Weathering the Storm Ch. 02

Susan's mouth opened in horror. "What happened?"

"Well, she couldn't very well deny it, so instead she just came clean. They had been carrying on since before we'd even got married, and from what I caught them doing... I won't go into details but she was definitely doing stuff with him that she would never do with me! Anyway, I didn't hang around; I went home, got the car, went to the hardware store and changed every lock in the place. By the time she came home that night, all her clothes were laid out on the lawn for her to collect. And I might have accidentally forgotten to turn off the sprinklers," I added with a wink.

"Well done, Joe!" Susan laughed. "I'm sorry you went through all that, but at least you managed to escape. I admire you for not retaliating when your ex got violent - though under those particular circumstances I think it would have been totally justifiable if you'd strangled the bitch and buried her body under the rhododendrons."

"I'm inclined to agree with you at this point. The divorce was expensive in terms of legal fees, but thankfully I walked away with pretty much everything - her parents are very strict Catholics, and when her parents found out what she had done, they totally took my side. They threatened to disinherit her unless she did the right thing by me, so it could have been a lot worse! The divorce was finalised a couple of years ago now, since which time I've continued to work on the house to make it how I like it and remove every last vestige of that evil troll's existence from my life," I finished with a sigh of relief. It actually felt good to explain all of that to someone that wasn't my sister, and therefore didn't actually feel obliged to take my side, but I still felt a little wrung out after re-living the memories of my disastrous marriage.

Susan could read my expression. "Thank you for telling me," she said softly. "I know it was difficult to talk about; I'm sorry I was so nosey!"

"That's okay," I replied. "I don't mind."

"So," she smiled warmly, changing the subject, "tell me about your house. It sounds like you love it!"

I found myself mentally begging Scarlett to hurry up; I'd no idea what was taking her so long! "Oh, it's a four-bedroom detached place, built in 1930. When I started gutting the place I found lots of Art Deco features buried under layers of paper, paint and filler. I love that style so I've been steadily returning it to its former glory, and these days my weekends are spent looking out appropriate antiques and such. That probably sounds super dull."

"Actually, no!" Susan responded. "Scarlett and I love mooching around antique markets, so neither of us find it boring! And here she finally is!" she added as Scarlett stepped into the kitchen.

"Sorry," Scarlett blushed. "I hope I wasn't too long, Joe - how was the interrogation?" she added with a broad grin.

I wanted to reply, but I was speechless. Her red hair shone, hanging around her shoulders in loose curls, and she was wearing a green dress that hugged her chest and waist and hung loosely over her hips, ending at around mid-thigh. She looked breathtaking.

Fortunately, Susan filled the silence while I stood and gawked at her daughter. "You were a while, but by the look on his face, I don't think he cares!" she laughed. "And as for the 'interrogation' - yes, you can spend the night at Joe's. I think he'll take the best possible care of you - and you'd better treat him right too, young lady."

I was surprised at the last comment, and finally found my voice. "You weren't long at all, Scarlett, and you look stunning!"

"Well, I'm all ready, so we can head out whenever you like," she smiled.

"Your picnic's all done, kids," said Susan, putting the last few things in a lunchbox. Opening a cupboard, she pulled out a large wicker picnic hamper and stacked everything neatly inside, adding a bottle of Coke, one of Dr. Pepper and some lemonade before fastening the lid. "That should keep you going, though you might want to put the drinks in the fridge overnight."

"Thanks so much, Susan," I responded, and was stunned to receive another, longer, hug.

"Have fun, you two, and take care of each other. Do you need a hand getting things to the car?" she asked.

"I think we'll manage," I smiled, testing the weight of the packed hamper.

"Come on, Joe," Scarlett said, tugging at my arm a little.

"Looks like we're off, then!" I chuckled. "Thanks for everything, Susan. See you tomorrow."

"Well, possibly. Scarlett doesn't have college next week, so if you're having fun and want to stay together a little longer, don't feel like you have to rush back," she answered.

"Thanks mum. Love you!" Scarlett gave her a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing her handbag and pulling me through to the lounge. I took the hamper and collected her suitcase on the way past, loading them into the compact boot of the Frogeye before opening Scarlett's door for her. Susan stood at the door and waved as we pulled away, the little Frogeye roaring its way along the narrow lane out of the village.

Glancing in the rear view mirror, I asked, "Just out of interest, what car does Daniel drive?"

"Oh, a shitty Vauxhall Corsa - it used to be red but it's faded so much that it's almost pink."

Sure enough, there was a shabby, pinkish Corsa following fairly close behind. "I thought as much," I said, "because there's one right up my arse."

Scarlett looked back, a look of fear on her face. "Shit. What do we do?"

"Don't worry; I'll lose him in a sec. This thing might not be the fastest car on the road, but it corners well and can out-corner a Corsa easily enough," I reassured her.

Turning onto the winding B-road, I planted my foot firmly on the accelerator and increased the gap between us and Daniel, his gutless Corsa taking much longer than I expected to gather speed. We got to the first of the tight S-bends and I maintained speed, the car sticking perfectly to the tired road. Out on the straight that followed, we were up to 70mph and our pursuer wasn't even in sight. As I reached the next bend, he appeared as a little dot on the horizon, so I slowed down to a safer speed and turned off at the next junction, knowing he wouldn't have a clue how to follow.

Safely at home, I let Scarlett inside before going back for her luggage and the hamper. "Make yourself at home, Scarlett," I said as I went to put the contents of the hamper in the fridge and take her case up to my room. Coming back into the lounge, I stirred the embers of the dying fire back to life, throwing on a little more coal and a couple of split logs as Scarlett kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the comfortable couch. "How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"Pretty great, thanks, Joe," she smiled, "though I'm feeling a bit peckish now. I think it's all the fresh air."

"Would you maybe like to order a pizza, and we can watch that movie?" I suggested. She nodded eagerly, so I called the local Dominos while Scarlett selected 'School for Scoundrels' on the Apple TV. We were soon curled up together, engrossed in the movie and munching on pizza, garlic bread and chicken strips.

"That was delicious, Joe," she smiled, letting out a most unladylike burp and giggling in embarrassment. "Sorry," she added.

"Gosh, you mean you're human?" I chuckled. "Well, that's a shocker!" and I leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"Joe... would you mind if we didn't have sex tonight?" she asked quietly, looking at her lap.

"Of course not!" I responded. "I don't want to do anything you don't want; we can wait as long as you need."

She gave me a grateful smile. "Thanks. I want to; I really do - I guess I'm just a bit on edge after the shit that Daniel pulled today, and I really just need to be held."

I pulled her close to me and wrapped my arms around her. "Hey. I understand completely, and it's okay. Would you like to go up to bed and cuddle while we watch another movie?"

"That sounds perfect," she smiled. I scooped her up in my arms, making her giggle, and carried her upstairs.

"There's an en-suite through that door if you want to get changed," I said, showing her the small but well-appointed bathroom that adjoined my room.

"Thanks," she smiled meekly, and, rummaging in her case she pulled out an oversized tee shirt and a toothbrush and headed through the door, closing it softly behind her. I took the opportunity to rummage through my dresser for a pair of pyjama pants; I normally slept naked but kept some sleep and lounge attire for those rare occasions that my sister and her kids stayed over. I changed in double-quick time as I listened to the muffled sounds of Scarlett brushing her teeth.

When she emerged, her dress and bra bundled up in her hands, she looked even more small and delicate, being dwarfed by the oversized grey tee, which came down to mid-thigh and hung loosely over her petite frame. "Hi," she whispered, blushing.

"Hi, cutie," I responded, making her giggle. She looked so adorable that I felt my cock getting hard in my pants and cursed myself for not leaving my underwear on as well. Anxious to avoid making her uncomfortable, I just said, "My turn to freshen up," and headed to the en suite.

I decided to take a quick, fairly cold, shower to overcome my difficulties before brushing my teeth, and emerged to find Scarlett in the middle of my king sized bed, the duvet over her waist, propped up on the headboard and scrolling through the movies on my Apple TV.

"Hi," she said, blushing. "I didn't know what side you slept on, so I thought I'd wait to get settled." Her eyes were taking in my torso; while not exactly lean, I did have some muscle and hadn't let myself go completely to seed.

"Do you want me to put on a tee shirt?" I asked, wondering if I was making her uncomfortable.

She reddened even more. "No, that's okay. I was actually thinking that your chest looks like it would make a nice pillow for cuddles," she mumbled.

I climbed in beside her. "As long as you're comfortable," I smiled, laying back on the pillows and slipping my arm around her. She wriggled down next to me and lay her head on my chest, her fingers idly playing with the hair on my chest. Shit. That in itself was a massive turn-on, and I was extremely grateful for having the duvet to disguise the prominent lump that immediately sprouted in my pants!

Her movie selection was another comedy, 'My Awkward Sexual Adventure' - something that I'd never seen, but found an interesting choice. I hoped for some more kissing, but she quickly became engrossed in the movie so I just held her close and was relieved when her hand on my chest stopped moving, allowing my arousal to subside slowly.

The movie was funny but also quite erotic in places, particularly the scene where the female lead was using fruit to explain the finer points of cunnilingus to the male character. "I wonder how accurate that is," Scarlett whispered.

"It's actually pretty spot on," I said. "Someone obviously did some research for this scene at least!"

"Ohhhhh," she breathed. "Good to know."

"I take it your experience up to this point hasn't been very good?" I asked, and then mentally kicked myself for the question, worried I'd bring up bad memories and make her feel uncomfortable.

"My experience of receiving oral is non-existent," she murmured. "Guys don't like doing it."

"Some guys do," I objected. "Some of us enjoy giving just as much as receiving, if not more!"

"Really?" she asked, louder this time. I nodded enthusiastically. "So, would you perhaps be one of those guys?"

"Of course!" I said. "Any guy that cares about his partner's pleasure would be happy to do that. Those that won't are just selfish pricks."

"So, if that was something I wanted..." she breathed, leaving the question open-ended.

"Try and stop me!" I smiled. "Just as soon as you want."

Scarlett looked at the clock on the bedside table. "Hmmm. Maybe... 9:36 p.m.?"

I grinned. It was 9:35. "Sounds good to me!"

She sat up, and I felt her arms brushing against my thigh as she pulled her panties off. I moved to slide beneath the covers, and she murmured, "Slow down, cowboy. You still have thirty seconds to wait!" I pouted and she giggled. "Oh, okay; I can't have my boyfriend all sad!" she added, peeling back the covers.

She lay back and spread her legs a little, allowing me to roll between them. Her tee still kept her fully covered, so I began by placing a series of soft kisses on each of her thighs in turn, slowly working my way upwards. As I neared the hem of the shirt, she spread her legs wider, allowing me to have my first glimpse of her beautiful pussy. She had clearly shaved while in the shower, and her nether lips were bare; she had left a small, well-trimmed patch of fiery red hair just above her clit.

As I worked my way higher, I could smell her arousal; her scent was heavenly and I couldn't wait to taste her, but I forced myself to take things slowly in case she changed her mind and wanted me to stop. Reaching the top of her thighs, I placed more kisses on her outer labia before making a first tentative lick on her clitoral hood.

"Oooh," she gasped. "That felt nice. Do that some more!"

I licked gently and slowly, flicking cautiously over her clit with long strokes. She tasted divine, just as I knew she would, and my cock was like a steel bar in my pants as my senses were overwhelmed by the sight, flavour and sounds of her arousal. Gradually increasing the pace, I listened to the growing intensity of her moans and knew I was on the right track when her fingers tangled in my hair.

Sensing she was getting close, I sucked gently on her clit and continued to make long sweeping motions with my tongue. "Ohhhh FUCK!" she screamed, gripping my head tightly with her hands and thighs as an orgasm washed over her. I stopped sucking and lessened the pressure on my tongue in case she became sensitive, but kept going until her thighs relaxed.

I lifted my head a little to look at her; her eyes were closed and she was panting hard. "Scarlett, are you okay?" I asked anxiously.

Her eyes opened. "I'm great! That was just... wow," she gasped. "I never came that hard before in my entire life. I didn't know they could feel that good!"

"That's okay then!" I beamed. "Would you like some more?"

"You're not done?" she asked in surprise.

"Scarlett, you taste fucking incredible. I could stay down there all night!" I chuckled.

"I think that would probably kill me," she said with a giggle, "but I could definitely manage one more!"

"Okay!" I grinned and lowered my head, beginning with longer, slower licks this time. I reached out with my right index finger and gently caressed her inner labia, enjoying how wet she felt.

"Fuck! More!" she panted, and I slowly slid my index and middle fingers inside as I picked up the pace a little with my tongue.

"Ohhh yeah!" she squealed, and I curled my fingers upwards and began to caress her g-spot, circling on the little rough patch and enjoying the little squeals that these movements elicited. As the sounds seemed to be approaching a crescendo, I sucked a little harder on her clit and she screamed loudly, a small trickle of clear fluid running down my hand as she came, her legs shaking.

Cautiously withdrawing my fingers, I lifted my head once more to look at her. This time, she opened her eyes to stare into mine. "Fuck, Joe," she gasped. "Where did you learn to do that?"

I just shrugged. "Lots of reading I guess. Was it okay?"

"It was fucking amazing! I'm exhausted now, but in a good way!" she smiled.

I beamed. "That's what I wanted. Would you like a bath or anything?"

"A bath sounds amazing. I'm... a bit sticky," she blushed. "And I think I've made a bit of a mess of my nightshirt too." She pulled it down, covering herself shyly.

"I'm sure I can find you something," I said, rolling over and stepping off the bed.

"Oh my god, Joe," she giggled. "Look at that thing!" I had been momentarily distracted by the need to find Scarlett a shirt and had forgotten that my erection now stood proud and unrestrained in my pyjama pants. "You weren't kidding when you said you enjoyed... doing that. Do you need me to do something for you?"

I wanted to say yes; of course I did, but I remembered her request to not have sex that night. Along with her obvious exhaustion after the two orgasms she'd just had, I just couldn't be that selfish. "It's okay; it'll go away in a minute. I'm sorry about that," I said sheepishly as I stumbled to my dresser. I found a blue tee shirt that looked a decent length and passed it to her. "I'll go and run you a bath and find you a towel," I added, opening the door and padding across the landing to the master bathroom.

This was another room that was pure Art Deco in style with a few modern upgrades, with black and white subway-style tiles and a huge double-ended spa bath. I turned on the taps and left the tub to fill, heading to the airing cupboard to retrieve two large fluffy bath sheets. Rummaging in the bathroom cabinet, I located the upmarket soap and lotion I kept for guests, and got out a new bath sponge, setting them all on the side of the bath, which was now filling nicely. I started the jets, and then went back to the bathroom to let Scarlett know everything was ready, noting that my cock was at last behaving itself. "The bathroom is right across the landing," I said. "Have a nice soak for as long as you need."

"Thanks," she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I'll not be too long, I promise."

I got settled into bed and decided to turn off the movie; I didn't need to see any more scenes like the last one! Instead, I looked for something we could comfortably fall asleep to, choosing 'Only Fools and Horses' as a lighthearted comedy that didn't require a lot of concentration to enjoy. Putting on one of my favourite episodes, I tried to lose myself in it and avoid thinking too much about what Scarlett would look like naked.

She walked softly into the bedroom about twenty minutes later, looking adorable as ever in my tee shirt, which barely covered her butt, and slid in next to me. "Mmmmm, nice soft warm bed," she said sleepily. "That bath was just what I needed. You're so good to me. I know you really wanted more, didn't you?"

"Well, kind of," I admitted, "but what I wanted most was to take care of you, and you had already told me that you didn't want to do anything with me tonight."

She cuddled up to me and laid her head on my chest, placing her hand on my belly perilously close to my happy trail. I put my arm around her and pulled her close, willing my cock to behave.

"You're so sweet. I'll still do something for you if you want," she murmured, and I felt her breath as she yawned.

"It's okay," I whispered. "Let's just cuddle and have a good night's sleep. I gave her a soft kiss on her forehead and she purred happily. Within a few minutes she was fast asleep. "Sweet dreams, beautiful," I whispered. It took me considerably longer to drift off, particularly as her hand kept drifting very close to the waistband of my pyjamas as she fidgeted in her sleep!

We were in a significantly different position when I awoke in the early morning light; I was spooned up behind her with my morning wood nestled firmly in between her butt cheeks, my hand on the bare skin of her lower belly as her tee shirt had ridden up. Her fingers were intertwined with mine, and I did my best to pull away without waking her.

"Mmmmm. Good morning," she mumbled sleepily.

Shit. "Good morning, beautiful," I whispered, sliding myself away carefully.

"Stay," she said, pushing herself back into me. "Snuggles are nice." Her bare butt once more enveloped my hard-on. "Oh," she giggled, now obviously more awake, "someone's happy!"

"Sorry," I said, rolling over in my embarrassment. "It just... happens in a morning. I'd better get up."