Shadows Over Bramblewood

ALAN

I glanced again at the clock by the bed. How could it be 4:30 already? I'd left work early so that I'd have time to pack and make it to the station on time. But traffic had been worse than usual, and everything was taking longer than I thought it would.

If I could just make that train, I'd be able to breathe a little easier. I'd only be gone for a few days, but that respite was sorely needed. I felt as though I'd been drowning lately, and it would be nice to take a break and clear my head. All I had to do was finish packing and leave in the next ten minutes.

Then I heard the door open downstairs, and my heart started racing.

It was Jessica, of course. I'd hoped to be gone by the time she got home, but she must have left early, too. Probably as soon as she found out I wasn't there. She seemed to thrive on causing me stress - that, and getting me to do things I shouldn't. I should have been irritated - and I was - but the irritation always got mixed up with other feelings when it came to her.

I was just zipping up my bag when she came into the room. "Hey, Jessica," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Why are you home so early?"

"I know you're on your way out," she simpered. "I just wanted to see you one more time before you go. You know, to give you a little good-bye kiss." She said it with an innocent smile, like that's all she really wanted. But I knew better.

I sighed. "Jessica, I have to leave."

She was already creeping closer. "Come on, Alan. Just one little kiss for your girlfriend." She reached her arms around my neck. "You have time for that, don't you?"

I didn't. I really didn't. But that didn't stop her from brushing her lips against mine. Just one teasing, tantalizing touch, and I knew I was in trouble. She was so soft, so warm, and I tried not to give in, but that was like throwing butter on a frying pan and hoping it wouldn't melt. The way she pressed herself against me, the way she moaned softly into my mouth - it was fucking intoxicating, just like it always was with her.

I forced myself to break away, shaking my head. "Okay, that was one kiss."

"Mmm, it was a nice one, too. I want another." Her mouth found mine again, and this time her tongue slid into my mouth. Oh God, she tasted so good! I kept thinking I should pull away from her, put a stop to this before it went too far. But each time I tried, she just kissed me again, relentlessly, her moans getting louder, hungrier. She gripped my shirt, pulling me close, and I realized that she wasn't letting go anytime soon.

I shook my head again, pulling back. "Jessica...seriously, we have to stop."

We were both out of breath. Her face was flushed, her lips were swollen, and she had this savage, lustful gleam in her green eyes. Jessica was one of the brightest young attorneys in the city, clever and ruthless. She almost always got her way - especially with me.

"I don't want to stop," she said, her voice soft and seductive. "I want to keep kissing you." My eyes were drawn to her tongue as it wandered over her lips, moistening them. She saw me looking and smiled. "And you want to keep kissing me, don't you?"

She wasn't wrong. We stood there for a moment - me, trying to quash the temptation to just forget about the train and screw her like mad; her, just standing there, watching me with a sly, confident smile. She'd already sawed through my willpower, and now she was just waiting for it to fall apart.

It didn't take long. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her again. Her lips were so soft, so inviting, each kiss just made me want more. She hummed approvingly as our mouths became more frantic, our tongues writhing together. Before I knew it, I had my hands on her ass, pressing her against me, making her feel how hard I was. She started unbuttoning her blouse, and that sealed my fate. I can't say no to those luscious tits, and she fucking knows it.

Within seconds, my tongue was wagging against her stiff nipple, making her sigh contentedly. "You're not going anywhere," she murmured. "You're staying here...with me..." I felt her hand caressing the bulge in my pants. "Think of all the fun things we're going to do tonight."

I was already thinking about it. I was rock hard even before she took down my pants, and I didn't have the will to protest when she dropped to her knees and began to fondle my erection. She stroked it slowly, staring up at me with a salacious smile. Then she kissed the tip a few times, swirling her tongue around the swollen head. I groaned as she took me inside her mouth, bathing my horny flesh with wet warmth. And still her eyes were on my face, daring me to stop her. By that point, I'd almost forgotten about trains and Bramblewood and what awaited me there. All that mattered right now was Jessica's hot, wicked mouth, gliding back and forth, back and forth.

Half a minute later, she pulled away with a loud slurp. She got up, smiled at me, then sauntered off toward the bedroom, leaving me standing there with my hard dick throbbing. If I had left right then, there was a chance I could still make it to the station on time. But Jessica had brought my lust to a boil, just like she always did. I was hungry for her, and there was no way I could leave without thoroughly fucking her.

It took me half a minute to fully undress. I got to the bedroom and saw Jessica sprawled naked on the comforter, her thighs wide open, her fingers playing with her pussy. She was pure, irresistible sex - an erotic goddess that I couldn't help but worship. I climbed over her, my eyes feasting on the sensuous landscape of her body. She was still rubbing herself, and her pink tits were thick and swollen, ripe for suckling. I wanted to kiss them, wanted to kiss her lips, her neck, her belly, and everywhere else. But there would be time for that later. Right now, I needed to get my cock inside her.

She groaned as I nudged myself against her entrance, up and down, parting her slick folds. She was wet and ready, as I knew she would be. Nothing turned her on faster than seducing me, making me betray my obligations. I could see it in her eyes, glittering up at me with sultry triumph as I pushed inside her.

And fuck, it felt good. During the past several weeks, she had lured me into sex in all kinds of risky places - office boardrooms, supply closets, changing rooms in clothing stores. Each time, I'd tried not to give in, but it always ended up with me thrusting madly inside her, spurred on by her lascivious moans. Her tight, hot pussy was like a drug she kept feeding me, and now I was completely hooked.

So here I was, taking another hit. With a savage grunt, I plunged my cock in and out of her buttery snatch. I wanted to make it rough, almost punishing, using her body to slake the fiery lust that she'd incited in me. But for her, it wasn't punishment. She arched her back, groaning deliriously as I rammed my dick inside her, giving her exactly what she wanted. She loved doing this to me, turning me into an animal - a crazed, sex-hungry beast, incapable of any thought other than to fuck her full of cum.

She raked her nails down my back as her orgasm ignited. Watching her come undone was the sexiest thing in the world, and I fucked her harder than ever, relentlessly drilling her quivering pussy with deep, rapid strokes. I came hard, bellowing blindly as my cock pulsed its load inside her. I kept pumping her for a minute or two more while she groaned and writhed, until I had no more to give and collapsed beside her.

Time became a sex-soaked blur. Lazy, languorous kisses and caresses, fondling and stroking. With her lips on mine, her hands gliding over my skin, I could barely form a coherent thought. Before long, my cock was swelling again, swelling for her. She felt it and smiled against my lips, her kisses coming faster, hungrier. Soon she was crawling on top of me, dragging her tits across my chest. I licked every part of her skin I could reach - and when she straddled my face with her thighs and lowered her pussy to my eager mouth, I latched onto it and started to feast.

Eating that delectable slit was erotic heaven. I licked her up and down, side to side, making her coo and tremble. I ate her with a slow, steady rhythm, massaging her sopping labia, fucking her with my tongue and teasing her clit with swift, furtive swipes. As the minutes ticked by, I could feel her body tensing up, and each of her ragged moans went straight to my cock. I wanted to fuck her so bad. Each time my tongue swirled against her, I tasted more of her sex honey, and it was driving me crazy. I could tell she was getting close when she started to rock her hips against me, her fingers tugging her taut nipples as she moaned hotly. My hands slid up and down the smooth skin of her waist, licking her faster, harder. When she started gasping and grabbing my hair, I went all out, lapping and sucking her swollen pearl, my fingers squeezing her ass. Her hips bucked wildly, and she came with a low, guttural growl. I just kept licking her while she spasmed in ecstasy, until she'd finally had enough.

Except it was never enough. A few minutes later, she was on top of me, letting me taste her nipples. I was unbelievably hard and horny, and she was grinding her hips against me, her wet twat grazing the underside of my rigid shaft. She moaned softly as I suckled one stiff tit, then the other. Her breasts were doping me with lust, and soon I was blind with it, helplessly craving more of her. She brought her lips to mine, and our kisses were wild and sloppy. My cock surged against her snatch, desperate to get inside her again.

She gave me what I wanted, groaning as she sank down on my straining erection. For a moment she was still, quietly savoring the sensation of my stiff meat trapped inside her vagina. Then she began to rock her hips at an agonizingly slow pace while her eyes locked on mine. She wanted to make me lose control, wanted to see the moment when it happened. She'd done this before, many times, using her sensuous flesh to stoke my hunger to the point of no return. The gleam in her eyes was almost predatory, and I was her willing victim.

She fucked me slowly, deliberately, taunting me with tugs on her plump nipples. My cock was iron hard, and I could hear the wet slurp every time it surged up inside her. She smiled down at me, sensing I was on the verge of giving in to the carnal pleasure that was boiling in me. There was no way for me to resist it. Her lithe body, the way she moved, the wicked smile on her lips - all of it swirled together to unravel my sense and transform me into a groaning, rutting male.

"You're gonna come, aren't you?" she purred, grinding her pussy against me, hot and slippery. "You're gonna pump your seed into my gooey twat." As if I wasn't already delirious with lust, her filthy words were plunging my brain to new depths. All I could do was grunt and moan as she poured more obscenities into my ears. She leaned back, vigorously rubbing the hood of her clit as she undulated on top of me, milking my penis with that persistent, tantalizing rhythm. "I can feel your cock getting bigger...ohhh...it's swelling up inside me..." She diddled her clit faster, licking her lips. "Come for me, Alan...I know you want to...I can...ohhhh...I can feel it..."

With a helpless groan, I grabbed her hips and erupted inside her. A flood of wet heat bathed my cock as I surrendered to her, completely. Through the glaze of ecstasy, I glimpsed the voracious look in her eyes, the horny gleam of triumph as she rubbed herself into a shuddering, violent orgasm.

* * * * *

Staring at myself in the bathroom mirror, I was aghast at how haggard my face looked. I hadn't been getting enough rest, especially not with Jessica being so horny all the time. Every time she kissed me - hell, every time she gave me that sultry look, my lust caught fire. It was impossible to say no to her. I felt as though I had become her plaything, like she enjoyed conquering me, making me shudder and moan, over and over again. It was bliss, but it felt a little like...subjugation. How long could my body keep doing this?

Even now, just the thought of her kissing her sumptuous lips was making my cock stir again. I watched it in the mirror, the veined flesh lengthening, burgeoning, growing hard. As if I hadn't already had two recent orgasms. I wanted to go back to the bedroom, back to her sweet vagina, fingering it and kissing it until it was ready for more fucking. I wanted to sink inside her, lose myself in that rhythmic friction. I wanted to stare at her luscious curves, listen to her frantic moans. I wanted to fuck her, hard and fast, relentlessly drilling her pussy until I felt that heady release.

What was happening to me? I'd never been like this before. I was drunk on lust, drunk on her. Living in her house, working in her office - she'd permeated every part of my life, and I was drowning in her. Just gasping for air before the next wave crashed into me. And every time I glimpsed the shore, it was further away.

But my cock was so hard, and it would feel so, so good to put it in her again...

Like an automaton, I started moving toward the bedroom. Then my foot caught on something; I glanced down and saw the duffel bag on the floor. I was already packed. There was still one more train to Bramblewood. I hadn't told Jessica about it, knowing she'd stop me from going, in the sweetest way imaginable.

Without thinking, I grabbed the bag and slipped out of the house as quietly as I could. I would text her later - once I was away, once I could clear my head and figure out what the hell was going on.

* * * * *

LUCY

From my window seat, I watched all the people scurrying around on the platform. Even with the train sitting still, there was a quiet hum of energy as passengers came aboard and looked for seats. Not too many of them, thank goodness. At this late hour, the train wasn't nearly as full as it would have been earlier in the day. Still, I had my bag on the seat next to me, to discourage anyone from sitting there. It was a long ride to Bramblewood, and I just wanted to be alone and read for a while.

I was just pulling out my book when I glanced toward the front of the compartment as another passenger entered, and my world flipped upside down.

It was him. It couldn't be, but it was him.

My eyes were playing tricks on me. This had to be a hallucination.

But the hallucination was coming closer. He was tall, well over six feet. His hair was dark and just a little unkempt, like he just woke up and rushed to get here. I wondered what it would feel like to run my fingers through it - but then, I already knew what that felt like, because I'd done it. I'd had my hands in his hair, on his chest, and pretty much every other part of him.

It was just a dream, though. A wild, sensuous dream.

In my mind's eye, I could picture it clearly. We were on a high balcony, looking out over a stormy ocean at night. He was standing behind me, tugging at my satin robe until his lips found the bare skin of my shoulder. I shivered with anticipation as his hand splayed over my belly, gently stroking me through the silky fabric. I didn't know where we were, or how we got there. All I knew was that I was yearning for him, and each tender touch just made me want more.

I remember his hand cupping my cheek, turning my head so he could kiss me. And even though it was just a dream, I swear it was the best kiss of my life. His lips were soft and sweet as he brushed them against mine, taking his time, telling me without words how much he wanted me. I moaned into his mouth as the kiss deepened, and his hand delved inside my robe. His fingers slid down, down, and my moans got louder, louder. I knew what was about to happen, and the anticipation was flooding me with heat, making my heart pound.

His tongue was in my mouth, his fingers were stroking my pussy, and I was in sex heaven. I mewled and whimpered as he prodded and rubbed my slick crease, heedless of the crashing thunder all around us. His lips left mine to whisper sweet words of adoration in my ear, promises of more to come, while his fingers worked me into a fever. He was making a mess of me, and I never wanted him to stop. I told him so, over and over again, until I was finally on the brink. Then, right as I was about to lose it, he turned me around so that he could stare at my face as I came undone in his arms, groaning helplessly as his fingers stirred waves of bliss in my trembling body. And then he...

He was staring at me, right now. In real life. He'd taken the seat across from me, and the smoldering look in his fierce blue eyes seemed less like arousal and more like suspicion.

"Do I know you?" he asked, his eyes narrowed without a hint of warmth.

"Huh?" I replied, my brain reeling, trying to piece things together. Could this really be him?

"Do I know you?" he repeated more slowly, icicles dangling from each syllable. "You've been staring at me for the past five minutes."

"I...um..." Oh God, he thinks I'm some sort of lunatic. Or worse. "Sorry, I just...you reminded me of someone. I thought..." I thought you were the man I dreamed about? I thought maybe we'd have wild, passionate sex in a mansion overlooking the sea?

"Well, you're wrong," he snapped. "And I'd appreciate it if you would just leave me alone. Okay?"

His words felt like a slap to my face, and I gawked at him. The arousal I'd felt a minute ago gave way to a confusing swirl of embarrassment, anger - and ultimately, disappointment. This couldn't be right. It couldn't be him.

"Okay," I said quietly. I quickly turned back toward the window, wanting to hide the embarrassed heat that was blooming in my face.

He didn't say anything, and when I risked a quick glance at him a few minutes later, he was looking out his own window.

I'd had premonitions before. They were usually just fleeting visions, almost like deja vu but in reverse. There had never been a dream like this, in such vivid detail - more like an actual memory than a glimpse into the future. For a minute, I thought it would really happen - that I'd get swept away by this dashing seducer.

But the way he'd looked at me, as if I was going to steal his wallet or something - it sure wasn't the look he'd given me on that balcony. That dream had been a silly fantasy. I was never going to be the heroine in a romance story. I was just a weird girl who got yelled at by dark, handsome strangers.

* * * * *

ALAN

I woke with a start, momentarily forgetting where I was. I never slept well while traveling, and this was no different - but exhaustion had finally taken its toll on me. I felt as though I'd been breathing underwater in a deep, dark lake for a long, long time - and now I was finally surfacing.

The train was slowing down, and I realized that we were arriving in Bramblewood. I looked out the windows - and though it was dark, I could see street lamps illuminating places I'd known as a boy. I'd been happy here, for a time. Then, after my father died, our lives changed. It was like a cold winter suddenly descending, wilting all hope, making everything gray and miserable.

I sighed heavily. I didn't want to be here, but there really wasn't much choice. And I needed this time away from Jessica, time to be able to breathe again.

As the train came to a stop, I glanced over and saw that the seat across from me was empty. The woman who had stared at me when I came aboard must have gotten off at a previous stop. I felt a pang of guilt for the way I'd snapped at her. She hadn't meant any harm, after all. She'd just mistaken me for someone else, and I'd been in a rotten mood. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have been delighted to chat with an attractive stranger on a long train ride.

Oh, well. It's not like I'd ever see her again.