“At least you’ll have a little less work this time,” Maya said as Cole raised the tailgate and lowered the garage door. She swung the last grocery bag into the kitchen and turned back to see Cole’s obviously puzzled face. “I mean, you won’t have to take as much off me when we get upstairs,” she said, lifting the side of her dress up past her bare hip.
“Fuuuuck,” Cole hissed under his breath. “You went all the way to–without wearing–” he glanced up at the garage light, dropped the tailgate, and lifted Maya onto the truck bed as she let out a startled shriek. Before she knew it, she was on her back. He had hiked her dress up to her waist and was already devouring her sweetness. Maya cried out again and allowed her eyes to roll back when–
BANG BANG BANG!
Both Cole and Maya bolted upright at the noise just on the other side of the closed garage door.
“Everything alright in there?” a woman’s voice in a lilting Jamaican accent called out. Maya put her hands over her mouth, mortified.
“It’s Nicole, my next-door neighbour,” she whispered to Cole, who looked amused. He grinned at her mischievously and pulled her thighs apart again, lowering his head. Maya scrambled backwards in the truck bed, trying to get her knees together. “Everything’s fine, Nicole!” she said loudly. “I… I just saw a mouse in here and jumped up on my car.”
“Well, the poor thing is probably tryin’ to get out,” Nicole replied. “Just open the door and he’ll scamper away; you don’t even have to try and catch him.”
“Great idea, let’s open the door,” Cole whispered with an evil smirk.
“Uhhhh, no, I would have to get down from my car to hit the panel and I’m afraid it’ll–”
“Mm-hmm,” Nicole said, sounding unimpressed. “Look, honey, the whole neighbourhood knows about that handsome, broad-shouldered mouse in there with you.” Maya’s eyes widened and Cole bit his forearm to thwart his laughter. “You really think just because no one’s on the street they never look out their window? We all know you don’t drive a pick-up, sweetie.”
“Ohhhh, my god,” Maya muttered. She suddenly forgot the fact she was naked from the waist down.
“Hello, Mr. G,” Nicole continued. “My son Anthony was in the same class as Manav. You’re still his favourite teacher from grade school.”
“Anthony!” Cole exclaimed as he suddenly remembered the animated little boy. “Anthony Block! Does he still dance? He was amazing even when he was seven.”
“Yup,” Nicole answered. Maya couldn’t even believe this conversation was happening the way it was. “Got into the arts high school for dance and is finishing up his second year now. He’s enjoying it.”
“Oh, that’s awesome,” Cole said. “I’m glad he’s doing so well with what he loves.”
“Speaking of love,” Nicole said as Maya covered her face again, “Maya, I didn’t mean to tease you, but if any other neighbours are nearby, they’re going to think someone’s killing you in there. Mr. G, I, for one, am thrilled you’re showing our girl a good time; Lord knows she needs it. But it’s gotta be in a more soundproof setting.”
“Will do, Mrs. Block,” Cole said, grabbing Maya’s arms, sliding her toward him, and throwing her over his shoulder. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Have fun, sweetie,” Nicole replied. Cole raised the tailgate with one arm, while holding on to Maya’s legs with the other, paying no heed as her sandals fell to the garage floor. He marched past the groceries on the kitchen floor and then carried her up the stairs. Once in her bedroom, he unceremoniously dropped her atop the comforter and then left to make sure every second-floor window was shut.
“It’s funny,” he said, returning to the master bedroom to see Maya still dazed. “Apparently your people brought the concept of karma to the rest of the world, and here you were thinking you could prank me over and over without any cosmic repercussions.” He removed his shirt and unzipped his jeans, then held Maya’s legs apart to finish what he’d started in the garage.
It was barely a few minutes before her screams echoed throughout the hallway. As always, Cole slid up to her and cradled her in his arms as she shuddered coming down, playing with her hair and gently kissing her face. She started to raise herself up to take off her dress but he stopped her.
“Keep it on,” he said softly. “I’ve been waiting seven years for this.”
He brought her to the edge of the mattress and flipped her over onto her stomach with her feet braced against the floor. Then, he yanked down the thin straps of her dress and covered her back with his chest.
She whimpered as he entered her, then moaned as he cupped a breast in each of his hands and roughly rubbed her nipples with his thumbs. Maya muttered his name faintly at first, then louder and with increasing desperation as he pounded faster and faster.
As she grasped at the comforter and cried out while climaxing, Cole let himself go and collapsed partly on top of her, breathing heavily into the nape of her neck. Although they were both in a sweat, he wondered how he still managed to inhale that heavenly sandalwood scent off her skin.
As Maya steadied herself, Cole went to the other side of the bed to push the mattress back on to the foundation, then climbed onto the bed. He looked at her and chuckled. Her dress hung halfway off her slight frame, her eyeliner was smeared, and her hair was a disheveled mess.
“I thought you were gorgeous all the times you wore a sari for me,” he said as she molded herself to his side. “But you’ve never looked as beautiful as you are right now.” She smiled and kissed his chest, which was the last thing Cole remembered before falling into a dreamless sleep.
***********
Cole awoke to the setting Sun, the sounds of children playing outside, and his stomach grumbling. There was a fuzzy blanket on top of his naked body, but no Maya beside him. He sat up and noticed the blissful aroma floating up the stairs, realizing she’d gotten up at some point and cooked them dinner.
How long did I sleep? he wondered, glancing at the clock radio. Ninety minutes, damn, you’re getting old, man, he admonished himself. He frowned thinking that Maya had probably also put away the groceries when he’d been passed out cold.
He lay back for a few minutes trying to get his bearings, breathing deeply and recalling one of the better afternoons of his life. He thought about how Maya whimpered when she was face down on the bed, and gazing at her beautiful back while he pleasured her. He recalled brushing her hair away from her neck but then winced, remembering how it revealed her shiny gold marriage necklace.
He thought about that long-ago conversation with Mark in the school staff room, and how he’d conveniently forgotten it. Finally, Cole got dressed and washed his face, planning out his words before he lost his nerve.
Coming down the stairs into the dim light of the kitchen, he saw Maya at the stove in PJ pants and a t-shirt, headphones on her ears and singing along to her phone in her back pocket. She tapped the wooden spoon on the side of the wok, placed it on a plate to the side, and spun around, startled for a moment to see Cole standing there.