?"

"No, only in so far as it doesn't feel like six months. If you know what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean. Go change for dinner."

From the kitchen, I went upstairs to the master bedroom and set about arranging the presents I'd bought. I briefly feared that she wouldn't like them.

But Leoni usually liked what I bought for her.

I put some of the items on the bed where she could see them, the bra and panties, and the blind fold. The feather and cuffs and rope went into my dresser drawer. Then I changed out of my suit into blue sweats and went back down the stairs for dinner.

By the time I pushed my chair away from the dinner table, I was full and satisfied. Leoni looked at my plate as she took it to the kitchen sink. "My goodness, somebody was hungry."

I patted my tummy. "Yeah, a little bit. What can I say, you're a good cook."

Leoni laughed. "Thanks. But not as good as you are, though."

"Nah, you're just saying that."

She came back to the table, went over to my chair and put her arms around my neck from behind. "I hope you're not so full and sleepy that we can't play."

I grinned. "Nope."

"Good. So why don't we go see what you bought?"

"I thought you'd never ask." I stood up, took her hand and led her up the stairs.

Leoni said, "Come on, just tell me! What is it?"

"I told you, it's a surprise." We got to the last stair, where I said, "Close your eyes."

"Honey, what-"

"Just do it, please."

"Ooooh, honey!" She promptly shut her eyes.

I took her hand and led her into the master bedroom so she faced the bed where I had the bra and panties laid out, along with the blindfold. The feather and the wrist cuffs were still hidden. Then I said, "Okay. Now you can open your eyes."

A moment later, I heard a gasp.

Leoni turned around and said, "Matthew Christopher Wheatley, you are a devil. A mind reading devil!"

"I take that to mean you don't mind being blindfolded?"

She kissed me. "More like willing. And able."

Five minutes later, Leoni was dressed to sin, while I'd stripped down to my boxers. The bra and panties, such as they were, fit her exactly right. She climbed on my bed, kneeled and closed her eyes.

I went to my dresser, quietly pulled the drawer open and got the wrist cuffs, feather, and rope and resumed my place behind her. "Now, are you absolutely sure this is something you want?"

Her eyes still closed, she said, "Yes. Put it on."

So I did. I held it over her eyes and slipped the elastic strap around the back of her head. "Not too tight?"

"Nope. Just right."

"Good." I started to massage her shoulders.

Leoni moaned in a contented fashion.

"My goodness, someone's muscles are tight tonight."

She moaned again. "Not if you keep that up."

"Good." I massaged her shoulders a while longer, then I picked up the feather and ran it along the nape of her neck.

Leoni exhaled but didn't moan.

"Do you like that?"

"I could tell you if I knew what it was."

"Does that really matter?" I ran the feather down her arm.

"Ahhhhhh... As long as it feels that good, no."

"Good." I put the feather down, and reached for the wrist-cuffs. I slipped on the left one first, then the right and hooked them together.

"Oh, honey! Are you tying me up?"

"Yep. Want me to stop?"

"Dear God, no, please keep going!"

I picked up the feather again, and brushed her arm with it.

Her whole body shivered. "Ahhhhh..."

Then an idea suddenly crossed my mind. I reached up and freed her hair from the bun she'd had it in. I ran my fingers through her hair, petting it like it was a rich fur pelt. Then I gently pulled at her hair, causing her head to arch back, so her neck was exposed, and I ran the feather over her exposed neck.

She practically came. "Ahhhhhhhhuuhhhh!"

"Do you like that, Miss Leoni?"

"Ahhhh! Yeah! Yes, please, Mr. Matthew, please keep going!"

I moved around in front and brushed the feather against her face: her cheeks, the line of her jaw, her cute little nose and her mouth, grinning devilishly all the while. At the same time, I was amazed. I'd never seen her react like this.

To say my girlfriend was aroused was putting it mildly.

I diligently kept to my task. She nearly melted as I ran the feather over her exposed nipples. Her breasts changed right before my delighted eyes. They grew firmer and higher. Her nipples became erect.

I lightly held her arms, leaned forward and licked her nipples. She arched her back and thrust her breasts out to me. I sucked them, like I would an ice cream cone.

"Ahhh! Honey..."

"Well, your breasts are ready."

Leoni giggled as she gasped. "My pussy is, too!"

"Oh, yeah? Let's find out." I reached in between her legs. Leoni had no pubic hair. As soon as my fingers touched the tender flesh around her pussy, I could feel the heat emanating like a flame.

I reached around her waist, and unhooked the wrist-cuffs. Then I laid her down on the bed, lifted her arms through the brass head bars and then I took the rope and hooked it to the cuffs.

Leoni was a hair's breadth away from coming. I could sense it. I used the feather to tease her clit. When moisture was seeping out of her pussy lips, I put the feather aside and dived down to eat her pussy directly. I enjoyed attending to my task. It didn't take very long at all to have Leoni's ass speaking in tongues.

"Ahh! Oh, honey! I'm going to...going to...Ahhhhhhhhuuuhhhhhh!"

Leoni's orgasm was explosive, and I don't mean metaphorically. I suddenly felt a jet of warm fluid on my face. I couldn't believe she'd squirted!

I reached up to take the blind fold off. Leoni's eyes fluttered open. There was love in her eyes. Affection. Gratitude. And passion. I kissed her, then I quickly released her and she swept me in her arms for a hug. She was trembling.

"Leoni, are you okay?"

She said in my ear, "Yes, I'm okay. Just hold me, honey."

So I did. I just held her. Eventually the trembling went away.

She was the first to pull back. "Nobody has ever made me come that hard."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously! Why are you all wet?"

"Because you sprayed fluid out of your pussy when you came."

"Oh my God, are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious."

"I haven't ever sprayed before. I hope I didn't get you too badly."

"Oh, just a little bit."

Leoni blushed and looked away. She climbed off the bed and got a towel. "Here, clean off your face."

"Thanks." I blotted my face with the towel.

Then she took the blindfold from me. "And now I believe it's your turn."

I lay down willingly. Her gentle hands moved my arms up over my head and secured my arms with the wrist cuffs. The blindfold went on. Then I was surprised to receive the most affectionate kissing and touching I'd ever gotten. Her lips were soft and warm, her hands were cool. I felt her touching and kissing start at my lips, go all over my face, down my neck, across my collarbone, and down my chest and tummy. Where her lips and tongue went, her soft fingers and long nails would follow.

I gasped out loud when I suddenly felt her long nails on my cock and balls. I always wondered what that would feel like.

Leoni said, "Do you like that?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" She did it again.

"Yes!" I said promptly, gasping out loud. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Mmm. Now you know why I keep them long."

I wasn't surprised when I felt her warm mouth on my dick. The sucking was slow and soft and affectionate but meant business. She was not only sucking, she was slurping my cock! She didn't stop slurping my cock until I came. My nuts squeezed so hard that I must have fired off every single sperm cell I had stored up.

Then the blindfold came off. The wrist cuffs came off. The lights went off.

Leoni's soft body eased down next to mine. Her lips were on mine. A soft loving whisper, "Good night, honey. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Leoni. Yours too."

"Mine, too."

We fell asleep together. Instantly.

The next morning, I woke up, and a grin instantly appeared on my face, as if it were stuck there of its own accord.

The sky was a pre-dawn grey, as I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. It was also chilly because all I had on was boxers.

I flushed the toilet and went back to bed, where Leoni remained, sacked out, completely still under the sheets, her hair a tousled mess, her face peaceful. She never looked so beautiful. I slipped back into bed.

I didn't even realize I'd fallen back to sleep, until I woke up again. A soft female hand was slowly stroking my cock. Bright morning sunshine came in through the windows. Looking to my left, I saw Leoni's face, still adorably puffy, eyes still sleepy. Softly tousled dark curls brushed her soft buttery shoulders.

"Okay, I'm awake now."

Leoni laughed softly. "Good morning, honey." She moved closer to me and kissed me. She liked to kiss me just to kiss. "So, what's my handsome prince doing today?"

"Well, I would say stay at home and watch cartoons. But I've got a couple of errands to run. What about you?"

"Yeah, me too."

"Those pesky errands. Too bad we can't just stay in bed all day."

Leoni laughed again. "That does sound tempting. But I have to do this today. Otherwise it might not get done."

"Yeah. Same here."

"Would it help if I offered to take a shower with you?"

"That might help. Or it might make things worse."

Leoni's face scrunched up in one of her infectiously cheerful smiles. "Yeah, maybe. I promise I won't wear you out too badly."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Come on."

We didn't make love in the shower. But Leoni took care of me in other ways. I'd never shared such an intimate moment with a woman that didn't involve sex.

That was something new for me, that to have an intimate moment didn't require sexual contact or having sex. For women this was probably something that all women already knew. They just took for granted and didn't bother telling anybody else. But I was just figuring this out. Sorry, ladies.

Her hands sponged up my back, and I realized that she was the one that I wanted. I didn't want to see other women, didn't want anyone else's hands but hers on my back. Nobody else. That was another big moment for me.

Her soothing touch, which so relaxed me, was enhanced by a stream of warm water as she rinsed the suds off my back. The rest of me was on autopilot as my male brain processed like mad. She rinsed all the suds off and then turned off the water. We stepped out of the shower and she helped dry me off.

As I tied a towel around my waist, she handed me her lotion. "Honey, can you rub lotion on my back, please?"

"Yeah, sure." I took the purple bottle and flipped the top open.

There was a funny look on her face. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. Those errands might never get done at this rate."

Leoni laughed, as she put her hair up and turned her back to me. "Oh, honey. That's so sweet."

I concentrated on rubbing her back with the lotion. I took my time. Rubbing her back was something I never minded doing. Eventually I said, "All done."

A giggle. "What about the rest of me?"

I chuckled. "Sure about that?"

Another sweet giggle. "Yeah, that might not be such a good idea. Especially if I want to get anything done today." She turned around and kissed me. She hugged me for a minute and then pulled back.

I got another towel, wrapped her in it and held her, just staring at the sight of her.

"Honey? What's wrong?"

"Leoni, I love you." I just sort of blurted it out all at once.

She drew back a little, mouth open, fingers on her lips. Her hands moved to my shoulders. "I love you, too, Matt."

Leoni leaned in toward me and then her mouth was against mine and everything was right with the world. Oh so right.

Our lips were still touching in mid-kiss as Leoni said, "That errand of mine isn't getting done."

I chuckled. "Same here."

Somehow we managed to finish what we were doing, get out of the bathroom, get dressed, and finally went out the door. Leoni looked cute in a soft tan cardigan sweater over a white camisole, jeans and sneakers, sunglasses pushed up on her forehead. I wore a t-shirt and jeans, with a leather jacket and black sneakers.

Once outside, she said, "How long will you be, do you think?"

"Hopefully not more than an hour or two. What about you?"

"Depends on the line. But about the same."

"Okay. See you later."

She gave me a single kiss that tasted of mouthwash and toothpaste. "See you later, honey. I love you."

My grin widened. "I love you more."

Another kiss. "No, I love you more."

"No, I love you more." We both chuckled as we kissed.

Leoni pulled back, grinning widely. "I'll see you later."

It had taken me the whole two hours to decide on a little ring.

It was a glorious Saturday afternoon. I drove with the window rolled down. The ring I'd bought was burning a hole in my jacket pocket as I was driving home. It was a pretty ring, silver, with a big fat solitaire cubic zirconium gem on it. I could not wait to slip it on her finger. Couldn't wait for her squeal of delight.

Or at least, that's how I was hoping she would react.

As I pulled into the garage, I noticed her car was still gone. I thought, Cool, I can surprise her when she gets back.

I pulled into the garage, turned off the ignition, and went into the house.

As soon as I came inside from the garage, something felt...different. There was a breath of strange air in the room, like someone had been in here recently. I tossed my keys on the kitchen counter and slipped off my leather jacket. Then I went to kick back on the couch, watch TV, and wait for Leoni. Just as I was looking at the coffee table it hit me - her magazines were gone!

Heart pounding, I swiftly raced upstairs and ran down the short hall into the bedroom. I pulled open the dresser drawers first. No bras. No panties. None of her pajamas or sweats. I looked in my closet next. None of her suits were there. None of her dresses. None of her jeans or sweaters. No pumps. No boots. Finally I looked in the bathroom. All of her things were gone! No more makeup, no more lotion.

She had left one thing behind. Her house key.

I sat down on the bed, face slack with disbelief. What did I do? What did I say? Did I say too much? Or not enough? There was no telling.