Room for One More Pt. 01

Author's Note - Revised Edition

I started writing the next two chapters for this series and after revisiting this one to refresh my memory of some details, I was mortified by what I read. I don't know how I seemingly missed editing it and cleaning it up.

This is a newly edited and slightly expanded version of a story I originally posted about six weeks ago. If you've already read the previous version, I don't expect you to read it again so soon, but if you do, you'll recognize most of it. The bulk of the changes in this version includes numerous revisions for clarity, flow, and polish. I've corrected missed words, removed a repeated paragraph, fixed spelling and grammatical errors, and restructured sections to improve pacing and flow.

I've also added roughly a thousand new words throughout, focusing on deepening the sensuality and the emotional depth of the connection between the characters. If you enjoyed it the first time, and you read it a second, I hope this version offers an even more immersive experience.

If you're stumbling on this and have voted on or read the original, I humbly ask that you vote this version again and favorite this one instead of the other. After letting it exist for a bit, to give people to become aware and hopefully read this, I intend to delete the other version that I'm rather embarrassed for having posted. The fact that it still scored a 4.72, as of the time I'm writing this, makes me feel so thankful that people were still receptive to.

And hopefully I didn't mess this version up with my additions. I've also added "chapters" to help me locate parts and also organize how I perceive the flow. I have a feeling that this will be a much longer than I ever intended. Possibly a serial type series if people maintain an interest in joining Natalie in exploring herself.

Thank you for reading, and for giving the story another visit if you've been here before!

Chapter 1

The first thing Natalie did was clear out the guest room closet. Not that it was overflowing, it was just a few suitcases, an old space heater, and a pile of boots she hadn't worn since before the divorce. He was going to be living her now though, and he would need the room for his own stuff.

Her fingers paused on a soft knit throw, brushing it, unable to deny memories that came with it from her old home. A previous life. The coming reality felt more real with every empty hanger.

She didn't regret saying yes. Lisa had sounded so grateful, so relieved. "The dorms are just making the cost of college so much more expensive," she'd said. "He just needs somewhere stable to live and study."

And Natalie could use the help. Sure, she didn't need a two bedroom, but it was originally supposed to be a home office-guestroom combo. The office never really got used though. Neither did it get used as a guest room. The only person that'd come to use it was a college friend, for one weekend.

The new city, the rent, and the mild panic of watching her savings thin out while she waited for a promotion that may never come, meant the modest monthly payment they'd agreed on wasn't nothing.

But still. A 20-year-old. A boy? A man?

She leaned in the doorway, arms crossed, staring at the freshly made bed. The sheets were new. So were the towels. She'd even swapped out the nightstand lamp for something a little more masculine, not that she thought he'd care. But something about sharing space again made her suddenly, irrationally aware of the details. The angles. The proximity.

She hadn't lived with a young man since she was in her twenties, newly married, and trying to build something solid. That had been a long time ago. She was 32 now, divorced, and focused on work. Trying to rebuild in a new city, in a new apartment, with a new routine she was only just getting used to. Yoga in the mornings, occasional late nights of work to show her commitment, finished up with wine and reruns until her brain slowed down.

She moved through the apartment assessing everything. What had been her place for nearly a year, was about to be his home, too. At least for a little while. She scrubbed the stove, rearranged the contents of the fridge, bought an extra towel set.

It was like she was nesting all over again.

But now? She wasn't sure what to expect.

She remembered the last time she saw him, barely seventeen. All awkward shoulders and posture, and shaggy hair. Lisa said he'd grown up, that he'd filled out. "You'll be impressed," she'd said with a wink, half-joking, not knowing how strange that would come across. Natalie had laughed it off, but it lingered. She wasn't expecting him. She was expecting company, noise, a warm body in the hall. Someone to fill the silence she only recently realized was becoming overwhelming and a constant throughout the house. At first it was welcome, in contrast to the fights her marriage had turned into. But lately, it seemed ever-present and lonely.

She walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge, then shut it again without taking anything. She already felt the shift, and he hadn't even arrived yet. It would be nice to have someone around again. She told herself that. Repeated it. Just... she wouldn't have expected that someone to be a 20-year-old.

Heading back to the guest room, more out of an anxious energy than anything else, she sat on the edge of the bed and let out a breath.

"I can handle this," she said aloud. "It's just someone to share the space."

But even as she said it, her eyes drifted to the hallway where the closed door to her bedroom suddenly felt just a little too close to his.

This wasn't just a week or two. Lisa had said through college. Suddenly that felt so undefined. What did that mean? Two years? Would he be expecting to stay here if went for his masters? Aiden would come and go, sure, classes, internships, but the reality was he'd be living here. In her quiet, post-divorce space that she had finally made her own.

She was used to hearing only her own footsteps. To dancing barefoot through the kitchen with wine and music. To not worrying about someone else hearing her cry in the shower on bad days.

That life was starting to feel normal. And now she was about to share it with the 20-year-old child of her best friend. One who, if she was honest, she barely ever knew in the first place.

Still... it would be nice to have someone around again. Even if it wasn't someone she wouldn't've expected.

"I can handle this," she said aloud. "It's temporary." She wasn't actually sure if she believed that, especially not after her conversation with Lisa on the phone last night.

Chapter 2

"Seriously, Nat, you're a lifesaver."

Lisa's voice crackled slightly through the speakerphone as Natalie placed a pair of folded towels at the foot of the bed.

"I owe you big time for this," Lisa said.

"You say that like I'm not still trying to convince myself it's a good idea," Natalie replied, smoothing the fabric unnecessarily.

Lisa chuckled. "He's not high-maintenance, I swear. You might even forget he's there."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Natalie muttered. "That I'll walk into the kitchen in my robe, or less, and scare the hell out of both of us."

Lisa laughed. "You're going to get along better than you think."

Natalie paused. "I haven't lived with anyone in a while and I wasn't planning on it for some time."

"Since Frank, I know, c'mon, there's always room for one more."

"Yeah." She tugged at a loose thread on the comforter. "It's been kind of... nice. Quiet."

Lisa didn't say anything for a moment. "Well, it's not like Aiden's going to disrupt your whole world."

"Mm." Natalie made a noncommittal noise, then added, "I just didn't think the next person I'd live with would be your son."

"He's not a kid anymore," Lisa said, with a tone that was almost teasing. "You'll see."

"I'm not looking," Natalie shot back.

"Didn't say you were," Lisa replied, lightly. Then, after a moment, "He always thought you were kind of intimidating, you know."

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "I was twenty-five and working all the time when he met me. And if I wasn't working, I was trying to keep Frank calm while he tried to keep tabs on everything I did when I wasn't home. I think I barely looked up from my phone."

"He still remembers you as intimidating, for whatever reason."

That made Natalie pause, but she kept her tone casual. "Well, I hope I don't scare him off this time."

"He's not that easily scared anymore."

There was something in Lisa's voice that Natalie couldn't quite pin down. Maybe it was simple motherly pride.

"I'll keep him in line," Natalie said. "Just promise you won't start calling me his second mom."

Lisa laughed again. "You? Please. Actually, now that you mention it, he'd probably listen to you more than he listens to me."

A longer pause this time.

"You sure this won't be weird?" Natalie asked, almost pleading for reassurance from the universe.

There was a lightness in Lisa's reply. "Would it be the first time we agreed to something that wasn't a little weird between us?"

Natalie didn't answer right away. She reached for her glass of wine and took a slow sip.

"This is different" She replied. Not hearing Lisa respond, she added, "Fine, I'll manage."

"I know you will," Lisa said, softer now. "You always do. You nervous?"

"A little."

"You excited?"

Natalie smirked. "Don't push it."

Lisa laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll stop. Just be nice to him, will you?"

"I will," Natalie said. "But I'm not making him muffins."

Lisa paused. "You're totally making muffins, aren't you?"

Natalie sighed. "They're banana nut. Don't judge me."

"Oh, I'm judging. But also, I'm touched you'd go through the trouble."

Another small pause settled between them.

Lisa spoke first. "Crazy, isn't it? When we met in that hot yoga class seven years ago, I never would've guessed my son would end up living with you."

Natalie let out a dramatic sigh, "Yeah... that definitely wasn't on my bingo card."

"Honestly, I would've expected me to live with you before Aiden ever did," Lisa said a little more playfully.

Natalie blinked, caught off guard. She gave a small laugh, unsure how else to respond. "Well... you probably would've been better at folding the towels."

Lisa laughed with her. "Maybe. But I definitely wouldn't stay out of your wine stash." She smiled to herself, thinking for a second.

"Weird, huh?" Lisa said.

"Weirds one word for it," she answered. She appreciated that she could be candid with Lisa, all things considered.

"Anyway," Lisa said, slipping back into her usual chipper tone, "you'll be great."

"I'll manage," Natalie replied. "I usually do."

"I know," Lisa said, quieter now. "Night, Nat."

"Night, Lisa."

Chapter 3

The next morning, Natalie stood by the window with a cooling cup of coffee in her hand, watching as a silver sedan eased into the lot below. She hadn't slept much, a mixture of anxiety and a restless awareness that the quiet comfort of her home was about to change.

After spending the day preparing, she spotted Lisa as soon as the car parked. Her friend stepped out with a quick glance upward, giving a wave even though she couldn't possibly see Natalie through the tinted glass and the reflection of the world outside. She knew Natalie well enough to know that she'd be watching for them though. A moment later, Aiden emerged from the passenger side, taller than she remembered and more filled out. He moved with the loose, casual energy of someone comfortable in his own skin, slinging a duffel bag over his shoulder and grabbing a suitcase from the back seat.

Natalie's stomach gave a small, involuntary twist.

That wasn't the awkward teen she remembered from holidays and backyard barbecues. That was... something else entirely. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, maybe someone younger-looking, more boyish, but the man stepping onto the curb looked completely at ease with himself in a way that made her suddenly feel off-balance, knowing he was about to move in.

She turned from the window and set her mug down, brushing her hands over her jeans as if that would settle her nerves. It was time to open the door, make polite conversation, and act like she hadn't spent the last twenty-four hours trying to convince herself this was a perfectly normal arrangement.

Before stepping into the hall, she took one last look around the guest room, smoothed the edge of the comforter where she'd been sitting, then moved to the kitchen to pour herself some water she didn't really want, and await the coming knock at the door.

Time seemed to drag before she finally heard them talking outside. She glanced at the clock: ten after four. Showtime.

Natalie opened the door just as Lisa lifted her hand to knock.

"There she is," Lisa said with a grin, stepping in for a big squeeze. "Told you we'd make it before dinner time."

Natalie returned the hug, then looked past her to Aiden. He lingered a step back, shoulders relaxed, duffel slung over one side.

Stepping aside to let them in, she said, "Well, come on in. Don't just stand there, come on."

He stepped through the doorway behind his mom with a polite nod and a quick glance around. Now that he was in front of her, Natalie couldn't help comparing him once more to the version she'd seen a few years ago. He'd been all sharp elbows and shaggy hair, slouched in a hoodie two sizes too big. Now, his posture was straighter, and he carried himself better, like he'd settled into himself. Still quiet so far, however.

Natalie shut the door behind them and gestured toward the hallway. "Your room is the first on the right. Closet is cleared out and extra towels are on the bed."

"Thanks," Aiden said, offering a brief smile before heading down the hall with his duffel over one shoulder and his suitcase trailing behind him. His footsteps were light, almost cautious.

Lisa followed her into the kitchen like it was still familiar territory, opening a cabinet uninvited and grabbing two glasses. "You're not going to freak out and kick him out after a week, are you?"

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Not unless he starts blasting music at 2 a. m. or leaves beard trimmings in the sink."

Lisa smirked. "He's not a slob. And he keeps to himself. Honestly, like I'd said, you'll probably forget he's here most of the time."

Natalie leaned against the counter, arms crossed loosely. "I doubt that. It already feels different."

"Good different or bad different?"

She considered the question for a moment. "Just... not mine anymore. The space, my routine... it's going to take a minute."

Lisa nodded, surprisingly understanding. "I get it. You've been solo for what, a year now?"

"Little over. In the apartment for almost a year."

"Well, he's not going to take over your world," Lisa said, grabbing her glass of water and giving Natalie a pointed look. "He just needs a place to sleep, study, and occasionally eat all your cereal."

Natalie huffed a soft laugh. "I don't even eat cereal."

"Then you're already that much safer from his never-ending hunger."

Before Natalie could respond, Aiden reemerged from the hallway. He'd dropped his stuff off and was now taking in the apartment with more focus as his eyes scanned the layout, the framed prints on the walls, the neat stack of books on the bookshelf in the corner of the living room.

"It looks really nice in here," he said.

Natalie gave a modest shrug. "It's still coming together."

"I like it," he added.

Natalie gave a small smile, motioning her hands towards him slightly. "Thanks. It's a work in progress."

Lisa looked between them, then clapped her hands together. "All right, troops. He's still got a few boxes in the trunk. Let's get it all in before the afternoon heat turns ugly."

Natalie set her water glass on the counter. "To late for that," she quipped. "Lead the way."

They filed out together, to head downstairs. Lisa chatted like always, and Aiden brought up the rear, quietly scanning the hallway as they walked. The apartment was nicer than he was used to since going to college. Cleaner. More put together. Not like the dorms, where peace and quiet was rare because your neighbors either slammed doors or played guitar badly at midnight.

This place had structure. It felt like someone actually lived here, and not in the half-hearted way college students pretended to, knowing they would be leaving in the summer. It made him feel out of place. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to fit into her world.

As they stepped outside, the afternoon heat rolled in fast. Lisa popped the trunk of her car and motioned toward the back.

"There's your last two," she said. "One of you grab the box, the other grab the bin."

"I got it," Aiden said quickly, reaching for both before Natalie could move.

"Don't throw your back out trying to impress me," she said.

"I won't," he muttered, adjusting his grip on the awkward plastic bin. It wasn't heavy, just bulky but manageable.

Lisa opened the building door for them, and he followed Natalie in, trying not to focus too much on the scrape of her sandals on the floor or the fact that he was eyelevel with her ass, as they walked up the stairs.

This whole thing still felt strange. He'd spent the last two years crammed into shared spaces with guys who barely knew how to run a microwave, and now here he was, living with his mom's friend off campus, a woman he barely even knew anything about. He didn't even know how old she actually was.

Thirty... something? She didn't look it, but she acted like it. He was used to living with people he didn't know. That comes with dorm life. But he didn't know how to live with a woman, not a girl, but a woman, that wasn't his mom. This was new. All of it. And he wasn't sure how he was supposed to act around her.

It was already a different world, and he hadn't even unpacked yet.

Chapter 4

When they got back into the apartment, he dropped his things by the wall in his room, then returned to find Natalie and his mom in the kitchen, already opening drawers and debating whether the mugs were too high up. It seemed that Natalie was much more structured than his mom was. He'd have to be mindful of that, living in her place.

"It'll be fun staying the night, right?" Lisa asked, turning toward Natalie. "Just like old times! One last night of freedom for you before the kid takes over."

Natalie gave her a dry look. "You're staying in my bed and he's the one with his own room. How is that my last night of freedom?"

Lisa waved her off. "Details."

Aiden hesitated just past the doorway, unsure whether to linger or leave them to whatever they were doing. They clearly had their own thing going on of shared stories and inside jokes, and he wasn't part of that. Not yet. Probably not ever.

He cleared his throat lightly. "I'm gonna, uh... finish unpacking I guess."

"Need help?" Lisa asked, half-turning.

"I'm good," he said, already backing down the hall.

He shut the door behind him, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared at the bin he'd just carried up. The room was nice. Too nice. Clean, quiet, and... adult. This wasn't going to feel like college. Not even close.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands loosely clasped. The bin sat unopened in front of him. He knew exactly what was in it and none of it was urgent. Chargers, notebooks, a couple of extension cords, and a hoodie he hadn't worn in months. He wasn't really in a rush to unpack, but just needed a moment to take everything in.

Everything in the room felt intentional. The bed was already made, the spare blanket folded, and there was even a small dish of spare toiletries on the dresser, like he was checking into some kind of Airbnb. It was far from bad, but it felt super foreign. Quiet in a way he wasn't used to. No background noise. No random yelling through dorm walls. No roommate clomping around in flip-flops after day drinking. Not even the noises he was used to back home with his mom. Just... calm. And that made him realize how much he'd relied on noise to distract himself from actually thinking.

He stood, opened the bin, and started pulling things out one by one, placing them in empty drawers and the vacant closet. It didn't take long; he didn't have much. By the time he was zipping up the empty duffel bag and stuffing it inside the suitcase, he could hear faint laughter coming from the kitchen along with his mom's voice, then Natalie's.

He couldn't make out the words, but the flow of it seemed like it was familiar between them. His mom almost sounded giddy, like it was just a continuation of some past life they had together before he showed up. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse.

It was good, because at least he was staying with someone that he kinda knew and his mom was close with. On the other hand, it was someone his mom was close with and may tell her about everything he does.

Aiden sat back down on the edge of the bed, resting his forearms on his thighs. This wasn't going to be like dorm life. It wasn't going to be like anything he'd done before. Natalie wasn't just some stranger off a roommate board; she was his mom's friend. Sharp, professional, polite. And he was crashing in her home for the foreseeable future.

He exhaled through his nose, then stood again, mostly just to move. The idea of staying in here all evening felt antisocial, but barging into the kitchen mid-laughter felt weird too. After a moment, he opened the door and wandered toward the living room. At the very least, he figured he should make an effort to not be hiding.

Chapter 5

Natalie leaned against the kitchen island, half-listening as Lisa recounted the woman who came in mortified, asking for help removing a decorative wine stopper she'd mistaken for something sturdier during a moment of... experimentation, and then having to lecture her about the importance of something that flared at least, so it wouldn't go all the way in, if she was going to continue making questionable choices.

It was classic Lisa, half absurd, half hilarious, and Natalie found herself smiling, even though her attention drifted every few seconds.

She heard the bedroom door down the hall open then close again. The sound barely registered, but it tugged her focus just the same. It was a sound she didn't cause. A sound from someone who was now going to be inhabiting her space. Aiden's room was across the hall from hers, close enough to make a difference in how loud she could be, but not right on top of each other. It had seemed like a logical arrangement when she offered it. Now it just felt noticeably close.

A moment later, he reappeared, pausing at the edge of the kitchen like he wasn't sure whether to come in or wait to be invited.

"Survived the unpacking?" Natalie asked, in acknowledgement of him.

"Mostly," he said. "Still figuring out where to put little things. Just details."

"You'll figure it out. The drawers aren't that deep; it can't leave you with too many options."

He gave a quick smile and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. There was a quiet hesitation in how he held himself, like he was still finding his place in the room.

"Can't help it," he said after a beat. "I'm in school for architecture. Making things fit is kind of... hardwired."

Natalie raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed. "So, you're saying the junk drawer might be your greatest challenge?"

"Depends how chaotic it is," he replied, the smile returning. "Could be a decent design exercise in spatial awareness." He was grateful for how easy she seemed to make it to talk to her, and ease some of the weirdness.

Lisa turned from the fridge with a grin. "Don't encourage her. Next thing you know she'll be asking for a full rework of the spice cabinet."

"Only if it comes with extra credit," he said.

That drew a laugh from both women, and Natalie found herself relaxing a little. It wasn't effortless, nothing about this situation would be, but at least he seemed to have a sense of humor. She'd been concerned based on her minimal interactions of him before, and Lisa saying she intimidated him.

He moved a little farther into the room, staying close to the edge but present. She noticed he didn't pull out his phone or try to fade into the background. He was just taking it in and not forcing anything.

Lisa rubbed her hands together. "Okay, we're voting on dinner. Thai or pizza?"

Aiden glanced between them. "I'm good with whatever."

Natalie grabbed the stack of takeout menus. "That's not how voting works here, you don't get to abstain."

Dinner had come and gone, leaving takeout boxes half-collapsed on the coffee table, empty plates stacked nearby, and two glasses of wine quickly making their way through the bottle Lisa had brought. The TV played low in the background, but no one was really paying attention. Lisa had made herself comfortable in the middle of the couch, legs tucked under her and turned a bit towards her friend. Natalie was curled at one end, elbow on the armrest, glass balanced loosely in hand. Aiden had taken the accent chair to the side, sitting a little straighter than the others, one foot bouncing lightly as he listened.

"So," Lisa said, topping off Natalie's glass before offering the bottle toward Aiden. "Want some?"

Natalie glanced over. "He's not old enough."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Please. He's twenty. And we all know he's had a lot more than a glass of wine at those college parties."

Aiden let out a short laugh, glancing between them like he wasn't sure if he was in on the joke or the target of it. Lisa wasn't done. "I found him drunk on our front porch senior year. Was trying to sneak in all quiet, and he fell over taking off his shoes before coming inside."

"I thought you didn't know about that," Aiden muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm a nurse, not an idiot," Lisa replied, smirking. "You were home safe. That's what mattered at that moment. At least this time he's drinking at home," she finished, looking at Natalie having emphasized the last word.

The word caught Natalie off guard. Home. She looked at Aiden again, glass paused just short of her lips. He didn't seem to notice the shift, or if he did, he didn't react. He just leaned forward and accepted the pour into his water glass with a quiet, "Thanks."

He already saw this place that way, or at very least, didn't resist the idea of it. Natalie took a sip, letting the wine settle on her tongue while the thought settled somewhere deeper.

Lisa pressed on, cheerful and tireless as ever. "Okay, so no college horror stories yet, but let's shift gears. What's the worst living situation either of you have been in?"

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "That implies I've had more than one. I went straight from my parents' house to my ex's. Never had a roommate."

"Seriously?" Aiden asked, genuinely surprised.

She shrugged. "Lived with my husband until I didn't."

Lisa leaned in with a mock-conspiratorial grin. "And now she's making up for lost time by taking in strays."

"I'm not a stray," Aiden muttered, examining the wine in his glass.

"Tell that to the duffel bag you walked in with, hobo" Natalie replied, her tone dry, and not cracking a smile.

That brought out a little laugh from Aiden, the first one since they started eating, he seemed to ease into his seat a little more. He wasn't completely comfortable, but the edges of his caution had rounded off.

Lisa gave Natalie a look that said told you so without actually saying it. The conversation drifted on from there, letting the bad living situations go. Classes, transit nightmares, whether pad see ew was better than drunken noodles. Lisa did most of the heavy lifting of the conversation, pulling threads and nudging them into topics that felt neutral and comfortable.

Chapter 6

By the time the food had gone cold and the last sip of wine had disappeared, Lisa stretched and groaned, arms overhead. "Okay, I'm officially done. My back says it's time to lie down."

Natalie stood and began gathering the plates, stacking the empties without much finesse. "You can use the bathroom first to get ready for bed."

Lisa waved her off with a lazy gesture, wine glass still in hand. "Door at the end of the hall. I remember where everything is."

"Mm-hmm," Natalie murmured, eyeing the wine stain on the edge of a napkin before tossing it into the trash. "Just don't make yourself too comfortable. It's still my bed and I need room to sleep in it too."

Lisa grinned as she rose, wobbling only slightly as she stepped into her flats. "No promises."

Aiden pushed himself up from the chair, still a little stiff but looser than earlier. "I'll head to bed too. Thanks again for dinner. And, uh... well, all of it."

"You're welcome," Natalie said, offering a tired smile. "Hall closet has extra towels if you need a second set."

He nodded and lingered for half a second like he wasn't sure what to say next. Then, with a quiet "Goodnight," he disappeared down the hallway toward his room, the door closing gently behind him.

Lisa followed immediately after, heading towards the hall, then Natalie's toward the bathroom. "Don't take too long cleaning. I'm not above locking you out of your own bedroom."

"Noted," Natalie called after her.

Left alone in the quiet, Natalie turned back to the kitchen. She could've left the mess until morning, and no one would've judged her, but something about the clutter rubbed against her nerves. She loaded the dishwasher on autopilot, wiped down the counters, put away the takeout menus. It was about reclaiming a little order before everything started again tomorrow.

By the time she turned off the lights and padded softly down the hallway, the apartment had fallen into the familiar late-night hush. She passed the closed guest room door and paused briefly, hearing nothing from inside. It struck her again that he was really here. That tomorrow and the next day and who knows how many after, he'd be behind that door. Eating at her table. Using her space. Sharing her air.

She reached her own bedroom and opened the door noticing that the bathroom was already vacant.

Lisa was sitting on the edge of the bed, makeup wiped clean, her hair twisted up haphazardly. She looked up as Natalie entered with an expression that was far too casual for someone holding a bright pink silicone dildo in one hand.

"This was in your nightstand," Lisa said, matter-of-factly. "You upgraded since I last visited."

Natalie froze halfway through closing the door. "Lisa!"

"What?" Lisa laughed, giving it an exaggerated little waggle. "I was looking for chapstick. This isn't it. But I mean... we could pretend," slowly lifting it towards her lips and staring at Natalie, before stopping with a giggle.

Natalie sighed and let her head thump lightly against the door. "Why are you like this?"

"Curious. Slightly tipsy. And, to be fair, it's not the worst thing I've found in someone's drawer."

"It's still my drawer."

Lisa grinned, completely unfazed. "You know, I always had you pegged for a traditional girl when I met you. This is a nice surprise. It's bigger than I expected you to have too. But I still think you need to try some of my recommendations. There are toys that can do amazing things!"

Natalie walked over and snatched it from her hand, tossing it into the nightstand drawer it came from, without ceremony. "Remind me why I let you sleep in here?"

"Because you love me," Lisa said, pulling back the blanket like nothing had happened. "And because, like I said, I've seen worse."

Natalie groaned and turned toward her dresser, fluffing her hair with her hands. "I'm not taking that as a challenge."

Behind her, Lisa was already under the covers, voice muffled by the pillow. "Maybe not. But it is nice to see you living a little."

Natalie didn't reply. She just stood there for a moment longer, then stepped toward the closet and slipped off her jeans, tossing them into the hamper inside. Her top followed, dropped in the same easy motion, leaving her in a simple black bra and matching panties. Normally, she would've stripped the rest of the way before pulling on the oversized T-shirt still hanging from the closet doorknob.

The shirt was the last thing left behind by a guy she'd briefly seen not long after moving here. The relationship hadn't lasted. But for a little while, it had been exciting in a way she hadn't felt in years. She'd been carving out her new life in this city, with a new body under hers, that had a different technique than the rushed, predictable routines that filled her marriage toward the end.

He was a touch younger, and more spontaneous. Eager in a way that made her want to rise to meet it, to prove something to herself. He was also the reason she'd bought the seven-and-a-half-inch dildo that Lisa had just unearthed and was now tucked back in the nightstand. She'd thought that maybe she could train her vagina and her throat to handle him on the nights he wasn't around.

The toy had outlasted the fling, and so had the shirt. The goodbye hadn't been dramatic. They just stopped calling each other. No real ending, just a fade-out. Still, on most nights, she slept in that shirt because it was comfortable and reminded her of a man that wasn't Frank.

Tonight, with Lisa here, she left the bra and panties on. It was a courtesy, an acknowledgment that someone else was in her bed.

She turned off the bedside lamp, which seemed to emphasize the hush that enveloped the room. She slipped under the covers, feeling the sheets cool against her legs. Lisa was already curled on her side, facing her. For a while, neither of them said anything. Just the faint hum of the air conditioner and the occasional noise from a neighbor.

Then, Lisa's voice cut through, low and slurred at the edges. "You remember that night in Scottsdale?"

Natalie blinked into the dark. "We agreed never to speak of Scottsdale."

Lisa laughed softly. "I'm not bringing up him. I'm bringing up us." A pause. "You were the one who kissed me first, if I remember right."

"That was a long time ago," Natalie said, voice quieter now. "We were-"

"Drunk. Like tonight. And a year or whatever, isn't that long."

Natalie rolled to her side, facing away. "It's different now."

Lisa just shifted behind her closing the distance, the mattress giving under her weight, slightly rolling Natalie back into her. Then fingers brushed Natalie's bare arm, slowly dragging the sheet slightly lower.

"It doesn't have to be," Lisa whispered. "Unless you're not curious anymore."

Natalie exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the far wall in the dim lighting. Her body tensed in conflict. "Aiden's down the hall."

Lisa's hand paused, letting her feel the warmth and softness rest just under her collarbone, playing with the collar of the shirt. "He's asleep. I've done far worse with him two rooms away."

Natalie let out a short, nervous laugh. "I've never been one for an audience."

Lisa's lips brushed her ear, "He's not watching, Nat. He's passed out cold. I know you better than that. You're not nervous, just making excuses."

Natalie didn't answer. Her mind was racing; caught between the low burn Lisa always seemed to know how to stoke and the very real knowledge that this wasn't just a drunken night. Lisa's twenty-year-old son was sleeping across the hall, under her roof, and this, whatever this was, wouldn't just disappear with the morning.

But Lisa's hand had already slipped lower, as her fingertips dragged the edge of the sheet to Natalie's waistline, testing the boundary.

"Tell me no," Lisa whispered.

Natalie didn't. She heard Lisa shift behind her, feeling the light pull of the covers as the other woman pushed against her more fully.

For a few moments, it was too quiet. Just the sound of their uneven breathing filling the space between them. Every inhale felt louder than it should've, every brush of skin magnified in the stillness of the apartment. Natalie's pulse thudded in her ears, but her thoughts were elsewhere, as they half-focused down the hall where Aiden slept behind a closed door.

She didn't voice the concern. There was no point since Lisa clearly didn't share it, and she could be persistent when she was feeling like this. Then Lisa's fingers trailed lightly over the fabric stretched across Natalie's waist.

"You're wound up," she murmured.

Natalie just breathed for a moment. Her eyes stayed open, continuing to stare into the dim room. "I'm fine."

"You're not. You're buzzing like you always do when your brain won't let you rest."

Natalie let out a small breath, part laugh, part exhale. "I'm now sharing a hallway with your son, remember?"

Lisa's hand slipped a little higher, feeling the warmth of Natalie's stomach. "I lived with him for years, Nat. You think I never had to be quiet?" She chuckled softly. "Trust me, he's not listening for anything."

"He's twenty," Natalie whispered. "He listens to everything."

Still, she didn't stop Lisa's hand as it swept up beneath the edge of her bra. Her body betrayed her first, arching slightly into the touch. Lisa had become central part of her orbit in the last year and a half, a presence that blurred lines after too much wine or late-night honesty. It hadn't been like this before the divorce, before the long stretch of cold nights and longer silences.

Lisa had been a friend then, and only a friend. But when the marriage ended and Natalie began to feel again, to want, and wonder what she had been missing, Lisa was the one who listened. The one who teased. The one who asked questions no one else dared to.

Lisa pressed in now, her lips brushing the back of Natalie's neck. "You told me the other week how long it's been since anyone touched you, right? Let me."

Natalie bit her lip. "I didn't mean you..." she sighed. "And truth be told, there was someone last week."

"You didn't not mean me, and you can tell me about him later."

There was a pause filled with nerves of uncertainty. Lisa's hand skimmed up Natalie's side again, slipping her thumb fully beneath her bra with the confidence she always seemed to have. Her palm was hot against bare skin, cupping just the bottom her breast with a firm possessive touch, like she had every right to. Then her thumb found Natalie's nipple, brushing over it once, twice, the pressure light as she felt it grow harder. Back and forth, a slow tease, coaxing a response she knew was inevitable.

Natalie's breath caught, and her body leaned ever so slightly into the touch before she could think to stop it. She was yielding to Lisa's ministrations.

"You don't have to overthink it," Lisa whispered, her breath warm against the curve of Natalie's neck. "We're already here and we don't see each other often now."

Natalie stayed still, she was caught between resistance and surrender. It wasn't the first time this pull had happened between them, but it had never been quite like this. Not in her own bed, and certainly not with Aiden asleep just across the hall.

Lisa seemed to sense the hesitation and began sliding her knee between Natalie's under the sheets, opening her up just a little, hips pressing against her butt just enough to stir a mixture of guilt and excitement low in Natalie's stomach. The edges of a fear of him hearing that made it more stimulating.

"We'll be quiet," Lisa said, barely audible now. "It's okay to want something, Nat. Just let yourself go."

Chapter 7

Down the hall, Aiden turned over in bed for what felt like the tenth time. The apartment was too quiet, lacking the white noise he'd been used to his whole life. He could hear the distant hum of the refrigerator, and a tapping of pipes in the walls. And then eventually, there was something else. A voice.

He couldn't make out the words, just the murmur of two people talking. It was quiet and muffled, and the familiar voices of his mom and Natalie.

At first, he figured they were just laughing again, sharing more stories about old times. Some inside joke. But then he realized the cadence was different. Slower, softer, uneven in a way that made him feel as though it was reminiscent of how he'd heard his mom talk before.

He sat up, squinting toward his closed door as though his eyes would help him hear them better. It was probably nothing, he told himself, but he didn't move. He just sat there, listening.

Natalie's bra had shifted from Lisa's hand slipping fully beneath now, as her fingers gently closed around her breast. Her thumb was circling the peak with a familiarity that made Natalie gasp quietly into the pillow. Lisa kissed her shoulder, her mouth leaving a soft and lingering tingle as she pressed closer from behind.

"You feel amazing," she whispered. "Always have."

Natalie's voice came out breathless. "Lisa..."

Lisa's hand slid lower, across Natalie's stomach, moving over the top of her panties with a slowness that made Natalie tremble. She should've stopped her. Should've said no. But her hips moved instead, betraying her thoughts, and tilting back just enough to say yes without speaking a word.

Chapter 8

Down the hall, Aiden's brows drew together as he leaned in further, trying to catch any clue in the pattern of sounds. It still didn't quite make sense, but something about it was gnawing at him now. A thread he couldn't let go of.

He finally laid back down, eyes wide open.

Whatever was happening, he wasn't supposed to hear it.

Unbeknownst to her, Natalie's fears were coming true as Aiden lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop while trying to go to sleep, but once he noticed the sounds, they were hard to ignore. It wasn't only talking anymore as far as he could tell. Between cycles of the AC, something else crept in. A low noise that sounded soft and breathy. Then again. A woman's voice, but not in conversation, more like a moan. It was muffled, like it was being swallowed into a pillow.

He held his breath, trying to be still, trying to make sure he wasn't imagining it. But then it came again, a little quieter this time. It was followed by what sounded like a whispered word, too soft to make out. His chest tightened as a slow, uneasy recognition started to take hold.

He knew that sound, the tone of it. He'd heard it back when he and his mom shared a two-bedroom apartment with walls that didn't do much to keep secrets. Lisa had always tried to be discreet, waiting until late, keeping music on, closing her door, but every now and then, especially after a few drinks, there were moments when her version of quiet wasn't quiet enough. He'd learned not to think too hard about it. Half the time, he'd never seen the men his mom had brought home, and that fit perfectly with how he felt it should be. If men were going to come and go over the years, it was better if they remained nameless and faceless to him.

But this was different. There was no low drone of a man's voice. No sharp sounds signaling skin on skin, or deep grunts making their way to his room. Just soft gasps, all of which were light and feminine, layered with something more muted. A voice coaxing, soothing, or maybe even instructing. It was hard to tell through the walls, but it didn't sound unfamiliar. If anything, it sounded like his mother.

He sat up fully, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, tension rising with every movement. For a few seconds he just sat there, with his elbows on his knees, carefully listening, still a bit uncertain. He didn't want to jump to conclusions. He didn't want to know, but the sounds kept threading through the silence piquing his curiosity. And it was becoming more unmistakable now. Moans, a whispered hush, creaking wood of a bedframe. Nothing else.

Lisa and Natalie. His throat felt tight, and his mind suddenly crowded. This wasn't what he thought tonight would be. It wasn't what any of this was supposed to be. And whatever was happening in that room, it definitely wasn't meant for him to hear.

Chapter 9

Natalie's breath caught as Lisa's fingers slid lower, the pads of them slow trailing down against skin that hadn't been touched like this sensually in over a month. The room was dark, filled with the quiet sounds of breath and sheets and the subtle shift of bodies pressing together. Lisa's hand moved with a kind of knowing patience, no urgency, no need to prove anything. Just insistent and unyielding.

Natalie stayed on her side, facing away, as Lisa's body pressed firmly behind her, the warmth of her chest flush to Natalie's back. A thigh slipped between her legs, nudging gently, coaxing them apart just enough to make space for her. Lisa's lips brushed along the back of her neck moving more towards the base Her words were barely more than breath.

"You're so tense," she murmured. "Relax for me."

"I'm trying," Natalie whispered, but the words shaky, even though her body was already betraying her. "Just - he's across the hall."

"We're not loud," Lisa said, keeping her whisper calm, trailing feather light kisses along Natalie's shoulder now. Her fingers were tracing Natalie's panties, teasing lightly against the fabric, a single fingertip brushing the soft center. It made Natalie inhale sharply, "I've been louder trying to open a bag of chips. I've done this before, he's not listening." And then Natalie rolled.

Feeling Lisa's breath against her skin, she carefully shifted onto her back. Her eyes searched the dark as though it might offer reassurance, before turning towards Lisa's. She didn't say stop. Didn't move away. Instead, she bent her far leg and let her knee fall to the side, opening herself more fully to Lisa's touch. She gave a soft sound that was half laugh, half groan. "He's not dumb either."

Lisa pulled her in closer, her fingers slipping beneath the last barrier, Natalie's panties, gently stroking the soft strip of hair until her breath stuttered again.

"Then maybe he already knows," she murmured. "And maybe you don't care as much as you say." Her fingers paused for just a second, then slipped lower, dragging through the slick warmth. "God, Nat..." she breathed, "you're soaked."

Natalie didn't answer. She couldn't with Lisa touching her like that. Not with the heat building in her. Not with her back arching and her hand gripping the sheet to keep from making a sound. Her mind went back to Aiden, behind that door, awake or asleep, maybe hearing this, maybe not, and it only made the tension coil tighter. But it was Lisa's words that stuck, more than the touch. Maybe he already knows. Maybe you don't care. Natalie wasn't sure what unsettled her more: the idea that it might be true, or the suspicion that Lisa had said it deliberately. Like she wanted the thought of her own son to be there. Like she was using it to push her, to bait her, or maybe even to turn her on.

Lisa's voice was barely audible. "Let it happen. You need this."

And she did. God, she did.

Natalie closed her eyes and let the tension go. She shifted around, tugging and pulling to remove her shirt. Then she let her body melt into the mattress as Lisa's fingers continued their steady caress of slow circles over her clit that pulsed hotter with every pass.

Lisa knew better than to rush the moment. Propping herself up on one elbow, she leaned over her, lips brushing softly along Natalie's shoulder before trailing lower. Her mouth moved lazily across the top of her chest, tongue flicking over the dip between her collarbones, then grazing the upper swell of her breast. She took her time, kissing, tasting, letting her breath warm every patch of skin she passed.

All the while, her fingers never stopped.

They moved in slow, deliberate circles over Natalie's clit with a firm, steady pressure with just enough variation to keep her guessing. She'd stroke high over her hood, then dip slightly making direct contact on her sensitive button, then circle again, adjusting angle and pace in a rhythm that sent shivers through Natalie's thighs. Every pass built on the last, coaxing her open, her hips rising to meet each stroke before sinking back into the mattress again.

Lisa knew exactly how to keep her just on the edge, right where every nerve was tight and buzzing. She pressed the heel of her palm down against the mound of Natalie's sex while her fingers worked with more precision, slipping slightly lower to tease the entrance before gliding back up, bringing her fluids with them, and with a gentle flick that made Natalie gasp.

A moan slipped past Natalie's lips before she could catch it.

The reaction encouraged Lisa even more. Her free hand slid under Natalie's head in one smooth motion, fingers threading into her hair. She gave a gentle but deliberate tug, pulling her in, and caught Natalie's mouth in a kiss that was hot, with no hesitation. Their lips parted quickly, tongues brushing, the moan swallowed into Lisa's mouth as the constant movement of her hand never faltered.

Reaching back under herself, Natalie unclasped her bra with a practiced flick of her fingers, then wiggled it off one arm at a time while Lisa worked her hand over her slick vagina, never missing a beat through any of it. The bra hit the floor with a near silent rustle, the delicate fabric landing in a small pile, just as Lisa pushed the sheet aside and slipped down, her gaze lingering as Natalie's full breasts were finally revealed in the dim light.

Even in the minimal light from outside filtering around the curtains and the tiny lights from various electronics in the room, they were stunning, a generous D cups that swelled with each breath. The smooth skin was taut and unmarked, with nipples already peaked from arousal and anticipation. Lisa paused for just a second, eyes tracing the soft curves with a mixture of reverence and lust. There was a degree of youth there, yes, but also a kind of untouched elegance, unmarred by motherhood or the same degree of time. Natalie's body still held the shape of someone in her prime, gravity not yet having fully taken root and claimed its toll.

Lisa's own breasts were smaller, more delicate. Years of nursing and age had softened them, though she'd never minded until moments like this, when envy crept in uninvited. An awareness of what had once been hers long ago, now mirrored in Natalie.

She leaned in and took Natalie's nipple into her mouth, hot, wet, and eager. She sucked gently at first, then with firmer pressure, her tongue circling in slow, confident sweeps that sent a current of electricity straight through Natalie's core.

Natalie let out a shaky breath, panting through clenched teeth. One hand gripping the sheet tight, anchoring herself. The other found Lisa's shoulder, fingers curling into her friend with every pulse of sensation that rolled through her.

"God," Natalie breathed.

Lisa smiled against her skin, nipped playfully at the nearest nipple, then murmured with wicked satisfaction, "I haven't even started making you see God yet."

And she was right. Lisa was bringing her right to the edge and holding her there, fingers working in slow, precise circles directly against Natalie's bare clit. She'd slipped under her panties long ago, warm skin in wet folds, teasing with maddening patience. Every so often she'd change the angle or pressure, just enough to make Natalie's breath catch, but never enough to push her over. The ache had grown unbearable, a deep, pulsing need that made her thighs tremble and her toes curl tightly into the sheets.

"Please," Natalie whispered, voice cracking around the word. "Take them off."

Lisa didn't answer. Her fingers kept moving, steady and unrelenting, gliding over her with an intimacy that was both tender and merciless. Natalie's hips rolled in response, her back arching, and body straining to push into her.

"Lisa, please," she gasped again. "Take them off. I need--"

Lisa pulled her hand away suddenly, leaving her empty and throbbing. She sat up slightly, eyes dark, lips parted, her fingers still glistening in the low light.

"Get your toy," she said, quiet but commanding, the words cutting off Natalie, through the haze in her head.

Natalie blinked at her in the dark. "Now?"

Lisa remained quiet. Instead, she leaned in and kissed her softly at first, then deeper. Her tongue slipped between Natalie's lips with a slow, teasing press that made Natalie melt into the mattress all over again. It was a passionate kiss. One that was different than the last, or from what any of the men had achieved, not that those kisses weren't good as well. But this was confident, and intentional as only Lisa had ever managed with her. By the time Lisa pulled back, both of them were breathless.

"I want it," she murmured against Natalie's mouth. "And I want you to use it on me."

Flushed and dazed, Natalie shifted up and leaned over the side of the bed, her fingers fumbling slightly as she opened the nightstand drawer. Her hand found the toy, pausing for just a moment, feeling the weight of it in her palm. She'd used it on herself more times than she could count, but never on someone else. And never like this. The idea of where it had been, and where it was going, sent a dizzy rush through her chest and down between her legs.

When she turned back, Lisa was already pulling her pajama top over her head, revealing smooth, flushed skin and small, elegant breasts that rose with each breath. In the low light, she looked soft and wild all at once. Her shorts followed next, pushed down and off with one practiced motion. She was completely nude now, compact and lithe, her shorter frame glowing against the taller, broader lines of Natalie's.

Chapter 10

Just outside the bedroom door, Aiden hovered barefoot in the darkened hallway, heart pounding like it was trying to shake loose from his ribs. At first, he only meant to sit and listen. But then the sounds grew clearer, and unmistakable. They were breathless and strained. A moan that didn't line up with the laughs in the living room, followed by a hushed voice that was definitely his mother's. He couldn't hear the words of their whispers, but the tone... the tone said everything. There was no denying that the tone was the same he'd heard many times over the years. The difference was that this time he wasn't trying to block it out.

Back inside, Natalie was still in her panties, but not for long. Lisa straddled one of her legs, her own soaked warmth settling on the smooth skin of Natalie's shin as she leaned down, and hooked her thumbs into the waistband. She dragged the last vestige of fabric down slowly; her eyes locked on Natalie's the entire time.

Lisa lingered just long enough to dip her head and kiss the slick center of Natalie's sex, the thin landing strip of pubic hair brushing her nose. Her tongue moved slowly, but deliberately, drawing a low, helpless sound from Natalie's throat.

"God, you're dripping for me," she murmured, her breath hot against the sensitive skin. "You're going to ruin the sheets."

Natalie's thighs trembled, as her hand tightened around the toy she still held. The idea of using it on someone else, on Lisa, resonating through her. She knew every inch of it, what it felt like inside her, how it stretched and filled. And now she was going to share that. Use it. She was going to press it inside someone else. Let Lisa feel something that had only ever touched her. It was something private, familiar, and hers alone until now.

It should've made her hesitate. Instead, it made her wetter knowing she was going to share the experience with her best friend.

Lisa sat back, lips glistening, eyes half-lidded with hunger. "I want to ride your mouth while you use it on me," she whispered, crawling forward until her knees framed Natalie's shoulders. "Like last time, but now I want you to fill me up with that lovely new toy of yours while you do it."

Chapter 11

Outside, Aiden stood frozen with his pulse thudding in his ears. He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. And whatever shred of doubt he'd still been holding onto was gone.

Lisa moved with fluid confidence, having swung her leg over Natalie and reversing her position with practiced ease. She settled over her, calves tucked on either side of Natalie's head, her wet core hovering just inches from her mouth. Natalie slid down the bed slightly to make room, as her heart was pounding, hands instinctively finding Lisa's hips as the petite woman began to lower herself.

Her scent hit Natalie instantly, it was intoxicating, and thick with arousal. It flooded her senses in the best way, drawing her further into the moment even as the toy beside her rolled into the bend of her elbow with the shifting of the bed. A subtle nudge, a reminder that it was there. Waiting. Ready to serve its purpose as soon as she was.

Above her, Lisa shifted slightly, adjusting her balance as she settled into place. The smooth, pale skin of her thighs framed just above Natalie's face, the muscles soft yet firm against her cheeks. Her legs were slender, leaving just enough space for Natalie's arms to wrap around them with ease, an invitation to come down the rest of the way.

Lisa leaned forward, bracing herself with one hand near Natalie's hip while the other slid down with practiced intent, parting her folds with her fingers and finding Natalie's slippery entrance. She moaned again, this time with clear satisfaction, from the confidently stroking fingers moving back into that relentless rhythm that had Natalie gasping into the space between Lisa's thighs.

Above, Lisa felt Natalie's lips make contact when she'd lowered herself. They were light and feathery as they brushed over her, kissing and sucking gently at her folds. Her sensitivity growing until she ground her hips slowly, her sex brushing Natalie's mouth with a needy and increasing pressure.

"You better use that toy soon," she breathed. "Because I'm not sure how long I'm going to last."

Chapter 12

Outside the door, Aiden stood frozen, barely breathing. He'd been there for a while now, drawn by sounds that had started as soft, almost ignorable whispers, movement and moans.

He hadn't moved since the last time he heard her cry out. Another gasp followed sounds more desperate. The bed creaked, the rhythm behind it building, steady and physical. His pulse surged.

The voices were clearer now, but still muffled in a way that left no room for doubt. One of them was Natalie, overriding the awkwardness of listening to his own mother.

He swallowed; he'd always thought she was beautiful. He knew she wasn't reachable, she'd always been too refined, and self-contained. He knew he would always be too young. Back when she'd visit their place, she'd breeze through in professional work clothes, her hair done, voice polite, but detached. She'd barely said more than a few words to him.

Now she was behind that door, moaning breathlessly into his mom. Completely different than the version he'd ever known. And Aiden couldn't stop listening.

He'd never see her the same, he was learning something about her he'd never expected. Something unfiltered and private. The kind of carnal knowledge you weren't supposed to have about someone you knew. Much less about your mom. And yet, he didn't move. Didn't even want to.

Inside the room, Natalie took a shaky breath and lifted the toy from the mattress beside her. Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted her grip, a mixture of sweat and her friend's fluids, coating her hand, she hefted its weight. The thick dildo was cool against her palm, heavy, and suddenly personal in a way it had never been before. It had always been hers. Something private. But now, it was going to bring Lisa the same pleasure only she'd known from it.

She considered it for only a moment, then slid her arms around Lisa's thighs again, appreciating how smooth her skin was, and the warmth radiating against her arms. Her frame was compact enough to draw close without feeling crowded. Natalie pulled her in, guiding Lisa's sex to hover just above her face once more as her own legs shifted further apart, inviting the pressure of Lisa's mouth onto her. Needing more than just her fingers.

Lisa didn't wait. She leaned in eagerly, burying her face between Natalie's legs as if she loved it as much as Nat would. Her tongue finding her clit with practiced confidence, drawing a satisfying moan from deep in Natalie's throat.

As she began to move her hips, Natalie reached around Lisa's thigh, guiding the toy slowly through her folds. The sensation of Lisa's body rocking above her, lips working harder now to match the pace, sent a shiver all the way down her spine.

When Natalie eased the tip of the toy forward, nudging just inside, Lisa moaned directly into her.

The vibration of that sound against her clit made Natalie cry out. Her fingers tightened around the base of the toy, pushing a little deeper. Lisa groaned again, the sound wetter, a sense of need rising, and redoubled her efforts. Her tongue circled faster as her hips began to roll back into the toy with greedy insistence.

Natalie could barely breathe. Every flick of Lisa's tongue, every flex of her hips, every pull of the toy as it pushed deeper made her feel like she was unraveling at both ends.

God, he shouldn't be listening. He knew that. But he couldn't stop. Instead, Aiden stood at the door, imaging everything he was hearing.

Inside, Natalie arched upward, caught up in the sensation of Lisa between her thighs and the weight of her pressing down. Lisa's mouth moved hungrily against her, tongue circling with firm, focused strokes that sent electricity vibrating through her. Every moan Lisa made was muffled but intense, rumbling against her clit, the sensation being the only thing that mattered.

Natalie's fingers gripped the toy tighter as she drove it deeper into Lisa's dripping core, the glide smoother now, her pace guided by the desperate rhythm Lisa set with her hips. She couldn't help noticing how easily Lisa accepted the large dildo inside, offering less resistance than she expected.

Then Lisa reached around Natalie's thighs, still working her with her mouth, she slipped two fingers deep inside her. Natalie whimpered against her best friend's vagina, her thighs trembling as she rocked her hips up into the touch. The feeling was maddening. Lisa's fingers curling, tongue flicking, the girth of the toy in her hand, it was all too much and not enough at the same time.

"Fuck," she gasped. "Lisa..."

Lisa groaned in response, the sound buzzing against her. And still, she didn't slow. She pressed her free hand lower, moving to cup her ass, trying to pull Natalie into her mouth. Her grip tightening, until her fingers accidently grazed the tight back entrance, only Natalie alone had ever touched. Then, quietly, Natalie gave voice to something new.

"Can you..." She hesitated, her breath trembling. "Put a finger in my ass?"

Chapter 13

Outside the door, Aiden groaned hearing her desperate question. It wasn't planned. It wasn't even loud. But it slipped past his lips before he could stop it, a low, involuntary sound punched out of him by sheer arousal. He froze, wide-eyed, feeling his heart hammering in his chest as he stared at Natalie's door, before retreating to his own room for safety.

Unknown to him, neither woman reacted to his errant noise. Lisa paused for only a heartbeat. Her mouth stilled against Natalie's sex as her eyes widened, the words catching her off guard. That wasn't something Natalie would have asked before, not the version of her bestie she knew. The one who often kept her voice low, and more often than not, waited to be led. But this version? She was bold, open, desperate in the most beautiful way.

Lisa lifted her head just enough to murmur, "The fuck did you just ask?" her voice low and thick with arousal, yet tinged with the faintest hint of humor.

Natalie hesitated in embarrassment. Her breath came in shallow bursts, her voice barely more than a whisper as she spoke into the warm, dark space between Lisa's thighs. "Don't judge me for that," she said, responding to Lisa's question. The words laced with vulnerability despite the hunger that still pulsed in every part of her.

Lisa's expression softened, unseen but felt in the way her body stilled, her next breath thick with desire. "Judge you?" she breathed. "I love you for it."

She adjusted her weight, letting more rest on Natalie as she repositioned her arms and hands. Settling back in, she pressed her fingers with a slow intention. This wasn't a regular occurrence for her, slipping a finger inside someone's backdoor, but the way Natalie asked, the vulnerability in her voice, made it sound like the sexiest idea in the world in that moment.

It was a desire her friend subtly begged for, just as she had asked for that lovely thick dildo to be crammed into her. And if she could provide something Natalie felt safe enough with her to ask for, despite her nerves, she felt not only obligated to provide it, but honored in the display of trust. All of it turning herself on even more.

Natalie gasped, her body tightening in response to the combination of fullness, and pressure, making her clamp down in waves. Her breath caught again from both the sensation, and the sudden bloom of embarrassment in her chest. She hadn't meant to say it out loud. Or maybe she had, but with everything Lisa already knew about her, about the things she wanted and the parts she tried to hide, who else could she have asked? If not her best friend and sometimes lover when convenience and desire aligned, then who?

Lisa shifted slightly, her breath catching as Natalie adjusted the angle of the dildo and drove it deeper with smooth repetitive thrusts. Her slick walls clenched around it instinctively, as her hips rolled to meet the steady invasion. She was full, deliciously, achingly full, and the stretch only made her grind harder, her thighs tightening around Natalie's head as she tried to stay in control. But it was slipping. Every movement pushed her closer.

Below, Natalie moaned into her, her mouth working in tandem with the slow push of her hand using the dildo. She felt every grind of Lisa's hips, every ripple of arousal, and it spurred her on. But her own body wasn't quiet either. The pressure building inside her was different now, more intense from the sense of vulnerability. She gasped sharply as Lisa's fingertip alternated circling her back entrance, then slipping back inside, teasing and unrelenting.

Then she pressed a second finger in.

Natalie's body tensed, as her breath caught from the feeling, as both slid past that tight ring of muscle. Lisa didn't pull her hand away from Natalie's pussy, her fingers there kept moving, two buried to the knuckle, stroking in rhythm as her other hand now continued a second slow invasion. The dual sensation, four fingers total entering her, sent a shockwave through Natalie's entire body. She felt stretched, filled, pinned open in a way she'd never experienced. Never allowed herself to before.

Her ex had asked, begged, pleaded, even tried after being told no, but she'd never allowed him to. She wanted to try it, but not with him. Not with how poorly their relationship been by that time.

Now, with two pairs of fingers sometimes penetrating her in alternating thrusts, and at other times simultaneously, she moaned helplessly, thighs shaking, lips parting against Lisa's soaked flesh, trying to maintain her own focus on her friend at the same time. She bucked into every flick of her tongue. Lisa matched her movement, eyes fluttering shut as she rode Natalie's mouth harder, her own breath turning ragged, her voice reduced to guttural, needy sounds between gasps.

They were completely tangled now. Two halves of a pulse, wet and frenzied, with their bodies responding like they'd done this a hundred times, and somehow, like it was completely new. Lisa was panting through clenched teeth, grinding with abandon as the toy filled her with every thrust, and Natalie writhed under her, lost in the new and subsequently overwhelming fullness of being taken in two places at once.

Her hands tightened around Lisa's thighs, her mouth frantic, and her body being stretched to its limit and trembling from the inside out. The pressure had built beyond control, coiled so tight it almost hurt. She didn't know which sensation was pushing her over, the fullness, the motion, the sheer audacity of being this open, this completely unraveled beneath someone who knew her so intimately. Maybe it was all of it. Maybe it didn't matter.

Lisa's breath broke into ragged pieces, her hips stuttering mid-grind as the wave caught her. She clenched hard around the toy, her thighs tightening around Natalie's head as a sharp cry escaped her lips. She buried her face deeper into Natalie's mound, her mouth locking onto her clit in a desperate attempt to muffle the sounds rising from her own throat. Her body shook, trembling from the depth of release, and still, Natalie didn't let up. Her hand stayed steady, driving the toy through every pulse, every ripple that tore through Lisa's core.

Natalie had held her own climax back, riding the edge as long as she could, caught in the intensity of Lisa's orgasm. But as Lisa's hips began to slow, her gasps softening, the wave easing, Natalie finally let go too.

Her orgasm surged forward after waiting so long for permission, building to a pitch she hadn't experienced in several months. Not since the first time she experimented with that forbidden entrance herself.

She cried out beneath Lisa, her legs locking up as every muscle flexed, back hunching as her abs pulled taut and spasmed. Her body clenched around the sudden flood of sensation.

Lisa felt the way Natalie's body seized up beneath her, the way her thighs quivered from the tension running through them as they clamped against her head.

Her breath catching up, it pulled her back into focus. She realized she'd let herself drift, gone slack in the aftermath of her own pleasure. But not now, when Natalie was trembling beneath her. Driven by a mix of instinct and raw need, Lisa latched on again, her mouth sealing over Natalie's clit as her fingers worked deeper inside her. She chased the movement of Natalie's hips, tongue circling fast and unrelenting as she suctioned against her clit. Her fingers curled against the spot that made her jerk and gasp.

Natalie's body was moving of its own accord now in wild, pulsing, unpredictable jerks. Lisa wasn't guiding her anymore, she was hanging on, trying to keep up as Natalie bucked beneath her, her body going over the edge in a rush that neither of them could stop.

Natalie was lost in it, completely overwhelmed. Every flick of Lisa's tongue, every deep stroke of her fingers pushed her further, until the orgasm tore through her. It came in waves, sharper each time, her body jolting with every pass. She couldn't catch her breath, or form words, only broken sounds from the back of her throat. Whimpers escaping when she could manage a to take a breath. Her hands gripped Lisa's ass, fingers digging in. Somewhere in the chaos, the toy had been pushed aside, forgotten and resting near her head, having been ejected by Lisa in the final surge of her own climax.

They moved through it together, one riding the aftershocks, the other giving all she had left to carry her through. And when it finally settled, when both of them were wrung out, breathless and still, it wasn't quiet from awkwardness, but a feeling of satisfaction neither had felt in a long time.

Chapter 14

During the entirety of her marriage, Natalie had never experienced the level of closeness she did with Lisa. Frank hadn't been a bad guy early on, but he didn't exactly invite her to open up and expose herself either. It made her love of her best friend deepen in a soulful way.

Lisa slowly eased herself off Natalie, her body sweaty and trembling, legs barely able to support her as she rolled to the side, and collapsed beside her. Their skin was slick where it met, but neither seemed to mind. Natalie shifted toward her, tucking her arm around Lisa's waist, and letting her cheek rest against the shoulder of her smaller friend. The silence between them was weighted, but soft, spent, and sated. Their breath fell into the same rhythm.

Lisa was the first to move after several minutes passed. She pressed a kiss to Natalie's hairline, then slid carefully out of bed. "Water," she mumbled, her voice hoarse. "You stay. I'll get it."

She reached down, snagging Natalie's robe from the foot of the bed. It was an oversized, gray, well-worn, number and smelled faintly of Natalie. Lisa shrugged it on and padded quietly to the door, opening it just wide enough to slip into the hallway.

The apartment was dim, still holding onto its nighttime hush. She paused for a second outside Natalie's room, her hand resting against the doorknob, listening. Nothing. Aiden's room was totally silent. No creaks, no rustle of movement. The kind of stillness that read as sleep.

Lisa smirked and turned her head back toward the bed. "See?" she whispered. "Fast asleep. Not a sound. Told you there was nothing to worry about."

Natalie let out a relieved breath from where she lay tangled in the sheets. She believed it. She wanted to believe it.

"Good," she said, her voice hoarse from the dryness of her throat. "I'd die if he ever knew."

Lisa chuckled under her breath as she disappeared down the hall toward the kitchen.

But Aiden wasn't asleep. He'd heard everything. He lay frozen in bed, one hand still gripped around himself beneath the covers, feeling the wet mess cooling on his stomach and chest. He hadn't dared move since the door creaked open, his breath held so long it had made him light-headed. He'd cum to the mental image of them. To Natalie's voice, and her moans, and the soft sound of bodies moving. When he'd heard the door open, he'd gone completely still, afraid even the sound of his heartbeat might give him away.

Now, hearing his mom's confident, light voice, completely unaware of his voyeurism, something inside him twisted. He wouldn't describe it as guilt. It was something murkier. Something heavier. Something that lurked just beneath the skin. There was no way of forgetting what he'd just heard his mom doing. Of how she'd made Natalie beg and moan for more.

He let go of himself slowly, relaxing his jaw, and wiped his hand on the edge of the sheet. He felt like the room was pungent with the scent of his own cum. In the quiet room he could hear the sound of the cupboard opening, the clink of a glass, and the soft return of footsteps. It barely registered before it all faded into silence again.

He stared at the ceiling, his pulse slowly coming down from its high. None of it had been imagined. The sounds were real. His mom initiating sex with Natalie: real. The way Natalie had begged: real. The way his body had answered, with nothing but instinct and need: real. The mental visual of both women: unforgettable.

Slip a finger in my ass.

The memory of her voice made his chest tighten. The sound of what she'd said and how she'd said it. A desperate and embarrassed need. And even after he'd rushed back to his room with his heart pounding after a groan escaped him, there was no question about what happened next. His mom had done as was requested. From there, neither of the women lasted much longer.

He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, the sheets kicked down around his legs, his body was still sensitive with the idea of what just happened. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. Whether she'd look at him differently, whether he would. He doubted they'd ever speak of it. There was no version of reality where it would be okay to admit he'd listened. That he'd invaded their privacy. That he couldn't stop himself from getting off to the sounds that drifted into his room, leaving no doubt about what was happening.

But that didn't mean he couldn't think about it. Didn't mean he wouldn't. It would probably stay what it was: a secret kept on the other side of a closed door.

Still, there were so many new thoughts to reconcile, so much to come to terms with. Things he never would've expected. Not from her. Not from himself. Not from his mom.