Tom and Leah

He swirled it over and around her, sometimes flicking quickly and rapidly as a diversion. Her tremors were getting stronger and she could feel the slow makings of a wonderful orgasm. Expertly, Tom slowly brought her along, making her tremble, then easing off before she got too high. It was feeling great to her, but a bit frustrating at the same time. She knew she was close to coming, but he would not let her.

Gently pulling her labia apart, Tom suddenly thrust his tongue into her, darting it in and out of her. His hands grabbed her butt brusquely, holding her sweet smelling vulva to his face as he continued his assault..

Leah groaned loudly from the sudden invasion and started to pinch her nipples, hoping to send herself over the edge. She loved his change in tactics! Slowly, slowly, she could feel the building up of sweet sexual tension. Her inner walls tried to pull Tom's tongue in as it contracted around it. A guttural cry escaped Leah's mouth as another shock teased her. She was so close....

Abruptly, Tom stopped, much to Leah's dismay. Without saying anything, he stood up and turned Leah towards the back of the shower where the towel rack was. Leah understood immediately, grasping the metal bar, opening her legs and thrusting her shapely bottom towards him.

She looked behind and down, waiting in breathless anticipation as he poised himself near her turgid opening. With a low grunt, Tom pushed into her. Once inside her, Leah arched her back and pushed her butt towards him even more allowing him to be in all the way. It did not take too much effort on her part for Leah to get accustomed to his size. To her, it was almost a perfect fit and it filled her completely.

Soon, he began rhythmically pushing and pulling in and out of her, the tip of his penis stopping close to her entrance before pushing back inside. It did not take long before Leah was back to where she was when Tom was using his tongue to pleasure her.

Leah groaned as Tom picked up his pace. Holding onto the towel rack with one hand, Leah's other hand found her clit and she began to frantically masturbate herself. Seconds later, she felt the first orgasmic contraction knife through her.

"Damn...damn....Tom.....ohhhh!!!!" she shrieked.

Wave after splendid wave ripped through her, rocking her to her very core. As each wave hit her, she squealed or groaned depending upon the intensity of it. Tom continued to thrust from behind, but he was being gentle now, barely moving and letting Leah enjoy her orgasm to its fullest.

As the intensity of her orgasm waned, Leah felt her knees go weak as if she could no longer bear her weight. She grabbed the towel rack for support as Tom let himself slip unnoticed out of her. He wrapped his arms around her before turning off the water, which was now beginning to cool slightly. Lovingly planting soft kisses on her face, Tom held her for the longest time as the steamy fog continued to envelope them.

It was in the early morning the next day, a Sunday, when they woke. It was Tom who woke first as the sun beat through his bedroom window. He was almost startled to see Leah sleeping next to him, seeing it had been so long since he slept with a woman. She looked much younger than her thirty-four years and he was even more amazed at how pretty she was. He wiggled out from under her arm and continued to watch her for a few minutes.

They loved each other for most of the previous afternoon, forgetting all about the sandwiches she had carefully made for him. By the time they finished, it was supper time, but neither wanted to go anywhere. They just wanted to lounge around and be lazy, taking in everything that happened.

After a quick shower, Tom cooked a frozen pizza and Leah made a salad. Tom started a fire and they spent the rest of the evening sipping wine and finishing their supper on the blanket Leah had spread. It was near midnight before they dragged themselves to bed and fell asleep in each others arms.

Tom looked at Leah, still peacefully asleep, and smiled. Glancing at his clock, he noted the time. Leaning over, he kissed her softly on her neck near her ear which he found was one of her erogenous zones.

She woke slowly feeling his soft, warm kisses against her neck. Lifting one heavy eyelid, she smiled. "That feels wonderful," she murmured.

Tom kissed her some more until she giggled and was almost fully awake. "Time to wake up, sleepy head," he said playfully. "Remember, we have to go to church pretty soon."

"Church?" she said groggily. "I'd rather stay here with you."

Tom moved closer to her and kissed her. Even in the early morning, his lips felt so soft to her. They kissed leisurely for a few minutes; sweet, soft kisses that more than satisfied Leah. She would have been deeply disappointed if Tom had not shown her affection. Although he had satisfied her many times over the previous day, she worried about "the day after". Does he really love me or was it just sex to him? Now that he got some, was that the end? Many things raced through her mind in those brief seconds as they kissed.

Gently and easily, Tom rolled her until she was on top of him, her bare breasts pressed between them and her legs straddling his thighs. For a few seconds, they stared at each other, studying each other. Tom's warm, soft brown eyes melted her as a smile crept from the corners of his mouth.

"You know what?" he asked, taking her face in his hands.

"No. What?" she replied.

"I think I'm going to hold onto you and never let you go." He kissed her softly as he reached up and playfully cupped her breast.

Joy swept through Leah when she heard those words and the smile on her face showed it. Tears sprang from the corners of her eyes and began to slowly roll down her face.

"Hey, what's this about?" he asked. He was concerned even though she was smiling through her tears. His thumb absently wiped away some of the salty water.

"I just love you so much...."

"I love you, too, Leah..."

"....and yesterday was so special to me. Now, I know it was special for you, too."

"Of course it was special to me. Why would you think otherwise?"

Leah shrugged and laid her head on his chest, sighing as she did. She could not tell him how silly she felt for thinking negative thoughts. She could not tell him she doubted his feelings for her. But, she knew in her heart Tom truly loved her and she would never doubt him again. She could hear the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat and that soothed her, as if she were not relaxed as it was.

His arms had closed across her back and he squeezed her lightly, holding her as close to him as possible. Tom kissed the top of her head and squeezed once more.

"We've got to get moving," he whispered. "You need to get home and change for church."

"I don't want to move. This feels too good."

"Come on, Leah," he said a bit more urgently, "you don't have much time."

Leah raised her head and reluctantly sat up. The covers fell behind her showing her beautiful nakedness to him once again.

"Maybe I could just go like this," she teased.

"Yeah, right," he replied as he reached up to tweak a nipple.

Leah squeaked before lightly slapping his hand away. "Stop it, Tom, they're sensitive this morning."

"Lovely thought there, Leah, but I think you would be a bit underdressed." He looked again at his clock. "You really need to get going if you're going to make it on time. Not that I want to let you out of my sight right now," he added. He touched her nipple again, this time merely caressing it with his fingertips.

Leah held his hand there for a moment, loving the feel of his gentle touch. She really did not want to leave, but Tom was right. She had to get going.

Leah dressed slowly as Tom watched from the bed, a smile permanently fixed upon his face.

"I think I like it better when you take your clothesoff," he quipped.

"I hope it won't be too long before you see that again," she replied. She fastened the hooks of her bra and adjusted her breasts until they were in place. "Maybe we can repeat yesterday after church and lunch," she suggested.

"I'd like that."

"Me too."

She finished dressing and by that time, Tom had put on a pair of pants and a tee shirt. He walked her down the stairs and to the front door. She turned to him once more before opening the door.

"I think we have something very special here, don't you?"

"We love each other and that's special enough."

She nodded in agreement.

"I really do love you, Tom."

"I love you, too, Leah."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "See you in church."

"I'll be there."

They embraced one more time before she finally let him go and returned home.

VII.

Throughout the spring, Tom helped Emma with her softball skills. Much to her disappointment, he decided not to become their coach, but he watched some of her games with Leah. He could see Emma had potential to be a good player if she worked at it, but her fundamentals were weak. Two or three times a week, Tom would take her to a sandlot diamond and work with her on all of the basic fundamentals of throwing, catching, hitting, and fielding.

Feeling awkward and embarrassed at first because Tom's drills were difficult for her, Emma soon learned that Tom never laughed at her, never made fun, and only had encouragement for her. That was the only reason she did not quit with frustration. Soon, his drills became easier and she gained confidence as her skill level increased. The best sign was the improvement she saw in her game when she played. She hit better, was a better fielder, and her throws were strong and accurate.

As her skill level increased, Tom made the drills tougher and tougher to challenge Emma, never allowing her to get too comfortable. As she accepted these challenges and eventually mastered them, her confidence soared. It surprised Tom at how quickly her skills increased and he never failed to praise her after a hard practice or game no matter how good or bad she played. Yes, she still had bad games, but they were few and far in between.

It did not go unnoticed to Leah how fond Emma was becoming of Tom as she always looked forward to their one on one sessions. When Tom could not be at her game or had to cancel a practice session, Leah could see the disappointment in her eyes and mannerisms. She seemed to play her best ball whenever Tom was in attendance and her eyes would brighten when she saw him sitting in the stands with her mother and Christine.

Not to make her feel left out, Tom sometimes took Christine with them to practice. She was a more gifted athlete than her older sister, but she did not have a real love for the game yet. Being only eleven, Tom knew her interests were wide and varied and perhaps she would never truly embrace the game. Watching Tom interact with her girls only reinforced Leah's love for him, especially when he showed them affection. It was never overt or dramatic. It could be a hug or a simple pat on the shoulder. Sometimes, it was just treating them to an ice cream cone after a practice or game. It was many subtle things that Leah saw when they were together.

As a couple, Tom and Leah were almost inseparable during this time, be it a scheduled date or a simple walk around her neighborhood or town. Their love making was sporadic at best, but they made the most of their time alone together. They continued to see each other at the diner during the week and at church, but their free time together was limited.

During the late spring and early summer, Tom painted the interior of his house before tackling the repairs needed on the boat dock. Even though the dock was in pretty bad shape, Tom was able to make the necessary repairs in about a weeks time. The swimming area and beach took a lot more time and effort, but he managed to complete that task as well.

The week before Memorial Day, the dock was completed and Tom invited Leah and the girls over to watch him put the boat in the water, then take a ride in it. It was a pontoon boat with a portable cover and four comfortable chairs. Once it was in the water, he took them on a leisurely tour of the entire lake showing them all the alcoves, rivers, and houses that were part of it. Leah had never seen the lake as he presented it and she admired its beauty and simplicity even more.

Once they returned to his house, they changed into their swimming suits and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, playing, and splashing each other. Leah wore a modest one piece suit which still showed off her figure nicely.

As the girls played in the water, Tom laid down next to Leah, who was soaking up the warm rays of the bright sun.

"You'd look so hot in a bikini," he commented. "That suit just doesn't do you justice."

"I think you'd rather just see me naked," Leah retorted with her eyes closed.

"I can't argue with that," he laughed.

He looked at her more seriously and thought about what he wanted to say to her. Leah noticed his quietness and opened her eyes to see him staring off into space.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to discuss something with you, that's all."

"What is it?"

"Well, next weekend is Memorial Day and all my family is coming Saturday for a cookout. I told you that, didn't I?"

"You said you were thinking about having everyone over, but you hadn't said anything since," Leah replied.

"Oh. Well, everyone is coming and I was hoping you and the girls would come, too. I mean, I don't know what George has planned for them or if you had any plans, but I would really like for you guys to be there." He looked down at the sand, before returning to her face. "I think it's about time you met my family and they meet you."

"I don't know..."

"There'll be plenty of kids around to keep Emma and Christine occupied," he added quickly. "Please say yes. I really want you to be there. My brother an sisters have told me many times they want to meet you." He looked at her hopefully.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Tom nodded.

Leah knew this was a new chapter in their romance. Tom had already met her parents a few times and had even met her former husband when he picked up the girls for a weekend. Now, it was her turn. She was not sure about meeting over twenty people at once, but she trusted Tom and if his family was anything like him, she had nothing to fear.

"We'd be glad to come," she said finally.

"Great!" he beamed. "You're going to have a great time."

Leah asked many times that next week what she should bring, how they should dress, etc. Over and over again, Tom tried to reassure her that they would have a wonderful time and she should relax.

Saturday finally came and Leah and the girls came early at ten-thirty to help. Everyone else was expected to be there between eleven-thirty and noon. Leah wore white denim shorts and a bright orange tee shirt while the girls were dressed in their normal play clothes.

Once his family started to arrive, Tom made introductions all around as Leah tried to put names to faces. Being a waitress helped immensely in this regard because she had an excellent memory. Everyone treated her like family from the beginning and the girls had a good time, too. Told ahead of time that Leah and the girls were going to be there, Tom's sisters made it a point to talk to Leah as often as possible and not make her feel like a stranger. Within the first couple of hours, Leah felt as if she had gained three close friends.

With Tom manning the grill, lunch consisted of hotdogs, hamburgers, and chicken breasts for the meat portion and everyone brought pastas, beans, salads and snacks for the rest of the meal. After lunch, the kids changed clothes and raced to the lake. The two eldest cousins knew how to swim very well and were put in charge of watching the younger ones. Some of the adults sat near the water soaking up the sun while others stayed near the house.

Several times, Tom caught Leah's eye and smiled or winked at her. It made her feel special and happy inside to know how much he enjoyed her company, even if they were not side by side all the time. True to his word, Leah was relaxed around his family and was so glad she decided to come.

As it was getting near supper time, Leah found herself engaged in a quiet conversation with Tom's eldest sister, Joan, who was four years his senior. Joan had cornered her in the kitchen while everyone else was outside.

"Tom's crazy about you, you know," Joan said as she leaned against the refrigerator. They had been talking about how Tom and Leah first met.

Leah laughed. "I guess you could say I'm crazy about him, too."

"Do I hear wedding bells in your future?" Joan asked seriously. She was clearly the most outspoken of the siblings and was never shy about asking questions.

"We've never discussed it. Heck, we're having too much fun right now," Leah replied, shrugging and smiling.

"Do you think you'd like to marry him?"

Leah thought for a few seconds. She certainly could not deny she wanted to marry him. She had very strong, very deep feelings for him and did not want to think about a time when they might not be together. Throughout their courtship, they rarely had a disagreement. The only time they argued was when he thought she was being too tough on the girls about doing their homework one Friday night. She wanted them to get all of their work done that night and Tom thought it was okay for them to do it little by little over the weekend. Leah won, of course, but they gained a new admiration for each other. They were able to argue their differences rationally and without malice.

"Of course I would," Leah answered truthfully, "but I don't think we know each other well enough yet.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Leah began, "I've never seen him really angry or sad. I mean, sure, we've had some disagreements, but he's never said an angry word and I've rarely seen him even a bit down. I don't know. I think I need to see all sides of him before we even think about getting married."

Joan blinked and remained quiet as she studied the woman whom she considered to be her next sister-in-law. She knew her younger brother very well and there was no doubt in her mind they would be married soon. She could tell by the way he talked about her, how he acted when she was near, and how their eyes seemed to follow the other like magnets. In her mind, it was a forgone conclusion.

"I think you've already seen all there is about Tom," Joan replied. "He's very low maintenance. He doesn't get too high or too low and I can count on both hands the number of times I've seen him angry."

"Really?"

"Really. He's about the most even-keeled person I've ever known. Nothing seems to fluster him. Besides when mom and dad died, I've only seen him really down when he was going through his divorce."

Leah took this bit of news happily. One of the things that hurt her previous marriage was the moodiness of her former husband. Towards the end, she never knew what to expect when she came home from work, nor did the girls when they came home from school.

"He talked about his divorce. He really loved her, didn't he?"

"It really hurt him when they couldn't work it out," Joan explained. "Karen didn't want to move from D.C. and Tom had no choice but to play in Oakland. They really tried to make it work, but..." Her voiced trailed off.

"He won't have to worry about me moving," Leah laughed. "I like where I'm at. I'm staying right here!"

"He'll be very glad to hear that!" Joan laughed along with her.

In the evening, Tom and his brother built a small bonfire outside and everyone sat around talking while the kids toasted marshmallows. Tom and Leah sat next to each other and were not shy about holding hands throughout. This did not go unnoticed by Joan and only reaffirmed her suspicions as to how much they cared for each other.