Crystals (14 page)

“You know what,
Crys. You think too much. We’re adults. Just do what you want to do, what I
want you to do.”

Her mind told her
this was madness but her emotions drove her. They met halfway. Their lips
touched with an immediate explosion. They devoured each other as they competed
to see who could take more. Who could give
more.
His
hands roamed over her with an eagerness that she remembered so well.

Lost in thoughts
of the past, her mind wavered between how wonderful it felt to be with him, and
the dangers of rekindling old memories. Torn, her emotions won out and she
pushed all rational thoughts aside.

She felt so hot
and needy that the sensations clawed at her skin. It had been too long since
she had felt this type of connection. Holding him closer, she wrapped her arms
around his neck and gave in to the feelings that raged within her.

Shane was the
first to pull away and Crystal was mortified. In a matter of minute, she had
gone from wanting to get as far away from him as possible; to needing to feel
him naked and moving against her—inside her.

“Don’t you dare
back out on me
now.
”

Unable to hold his
gaze, she looked away. While her thoughts remained disjointed, she had already
made up her mind. “I’m not going to back out on you.”

“Good, because if
you tried, I don’t know how I’d do it, but I’d have to change your mind.”

Standing with her
in his arms, Shane moved over to the fire and slowly lowered her to the thick
rug. Crystal caught her breath when he followed her down. It was like their
first time all over again, her having feelings of uncertainty, but wanting him
all the same.

“I can see your
indecision, so. I’ll go first. I want to make love with you. Now all you need
to do is tell me you want the same thing.”

He waited for a
reply. When it didn’t come, he kissed her and she kissed him back. The way they
touched each other was as though they were attempting to make up for the time
they had spent apart. One minute the kiss was hard and demanding. The next, a
gentle brush that pulled at her heart. By a seemingly mutual consent they
pulled apart.

“You still haven’t
answered me, Crys. Do you want this—me?”

She knew Shane,
and so understood that before he would go any further she would have to make
him believe she was in complete agreement on what they were about to do.

“Yes, I want
this—I want you.”

He stood and drew
her to her feet. He pulled his sweater over his head and discarded it. Her gaze
moved up his now naked chest to his eyes, and a feeling she couldn’t identify
surfaced. Somehow she couldn’t stem the sense that something wasn’t right.
There was a shadow at the back of his eyes that, try as she might, she couldn’t
identify.

“Shane, are you
sure you want to do this?

“I’m sure. It
seems to me you’re the one who’s got all the doubts. Tell you what, I’ll just
keep undressing and you can stop me if
you
change your mind.”

Toeing off his
shoes, Shane reached for the button to unclasp the top of his jeans. Without a
moment’s hesitation, he pulled them off, taking his socks with them. Standing
before her in a pair of navy briefs that left nothing to the imagination, her
gaze roamed over his body and the changes the passage of the years had formed.

He was still slim.
But his chest was deeper, harder, his muscles more defined. Black hair still
matted his chest. Her gaze followed the decreasing line of hair until it
disappeared at the top of his briefs. The hard shape of his arousal pushed
against the material and even as she looked, he cock twitched and grew.

“
Wanna
see some more?”

Her eyes flew up.

“Not in a
talkative mood are you. That’s alright though, I’ll take your silence as a,
yes.”

Before she could
fully comprehend what he was saying, he was completely and unashamedly naked.
Unable to take her eyes off his thick, engorged shaft, Crystal watched as it
appeared to pulse with sexual anticipation.

The glow of the
fire bounced off his skin and she had an almost overwhelming urge to touch him.
To run her fingers over his body in the way he used to love. But the man
standing before her looked enticingly familiar, yet at the same time, he seemed
a stranger. So she stilled her fingers.

He must have
sensed something of her disquiet because he was now standing so close she could
feel his warmth.

“Why don’t I help
you?”

He made no sharp
movements, but he was true to his words. He took his time as he folded to his
knees. First he lifted one foot and then the next. How removing a pair of socks
could be so erotic, she would have to consider at another time.

Without standing,
he placed his fingers beneath the band of her borrowed sweatpants. Almost as
though he couldn’t help himself, he cupped her backside and rubbed his palm
against her skin, before he continued to ease the material down her legs and
she stepped out of them.

He was so close
Crystal wanted to put some space between them. Before she could act on her
instinct, he stood and gathered the hem of her borrowed jumper.

“Raise your arms,
Crys.”

She did as he
said, and to her mind everything appeared to be taking place in slow motion.
She didn’t have any fresh underwear to put on after her shower, so with that
one move, she too was naked.

Unsure of where to
look, Shane removed the decision as he pulled her against his body. Sucking in
her breath, flesh met flesh. Warmth against heat and he felt perfect.

Wrapping her arms
around his neck Crystal held on tight. Uncertain, she thought she felt him
hesitate but dismissed the thought when he nudged her face to the side and took
her lips in a fierce kiss.

His hands returned
to the globes of her backside and his fingers bit into her skin. Pulling her
apart, his touch slid down. When he encountered her wetness, his grip tightened
even further. Using his innate strength, Shane raised her up until she was
standing on her toes. Slightly bending his legs, he settled her on the
underside of his erection and moved her back and forth.

The feel of his
hardness rubbing against her was almost overwhelming. Rational thought eluded
her. She was so sensitive she knew this stimulation alone would be enough to
break her into a thousand pieces—but he stopped her.

This time she
understood his expression and it shocked her. It was blatant fury. Gripping her
hips, he moved her lower body until they were no longer touching.

“What are you
doing?” Crystal asked dazed while attempting to make sense of what was
happening.

“I’m not up for a
quick fuck, Crys. I’ve got other plans. By the way you’re acting anyone would
think you’ve been on a dick ban. But you don’t have to worry, I’ll make it
worth your while.”

While she’d had
relationships in the time they had been apart, she always chose her partners
with care. But Crystal couldn’t help but think that a quickie would at least contribute
to soothe the way her body was reacting to his. But his words and the
determination written across his face left her little room for negotiation.

Shane laid her out
before the fire and sat back on his knees. As though they had all night, he
took his time looking her over. His comments of earlier had been correct, she
had gained weight. Sometimes it amazed her just how much her body had changed
and she wondered if he was thinking the same.

If he had those
thoughts, he didn’t voice them. To Crystal’s mind, it was almost as though he
were attempting to relearn or recall who she was.

Swinging one knee
over her body he straddled her. As he settled, he picked up her hands, turned
them over and brushed his fingertips across her palms. It was such a simple
touch, yet it carried a poignancy that caused her breath to waver. Laying them
down, he ran his hands up her arms, cupped her shoulders and squeezed. He
didn’t linger. His fingers moved to her throat and then roamed down her chest
to stop and knead her breasts.

He splayed his
fingers. “Your breasts are bigger.”

The feel of his
abrasive fingers running across her nipples caused her to hiss in reaction to
the sensation.

“I don’t remember
them being this sensitive, but I’m not complaining.”

By now, Crystal realized
he was speaking his thoughts out loud, and they required no response from her
on his voyage of rediscovery.

Bending, he
repeatedly swiped his tongue across the fullness of her breast before finally
taking the bud into his mouth. When he transferred his attention to its
partner, she was already close to hyperventilating.

A nod later, he
spanned her waist as though his hands were all the measurement he needed to
determine the difference between then and now.

Sliding up, for
the first time since the start of his exploration, he allowed their bodies to
fully touch. Bracing his weight on his arms, by increments, he pressed his
chest against hers. When their stomach’s made contact, she at last felt the
imprint of his hardness against her.

“You feel good, Crys.
Different, yes, but the same Crys with more for me to hold on to.”

Pushing away from
her, he paused. As though unable to help himself, he took her hand and placed
it around him. When her fingers enclosed his silky hardness, he closed his eyes
and pushed into her touch. About to administer what his body so keenly wanted,
he abruptly pulled her hand away.

“I’m not sure I
understand what’s going on.”

“You will. Believe
me, you will.”

He was between her
legs and she had a moment’s doubt as to whether she should continue. The
thought dissolved as he drew her up, pushed back her knees and opened her up to
him.

“Understand now?”

“Kinda… that’s if
you ever get around to doing something apart from just looking!”

He took her at her
word, and Crystal heard his laughter at her frustration just before he took his
first taste. Her reaction was immediate. Pleasure flowed through her body and
all rational thought fled. Her nipples tightened and she arched up in a silent invitation.

As his talented
tongue went to work in earnest, she swore a silent oath. Tonight she would
relinquish all doubts, she wouldn’t think—she would only feel.

Crystal didn’t
know what it was about Shane, but from the moment they’d met, it was as though
he had ensnared her and she couldn’t seem to disentangle herself from his lure.

He worked her body
with an expertise she knew he had acquired during their time apart. The play of
a long finger inside her coupled with the feel of his mouth caused her to
writhe on a wave of sensation. Perspiration covered her skin. She felt so hot
she wanted him to take her over the edge into the pulsing, indescribable
euphoria that had eluded her for the past five years.

Another digit
joined its partner and stretched her in readiness for him. Her body tingled and
throbbed with awareness. This time she hoped he wouldn’t pull back. She felt
desperate—needy. She threw back her head. Her body was primed and she reached
for that all-consuming feeling that would push her over the edge into nothing
but sensual fulfillment.

When it came, the
feeling hit with such force, she dug her fingers into the rug as waves of bliss
consumed her.

Somewhere in the
buzzing of her sub-conscious, she felt his withdrawal. She wanted to call him
back, but the words stuck in her throat

“Open your eyes,
Crys.”

Giving enough
time, she would have done as he asked if he hadn’t pulled her legs further
apart and settled between them. The touch of his erection against her core
rushed into her awareness.

“Shane, stop!”

“What’s wrong?”

“We need to be
careful. Do you have a condom?”

“You weren’t
thinking about that before when you were rubbing up against my dick, were you.”

“Do you have one
or not?”

He didn’t respond.
He just took her hand and fisted it around his erection. When he had sheathed
himself, she didn’t know nor did she care. Moving with determination, she eased
him towards her.

He slid into her a
little at a time and Crystal wanted to watch his expression, to gauge what he
was feeling. But the sensation of their intimacy was too much. Her eyes
fluttered closed. Her hand sought his back to pull him closer and he didn’t
deny her. Pulling back he thrust forward until he
was buried
deep within her.

“Open your eyes,
Crys. I want you to know who’s inside you.”

Without waiting
for a response, Shane began to move in earnest. The motion of his body was set
with so much determination, her breath hitched in her throat as he built the
friction between them.

Something in the
way he looked at her caused her heart to miss a beat. He appeared to carry a
sadness. Reaching up, Crystal ran her fingers along his left jaw and pulled his
head down and placed gentle kisses across his face. She felt him shudder and
was stunned to see tears gather in his eyes before his lids closed and hid them
from sight.