Wrong Bed, Right Man

This is my contribution to the Winter Holidays Story Contest 2022 Please remember to vote at the end and thanks for taking the time to read.

Copyright (c) 2022 Ada Stuart, All Rights Reserved.

This work may not be published whether for fee or free without this copyright.

Elise's wish list from last year:

1. A hot weekend with Josh

2. A proposal from Josh

Elise looked at her silly notes in last year's diary as she slid her fingers through her long, brownish hair. Last year, she thought Josh was the one. Even if they were both only 24 years old and dating for about four months, she knew that no other man would ever suit her better. Josh was the man she planned to marry and have 1,9 kids with. Imagining her future with the detached house and the white picket fence. She felt embarrassed just thinking about it. How could she have been so blind?

She had been so sure that she'd also dreamed about how he would propose. How romantic it would be. Her only worry was whether she could let him ask before she accepted and flung herself into Josh's arms.

Yeah right. Silly notes and an even more foolish dream. In reality, Josh had broken off with her only six months later. Giving her a vague explanation that they needed some time apart to find out what they wanted. It had been clear what he wanted: space.

In retrospect, it was probably for the best that he'd grown a backbone and said it like it was. Elise would still be in the dark if he hadn't. All the time, she'd thought they were happy together, and they went along just like any other couple. No wonder she'd been stunned and just gawked at him when he broke it off with her.

She had probably been more foolish than she should have been. As if 4 months of dating was the perfect foundation to plan for more than just a quick affair.

It wasn't like she missed Josh much. Not at all. It was more the feeling of being with someone that she missed. To have someone beside her she wanted to spend time with. That was what she really longed for. The wish list was a brutal reminder of how quickly her life could turn from happiness into a total disaster.

Maybe it was safer to avoid making a wish list this year? They may work well for other people. But for her, they often gave her the opposite of what she really wanted. Maybe there was something to the saying: 'Be careful what you wish for'?

Nah. Elise could ask for the opposite of what she really wanted, something like:

Elise's wish list:

1. I want to remain single for another year.

2. I don't want a man in my bed.

Those wishes would come true. Or perhaps her wish list hadn't been specific enough? Sure, why not? Maybe it was better to be upfront with what she wanted from Santa this year. She turned another page on her notebook and made the adjustments.

Elise's wish list version 2:

1. An orgasm

2. Passionate sex with a gorgeous man (no strings required)

Much better. But then again, if fate gave her the opposite of what was on her wish list, the result would be just as bad as last year. Elise wondered if it was safer to just erase the words right away. But after all, 'those that never dared, never won'.

She sighed. She needed to get laid. That was the bottom line. Even her wish list showed how desperate she was. She added one more to the list. The one thing she really longed for:

Elise's wish list version 3:

1. An orgasm

2. Passionate sex with a gorgeous man (no strings required)

3. A boyfriend

Her cell phone beeped with an incoming message from her best friend, Lynn.

'Are you coming or what? I'm parked out front.'

Lynn was always in a hurry. Elise put her notebook away and hurried to grab her bags. What better way to work on her list than to spend a few days in a remote cottage with friends? If she was lucky, she might even start on her wish list.

"I heard Tom will join us this year," Lynn said as they sat in her car. "He will be perfect for that wish list of yours."

"You mean my list of failures? I should change the title."

"There's nothing wrong with getting your priorities straight. And I heartily approve of your choices this year," Lynn said.

"Tom is not boyfriend material."

"Who says it has to be the same man? You can have sex with one man and thereafter find another man to be your boyfriend. The more, the merrier, eh?" Lynn gave her a broad smile before she focused on her driving.

Elise laughed. "Yes, you're right. Since it's the Christmas season, it's probably better to be generous."

"Tom is still a good choice. He's legendary in the bedroom."

"Only in the bedroom?"

"I didn't ask for details, even if Sally was bursting to tell me."

"What stopped you? You always seem to know everything about everybody," Elise said, teasing her friend for her curiosity.

"I already have difficulties not staring at his crotch every time I see him."

"Sounds like you should go after him instead of pushing me to do it."

"No. I want you to have the best, and apparently, Tom is the one."

"According to the rumours?"

"The rumours are probably true."

"I don't believe it until I have proof," Elise said.

Lynn chuckled. "Then you know what do to. I'll find out which room is his, and you can lie naked and wait for him when he goes to bed."

"No way. I'll do nothing as crude as to lie naked in some guy's bed just because I want to have sex with him."

"It might work."

"It lacks finesse," Elise snorted.

"Who cares about finesse as long as you get what you want?"

"I care. It's totally beneath me, and I'm not that desperate."

"It might be good for you."

"Sure. I might like chocolate, but eating a ton isn't wise."

"Getting laid is much better than chocolate."

"I'm not sure about that," Elise said, and laughed. "Didn't chocolate have the same effect as an orgasm?"

"You need to experience both to compare," Lynn reminded her.

"Probably," Elise said. It was the reason an orgasm was the first on her list. Despite all Josh's attempts, she'd never had one with a partner. The longer it took, the more frustrated they both became, and she'd faked it just to avoid talking about it. Everyone had orgasms. Why couldn't she be one of them? One of the normal people?

Elise remembered her words as she lay naked beneath the duvet in Tom's room.

'I'm not that desperate.'

How the mighty have fallen. During the evening, combined with the alcohol Elise had imbibed, Lynn's suggestion sounded like a good plan. Particularly when Lynn had figured out which room Tom was using. All these things added together with her wish list, landing her lying naked in his bed, waiting for him to make an appearance.

Lynn had helped Elise sneak inside with no one noticing. But so far, there had been no sign of the man himself. What if he'd found some other bed to sleep in for the night? It would ruin her plan. Then Elise heard someone grab the handle, and she hid underneath the duvet.

"What the fuck?" she heard a male voice ask.

Oops, that wasn't Tom. But who was it? The thick duvet obstructed the sound and made it difficult to recognise his voice. Still, there was something weirdly familiar about it. She peeked over the edge, trying to make out his face in the half-lit room.

"Elise?" He sounded just as surprised as she felt.

But this time, she recognised his voice. Oh my good. Could her luck get any worse than it already had? Her wish list was cursed. She lifted the cover away from her face and confirmed her suspicions.

"Uhm, hi, Callum. What are you doing here?" Elise tried to sound like she knew what she was doing.

He stared at her. "I might ask you the same question. What the hell are you doing in my bed?"

"This isn't your bed," Elise said quickly.

"Sure is. This is my room. And my bed." He nodded toward her.

"Are you sure about that?" Elise knew her question was stupid, but it slipped out of her mouth. Feeling all too aware that she was completely naked underneath the duvet.

"Of course, I'm sure. And I intend to sleep in it right now."

"Damn. I can't believe she would pull that trick on me."

"Who?" Callum pulled off his thick sweater, giving her a quick glimpse of his naked stomach as his t-shirt lifted slightly.

'Oh gosh.' Elise struggled to speak while she stared at what he was revealing. She had heard that he worked out a lot, but she didn't know he was this muscular. Still, the glimpse he gave her made her even more curious to see his naked chest.

Callum was only a few years older than her, but he had always been more a friend of her older brother, Aaron, than of her. Still, she figured she knew him well enough since they were both part of the same group of friends from university. He was often the voice of reason and cared for the others if they had a mishap. She guessed that summed up her present situation really well.

"Who set you up, Elise?" Callum repeated his question as he focused his deep brown eyes on her.

Elise lifted her gaze and tried to focus on his question instead of the skin he hid beneath his wide t-shirt.

"Lynn did. She said this was Tom's room."

"Nope. This has always been mine. The blue door. Everybody knows that."

"Sorry. I'll go somewhere else," Elise said as she sat up and held the covers so that only her naked shoulders were visible.

His eyes zoomed in on the skin she revealed. He looked even more suspicious. "You want to explain why you're naked?"

"Uhm no. I prefer not to."

"Spit it out, Elise. Why Tom, of all people? Why would you lie naked in his bed? You're up to something you're not supposed to, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Does Aaron know?"

"What has my brother to do with this?" She sighed. "No, he doesn't know, and he doesn't have to, either." Elise glared at him as his smile broadened.

"No wonder he asked me to keep an eye on you. You always get into trouble." He shrugged his shoulders and grinned at her before tugging at the duvet.

"Don't!" She gave him an affronted look.

"Are you completely naked under there? I wonder what Aaron might think when I tell him I found his sister lying naked in my bed. Might be an interesting conversation, don't you think?"

"You're not allowed to tell him anything, Callum."

"Spoilsport. I bet his eyes will bulge out of their sockets, and his face will turn red. You will get grounded for a year at least." Callum seemed to find it funny as his laughter rang through his words.

"He'll be on my tail for the rest of my life, so he doesn't have to know."

"And what will you give me in return for my silence?"

"Nothing. You're a gentleman, Callum. If you could turn around for a few minutes, I'll get dressed and get out of here."

He chuckled. "No way. I think I deserve to have something nice to look at."

"Callum!"

"Why Tom's room?"

"No particular reason," Elise said and slid to the edge of the bed, holding the duvet against her. She tried to spot her underwear on the other side of the room. Damn, why did she think it was such a brilliant idea to put her clothes over by the door?

Callum sat down on the duvet, making it impossible for her to use it for cover if she tried to slip from the bed. She clung to the fabric. Didn't want to reveal too much. His grin made no secret of how much he enjoyed the situation. He wouldn't let her get away before he got every foolish detail from her. She knew him too well.

"Alright. Start talking, Elise," Callum said. "You owe me an explanation after you almost gave me a heart attack."

Elise looked sky-high. Why on earth would he want to know? It didn't concern him, and he would only laugh at her silly list before throwing her out. Besides, with his athletic body, he would never be in danger of getting a heart attack just because he found a naked woman in his bed.

She went for the milder version. "Someone said Tom was good in bed."

"Really? And who was that someone?"

"One of the other women."

"And you believed them?"

"Sure, why not? It's not like you would know, would you?"

Callum snorted. "Just because the guy is a major player doesn't mean he's got the bed skills to match it."

"Practise makes perfect, I guess."

"Hardly," Callum said with a laugh. "What makes you so interested?"

"Nothing in particular. It was just a stupid idea."

"Try again."

"It's my Christmas wish," Elise blurted out.

"Having sex with Tom? Are you out of your mind?" Callum looked as if he'd swallowed something sour. "What happened to wanting new clothes and cinema tickets?"

"I'm 24, not ten."

"And?" Callum moved further up on the bed and leaned his back against the wall, looking relaxed while he enjoyed the conversation even more. The biggest problem was that he also covered even more of the duvet, making it difficult to keep herself covered.

"Sit still, you dork," she fumed at him.

"It's not my problem that you undressed before finding out if you chose the right room." He looked enormously content.

"You're embarrassing me."

Callum snorted in laughter. "I think you've accomplished that by yourself. If I was a jerk, I might have snapped a few shots of you and posted them on my social media. I might even have added the comment: 'Found a naked woman in my bed. Do not disturb.' I'm not sure which hashtag to add, but I'll think of something."

"You wouldn't."

"True. I wouldn't. But there are plenty of guys that would. You should consider that before lying naked in another man's bed."

"Do you know which room is Tom's?"

"Sure I do. But I'm not telling you. He's not alone."

"You're being really helpful."

"Not at all. I might have offered to help you with your Christmas wish if I was."

"You would?"

"I might. Depend on what it is."

"I want an orgasm."

"Don't we all?"

"No, I mean, that's my Christmas wish."

"An orgasm?"

"Yes."

"I thought you dated that other guy?" Callum asked.

"Josh. Yes, I did, but it didn't work out."

"I'm sorry. I don't follow. You want an orgasm because... what?"

"Because I've never had one," Elise admitted.

"Never?"

"No."

"Not even with Josh?"

"I faked them. He didn't seem to know the difference."

Callum snorted in laughter. "Oh fuck. I don't need to know that."

"It's the truth."

He shook his head. "How could he not know? For crying out loud. It's not rocket science."

"Maybe not to you. But to the rest of us, it might be," she admitted. She paused before heading straight into something she might regret. "Are you seeing anyone now?"

"No."

"Then can you help me?"

"With the orgasm problem?"

She nodded, feeling her cheeks warming up so much it had to be visible.

"No way. Aaron will kill me. You should wait for the right guy."

Fucking great. It reduced her brilliant plan to beg any guy around for sex. It couldn't get any worse, could it?

"I'm fed up with waiting. I want to learn right now."

He sighed. "And what do you intend to do if I refuse to help you?"

She knew she had him. "I will find someone else. In fact, I'll head back to the party and check if any of the other guys are still sober enough to give me a hand."

Callum grabbed her arm and held her back. "You're not going anywhere."

"So you'll help me?"

"I didn't say that."

"Oh come on. I just want to know what it feels like. You don't have to get undressed or anything."

Callum glared at her. "What if I only want to sleep?"

Elise sighed, knowing she was unreasonable. "I'm sorry. Please forget what I asked for. I'll find someone else to help me. Someone willing."

She pulled her arm from his grip and got off the bed, ignoring the fact that she flashed her naked ass to him. Quickly, she sifted through her clothes and found her panties. Just as she lifted her right leg to step into it, she felt a pair of muscular arms wrap around her waist.

"Alright. I'll show you. But only once," Callum said hoarsely.

Hope rose inside her from his words. "Once is all I'm asking."

"Get on the bed," he said as he pulled the duvet aside.

She tried to get underneath it, but he held it away from her.

"Uh oh," he said. "On your back. Legs and arms spread."

"Why?" Elise wondered if she'd heard him right. "It sounds like you've been watching too much porn, Callum."

"Do you want my help or not?"

"Sure I do." There didn't seem to be any other alternative but to follow his request. Not if she wanted his help. She lay down and lifted her arms above her head before she spread her legs a little. It would have to do. She pretended to be braver than she felt. "Do you want to tie me up too?"

He chuckled. "Tempting, but not this time."

She wondered about his words. 'This time?' Did that mean he wanted to repeat the experience? Or was it just a slip of his tongue?

He lay down beside her without touching her. His long body was alongside hers. She looked at him, watching as his eyes slid over her body as if he were considering where to begin. It made her curious. Excited.

What would it feel like to be with someone she considered a friend? Someone she trusted? Or was it wrong to trust him with her body? After all, there was no way she would know whether he had the same kindness in bed as he did when they talked. Was he hiding something? Some sexual kink that was better left hidden?

Callum was still wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Elise wondered what he looked like underneath the fabric. She was curious to see if the bulges on his chest hid a six-pack or if it was just her imagination running crazy. She reached out her hand toward him, trying to break the spell he had put her in. His hand closed around her hand, preventing her from reaching for him.

"My rules. Or we will only sleep," Callum said.

Her surprise probably showed on her face. His tone of voice spoke of a dominance that normally only touched the surface of his personality. Was there something more interesting lurking beneath his friendly and calm façade? In fact, the more she saw of him, the more intrigued she felt.

"And what do your rules include?" Elise asked.

"I touch you. But not vice versa."

"You don't want me to participate?"

"On the contrary. I want your full participation and capitulation," Callum said calmly.

"Sounds serious."

"It's not. I touch you, but you don't touch me. I want you to focus on yourself. Not on what a partner might expect or require."

"Fair enough. I can be lazy. But I might forget myself."

"If you do, I will tie you up."

Again, he surprised her. But despite his words, all she felt was desire. Arousal. Feeling the temptation to turn all the decisions into his capable hands and let him teach her what he knew.

"Are you sure you can make me come?" Elise asked.

"Are you sure you're ready to accept my rules?" Callum returned.

"Yes," she blurted out. Didn't want to lose the courage or risk that he withdrew his offer.

"Lay down and try not to move."

She did as he instructed. He moved closer before he placed his hand on her stomach, spreading his fingers out wide and letting the tip of his thumb brush against her right breast. She felt him slide his hand further up, cupping her breast. Slowly, he let his fingers slide into the valley between her breasts and further up to her shoulders.

She wondered why he avoided touching her nipples. Every man went straight to her nipples and tightened around them. It had always annoyed her. It often felt so uncomfortable and painful that her arousal faded.

She felt his fingers slide over the bones on her shoulders, following each of them before curling around them and heading toward her other shoulder. It was like he was learning her body by heart, memorising every detail before he leaned down and kissed the area between her neck and shoulder.