She lifted her face enough to talk. ‘Looks like I’m the only one butt-naked ’round here.’
‘So far,’ Neal said.
‘Reckon that’s a good deal for one or the other of us.’
‘I can’t take my clothes off with you on top of me.’
‘Well.’ She raised her head a little higher and studied Neal’s eyes – glancing from one to the other, back and forth. ‘I’ll take ’em off ya,’ she said.
‘Okay.’
She kept studying his eyes.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
‘Just . . . nothin.’
‘What?’
‘I just . . . I’ve got me a case of the squeamies, that’s all.’
‘The squeamies? What’s that? Diarrhea?’
She made a mock scowl. ‘No! I’m fine. I’m scared, that’s all.’
‘Scared?’
‘Last time . . . I got hurt. I got hurt pretty good.’
‘When?’
‘When those guys done me . . . when I, you know, like I told ya on the rollycoaster. The five guys in the school john.’
‘Huh? That really happened?’
She suddenly sat up and frowned at him. ‘Did ya think I was lyin?’
‘No!’ he blurted, confused. Then he said, ‘I don’t know. Not at first. But then when you had me touch your wound and it turned out to be your . . . you know . . . I just figured maybe the whole thing was a story.’
‘It was a true story. And it was my wound I had ya touch. Ya shoulda seen all the blood . . .’
‘I thought you were playing a trick on me. You know, joking around to get me to touch you there.’
Both corners of her mouth tilted up. Her slender bare shoulders hopped up and down. ‘It was that, too.’ Her smile vanished. ‘I mean, I was havin some fun with ya, but . . . All the rest of it was the honest t’goodness truth. I haven’t . . . nobody’s, you know, done it to me since then. I haven’t let ’em, cause of how they hurt me that time.’
‘And you’re afraid I’ll hurt you?’
Nodding, she lowered herself onto him again. She pushed her face against the side of his neck, and he caressed her back.
‘We don’t have to do it,’ Neal told her.
‘But I wanta.’
‘We don’t have to.’
‘I wanta. It’s just, I’m scared a little. I don’t like pain very much.’
Neal’s throat tightened at the sound of those words, and his eyes grew hot.
I don’t like pain very much.
Like something you might hear from a frightened child.
His mind suddenly jolted him with a picture of Elise dead on the ledge of the tub, arms out, wrists tied, head drooping – mutilated and bloody, and a bar of soap in her mouth.
He squeezed Sue tightly against him.
She groaned. ‘Yer squishin me.’
He released her. ‘I’m sorry.’
Her head lifted and she kissed him on the mouth. Then she pushed herself up, crawled backward and climbed off the end of the bed. She stood there, Neal’s knees hugged between her legs.
He pushed himself up on his elbows. ‘What do you want to do?’
‘I aim to get on with it,’ Sue said.
‘Are you sure?’
In answer, she leaned forward, reached down, and unbuckled his belt.
Moments later, his trousers were open. Sue tugged them down to his knees, then stepped back. Neal raised his feet off the floor.
‘Thanks,’ she said, and pulled off his shoes and socks. When his feet were bare, she finished removing his trousers. Then she stepped forward, leaned over him, and slipped her fingers under the elastic waistband of his shorts.
Neal clutched her wrists.
‘You’re just going to yank them down?’ he asked.
‘I don’t guess I gotta yank,’ she said.
When he let go of her wrists, she lifted the elastic band straight upward, then drew it toward her, freeing his erection.
She stared.
She pursed her lips.
‘Oh, boy,’ she muttered. ‘It’s s’pose to feel good, gettin a thing like that shoved up yer wuzzitz?’
‘I don’t gotta shove,’ Neal said.
The look on Sue’s face was a cross between a grimace and a smile. Shaking her head, she slipped his shorts the rest of the way down. She tossed them aside.
Then she took a couple of steps backward, away from the bed. While Neal watched, she balanced on one foot, brought up the other and pulled off its white sneaker. Then she started to lose her balance and stayed up by hopping as she tugged off the sock. When that foot was bare, she stood on it and worked on her other shoe and sock, hopping, her golden hair bouncing, her small breasts leaping up and down.
When both her feet were bare, she ducked out of sight.
‘What’re you doing now?’ Neal asked.
‘Nothin.’
‘Ah. Okay. While you’re doing nothing . . .’ He sat up and shucked off his sweatshirt. As he flung it to the floor, he glimpsed Sue’s back. She was down on her hands and knees. ‘Anything I can help you with?’ he asked.
‘Nope. Thanks all the same.’
‘Okay.’ On hands and knees, himself, Neal pulled down the bedcovers. Then he stretched out on the bottom sheet. He squirmed on his back, enjoying the feel of the sheet against his skin.
As he stuffed a pillow under his head, Sue stood up.
Wearing the gold bracelet around her upper left arm.
‘Oh, no,’ Neal muttered.
She frowned at him. ‘I think it looks nice.’
‘I love how it looks,’ Neal assured her. ‘Especially how it compliments the rest of your ensemble.’
She laughed and looked at the bracelet, herself. ‘Fits nice up here, too,’ she said.
‘And it’s conveniently located,’ Neal pointed out.
High on her arm, the bracelet was within easy reach of her lips.
‘Are you planning to use it?’ he asked.
Sue shrugged. Then she climbed onto the bed and crawled forward, Neal between her hands and knees. She halted when she was directly above him. Staring down into his eyes, she said, ‘I won’t use it if ya don’t want me to.’
‘Why would you want to use it?’
‘To get out, case it starts hurtin.’
‘If it starts hurting, I’ll stop.’
‘Don’t want ya stoppin.’
‘Why not?’
She shrugged. ‘Because. I been in yer head. I know how bad ya want me.’
Neal reached up under her breasts, and held them gently. Moaning, Sue shut her eyes.
‘Just tell me if I hurt you,’ he said.
‘Just don’t stop,’ she murmured. ‘No matter what.’
‘If you bug out with the bracelet . . .’
‘Just keep goin.’
‘Where’ll you be?’
‘In you?’
‘While I’m . . .? Jeez, I don’t know.’
‘If ya don’t want me to, just say so.’
They gazed into each other’s eyes. Sue, he realized, was moving her body just enough to make her breasts drift about within the loose cups of his hands, caressing him with their smoothness, stroking him with their stiff nipples.
‘It’s okay,’ he whispered. ‘You can come in if you want.’
‘Thanks,’ she whispered.
She remained braced above him, her breasts in his hands, and Neal didn’t notice her changing position, at first. He noticed only the change in her face – how she made sort of a trembling smile and caught her lower lip between her teeth.
Then he felt a soft pressure against the tip of his penis.
He felt a snug, slick hole push itself onto him.
Sue sat down slowly, ever so slowly, slowly taking him into her.
He squeezed her breasts.
She threw back her head, her mouth hanging open, and kept on slowly easing herself down. He went up slowly into her slippery, hugging warmth. Up higher,
up deeper. Higher and deeper until her body pressed on him. Seated, she could go no farther.
She gave a sigh, and smiled down at him.
Neal took a deep, trembling breath. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.
‘Real fine,’ Sue whispered.
‘Didn’t hurt?’
‘Mmmm. Nope.’
Lifting his head, Neal saw her sitting on top of him, her legs splayed apart. Her groin was joined so tightly to his that nothing showed between them. He was in her completely.
‘Lordy,’ Sue said. ‘If I’d known it’d be like this . . . Does it feel this good to you?’
‘Maybe better,’ Neal said.
‘Don’t go away, I wanta see for myself.’ With a slight tuck of her head and a lift of her arm, she kissed the bracelet.
Thirty-Five
She did it!
And went limp as if she’d suddenly passed out. Her eyes shut. Her head drooped. She started to drop forward.
Neal shoved against her breasts to hold her off, his open hands mashing them almost flat.
‘This isn’t any good,’ he told her in his mind. ‘I can’t . . . damn it! . . . Doesn’t it hurt? Sit up. I don’t want to hurt you! Stop, okay? Just stop?’
But she didn’t stop. She kept bearing down on him as if determined to crash her forehead into his face.
‘Sue!’ he gasped. ‘Somebody’s gonna get hurt!’
He continued to brace her above him, giving her time to return to her own body.
She didn’t.
‘Okay,’ he thought to her. ‘You’re gonna play this out, huh? Okay. Here goes!’
With a lurching buck, he flung Sue sideways. He stayed with her as she tumbled, wrapping an arm around her, clutching her to him, rolling, staying between her legs. When they were both on their sides, he almost came out of her. But then her back met the mattress and he was on top and he plunged down into her again all the way.
So deep.
So rigid and deep into her snug center . . .
Neal tried to hold back.
Sue, with a sudden gasp, thrust her pelvis up against him.
Shuddering, he throbbed inside her, throbbed and spurted, his semen pumping into her, spurting, flooding her as he throbbed and grunted.
When he could breathe again, Neal stayed inside her but propped himself up with his elbows. She smiled languidly. He kissed the tip of her nose, and said, ‘You came back.’
‘Wanted to be here for the big finish. Not that it weren’t a thrill a minute in you.’ Her hands rubbed their way down his back and squeezed his buttocks. ‘Holy smokin mackerel.’
‘I didn’t know what to do with you,’ Neal said.
‘Sure ya did.’ She squirmed a little and sighed. ‘Only thing is, it got over awful quick.’
‘Sorry about that.’
‘Wasn’t yer fault. Shoot, I know that – I was in ya.’ Smiling up at him, she said, ‘I’m just way too excitin for ya.’
‘You can say that again.’
She squirmed some more. ‘I sure do like how ya feel in there.’
‘I like how you feel in there.’
‘I know. I drive ya crazy.’
Blushing, Neal said, ‘You didn’t happen to notice that I was . . . a little angry?’
‘Ya had a right to be. Hell, I came droppin down on ya like a safe.’
‘Well . . . you’re not exactly a safe.’
‘Probably woulda knocked yer teeth out.’
‘I was worried about your . . .’
‘My titties. I know. Ya had ’em squished flatter than flapjacks.’
‘Are they all right?’ Neal asked.
‘Feel fine. How they look?’
Neal pushed himself up until his elbows locked. Braced above her, he studied her breasts. ‘They aren’t flapjacks anymore,’ he said.
‘Wanta taste ’em and make sure?’
Her words sent a sudden rush to his groin.
‘Whoa!’ she gasped. ‘What did that?’
‘You said that about tasting them.’
‘Maybe ya better just do it, then.’
‘What?’
‘Taste ’em.’
‘Now?’
‘Just do everything ya feel like, okay? Whatever turns ya on. I’m gonna be right in there to see what happens.’
‘With the bracelet?’
‘Unless ya don’t want me to. Only thing is, I know ya like it.’
‘I’m not so sure.’
‘Just say no.’ She lifted her eyebrows.
Neal tried to think about it, but he found thinking difficult under the circumstances. And denying her request would be even more difficult. ‘Whatever you want,’ he said. ‘It you want to come in me again . . . I’d be glad to have you.’
‘Thanks.’ Smiling up at him, she said, ‘This time, I’ll ride ya to the end.’
She turned her head and raised her arm. The moment that her lips met the gold coil of the snake bracelet, she went limp. Her arm flopped to the mattress.
As if she’d passed out.
‘I don’t know about this,’ Neal muttered.
She’s all right with it. It’s her idea.
‘Wouldn’t you rather stay in yourself?’ he asked her in his mind. ‘We can do this like normal people.’
We can do it like normal people some other time, he told himself. Not every day you get a chance like this . . .
Do whatever I want.
She wants me to do whatever I want.
Man, oh man!
‘Okay, Sue. Look, here’s the deal. I’ll sort of . . . fool around with you. I mean, that’s what you want, right?’
It’s what I want, that’s for damn sure.
‘Sue? Look. If I start doing anything you don’t like . . . anything at all . . . just stop me. Please. If you don’t stop me, I’ll figure it’s okay. Okay?’
Oh, God. Here goes.
Shaking slightly, Neal crawled backward, eyes on Sue’s limp, sprawled body. After sliding out of her, he sank back on his haunches. He stared at her.
Sleeping Beauty.
Don’t think corny shit like that, she’ll think you’re a whacko.
And she knows you just thought that, dork.
This is so weird!
Better do something, or she’ll think you’re not interested.
No, she won’t. She knows damn well I’m interested. She’s in me right now.
Just pretend she’s not.
Yeah, right.
‘Hello, hello. It’s only me from across the sea . . . ’
She is in me, and . . . it’s a ride. I’m gonna disappoint her if I don’t do something. Do what? Kiss her tits, for starters.
Taste them. Suck them. Gnawwww on them.
‘How’m I doing, Sue?’
Forget her.
Do it. Do it to her. She wants it and I want it. She wants to know how I feel when I suck on her tits . . .
Neal lowered his mouth onto her left breast, kissed it, caught the nipple between his lips. And as he took the breast into his mouth, he fondled her other breast with his hand.
‘How’s this? You like this, Sue? I like this.’
Oh, man.
He could feel himself getting harder and harder.
Oh, God, she’s so smooth. So smooth all over here and here, and then like rubber here. Nipples like rubber.
‘I don’t mean that as an insult, Sue. I love them stiff and sticking up like this.’
She knows that.
But as if to reassure her, he chewed gently on the one while he gently rubbed the other between his thumb and forefinger.
She squirmed. A moan slipped out.
Neal thought she must be returning to herself. When she remained limp with her eyes shut, however, he figured that her body must simply be reacting to the stimulation. She was still in him.
Her body feels it all anyway.
And she gets the whole works from inside me.
It’s more than just experiencing my sensations, he realized. She
gets all that – how turned on I am, and everything. But she’s also getting to see herself, feel herself, taste herself – through me.
She’s my eyes, he told himself. She’s my hands and fingers. She’s my mouth and tongue, my nose. She’s my cock, too.
And she’s in my head, knows I’m thinking all this right now.
Thinking about my cock.
Neal realized he didn’t feel embarrassed. He thought he should be blushing with shame. Instead, he felt daring and excited and even more aroused.
‘How do you like having a cock?’ he asked her with his mind.
She actually knows how it feels to have a cock. Not just having one stuck inside her, but how it feels to have one of her own, and how it feels when it slides into her . . .
Next time someone tells her to go fuck herself . . .
Terrific.
‘I’m sorry, Sue. I think things. I can’t help thinking things.’
It’s all right, he told himself. She’s not going to hold it against me. Probably amused.
Or turned on.
She was writhing, gasping and moaning on the mattress as if trapped in a frantic dream.
Neal parted with her breasts and slid himself down her body, caressing her, kissing and licking her along the way. Moving slowly downward. Pausing to look. For himself, but also for Sue.
Very aware that she was his passenger.
They were touring her together, exploring her.
Sue couldn’t make requests, so everything was up to Neal.
She was the tourist and the locale being explored.
Me, too. We’re both getting explored here. Both tourists, and getting toured.
Make it memorable.
Don’t miss a single marvel.
Don’t hurry.
No hurry at all. Just linger and enjoy.
‘And here,’ he whispered, ‘we have the famous Babcock Cavern. Also known as the Tunnel of Love.’
Corny corny corny.
He raised his head and looked at her face. No smile. No smirk.
Humor doesn’t carry over.
What humor?
He lowered his face again. ‘The famous Babcock Cavern appears to be flooded at the moment.’
Maybe she doesn’t appreciate me making fun . . .