Jess was a Bitch Ch. 11

Things heat up.

There's group sex but for those of you worried about such things, there is no MM sex. The group sex that occurs is fully embraced by all involved. There's no jealousy, just love and enjoyment. I hope most of the folks enjoying the story up to now are okay with that.

I forgot to thank LarryInSeattle for editing the last chapter. So, a belated 'thank you' for that chapter and another for editing this one.

Enjoy.

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Jess finds Jon sitting on the end of the bed. It appears he was waiting for her. He rises and holds out his hand. She takes it, squeezes it, hard. A bit of the joy she's come to love returns to his eyes. A wisp of a smile, faint as a high cloud on a long summer's day, flits over his lips. She kisses him, quickly, hoping to trap the smile on his mouth before it disappears.

He leads her to the bathroom and begins to fill the tub. It's not designed for two but it's large and Jon is not a large man. Jess is petite without looking small; she gives off the aura of a much larger person. Jon continues to be awed, at how compact the real Jess is, compared to the Jess that resides in his mind, and his heart. He helps her out of her clothes and then his own.

They kneel in the tub. They've showered together but Jess knows, on some deeper level, that this is different. She is hushed, feeling as if she's in church. They bathe each other silently. She leans over his legs. He reaches beyond her and opens the tap, cups handfuls of warm water to wet her hair. He shampoos her hair, cups more water, rinses. She does the same for him. They hold hands as they step out of the tub, feeling not only cleansed but blessed.

He dries her hair, combs it, as she kneels in front of him, his half-hard cock dangling in front of her eyes. He kneels Jess stands, tends to his hair. If the cold tile is hard on their knees, they don't notice. The world is reduced to the sight, the feel, scent of each other. Finished, Jon drapes the towel neatly over the edge of the tub and kneels with her. They hold hands, foreheads touching. Their breath mingles in the space between their faces. Their heartbeats begin to alter rhythm, Jess' slowing, Jon's speeding, until they beat in time with each other.

Jess swears she can hear the whisper of his thoughts, inchoate, unreadable, but there, just beyond her understanding. Perhaps she's correct. It's hours later when they rise from the floor. There's no popping of knees, no limb has fallen asleep.

They walk hand and hand to the bed. Jon kneels on the bed and holds Jess' hand as she stretches out beside him. He sits astride her thighs and leans forward, pressing his body to hers, his face buried in the side of her neck. Her arms go around his shoulders; her fingers play along the sharp ridge of his shoulder blades and skate up and down the bumpy ridge of his spine.

Outside of their embrace the world continues to spin as the moon and stars slip across the sky.

He moves; she opens her legs, making room for him. His hips move forward; their bodies connect. Her arms and legs pull him close, as close as it's physically possible for two individuals to be. He doesn't thrust. Their bodies do not move. They empty their minds of everything except the places where their skin touches.

She imagines her pussy caressing his cock and muscles previously either unaware of, or beyond her control, obey her thoughts. Jon tightens muscles behind his balls, relaxes. He rests his forehead on hers. They breath each other in. Their eyes are open, too close to be in focus; the hazy outlines of their faces are all they see. Like the beat of their hearts, the pulsing of his cock and the caresses of her cunt fall into rhythm.

His seed, is drawn from his body. Her orgasm flows out of her as his cock fills the emptiness inside. She accepts his offering; her acceptance enlarges him. He gains more than he's given. They lie in each other's arms, not sleeping but not quite awake. When he rolls off her, he turns his body, his head at her feet. Jess, unthinking, moves to straddle his head. She lowers her mouth to his resurgent cock as she lowers her cunt to his mouth.

They've given a gift to each other, transformed the gift, and now they return it to each other.

As the sun rises, they move into each other's arms, pull a thin sheet over their waists, and fall asleep, having spoken not a single word.

***

James opens his arms to his wife, intending to comfort her, quench her tears, but when her mouth finds his, grief is burned to ashes by the heat of their desire. Hands intertwined, she mounts him, lets her weight fall on him, needing the feel of his cock, and his love, to drive the sadness from her heart. He obliges. They cum together, a rare occurrence. Gloria collapses atop him and they lie, finally, as still as their children next door. James tightens his arms around her as her tears dampen his shoulder.

***

Caitlin lies on her side, watching as Travis undresses. She opens her arms to him. She loves this position, sebek el heub, "love's fusion". Contrary to the common misconception, love's fusion is not from the Kama Sutra, but from The Perfumed Garden, a monograph on sexuality, among other things, written in the twelfth-century by one Sheikh Nefzawi at the request of the ruler of Tunis. Travis, understanding her as no other man ever has, lies beside her. Her top leg goes over his side; she guides him home with her hand. The position ensures a slow sensuality, faces perfectly aligned for equally slow kisses. She rolls back, exposing her breasts and tight nipples to his touch and his mouth. She cums before he does, as is often the case. That's one of the many things she loves about her husband, his knowledge of her body and its rhythms and the mastery of his own. She cums, fingers clenching at his shoulders. With an ease born of intimacy, he changes the intensity and angle of his thrusts, keeping her orgasm edging along, not letting it fade. As he feels the pressure building in his belly, he finds her clit with his hand, a nipple with his mouth. His timing is impeccable. He gives himself to her as her orgasm roars back to life, filling her mind and body with a silent white light.

***

Gloria wakes to bright sunshine and the soft, not quite snoring, of her husband. It takes her sleepy brain a minute to locate the reason for the stone of unhappiness lodged in her chest. She slides from bed. James stirs as she eases her body from under his arm, then falls back into sleep. She slips a bathrobe on and pads out to the patio, curious as to whether her early rising daughter is up. The kids' patio is empty. She scans the beach but sees only a few early morning runners. She crosses to the patio. The drape is not pulled. She tells herself not to, but she peeks through the gauzy sheer panel hanging over the door. The stone in her chest swells; it's hard to breathe. Jess, eyes closed, lies on her side, sleeping. She's naked, vulnerable. Jon is behind and above her. His chin rests atop her head, his mouth is slightly parted, one arm is draped over her neck and shoulder, his hand cups her breast as if to protect it, protect her. For a moment she sees them, not as her children, but as the young lovers they have become. The stone shatters; her lungs fill with air. She covers her mouth, muffling a sob, as she hurries from the patio. She stands where the ocean meets the sand and lets the surf lap over her toes, struggling to bring herself under control. The breeze lifts the hair from her shoulders as she lifts her face to the sun.

Caitlin wonders, not for the first time, how she and Travis became so entangled, so quickly with the Vandermachs. She knows the answer, she finds them intriguing, interesting, and charming, despite the unhappiness hanging over them. She has not been lying, she really would prefer them as friends, but she doesn't deny that there is a large part of her that would love to have them as both lovers and friends. She shakes her head, amused at herself, when she realizes by 'them', she means James and Gloria as much as she means Jon and Jess. She frowns at herself, finding it necessary to clarify, even if she's the sole member of the conversation, that she doesn't want to have sex with all four of them at once, Jon and Jess or Gloria and James, but not all at once.

How weird would that be, even if weren't all fucking at the same time, we'd still be fucking the parents and their kids! I mean the kids aren't kids, gross, but still, she thinks to herself. She told herself she was going to eat at the breakfast buffet by the pool. The fact that she would have to walk past the Vandermach's rooms is incidental. However true that may have been, she alters course when she sees a distraught Gloria rushing towards the beach. For a moment, she is terrified the woman is going to dive into the waves, PICC line, infection and all, but Gloria stops at the water's edge. Woman's intuition or a simple coincidence causes Gloria to look over her shoulder as the young woman approaches.

Gloria turns towards her; Caitlin opens her arms. Gloria accepts the offer and lets her friend and her doctor, hold her while she weeps.

Gloria pulls away and before Caitlin can react, kisses the woman.

***

James' return to sleep is short-lived. The sound of the patio door opening and closing wakes him. He lies in bed, staring at the ceiling, then rolls to feel the warmth his wife has left behind. He misses her. He misses his children, the children who boarded the plane.

Why? They were constantly at each other's throats. I very nearly stayed behind this year, unable to bear the thought of another two weeks trapped between the snaps and snarls and forced togetherness. Isn't this version of my children preferable? He wonders. Haven't I actually enjoyed being around them more than I have in ages, at least when they give me the space to imagine they aren't fucking each other. The final thought irritates him. Do I have to be such a dick, even alone? He snarls to himself.

He needs to pee. He rolls to the edge of the bed and gets up. His pubic hair is damp. He runs his fingers through it, dismayed by the occasional grey. He holds his fingers to his nose and smells Gloria and cum. He goes to the bathroom, pisses, wondering if his stream is starting to grow weaker, am I really getting that old? He pulls on the shorts he wore yesterday and heads outside. Gloria is not on either of the patios. He spots her, just as she kisses Caitlin. He's startled, then wonders why. Am I pissed? Jealous? He decides he's neither. He goes back inside and fetches the paper from outside the door. He calls room service and orders breakfast, asking to have it brought around to the patio and returns to the patio. He settles into one of the chairs and tries to make sense of the funny markings on the paper in his hands.

***

Gloria jumps back. "Oh my God, what's wrong with me? I'm so sorry, Caitlin. I don't know..."

"If you're truly sorry, I'll be pissed and hurt," Caitlin interrupts her. "It was sweet, and I've wanted you to do it, or do it to you for days now." She smiles at the confusion she sees in her friend's face. "But, I'm something of a stickler for rules and our rule is, Travis and I don't have sex without each other, or with single men or women. So, get behind me, foul temptress." She giggles.

Gloria eyes her, shaking her head. "I haven't done that since I was twelve, on a dare, at a slumber party. It's the first time I've ever wanted to, kiss another woman I mean."

Caitlin gives her a hug, and steps back. "You have no idea, how happy that makes me, that I'm your first." She slips her arm through Gloria's and they start walking along the beach. "Now, why are you out here in your bathrobe, crying?"

"Guess." Caitlin squeezes Gloria's around to her body. "I went next door, not to spy, or at least I don't think it was to spy." Gloria whispers so softly that Caitlin strains to hear her over the steady drone of the surf. "The drape was open. I peeked inside." Her hand flies to her mouth and stifles a quick, sharp sob. "They were lying together; they looked so very beautiful that it took my breath away. How can I work to keep them apart but how can I let them go through the hell they'll face if I don't?"

"Did they look like they were in hell?"

"No, I told you they were beautiful. If they were anywhere, it'd be heaven. But, so? They're in a foreign country, among strangers. Of course, they're okay here."

"Are we strangers?"

"No," Gloria snaps with some of the old Gloria bite. "You know what I mean."

"Do you think we'll just disappear when we leave here?"

"How many couples have you stayed in touch with after meeting on vacation?"

"Not very many, true." Caitlin leans her head for a moment on the other woman's shoulder. "But this has been a, shall we say, unique vacation." She stops and turns to look at the other woman. "I agree it's easier to hold the world at bay at someplace like this but, Gloria, do you really think they wouldn't have looked just as beautiful lying together in an apartment in the States? Don't you and James make your own bubble of happiness around you when you're together? That's not geography, that's love."

"But that's not the only place we can be happy, inside our bubble, sweetheart. How terribly lonely to only have the space between your bodies where you can be happy."

Caitlin nods. "I don't think their world would be that small, honest. I'm not making light of what they'll face but I think they look beautiful together as well. I find it hard to think of one without the other. Weird."

"Do I look like I've been crying? I should head back."

"You look beautiful. I'm going to do something for the first time. Break the rules." She kisses Gloria softly and then steps away, smiling.

They walk arm and arm back up the beach, angling towards the patio where they see James sitting.

***

Travis is walking toward the patio as they approach. "Morning James, Gloria." He steps to his wife, still arm and arm with Gloria and kisses her. He gives Gloria a peek on the cheek before turning back to his wife. "I thought I might find you over here."

"I was on my way to get breakfast. Join me?" Caitlin replies, giving Gloria a peek on her other cheek and pulling her arm free.

"Sit down," James tells them. "At the risk of seeming presumptuous, I asked room service what you two normally have for breakfast and ordered it." They look at him, surprised. "I had my own hunch. I saw Gloria and your lovely wife walking on the beach. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to intuit you might come along. You don't have to eat with us, take it with you, or we'll save it for the kids. It was just a thought."

"Don't be silly. We'd love to. I'm just surprised that's all. It's a lovely idea." Caitlin bends and kisses James' cheek. Gloria notices the soft flush at the base of his throat and smiles to herself as she pulls out a chair. Travis joins them. They don't speak. They listen to the waves until breakfast arrives.

***

For once, Jon wakes before Jess. He goes from sleep to fully awake in the span of a single breath. He has a picture in his mind, fully developed, composition, colors, everything. All he needs is a canvas, brushes and paint. He stumbles into the bathroom and pees. Finished, he grabs his box of painting supplies and heads outside. The easel is still on the patio. He notices his painting of his parents is gone but it seems of no consequence. He notices his parents, Caitlin, and Travis, sitting next door on the patio. They're staring at him. His hair is a mess, 'freshly fucked hair' his school chums would call it, and he's naked.

He pulls a lounge chair over and flattens it. "Would you come over here?" he asks across the low wall between the patios.

"Us?" Travis asks with raised eyebrows.

The table full of food registers in Jon's brain. "Oh, sorry. Yeah but finish eating."

"Jon, come and have a cup of coffee at least. Please?"

He considers his mother's request and then nods. He sits on the wall and starts to swing his legs over.

"Bring a chair, son."

He stops. It takes him a moment, as if his father had spoken in Klingon, but he grabs a chair, sets it over the wall, and follows it over.

"Throw a towel on it Jon, nudist rule number one, no bare butts on furniture," Caitlin tells him. He looks down, realizing he's naked. He looks up confused. "Don't sweat it, bubba," Travis laughs.

"Here, Jon." His father hands him a towel they'd left out to dry. Jon drops it, then himself onto the chair.

"Juice?"

He nods at his father, who fills his own glass and hands it to his son, who downs it in one gulp. "Thanks, dad." He leans forward and grabs a croissant. He gulps it down in three bites and gets up. "Take your time, seriously, but I'm afraid if I don't start I'll lose the images. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude..."

"It's fine, Jon. We're done anyway. We were basically finished before you came out." Caitlin pushes back her chair and stands, followed by Travis. Jon nods and hops back over the wall. Travis and Caitlin smile at each other, shrug, and follow him. James and Gloria turn their chairs to watch.

Jon directs them toward the lounge chair. A lounge chair is not where he pictured them in his head, but it's the way their bodies look when they are lying down that he's after, not the chair. He explains to them what he wants them to do. They look at each other. Jon ignores the look on his parent's faces. Travis shrugs and moves toward the lounge chair.

"Uh, you need to take off your clothes," Jon tells them, reaching for his palette.

***

Jess wakes to the sound of voices on the patio.

"Jon, we can't do that, not here."

It's Caitlin's voice.

"They're right, honey."

Her mom's voice.

She gets out of bed and lets the nearly see-through shift fall over her arms and head. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes as she walks to the patio. Jon is standing looking confused. Her parents, sitting at their patio table look concerned. Travis and Caitlin looked amused. Caitlin sees her standing in the door.

"Hey, sleepy head. Morning," she chirps. "Jon is trying to convince us to strip and pose for him right here on the patio."

Jess doesn't bother to look at Jon; she's not really surprised, that sounds like him. The new him, her mind adds silently. "I'll help you carry your stuff to Caitlin's patio. There's more privacy there," she tells Jon before turning to Caitlin and Travis. "Assuming it's only the privacy that's the issue." Her friends exchange both a look and a shrug. Caitlin turns to Gloria. "Why don't you come along? We should have had you hooked up to your drip, fifteen minutes ago." Gloria turns to look at her husband. "Bring James," Caitlin tells her with a smile.

"Is that okay, Jon?" After pondering Travis' question for a second, Jon nod. "Good," Travis declares, standing. "Jess, you just got up. Jon inhaled a croissant. My wife, the doctor, needs to tend to her patient first, you want to grab something at the buffet or I can make you breakfast at our place if you like."

The morning is moving too fast for Jess. Two minutes ago, she was asleep. She nods, realizes a nod doesn't provide an answer. "Toast will be fine, if you don't mind."

Travis smiles. "I don't mind, and I think we can do better than toast." He looks around the group. "Good, we have a plan. Jon, what do you need help with?"

"Hold on a minute," Gloria sighs. "I may be among friends but I'm not going calling on anyone without running a brush through my hair, washing my face and brushing my teeth."

Caitlin smiles at Gloria, then leans over and kisses James on the cheek. "No rush. I want to do the same. You know the way. See you in a few."

From inside the kids' room, the Darth Vader theme begins to play. "My phone!" Jon exclaims and hurries inside, leaving the others to look at each other. Their faces convey varying degrees of amusement, concern, and wonder. They hear Jon answer the phone, say a few words then hang up. They don't see him hold the phone to his chest and gaze upward, praying even if that's not the word he'd use.