The Grand Tour

I didn't sleep well, even though I was exhausted.  I tossed and turned, and when I finally fell asleep, I slept fitfully, waking a lot.  I hadn't realized just how shaken up I still was until after James left.  In the morning, I felt restless even though I hadn't slept.  I called Kinsley to ask if she wanted to go to the gym.  She suggested we go for a walk instead, and I met her halfway between our houses an hour later.

As we walked around the neighborhood, I filled her in on what happened the night before.  I felt shaky and anxious again just recounting it.  She was horrified.  "That is so scary, Liv!" she exclaimed.  "Good thing James went looking for you.  All sorts of awful things could have happened."  She looked at my arm, where an ugly, vaguely hand-shaped bruise now resided.  "And he works for that guy?" she asked incredulously.  I nodded.

"Hopefully he won't do anything stupid, or he might not work for him for long," I said grimly.

"Stupid?  Defending your honor isn't stupid," she replied haughtily.  I rolled my eyes.  "Are you going to see him again?"

"He's coming over on Wednesday," I reported.  Kinsley gave me a funny look.  "It's not his fault his brother is a horrible person," I said defensively.  "I like James.  It's not like I invited his brother too.  And anyway, you were the one that wanted me to go out with him in the first place!"

"That was before his brother assaulted you," Kinsley said.

"Tell me about your dinner with Damien," I said, changing the subject.  She launched into a dramatic retelling of their date, her face lit up.  I grinned.  It was nice to see her so happy.

"He hasn't kissed me yet, though.  Is that normal, do you think?  I haven't gone on more than one actual date with the same person for a long time."

"I think it's fine.  He seems like he might be a slow mover," I assured her. 

"I can handle that," Kinsley said confidently.  "It's weird and different, but it's kind of nice."  I laughed.

We walked for over an hour, enjoying the beautiful day.  The temperature was perfect.   When I got home, I showered and headed to the grocery store to get stuff to make dinner on Wednesday.

I worked long days Monday and Tuesday, and basically got up, got ready, worked, came home, ate, and fell into bed both days.   I didn't leave myself enough time to think, and I was so tired when I got home that I managed to get some sleep, though I did wake up panicking from nightmares about Jordan once each night.

The long days were worth it because I managed to get out of work by 4:30 on Wednesday.  I went home and quickly prepped dinner stuff and put everything in the oven.  I jumped in the shower and got dressed, then ran down to check on the food.  It looked good, so I went back up to finish getting ready.  James was coming over at 7:00 and I wanted things to be as close to done as possible.  I was already hungry.

The doorbell rang at 6:59 and I laughed at his punctuality.  I opened the door and invited him in. 

"It smells amazing in here," he said, looking appreciatively towards the kitchen,  "and it looks good too," he said, turning his gaze back to me and smiling.

"Thanks, I hope it tastes good!"  James raised an eyebrow.  "Um, dinner, I mean..." I clarified awkwardly, my face heating up, which made James laugh.  "Wine, beer, whiskey, or something else?" I asked, quickly.

"Smells like a classy dinner, so I'll go with a classy drink," he said.  "Wine would be great."  I poured two glasses and handed one to him.

"Food will be done in about 10 minutes," I said, sitting on the arm of the chair closest to the kitchen.  "It's roasted chicken and buffalo mac and cheese.  I usually put the chicken in the mac and cheese and make buffalo chicken mac and cheese, but it's not a terribly complete meal that way, so I tried it separately this time.  Hopefully it doesn't suck!"

10 minutes later, I found out that it definitely didn't suck.  It was delicious, and James was impressed.  "I had no idea you could cook," he said.  "I regret to inform you that it's not a talent I possess, so I'm unable to return the favor.  However, I am excellent at ordering take out."  We both laughed.

After dinner, I put the plates in the sink and we walked out to the living room.  We found a movie and put in on, and we sat down.  James put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him, and I rested my hand on his thigh and my head on his shoulder.  He began to run one finger lightly up and down my upper arm, raising goosebumps.

About halfway through the movie, I took our wineglasses into the kitchen.  I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and turned to walk back out to the living room.  I was startled to see James leaning against the door frame. 

"Hi," I said.  "Did I take too long?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"You did.  I missed you.  So I followed you."  He walked over to me and took the bottles out of my hands.  He set them down on the table, then tucked a wayward piece of hair behind my ear.  I leaned my face against his hand and his fingers gently stroked the tender skin behind my ear.  I slipped my arms around his waist and closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his fingertips on my skin. Then his lips were on mine.  I kissed him back and slid my hands under his shirt, my hands exploring the muscles of his lower back.  His free hand looped around my waist, pulling me closer to him.  We stood there for a long time, kissing and allowing our hands to explore.

When he began to undo my bra, I pulled away, breathless.  "Sorry," he said.  "I got a little carried away."

"Don't be, I was just going to see if you, um, wanted a tour of the upstairs of the house," I said, with a mischievous grin.

"Lead on," he said, matching my grin.  I walked up the stairs in front of him, narrating the "tour."

"These are the stairs.  There are 12 stairs total," I said in a monotone voice.

"Fascinating," James replied.

"This is the guest room, but guests can't really stay in it because it's full of my crap.  Here is a linen closet.  It's full of towels.  And here is my bedroom.  There's a bathroom through that door.  It has a really small closet."  James nodded, still grinning.  "And this is the bed," I concluded, turning back to him.

"Looks like a nice bed," he said in a low voice, stepping towards me.  "But I think I need a hands-on demonstration."  He tugged off my shirt and unhooked my bra, sliding it down my arms.  He pulled his own shirt off, and I ran my hands over the hard muscles of his chest and stomach.  He was already working on the button and zipper of my jeans and soon had them around my ankles.  I sat down on the edge of the bed and kicked them away, my eyes still on James's bare chest.

He sat next to me and kissed me hard, and I laid back and pulled him with me.  He trailed a hand up my arm and across my shoulder, then down my chest, his fingers grazing my breast.  His hand continued down my stomach and trailed lightly across my underwear.  I moaned and shifted my hips, trying to get his hand where I wanted it.  He slid my underwear off and knelt on the floor in front of me, pulling them off my feet.  He grabbed me by the legs and pulled me closer to the edge of the bed before lowering his head between my legs.  I gasped and pressed my heels into his back, arching against his mouth.  He put one arm firmly across my hips to keep them still, and teased my body with his tongue.

He got me close, then pulled away.  He slid a finger into me and I moaned.  He brought his tongue back to me and my orgasm was almost instant.  He still had one arm anchoring my hips firmly in place, so I locked my legs around his back and shuddered.  He didn't stop though, and I gripped his arm and the blanket next to me when a second orgasm wracked my body. 

I was still dazed and breathing hard when he asked for a condom.  I pointed in the general direction of my nightstand and heard him rustling around.  He must have found one because I heard the package rip open.  He pulled me up so I was laying completely on the bed and moved on top of me.  I reached down, stroking him before he pushed into me.  I guided him into me and he pushed in slowly, leaning down to kiss my neck.  I brought my hips up to meet him, and he began moving on top of me.

It lacked the frenetic electricity that had driven sex with Brody, but he certainly knew what he was doing.  When we were finished, I was still out of breath and completely spent.  He pulled me against his chest, our sweaty skin sticking together slightly.

"I've been waiting to do that since I first saw you," he said, his voice husky, then he kissed the back of my neck.  I involuntarily arched back against him, sucking in a sharp breath.  "Ohh, look what I found," he said with a soft chuckle.  He pressed his lips back against the same spot, then grazed his teeth lightly over it.  I moaned softly.  He worked his lips and tongue against my neck and shoulder, sliding a hand up to massage my breast.

When round 2 ended, I was reasonably certain I would never be able to move again.  I was sweaty, my hair was tangled, and my skin was so sensitive that I had to shift away from James.  We laid there with our fingers intertwined until I drifted into sleep.

I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering.  I realized I was still sprawled across the bed where I had fallen asleep after having sex with James.  I rolled over and was about to sit up to find a blanket when James pulled one up over us.  He curled his body around mine, and I fell easily back to sleep. 

The next time I woke up, sun was streaming in around my curtains.  I sat bolt upright, searching for my phone.  "Shit, shit, shit," I muttered, realizing my phone was downstairs.  I squinted at the clock across the room.  It was 7:05.  I relaxed a little, knowing at least that I wasn't late, but I needed to get up.  James sat up next to me, looking a little disoriented. 

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"A little after 7, I need to get moving.  Do you need a shower?"

"No, I don't have to be to work until 9, so I'm okay.  I'll shower at home," he replied.  I nodded and hurried into the bathroom.  I showered quickly, and pulled my hair into a bun, still wet.  I frowned at it in the mirror, but I didn't have time to dry it.  When I came out to get dressed, James was gone.  Weird.  He could have at least waited to say goodbye, I thought, my stomach dropping a little.  I didn't have time to worry about it though, and I quickly finished getting ready for work.

As I was coming down the stairs, my front door opened and James stepped in.  "Breakfast," he said, holding up a bag and a coffee cup.

"My hero!" I said with a laugh.  "I thought you left."

"I would never," he replied, kissing me gently.  He handed me the bag, and I pulled out a bagel.  I spread some cream cheese on it quickly and threw it on a paper plate.  He walked out the door with me, and once I had my stuff in my car he handed me the coffee.  I stuck it in my cup holder and kissed him.

"Thank you, it was really thoughtful of you to grab breakfast," I said.

"You're welcome.  I told you I'm excellent at getting takeout," he said with a laugh.  "Can I see you again soon?  Saturday?" 

"Saturday is Kinsley's birthday.  You could come if you wanted, though.  I can call you tonight with the details and you can let me know."

"Sounds good," he replied.  "I'll talk to you then.  Have a good day."  He kissed me again, and I went to work.