Freshman Flirt Pt. 04: Romancing

She nodded. "How long's it been...since...you've been with a woman?"

I'd hoped this wouldn't come up, but I'd opened the door with my rather blunt admission. I almost made a joke of it, telling her I was with one now, but I knew what she meant and the concern she had, so I answered anyway. "Shortly before we reconnected, I went out with a lady. We hooked up on a second date but realized we were too different and that it wasn't going anywhere. Then you called me and I never reconsidered trying to get a third date with her. I got tested, got a clean bill of health, and haven't been out with anyone else since."

"I haven't been with anyone since Teddy--and I got tested, again, after his second extramarital excursion, and never was with him again either. That's over fourteen months, Barry. Now, I like you a lot, and, to tell the truth, I always did, but I worry that I don't know if that's enough for us to keep trying on this. I don't want to...to go too far, and then find out it was, well, like a mirage or something. I understand that it's too soon to know if it's real as in forever, but I don't want it going "Poof!' and disappearing, either."

"The past is history, Sweetheart; let's not worry about that, okay? As for the future, you know I like you a lot, too, and I want to keep trying so we can see if, maybe someday, we'll love each other enough to make a commitment we can both be happy and live with forever."

"So you'll be good with commitment if things work out like that, where it becomes the issue?"

"Of course. Why?"

"My dear ex always enjoyed the love part, but didn't see the importance on the commitment side. You don't know how good it is to hear your take on it."

"Mandy, I want to give us every opportunity to make it work out, even if that means slow walking it for a while. If you're not comfortable moving forward, I'd rather wait a little longer until you are before we rush into anything and make you feel bad."

"Umm, I don't think we need to go overboard on things."

"What do you mean?"

She had a resolved look. "I want this to work, Barry. I want us to give it the time we need, but right now, I'd like for us to walk upstairs so you can hold me and make love to me."

I rose from the chair and pulled her up into my arms, wrapping them around her to comfort her. As she'd said, she wanted more than comfort, and our lips met and my eyes closed as I surrendered myself to her and she did the same to me.

Our lips played across each other, and then her tongue probed mine, seeking entry. I met her, a gentle challenge and a flick in reply, leading her to moan into my mouth. Our eyes opened as we smiled at each other.

"Upstairs, okay?"

There was no slow-walking this; we practically skipped up the stairs and she saw the first of the rose petals scattered on the floor just outside her door.

"Aww! So sweet!"

We followed the rose petal trail into her room and she saw them sprinkled rather liberally across her duvet and sheets where I'd turned the top back.

"I can't believe you did this! So pretty. Barry, you're so romantic!"

I thought she was going to say more, perhaps even a cut on her ex, but she paused, gave a shake of her head, perhaps to get rid of that image and the hold he'd had over her for so long or maybe even to exorcise the demon altogether. She smiled, a look of happiness and contentment.

On seeing those rose petals, I hoped she'd understand that this meant a lot more to me than just a physical encounter. This was for her, a memory I hoped she'd cherish, of our first time together. That's when I remembered the candles, still unlit, but didn't have time to think more about it since she started helping me out of my clothes. I returned the favor, helping her with hers until we stood in front of each other, inches apart, wearing only our underwear.

Mandy was beautiful as she stared into my eyes and I told her so. She smiled as she unhooked her bra but held it in place in front of herself, whether from concerns of her own, of my reaction, or to try my patience, I wasn't sure. I was about to reach for her, to tell her it was okay, when she let it fall.

Her breasts were gorgeous, probably Ds or possibly even DDs, on her frame, with large areola and nipples that were already hard and pointed. They pointed straight out at me and I smiled, reaching up to cup and caress them.

"They were smaller but they pointed upward before Tad was born," she whispered.

"They're just perfect," I countered, "and pointed in the perfect direction, right toward me." I bent over and kissed one, before slipping it into my lips, giving it a little suck.

"And that's perfect, too," she moaned with a smile. She let me have a little more time before she added, "Here, let me help you out of these."

I hated that nipple slipping from my lips, but I let it go so she could reach me. A moment later, my boxer briefs hadn't hit the ground before she had both hands on my dick, standing rigidly at attention, and she circled me and gave a slow stroke.

"More perfection," she said with a smile.

"Not quite, but will be in a second when we get these off of you."

Her bikini panty, so light and thin, fell around her feet, and we joined together in kicking our own over to the side, in sync almost like a chorus line, though not nearly as high. She realized it, too, for we laughed together at the image. I pulled her into my arms then, her soft breasts pressed against my chest, my penis trapped against her abdomen, and Mandy feeling wonderful in my hands everywhere they touched her. She was touching me, too, with each touch exciting me further, making me want her more.

We moved toward the bed without realizing it, our legs coming in contact with the silky sheet at the same time. My arm around her, I eased her down, taking the position over her as I kissed her again. I massaged her breast as she stroked me, but moved down, kissing her curves and her nipples, causing her to give me a disappointed look at losing her plaything. I kissed the pad of my index finger and touched it to her lips, and she nodded with a smile, understanding.

There would be time for both of us. Right now, this was her time to relax and enjoy.

My hands ran over her skin, touching her body, caressing her curves. Slipping up under her breasts, I cupped them, sliding up those delightful mounds before pinching and giving a little pull to those delicious nipples.

Mandy sighed as I did and ran her fingers through my hair. She was smiling at me as I moved closer, again sucking one into my mouth to plump it before letting it slip free where I could kiss it again and flick and circle it with it with my tongue as I massaged her. When it was quite hard and flipped when flicked, I sucked it barely back inside and started nursing on it while rubbing the other between my finger and thumb.

Her sighs turned to moans, short and frequent, and then longer and more forceful. I'd been about to move down but on hearing this, I followed my late father's "if it's not broke, don't fix it" adage and kept going. He'd probably turn over in his grave if he knew I was applying it to this, but good advice is good advice, regardless of the application.

Fingers in my hair, she pinned me tighter against her breast as she let out a long moan and she achieved her first orgasm of the afternoon. I stopped stimulating and just held her as her arms slipped around me and held me nestled against her orbs.

"Oh, Barry, I've never experienced it that way before. It was...mmmmm...thank you," she whispered dreamily.

I smiled at her loss of words and kissed the top of her breast. "I loved doing it for you. Do you need time or can I continue?"

"No, I need a turn to make you feel good, too."

"Sweetheart, doing this for you makes me feel good."

More kisses, moving down, l loved the softness of her tummy and the sweep of her sides. Taking my time, I moved down to her triangle and found it waxed, with a little triangle of short hair on her mound and smooth below. I gave a little moan of pleasure at the sight.

"You like?"

"Oh, I most definitely like," I replied.

"Good. I hadn't had a wax job in several years but had it done a few days ago for you and for me. I don't remember it from back then, but after the pain went away, I've been as horny as hell ever since."

"Good. We'll see about taking care of that in a little while."

"A little while?"

"Mmm-huh," I muttered as I shifted, kissing her bikini line, her leg, and her thigh, spreading her and lifting her leg where I could finally see what I'd tried so hard not to imagine so many years as we sat together on her bed studying as she wore one pair or another of those tiny, all-too-tight short shorts.

Her outer labia were soft and puffy, with a bit of her delicate inner works showing near her hood. I traced a finger along her thigh, brushing the side and causing her to quiver and give a little moan. "Barry, please, I need you in me."

"Patience," I breathed, before kissing her puffy lips, up one side toward her clit, which already appeared to be swollen with her desire. When I stopped, maybe an inch away, Mandy squirmed, twisting, trying to reach me with it, but I held her legs and moved to the other side.

"You!"

"Good things come..."

She missed the finish of the old saying, saying instead, "It better! And soon! Please, I feel like I'm about to explode!"

My kisses closed on her again, and again, she strained to direct herself to me, but this time, I let her, with my tongue just grazing her clit when she offered it to me.

"Ah! Mmmm!" she mouthed as I continued, easing her down and starting to work it slowly, side by side at first, and then, remembering her method on our calls, I switched to her favorite circle method, tracing around and around her swollen spot. My index and ring finger started rubbing up and down her outer lips, and my middle started catching her delicate labia. A few passes led them to separate and open, allowing me to run my fingertip through her wet well of desire. A second pass was just a bit deeper, opening her up a little more.

I wanted to stop, to look, to plunge my tongue into her and lick her depths to enjoy her taste, but her moans were more insistent so I kept my tongue working her clitoris, promising myself that I would experience her in great detail just a little later. My circles of her spot transitioned to quick flicks, and my index finger worked a bit deeper with each pass.

"Good, oh, that's good!" she said between moans, making me speed up to about as fast as I could go.

When I'd opened her slit up enough, I passed through again, but stopped in the middle this time, twisting my hand and sliding my ring and middle fingers inside her, focusing on her G-spot with a quick circular motion.

She'd already been close, but that slid her over the edge and she snapped her legs closed on my hand. She let out a long moan as her orgasm embraced her, sweeping through her like a flash flood in summer. I stopped, sliding out of her when she relaxed a bit before sucking her juice from my fingers, loving her sweet aroma, her taste.

"Barry, in me. Get in me, please. Make love to me and finish inside me. I want to feel you do it in me."

Moving up, I centered myself over her missionary-style as she drew her legs up high, opening herself to me. A bit further forward and I could feel myself against her, sliding just into her outer opening before a little thrust sent me partially inside. Back out and then forward, in further, her warmth embracing me. Another withdrawal and another thrust sent me on inside, where I started to rock a bit, going deeper and deeper until my pubic bone was tight against her.

"Oh, that feels so good!"

I started grinding against her, trying to rub her clit while moving deep inside her. She understood and arched, clenching me and grinding back as she rolled against me. I started a long, deep stroke with her pressure at the end and Mandy was soon moaning in time and my breath was fast and shallow in time with hers. I hoped she was as close as she looked and sounded for my build-up had me so close to exploding I was worried I was going to lose it before she reached her peak.

Giving a long deep sigh that seemed to come from deep in her soul, Mandy wrapped her legs around me and her arms, too, holding me close as I felt her pussy contracting on me. Maybe that was what I needed, for I started shooting my seed into her then, filling her.

I lay atop her, kissing her shoulder and neck as I tried to catch my breath. That last bit had really taken it out of me and I was so relieved that we'd experienced it together.

"Oh, Barry, I've been wanting that with you for weeks and it was everything I expected. Thank you, but I swear, if you give me a hickey doing that, I'll make you regret it!"

I chuckled, realizing my kiss had gotten a bit amorous on that one particular spot, so I shifted, kissing her some more, before saying, "Sorry, but same here, Mandy. Same here."

Thinking of that time long ago, when I'd had such a hard time resisting her charms, I knew it was actually much longer than her matter of weeks. Twenty-four years longer.

***

Later that evening as we sipped wine while waiting for our meal, I said, "Mandy, you know I like you, a lot, a whole lot, and I'm having a great time with you--oh, and that's not even considering earlier today, which was, ahem, amazing for lack of a better word."

"Spectacular? Breathtaking? Magnificent? How many letters do you want?"

"Huh?"

She laughed. "I do crossword puzzles."

I reached across to kiss her to shut before she gave me more options. They would, I was sure, all be just as fitting yet equally inadequate to describe what we'd experienced a couple of hours earlier.

I'd experienced sex before, many times, but not since Evie had I ever felt that bond before, during, and after. Evie had, because of a cruel trick played upon us, tossed it away, sending me on a long, lonely odyssey before I finally found it again. I wanted this, more than anything, but I knew of Mandy's concerns about commitment and my discussion of it with Tad, so I didn't want to rush things too much.

"Mandy, what I'm trying to say is, will you be my girlfriend?"

"What?" she exclaimed, touching her face with her hands as if for the first time. "Did we hit some type of time loop? Are we eighteen again?"

"No," I said, drawing out the word as I was surprised at her response. "But I don't want to leave out any steps that you might be expecting, so I'd rather ask than assume, in case it matters."

"In that case, yes, I'll be glad to be...though I must admit," she giggled, "I thought I already was." She was grinning at me then, her tease complete.

I smiled too, but I must have still looked a bit embarrassed as I nodded. "Yeah, I thought you were, too, but then I couldn't find any paperwork on it, so I figured I'd better check."

"Shut up and kiss me again, silly."

I did, and her lips were as sweet as honey, though she later told me it was probably just the wine, though I didn't believe it for a moment. We enjoyed dinner, but I had butterflies throughout the meal in anticipation of the rest of the evening to come.

***

We made love again after dinner in the light of 124 candles. Lots of tealights, some votives, several big pillars, a few tapers, and a couple of lightly-scented floral candles in jars made up the mix, setting a romantic mood with more light than I was expecting. They'd been set up in the afternoon but, in the heat of the moment, I'd forgotten all about them until it was too late without spoiling the mood, so I saved them for the night, which seemed to be better anyway.

Mandy loved it and took the lead for part of the evening, getting me revved up with magnificent oral skills I didn't know she possessed before we sampled a number of different positions with soft, gentle loving and hard-driving fucking. Once we were going, she didn't mind speaking up to let me know her needs or to ask about mine when she wasn't sure.

With the AC going, all of those candles flickered and danced about, casting neat shadows in multiple, competing directions. I set them so everything was safe and there was no risk of turning them over or catching anything afire, but I was afraid we were going to set the smoke detector off when we started blowing them out after we enjoyed our time together..

The rest of the weekend when we weren't training Ryder was spent talking, exploring each other's bodies, and making love, all the while growing closer and closer. I knew by time to leave on Tuesday evening that I loved Mandy, but I said nothing to her, thinking it was too soon and that she'd think my statement was just because of what we'd done over the four days and not because I truly believed it. Maybe she'd have been right, but I didn't believe that for a second.

***

I returned to Hoover the following Saturday, arriving at Mandy's house shortly before she got back from picking up the kids. The dogs were sitting at attention in the front yard as they pulled up, but seeing Tad and Ceilly jumping out of the car was too much for Ryder. Sit training would need more time. A lot more, I suspected.

The kids hugged the dogs and I hugged Mandy, openly kissing her in front of the children and no longer caring if they saw. Our hands, though, were quite proper, staying on the back, above the waist, with the kiss being rather tame, too. Okay, maybe there was just a little tongue action.

After lunch, Tad and I took a walk with the dogs while Mandy and Ceilly had a little conference of their own.

"Tad, how was your week with your dad?"

"Different. He ended up sending Miri home. That's his girlfriend. Or maybe it was? She got mad because he kept making her wear his shirts."

"Yeah, your mom was telling me about her and wasn't very happy."

"She's nice but she shows out a lot, and Dad told her it wasn't appropriate around us."

Whew! That was a relief to hear.

"I hate to ask this, Tad, but did your dad ask about your mom?"

The young man nodded. "He kept asking about Mom, whether she had any boyfriends."

"What did you tell him?"

"Mister Barry, you've treated my Mom, and Ceilly and me, really well since you've been coming here. You made a promise to me and you've kept your word, so I told Dad I didn't think so."

I was relieved in a way for Mandy's sake, but was disappointed that the boy would lie for us. I felt bad that I was going to have to praise him and then lecture him on lying.

"Tad, I really appreciate that you were willing to tell him that to protect us, but your mom and I feel it's more important for you to tell the truth than to lie to protect us."

The boy shook his head. "I wasn't lying, Mister Barry. I didn't know if you'd asked Mom to be your girlfriend until she told us you had when we got home. Dad asked specifically about boyfriends; he didn't ask about guys she might just be dating."

Chuckling at his parsing of words, I shook my head. "Tad, are you planning to be a lawyer when you grow up?"

"Oh, no, sir. Have you seen all the lawyer jokes on the internet? I'm going to be a surgeon so I can help people. Nobody makes jokes about them, either."

"That's a great choice, Tad. But if your dad asks you again, you'll need to tell him about me, okay?"

"Yes, sir, but I'm sort of hoping you'll be her fiancé by then instead of her boyfriend so I won't have to say anything then, either."

"You know, I hope that, too," I said with a smile. Proud of him, I clapped him on the shoulder as I led him inside. Mandy would need to speak to Teddy to let him know about us before the kids went to see him again to take the pressure off of them.

***

Over the next few months, I was in Hoover or Mandy was in Signal Mountain practically every weekend, except for a couple of weekends where we met to go somewhere together. In mid October, Mandy and I went to my 20 year college reunion, where we had fun with Sonny and Rosalie, Randy and Chloe, Liz and Paul, and Connor and his wife, Jan. Everyone got along well with Mandy and we all had a great time.