Brand New Flame

Tears filled Tracy's eyes, and a sob shook her indrawn breath as she sat down on the hideaway bed, her trembling hands still holding the card.

"Oh, geez. I'm sorry," Steve said as he walked over to her. "I saw the flower in the store, and I didn't know if it was a good idea, because you'd said that you were trying to forget, and..."

Tracy let out a little laugh, the sound broken up by sobs. She sniffled, and then smiled up at him standing in front of her. "I love it. Thank you." Before she even knew what she was doing, she stood up as well. Caught up in a swell of emotion, she kissed him.

Steve stiffened in surprise, but just as Tracy thought to pull away, she felt his arms slide around her, and his lips softened against hers. The kiss was brief, but oh so perfect. Tracy stood in front of him after their lips parted, her eyes still closed. After a few moments, she finally let her eyelids flutter open.

Tracy's cheeks warmed as she whispered, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." She trailed off when one of his hands moved up from her back to her cheek.

"You're beautiful," Steve breathed, looking deep into her still misty eyes.

"This is a really bad idea."

"I don't care."

Tracy melted into his arms as he kissed her. His one hand caressed her cheek, while the other held her close. Tracy hugged him tight against her as well, lost once more in the feeling of his arms around her.

"When you fell asleep on my shoulder last night..."

Another kiss.

"And then again in my arms..."

Yet another kiss.

"I've never felt that close to someone before — ever."

One of Tracy's hands slipped up his back, to slip through his hair. "It's been so long since anyone held me," she whispered.

"It may be selfish, but I'm glad nobody else has."

Tracy shook her head, her lip quivering and her eyes filling with unshed tears again. "But we can't do this."

"Why not?"

"We're... I'm..."

"Incredible."

"I'm thirty-seven."

"It's just a number."

"It's more than that."

"Not to me." Steve kissed her again — harder this time — his touch full of passion, and desire.

Tracy couldn't help but respond. The dam of caution and self-consciousness inside her ruptured, releasing emotions long restrained. Her hands roamed over his back, and then moved to slide beneath his coat. She needed to feel closer to him. Her fingers glided over his muscular back, the thin cotton of the t-shirt doing nothing to restrain the warmth of him. Her tongue slipped out into the kiss, just brushing his lips. She could feel his breathing quicken, and their tongues met in a perfectly coordinated, slow dance.

Beneath the softer emotions, the coals of Tracy's desire flared to brilliant life. Rather than burning away the budding glow of love in her heart, the heat mingled with it instead. A quick, unconscious tug slipped the tail of his shirt from his jeans, allowing her to slide her hand beneath — to feel her skin against his.

Steve moaned into the kiss, as Tracy gasped from a chill shooting through her from her fingertips. Both she and Steve pulled against each other, seeking even closer contact. Their kisses grew more ardent — needy.

Soon, Tracy knew that there was only one way she could feel the closeness that she so desperately needed. "Make love to me," she breathed between kisses, and tugged his shirt higher.

Steve gave Tracy one last, soft kiss, and leaned back to take off his coat. As soon as he dropped it at his feet, he pulled off his shirt. Tracy gasped at the sight of him, and ran her fingers down his muscled chest. As his shirt fluttered to the floor, Tracy tugged on her blouse.

Tracy let out a surprised whimper when Steve's hands glided up her arms as she pulled her blouse up over her head. He gathered up the cloth and dropped it aside, his eyes locked with hers. Steve cupped her cheek in one hand, and kissed her. Tracy shivered as his other hand slid around her back, to the clasp of her bra.

His lips never left hers, and he still held her cheek in his hand as her bra popped open. Tracy gave his lips a light caress of her tongue, and then leaned back.

Slowly, she pulled the straps from her shoulders. Steve's eyes looked deep into her as she hesitantly slipped her right arm free. Though she was in good shape, she knew all too well that gravity couldn't be completely defied.

Tracy's bra dropped to the floor, and Steve's eyes finally drifted downward. He sucked in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and leaned in with his lips parting in anticipation.

A broken whimper escaped Tracy as his lips engulfed her. She stroked her hand over his back, breathing heavily under his tender ministrations. Steve released her pebbled flesh with a quiet moan, and then kissed his way to its twin.

Tracy let her arm slid down from his back, and then reached for his belt. She whimpered and moaned from the delightful sensation of his lips on her as she blindly unbuckled his belt. Once the ends hung free, she worked on the button of his jeans.

Steve's lips moved to her neck, and his hand to her cheek. His kisses were mere feather-light touches, but each drew a gasp from her. Tracy pulled down his zipper, and let her fingers slip into the parted denim. "Oh," she breathed in surprised delight as she felt him through the satiny cloth of his boxers.

"Oh, Tracy," Steve whispered, and then kissed her neck one last time. His lips found hers, and she felt his jeans slipping down around her fingers.

As the denim slipped away, she was able to explore the full length and breadth of him with her fingers. A quavering gasp shook her, accompanying a twinge of almost fearful fascination caused by taking in the truth of him with her touch.

After a final, tender kiss, Steve pulled back to look into her eyes again. His other hand moved to her hip, and pressed down to guide her to sit. As she sank down to the hideaway bed, he lifted one foot, and then the other, untying his boots. His eyes held hers as he removed his boots, pulled his wallet from his hip pocket to place it on the end table, and then stepped out of his jeans.

Steve knelt down in front of her, where she sat on the edge of the hideaway bed. He lifted her left calf, and slipped off her shoe. Her sock followed, and Tracy let out a heavy, high-pitched sigh as he kissed the top of her foot.

Tracy barely had any conscious awareness of her fingers popping open the buttons of her jeans while he repeated the sensual tease with her other foot. As he lowered her foot to the floor once more, Tracy lifted her hips to pull down her jeans. Steve let out a moan, and helped her tug the tight denim down to her knees. He then lifted her feet, and Tracy leaned back onto her hands as her jeans slipped down her legs.

Steve walked forward on his knees as he let her jeans fall to the floor. His hands glided from her knees to her hips, and then curled beneath the elastic band of her panties. Tracy lifted her hips, her breathing heavy and rapid. The cotton slipped down, and she felt the kiss of the cool air on her wet heat.

Tracy's panties pooled to the floor, and Steve rose from his knees to lean over the bed. He kissed her, and Tracy bent her elbows so that she could recline. His lips followed her as she settled into the mattress, his kisses now tinged with hunger once more, matching her own growing need.

Steve moaned into the passionate kiss, and then moved to kiss her chin. His lips crept down her body, trailing kisses on her neck, her chest, and her tummy. When he reached her naval, he looked up into her eyes, as if asking for permission.

Tracy gasped, and then whispered, "Oh — please."

Steve kissed the curls on her mound, and Tracy shivered in anticipation. A kiss alighted on her hip, and then the other. His lips found her thighs, tantalizingly close to where she wanted them. He took a deep breath with each kiss, as if drinking in the scent of her to savor it.

"Please," Tracy whispered again, as his hands moved to her knees. She let her legs drift apart, and held her breath as he looked up into her eyes and moved into the widening V.

Steve tickled the curls shrouding her need with his fingertips, and finally broke eye contact to dart in for a kiss.

Tracy's back arched up from the bed, a sharp cry of bliss bursting from her lips as he touched her. "Oh — oh, Steve," she whimpered as his tongue caressed her folds. Her fingers scrunched up into the sheets as her hips rocked in a slow wave.

Steve's lips and tongue continued to glide over her, making Tracy moan in delighted wonder. He wasn't rushed, trying to push her to the edge. Instead, he savored her as she'd taught him to enjoy the Cognac. He took in her bouquet with deep breaths, warming her with his touch, bringing her to the peak of perfection.

Tracy tingled all over, permeated at the same time with wonderful warmth and titillating chills. He slowly fanned her coals, leaving her feeling as though she were floating above the mattress, held aloft by his soft tongue slipping over her. Time lost all meaning to her, the minutes slipping by in a fog of sweet delight. Even when he rose after a final kiss, she could still feel him. Her eyes fluttered open to see him removing a condom from his wallet.

With a deep, quavering moan, Tracy sat up. While he tore open the package, Tracy slowly tugged down his boxers. "Oh my," she gasped as the cloth slid away to reveal him.

Tracy curled her fingers around his manhood, finding that her fingertips would not meet around his girth. Steve sighed and caressed her shoulders with his free hand as she slowly pumped her hand over his hardness. After a few strokes, she took the condom from him, and finished removing it from the package.

Tracy pinched the tip of the latex sheathe, and slowly rolled it down his thick manhood. Once she reached the base, she looked up into his eyes in breathless anticipation, and scooted back on the bed, turning lengthwise on the mattress at the same time.

Steve climbed into the bed, and reclined next to her on his side. His hand curled beneath her far shoulder, urging her onto her side. Tracy raised her leg as she rolled, draping it over his body. While he pressed his lips to hers, he slipped his leg between hers. Tracy's left hand curled around behind his head, while she pulled him close with the other. Steve's arms surrounded her in much the same way, holding her tight as their kisses grew stronger by the moment.

At last, Tracy could wait no longer. She reached between their bodies, shifting her hips at the same time. Steve moved as well, until Tracy could at last press the tip of his latex-shrouded manhood toward the center of her heat. Once she guided him past her curls, he shifted his hips and pushed.

Tracy's eyes popped wide open and she sucked in a quavering gasp as he slipped inside her. She felt delightfully full, more than she could remember ever experiencing before. The intimacy of their intertwined bodies made her feel lightheaded as he slowly rocked his hips.

Steve kissed her neck, lips, and the swell of her breasts as his hips moved in a slow wave. She felt no sense of urgency from him. He seemed perfectly content to enjoy the feeling of her wrapped around him, squeezing him so tight.

Tracy's hand, still between their bodies, crept down to her bud. She circled it with one fingertip, barely brushing the swollen nub at first, but steadily pressing harder as a tingling heat built in her loins.

"Oh god, Tracy," Steve breathed, and then kissed her neck again, his hips moving slightly faster.

"You feel so wonderful," Tracy replied as the increased friction caused the flames of her arousal to burn higher in turn.

In perfect sync, two bodies slowly shifted position, until Steve could push harder and deeper inside her. Tracy's finger moved faster, causing her to twitch as she moved ever closer to the peak of her pleasure.

"Oh. Oh, Steve. Oh yes," Tracy whimpered, now poised on the brink of climax. Her face grew feverishly warm, matching the heat deep inside her. "I... I... Oh! Oh!"

A long, warbling cry accompanied Tracy's plunge over the edge into beautiful agony. Her arms and legs tightened their embrace, pulling her body hard against him, holding him buried deep inside her. Her orgasm was a soft, gentle swell of ecstasy that rippled through her, rather than crashing down with overwhelming force.

She sucked in a loud, high-pitched gasp of breath, which then emerged as a series of clipped whimpers, culminating in a deeply satisfied moan. She could feel him throbbing inside her tightly clenched sheathe, triggering chilly little arcs of electric pleasure. She held him tight, shivering and wondering if her climax was ever going to let her go.

"Did you..?" Steve asked as her muscles relaxed.

Tracy nodded and giggled. "Oh, that was... That was so wonderful." She pulled him close again, planting little kisses on his neck. "Did you?"

"No. Almost."

"I want you to."

Steve groaned, and then pulled his arm beneath him so that he could rise. Tracy whimpered as he slipped free of her, but knew that it wouldn't be for long. She rolled onto her back as he leaned over her, pulling his knees under him.

Tracy parted her legs at the urging of his strong hands, and panted as he scooted forward on his knees. His left hand curled around her knee, while the other dropped to his manhood, guiding it into her once more.

"Oh my god," Tracy groaned as he slipped inside her, far deeper this time. His hardness filled her, feeling as though it was reaching into her belly, and then retreated, only to return with a quick thrust of his hips.

"Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!" Tracy gasped in time with the motion of his body. The heat of her swelling climax reached deeper this time. It was also far warmer — sharper — demanding. Her fingers once again found her pearl, and matched the intensity of her need.

Steve breathed heavily, the strain in his features obvious despite the measured motion of his hips. He penetrated her with quick, deep thrusts, letting her feel every inch of him caressing her walls with hot friction.

He began to grunt from the effort of holding back his own release, his eyes tightly closed. Tracy's hand fisted into the sheets as the other blurred over her mound. "Oh — oh, Steve. I'm so close."

Steve increased his pace, his lips parting to reveal his clenched teeth. A sharp jolt of pleasure snapped Tracy's eyes closed as well. Growls joined Steve's vocalizations as he reached the point of no return, mingling with Tracy's increasingly loud cries.

"Can't hold..." Steve started, and then let out a loud, growling breath.

"I'm there. Don't stop. I'm..." Tracy's mouth popped open into a silent scream for a few moments, and then her cry of release burst forth. The ecstasy rocked her body, causing her to lurch beneath him, and then his hips slammed forward with enough force to scoot her back a fraction of an inch. He let out an explosive cry as he reached his peak as well.

Tracy's arms and legs wrapped around him, squeezing him tight as he leaned over her. She could feel him pulsing inside her, flooding the latex sheathe with his seed. The sensation set off another powerful wave of ecstasy with in Tracy, causing her to cry out again.

For long minutes, neither she nor Steve could move, save for involuntary lurches and twitches. Finally, he rose up to his knees, breaking the grip of her embrace, and pulled free with a groan. Tracy let out a disappointed whimper as she felt the void inside her, but then squeezed her legs tight to moan from the warmth of her afterglow.

Steve struggled with trembling hands, but eventually managed to remove the condom and wipe his manhood clean with a corner of the covers. As though that had taken the very last of his energy, he collapsed on the bed next to Tracy, and rolled over on his back.

Tracy rolled atop him, draping one leg over him and pressing her cheek against his chest. "That was so perfect — so wonderful."

"Unbelievable," Steve agreed, and wrapped his arms around her.

"It feels so good when you hold me."

"For me too."

"Mmm — then don't stop."

Tracy drifted off to sleep — warm, safe, and satisfied in his arms.

♥/\^/\^/\^/\♥

Tracy slowly roused, still wearing a smile, and feeling the warm afterglow of the bliss from the night before. As the sleep fog evaporated from her mind, Tracy realized that she was alone in the bed.

A sharp pang stabbed her heart, but it faded as she wrapped her arms around her. She took a deep breath, and then let out a sigh. She'd known from the beginning that this couldn't possibly lead anywhere. There was simply too much of an age gap for it to work, no matter how much they had in common. Rather than feeling hurt by his leaving, she felt good.

For too long, she'd doubted herself. She knew all to well that her lack of self-confidence was the main reason that her personal life had gone nowhere for years. Steve had given that back to her, many times over. She felt attractive — desirable. She couldn't think of a better Valentine's gift than that.

Just as she thought about rising to have a shower and some breakfast, the faint hints of an aroma tickled her nose. Tracy sat up, and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Steve's clothes, still lying scattered on the floor around the bed.

"Morning, Beautiful. Hungry?"

Tracy could see the mingling of love and desire in his eyes as he stepped out of the kitchen with a steaming tray of food, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. He'd truly meant what he said about her age being nothing but a number, and now she believed it too.

Tracy knew that last night was only the first of many perfect Valentine's to come, as he sat down the tray, and kissed her deeply.