Blue Moon Rising

Life can be so rude. Snatch us from the known and familiar and without preface hurl us into a place that isn't any of those things. Like an unsuspecting pet shop mouse being plucked from the only home it's known, taken away to be pampered, spoiled, and treated like a King of Mice... or fed to a snake.

I was that mouse.

I was growing bored with this town, the same faces, and the same conversations. Perhaps it was time to move on, to continue searching...for what, the meaning of my life? It remained out of my reach, beyond my field of vision and I sank into an inescapable funk.

I had planned a two week vacation to England, to visit with family, catch up with friends, but my car died leaving me with a massive repair bill and two weeks of nothing but time. Could I mope around for that long? Hmm, I think I could. I was already off to a good start.

Moping or not, I could not stay in and listen to my roommate's chatter - I showered, dressed in my favorite shredded jeans and silk top and bunched my hair on my head with a clip. A little make up and... I couldn't be bothered. I flopped on my bed and watched the ceiling fan's wobbly rotations.

My phone rang. I reached for it without breaking my stare. "Hello?"

"Hey." A long draw and stunted cough " Whacha doin'?" It was my cute, stoner neighbor.

I'm actually

staring

at a fan, pitiful. "...I'm just heading out".

"Come by later?"

I wasn't interested. "Yeah, maybe...see ya later."

This just wouldn't do. I

had

to get out. I grabbed some music and headed for our 'Cheers' where everybody knows your name and every other little detail.

I was greeted at the door by our bouncer come cover charge collector. I never saw the need for either here.

"Hey" I gave him a little smile.

"Hey Katie" he popped the clip from the top of my head and dropped it into my hand. "Better."

"Thanks Mom." My dark hair fell heavily down my back and was swept up by the warm air pushing its way from the bar.

The air swirled around me, sizzling with sensuality, caressed my arms and tickled the small of my back. Every cell in my body synchronized their vibrations with the one moving around me. I felt alive...

really

alive, as though the meaning of my life lay here. In a....

bar

. The overwhelming sensation left no room for disappointment.

I looked up and my eyes locked with a stranger's across the room. I couldn't look away and he held my stare. Eternity passed within a few moments.

I felt disoriented and flushed and quickly turned to the bar to hide my reaction and recover.

Ken popped the top off my favorite beer and pushed it across the counter. "Hey," he threw a curious look over my shoulder, "what the fuck was that all about?"

I gave him my 'I dunno' shrug avoiding eye contact and raised the bottle "Thanks". I took a long swallow and was grateful for the sobering chill it brought to my throat and chest.

I was picking at the beer label attempting to gather my composure when Aiden slipped his arm around my waist. He was a doctor on my floor and had a 'thing' for me but never let it get in the way of our friendship.

"Bitch," he gave me an overly lingering hug.

"Whore," I kissed his cheek and loosened his grasp.

"Flying solo tonight?... Come on, my cousin wants to meet you." He spun me around on the bar stool.

Our eyes met again. He smiled. He was Aiden's cousin. My freshly gathered composure scattered beyond my reach. It wouldn't have mattered that Aiden was aiming me towards him, steering me with a possessive arm. I had to be near him,

needed

to be near him. We extended hands towards each other as Aiden introduced us. It seemed a ridiculously formal gesture, perhaps just an excuse for physical contact.

The moment our hands touched I had a hundred flashes of him kissing me, touching me, licking me... Every cell in my body was singing like Vitas' il dolce suomo. I was losing my balance. I blinked hard. My hand was still in his, my face was on fire, my hair was sticking to the back of my neck. What the fuck indeed.

"I'm sorry... I must be coming down with something" a weak and breathless attempt at explaining my behavior.

His brow crinkled over intensely green eyes, "You look feverish." He smiled and bent to speak against my ear as he turned me towards the door, "breathe." His voice was deep and mellow and sounded like home, like London. He held my arm as though I were about to collapse. Vitas was reaching his crescendo, I was shattering into a million shards of crystal.

The girls that had encircled him glared as he abandoned their group. If looks could kill I would have suffered a long and painful death.

"Why'd you have to bring her over here Aiden?"... "I'm a masochist". Their voices blended with the music as we stepped outside.

His hand rested lightly on my lower back as we walked into the parking lot. I was quite a bit shorter than he and he altered his stride to walk with me.

His touch was distracting me, clouding my mind. What was I doing with this stranger? I stopped abruptly. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name"

He had the most delicious, disarming smile. "Ian. Feeling better?"

I nodded, "I don't know what..."

"You just needed a bit of fresh air. Thank you for rescuing me from that lot", he looked back towards the bar "...they're all yours Aid."

"Aiden is in his element."

"Hmmm, I'd rather thought he was after you"

"Me?.. Um... I don't know... we're just friends." Was I trying to reassure him? Why?

"...and the bartender? He seemed to be a little more than chummy."

"Ken? My 'therapist'?"

"Do you always peel the labels off of your therapy?"

I nodded and laughed.

"So, why did you come out here with me?" his eyes twinkled in the moonlight.

"I... you kind of pushed me" I accused.

A smile tickled the corner of Ian's mouth, "You didn't want to get out of there?"

"I didn't say that".

Ian smiled down at me and nodded. "I felt it too."

I had to look away from his gorgeous face, his piercing gaze. "Felt

what

too?" My mind flickered back to the flashes of our bodies locked together. I squirmed a little.

"That bizarre attraction."

"Bizarre?... Attraction?" What?

"No, not bizarre...unexpected. Honestly, when was the last time this happened to you?"

"Never... I've never...."

"That's what I mean...me too." Ian sounded genuinely surprised.

"Well...it doesn't necessarily mean anything. ... Raging hormones? ... Or we had a few too many, or..."

"No...you only had one... and

my

hormones are

always

raging"

"You are definitely Aiden's cousin."

"Hmmph. Whatever it means...we should explore it." He spoke as if it were already decided.

"Explore our

bizarre

attraction to one another." I liked the idea but my head was swirling and more than capable of poor judgment. My voice of reason had been muted. "Over coffee...or perhaps a cup of tea?"

That smile again. He looked like the 'after' in a cosmetic dentistry ad, "where's your car?"

I lead the way to my Jeep and Ian held the door open as I slid in. When he shut his door the intimacy of being enclosed was overwhelming. His rich earthy scent, the sound of his breathing, I gripped the steering wheel to quiet my trembling hands.

Ian took a slow, deep breath as though he were scrutinizing the air. He smiled and caught my stare. "Coffee. American tea is horrid".

"Coffee." I stretched my fingers and found that I had calmed enough to drive.

Ian was squinting at my CDs tilting them to capture the passing street lights. I wanted to reach over and touch his face but flicked the interior light on instead.

"Thank you." He slid his choice into the slot and turned off the light. I was acutely aware of his hand resting near my neck. I felt as though the tiny hairs near his hand were straining towards his touch.

The disc began to play. It was Emilie Simon's 'Desert' remix the track I listen to when I'm all alone and feeling horny. And like Pavlov's dogs...

Jesus, why did I bring that particular disc out tonight? My body started screaming for attention, my pulse was thrumming between my legs. I shifted in my seat and tried to focus on the road ahead. Ian was watching me.

I swerved into Carms Coffee House a little too sharply causing Ian to brace himself. "Here we are," my voice was husky, I tried to clear my throat. "Coffee." I moved to jump out.

Ian held my arm before I could bolt, the heat in his touch made me shudder. I couldn't meet his stare.

He touched my forehead, "I think we should get you home... or to a Doctor"

I pushed his hand away. "Come on. Carms has the

best

Coffee," I didn't even drink coffee.

"No. You need some Paracetamol... and to lie down. ...perhaps I should drive?"

"I'm fine and I'm quite able to drive!"

"Right...off we go then. Let's get you home." He was laughing at me.

"No... I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I don't know anything about you ...you might be a... a mass murderer or..."

"I'm not a mass murderer... I'm Aiden's cousin," he reasoned, innocent by association?

"That isn't particularly reassuring."

I did my best to ignore his innocent puppy look and tried to tap into my sixth sense. Was there such a thing? I felt good about this guy. "I have a shotgun under my bed."

He laughed, "Of course you do."

Ugh, Libby was home. My roommate was a pretty blond, bounding with energy, loved to talk and was an infamous flirt.

Could I conjure up a look that would scare her back into her room? I didn't own any of those looks and they wouldn't have worked if I did.

I unlocked the front door and we stepped inside. Libby shot over like a heat seeking missile in scrubs.

"Libby, Ian. Ian, Libby." I said flatly.

Libby dimpled and fluttered and wiggled "Damn it!...I

knew

I should have come out with you!"

"I didn't invite you out with me. Besides you said you had to work tonight".

"Perhaps I should call in sick." she poked an acrylic nail at Ian's chest.

"No... you shouldn't. Aren't you already late?"

"Yeah, I'm just leaving. See you in the morning". Libby grabbed her keys and coffee "Be good!" she winked at Ian and dashed out the door.

She never failed to shock me. Ian didn't appear to take any notice of her antics.

We were alone. I fought the urge to move into Ian's arms and felt embarrassed by the surge of physical need . "Um....Coffee?... or would you like something else?... to drink," I added quickly. I clinked through some bottles "Tequila, Gin, a few different reds...or there's some Blue Moon in the fridge."

"Blue Moon? I'll try that. Thanks." He still had the curious look on his face. "Where's your stereo?" he asked, holding up

that

disc. I hadn't noticed him whisk it out of the car.

No, no, no. "I have tons of other CDs...look" I maneuvered him towards the living room and stereo.

"I want..." he easily held the disc out of my reach as I grabbed "...I want to see that look again. Your emotions...

feelings

are written all over your face."

Oh God. "How entertaining for you" I mumbled to the floor.

Ian tipped my face up with a finger to my chin "It's beautiful".

I shook my head and escaped for the beers. For a special touch and to stall I poured the beer into tall glasses from the freezer and added a slice of orange.

When I returned Ian was sat in the middle of the couch, arms spread across the back, legs apart and bent at the knee. A guy pose and he looked fucking gorgeous. His head was back and his eyes were closed. Nicely dressed, casual chic - buttoned shirt, perfectly fitting jeans... He'd placed his classy lace ups neatly under the coffee table. At some point during my studies he'd opened his eyes and was smiling at me.

"Here you go." I handed him the frosty glass and moved to the end of my suddenly small couch.

"Thank you." he took a massive gulp and grimaced, "it's very...cold." He licked a little foam from his upper lip and rubbed his chest.

I smiled, "I could nuke it ... make you feel more at home."

"No, it's perfect... I'm really not very fond of warm beer", he chuckled

I sat sideways on the couch drawing my knees up under my chin. Another disc was playing softly in the background. "So, tell me about yourself."

He did. He spoke of his parents and home outside of London, his younger brothers and sisters - I got the impression that he had a large family.

He continued on, "My Father is arranging for me to take over the...the family business. I never felt ready or...powerful enough. I don't know, maybe everything has changed...now."

"And you?" He stifled my question. "Tell me everything."

I shared memories of growing up in California and moving to England. Time spent in London studying Nursing, my family's home in Gloucestershire.

"Gloucestershire. That's a beautiful county -- the commons are quite vast...peaceful. There's a quaint castle overlooking the Wye. My brothers and I used to play there until it was converted into a prison." Ian smiled at the memories.

"St Briavel's Castle overlooks the River Wye, it's quite near my Parents' home. I think it was a prison up until eighteen-something. It's a youth hostel now.

"Hmmm, we're not speaking of the same place...obviously. Tell me, why did you move back to the States...to this town."

"I was ...restless. I felt as though I'd been searching for something. I chose this town by sticking a pin in a map -- literally."

Ian nodded, "fate."

We spoke for hours, through several glasses of beer and countless shuffled songs. We grew increasingly at ease and familiar.

Our conversation reached a lull, a silent moment as a disc whirled to the next random tract.

That

song. I could immediately feel the heat rising through my body. I felt his eyes on me, watching me struggle. The music no longer held the same association. Now it was about him and it was a hundred times worse.

Ian touched my face urging me to look at him. I expected to see his smile but his face had changed, it had taken on a hungry, wild look. Not unlike my own I imagine.

Ian leaned over me and touched his lips to mine, an unspoken question. I answered, opening to his tongue's exploration, my own following eagerly. My fingers traced the contours of his face, caught on the sharp, unshaven slope of his jaw and delighted at the silky coolness of his chocolate locks. Ian twisted his fingers taut in my hair pulling a moan from my throat as his tongue plunged deeper.

Ian leaned back and maneuvered my hips to straddle his. I folded my legs on either side of him and planted myself on his imprisoned cock. I shifted and he groaned, pulling me down firmly, anchoring me. Feeling him beneath me, so close to where I needed him to be caused any remaining shreds of restraint and modesty to flee and something raw and basic emerged.

"Ian." I barely recognized my voice, it sounded desperate. I tugged at his shirt and he flew through his buttons. I pushed it from his shoulders and leaned into him. I kissed the hollow of his neck and tasted him with a swirl of my tongue. I continued along his collar bone and over the muscled ridge of his shoulder savoring the slightly salty flavor and fiery heat of his skin.

Ian shook his arms free of his shirt and held my head in his hands. He crushed my mouth against his and roughly plunged his tongue between my lips. I dug my fingers into his back, needing to get closer and moaned into his mouth. His hands flew to my hips as I pushed myself onto him. He slid his hands down the back of my jeans and dragged me forward.

Ian's cock bucked beneath me causing ice crystals to race up my spine and across my skin. My heart was pounding in my ears and against his hardness.

Ian pulled my shirt over my head and threw to the floor. He followed the flow of my hair and pushed it from my breasts, kissing along the curves, lifting them to his mouth. His thumbs grazed my nipples drawing a moan from my throat. He nibbled and tugged through the lace sending bolts of lightning through my core. I buried my face in his hair, he smelled like exotic herbs and mysterious forests. I wanted everything he could give me. I needed him to take everything I had.

I pulled away from him and looked into his dark eyes as I slid down from his lap. I unzipped his jeans as he pulled everything down and kicked his legs free. His cock sprang loose and slapped my cheek leaving a little splatter.

"Sorry," he wiped it away with his finger. I pulled his hand back to me and slowly licked his fingers. One tasted dark and spicy - I sucked it into my mouth. I wanted more.

His legs were either side of me as I kneeled before him. He leaned back into the cushions and watched me. I sat back on my heels as I ran my fingers along his muscled calves and kissed the insides of his knees. I licked and kissed his thighs, his muscles flexed beneath my tongue. I was driven by his response and my hunger.

I reached his balls and ran the tip of my tongue lightly along their underside and continued up his shaft. Ian's long fingers dug into the soft cushions and a rumble rose from his chest. Some small part of me had been screaming warnings and was horrified by my behavior. But completely ignored, it grew silent.

I cupped his balls feeling their weight and steadied his cock in my other hand. Its velvet head was glistening. I ran the tip of my tongue along the slit, the taste was intoxicating. Ian growled as I popped his head into my mouth and swirled my tongue around its rim. I slowly slid down until I couldn't breathe, and swallowed. He pulsated against my lips and grew even larger. I held his shaft in both hands as I rose and followed my mouth to the top, my tongue exploring every detail. He was slick with saliva and as hard as granite. I moaned over his head as my tongue gathered another spicy sample. Ian's hands twisted in my hair as I licked.

"Stand..." His voice was deeper and strained. "...Stand up."

I reluctantly left my post and stood before him panting with desire.

He held my hips, a bruising grip and pushed his forehead into my belly. I ran my fingers through his hair and sensed his struggle.

Ian looked up into my confused eyes, "if we go any further, I won't be able to control myself...I won't be able to stop. You're not...ready for me".

I rocked my hips in his hands, "I feel pretty...ready."

Ian breathed deep and growled "That's not what I mean".

"You don't want to...? You don't want me?" I was trying hard not to sound crushed.

"What?...No! Christ!" Ian pulled me to him, his breath was searing my neck. "It's taking everything I've got to not rip the rest of your clothes off with my teeth and bury myself in you, deep and hard, claim you as mine alone" Ian's teeth grazed my neck sharply, "I want you to scream my name as you come. I want you to give yourself to me...completely. And you're not ready."

I was about to argue when tires crunched along the drive. "Bugger! It's Libby." I scooped up his clothes and pushed him into my room. I threw my PJ t-shirt on went to warn Libby that Ian was still here.

"So you don't want me to strut around in my bra and thong?" Libby strutted in demonstration.

"No.... not really...ever."

Libby laughed then noticed that I was still in my jeans. "That's not good"

"Yeah, well. ... I'm going to bed. .... Good night Lib"

Libby pouted and gave me a hug patting my head. "It's okay honey, maybe you'll get lucky tonight."

I heard a chuckle from my room.

I brushed my teeth and washed up a little. I was exhausted. I slipped into my sweat pants and found Ian sound asleep half covered with my duvet. He'd put his boxers on.

I slipped in beside him and was immediately enveloped by his heat. He rolled onto his side and slipped his arm across my tummy. "G'night Kate" he mumbled.