Enlightened (15 page)
Lifting herself almost to the tip of me Rebecca then surprised the hell out of me as she dropped herself down onto my cock so hard and fast that there was no way I could hold off anymore and my climax roared up and shot from me, filling her channel and seeming to spark Rebecca’s own orgasm as she yelled out my name and dug her nails into my shoulders so hard I felt the skin pop beneath her grip.
Christ, well, that was the guest list sorted
my family jewels taken care off, all within the hour. How very efficient of us.
I was sat on my favourite sofa – favourite because this was where my rather splendid spanking liaison with Stella had occurred just two weeks ago – reading the business section of the
Sunday Times
when I heard a key slip into the front door. The sound of metal sliding together as the lock opened briefly transported me back to the early days of my relationship with Stella when she had been just my submissive. I say ‘just my submissive’, but if I’m honest with myself I’d known right from the start that my feelings for Stella went beyond the realms of purely physical. Awaiting her arrival back then had become almost an obsessive craving for me, over the course of our first few months together I’d literally spent hours sitting in exactly his spot and staring at the door waiting for it to open. With these thoughts on my mind I was almost grinning by the time the door finally swung open tonight.
Dumping down a heavy selection of shopping bags Stella wiggled her fingers in apparent relief and then smiled across at me. ‘So, seeing as I’ve just been dragged around Westfield shopping centre by Nicholas to buy winter clothes for Rebecca’s surprise Christmas trip away, can I assume you’re not spending the holidays with your brother as planned?’
What
? Her words ruined my good mood and certainly grabbed my full attention. Throwing down my newspaper I sprang up and crossed the room to her as I felt tension seeming to radiate from every pore of my body. Stopping just before her I splayed my legs and crossed my arms over my chest defensively as I glared at her. ‘You went shopping with my brother?’ I demanded, but in response Stella simply rolled her eyes at me before heading to the sink to get a drink of water.
‘As endearing as your jealousy used to be, it’s starting to wear a bit thin now, Nathan,’ she told me in a soft voice, giving me a firm, patient look that immediately made me feel thoroughly chastised. I fucking hated how jealous I could feel over Stella, it was like an ugly monster lurking deep within me that would rear up from nowhere at any moment and stamp on any logical reasoning. Scratching at the back of my neck I grimaced, knowing that it was still a new emotion for me and probably stemmed from my lack of experience with any other real relationships in my life. Taking in a deep, calming breath I tried to tamp down my irrational annoyance. This was Stella and my brother we were talking about for God’s sakes, the two people I trusted most in the entire world.
Like with most things, Stella was good at reading me, and instead of losing her temper at my outburst she simply stayed quiet and let me work through my unease. Hopefully one day I’d manage to act like a normal human being around her, instead of an irrational lunatic. Why the fuck she was still with me was a mystery to me. Placing a hand on my arm Stella effectively interrupted my troubled thoughts and brought me back to the present with her warming touch. ‘Trust, remember?’ she said softly, instantly reminding me of the conversation we’d had a few weeks ago when I’d so gracelessly gate-crashed Rebecca’s hen-do.
Taking a deep breath I did a calming countdown and then nodded before tentatively closing the gap between us and leaning down to place my lips on hers. ‘Sorry,’ I muttered, which was miraculously a word that I was now able to say without grimacing.
‘I wasn’t shopping
with
your brother, I was shopping and bumped
into
your brother. Very different things, Nathan,’ Stella told me and I remembered now that she’d said she was going shopping for my Christmas present. A little shiver of excitement ran through me at the thought of giving and receiving gifts with Stella this year. We used to get presents at Christmas when I was younger but my parents, my father in particular, had always seemed grudging about it. In fact I clearly remember one year when Nicholas had excitedly run down on Christmas morning and asked if Santa had been during the night, only for my father to toss a gift at him and tell him smugly that Santa wasn’t real and the presents were bought with
his
hard-earned cash. I’ll never forget the crestfallen look on Nicholas’s face as he realised Father Christmas wasn’t real. I think a little bit of my brother’s innocence died that day. It wasn’t long after that my father started regularly beating Nicholas too.
Swallowing down my bitter memories of the past my eyes flicked to the pile of shopping by the door. As tempting as it was to inspect the bags to see what Stella might have purchased I refrained and turned my eyes back to her.
‘So what did Nicholas say then?’ I asked, already knowing the general gist of it – my brother had phoned me just a few hours ago from the shopping centre to check if I minded him spending Christmas with Rebecca this year.
‘He was very excited,’ Stella said with a laugh. ‘Practically bursting with energy, actually. Basically he said that he’d just booked a holiday for Rebecca’s Christmas present and was glad he’d run into me because he needed help picking out some clothing for her, but no matter how much I interrogated him he wouldn’t tell me where they were going,’ she added on a pout. ‘They must be going somewhere cold though, because he purchased practically an entire new wardrobe of warm clothes for her.’
‘Iceland,’ I said, recalling Nicholas’ excited tone. It was somewhere he’d always wanted to go and I saw Stella’s eyebrows rise in appreciation.
‘Wow. Fancy,’ she murmured.
‘It’s a surprise though, so don’t mention anything to Rebecca,’ I added, remembering Nicholas’ warning to me.
‘Of course I won’t. So, what are your Christmas plans now then?’ she asked curiously, stepping into my arms for a cuddle and slipping her hands round so they rested on the small of my back. I smiled at how enjoyable I now found this simple act. Hugging, cuddling, or snuggling had never been part of my life before Stella, but the contentment that I found when she was wrapped in my arms was one of the purest I’d ever experienced.
Sighing happily I lowered my head and nuzzled into her hair, loving the smell of her shampoo. ‘I was going to spend it with Nicholas, but obviously that’s changed now.’ As my mind ticked over things an idea came to me. Seeing as Nicholas was going on holiday for Christmas we could too. Pulling back I looked down at Stella. ‘Would you like to spend Christmas in a hotel with me? Chester perhaps? Or abroad if you like, New York is beautiful in December. What do you think?’
It was only two weeks before Christmas and I was well aware that most ‘normal’ people tended to plan their Christmases quite a way in advance, so Stella might well already have plans. I watched as she fidgeted briefly in my arms and felt my stomach drop as I realised I was right.
‘Um … actually I didn’t think we were spending Christmas together and my brother is home on leave from the Royal Navy so I … I um… I kind of told my mum I’d be home with them on Christmas day,’ she said tentatively, apparently concerned about hurting my feelings.
Not wanting Stella to see that I was a little upset about the prospect of spending Christmas on my own I straightened back and tried to remove the frown that had briefly settled on my brow. ‘I see. Of course,’ I murmured with a nod. I think my voice was convincing, but annoyingly I found my compulsive habits flooding to the surface as I stepped back, dropped my eyes to avoid her gaze, and began to fiddle with my shirt cuff.
Closing the distance I had just put between us Stella reached up and tipped my chin up so I was forced to meet her smiling gaze. ‘I know it’s a long shot, but how would you feel about joining me and my family for Christmas this year?’ she asked in a hopeful tone as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Staring at her in surprise I blinked several times as I ran her words though my mind. Attend a regular family Christmas?
Christ, it had certainly been a while since
had happened. In fact, I wasn’t even sure that the Christmas’ I’d experienced with my parents had been ‘regular’ in any way, shape, or form. Pulling Stella back into my arms as she once again relaxed against my chest I pondered her request for a minute, before a slow smile spread on my lips. A family Christmas with the Marsdens? Well, I suppose there was always a first time for everything.
Kicking off his shoes – his favourite black and white brogues – Kenny grinned like a kid in a sweet shop as he sunk back into one of the plush armchairs in Nathan’s home cinema room. ‘Oh God, Stella I’d forgotten how good these chairs were,’ he remarked with an appreciative groan as he reclined the seat, stretched out his legs, and wiggled his toes within some seriously bright stripy socks.
Turning to me a sudden twinkle crept into my friend’s eyes and he pursed his lips as a wicked grin began to curve his mouth. ‘I bet you and Nathan have got down and dirty in at least one of these chairs, haven’t you?’ he asked with a suggestive bounce of his eyebrows.
‘Kenny!’ I yelped, as a blush of mortification – and guilt – swept up my cheeks. We had, on several occasions, but that was hardly the point.
‘I thought so,’ he said smugly, crossing his legs at the ankles and linking his hands behind his head.
I flopped down in the chair next to him so I could avoid looking him directly in the eye. ‘I didn’t confirm or deny it, Kenny,’ I replied with a small smile. Really it didn’t matter if Kenny knew a few juicy details of my relationship with Nathan, he was one of my best friends after all. Besides, it actually made quite a refreshing change for
me
to be the one with stories to tell, usually it was Kenny unable to contain his glee at his latest conquest or escapade.
‘Your blush said it all, babes,’ Kenny said smugly. Raising a hand to his goatee he began to twist the stands between his forefinger and thumb as he watched me. ‘Besides, I know how you met Nathan, remember? It stands to reason that a guy who is a kinkster in the sack would probably be adventurous with his locations too. Adds a bit of variety, keeps things spicy.’ Finally allowing my smile to broaden I rolled my head back on the head rest and giggled.
‘Well, he certainly does that,’ I confirmed with a nod as my cheeks heated even more. We’d definitely christened every room in this apartment. In fact, we’d probably shagged on, or against, every single inch of flat surface within Nathan’s apartment in our time together.
Clearing my throat to disrupt my wandering thoughts and try to swerve the subject away from my sex life, I rolled my head to the side on the comfy sofa back so I could look across at Kenny. ‘So, it’s only two days to Christmas, my mum’s shopping for the vegetables today so she wants to know if you’re eating with us or not.’ When I last spoke to him, Kenny hadn’t made any certain plans yet, apparently it all depended on whether two of his buddies were flying in from the states or not. I tried not to be offended that I was his back-up plan, but in reality I knew that a sedate family meal with me and my parents wouldn’t exactly be that exciting for a single guy like Kenny.
‘Nathan’s still going?’ he asked carefully, fully aware of my concern that Nathan was going to panic and pull out of at any moment.
‘He is,’ I nodded. Nathan actually seemed to be getting quite excited about our Christmas plans. Just yesterday I’d found him in his walk-in wardrobe sorting out which shirt and tie he was going to wear. His advance preparations had been very sweet really, although I’d quickly told him that Marsden family meals were relaxed affairs, even at Christmas, so he didn’t need to wear a suit.
‘Simon will be there too,’ I reminded Kenny, mindful of the slight crush he had on my brother. Simon was also aware of this fact, and took every opportunity to tease poor Kenny by mercilessly flirting with him even though Simon was straight as a plank.
‘What if your brother invites some of his navy friends for drinks in the afternoon like he did last year?’ Kenny asked, as he held his hands up to picture the image in front of him. ‘I can see it now … you, surrounded by handsome, suave officers from the Royal Navy … Nathan exploding like a pressure kettle and going all caveman and dragging you off into the sunset,’ he said on a chuckle. Frowning, I realised that his vision was actually a very likely possibility if one of Simon’s friends even so much as breathed too closely to me. Wincing, I made a mental note to check with Simon and beg him not to wind up Nathan.
‘Well, if it’s definitely OK with your mum, then count me in!’ Kenny said enthusiastically.
‘Really?’ I asked, surprised, but Kenny turned to me with the broadest grin on his face, ‘Are you kidding me? Miss out on seeing uptight, brooding Nathaniel Jackson meet your parents for the first time? Not a chance!’ Rolling my eyes at Kenny’s statement I started to find myself feeling quite defensive of Nathan.
Picking up the remote control for the fifty-inch television Kenny tossed it in the air so it spun before landing safely back in his palm. ‘So, has your fella updated his DVD collection yet? Last time I was over I requested
Pirates of The Caribbean
. Ahhh … Johnny Depp in widescreen, now that would make my night! Has anyone ever told you that I look a bit like him?’ he asked, making me roll my eyes. Kenny himself had mentioned it, a few
million
times before.
I heard Kenny’s voice as he continued speaking, but couldn’t comprehend his words because my mind was still dwelling on his earlier statements about Nathan. He wasn’t that bad. Was he? OK so Nathan could still be a little uptight emotionally, and often looked quite intense and scary, not to mention that conversationally he could be difficult sometimes, but …
Wincing with worry I found myself partaking in some illegal lip biting – Kenny was right … this could be an absolute nightmare Christmas.