Melissa's Journey: Close to Home

This is the third installment of Melissa's Journey. It stands alone, but the first two stories may add context.

Melissa, known to her friends as Mel, was about to turn 45, but she looked younger. Several years earlier, she had embarked on a journey to explore and examine her sexual desires, fantasies, and interests. It was about two years since her first extra-curricular encounter with a friend of her son who was now in college. And while Mel still fantasized and role played as intensely than ever, it had been almost a year and a half since she took the big step of having intercourse with a man other than her husband. But that was her last dalliance as Mel's journey genuinely was about understanding herself sexually and not necessarily about having sex with different people.

Mel's youngest son, Brandon, was in his last semester of high school and his senior baseball season had just begun. In the second game of the season, Brandon's best friend and the team's best player, Zach, injured his knee in a collision with a teammate. It was a terrible thing to see, and Mel did what she could to comfort Zach's mother and Mel's long-time friend, Susie, who was sitting with Mel in the bleachers. Zach had already been offered a college scholarship, but now he was going to miss his senior year. In the moment, Mel had no idea this terrible development would become a significant chapter in her ever-evolving journey.

Zach was a good student, a star athlete, and a wonderful son. Both he and his older brother Aaron were devoted to their mother Susie, who raised the two boys as a single mom after her late husband, and the boys' father, passed away suddenly about seven years earlier. Zach and his brother were the same ages as Mel's two sons, and they were all close friends who played sports together. Zach had grown into a handsome, well-mannered young man, even if he was a little shy. Susie (and Mel for that matter) never understood why Zach had never had a real girlfriend, but Brandon just said Zach was a little shy and "almost too nice." Mel figured Zach was just a late bloomer socially, which made sense given that he lost his father when he was barely eleven years old.

On a Monday morning a few days after the injury, Zach had surgery and came home wearing a knee brace with a hinge at the knee that ran from mid-thigh to mid-calf. He assured everyone he was fine, but it was easy to see both his disappointment and his discomfort. Zach was not keen on drugs, and he told his mother he didn't want to take any pain medication other than what he absolutely needed to sleep at night. The school arranged for Zach to attend classes remotely that week, although he was such a good student he could afford to miss some classes. Susie took off work for the surgery, but Mel knew Susie was in the middle of a big project and was worried about letting her colleagues down. Mel, who had the flexibility of mostly working from home, insisted she wanted to help however she could, and Susie eventually asked if Mel could prepare a lunch for Zach and check on him once or twice in the afternoon before Susie got home from work.

"Of course, Suze, I wouldn't have it any other way," Mel assured her. "I'll even text you updates." When Susie's eyes filled with tears, Mel hugged her tightly and assured her Zach would be as good as new in no time.

On Tuesday morning, Susie texted that she had given Zach breakfast and made him some lunch that would be in the fridge. She texted that he seemed to be doing ok, but he was getting some awful cramps in his thigh. "I think it hurts a lot, but he never complains," Susie texted. Then another text: "TY soooo much Mel. Take good care of my baby."

"I will. I love you both," Mel texted back. Then she added, "Go do great things."

Just before noon, Mel walked down the street three houses to Susie's house. She knocked on the door but let herself in with the key Susie had given her, so Zach didn't have to come to the door. She found Zach in the living room laying on a sofa with his back and head propped up and his injured left leg on the outside of the couch. He was wearing an athletic department t-shirt and cutoff short sweatpants, and of course he had a phone and tablet. The TV was on in the background, but Zach wasn't watching it closely.

"Hi Mrs. C.," Zach greeted her. "You really didn't have to bother yourself."

Mel faked a frown and said, "If it was a bother, I wouldn't have come, Zach. I'd do anything for your mom... and for you."

Zach blushed. "Thanks. You're the best," he said.

Mel could see swelling from Zach's toes to his knee, but of course he said things were not too bad. "Your mom was worried about the bad cramps in your leg. How is that going?" Mel asked.

Zach seemed surprised that Susie had said something to Mel, and he shrugged. "Not too bad," he said unconvincingly. When Mel raised her eyebrows, he confessed, "Well, a few today. They aren't fun," he admitted.

"I'm so sorry honey," Mel said with a warm smile, using the term of endearment casually. "How about some lunch for my growing boy?" she asked playfully, and she headed toward the kitchen before he answered. In the fridge, Mel found Susie's homemade chicken salad, which was Zach's favorite. She toasted bread, added lettuce and tomato, and put the sandwich on a plate with potato chips and a fresh pickle before heading back to the living room with Zach's lunch. He politely thanked her, and Mel noticed his diet ginger ale was empty.

"Would you like a refill?" Mel asked. Zach already had a mouthful of sandwich, so he nodded affirmatively. "Straight or on the rocks," she teased, genuinely impressed that an eighteen-year-old boy was drinking diet ginger ale. He managed to say the bottle was fine. Seeing how Zach was devouring the sandwich, Mel said "I'm guessing you might want seconds."

"If that's okay," Zach answered.

"Whatever your little heart desires, young man," Mel said as she gathered up an empty and retrieved a new soda for Zach before heading back to the kitchen to make another sandwich. When she walked back to the living room, Zach was having one of the cramps Susie had mentioned. Mel could see the pain on his face as he struggled to fight through the muscle cramp in his thigh. Inside the leg brace, Mel literally could see the muscles cramping. Her strong maternal instincts kicked in, and she set down the food, knelt down by the couch, and used her knuckles and the palm of her hand to try to massage the clenched quadricep muscle. She felt the cramp subside a little, but the leg brace kept her from reaching all of the cramped muscle. Without thinking, Mel undid the top Velcro strap and reached her hands inside the brace under the shorts leg to rub the rigid muscles on the inside of Zach's thigh. After a moment she felt the muscles relax, and she could see the relief on Zach's face. But Mel could see that the pain had been difficult to manage.

"Oh gosh sweetie, are they all that bad?" Mel asked genuinely concerned.

"Pretty much, yeah," Zach answered truthfully. "It kinda sucks."

"I'm sorry Zach," Mel said softly. "How often do you get them?"

"It seems like every few hours. I think it depends on how I hold my leg," he shrugged. Mel gave Zach a consoling smile and shook her head sadly. "That feels good, though" Zach said quietly.

Mel realized that, as they chatted, she was still massaging Zach's thigh gently, her two hands inside the leg brace and her fingers reaching down and over his inner thigh. As she looked at Zach's thigh and the Velcro strap she had instinctively opened to allow her to massage the cramp, Mel could not help but notice that Zach had a sizable erection under his shorts. She also realized that, in addition to her massaging his thigh very near his crotch, the v-neck tee Mel was wearing gave Zach a generous view of her cleavage as she knelt by the couch. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass Zach, so Mel focused on massaging the top of his thigh, moving away from his inner thigh and away from the bulge in his shorts. Still, when she looked back up at Zach, he knew she noticed his arousal, and he blushed with embarrassment.

"I'm just happy I was able to help a little," Mel said calmly, but a little awkwardly.

"You did. Thanks," Zack gulped. "That was a pretty bad one. I'm glad you were here," he stammered.

"I am too Zach," Mel said supportively. "It was awful to see how uncomfortable you were." she added."

"I'll be okay. Sorry if I was being a baby," Zach said sheepishly.

"Stop. You are anything but a baby." Mel said, knowing it would make him feel better. "Your mom asked me to check on you at lunch and maybe one more before she gets home," Mel added. "But, after that, I don't want you alone that much," she said in full mom mode. She told Zach that "if it was okay" she would go back to her house and get her laptop and some files and come back to work there until his mom got home. Mel promised she would not "helicopter" over him and would be there only if he needed her.

Zach of course said she didn't have to do that, but Mel knew he wanted her to stay. He understandably was feeling a little sorry for himself, so he welcomed the attention; and he had obviously enjoyed having Mel help him get rid of the cramp. So, he quickly gave in when Mel insisted that she come back and work from there. After serving him the second sandwich and adding a few chips, she made sure he had the TV clicker before heading back to her house for a few minutes. As she was leaving, Mel noticed that Zach still had a sizable erection.

Walking up the street toward her house, Mel contemplated whether, or how much, Zach's response to her thigh massage factored into her deciding not to leave Zach alone. She was genuinely taken aback by how much pain Zach was in, and that definitely triggered her protective instincts. At the same time, she was intrigued that her attention, and his view of her bra and breasts, had aroused Zach; and she had to admit that was erotic. Mel definitely was at an advanced place on her self-awareness journey that allowed her to acknowledge, rather than suppress, the sexual energy she felt when Zach obviously knew Mel noticed his hard-on.

Within a half-hour, Mel got back to Susie's house and set up a work area in the dining room. A little later, Zach needed to go to the bathroom, and she helped him off the couch and watched him walk slowly with crutches to the bathroom, and then back. When Zach laid back down, Mel helped arrange the pillows behind him, brought him a fresh ginger ale, and refilled a water bottle before getting back to some work. As Mel plodded through some work e-mails, she was happy to see that Zach had fallen asleep on the couch. But, about twenty minutes later, she heard Zach grunt and saw he was awake and obviously fighting another leg cramp. Mel hurried toward the couch and saw Zach grimacing with watery eyes. He was trying to dig his knuckles into his thigh to loosen the knotting muscles.

"Oh Zach, is it a bad one?" Mel asked.

"It's okay," he lied through clenched teeth.

"Let me help," Mel said, and she again knelt in front of the couch, undid the top Velcro strap, and used both hands to massage Zach's thigh. His muscle felt just as tight as earlier, if not worse. Zach closed his eyes and breathed heavily through his nose, trying to ignore the pain. After about 30 seconds that probably felt like an hour to Zach, the quadricep muscles relaxed. Mel continued to knead the muscles on the top of Zach's thigh from a few inches above the knee to his hip. When she retraced the massage along the inside of Zach's thigh, her right pinky actually brushed against Zach's testicles. Despite the intimacy of that touch, Mel was focused on making sure the cramp did not come back.

As Mel continued to caress and massage Zach's leg, her hand again brushed against Zach's balls, and his erection was again clearly visible under his shorts. Her caresses became less aggressive and more soothing, and Mel even scraped her fingernails lightly along Zach's inner thigh. She looked at Zach, who still had his eyes closed, but with a much more comfortable look on his face. "Feel better?" Mel asked softly.

"Yes... it feels good now," Zach answered. He didn't want to open his eyes, because he didn't want the moment to end.

"I'm glad I was here," Mel whispered.

"Me too," Zach sighed, and Mel saw his erection twitch under his shorts. She again ran her hands up his thigh, now conscious of being just a few inches away from his hard young cock. Zach opened his eyes and immediately peeked at Mel's cleavage as she knelt on the floor and leaned forward to rub Zach's leg. When he looked toward Mel, he knew he was busted, but she just smiled and ran her hands along his thigh.

"I'm so sorry you have to go through this, sweetheart," Mel said sympathetically.

"This part right now isn't too bad," Zach responded, surprising Mel with his flirtatious comment. She also felt a twinge between her legs when she saw Zach again glance at her breasts. When he looked back toward Mel, she smiled and shifted her eyes toward his hard-on and then back to Zach. As Mel's hands moved slowly up Zach's inner thigh, he closed his eyes again and sighed. Mel could feel the sexual electricity in the air. In more than 20 years, Mel had only seen one teen-aged boy so aroused; and she flashed back to when she was eighteen and how much she enjoyed having a boy desperate for Mel to satisfy his throbbing cock. She knew she was at a crossroads, with the proverbial angel on one shoulder and devil on the other whispering in her ears.

"Does this feel good?" she asked almost rhetorically. Zach just moaned and his breathing quickened. Her hands now moved higher to massage the front of Zach's hip and two fingers actually reached Zach's pubic hair. Somehow, she maintained her composure and continued caressing Zach's leg, although she could not help but look at the huge bulge in his shorts. Zach groaned, and Mel saw a wet spot form on his shorts. She shuddered at the sight of pre-cum leaking from Zach's hard shaft.

Mel was torn. It surely was reckless to do anything with Zach, but she knew that risk had not stopped her in a similar situation. She also knew Zach was very aroused, and he would be dreadfully uncomfortable if he didn't get some relief. Why, Mel thought, should he suffer just because Mel was so close to Susie and her boys. But, at the same time, he was Susie's "baby boy," and Mel loved Susie. Mel tried to calm her mind, even though her hands were still rubbing Zach's thigh just inches from his erection. She decided there were two options: take care of Zach's erection or find an excuse to leave so he could take care of himself. Mel struggled with the competing emotions and wished Zach would tell her what he wanted.

"Should I refill your drink?" Mel asked, breaking an extended silence. "I might need to run home for a bit."

Zach's opened his eyes and shook his head. "No, thank you," he said quietly. Then, he stammered, "Please stay here... " Zach blushed a little at how desperate he sounded, but he maintained eye contact with Mel. Again, Mel smiled softly, easing his embarrassment. Mel took his answer as a sign of what Zach wanted. So, as strange as it felt to be in this position with him, Mel knew she wanted to "stay here" and give him some relief.

Knowing what Zach wanted, Mel broke their eye contact, looked toward his leg, and then reached further under Zach's shorts to wrap her hand around his hard, thick cock. Zach's guttural moan of pleasure sent a shiver through Mel's body. She looked back at Zach, whose eyes were like saucers. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Yes," Zach nodded, "thank you."

"You're welcome," Mel said quietly. "You don't have to thank me. I wasn't sure what you wanted, and I don't want you to be uncomfortable," she said almost seductively.

Zach's eyes got wider, and Mel realized he had no idea this might go further or what that would mean. As Mel's hand ran over the end of Zach's cock, smearing the pre-cum on him, he just exhaled "Oh god, Mrs. C." Hearing Zach call her that brought into focus how taboo everything was. Mel swallowed hard and decided to embrace the adventure rather than tame her urges. Besides, she had already crossed the line by fondling Zach, and she didn't want to stop now and have Zach wonder if he had done something wrong.

Still looking at Zach, Mel began to stroke his cock slowly using his pre-cum as lube. Zach's eyes were a powerful mix of desire, gratitude, exuberance, and sexual pleasure. Mel looked at him lovingly, wanting to ease any discomfort he might be feeling. "Do you like this?" Mel asked softly, referring to her slow stroking.

Zach paused for a second and swallowed his thought, before glancing toward her hand moving under his shorts. "It's so amazing," he said, unsure whether or not he was dreaming. Zach looked nervous before saying, "No one has ever touched me like that." Mel shuddered at the thought that Zach was a virgin. He clearly was a little embarrassed by his revelation, and Mel looked lovingly at him.

"Well, I am honored to be the first," she said with a genuine smile. Most of all, she wanted him to feel comfortable about what was happening; but the idea of giving Zach his first-ever hand job was incredibly exciting. Mel never imagined she'd have that experience again. Zach looked at her, waiting for Mel to make the next move. Judging from how his cock was pulsating, Mel assumed correctly Zach would not be able hold off his orgasm very long. "Would it be possible to pull down your shorts?" Mel asked softly.

The question itself, especially coming from "Mrs. C." took Zach's breath away, but he nodded. Mel stood, redid the strap on the leg brace, reached down to untie his shorts, and grabbed the waist band. Pulling down as Zach raised his hips a bit, Mel was able to get his shorts down, uncovering a gorgeous nearly 7" cock glistening with pre-cum. Resisting the urge to grab it (or get it in her mouth), Mel slowly pulled the shorts down and off so as not to accidentally jostle Zach's injured leg.

Mel was standing by Zach's legs and leaning down, which gave Zach an unobstructed view of her cleavage, bra, and breasts. Mel saw him looking at her and lingered a bit so Zach knew she was willingly showing him her boobs. When he looked at her, Mel smiled and said, "That's better, right?" Mel was referring both to getting his shorts off and Zach knowing he was free to ogle Mel's breasts, and he sighed and nodded.

Zach was still a little uncomfortable being so exposed, but again looked at Mel for direction. She knelt down, and her left hand again wrapped around Zach's hard-on. As she slowly stroked, her right hand ran across Zach's firm abs. "You really have an athletic body," Mel said, as much for her benefit as for his. She had to remind herself she was touching Zach, Susie's 'little baby,' to tamp down the urge to kiss his abs and devour his very sexy manhood. The fleeting thought of giving Zach his first blowjob sent a shiver down Mel's spine.

Mel saw and felt more pre-cum oozing from Zach's erection, and he closed his eyes and bit his lip, a signal to Mel he was close to an orgasm. Suddenly, Mel worried the sexual tension might cause another cramp, so she decided she needed to get Zach over the edge. Mel moved her right hand to Zach's shaft, squeezed a little tighter and stroked a little faster, spreading ooze over the length of Zach's cock. Her left hand softly caressed his balls. Zach's eyes were closed, and his face showed how powerfully he felt the pleasure Mel was giving him. He began moaning and breathing with an open mouth, and Mel knew he was close. "That's it, Zach, it feels so good," Mel said in a husky bedroom voice.

Mel's voice was too much, and Zach opened his eyes and looked at Mel a split-second before an orgasm overwhelmed him. Mel saw his eyes get big and felt his cock twitch. She barely managed to get her left hand over the head of Zach's cock before he gasped and began spurting cum into and over Mel's hands. She stroked a few times as Zach was coming, but, worried about his knee, she let him control his movements as best he could. As the last spurt of sperm pulsed out of Zach, he looked at Mel with longing, almost worshipful, eyes. As insane as this was at one level, that look told Mel she had made the right decision.