Sound of Darkness

She reached for his buttons. He reached for hers. Feeling his fingers brush against her flesh as he undid buttons seemed so simple and so erotic. And in the end, she wound up ripping off one of his buttons in her haste to feel more of his flesh against her own.

As she had felt with that first kiss, the tension, fear, anger, worry, work, all slipped away. Because there was nothing more important than feeling the muscles tense in his chest, reveling in the caress of his fingers upon her.

They were still half-entwined in their clothing when he kissed her again. The kiss was hot, a fiery blaze that ignited everything within her. They laughed, struggling out of more and more clothing. Some of it was tossed to the floor, some just tangled with the comforter on the bed.

He pulled away from her, tossing off his own shoes and socks, then shedding his trousers and briefs.

He turned for her skirt, shimmying it from her body, then tossed her heels to the floor and crawled up slowly along her legs, murmuring softly as he planted kisses against her calves, knees, and thighs.

“If I had dropped you, it might hurt here...or here,” he said.

“Oh, it might. And I could have clung to you, stroking your shoulders, working my fingers over your flesh...”

“And...”

He stopped talking and rose against her, pulling her into his arms again, engaging in another deep, wet kiss, mouths open, tongues...

The kiss ended.

This time, he moved down her body, caresses and kisses falling upon her shoulders, throat, breasts, abdomen...and below.

The world had melted away.

Now, it exploded, and she drew him back to her, falling into a kiss again, then pinning him beneath her, and reminding him in a muffled whisper that she probably would have dropped him had she attempted to carry him up the stairs, and he would have hurt here...and there...and everywhere.

Then he rose, pulling her into his arms again. This time, when he kissed her, he thrust inside her, and she felt as if the universe burst apart in sparks, and then they moved together.

It was passionate and wild and tender all in one, and she wondered how she hadn’t realized from the second she’d met him that...

He could become her world.

She tried to tell herself it was sex. Just sex. People had sex all the time.

But this was...

Different. And she didn’t believe he was the kind of man who just didn’t care, who slept around, who...

She didn’t think at all.

She felt as if the world and universe and heavens all seemed to collide.

Then they lay together.

Air seemed good. Lying there was good.

Everything was good. For now.

She breathed, afraid to speak.

He didn’t speak either. He pulled her against him and held her gently.

Eventually, he spoke softly.

“Your sister is extremely smart.”

That, of course, made her smile. And it allowed her to rise on an elbow to look at him.

“See, there are benefits to an attractive partner!”

He smiled, but then a serious look came over his face.

“If you had continued to despise me, I’d have had to admit you were an amazing asset to the Krewe.”

“I never despised you.”

“I behaved very badly.”

“Yes, but Red loves you. There had to be something redeemable in you.”

“Hopefully, I’ve proved myself redeemable.”

“You’ll...pass,” she said lightly.

They both laughed and fell into one another’s arms.

This was new, exhilarating, incredible...

But later, as they lay together, he rolled over and said, “Dog food. I have to give Red something. He’s a hardworking dude. I’m a hardworking dude too. Food.”

“Well, I do have that peanut butter!”