Scent of Pleasures Pt. 03

Ruby woke Sunday morning before Mark.

For several moments she remained exactly where she was, watching the twenty seven year old sleeping beside her. Less than forty eight hours earlier, he had been a stranger she'd met while grocery shopping. Now he was in her bed after a Saturday night that had gone considerably further than anything Ruby could have imagined when she'd agreed to dinner with him.

The difference in their ages seemed particularly striking in the morning light. There was no dim restaurant, no wine, no excitement of something unexpected to distract her from the simple fact that the man sleeping beside her was fifty five years younger than she was. Ruby expected that realization to trouble her more than it did. Instead, she found herself smiling.

Careful not to wake him, she slipped from beneath the covers, pulled on a T shirt and the thong she'd worn the night before, stepped into her slippers, and went to the kitchen to start coffee.

Mark appeared a few minutes later wearing only his boxers. Ruby was standing at the kitchen counter when she heard him enter, and she turned to find him leaning against the doorway looking at her.

"Good morning."

"Morning." Mark's gaze traveled over her before returning to her face. "God, you are incredibly sexy."

Ruby laughed. "Standing in my kitchen dressed like this?"

"Especially standing in your kitchen dressed like this."

"You have a very strange definition of sexy."

"Maybe, but I'm looking at mine."

Still smiling, Ruby turned back toward the coffeemaker. Mark came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, drawing her back against him. His hands moved upward and cupped her breasts through the thin T shirt as he kissed the side of her neck.

"I could eat you for breakfast."

Ruby laughed and leaned back against him. "You're insatiable."

"I had a good night."

"So did I, but if you keep that up, neither of us is getting coffee."

"That sounds like a reasonable trade."

Ruby turned her head enough to give him a look. "Go sit down."

Mark kissed her neck once more before reluctantly releasing her. "Yes, ma'am."

"Careful."

He laughed and headed toward the table.

Ruby shook her head and returned to the coffee, still smiling. She had expected Sunday morning to be awkward. Dinner had been easy, and desire had taken care of much of what followed, but waking together in daylight seemed as though it ought to feel different. Instead, Mark was sitting at her kitchen table in his boxers while she made coffee barely dressed herself, and somehow it felt remarkably natural.

Ruby carried their mugs to the table and sat across from him.

Mark took a drink while Ruby wrapped both hands around her coffee.

"I still can't believe I did all that last night."

Mark smiled. "Any second thoughts?"

"Not one. I enjoyed myself very much. I'm simply having trouble believing that woman was me."

"I liked that woman."

"I gathered." Ruby smiled. "I should probably mention that I don't make a habit of bringing twenty seven year old men home."

"That's reassuring." Mark took another drink of coffee. "Have you dated much since your husband died?"

"A little. There have been a few men over the years, but nothing that became particularly serious."

"How long since the last one?"

"The last man?" Ruby considered it. "Quite a while."

Mark caught the distinction immediately. "The last man?"

Ruby smiled. "I kind of have a girlfriend."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Oh, wow. Girlfriend as in...?"

"Yes. I'm bi"

"I wasn't expecting that."

Ruby laughed. "Why does everyone think eighty two comes with a complete absence of surprises?"

Mark shook his head, smiling. "Apparently I have a lot to learn."

"Apparently you do."

"So who's the girlfriend?"

"Evelyn."

Ruby glanced toward the refrigerator, then got up and pulled down a photograph held beneath one of the magnets. It had been taken the previous summer, she and Evelyn standing close together with their arms around each other, both smiling broadly at the camera.

She handed it to him. "That's her."

Mark studied the photograph. "How long have you known her?"

"Six years."

"And you two have been together that whole time?"

Ruby laughed. "Oh, no. We were friends long before anything else happened."

Mark looked at the photograph again. "She's pretty."

Ruby smiled. "Yes, she is."

Mark handed the photograph back, and Ruby returned it to the refrigerator, slipping the corner beneath the magnet.

"I'm having breakfast with Evelyn this morning. We meet Sundays for breakfast." She paused considering him for a moment. "Would you like to meet her?"

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Your girlfriend?"

"The very same."

"You sure she won't mind?"

Ruby smiled. "Not at all. I think she'd enjoy meeting you."

"Then I'd like that."

"Good." Ruby glanced at the clock again. "I'm going to get a shower."

Mark set his coffee down. "Mind if I join you?"

Ruby looked at him, one eyebrow lifting.

"In the shower?"

"That was the general idea."

She considered him for a moment. "As long as you behave yourself."

"I'll do my best."

"That's not particularly reassuring."

Ruby headed down the hall with Mark following her. In the bathroom, she turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm before pulling the T shirt over her head. She slipped out of the thong she'd put back on that morning and caught Mark looking at her.

For the first time, there was nowhere for Ruby to hide from the daylight. Saturday night had been different, dim rooms, soft light, excitement carrying them from one moment to the next. Now the bathroom was bright, and Mark could see her exactly as she was.

Ruby glanced down at herself before looking back at him.

"What?"

Mark didn't answer immediately.

"What?" she asked again.

"You have an amazing body."

Ruby looked at him for a moment. There was nothing playful in his expression, no hint that he was flattering her or trying to charm her. He was simply telling her what he saw, and Ruby believed him. She had been the one who told Mark to behave, and to his credit, he was doing exactly that. Apparently, she wasn't. Smiling, Ruby crossed the small space between them, slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Mark hesitated for only a fraction of a second before his arms went around her waist and he returned the kiss. Ruby pressed closer, letting it linger until the shower had filled the bathroom with steam and the rule she'd made less than two minutes earlier had become completely meaningless.

Before Mark could ask what she was thinking, Ruby kissed him once more, then slowly lowered herself beneath the warm spray. His startled expression told her he understood her intentions almost immediately.

"Ruby..."

Apparently, he had finally figured out that his good behavior wasn't going to save either of them.

Ruby didn't give him a chance to protest. She settled onto her knees in the shower, water cascading over her shoulders as she looked up into his eyes. Taking his length in her hand, she stroked him firmly before leaning forward and wrapping her lips around the head of his cock. She watched his reaction as she took him deeper, saw his eyes widen and his jaw tighten as the surprise gave way to pleasure.

Her mouth worked him in slow, deliberate strokes, her tongue circling the sensitive ridge before she took him deeper still. Soft, wet sounds mingled with the steady rush of the shower, and when Mark's hands tangled in her hair, Ruby kept her eyes on his face. She gradually increased her rhythm, bobbing her head faster as his breathing became increasingly ragged.

"Ruby... I'm going to cum," he rasped.

She didn't stop. Ruby hollowed her cheeks and continued sucking him, answering his warning with a low moan that vibrated around him. Mark came hard, his hips jerking as thick streams of semen filled her mouth. Ruby swallowed eagerly, but there was more than she could take, and some spilled from her lips, running down her chin and onto her breasts as she continued until he was completely spent.

Ruby finally released him and rose beneath the warm spray, wiping the water and the remaining evidence of what they'd just done from her face. Mark was still leaning against the shower wall, trying to catch his breath, and the satisfied little smile on Ruby's face made it perfectly clear she had no regrets about breaking her own rule, or about exactly how thoroughly she'd broken it.

She slipped her arms around his neck again and kissed him, slowly and deliberately. Mark returned it without hesitation, and Ruby knew he could taste himself on her lips. The thought should have made the moment awkward. Instead, something about his willingness to kiss her anyway made it unexpectedly intimate, and she held him there a little longer before finally pulling away.

Mark looked at her for a moment, still slightly breathless. "And I was supposed to behave?"

Ruby smiled. "You did."

"I'm beginning to think that rule was only for me."

"Apparently."

He laughed, and Ruby reached for the soap. "Now we should probably actually take a shower."

They finished showering together, talking and laughing as they washed and repeatedly got in each other's way. By the time Ruby stepped out and reached for a towel, she realized how much she had enjoyed something so simple. It had been years since sharing a bathroom with someone had felt this natural.

Back in the bedroom, Mark's wardrobe choices were considerably more limited than Ruby's. He had only the clothes he had worn the night before, so he pulled them back on while Ruby opened her dresser and chose fresh underwear. She slipped into another thong and a bra before selecting something casual for breakfast.

When Ruby finished dressing, she caught Mark watching her from across the bedroom. He didn't look away when their eyes met, and the quiet appreciation in his expression brought a smile to her face. Even yesterday, she might have questioned that look or tried to explain away what he saw in her. This morning, she simply enjoyed it.

They headed back to the living room, where Ruby grabbed her purse and keys. On their way out, she tossed the keys to Mark.

"You're driving."

"Your Porsche?"

"Unless you'd rather walk."

Mark laughed and followed her outside.

A few minutes later he pulled the Porsche out of the condo complex and headed toward the Waffle House only a couple of blocks away. They had barely made it onto the main road when Ruby looked over at him.

"Mark?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to thank you again."

He glanced at her. "For what?"

"For making me feel desirable again." Ruby looked down at her hands for a moment before continuing. "I know I've already told you that, but I mean it."

Mark reached across the console and took her hand.

"Ruby, it's because you are."

She looked at him.

"I'm serious. I'm not saying it because I think you need to hear it. I'm saying it because it's true."

Ruby squeezed his hand. "Well, I like hearing it anyway."

Mark smiled. "Good. Because I'll probably say it again."

The Waffle House was already coming into view, and Ruby spotted Evelyn's car in the parking lot.

"There she is."

Mark parked the Porsche beside Evelyn's car and shut off the engine. Ruby looked through the restaurant windows and found Evelyn in their usual booth, a cup of coffee already sitting in front of her.

"Does she know I'm coming?" Mark asked.

Ruby opened her door.

"No."

Mark stared at her. "You might have mentioned that."

"And miss the look on her face?"

Ruby climbed out before he could answer. By the time Mark joined her, Evelyn had looked toward the parking lot, her eyes settling first on Ruby and then shifting to the man walking beside her. Even from outside, Ruby could see the surprise register on her best friend's face, and she smiled.

Mark followed her inside and stayed a step behind as they made their way toward the booth. Evelyn watched them approach, her expression somewhere between surprise and amusement.

"Well," she said as Ruby reached the table. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

Evelyn's eyes shifted immediately to Mark.

Ruby smiled. "Evelyn, this is Mark. Mark, Evelyn."

Mark held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Evelyn took it. "You too."

Her eyes returned to Ruby.

Ruby knew that look.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"That is absolutely not your nothing face."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

Mark laughed as they settled into the booth, his hand coming to rest naturally on Ruby's thigh beneath the table. Evelyn took a sip of her coffee and looked between them.

"I was only going to say that dinner Friday apparently went well."

Mark tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile.

Ruby looked at Evelyn. "Very well."

That did it. Evelyn laughed.

Ruby joined her, and whatever small amount of tension had followed them into the booth disappeared with it.

Once Evelyn settled down, she looked across the table at Mark.

"So you're the twenty seven year old."

Mark glanced at Ruby. "Apparently I've been discussed."

"Only a little," Ruby said.

Evelyn smiled over her coffee. "So far."

The waitress appeared before Mark could answer, filling two more cups and giving them a moment to look over the menus.

"Everybody hungry this morning?" she asked.

Ruby glanced at Mark. "He ate last night."

Evelyn slowly turned toward her. "Ruby."

"What?"

"She wasn't asking."

Mark nearly choked on his coffee, which only made Ruby laugh harder. Evelyn shook her head, looking entirely too amused despite the reprimand.

The waitress, wisely, just took their orders.

Once their food arrived, the conversation settled into an easy rhythm. Evelyn asked Mark about himself, where he grew up and what he did for a living, but it never felt like an interrogation. Mark asked questions of his own, and before long Ruby found herself doing more listening than talking.

That surprised her. Evelyn could be guarded around people she had just met, particularly men, but something about Mark seemed to put her at ease. He understood her dry sense of humor almost immediately and knew how to give it back without trying too hard.

At one point, Ruby realized the two of them had been talking for several minutes without involving her at all, and she sat back with her coffee and watched as Mark said something that drew a genuine laugh from Evelyn rather than the polite one she usually reserved for strangers.

Ruby found herself smiling. She had invited Mark that morning on impulse, expecting an introduction, some teasing from Evelyn and perhaps a slightly awkward breakfast. Instead, they simply liked each other. Evelyn caught Ruby watching them.

"What?"

Ruby took a drink of coffee. "Nothing."

Evelyn studied her for another second but apparently decided to let it go.

Mark looked between them. "Should I be worried?"

"Yes," Evelyn said.

"No," Ruby said at exactly the same time.

Mark laughed. "Good. Glad we cleared that up."

Their conversation wandered from there until Evelyn looked at Mark and smiled.

"So you're the man Ruby met at the gas station and then ran into again at the grocery store."

Mark glanced at Ruby. "She told you the whole story?"

"Of course she did."

"I told her enough."

Evelyn gave Ruby a look. "You told me you met a man young enough to be your grandson and were having dinner with him that night. You knew I wasn't going to forget that."

"I don't believe I phrased it quite that way."

"You should have. It would've made the story better."

Mark laughed. "I like her."

"Don't encourage her," Ruby said.

"I haven't done anything."

"You laughed. That's all the encouragement Evelyn needs."

"You're learning quickly, Mark," Evelyn said.

Ruby pointed her fork between them. "See? This is exactly what I was afraid of."

That only made them laugh again.

By the time their plates were nearly empty, Ruby had stopped wondering whether bringing Mark had been a good idea. Evelyn was relaxed, Mark was obviously enjoying himself, and the three of them had fallen into the kind of comfortable conversation Ruby usually associated with people who had known each other much longer than an hour.

Eventually Evelyn pushed her plate away and looked at Mark.

"I'll admit something. I wasn't sure what to expect when Ruby told me about you."

Mark set down his coffee. "Should I be offended?"

"Probably."

"Ev," Ruby said.

Evelyn smiled. "She tells me she's going to dinner with a man in his twenties. Naturally I had a few thoughts."

"I can imagine."

"But I like you."

Mark smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't make me regret saying it."

"There she is," Ruby said.

Evelyn ignored her. "More importantly, she seems happy."

That quieted Ruby.

Evelyn looked at her for a moment, the teasing disappearing from her expression, before turning back to Mark.

"So you get a few points for that."

"A few?"

"Don't get greedy."

Mark laughed. "I'll take them."

Ruby smiled into her coffee. She knew Evelyn well enough to understand what had just happened. Beneath all the jokes and questions, Evelyn had been evaluating Mark from the moment he walked through the door.

Apparently he had passed.

When the check arrived, Mark reached for it first.

"You don't have to do that," Ruby said.

"I know."

"This was my idea."

"And now it's my breakfast."

Ruby reached for the check, but Mark moved it beyond her grasp.

"Mark."

"Ruby."

Evelyn leaned back. "I'm staying out of this."

Ruby looked at her. "Some best friend you are."

"I've known you six years. I know when to stay out of the line of fire."

Mark paid before Ruby could argue further.

Outside, they stopped beside Evelyn's car. She turned to Mark and gave him a warm smile.

"It was nice meeting you."

"You too. I'm glad Ruby invited me."

"So am I."

The sincerity behind the answer wasn't lost on Ruby.

Evelyn hugged her, then leaned close. "Call me later."

Ruby laughed. "I knew that was coming."

"I want details."

"Of course you do."

Evelyn stepped back, gave Mark a final wave and climbed into her car.

They watched her pull away before Mark spoke.

"I really do like her."

Ruby turned toward him. "I knew you would."

"She's funny."

"She thinks she is."

"And she obviously cares about you."

Ruby glanced toward the road where Evelyn had disappeared.

"Yes. She does."

Mark held out his hand.

"Keys?"

Ruby dropped them into his palm. "You've earned another two blocks."

"I appreciate the confidence."

The drive back to Ruby's condo took only a few minutes. Mark parked the Porsche, and they went inside together. For the first time all morning, the condo seemed unusually quiet.

Mark glanced toward the photograph still hanging beneath the magnet on Ruby's refrigerator.

"I can see why you two are friends."

Ruby set her purse on the counter. "We're different in a lot of ways."

"You seem pretty similar to me."

"That's because you spent breakfast watching us gang up on each other."

"I noticed."

Ruby smiled. "Ev has been good for me. Moving here was a bigger adjustment than I expected. Meeting her changed that."

Mark nodded toward the photograph. "Six years?"

"Six years."

"And somewhere along the way..."

Ruby smiled. "Yes. Somewhere along the way."

Their eyes held for a moment, and Ruby found herself wondering just how much Mark had understood from their conversation that morning.

Eventually Mark glanced toward the door. "I should probably get going."

Ruby knew he was right. They had already stretched one date into most of a weekend, and she wasn't quite ready to examine how quickly she'd grown accustomed to having him around.

"I suppose I should eventually let you go home."

"That sounds reluctant."

"It might be."

Mark stepped closer and Ruby slipped her arms around him. Their kiss was slow and affectionate, nothing hurried about it. When they separated, he kept his hands at her waist.

"I had a really good time."

"So did I."

Mark lingered near the door, neither of them seeming particularly eager for the morning to end.

"Can I see you tonight before I leave?"

Ruby smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask that."

"I still have to go home and pack, but I could come back around seven."

"Seven works."

"We're pulling out early Monday, so I'll bring my bag when I come back."

Ruby smiled. "Planning to spend the night?"

"I was hoping to."

Ruby gave him a knowing smile. "Then I suppose we'll have to make the most of the time we have."

Mark grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Seven," she reminded him.

"Seven."

He kissed her once more before heading for the door. Ruby watched him leave, then stood there for a moment after the door closed, already thinking about seeing him again that evening.

The quiet condo felt different without him in it. She wandered into the kitchen, poured herself another cup of coffee and carried it into the living room. By the time she settled onto the sofa, she was already reaching for her phone.

Evelyn answered on the second ring.

Ruby laughed. "It's been twenty minutes."

"Long enough. Start talking."

"Good morning to you too."

"I already said good morning at breakfast. I've been patient ever since."

Ruby tucked one leg beneath herself. "You? Patient?"

"Ruby."

"All right." She took a sip of coffee, smiling before she even said it. "He rocked my world, Ev. He's one hell of a lover."

"Well, damn."

"I'm serious."

"I gathered that."

Ruby leaned back against the sofa. "For a few hours last night, that man made me feel twenty seven again."

Evelyn laughed softly. "I'm jealous"

"Desired, excited, completely caught up in the moment. I wasn't thinking about whether I was too old for any of it. I was just a woman with a man who wanted me."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"Sounds like he did more than rock your world."

Ruby smiled. "Yeah. I suppose he did."

"I'm glad."

"So am I."

"And now that I've met him, I understand."

Ruby's eyebrows lifted. "Understand what?"

"Why you like him."

Ruby smiled. "So he passed inspection?"

"I wouldn't go that far."

"You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself."

"He was good company."

Ruby laughed. "The feeling was mutual."

Evelyn hesitated. "What makes you say that?"

"He told me. But that's not all."

Ruby took another sip of coffee.

"He saw that picture of us on my refrigerator this morning."

"The one from last summer?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"He said you were pretty."

The other end went quiet.

Ruby smiled.

"Oh Ev."

"Don't."

"I haven't said anything."

"I know that tone."

"What tone?"

"That one."

Ruby laughed. "He didn't know he was going to meet you when he said it, if that makes any difference."

Another pause.

"Well," Evelyn said, "that was nice of him."

Ruby could hear the smile in her voice.

They talked for another few minutes before Evelyn announced that she had things to do.

"You interrogate me and then abandon me?"

"I got what I wanted."

"Nosy old woman."

"Happy old woman. There's a difference."

Ruby smiled. "I love you, Ev."

"I love you too. And Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"I really am happy for you."

Ruby's expression softened. "I know."

They said goodbye, and Ruby set the phone beside her. For a while she remained on the sofa, finishing her coffee and thinking about the weekend. Her conversation with Evelyn had given her something to consider, but she wasn't ready to examine it just yet.

Besides, Mark would be back at seven.

By six, she had already showered and done her hair, yet she still found herself wandering between the bedroom and bathroom as though she had somewhere important to be. In a way, she supposed she did. Mark wasn't taking her out. There was no restaurant reservation, no reason to dress for anyone but him. He had simply said he wanted to see her before he left, and Ruby knew perfectly well what that meant.

She opened a drawer and smiled

Saturday night, Mark had been the one to surprise her.

Tonight was her turn.

Ruby took her time getting ready. When she finally stood before the full length mirror, she wore a black lace bustier with sheer panels, a matching black G string and garters attached to sheer black thigh high stockings. She finished the outfit with black stilettos that added several inches to her petite frame.

She turned slightly, studying herself from another angle. There was no hiding the changes time had made to her body, but for once she felt no urge to dwell on them. Mark had already seen her without the lace, stockings or carefully applied makeup, and he had still asked to see her again before he left.

Ruby smiled at her reflection.

"Not bad."

At six forty five, she went into the living room. The click of her stilettos against the floor made her laugh at herself. She poured a small glass of wine, took two sips, checked the time, then deliberately put her phone facedown on the counter so she would stop looking at it.

Three minutes later, she looked anyway.

"Good Lord, Ruby."

At exactly seven, the doorbell rang.

Her nerves returned all at once, but they were different now, less uncertainty than anticipation. She set down her wine, smoothed her hands over the sides of the bustier and walked toward the door, her heels clicking with every step.

Ruby opened it.

Mark stared.

Whatever greeting he'd been prepared to give her disappeared. His eyes traveled from her face over the black lace, down the garters and stockings to the stilettos, then slowly made their way back up.

Ruby let him look.

"Hello."

Mark blinked. "Goddamn, woman. You're full of surprises."

Ruby burst out laughing, and whatever nervousness remained vanished with it. "I take it you approve."

"Ruby, I don't even know where to start."

"You could start by coming inside."

"Yeah" He was still staring. "Probably a good idea."

She stepped aside, laughing as he walked past her, then closed the door. When she turned around, Mark was waiting for her. Ruby crossed the room, slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Mark caught her around the waist and lifted her from the floor. Ruby slipped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him into another kiss as he carried her down the hall. Their mouths parted only long enough for Mark to see where he was going before finding each other again.

By the time they reached the bedroom, the kiss had deepened. Mark lowered her onto the edge of the mattress but remained between her knees, his attention traveling over the black lace, garters, stockings and stilettos all over again.

There was none of the uncertainty of their first night together. Ruby already knew how it felt to be in his arms, and Mark no longer seemed worried that moving too quickly might frighten her away. His hands settled at her waist as the kiss lingered, and when Ruby finally drew back, neither of them moved very far.

"I've been thinking about you all day," Mark said.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "And that's what you've been thinking about?"

"No." He grinned. "But I'm willing to revise the memory."

She laughed and gave him another quick kiss.

Saturday night, Mark had made Ruby feel desirable again. Tonight, she realized something had changed. She wasn't wondering what he saw in her anymore; she was simply enjoying being seen.

Mark kissed her again, and Ruby pressed closer, smiling against his mouth.

"You know" he murmured, "I feel seriously underdressed."

Ruby glanced at his clothes. "That can be fixed."

Mark laughed. "I walked right into that one."

"You certainly did."

Ruby caught the hem of his shirt and helped him pull it over his head before tossing it aside. Mark kicked off his shoes and quickly shed the rest of his clothes, leaving Ruby to admire the view without the slightest attempt to hide her appreciation.

A moment later, the G string joined his clothes on the floor.

Mark lowered himself between her parted knees, his hands sliding slowly along her stocking-clad thighs. Ruby leaned back on her hands and watched as his kisses followed, gradually closing the distance between them. Her teasing smile softened into anticipation as the warmth of his breath reached the bare skin above the stockings.

"Mark..."

His mouth finally settled between her legs, drawing a sharp gasp from her. Ruby's fingers tightened against the duvet as his tongue parted her folds and began tasting her with the eagerness she remembered from Saturday night. Her head tipped back, and one hand left the mattress to tangle in his hair.

Mark remembered her.

That realization was almost as intoxicating as what he was doing. He had learned what made her respond, where to linger and when to become more insistent, and Ruby quickly lost whatever composure she had brought into the bedroom.

She gasped when his lips closed around her swollen clit, her fingers tightening in his hair as his tongue worked against her. Pleasure surged through her, leaving her thighs trembling around him.

"God, Mark..."

His tongue moved faster, and Ruby pulled him closer. The pressure continued building until she could no longer hold herself upright. She sank back onto the mattress, her legs still hanging over the edge as Mark followed her without breaking contact.

Ruby's breathing turned ragged. One hand clutched the duvet while the other remained tangled in his hair. Her body tightened as she reached the edge, and then the orgasm broke through her. She cried out his name, trembling as wave after wave rolled through her while Mark continued tasting her through every shudder.

Eventually Ruby went limp against the mattress, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath. Her grip on his hair slowly loosened before Mark finally lifted his head.

Ruby raised herself onto her elbows and looked at him. The satisfaction written across his face was unmistakable.

"Don't you dare look that pleased with yourself."

"I am that pleased with myself."

She laughed breathlessly. "Cocky bastard."

Mark rose between her legs and leaned over her. When he kissed her, Ruby could taste herself on his lips and tongue. She wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him harder, sharing her own taste with him while the last tremors of her orgasm moved through her.

He eased her farther onto the mattress and followed, their kiss continuing as Ruby drew him down with her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, the sheer stockings sliding against his skin while his hands moved over the lace of her bustier and settled at her hips. By the time their mouths finally parted, Ruby was already pulling him closer.

Mark shifted above her, settling between her thighs as Ruby drew him closer.

When he entered her, Ruby gasped at the sudden fullness. The intensity made her close her eyes for a moment and simply breathe, giving her body time to adjust. Mark remained still until she opened them again.

Their eyes met.

Ruby tightened her legs around him.

"Okay."

Only then did Mark begin to move.

His first thrusts were slow and deliberate, but Ruby soon began moving with him, finding his rhythm and matching it. She loosened her legs from around his waist long enough to kick off her stilettos, sending them tumbling somewhere beside the bed, then wrapped her legs around him again. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his back as their pace gradually increased.

For a while neither seemed interested in rushing toward anything. Eventually Mark slowed, then stopped. He withdrew and shifted back, giving Ruby room to move.

"Turn over for me."

Ruby smiled and did as he asked, rolling onto her stomach. Mark settled between her legs, caught her by the hips and pulled her up until she was on her hands and knees.

She glanced back over her shoulder at him, the smile still on her face.

Mark moved in behind her, guided himself back inside her and pushed deeper. Ruby drew a sharp breath as his hands settled firmly on her hips. She lowered herself onto her forearms, keeping her hips raised as he began to move again.

The change gave Mark more control of their pace, and Ruby let him take it. His hands remained anchored at her hips as their movements gradually found a steady rhythm, her head lowering toward the mattress while her fingers curled into the duvet.

Mark's grip tightened on Ruby's hips as he drove into her with increasing force, and she pushed back against him, matching every thrust as the pleasure began building again.

She didn't want it to end. She wanted to remain right there, caught between pleasure and desire, with the last of the uncertainty between them disappearing beneath something far more immediate and undeniable.

"Mark..." His name escaped her on a gasp. She didn't tell him what she needed; the way her fingers dug into the duvet and her body pressed back against his made the message clear enough.

Mark seemed to understand. His rhythm became more deliberate, each thrust drawing her closer until Ruby could no longer hold herself back. The orgasm broke through her suddenly, her body tightening around him as she cried out his name and buried her face against the mattress.

Mark continued moving through her release, his hands firm on her hips as the tremors worked through her. His own breathing grew ragged, his rhythm beginning to falter as he approached the edge.

Ruby pushed back against him, urging him on. A few thrusts later, Mark drove himself deep inside her and came, his cock pulsing as he filled her pussy with cum. His fingers tightened around her hips as a low groan escaped him, and for several seconds he remained there, both of them breathing hard while the intensity slowly subsided.

Eventually Mark eased away and Ruby lowered herself completely onto the mattress, her body still trembling slightly from the aftermath. He settled beside her and pulled her against him, letting her rest her head on his chest while his fingers traced lightly along her arm.

For a while, they simply lay together in the quiet. Neither seemed particularly interested in talking about what the weekend had become. Friday night had begun with dinner between two people who barely knew each other. Somehow, by Sunday night, lying here together already felt natural.

Ruby knew the alarm would come early. Mark's bag was already packed and waiting by the door, and in a few hours he would have to leave to meet the crew before they pulled out.

"Two weeks," she murmured.

Mark's arm tightened around her. "I know."

"That suddenly sounds like a long time."

He kissed the top of her head. "It does to me too."

Ruby smiled against his chest and closed her eyes.

The alarm came far too soon.

Outside, the sky was only beginning to lighten when Mark came into the living room with his bag over his shoulder. Ruby followed him to the door, already wishing they had more time together. Mark set the bag down and pulled her into his arms.

"I'll call you tonight."

"You'd better."

He kissed her, intending it to be quick. It wasn't.

"Go. Before you make your crew wait."

"I'm going." Mark smiled, although he made no immediate effort to release her.

Ruby laughed and gave him another gentle push. "You're not making this any easier."

"Neither are you."

He kissed her once more before picking up his bag and stepping outside.

Ruby stood in the doorway and watched him leave, remaining there until his truck disappeared from sight.

Only then did she go back inside.

The condo seemed remarkably quiet.

Ruby wandered into the kitchen and started coffee, already missing a man who had been gone less than five minutes. As she waited, her eyes drifted toward the refrigerator and the photograph beneath the magnet.

She and Evelyn stood with their arms around each other, smiling into the camera.

Ruby thought about breakfast. About how easily Mark and Evelyn had laughed together. About Mark telling her afterward that he liked Evelyn, and that little pause on the phone when Ruby told her best friend that Mark thought she was pretty.

The thought returned.

This time, Ruby let herself think about it a little longer.

Then the coffee maker beeped.

She reached for a mug and left the thought unanswered.

She had two weeks.

To be continued