“You feel amazing,” he said.
He held her side as he built up a rhythm in his hips. She closed her eyes as he thrusted into her.
“Look at me,” he said, touching her cheek.
She blinked and nodded. She look him in the eye while he fucked her. Her face twisted in pleasure. His face twisted in pleasure. Their moans tangled together. Their skin slapped together.
Jess touched his hand on her cheek and nudged his thumb across her neck. He curled his lip as he choked her. He liked it more than he wanted to. She opened her mouth wider and gripped his wrist. Their breath became ragged. She wrapped her legs around him. He felt them shaking. He felt his own legs shaking. The heat inside him begged for more of her.
He wasn’t breathing. Neither was she.
He poured into her with a guttural cry. She cried out and all her muscles clenched. West took his hand from her throat and sank his face into her shoulder. He moaned with her as he filled her. She cradled his head. Their bodies quivered. They held each other through that sweet release.
West picked his head up and grazed the back of his fingers over her cheek. Her skin was hot. She nestled his touch and he kissed her tenderly.
“If you don’t stop, I’ll fall in love with you,” she said.
He kissed her lips again.
“West–”
A third time.
“Don’t–”
A fourth time. They laughed and she embraced more kisses.
A single lamp lit up the apartment a dull orange. Rain struck the window and lightning flashed like a flickering light.
They curled up in bed together later in the evening. He’d changed the covers and while she was in the bathroom and joined her in the shower. They were spent but cozy. They cuddled in silence, staring at the storm.
Jess laid her head across his chest and pressed her ear to his heart. West draped his arms over her and tugged the blanket to cover her shoulder. He blew out a hushed sigh and gazed down at her. He wished he could do that every day.
“What’s on your mind, love?” she asked.
“I’m thinking about what’ll happen to us.”
“How do you mean?”
“Have you made up your mind yet?”
“About what?”
“Jess.”
She fell quiet. Her finger drew a star on his chest.
“I want to go home.”
He fell quiet. His finger brushed her hair.
“But I don’t want to leave,” she said.
He felt an ache in his throat and tried to swallow it down. It didn’t work. The school year was ending in a month. How long would he have to sit in suspense?
“I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for you,” she said.
“I know it’s a difficult decision.”
“If I stay, I’ll be miserable and you’ll only make my time less horrible. If I leave, I can’t take you with me but I’ll be home.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to do yet but I’ve still got time to decide.”
“One day, you won’t.”
“Can we not talk about this please?”
“Okay,” he said. “I just want you to–”
“West, please. Just be here with me.”
He sighed and tightened his arms around her. She kissed him under his jaw and nestled into him.
Maybe that’s all he needed to do: be present. Spending the day with her gave him a glimpse of what the rest of their days could be. He’d enjoy every passing second with her.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” he began.
She chuckled. “If I let you cum in me, I think you’re allowed to ask me whatever you like.”
“About your ex-husband…”
“Ugh.”
“Was he good?”
“I thought he was but I started to see how manipulative he was. Him and his family. It was like everyone was constantly playing chess with human pieces. So no, he was quite awful actually.”
West cleared his throat. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“Did he please you when you had intercourse?”
She laughed and traced circles around his nipple. “Of course that’s what you meant. Let’s see, based on everything I’ve told you so far, what do you think?”
“Hmm. Probably not.”
“Probably not.”
He cracked a quiet smile. “Was he your first?”
“Hang on, I also want to know if your ex ‘pleased you when you had intercourse.'”
It was his turn to laugh. Jess traced his jaw with her finger and smiled.
“She was nervous, I was nervous, the condom was too tight and she cried in the middle of it. She felt guilty about ‘throwing away her virginity’ so we just stopped. The end.”
“The stuff of legends,” she teased.
“Legends?” He shook his head at the memory. “How was your first?”
Jess shrank a little. “It was my ex-husband. And not because I was saving myself for him or whatever. I was just…unlucky. I suppose I still am.”
There was a shift in her tone that darkened the mood.
“How come?” he asked.
“I wish this was simple. No hiding, no complications, just you and me falling in love.”
He held her tighter, to tell her he had wanted the same thing.
She yawned and passed it onto him.
“Today was magical, West.”
“The stuff of legends.”
That was how their first night together ended.
Sunlight streamed inside for a warm morning. West blinked awake. He felt the space next to him but Jess wasn’t there. Expecting her to be there made him realize how far they’d come so quickly. He knew people might’ve said he was rushing into things with an older woman. He raised his middle finger at them; he was happy.
He turned over and saw Jess by the stove, humming and swaying her hips. He liked watching her. Her pajamas were rumpled and her hair was a mess but she was comfortable. She was at home. He was too.
He crept out of bed and made his way to her. She kept humming a song from last night and didn’t check over her shoulder. There were two plates laid out on the counter. Each had scrambled eggs, toast and (her calling card) slices of avocado. She was frying bacon. Maybe he should’ve stayed in bed.
She yelped when he wrapped his around her waist and he laughed.
“Morning,” he said, pecking the side of her neck.
“Are you always going to sneak up on me like this?” she asked, rubbing his arms.
“I know you like surprises.” He splayed his hand over her stomach and nuzzled her shoulder.
“I was going to surprise you with breakfast.”
“You still can.”
“You’re distracting me.”
“Then tell me to stop.”
The bacon sizzled and she said nothing. He continued to kiss her neck. She curled her fingers in his hair and sighed. He bit her ear gently and his hand rode up her top to cup her breast.
“I’ll always want you,” he whispered in her ear. “Only you.”
Her breath hitched. She craned her neck to the side so her lips were closer. West leaned in and kissed her. It was tender, slow. Like it was the last one.
“Always?” she asked.
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“It’s a big promise.”
“I know.”
The bacon chose that moment to burn. Jess turned her attention to the pan and took off the hot plate. She peeled the bacon over and groaned at the dark color.
“It doesn’t look too bad, right?” she asked.
“Bacon is better with a crunch.”
“You can have your crunchy bacon, love. I like mine soft and juicy.”
“Soft and juicy?”
She chuckled. “Everything is a sex joke with you.”
They salvaged their bacon. Jess picked out the least-burnt streaks and gave the rest to West. They crashed on the couch with their breakfast. Jess laid her legs out on West’s lap and he used them as a table.
“Thank you,” he said to her. “Not just for breakfast but for everything. For giving us a chance, for paying for that motel room, for letting me visit you, for being amazing.”