Peak of Desire Ch. 04

"I really like hearing you say that word."

She traced a finger around her belly button, enjoying the tickling sensation it provided. "Do you?"

"Yes. If only you could see what you're doing to me right now."

"I have a pretty good idea."

As she imagined it in her head, a flood of arousal washed over her body. Remaining silent, she listened to the sound of his breathing, waiting for him to speak once again.

"You enjoy making me hard, don't you?"

"Enjoy it?" She did her best to play coy.

"Yes, you get off on it. You love making me want you."

"I don't know if I get off on it."

"Oh, you do. I can tell."

"So what if I do enjoy it?"

"I knew it. You're having fun with me."

"What do you mean?"

"You say these sexual things to me, then act like you don't know the effect it'll have."

"Excuse me? You're the one who always coaxes me for details, trying to get me to say more. So I'd say that you're purposely torturing yourself."

He offered a light chuckle. "Alright, I guess I have a hand in it as well."

"You're darn right you do." She rose up from the reclining position and pulled her legs up against her chest, laying one arm against her knees. "Well, I guess I'd better let you go, now." She really didn't want to, but her stomach was signaling that she needed to fill it.

"Is this your polite way of saying that you're bored of talking to me?"

"Of course not. I'm just feeling a bit hungry, so I'm going to cook myself something to eat."

"Okay, cutie. Have a good night, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday."

"So am I. Night, Cody."

After ending the call, she rose up from the couch and headed for the fridge, bending down so she could take a look inside. After seeing that not much was in there, she rooted through her cabinets and decided on a pack of ramen noodles. After putting on a pot of water to boil, she headed for her sleeping quarters and opened one of the drawers beneath her bed. She rooted through it for a few moments until she found what she was looking for, and as her hand enclosed around the battery operated toy, she threw it on the bed.

Once she took care of her hunger for food, she could take care of her sexual needs. It seemed that with every conversation she had with Cody, the more her desire grew for him. Sure yoga exercises helped her to an extent, but she was reaching the point where she needed more intense stimulation, and she had a feeling that tonight she would be using her vibrator at maximum speed.

* * * *

As Wednesday finally rolled around, Erica found herself excitedly nervous about her lunch date with Cody. Only three days had passed since they'd last seen each other, but it felt like much longer. Ever since the kiss they'd shared outside of the diner on Saturday evening, she'd been craving the feel of his lips. She'd fantasized about him numerous times since then, imagining what it would be like to have him kiss, lick, and suck various parts of her anatomy.

The mere though of it sent a sharp pang of desire through her, and over the past few nights, she'd masturbated to some pretty intense fantasies of him. All it took was one racy thought of Cody to trigger a flow of wetness between her legs, and as she stood outside the bookstore waiting for him, she took a deep breath to try and cool herself down.

Wearing a white tiered gypsy skirt and a white tank top with flower embroidery on it, her style of clothing exuded a feminine, bohemian look. Her feet, which had been treated to a manicure the evening before, were clad in a pair of sandals that had turquoise stones along the strap. She was just glancing at her watch when she felt a pair of hands slip around her waist, and as she turned her head to look behind her, she saw Cody glance down at her with a smile.

"Hey there, beautiful." He wore a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, and a pair of scruffy black boots which looked well broken in.

"Hello." She turned to give him a hug, and he returned her embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist.

As he leaned down toward her, she tilted her lips upward and allowed him to claim her lips. The kiss they shared was brief, but very sensual all the same, and left her hungrily longing for more. But since they were standing right in front of her place of employment, it would have been awkward to engage in anything more passionate.

"You look great," he said.

"Thanks."

You ready to go?"

"Yep, I'm starving."

"So am I."

He took her small hand in his, and they headed across the street. As they approached the office park where'd they'd first met, both Cody and Erica glanced within, recalling the memory of that significant day.

"If it wasn't for my coworker Mike, we probably would have never met."

"Oh yeah?" She curiously asked.

"Yep. The building I was washing that day, it was actually a job that Mike was supposed to do. He ended up calling in sick at the last minute, so I agreed to work in place of him."

"Well not that I'm glad he was sick or anything, but it's a good thing he didn't show up for work."

"Definitely." He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

It only took them a few minutes to arrive at the pizza place, and as they walked inside, the scent of baking dough filled her nostrils, causing her stomach to rumble. The restaurant was buzzing with activity, and as they walked up to the counter, they took a few minutes to look over the menu. Then they gave their order to the person behind the counter, who was a short, middle aged lady with a pair of cat eye glasses.

"I'll have a thin and crispy slice of spinach and mushroom, and a small lemonade," Erica said.

"And for you?" The woman asked Cody.

"I'll take the sausage and pepper, and a large Sprite."

The woman nodded, then walked over to a little window that gave a view into the kitchen, and shouted out their order to the cooks in the kitchen. Cody and Erica made small chit chat while waiting for their pizza, then once it were ready, they walked up to the cashier and paid for it.

Cody grabbed the tray with their food, and then they weaved their way through the line of people that were waiting to order, making their way to the back of the restaurant where there was a patio. Spotting a small table that was shaded by a tree, they made their way over to it. Once they were seated, they each grabbed a plate with their slice of pizza and began to eat.

As Erica bit into her slice, a long strand of cheese stretched out, and as the food hit her taste buds, she found herself delighted by the flavor of it. Glancing at Cody, she saw him fold his slice in half, and curiously inquired about it.

"You fold your pizza slices?"

"Yep."

"I thought only people from back east did that."

"I used to have a roommate who was from New York. He did it all the time, and I ended up picking it up from him."

"I see." Erica took another bite, and as she lifted her eyes to meet Cody's, she saw him give her a little smile.

"What's funny?"

"That pizza slice is huge. It reminds me of when we ate at the diner. The burger you ordered there was bigger than your face. Makes me wonder how you can consume such large portions."

"This is thin and crispy style. As soon as you eat it, you're hungry again."

He chuckled lightly, then wiped his mouth off with a napkin.

"So what did you end up doing on Sunday?" Erica asked.

"Hung out with my buddy in the earlier part of the afternoon, and then I went free soloing."

"What's free soloing?"

"Climbing without a rope or other protective gear."

Her brows lifted and she studied him closely. "Why on earth would you want to do that? Do you have a death wish, or something?"

He chuckled. "Nope. Part of the reason I love climbing so much, is because it makes me feel more alive than anything else in the world. It's also fun, challenging and it tests your strength."

"How far up did you climb?"

"About three hundred feet."

"Whoa, seriously?" Completely stunned, she stared at him in disbelief. "And you didn't bring anything along to help you?"

"Nope."

"How do you do a climb like that without any equipment?"

"You just concentrate on the moment and don't doubt for a minute that you can't do it. Because if you do, then you're dead."

She'd momentarily paused eating, finding herself fascinated by the idea of him engaging in such reckless behavior. "So what does a climb like that do for you? Because all I can think of is how completely frightening it must be."

"Well first off, it gives me a huge pump of adrenaline. It also allows me to push myself and see what I can achieve. Not to mention it's the purest form of rock climbing. You can't get any more extreme than free soloing."

"So when you were up there climbing, didn't you get scared at all?"

He shook his head, then took a sip of his soda. After taking a generous swallow he said, "I can't afford to be frightened, when I'm hundreds of feet above ground clinging to a slab of granite with nothing but my hands and feet. If I get scared, then it increases my chances of making a fatal mistake. There isn't any room to make errors when your life is on the line."

She took a bite of her pizza, shaking her head at the idea of what he'd willingly gone through. "I just can't understand what's so thrilling about being that close to death. Isn't it difficult going into that, knowing that you might not make it back down alive?"

"Well yeah, that's kind of the point."

"Really? So you enjoy flirting with death. Is that it?"

"You're looking at it from the wrong angle. It isn't about death, it's about living."

She cocked an eyebrow and gave him an incredulous look. "You're gonna have to break that down for me."

"It's like this-when I'm up there climbing, and I know that all I have to depend on is myself, it makes me appreciate life all the more. When I climb with safety equipment, and bring my anchoring devices and ropes along, I know I have some sort of a safety net. It's still dangerous, there's no doubt about it, but I know that certain precautions are in place to keep me alive. When I free solo, all I have is me, nothing else. It makes me cherish life even more, and I also gain a high level of respect for the rock that I'm climbing. Because I know that as I hold onto it, I have to be very careful with the moves I make. It's just me and the rock, and nothing else. It's exhilarating, and by far the biggest thrill I've ever felt in my life. It's also a spiritual thing, as well."

"How so?" She wrapped her lips around the straw in her lemonade and leaned forward a bit, eager to hear more.

"When you're on the ground just living life, you're basically concerned about taking care of your day to day needs-food, shelter, paying your bills, all of the basic stuff. It's easy to get off track and forget about what really drives you, and the things you're most passionate about. When I free solo, that list of everyday tasks suddenly become less urgent. When I'm up there, scaling a rock, every move I make is crucial to my survival, and it reminds me that the true purpose of life extends far beyond my daily routine. Things are really put into perspective when I climb up to a certain point, stand on a ledge that's two inches wide, and look down past the hundreds of feet of sheer rock that I just climbed. It gives me an incredible appreciation for life, and nothing else in the world can compare to it."

"That sounds like an incredible experience, but I still can't see how you bring yourself to do it. What if you got to a certain point, and for some reason or another, found that you couldn't go any further?"

"Failure isn't an option for me."

"So you don't even consider the potential of making an error in judgment?"

"Why would I do that? That means I would be expecting something to go wrong. And if you expect something, more likely than not, it will end up happening. It's a universal law."

"It just seems like you'd want to have some sort of a plan in place."

"Planning kind of negates the whole point of free soloing. You just climb and keep going until you reach the top."

She studied him silently for a few moments, feeling a mixture of admiration and bewilderment about his taste for extreme pastimes. She'd never met anyone with such an uninhibited, reckless attitude, and while she could understand the thrill he received from rock climbing, she wasn't sure she'd ever feel completely at ease with it.

His voice cut through her thoughts. "That's an interesting look you're giving me. What are you thinking?"

"I can't get over how hardcore you are. I admire your courage, but I also can't help but be concerned about your safety."

"There's no reason to be. I've been doing it for years, so I have plenty of experience at it."

"It's still incredibly dangerous." Her brown eyes held a look of worry.

"Climbing is something that I have to do, Erica. For me, it's as necessary as food and water."

"I know, and I get that you're really passionate about it. I'm not trying to admonish you. I just can't help feeling a bit worried. I don't want anything to happen to you."

He reached across the table and took her hand in his, then gave it a few strokes with his thumb. "I appreciate your concern, but the last thing I want is for you to worry yourself over it."

"That's easier said than done."

He gave her a little smile, then brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles lightly. "Everything will be fine."

"Promise?" Although she knew it was pointless in asking, she did it anyway.

"You know I can't do that."

She lowered her eyes to the table, then looked back up at him. "Just be careful, okay?"

He nodded, then released her hand and finished the last of his pizza. She ate the last few bites of hers as well, and once they were finished, they got up from the table and headed back into the restaurant. Once they reached the front door, they walked outside and leisurely strolled down the sidewalk, hand in hand. As they came closer to Erica's workplace, Cody pulled her into a clean, narrow alleyway that was located next to the bookstore.

Grasping her by the hips, he gently pushed her against a brick wall, and as her back met with the solid barrier, she felt the coolness of the bricks against her back. He stared down at her with a look of carnal hunger, causing her to feel as if she were his prey.

A searing heat pooled between her legs, and as he leaned down to kiss her, she reached her arms up and looped then around his neck. His lips pressed to hers with an urgency that left her breathless, and she found herself overwhelmed by his deep, drugging kiss. Their tongues probed each other's mouths with intense need, and Erica felt Cody press his body against hers, so that the heat of their bodies mingled.

Unable to resist, she indulged in the provocative moment, tangling her fingers into his long, dark hair. His hands slid along the front of her tank top, traveling upward until they met with the curve of her breasts. Cupping his palms around her fabric clad globes, he lightly brushed his thumbs against her nipples, causing them to grow so erect that they poked through the fabric of her shirt.

His hands had moved with such quickness, that she hadn't even had time to stop them. And although his touch felt incredible, she knew that they were at risk of being discovered. Sure they were tucked away in a little alley that provided a bit of privacy from the street, but the bookstore had a side door that led out into the narrow passageway.

Sometimes her boss, Iggy, liked to come out into the alleyway for a smoke, and if he found her and Cody kissing, it would be something she would never be able to live down. Reaching up to grab his wrists, she guided his hands away from her breasts.

"Erica," He breathed against her neck, his hot breath ghosting against her skin as he pressed his lips against her flesh.

He slipped his tongue out to graze it lightly against her skin, and she let loose a deep, sultry moan. She could feel his hard on poking against her thigh, and it took every bit of willpower she had to resist from reaching down to stroke it. "Cody, we have to stop." Mustering every bit of strength she had, she pressed her palm weakly against his chest to reinforce her statement.

He gave her a few more kisses along the neck, and then pulled his lips away. His dark eyes were clouded with lust, and he reluctantly removed his hands from her waist.

"Sorry, I lost control of myself."

"It's okay." She gave him a little smile, then smoothed the wrinkles out of her shirt.

She headed out of the alley, with him following behind her. As they reached the front of the bookstore, Erica came to a stop in front of the doorway. Cody ran his fingers through his hair and glanced down at her with a seductive look in his eyes, sending a strong pang of arousal through her body.

"Thanks for lunch. I had a great time," she said.

"You're welcome. It was a real pleasure seeing you again." He leaned down to place a brief, tender kiss on her lips. "I'll give you a call you tonight."

"Okay."

"Later, Erica." He offered her a smile and then turned to leave, sauntering down the street.

She released a little sigh of contentment and then turned to enter the bookstore, with a wide smile gracing her kiss swollen lips.

* * * *

Half an hour after closing the bookstore and ending her shift, Erica pulled into the driveway of her parent's house and put the car in park, then exited her vehicle and made her way to the door. Her parents lived in a pale yellow Spanish style home, with red roof tiles and arched windows. The steps which led up to the porch were lined with potted cacti, and a mosaic tile mat was positioned directly in front of the threshold.

She pressed the doorbell, and after a few short moments of waiting, she heard the sound of feet approaching the entryway. As the door pulled open, her father, Darrell, came into view. Standing at medium height, he had a deep brown complexion and a vibrant smile. He was dressed in a v-shaped linen shirt, and a pair of wide legged, drawstring pants made from the same material as his top.

"Hello sweetie."

"Hey dad." She stepped across the threshold and gave him a hug, then walked further into the house.

The strong scent of food hung in the air, and judging from the scent, she'd have to guess that her father was cooking one of his mouth watering dishes. "What's for dinner?"

"Your favorite, vegetarian stroganoff." He offered her a smile and headed for the split level kitchen, which was separated from the living area by a stenciled archway.

Erica followed behind him, and as he lifted the top off a deep skillet, she retrieved a wooden spoon from the counter and dipped it into the sauce to have a taste, then brought it up to her lips. "Mmm, delicious." After setting the spoon down, she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of guava juice, then poured herself a cup.

"So where were you last Saturday? You were supposed to come over for taco night," Darrell asked.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Something else ended up coming up."

"A phone call would have been nice."

"I sent you guys a text."

"I've been having trouble receiving text messages on this new phone I have, so that's probably why I didn't see it." He grabbed a pepper grinder from off the counter next to the stove, then turned the dial to release the spice. "So what was this other something that came up?

"I had a date."

He turned his head and offered her a little smile. "Oh, so that's why you ditched us. Your mother did mention that you'd met someone." He grabbed a container of sour cream and took the lid off, then dipped a spoon inside and retrieved a large dollop. He knocked the spoon against the pan a few times to release the cream from the utensil, then he stirred the dairy product into the sauce. "So what's his name?"