Taken By The Wind Ch. 02

Karen nodded. He called it fighting, but she'd broken up with him then too. That time had been a culmination of a great deal of things: their disastrous prom, the graduation he'd ruined, and finally the family gathering for the Fourth of July weekend where he'd gotten drunk and humiliated her.

"Well, I went to a bonfire at her place. She had a few people over and there was some drinking and whatever. You'd been telling people that we were broken up, and I guess she thought that meant I was available. We were both drunk, she kissed me and I kissed back, but then I stopped when she tried to go further. I told her I couldn't, that you and I were still together," he said, his voice growing more emotional.

"She didn't like me rejecting her. She said some stuff, some really bad things, about you. You know she's never liked that you and Courtney are so close right? I told her to fuck off, and left. I think this might be her way of getting back at me. She's using you to hurt me, that it hurts you too is probably just some sick bonus for her," he said angrily.

Karen was quiet for a moment. It was true that she and Brianna hadn't been the best of friends throughout high school. She'd been Courtney's best friend in elementary school and had gotten jealous when Karen took over that role in junior high. Karen had thought they'd gotten past that though, and actually considered her a friend, albeit a distant one. Looking at Adam, how emphatically he defended himself, his admission of a mistake that he'd made, how sorry he seemed that it had happened. It made her feel stupid.

Anger bloomed inside Karen's chest, at herself for not listening to Adam in the first place, but more so at Brianna for trying to separate them. She felt terribly betrayed, and furious with her. Adam saw Karen's expression change and knew he'd convinced her. Her eyes softened and tears brimmed in them. He reached across the table and took her hands in his.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I should have listened to you. I'm so sorry I thought that... That I believed that you would... That I..."

Adam left his seat and went to Karen, he leaned down and hugged her to him. She pressed her face into his chest and cried. She felt so terrible, for being so mad at him for something he hadn't done. For thinking the worst of him before even hearing him out, for doing what she'd done with Rob.

"I forgive you," he said, brushing his hand along the back of her head comfortingly.

"But I..." she began.

Adam interrupted her. "Whatever you did, I forgive you. Alright?" he asked.

Karen sobbed harder. "Thank you."

Adam hugged her tight. "Come on, don't cry babe," he said soothingly. "It's alright, it's all good now right? I'm not totally blameless here. I've fucked up a lot too. I didn't give you much reason to doubt that bitch when she was spouting her lies. But we're past all that now. How about a fresh start, okay? I'll do better, I promise."

"Okay," Karen said tearily. "I'll do better too," she promised, hugging him tight around the waist.

Adam kneeled down so he was eye level with her. He brushed her hair out of her face and wiped a tear from her cheek gently. He cupped the side of her face and looked into her watery eyes, an expression of relief visible on his face. His face grew closer to hers, and her eyes shut as their mouths came together. He kissed her tenderly, and she kissed him back. Adam drew back and looked into her eyes once more, seeing the adoration Karen had for him.

"When's your family coming home?" he asked.

"Not a few hours," she replied.

Adam grinned at her. "Why don't we make up for the past two weeks?"

Karen looked at him, and a smile lit up her glistening face, true happiness filling her since what had occurred two days earlier. This was Adam at his best. This was the mischievous, fun guy who was kind to her, and who protected her from everyone, including herself. This was the Adam Karen loved.

"I'd like that," she said.

She was amazed by how understanding he was being. Maybe he was serious, maybe he really would do better. That's what she wanted. She wanted to be with him, she liked Rob but she loved Adam. She'd do better too, she decided. She'd listen to him, and she'd try not to goad him into anger. It'd be better this time. Adam led her upstairs to her bedroom and she laughed happily as he pulled her shirt over her head and pushed her onto her bed. She now lay naked from the waist up, waiting for him to join her.

Adam pulled his shirt over his head and climbed on top of her, kissing her hungrily. His hands went to her breasts, squeezing them as his tongue searched hers out and attacked it with vigor. They moaned into each other's mouths, his groin pressing into her crotch, his hips pushing down against her as they kissed. Karen ran her hands down his back, not as muscular as Rob's but still possessing a great deal of strength.

One of her hands went up and cupped the back of his head. She pulled his mouth to hers and ran the other up and down his spine. His familiar scent filled her nostrils, tobacco and spearmint mixed with his body's natural musk. He growled into her mouth, and a shiver of excitement went up through her spine as he reached down between them to undo the button of her jeans. She felt him yank and torque, and eventually felt it come undone. He drew her zipper down, and slid a hand inside her pants.

"Ahh." Karen gasped when his fingers brushed against her clit.

"Your soaking wet, baby," he purred into her ear as he ran his fingers along her slit.

He brought his mouth back to hers and dragged his fingers along her glistening labia, letting her squirm under him until he couldn't wait any more. Adam pulled back and grabbed the waistband of her jeans. He yanked hard, and Karen lifted her hips so he could pull them down her legs. Adam got them over her ankles and threw them to the floor. Karen watched in anticipation as he undid his belt and let his jeans fall to the floor, his already erect cock bouncing into sight.

Adam took it into his fist and stroked himself while looking at her naked body, getting himself to full mast before positioning himself between her legs. Karen would have liked this to be a bit more drawn out, she was excited but a bit more foreplay would have made things better. Without meaning to she found herself comparing Adam and Rob, remembering how patient the latter had been even while drunk.

Karen was surprised to find Adam's cock prying past her entrance, and she snapped back to reality as he penetrated her. Adam groaned as he sank his rigid member into her warm body, and Karen spread her legs wide to accept him inside of her. She felt his familiar stiffness fill her body, and wrapped her arms around his back as he began to thrust into her. Karen gasped as he shoved up into her hard, his body slapping against her forcefully.

"That feel good baby?" he asked as he worked himself in and out of her.

"Uh huh." Karen gasped as she squeezed her legs around him.

Adam pushed himself upward, his hands planting themselves on either side of her head as he used the added leverage to shove himself into her harder. Karen found herself comparing him to Rob again, remembering the grace Rob's movements had had, the controlled ferocity that Adam seemed to lack. She pushed that out of her mind, enjoying the sensation of having Adam inside her, the ridges of his cock grazing against her sensitive inner walls.

Karen grabbed his forearms and planted her feet on the mattress, using them to support her thrusts up against him. They weren't always the best couple outside of the bedroom, but the sex was the one thing that was guaranteed to be good. And it was. Karen was enjoying herself, everything felt good, Adam was doing what he usually did, and it was making her feel the way it always did. But something had changed, Karen had changed. She'd had better than this.

"I'm gonna cum, Karen." Adam groaned.

"Go ahead, baby," she urged, surprised it'd happened so quickly.

Adam moaned deeply, and she felt his shaft swell inside of her. She held on to him tight as she felt the muscles of his back tense and his seed spill into her protected womb. His mouth opened and his eyes shut as he pushed as deep into her as he could and unleashed his load into her body, his abdominals flexing as he emptied himself into her. Karen lay beneath him as he relaxed and lowered herself on top of her. He kissed her neck, and then her flushed cheek.

"You cum baby?" he asked.

"Yeah," she lied to not ruin the moment.

Karen was confused, not sure what had happened. One second everything was fine, she was on her way, everything was good, and the next... it was over. She didn't blame him for it being quick. It'd been two weeks since they'd been together, and unlike her he hadn't had release in all that time. She couldn't be disappointed with him if he'd gotten a little overexcited. It'd felt good while it lasted.

"You missed this didn't you?" he asked, whispering it into her ear as he took the lobe between his lips.

"Yeah," she said, hoping she sounded more convinced than she was.

She let him kiss and caress her, returning them wholeheartedly, and then went to clean up. Adam left shortly after, kissing her lovingly as he left through the door, and handing her a wrapped package with a grin.

"I didn't get you anything," Karen said, feeling bad.

Adam put his hand on his shoulder. "You can make it up to me," he said.

He kissed her on the lips one more time and patted her ass playfully before departing. Karen put the parcel under the tree and returned to the kitchen, feeling confused and worried. She didn't have long to ponder what had happened, however, as her family arrived about an hour after Adam left. Karen smiled as her brother came walking in, and her eyes widened when she saw that he had a black left eye and a stiches above his right eyebrow.

"Oh my God, Cody!" she exclaimed.

He grinned. "The other guy got it worse."

Her parents came up behind him, her father stocky and severe, her mother slender and animated. Where her brother had gotten his height Karen didn't know, but at sixteen he was a force to be reckoned with on the ice.

"It was horrible," her mother told her. "The ref kept trying to cut in but Cody wouldn't let up."

"The guy went after their goalie, he couldn't let that go Amber," her father said in defense of his son.

"I got suspended from the rest of the game, but I got to play in the final. Still lost though," he said, shrugging his bulky shoulders.

The house became alive again as the rest of her family filled it. Karen forgot her confusion about what had happened with Adam earlier, and instead watched Christmas movies with her family. They went to bed at ten in anticipation of their early morning. Christmas day passed without incident. They exchanged their gifts and went for dinner at Karen's grandmother's house. She texted Adam regularly, and talked to him on the phone enough times that she started to feel like they were back to normal, a happy normal, and her confusion about what had happened with Rob receded.

The day after Christmas was a day of rest, and it wasn't until the twenty-seventh that Karen saw Courtney again. Karen was in bed, dead asleep when she felt a hand run up her leg. She pulled away from it unconsciously, moaning tiredly as she tried to retreat deeper into the covers. The hand pursued her, gliding up the back of her leg and pinching her bum playfully. Karen awoke and swatted the hand away, but it was persistent.

"Leave me alone," Karen moaned tiredly.

"Gym time, get up fat ass," Courtney replied.

Karen sighed. "My ass is not fat," she argued tiredly.

Good girl, Courtney thought to herself proudly. Karen had come a long way and was even able to take some teasing now and again without becoming self-conscious of her weight.

Courtney tore the covers off of her friend, "It'll be like a balloon filled with cottage cheese soon enough if you don't listen to me. Breakfast, get dressed, and then out the door."

"But I'm tired," Karen whined as Courtney pulled her out of bed and shoved her towards the door of her bedroom.

Courtney laughed. "You've done literally nothing but eat and sit around for the past two days."

"How'd you even get in?" Karen asked her.

"Your mom let me in. Come on, move," Courtney said, pushing her friend towards the bathroom.

The banter continued, and Karen let Courtney pull her through her morning routine. She shoved her into a chair at the kitchen table, put a bowl of cereal in front of her, and put a spoon in her hand. Her mother watched in amusement as she read a book and drank her morning coffee. Karen complained the entire time. She'd never been a morning person. Courtney on the other hand seemed to thrive on the early hours of the day. Every moment that Courtney was awake she was moving, talking, planning.

After she got some food into her, Karen was starting to feel more awake and Courtney only had to half drag her back up to her bedroom. She dressed and packed up her gym bag, her father was just getting up as they were heading out.

"Morning Courtney," he said as he shuffled to the kitchen.

"Good morning Mr. Dubicki," she replied politely as she pulled his daughters jacket over her shoulders for her.

"Off to torture my daughter?" he joked sleepily as he poured himself a mug of coffee.

Courtney laughed. "I'll do the best I can."

Mr. Dubicki joined his wife at the table. "Well, have fun."

Karen grumbled something incoherent.

"We will," Courtney called cheerily as she pulled Karen out through the door.

The cold made Karen's breath catch, and did more to wake her up than anything else had so far. They hurried to Courtney's car and Karen braced herself for the assault of noise that was released when Courtney turned the key in the ignition. Courtney talked excitedly about the party she was holding for New Year's Eve, and Karen was so tired that she missed the opportunity to put her plan for her friend and Rob in action when Courtney said:

"Oh, and if you have any cute college boys you want to invite, go right ahead. Some fresh meat wouldn't go amiss."

Courtney was pulling into the parking lot of the shopping mall the gym they went to was adjoined with. Karen was mostly awake now, and only then noticed the ungodly hour Courtney had her up at.

"Seven fourteen!" she exclaimed.

"We have shit to do, Dubs," Courtney replied.

"The gym isn't even open yet," Karen complained as they walked through the parking lot.

"You know, it's a good thing you're so damn cute. I don't know what else I keep you around for," Courtney replied. "It definitely isn't because of your cheery disposition in the morning."

Karen rolled her eyes as they came to the locked door of the gym. Courtney waved at someone through the window. Karen knew his name to be Andy from the nametag on his uniform. He had a huge and obvious crush on her friend. He grinned when he saw her and went to the door, he unlocked it.

"We don't open for another fifteen minutes," he said.

"Oh come on," Courtney said, batting her eyelashes. "It'll be our little secret. I'd owe you one," she said as she ran her hand up his arm flirtatiously, squeezing his large biceps as if to admire them.

Karen let Courtney sweet-talk their way into the gym, and shortly after found herself in the change room. Courtney changed into her sports bra and carpi length yoga pants before pulling a grey tank top on as well. Karen put on the same, but with a pink tank top. Then they went and worked out. Courtney led that process and Karen kept up well enough. She didn't go to the gym as often as Courtney, but they worked out together enough to have a routine that suited the two of them.

By the end of their half-hour on the rowing machine the gym was starting to fill up with other early risers. Courtney led Karen to the free weights to work their legs and glutes. Karen ignored the guys that walked by and watched her do squats, focusing on her form out of fear of a reprimand from Courtney. A year earlier Karen had asked Courtney to be her fitness task master, a role which the brunette filled wholeheartedly, and Karen was in the best shape of her young life thanks to it.

Her concentration was broken however when she saw someone a little ways away. It was Rob, doing lat pulldowns. His powerful biceps and shoulders flexed as he pulled down the wide-grip bar. He was facing away from her, but she recognized him. He was wearing a closefitting t-shirt, the gray cotton soaking from the sweat of his back and growing darker. Karen stared, finishing her set on autopilot. Courtney had just finished her lunges.

Courtney continued to lead Karen through a series of different exercises targeting specific muscles before they were both sweaty and tired. She led Karen off to the stretching area, Rob still unaware that she was there. She thought about going to talk to him, but felt awkward. Courtney had Karen sit in front of her, her legs straight out while Courtney's knees were bent. Their feet pressed together as Karen bent forward to stretch her hamstrings. Courtney was talking to Karen as she was leading her through the stretch.

"So Brianna's brother's going to get the alcohol, I just have to get the money together. I should be able to cover the costs and then have everyone give me five bucks when they come in as a cover charge. We'll have to make sure Winston is put in Dad and Lauren's room, I don't want him to get stepped on or something," she said, still talking about her party. "Don't forget to breathe," she added to Karen.

Karen breathed, and she went deeper into the stretch, practically folding in half.

"Good," Courtney said. "God I wish I could bend like that."

Karen laughed as she released the stretch and came back up. They kept going, swapping positions and going back and forth. They did other stretches, Courtney was thorough to make sure they didn't get sore muscles. To stretch the groin they stood, and Karen lifted one leg while bracing her hand on the wall beside her. Courtney grabbed her elevated leg, bringing it up to her shoulder as she stretched her flexible friend. Karen was practically in a side split when they were suddenly joined by someone else. Rob. Courtney felt her tense and eased back, confused for a moment until she saw that they had company.

"Uh, hey," Rob said.

"Hi," Karen said shyly.

Courtney let her friend's leg back down, and Karen shifted uncomfortably for a second. Rob felt a touch warm from seeing her in such a pose, her legs splayed wide, her face flushed and her hair sticking to her forehead from her workout.

"Hey Kavanagh, you're here early," Courtney said.

They'd met him here before fairly regularly, usually in the mornings like this.

"Yep. Well, gotta work off the stuffing, right?" he said.

Courtney laughed. "Yeah, definitely."

Karen knew that laugh; that was Courtney's flirty laugh. She talked to Rob for a bit longer, casually complimenting his physique, flirting effortlessly.

"Well, I think we're pretty much done here. We'll let you have the space," Courtney said finally.

"See you around," he said.

Karen nodded uncomfortably, and the two girls left, leaving Rob to do his post-workout stretching. They got to the locker room and stripped down. Karen couldn't help but admire Courtney's impressive bust as her breasts spilled out from her sports bra, jiggling victoriously as they were at last freed from the confines of the garment. Sweat gleamed on her body, the muscles of her core rippling as she turned and pulled her tightfitting yoga pants down her lean legs.

Her round ass came into view, the firm cheeks split by the slender pink line of fabric of her thong. Karen didn't care what Courtney said, she thought the brunette had a better ass than her. Courtney kept talking, pulling her socks off and underwear down her legs, revealing her cleanly shaved pussy. Karen hurried to undress as well, not wanting to be caught staring at her friend. They threw their sweaty clothes into their gym bags and grabbed their stuff to shower.