The Reunion

Cate looked up at him, wondering where he found the strength to stop with one well-placed punch; possibly at the thought of being arrested. She remembered every word of his threat twenty years ago and she didn't doubt in the least that he would have carried out that promise, but there were too many people as witnesses and she knew, first hand, that the humiliation of being defeated once again would stick with George a lot longer. And now that everybody knew the truth, he wouldn't be able to show his face in town ever again. There was no way she could leave the building with her head held high, God knows her dignity was being held together by a thin string that threatened to come unraveled the second they stepped outside the bathroom door. But she had Zeke to protect her, at least for now. "Can we just leave?"

"Sure thing," he said with a slow smile and released his hold on the door only to have it shoved open by a woman that was clearly in need of the facilities. They both received a stern look from the lady as she barged into the bathroom, clearly unhappy that he was occupying the room that was meant for the fairer sex. He held the door open for Cate, smirking as the furthest stall was quickly occupied by the impatient woman, and let the door swing shut behind them as they stepped out into the openness of the room that was occupied by the entire alumni–minus two–as they dished up their plates from the serving dishes that had been set out on the two tables, their eyes shifting from the food to them.

Zeke, with his hand on the small of her back, glared over his shoulder at all of their classmates and spouses as he ushered Cate towards the exit on the other side of the building, walking the gauntlet of scrutinizing stares as quickly as they could. He didn't give a shit that they had all seen him knock George flat on his ass shortly after Cate disappeared inside the building. Everyone had their opinions about both of them back in high school and twenty years later, those attitudes still hadn't changed–she was the snob on the hill and he was the worthless troublemaking punk. But two things were for certain, if only one knew about his feelings towards Cate back then, they all knew them now and it wasn't wise to come between him and her. "Mind your own fuckin' business," he swore over his shoulder at them as he pushed the door open for Cate, finally getting her the hell out of there. He took hold of her hand as the door swung shut behind them, cutting off their undistinguishable, yet very clearly spoken words.

He said they were going to turn heads, and turn heads they did.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Sorry that this didn't turn out to be the best day," Zeke said as he lifted his third slice of chicken, bacon and olive pizza out of the box that sat between them on the blanket spread out under the shade of the old oak tree, the sun shining down on them through the leaves in tiny flickers of light. After leaving the reunion, he swung by the pizza parlor and ordered a medium pizza of Cate's choosing, purchased two bottles of soda from the mini-mart and headed out of town towards the reservoir. He parked the Escalade under the shade of a tree along the side of the road in a gravel turn-out and engaged the anti-theft system. It was a little cooler at the higher elevation and a slight breeze was blowing in off the water, carrying with it the smell of summer. He carried the pizza and sodas as Cate removed her sandals, hugging them and a folded buffalo plaid blanket to her chest, and held onto his hand as she walked behind him on the packed dirt trail that led to the secluded spot on the far side of the lake where they had shared their first kiss. The place was unoccupied which was surprising in the middle of summer but the echo of voices could be heard across the water from the party spot on the other side of the reservoir. They had complete privacy.

Cate had been more than happy to get out of there but she didn't want to go home, so she didn't protest in the least when Zeke suggested they grab a pizza and go for a drive. She knew where he was headed but she still smiled when he started up the winding road to the reservoir. This time she had to hang onto the door handle instead of him when he took the sharp turns a little faster than he should, much like he did back then and this time they had to walk in to the water's edge instead of riding. The rutted, packed dirt was hot under her bare feet but she didn't say anything, just smiled at Zeke when he looked over his shoulder and asked if she was okay. The old oak tree was still standing, much larger than it had been twenty years ago, and she spread the soft blanket down on the lush, green grass under the shade of the sprawling branches and sat down cross-legged, tucking the skirt of her dress between her legs. He sat down across from her, twisted the caps off the bottles of soda as she lifted the lid on the box, the aroma of the pizza wafting through the warm summer air.

She picked a chunk of chicken off her slice of pizza and popped it into her mouth, licking the garlic sauce from her fingers as she gazed at Zeke sitting across from her. The sun was filtering down through the leaves and the flickers of light were playing across his strong features, softening them just slightly. The scar on his face had never bothered her, it only added to his dangerousness that was still there, lingering somewhere inside him. He had changed, she could see it there in his eyes, see it in the way that he carried himself, but when George had approached her, he reverted back to the person he had been in high school–her protector–but unlike in the past, he had stopped at one blow. He was still hesitant to talk about his past, what had happened to him and she wasn't going to pry, he would tell her when he was good and ready. She smiled at him and took a bite of her slice of pizza. None of it really mattered anyway; she still loved him for who he was and even more for whom he had become. She dropped the last of the uneaten crust into the box and wiped her fingers on a napkin. "It wasn't all that bad even though I missed seeing you knock George on his ass. I still can't believe Loraine married him."

"We'd both been gone for twenty years, things changed," Zeke said. It had felt good to knock him on his ass once again, God knows the slimeball deserved far worse, but he didn't want to think about it right now. He was here with Cate where he should be and he gazed at her as he chewed on the last of his pizza. Rays of sunlight were flickering down on her, warming her skin and making it glow, the light making her glossy mahogany hair shine with different shades of brown and red, not a gray hair in sight. He could still see the heartache that clouded her forget-me-not blue eyes but it was starting to slowly disappear and he had a feeling it had everything to do with him coming back into town. He wanted her to be happy again but he knew some of that heartache would never leave and he could handle that, but just getting back into her heart was going to be the challenge. The past was the past, this was the here and now and he hoped that she still had some feelings for him tucked away inside her heart because God knows a part of his heart still ached for her.

He wiped his fingers on a napkin and tossed it down into the box, watching as she reached up to brush a wayward lock of hair back from her face that had been caught by the slight breeze that was wafting around them, looking past him towards the water. He could still remember that night under the oak tree clearly in his head, relived it more days and nights than he cared to admit as he tore down the open road astride his Harley, as he tossed and turned on a broken down bed at night in some seedy hotel. He should have fucked her back then, it tore at his conscious more than it should have, but now that they were back up here, under the very same tree, he was glad that he walked away from her back then because she sure as hell never would have forgiven him or even let him back into her life. And he never would have forgiven himself if he had shattered her heart more than he already had. She deserved better than who he was back then and now, now she needed him for who'd he become.

Zeke let his gaze travel over her, settling first on her small, perfect breasts concealed behind the loose drape of silk, her nipples pressing against the material, to her smooth, bare legs that were still as lovely as ever, and he felt that all too familiar stirring in his loins, that ache, that burning desire he had always had for her; the very reason why he always rode up to the reservoir during school hours. The breeze caught her hair again, the silky locks clinging to the fullness of her sensual lips that he longed to kiss, that he longed to– He felt his cock start to harden, pressing against the placket in the front of his shorts and there was no hiding the evidence of his arousal unless he grabbed the pizza box. He never tried to hide his feelings for her back then; he wasn't going to start now and when she looked back over at him and smiled, he felt his heart practically jump from his chest. "I use to come up here every day during lunch to jack off."

Cate brushed a strand of hair back from her face, looking at him as she tried to feign shock, and pushed the empty pizza box off the blanket. She had always known that he left during the noon hour but she just assumed it was to go home to eat or have lunch at the restaurant where his mom worked; she never would have guessed that he rode over five miles out of town to stroke himself to orgasm. And with as much as he used to watch her, the harshness of his potent words that he has spoken to her that night, he needed that release. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it back out, her gaze dropping momentarily to the front of his shorts, focusing on the considerable bulge that was starting to press against the placket and she felt her heart slam against her ribs, felt that ache in the pit of her stomach that she hadn't felt in a long time, that longing that she had for him and only him. She wanted him back then and she wanted him even more now and by the looks of his physical condition, he still wanted her, too. "Zeke," she said, softly.

He didn't falter; he told her the explicit truth. His thirst for her had never subsided, in fact it had only grown stronger seeing her again and he felt his cock start to throb, pressing painfully against the front of his shorts. He knew she saw the evidence of his arousal, he saw her eyes darken with her own desires, watched her as she got to her knees, holding the skirt of her dress up as she slowly inched closer to him, her eyes locked with his. He swallowed hard, feeling his Adam's apple bob in his throat. "Back then I could have had any number of girls under me in a matter of seconds but I wanted to come up here and stroke my cock thinking about you. How your small perfect tits–I called them tits back then–would fit in my hands, how it would have felt to have your sleek legs wrapped around my bare hips as I pounded my hard cock in and out of your tight little pussy, to hear you scream my name as you–" His voice trailed off as she threw one sleek thigh over his, straddling his lap as he instinctively shifted into a better sitting position to support her weight.

Cate had made the first move back then and since he wasn't making a move nor was he going to shut up, she was going to have to find another way to silence him. She straddled his lap and slowly sank down, settling her panty covered bottom against his bare thighs, her eyes never leaving his hot coffee-brown ones that were burning hotter than they had for her back then. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs lightly caressing his cheekbones as she gazed down into his eyes, watching as the brown was quickly swallowed up by the black, his breath coming in quick short pants, each one fanning her skin. She felt like she was a teenager again, her heart was pounding hard in her chest, her breathing just a labored, but she was no longer a teenager nor was Zeke, he was all man, every hard, honed muscular inch of him. As crazy as it was, she always knew this was meant to be, the two of them, and after all these years they were finally going to make it happen. Their lips were hairsbreadth apart, gazes locked, hearts pounding... "Ezekiel," she whispered, breathlessly, right before she kissed him.

An animalistic sound that seemed to resonate from his very being escaped him as he reached up, shoving his fingers into her hair and knocking the flower clasp free, the heavy, silky locks curling around his fingers as he opened his mouth under the firm pressure of hers. He immediately took control of the kiss, kissing her hard and deep, his tongue forcing her lips apart as he explored and tasted the hot wetness of her mouth. She was more delectable than he remembered and her intoxicating taste went straight to his cock, pulsing in the confines of his shorts as he kissed her hotly, passionately, his tongue doing things to her mouth that he promised to do to other parts of her body. His tongue savored the taste of her, his teeth pulling lightly on her bottom lip, swallowing her moan as she pressed even closer to him. His heart was slamming against his ribcage, what blood he had left for his head was roaring in his ears and his thoughts nothing more than pure unadulterated lust for her but still somewhat rational; he was here with the girl of his dreams and he was no boy scout. He tore his mouth from hers, drawing in a ragged breath as he looked down first at her bruised lips and then up at her blue eyes so full of desire. "I don't have any condoms with me," he said, his labored breath fanning her face. It was the one rule he never broke and he fully expected her to quickly move off of his lap but when she didn't move a muscle he swore, "I'll keep you safe, Catie-girl."

"You always do," Cate managed between breaths. She was not passing up this chance. Even if he was just going to leave her yet again, she wanted him, right here and right now. He may no longer be the badass of Humboldt County, he may have ripped her heart out of her chest twenty years ago, but one thing had always remained true, she would always be his and they would always have this moment, here, under this tree. She inched further up his lap until the solid ridge of his erection was nestled snugly against the damp crotch of her lace panties and she twined her arms around his neck, rocking her hips against his. A smile slowly came to her kiss-swollen lips when a deep groan rumbled up from the very depths of his soul. "Let's finish what we started here twenty years ago."

"Catherine," he groaned. It was the first time he had ever called her by her given name and it couldn't have sounded more erotic. He gazed deep into her eyes as he brushed back a lock of silky hair from her face. His cock was throbbing against her hot panty-covered flesh, evidence that his desire for her had never died. He wanted her more than anything else in this world and he feared that if he didn't force himself take things slow, he was going to go at her so hard and so fast that he would scare her off. His size was intimidating enough and he had a feeling that her number of conquests was a helluva lot shorter than his and spanned more years between them. He moved his head the fraction of an inch it took to brush his lips over hers again, kissing her softly but just as hotly as the maelstrom of desire for her that burned inside of him. His tongue lapped at her lips, coaxing them apart, smiling against her mouth as a soft moan escaped her, and he cupped the back of her head in his large hand, kissing her long, hard and deep, his tongue enticing another moan from inside her. His mouth left hers only to trail down her jaw to the expanse of her graceful and sexy as hell neck.

Cate gasped, her fingers curling into his short hair, as his mouth trailed hotly down the side of her neck, his teeth nibbling, tongue flicking as he tasted her sun-warmed skin. She moaned as his hot, wet and thoroughly torturous mouth found the curve of her neck and shoulder, his tongue trailing along her smooth flesh as his fingers found the zipper on the side of her dress, slowly inching it lower and lower, his calloused fingers caressing her soft skin as the silk parted, exposing her to his touch. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth to bite back the moan that was building inside her as he hooked his forefingers under the thin spaghetti straps, unhurriedly pulling them from her shoulders as his lips replaced the spot where the strap had rested on her left shoulder, kissing her there. She couldn't hold it in any longer and she moaned as his tongue found the hollow at the base of her collarbone, the warm summer air caressing her heated skin as the ivory silk slipped down her body to pool at her waist, exposing her naked breasts to the hot summer air and his even hotter gaze. "Zeke," she moaned in pure pleasure, arching her spine, as he slid his hands around her back, rough yet tender fingers caressing her soft skin as his mouth trailed further and further down her chest in hot, wet kisses.

Zeke caressed the length of her back, her smooth flesh soft under his large, callous-roughened hands as he pressed her back onto the soft blanket, his lips and tongue gliding hotly along her skin, tasting her, savoring her. He found one small perfect breast with is mouth, his tongue tracing the curve along the underside, his hot breath fanning her skin, drying his saliva as he darted his tongue across her breast, feeling it swell under his oral touch, feeling her areola pucker and her nipple harden instantly under his wet tongue caress. When she moaned and arched closer, he smiled against her skin and continued his torturous exploration of her breasts. He felt her fingers fist into the material of his shirt to pull it taut across his chest, heard her blissful moan as he lightly flicked the tip of his tongue across her hard nipple and her moan turned to a shriek when he opened his mouth over her breast and drew her nipple into his mouth, suckling. He reached up and cupped the neglected twin in his hand, his thumb lightly flicking back and forth over her nipple until it grew achingly hard and he took it into his mouth, her moans filling his ears as the slight breeze wafted over her well-suckled nipple, drawing it up into an even tighter bud for his thumb and forefinger to play with.

Cate had always hated the size of her breasts, she always thought they were too small but she never realized how sensitive they actually were until now. Zeke's hot, wet mouth and rough-skinned fingers sent a jolt of electricity through her body and straight to her clitoris as her girlie parts came alive once again under his touch. She could feel that all too familiar longing in the pit of her stomach turn into a white-hot flame of desire for him and only him as his hand lovingly molded itself around her small breast. She moaned, arching under the ministrations of his mouth and fingers, fisting her own fingers into the short hair atop his head, he legs restlessly shifting back and forth against his hard, muscular thigh that was wedged solidly between hers, keeping her pinned to the blanket so she couldn't escape his touch or his kiss, as if she even wanted to in the first place. When his tongue circled her nipple and he caught it between the graze of his teeth, lightly pulling on it, she moaned even louder, feeling a sudden rush of wetness saturate her very core and seep out to soak into the crotch of her panties. "Zeke," she moaned, digging her heels into the ground as she arched strongly against him, her soft body coming into sharp contact with his much larger unyielding one.

Zeke smiled against her well-suckled nipple, darting his tongue across the curve of her swollen breast, feeling her sudden intake of breath. He looked up at her, his scorching coffee-brown eyes dark with desire, his breath hot against her heated skin. "Patience," he whispered as he kissed his way back up her chest. He nuzzled the side of her neck, kissing her soft skin perfumed with the lingering scent of honeysuckle, as his hand left her breast to slowly caress the smooth, sun-warmed flesh of her torso, down over the slight curve of her belly. He shifted his weight to his forearm as he curled his fingers into the silk bunched up around her waist and eased her dress over her hips and down the length of her thighs, his eyes taking in every inch as he bared her body to his hot gaze, save for a pair of pale pink floral lace boyshorts concealing her most delicate parts, the front already wet with the evidence of her own arousal. He sucked in his breath in an audible hiss as he stared down at her. She was absolutely beautiful, more beautiful than she had been back in high school, but then he hadn't gotten this far twenty years ago. The little bit of extra weight she carried was around her hips, belly and thighs, gave her that womanly curve she never had when she was a teenager and the sight of her here like this, only made his desire for her that much more stronger, making his heart pound painfully in his chest and his cock throb in his shorts.