Catching Fire Pt. 14

Author's Foreword: This series has themes of romance, sex, friendship, humor, safe and consensual BDSM, and above all, intimacy and the concept of memory. Any resemblance to real people or events is coincidental. I want you, reader, to come away with more empathy, appreciation, and joy for yourself and others than you began. As I did when writing this.

Note on Part 14: Almost done, folks. It's not quite the end but it's close. This one is very plot-focused, but don't worry, there's plenty of spice along the way. This installment was unfairly hard to write for a lot of reasons and it took extra time. I hope that makes it satisfying to read. Thanks for playing along while I try to finger-paint with words.

***

***End of Summer***

"Luke, we... we need to talk."

***

***End of Spring***

Neither of us had called it a date, but I think that's what it was; something to make it less strange that we'd seen each other naked more often than clothed. We were on a hillside hiking trail overlooking the city. Erin's phone rang for the third time in as many minutes, and with a huff of exasperation she walked away to finally answer it in some privacy. I was surprised that she had good enough cell phone tower coverage to get a signal.

I looked down the long, green, wind-swaying slope to the distant city below where we'd both grown up. A place where we had never so much as seen each other until barely a week or so before.

That couldn't be right, I reflected, we'd almost certainly seen one another at some point. Even in a city that size, there was zero privacy. You couldn't go anywhere without recognizing someone every single day. We had to have seen each other. We just hadn't known it.

I could imagine two preschoolers in line at a grocery store with their mothers, shyly waving at each other before either of us could tie our shoes. As we got older, perhaps we had unknowingly spent many days wobbling past one another on trainer bikes in a park, or tearing around a playground at top speed for ages until puberty made a complete mess of everything. In middle school, I may have been fascinated by a shimmering sprite of a girl flying gracefully across an ice rink or a city ballet stage, my eyes and fingers running over a printed program to try and guess which one she could be. We had certainly cheered from opposite bleachers at high school games, each of us one more face in a screaming crowd. Perhaps I had stood motionless in a movie theater lobby, popcorn about to fall from overloaded hands in wide-eyed, dry-mouthed, heart-pounding stupefaction as she walked by on the arm of someone else. And it was almost certain she had passed by me unseen in the airport on the way home from college, that summer or a different one, and all I knew about it was the beguiling yet ephemeral scent of lilac that set an invisible hook in me.

"Sorry about that," she said, coming back and hurriedly stashing her phone in the pack I was hauling. For being so excited to go hiking, she didn't carry much herself.

"Everything okay? They sure called a lot, whoever it was." I had a pretty good guess of who it had been, and from what I understood they were a fair bit taller than me, much better dressed, and lived in New York.

"Oh, yeah, no, it's fine," she shrugged. She snuck up to bring my face down for a kiss.

"Ever think about growing this out?" she asked, running her palms over my stubble.

"Haven't tried in a few years," I said, "But I guess it's probably fuller now."

"I think you'd be very handsome with a beard," she mused, "Definitely less scratchy than your shadow, at least." I wanted to offer a retort or protest that I was fine just the way I was, but then she took my hand and leaned on my shoulder.

Alright, maybe I'd grow a beard. A short one. Just for the summer.

"Come on," she said, pulling at me, "It'll take forever if we don't keep moving."

***

***Early Summer***

As Erin took a step closer to me, I praised her and thumbed the button to switch the vibrator on. My heart raced as I watched her expression change. It was one of our first Silence sessions, the cutesy name we used for BDSM play. The closer she physically was to me and the better she obeyed my instructions, the more I rewarded her. I was conducting it with a remote, 'rabbit' style vibrator, playing a kind of red light-green light conditioning game as a gateway to bigger things.

"Come h-" I tried to say, but the words stuck in my throat out of choked excitement.

Damn it Luke, I thought, be more confident, calmer; slow down. Breathe.

"Come here, please" I said in a passably confident timbre. A grin flitted across her face, and she took another step forwards.

"Stop," I said after one step. She smiled wickedly and took another. I clicked the switch on the vibrator off, and she pouted.

"No you don't," I said calmly, "See? I only like it when you listen." She paused and waited, defiant in the thin tee shirt I'd insisted she wear, nothing else covering her body and the shirt only barely coming halfway down her hips.

"Turn around," I ordered. When she complied, I flicked the switch from Off to Medium for a long pulse, then back to Off.

"Good," I said, standing up from the loveseat I'd been lounging in.

"You're very flexible from ballet, I know," I said, coming closer to her, "I'd like to see it some more. Bend over and touch the floor, please. If you need to spread your legs, you may, but I want to see how close you can keep them together." She tossed a quick watch-this look at me, brought her feet together, and placed her palms on the carpet with straight legs and no sign of effort. I clicked her into High, savoring her slight grunt and miniscule shifting of weight before bringing it back down to Low.

"I'm impressed. Lovely view. How are you with a little spanking?" I asked, rubbing my palm along her from knee to lower back. I clicked the rabbit to Off so we could both focus, but I was bubbling with near-first-time nerves. I wondered if she felt the same.

"I may have done it once or twice," she admitted, sounding equally hesitant and hopeful, "It was alright. I don't mind trying again. Just go easy at first, okay? Last time someone tried, they thought it meant to swing for the fences. They were gone before they could say sorry, got me?"

"I do. And I've had some practice," I deflected, "Let's try, and you tell me if and how I should keep going. Hands on your knees and bend them a little. Arch your back a bit. Mmhm, stick that cute little ass out. Oh, that's good. Very inviting." At that, I smacked her rump upward with an open palm, making contact as briefly as possible. At the sound of it, I turned the vibrator to High for a count of three before turning it to Off. Then I kissed the cheek I'd slapped and caressed it in the same spot, the back of my hand brushing gently against her.

"How's that?" I asked.

"Good," she replied after a moment, "Other side? I hate being uneven." I precisely repeated the process on her other cheek: smack, vibrator, caress. Then, after a nod of agreement from her, I started a slow, almost desultory series of small taps that intensified by fractions of degrees, faster and firmer. She didn't wince, didn't cry out - but she did get quiet. And pink. Eventually I let my hand rest across her cheeks, enjoying how smooth and hot her rosy skin felt under the new set of summer work calluses on my hand.

"Oh," she said in a faraway voice, a flush spreading from a dozen places on her body, racing together and connecting. I smacked her slowly and firmly in the very center a few more times, watching how her muscle quickly dampened and absorbed the ripples, as well as how the delicious little bit of extra she had that tried to keep going in spite of it. I twitched the vibrator higher and soothed her, barely pressing with my palm.

"More?" I asked, leaving her on Medium.

"Y-yes," she husked, "Definitely. I think I like how you do that."

"Soon," I promised, abruptly taking my hand away and flicking the remote to Off, "Maybe I'll put you over my knees so you're more comfortable. And more exposed. Would you like that?"

"I, um... don't make me wait too long until we try," she laughed, and I smiled at that, pulsing her once on High.

"Count on it. Now; straighten back up, please. I'd like you to show off for me. Anything you like."

"Want to see me do the splits?" she asked after a moment's thought.

"Yes," I said hungrily, "Naked, please." Medium for a moment, then back to Low. She tossed away her scanty tee shirt and slid down, smoothly and slowly, until she was completely flat against the floor, legs splayed to the side. I shook my head slightly to clear it. It didn't really work. I cleared my throat.

"Anything else you want to show me while you're there?" I asked.

"Something I'm good at," she offered, raising her eyebrows and slowly opening her mouth to let her tongue trace her lips and teeth. I moved around behind her and began to undress myself completely, letting her hear the slow clink of a belt and the long draw of a zipper. She tried to turn her head, and I clicked the vibrator off.

"Eyes forward," I said, waiting to continue until she obeyed. As I tossed away my clothes, I paused to really look at the details of her lines, the dimples above her hips, the upright set of her shoulders and back, the incredible control of her limbs and joints. Every part of her body told a story of art expressed through regimented yet exuberant physicality.

"You're amazing," I marveled, "I've never seen anyone like you. You're like a panther."

"A panther?" she laughed, "Maybe a teeny-tiny one."

"A panther kitten, maybe?"

"Aww, 'Kitten?' I like that!" She glanced over her shoulder, delight in her voice and face showing how well I'd caught her off guard. I wondered how soon I could make her feel that way again.

"You could definitely call me that more often. But I can't see *you* right now," she said throatily, seductively, "Can you fix that?" I leaned forward to where her hair touched the nape of her neck and inhaled slowly, catching something unique behind the perfume; her natural skin.

I stepped around her, making sure to click the vibrator back into life the moment she could see me, drawing a pleased murmur. She beckoned me closer.

***

Later, after our Silence game and a spine-tingling display of her skills, we were being quite loud in her large soaker bathtub.

"Yes!" she sobbed, leaning back against me, both arms reaching over and behind to wrap around my head and neck, "That feels *so* good! How? Why?!?! Oh my God I don't care, YES!" Her whole body shook against me. I didn't know why either, and I didn't question it.

She had been teasing me with her physique until I'd finally had enough. I'd firmly wrapped an arm around her from behind and pulled her to me in a way that left no doubt about which of us was far stronger, or which had run out of patience. She'd stopped being coy when she felt my arm squeeze her tight against me, felt my growl vibrate through her torso, felt my fingers stroke down her body. In response, she had raised her hips to just above the waterline so both of us could see while my hands held her and unmade her. Sharp release overtook her like a great wave, throwing her back into my lap and begging for more and more and more.

"You're wearing my arms out," I laughed eventually, kissing her neck.

"S-sorry," she said shakily, "Not really, though. The hell *was* that?"

"Turns out you don't mind being in my lap, Erin," I said smugly.

"No kidding!" she agreed, then half-turned to look at me, grinning, "Let's not forget that."

"Definitely not." Further repartee was cut off by her mouth against mine.

"My turn," she soon demanded, "Out." She pulled the drain plug and we helped rinse each other off before she pinched and prodded and groped me into her bed, shoving me to my back. I was already hard, and she quickly spat on my cock before saddling up.

"Think it'll work better this time?" I asked.

"Even if it doesn't, I think practice makes perfect, don't you?" I had something smarmy to say in reply but I forgot it as I slipped inside her slick vise. Things slowed down before we got too far.

"Fffuck," she groaned, "That's a tight fit. But... mmm... even just a few inches is nice. Shallow beats nothing, right, Handsome?" She was desperate for reassurance. Like me.

"Yeah," I strained, "And getting better. Just... still real tight. Do I feel okay for you?"

"Mmhm," she whimpered. I helped her ride me gingerly, and her hips ground a little more smoothly after some more encouragement, some more softly shared laughs, some more patience. I was barely inside, but it was wonderful anyway. Once in a while she would raise herself off of me to quickly suck and spit our juices up and down my shaft, plainly enjoying the view and my insensate sounds before wriggling her hips down on me again. As she leaned forward to kiss me, her wet hair was cold and dripped against my face.

"You know what I've been daydreaming about, Luke?" she panted, breath smelling like hot, messy, fervent sex.

"Tell me," I groaned in distraction.

"Once you and I finally fit all the way, the first thing I want you to do is put my face in a pillow... and tell me to be as loud as I wanna be while you... hnnnh...*rearrange* me. I don't want to walk for DAYS, Mister, you hear me?"

"Then what are you waiting for?" I replied with a pleased smile and a smack to her smooth thigh, "Get back to practicing." She grinned, working her way a little further down to get a wince and a smile from both of us. Her hands gripped my shoulders as she bounced gingerly on me, eventually moving quickly, breathing sporadically. When I pinched her nipples, she moved even faster, air stuttering in and out of her lungs.

"Close," she panted.

"Same," I groaned.

She got off me, quickly turning around to present me with a view of her small, tight, wonderfully round butt. She made a show of sucking one of her fingers for a moment.

"Good. And to make sure of it," she said heatedly, "I'm taking this finger and putting it in my ass. And you're going to cum all up inside me. I want that feeling *so* bad right now. It's all this shallow teasing; I can't stand it!" I slowed, eventually holding her with my bridged body.

"You're sure?" I said, trying not to sound nervous and probably failing, "We haven't done that without double protection before."

"I'm sure," she laughed, "Been on the pill for years. Never failed. Trust me. Besides, I want to please you afterwards." Her hand drifted behind her, and I watched her tense for a moment and then relax happily from her second penetration. I gripped her by her grinding, please-hold-me hips and gave up on holding back.

"Like having that finger in your ass, Kitten?" I grunted, thrusting in and out as best her pussy would allow, "We can make that happen and a whole lot more whenever you want."

"Ooh, I'd like that," she whispered excitedly, "But first, buy me something pretty to practice with, Handsome. Then we'll see wh-wherrrre we can get. Too bad you're so big, but I bet if we really.... Oh my God. Fuck. Oh fuck! I'm gonna -" She was cut off by my sudden, prolonged, unbidden throbbing inside her. It felt too right to deny.

Erin's wordless shouts overlaid my own as we felt each other clench and release spastically, coming together and apart as best we could, her inner walls milking my cock for every drop I was worth, her finger squirming against me through her flesh as she pumped herself rapidly throughout the orgasm.

When I was finally aware of my surroundings again, Erin was riding me slowly, showing off her incredible, athletic body. She whispered happily with every grind, every tiny motion of her finger, marveling quietly at how much cum was inside her. She eventually got up, strutting to the bathroom and back.

"Good. Fuckin'. Job, Stud. Let's go get some naughty toys tomorrow," she said eagerly, alternately squirming against my body and staring at me with those fox-woman eyes.

"Sounds like fun. Although just my luck we'll run into ten people I know."

"Do you even know ten people, you nerd?" She couldn't help dissolving into endless giggles, then shrieking and running away as I tickled her out of spite.

***

***Mid Summer***

"You fainted. In a hot tub. People *drown* that way. You're sure you're okay? Not feeling woozy?"

"Holy crap, yes, Luke, I'm fine! Lighten up, you nerd. You could give my mother a lesson in worrying."

She rolled her eyes and stared upwards, muttering for strength. We were at the cabin we'd rented in the mountains, relaxing on the couch we'd defiled earlier that day. Between the hike, the heavier Silence session in the porch undercroft, wild sex, and the scare in the hot tub, we both needed a rest for the remainder of that night. We decided to have some snacks and tea and watch a movie on the old VHS hooked up to the crusty TV. After perusing the 'vast' selection of films on offer, she'd informed me that we were going to watch Fiddler on the Roof.

"What the hell do you MEAN you haven't seen it?!" She was far more incredulous than I expected. She looked unfairly cute that way, hands on her hips and in the one outfit I'd allowed her to win back from me. It was a dark teal dress, and I adored that color on her. I also didn't mind that it was very 'easy access.'

"What's weird about that?" I objected, "I just haven't seen it! I don't even know what it's about besides musicians." I was paying more attention to her ass than the argument as she put the tape in.

"Damn, kid. You kinda suck," She replied, shaking her head in disbelief as she whacked the TV into reasonable working order and laid back down on the couch, her feet resting expectantly in my lap. I snorted and started to rub them as the movie began.

"Wait," she said, hitting pause with the chunky remote, "Did you read that note yet?"

"The one you said was waiting for me upstairs? No." I liked watching her eyes flick around through ideas, discarding and assessing and editing.

"You should," she decided, "Actually, that's kind of perfect. Yep. But don't read it until first thing in the morning, okay?"

"Alright," I said, feeling more than a little curious.

"Can't believe you've never seen Fiddler on the Roof," she muttered, pressing Play again, "How can you even date a Jewish girl without any pop culture context?"

"What'd you say?" I blurted in eyebrow-raising surprise.

"That you're a mutant who's never seen Fiddler on the Roof."

"No! The other thing!"

"Are you shitting me? Did you seriously not know I was Jewish?"

"I knew that!" I protested.

"Don't know what your problem is, then. Just watch the movie, lunkhead."

"But -"

"Did you forget you were supposed to be rubbing my feet?" I actually had, so I got back to it and tried to shrug off the other thing she'd said. I watched her out of the corner of my eye whenever I took a drink of chamomile or ate a snack, but she seemed content and unconcerned.

I was surprised at how much I liked the movie, and I watched it to the end even though Erin fell asleep on me towards the end. Rather than deal with waking her up and trudging back upstairs with a grumpy girl in tow, I pulled a thin blanket over us. I slowly, blissfully drifted off on the couch with her in my arms, and dreamt of Erin in the ballet sequence of the movie with nothing on but a flowery handkerchief around her hair.

I'll admit, I may have half-woken her up for a sweet, quick intermission before going back to sleep where we were.

***

Dawn was just a little bit early to open my eyes, in my opinion, but it happened anyway. It was cold outside our cocoon and Erin had burrowed into the warm gap between me and the back of the couch. I stayed there for a long time, listening to birds singing counterpoint to her miniature snores. Eventually I had to get up, and I did my best to weasel out without waking her up. She grumbled something as she curled up into a little ball under the blanket, and I snuck away.

After my morning routine, I remembered what she'd said about the note in the upstairs bedroom, and I found it exactly where she said it was, next to a small bottle of coconut oil. I flicked the folded paper open and read it, a smile slowly forming on my face.

*

Luke -

I'm a bored executive who's visiting a spa. I signed up for the 'Nice Package.' This includes a spinal adjustment, massage, and beauty treatment. In that order or not. Use that swollen brain of yours. And the other things in the drawer.

- Erin

p. s. Call me 'Miss.' ;)

*

After a brief, excited survey of the contents of the drawer, I put the note away and rolled a few ideas around in my head. I quickly rummaged through my suitcase and hers before coming up with a bathrobe from the chalet's closet, a clean towel, a pair of sandals, and a bracelet of hers because she liked to feel dressed up even when naked. Then there was the issue of me. I tried a few things on before settling on a pair of shorts and a light button-down linen shirt with nothing underneath, rolling the sleeves up to my elbows. Best I could do under the circumstances, and I'm not known for dressing well anyway aside from my birthday suit. At least my forearms and hands would look nice; selling points for an eye-candy masseur with a dorky farmer's tan.

In the kitchen, I did my best to quickly make something suitable without waking her: a small dish of fruit, slice of nice bread with peanut butter and honey (the honey underneath to keep from sliding off or being sticky), and a mimosa in a lowball glass. Then I made my way over to Sleeping Beauty, breakfast in one hand, robe and other accessories for her in the other.

"Miss," I said quietly, jostling her shoulder, "Miss?"

"Mrghhh," she groaned.

"Miss, you fell asleep in the lounge," I said with a note of light concern, "All the other guests have left."

"Hm?" Erin's wild curls poked up out of the blanket first, then her bleary eyes. She tried to focus on me.

"Wha?... Ohhhh," she finally understood, "Right. The note. Mmhm. Can you come back later?" I tried not to laugh.

"Of course," I chuckled, "You paid for the VIP package, after all. No rush. I'll just leave your things here. Breakfast will be in the fridge."

"Actually, I got the Nice Package," she said, a grin on her face before she rolled away and went back to sleep. I found another blanket and put it over her. Her hand snuck out to squeeze my leg for a moment before retreating under the covers.

I spent the next hour or so enjoying my own breakfast on the porch and then reading for a while in the hot tub. The mountain air outside, frigid when I began, was warming up quickly. Eventually, I heard her get up. I got out and decided against covering myself before walking in. Erin was on a barstool at the kitchen counter, dressed in the spa attire I'd brought her, nibbling and sipping at her breakfast. She tried not to react too much when she saw me walk in, steam rolling off my body. Failure, in this case, made me smile.

"Good morning again, Miss," I said cheerfully as I tucked a towel around my waist, "Sleep well? Most guests at the chalet do."

"A bit sore, but otherwise fine," she laughed-mumbled around the last bite of toast before swallowing and replying, "So overall, yes. Thank you."

I poured another generous mimosa for her and a screwdriver for me, and sat next to her at the bar.

"Well," I said, business-like, "Included in the package is a spinal adjustment, massage, and beauty treatment. Would you like that now?"

"Soon," she demurred, "I'd like to see who will be assisting me, first."

"You slept in," I reminded her, "So there's only me available at the moment. But I 'come' highly recommended, I assure you."

"And are you 'Luke,' by chance?"

"I am indeed. How'd you know if I don't have a name tag on?"

"My friend Erin described you quite well, so I recognized you when you, ah, walked in. She said you were her favorite here." She twitched her eyebrows up and took another sip to hide her leering.

"She's my best client."

"I'm sure. Anyway, I'll be upstairs," she said airily, "Come up in ten minutes. I'll be ready for the massage first, I think. And treat yourself to another splash on my tab while you wait, please. I insist." I thanked her, then watched her skip and dance up the timber staircase, her fingertips tapping excitedly along the rail, the air swelling with her voice as she sang 'Matchmaker' with more volume and verve than her frame seemed capable of.

***

After waiting a reasonable amount of time, I went upstairs and knocked at the main bedroom door. I opened it when I heard her say to come in, the door thin enough to hear her clearly. The room was a riot of soft morning light thanks to the many skylights. It would be unbearably hot in an hour or two at most. For now, though, it was just a little too warm, and I opened two side windows to let in a pine-fragrant, birdsong-heavy morning breeze. She was facedown under the white sheet, legs splayed and hands tucked beneath her, slowly and obviously rubbing herself, her hips and ass raised up by a few tantalizing increments.

"Pre-massage," she purred, removing her hands and laying them either side of her head to clench the sheets slightly. Without preamble beyond asking if she were ready, I tugged the sheet down to her hips and tucked it around and under her professionally before spreading oil on my hands and stroking her skin firmly, drawing out her soreness from the efforts of the last two days. I went lightly, since she still had a few marks from my bouquet.

"So good," she groaned after a while, "Are you going to do anything but my back and neck, though?"

"What would you like?" I replied, paying almost full attention to the intuitive 'sight' of my hands.

"Lower body," she directed, and I moved to drape the sheet to cover everything but one leg at a time.

"Luke, or whatever it is," she mumbled imperiously into a pillow, "What exactly are you doing?"

"Arranging the sheet for you, Miss. Spa policy."

"Excuse me," she said, turning her head to challenge me with one eye, "I paid for the Nice Package, remember? I would *much* prefer long, hard, penetrating strokes from shoulders to ankles and hip to mid-thigh, please and thank you. I'm not concerned about modesty. Are you? Erin didn't seem to think you were... and I'd hate to find out I had the wrong masseur."

"Not at all," I agreed, tugging the sheet away to reveal her fully, "I think we understand each other's preferences." I quickly spread a film of oil over her lower body, being careful and light with her blotchy-purple ass. She had some bruises from our other days of prolonged play at the cabin. I wanted to add to her collection so badly. She was too convincingly beautiful whenever she begged me to spank her harder.

"Much better," she sighed as I began to glide hard knuckles along her flanks, hip to knee and back again. I found a point of tension and pressed in, thrusting through and between fibers, grinding against her paltry resistance to unleash a long, full sigh of relief from her.

"That's it," I said soothingly as I did the same on another spot at the point between her muscled cheek and the back of her hip, "Just let go of all that tension. It'll help with everything else later."

"I can make that tension go away very quickly," she said with some strain as I found yet another knot, "If you don't mind ignoring what I do while you carry on."

At my nudge, she rolled over to her back, letting me reapply the slippery ointment all down her front in languid strokes.

"As you like it. Just pretend I'm not here," I murmured, dragging my palms along her inner thigh, then skipping up to her shoulders and arms again.

"Actually, that's the opposite of what I'm thinking about," Erin grinned, her hands slithering down her abdomen and beginning to rub herself.

"You don't say," I replied, leaning over her to get a 'better' angle, glancing at her rock-hard nipples along the way.

"I like the oil," she murmured, fingers beckoning from her pussy. I put oil on her fingertips with mine, and she touched me as longingly as I did her. She drew my fingers closer and alongside her own before sinking in. With four fingers - two long and thick, two short and thin - her rapid pants quickly turned into a beseeching whine as we held hands as best we could inside her.

"Oh my fucking God," she stammered as our fingers squirmed and teased inside her pussy. She let out a long, juddering breath, body trying to surge up against all of me at once before she collapsed backwards.

"You look quite relaxed," I commented dryly. I leaned further down and sucked one of her hard nipples into my mouth.

"Appearances. Can be. Deceiving." I did the other to match.

"Ready for your spinal alignment? That will help with the next part of the massage."

"Do I look *anything* but ready as hell, Luke?!"

"Besides 'fantastic' for your age? I still can't believe your intake form. Erin must be quite jealous."

"Just what I wanted to hear," she replied, pleased with the continued middle-aged fantasy that was decades ahead of us. Something told me it would be true then, too.

"The spinal alignment uses a very simple tool, but everyone loves it. You'll have to roll over again, and I'll need you to keep your eyes closed; it helps with the experience," I instructed her. I quickly ditched my clothes to the floor, absently spreading the remaining oil over myself - chest, arms, shoulders, thighs, cock.

"Like this?" she asked, raising her hips up and arching her back.

"Perfect. You might feel some slight pressure, but that's temporary. Just try to relax." Reaching into a drawer, I brought out the gleaming, already-lubricated plug and held it against her needy, hot asshole. As I began to press in, she groaned and pushed back against me slightly.

"That's very good," I soothed, "Your alignment need was quite advanced, so we had to go with something a little bigger than usual. Just remember, I'm going to keep constant forward pressure. All you have to do is let it happen. You're already doing very, very well." It began to sink in with a sharp gasp from her. Her breath halted as I paused stuffing her with the at its widest point, teasing back and forth by millimeters, listening to her tiny squeaks at each movement. I shivered to hear her low groan as I pushed it inexorably all the way to the flared base. Erin convulsed slightly, hand thumping the bed weakly until I grasped it with my own, letting her squeeze me for as long as she wanted.

I leaned forward, brushing my lips along her neck to her ear and then her temple before she rolled over to offer her mouth to mine.

I've been with bad kissers, and I'm glad because that let me know for sure that I've also been with good ones. And I've been with a few greats. Erin put them to shame.

"I'm feeling *very* aligned," she breathed as we came apart, "Ready for my beauty treatment. I'm excited to learn what it is."

"It's a mixture of water, mucus, plasma, and eight essential nutrients. Plus some proto-stem cells," I replied evenly. Erin paused, thinking it over for a second. Her eyes narrowed and glaring up at me, mouth in a thin line with a slightly annoyed, a thoroughly amused quirk at the corner.

"Luke," she said peevishly, "Like, actual Luke: are you describing semen?" Damn. Caught.

"... Can we get back to pretending?"

"Yes, but I'm also going to pretend you weren't such a fuckin' dork just now."

"Life really would be a lot easier if I was seeing someone stupid."

"Simpler? Sure," she shrugged, "Easier? Probably not. And not nearly as much fun." She grinned and I rolled my eyes.

"Fair enough. So the application of the treatment is a little unorthodox, but people seem to enjoy it."

"I'm listening."

"It has to be internal. It absorbs best through the vagina and cervix."

"And how does it get there?" she giggled. Her oiled hand slid up my leg to grip first my balls, then the throbbingly thick base of my shaft.

"With a little help," I replied, placing my palms on the mattress at either side of her head. I watched her expressions as she guided me in, the way she gasped and her face scrunched slightly before breaking into a vulpine grin.

"Oh.... *Good* boy," she murmured, "So hard. And so - nggghn - eager! Ooh, that's it. Yes yes yes yes YES. Oh my fucking GOD you and this thick goddamn plug are fighting and it's driving me crazy!" One of her hands gripped my arm like a claw while the other reached down to rub at the toy in her.

"We're not fighting, Miss; I fucking love feeling it in you. And of course I'm eager," I grunted, steadily building to the ball-slapping rhythm she loved, "Just *look* at you."

"L-look who's talk-k-k-ing! Ah! Ah! Ah, fuck, yes!" I hooked my arms under her legs, bending her back, pinning her down with all I could and just short of crushing her, feeling the toy in her ass shift and squeeze with every drive of my hips. She squeaked and shivered through it, urging me on and giving a ragged cry in time with each pulse I felt through my fingers that danced on her clit.

"Almost," I gasped, the bed creaking and thudding with each stroke.

"Pound this pussy!" she shouted, fingers gripping the back of my neck like a life line, "Fuck me, Luke!"

I wasn't anywhere near able to reply, instead letting my body speak for me with a strong voice and rhythm even after the cum was slopping in and out of her pussy, even after we were nothing but conjoined, insensate exultations. I pulled out for a moment before thrusting back in fully, feeling the shifting of the plug each way and making her moan loudly. She cried out as I smacked her thigh sharply and then gripped her hard.

"How do you feel," I panted, holding myself up on sweaty limbs, still fucking her in a leisurely fashion, "After your beauty treatment?"

"You tell me," she said, a wicked grin on her face. It was catching.

"Gorgeous," I murmured as I kissed her and she writhed against me.

"You'll need it as often as possible today to get the full effects," I continued.

"So I've heard!" she vamped, "So whatever else we do, 'Luke,' you need to finish just like that, I believe."

"Hmm," I growled, showing my canines and pinning her wrists to the bed, watching her eyes dilate rapidly, "I think 'need' is exactly the right word."

***

***Late Summer***

"I need it!" Erin exulted, pushing back fiercely against me, engulfing my cock with hot, tight, familiar fury; "Fill me all the way up with that big. Fuckin'. DICK, you beast! Don't stop!" I guided Sarah's hands to where I wanted them, having her play with and squeeze Erin's ass cheeks, holding them apart for me while I made her laugh and scream. When Sarah tugged on the string of beads inside Erin's ass, the curly-haired vixen called her something nasty before giving frantic encouragement.

Cars roared by on the highway, not far from where we were parked in a small cliffside cutout typically used by climbers. There was no way for drivers to slow down and gawk, no way for them to get more than a passing glimpse of three young bodies making an old minivan shake like a leaf.

Erin's roomy, frumpy, hand-me-down vehicle was a deceptive incongruity for a sexy little thing like her. Naturally, she'd named the minivan 'Lucy.' Lucy was outdated by a decade or two, had gauges that gave wrong information, sported more than a few miles and chips and dings and dents, was usually running with deflated tires, and had a wildly erratic temperature control system. But she also handled like a dream, never let anyone down, had seats you could spend days or nights in, and facilitated some of the best sex of my life over that summer, whether bringing Erin to me or providing a usable place when others weren't available or desired. Even thinking about Lucy puts a smile on my face.

Maybe that's why I often find older women so appealing.

The windows were only a little steamed up, and the cloudless twilight after sunset was more than enough to see and be seen by. Headlights were roaring past, with the occasional honk from a slow driver making us laugh. Sarah was on her back on the van's floor, a large blanket beneath her. Erin was facedown on her, and I was kneeling behind Erin.

"Wonder when the cops will show up," Sarah laughed, rubbing at Erin as she lurched and mewled between us.

"Been here a while," I panted, "Soon probably. Think we should go?"

"Don't you fucking *dare* yet," Erin snarled. I immediately pulled out of her, rapidly plunging into Sarah to hear her moan with pleasure. The heat and squeezing, the pulsing wetness were the same, but everything else, from the angle to the sweet spots were completely, wonderfully different for each of them. Erin pouted loudly, squeezing Sarah's fulsome breasts in aggressive appreciation. I pulled slowly on Erin's short leather leash, making her rear back slightly without choking her but also not giving her a choice about it.

"Wait your turn, brat," I commanded.

"Yes Sir," Erin whimpered, frantically rubbing at her clit.

"Hands for Sarah," I grunted, slapping Erin's ass for good measure.

"Yes Sir!" Erin complied, flicking Sarah's hood dexterously, drawing even louder sounds out of our curvy pet. After a loud, long while, Erin slowed down, leaning back with her flexible body to whisper in my ear.

"Smoke," she husked. I nodded.

"I'm listening, Kitten," I said gently. Beneath us, Sarah barely noticed, eyes closed and hands gripping my thighs.

"Finish in me," Erin murmured low enough for only me to hear, "I need you to need me most."

"I do," I whispered fervently, "Bend down. Hold on." I pulled out of Sarah all the way, enjoying her gasps that melded with Erin's as I filled the little blonde to the brim.

"Okay Birdie," I said encouragingly, "Show me how well you can play with Erin's beads while I fuck her. I saw your face earlier. You know you want to."

"Ohhhh FUCK!" Erin screamed as Sarah and I gave her everything she wanted, any further yowls negated by Sarah's plump lips and chest.

***

Erin was humming a pleasant, simple tune as she pulled onto the dark highway. I was in the front passenger seat, totally exhausted but damned pleased with myself as usual. Sarah was already asleep on the passenger bench, the lap belt buckled over her waist, her head pillowed on one of the blankets. She'd been very happy with the attention she received after we'd tag-teamed Erin into a glowing, wet, shaking puddle.

Only a few cars shared the road with us, one every mile or so going the other way. Erin's hand drifted over, downturned fingertips tapping and drifting insouciantly over my upward-facing palm. It made me happy. Eventually I wrapped her hand in my grip. She glanced at me and smiled.

"That was fun," she purred, "Great spot you found."

"Not too bad," I agreed. She snorted, and we drove in silence for a while. Massive highway light poles drifted towards and away from us as we cruised along.

"Sarah's leaving a few weeks after me," Erin remarked, "So that's good." She looked away slightly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, unsure where that had come from.

"I mean... I'm glad you'll have company when I go. And, y'know, someone to have fun with."

"... Oh," I said, suddenly feeling a bit lost, "Yeah. That's true. I guess my school starts last. Not by much, of course, but still."

"Mmhm." She didn't look at me. Why wasn't she looking at me?

"I was wondering," I said as we came to the first stoplight at the edge of town, "Um... do you... want to stay in touch?"

"Yeah!" Erin said quickly, still not looking quite at me, "Of course! I love getting letters from you *now,* don't know why you'd think I'd want that to stop."

"Okay, good. Me too." I glanced back at Sarah, checking how she was doing. Still asleep.

"Maybe Sarah too. We're taking her home, right? I mean, *her* home, dropping her off?" I asked.

"Yeah," Erin replied, "She has some stuff tomorrow."

"Right. Can, um... can I come over, then?"

"I wish," Erin sighed, "But Mom said she wants me to go visit Grandpa with her in the morning. So, you know. Tradition..."

"Tradition!" I barked just to share a laugh with her.

"Anyway, yeah," I said quickly, "Of course. Maybe see you the next day, or the day after? I'm off work, then. It would be nice to go do something with you."

"What, you need me or something?" she asked teasingly. We were sitting at a red light, and she turned her head full towards me. I looked at her intently, then startled a little. Her eyes were misty and red. A track was on her cheek from the corner of her eye to her jawline.

"I... yeah," I replied, "I suppose I do. Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I... sorta," she managed, turning to look at the road as the light changed, "Maybe not. No. I don't know. I'm just... kinda sad that summer's almost done. Aren't you?" She snatched up a kleenex from the box she kept next to her seat. I nodded, squashing something that was starting to push at my ribs from the inside. She cleared her throat.

"Hey," I said, squeezing her hand, "It's okay. Don't think about it. It's late, Kitten. I'll see you in a day or so, and we'll go find something fun to do. There's a new place I want to try out downtown. Live music, all that. My buddy Grant can get us in without a cover charge. How's that sound?"

"Good," Erin said distantly, "Really good. Sorry, I... didn't mean to mess up the mood, there. Good idea, lets do it."

"No, it's okay. And hey, we all need a day or two to rest, right? I'm actually a bit worried it's gonna literally fall off at this point." She laughed at that a little harder than it warranted. Sarah stirred in the backseat.

"No kidding," Erin giggled, "I'd like to walk straight again, please."

"Not what you were saying earlier."

"Prick."

"Almost to Sarah's house," I observed, glancing around, "Should I wake her up?"

"Nah," Erin said, smiling as she glanced up at the mirror to see Sarah's bare legs stretched out on the bench seat, "Let the lady sleep. She's cute like that. You should carry her inside when we get there, though."

"I'd love that."

"Besides," Erin smirked, squeezing my thigh without taking her eyes off the road, "It's nice just talking with you."

***

***End of Summer***

"We need to talk," she said again. Like everyone who has ever heard that phrase, I felt like I'd missed a step on a staircase.

"Sure," I replied, turning away from the view to look at her. We were repeating one of the hikes we'd done not long after starting to see each other. We had already reached the summit and turned back towards the car, still about an hour away, then stopped for a rest on a fallen tree.

She tried to start, trailed off, fidgeted, tried again. Her breathing was all wrong. Acid started to sympathetically boil in my throat.

"Erin? What is it?"

"I... I'm," she began again. Her eyes were too bright, her lips were twisted. She was almost struggling for air. Her fingers tangled into complex knots in her lap, briefly pressing against her stomach and fluttering up to brush her curls back over her ear before returning lower than before. Actually, just a shot way below her navel.

Pressing gently.

Protectively.

I looked at Erin, and she looked back with something between embarrassment, sadness, and fear.

Oh.

It's impossible to be brave if you're not scared. And that's how I knew it was the bravest I'd been in my life up to that point, because I was starkly terrified. It was also one of the moments that brought me closer to being the kind of person I wanted to be.

"Erin," I said, moving closer to put my hands over hers, "If... if you're... Look, I'm not running. It's your decision, of course, but just know that I'll support you in whatever that is. I'll be there for you, in any way you'll let me. As much as you'll let me. No matter what, we'll figure this out, and everything's going to be okay. I'm scared as hell, but I promise: I'm not gonna let you down. Or... them, if that's how it turns out. Not now, not ever. And you won't ever have to do any of it alone. Either way. I... I don't know what to say. Clearly. All I know is that it's going to be okay." I knew I was rambling, but at least all the words were true even if they were coming out a terrible mess. Her eyes got wider and wider as I talked, and I had no idea how to read them.

"What are you... Oh my God, Luke, no. No! I'm not pregnant!"

"You're not? I... oh, wow. I think I need a minute."

She didn't give it to me and instead jumped into my lap, holding me tight as we shushed each other, laughing and shedding tears in a giddy, sheepish relief. She kissed my hair, stroked my neck; said my name over and over.

Then she got quiet and still. Something was wrong.

"Goddammit, Luke, you... I'm sorry I scared you. But it's not that," she finally whispered, "It's not that." I looked up at her and saw firmly, precariously controlled misery.

"What is it, then?" I asked.

Please, I thought, let me be wrong. Let me be dead wrong.

She stood up, and I followed her. She kissed me. It felt so different from all the other times. The kiss was small and quick, her lips trembling, too warm, pressing in for only a moment before pulling back. Her body drifted away from me. Then her hands. Then her eyes. She hugged herself protectively.

God, no. Please, I'm not ready.

"Luke... I can't look at you right now. I'm sorry. And I... just... Oh, fuck, just say it, Erin! Andrew wants me to stop seeing you. He said it's gotten too close. I think so, too. We... we have to be done, now, Luke. We *have* to. It's time."

She was right. But I could only stare at her.

"Luke... we both knew things would have to end. Eventually. Didn't we? We even said so, going in. 'Nothing serious; just the summer,' right? I... Stop looking at me like that! Oh come on, Luke! Please don't make this even harder than it already is!"

Looking back, it's hard to write about it. I'm proud of the me that was brave for her a moment before. And I'm proud of the man in me that tried to speak his heart. I'm not proud of the youth that was too petulant, too inexperienced to accept reality with some grace.

"I'm going to, goddammit! Yeah, we knew how this was supposed to go. But at some point I can't even really point to, I... you... I *know* what I've seen, Erin! What we've both felt. I've heard it, too, all those little slips we've both made. So why not? What's so wrong about it? Why can't it work? Why can't we forget the 'plan' and make a new one? Erin, please!" We stared at each other, out of arm's reach, separated by a silence that stretched on for far too long.

Dammit, I realized, it was actually happening. She wasn't going to budge. We were done.

Erin slowly leaned forward and pressed her face against my chest. She shook her head once or twice before her shoulders hitched in a sudden sob, then another, choked down for a moment before they all came tumbling out. As always, I couldn't help but follow her lead, and I didn't need urging to hold her tightly. We had to wait for our crying to stop long enough to say the rest of what we needed to. It took so long that the weather changed, becoming overcast, cool, and windy.

"Luke... summer's almost over," she said miserably, clenching my shirt, "I have to head back in just... just two weeks or so. You're headed out not long after. Different directions, different coasts, different everything. You *knew* that. We both knew that!" I reared back from her, burnt and angry and raw.

"Of course we did!" I barked. I had never been truly angry with her before.

We flinched further away from each other, seeing clearly perhaps for the first time just how terribly it was going to hurt.

Or maybe 'could' hurt, I thought. Maybe I could figure something out. Maybe I could even convince her. I just needed more time. It was a desperate, wretched idea. I clung to it with everything I had.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But Erin... it's still a few weeks, isn't it?" I pleaded, "Still some time left. I don't want to spend it any other way. Don't you feel the same?" She slowly nodded, taking those careful, artful steps of hers back towards me.

"Please," I begged, my hands seeking gentle purchase on her face, her hair, "Erin, come on. Not yet. Even just a little more time? Can't we at least have that? I don't care what we do, what we are; I just want to be with you as long as I can. Please, anything but right now."

"It's still a little ways off," she slowly agreed, staring up at me with eyes that were red-rimmed and far too bright, like rose gold, "I want those weeks, too. I want them with you." She nodded, as though convincing herself.

"What about Andrew?" I asked, fighting the sickening cocktail of despair and anger.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," she said quietly, and I had to watch as her burden doubled and her soul bruised before the end of her sentence.

Then and there, I realized I was nothing but a despicably selfish coward. So far gone from the hero I'd briefly been when I was ready to cast my lot completely in with hers. She'd been the brave one, working up her courage for who knows how long to tell me it was over. And I'd done nothing but add to her despair, with no way to ever take it back.

"Oh my God. Your face right now... I swear, Erin, I have *never* lied to you. But I think I've been lying to myself almost from the start. I should have known. I should have said something. I knew what I was feeling, I just... I didn't want this... this summer to end. Ever. Erin... It's all my fault."

Her sad smile, the kind that said too much about both of us, is what broke me for good, and I didn't care about hiding it any more. It put me on my knees.

I'd failed her.

"Shhhh," she said, kissing her fingertips and bringing them up to my lips as she so often had, "It's okay. It's okay. And come on. Takes two to really tango, my Handsome. I'm not some dumb blonde, remember? Just maybe not as smart as I told myself I was. I thought... what we didn't say couldn't hurt us, you know? Luke, you can make words *dance.* It's wonderful. It's what I liked about you before I even met you. But sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all. To be... silent."

I nodded slightly, my eyes feeling hot and overfull again. My voice came out in a cracked whisper. It was all I could manage.

"Erin... I... I'm sorry."

She hushed me again, taking her turn to hug my head and shoulders tightly, our places and heights reversed.

"Me too, Luke."

Eventually, we had to keep moving down the trail. We couldn't look at each other for more than a second or two, but her hand sought mine and I held on gratefully. When we got back to my car, I opened the door for her to make her smile. She said the 'better than formal' line to complete one of what I now realized was a pitiful handful of inside jokes and tiny, inconsequential intimacies we shared. But we still had them damn it, even after only a few months. It was evening by then and getting cool with the oncoming Fall, so she put on the sweatshirt she'd won from me on a certain phone call.

As I drove down from the darkening mountainside trailhead, we didn't speak until we reached the main roads and the highway. Then we made smalltalk all the way to her house. It started to drizzle, then rain, and I thought about how I'd meant to replace the wipers after our first date and never got around to it. It was dark by the time I pulled into her driveway. Once the engine was off, we sat without saying a word, listening to the sounds of the car coming to rest and the rain beginning to hammer on the roof.

Just a few weeks left of what I'd come to think of as everything.

"Can I come in?" I asked hoarsely. My eyes felt tired and my stomach was a hollow lake of acid. My strength was gone.

"I'd like that," she replied, staring into the middle distance. She put her fingers on my thigh before I could open the car door, squeezing tightly, not letting go. I looked at her for the first time in a while. Her vixen eyes locked onto mine, holding me in place more gently and effectively than her grip did.

"What?" I asked.

"You meant it, didn't you?" she said quietly, searching my face, "When you thought I was pregnant. You were ready."

"Well no way in hell was I ready!" I burst out, and to my relief we laughed.

"Luke," she said eventually, "I'm serious. I mean... did you?" I looked out the window for encouragement and a moment's pause, and took a breath. The rain was getting somehow louder.

"Yeah," I admitted, "I meant it." She shook her head and sighed wearily before replying.

"Perfect. Just perfect," she admonished herself, "Good job, Erin. Sorry I put you through that on top of the rest, I guess. I didn't mean to. Jesus, Andrew would absolutely kill me if that happened with you... or him, honestly. Besides, I wouldn't want you to do something like that. I mean, *why,* Luke? Because some horny, spoiled little slut you just met didn't want to be bored and lonely over break? Come on."

"No," I said at first faintly, then with growing conviction, "No. It's not like that at all. And would you stop talking about yourself like that? If it does come up with - with - with the right timing or whatever once you get back to school, *please* remember what I said. I'll be there. Either way. A doctor or a... doctor, I'll be there, Erin. Just call me. Promise me you will!"

"What? Why? No! Why are you being like this!?" she demanded incredulously, "You can't just say things like that! You can't just... mean things like that! What do you even know about me, or me about you that isn't pure sex, huh? We've known each other for a couple of fucking MONTHS, Luke! It's the longest one-night stand ever, you... you... insufferable, self-righteous shit! Yeah, that's it, a one-night stand all summer! That's all I am to you and that's all you were supposed to be - fucking DAMMIT - *are* to me! You're not a white knight, I'm not a damsel, and this isn't one of your crappy fantasy novels you read all the time! Goddammit, you were supposed to be smarter than this, and you know I fucking HATE stupid guys! Why should I even tell you about something like getting pregnant now? Huh? Now that I know you'll pull some shit like this, I don't think I would, just to protect you from how goddamn *idiotic* you apparently are. What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that? You got something to say, then say it!"

We were drowning out the rain. Leaves landed on the windshield. Dead ones.

"What's wrong with me?" I roared back, "The list's a mile long but if I had to start anywhere, it would start with YOU! *I'm* stupid? Look who's talking! What the fuck don't you understand? What hasn't made sense to you besides this whole thing that was all your little scheme in the first place? Why all the notes you sneak into my pockets? Why do you want me to stay over every time and hold you until morning? What do you care that I called you 'my Summer?' Why do I listen to the same songs over and over again just because I heard them for the first time on a CD you made for me? How many times have we *barely* managed to say nothing to each other? What do I not know about you? I don't have a clue! I wish I could find out, but you won't let me! 'Heart on your sleeve.' Give me a fucking break. You haven't been honest about any of this either. And you know what? I'm actually going to tell you what's 'wrong' with me. I didn't say those things on the trail when I was scared out of my MIND just because it was the right thing to do - I wouldn't be able to if it was that! I'm a coward, for Christ's sake, and we both know that because you've proven it to me all *goddamn* summer! I meant what I said because..." I stopped, heart pounding and chest aching. My head hurt. My voice was raw. I never used it like that.

"Well?" she snapped. It was happening too fast. I couldn't think. I didn't have time to plan, to craft, to edit and revise, to use my tricks to hide myself from her. I couldn't do it any more.

And I didn't want to.

"Because it's you, Erin."

"No!" she sobbed, voice and careful mask shattering, new tears coming back in an unstoppable rush, "Stop it! Shut up, for once! You can't... You don't... I won't let... I don't..."

Her eyes briefly searched almost blindly for mine, then her hands, then her lips, then her body as she climbed over the seat to reach me in an aching echo of our first night together.

Summer was almost over.

***

***End Part 14***