You Left Me a Long, Long Time Ago

"Maybe we should clear the pipes, hmm? Might make things later a little more fun."

"Mmm, well, if you insist," I chuckled.

She sat up, pulled off her nightie and tugged off my shorts before leaning over and taking me in her mouth. Oh, holy fuck, did it feel good! Her mouth slid over my knob and once her lips hit the end of the shaft, she let her tongue roll around the sensitive area in a most erotic manner. I realized her hand was slowly stroking my shaft adding even more stimulation. She was a woman on a mission and in no time at all, I was on the verge of an orgasm. I tapped her on her shoulder as I warned her to which she merely nodded and increased the pressure and speed. I had had decent blow jobs before but at that moment I was unable to recall any nearly as good. When I came, I forced my hips to stay still though the urge to thrust was huge. Once I relaxed back on the bed, she eased up on the stroking, raised up and gave me a sly grin.

"Like?"

"Amazing. Loved it."

"Good. I kinda liked doing it."

"Maybe I can return the favor?"

"Only if you insist," she giggled.

I guided her down to the sheets and began to kiss her again. I let my hands wander from breasts to pelvis and back. I realized when my hand drifted across her shaved lips, she thrust her pelvis up to meet my fingers. I teased her by advancing and retreating until she whimpered into my ear I was not fair in returning the favor.

I smiled at her before I headed south, my mouth trickling kisses down across her breasts and belly until I got to the Promised Land. Her smell was delightful and all woman. My tongue made a few slow passes across her labia from taint to above her clit before I concentrated on the latter. I marveled at how responsive her clit was to my licks. It slowly swelled as it emerged from its hiding place under her folds of skin. It didn't take too long to figure out what she liked the most; long, slow licks with heavy pressure followed by a little sucking action right on the clit. After a few cycles of this, her breathing got more erratic, her legs trembled and her torso slowly arched up before she came, thrashing wildly and calling out for me to 'keep doing that.' So, I kept doing it until she collapsed back on the bed and tapped my head. After I laid a few slow licks on her, she pulled me up to her, wrapped her arms and legs around me and gave me a deep, probing kiss.

"God, that was fabulous. You do know your way around a girl, don't you?"

I didn't answer the rhetorical question verbally but instead returned to kissing her again and again. She eventually broke the kissing, hopped up to get a glass of water and returned to bed. Watching her come towards me in the dim light was amazing. Her beauty was amplified by the satisfied, sexy smile on her lips. After we each had a few sips of water, she pushed me onto my back and while gently stroking my cock with one hand, produced a condom with the other.

"You just happened to have that, I see."

"Umm-hmm. I knew what I wanted so I brought some with."

"Mmm. So, did I. I guess that means we'll have to be extra busy to use them all up."

"Dream on," she laughed softly, "But if you treat me like you just did, we certainly might make a dent in our supply. Here, slip it on. I want you in me..."

Once I had it on, she nudged me over onto my back and crawled on top. I love being on bottom, whether she is sitting on her haunches or lying down right on me. Jess chose to sit and began to thrust herself back and forth on my pubic bone. I looked up at her to see her eyes closed, a tight smile on her lips and her breasts swaying with each of her thrusts. I reached up and began to stroke one nipple to her apparent delight as she began to moan slightly. Her thrusting picked up in speed and intensity as her breathing began to come in little gasps. I figured she was getting near the end but was surprised when she suddenly exploded above me. Feeling her, seeing her and hearing her climax caused me to lose it and I came seconds behind her.

When she collapsed on top of me, I could feel the slight moisture of her perspiration and her heart beating in her chest. Eventually her breathing slowed and she appeared to become more aware of her surroundings. She turned her head and kissed me on the cheek before moving over to my mouth. Her kisses were soft, warm and full of gratitude and satisfaction.

"Theo, that was uh-maaa-zing," she whispered in my ear.

"Mmm, yeah, very nice."

"I think I'm going to like staying here the full three nights."

"We could both call in and quit our jobs and stay here forever."

"Attractive as that may sound, we gotta eat and pay for the room."

"Spoil sport."

"Yeah, I guess I am but there's gotta be someone taking responsibility."

"I know, Mom, I know, but it would sure be fun to extend things, wouldn't it?"

"Mmm-hmm. Let me get up before you lose your raincoat and we have a little surprise in nine months."

As we lay there for over half an hour talking, joking and laughing, I suddenly realized I was happy. I was at peace. I lacked nothing. I felt whole. In all my times with other women I had never found myself so comfortable as I was at that moment. I tried to figure out what was so different and realized it had to be the person I was with.

Weeks later when I looked back on that night, I realized it was the beginning of my love for Jess. Prior to that I liked her, I liked her a lot. I think my going slow and allowing our relationship to develop were signs she was someone special and not merely a roll in the hay. Or maybe I was simply growing up. Who knows?

The next morning, we made love again, twice actually, before we went over for the Continental breakfast. We strolled on the beach, picked up a few sea shells and one oddly shaped piece of driftwood before we went back for a matinee performance. Dinner in town was followed by yet another roll in the hay. Apparently, once she had decided to make love, she wanted it again and again.

But what amazed me was how close I felt to her during our lovemaking. Sure, it felt good and the orgasms were beyond fantastic, but it was a sense of almost fusing together that got to me the most. With all my prior sexual episodes, I had never had that sensation, not even close. And with Jess it became an overpowering part of our relationship. And I never wanted it to stop.

On Monday morning we reluctantly packed up and as we left, I noticed Jess looking back into the cabin a few seconds before we locked the door for the last time. When she turned to the car, I spotted a tiny tear sliding down one cheek. I leaned over, lightly pulled her chin towards me and gave her a soft, loving kiss.

"You OK?"

"Uh-huh. Kinda sad to leave. It's a special spot."

"Mmm-hmm. But there'll be others, I'm sure."

"But this was the first place and it'll always be special."

"We can come back, you know."

"I'd like that. Maybe on an anniversary..."

And for the first time in my life, I did not head for the exits when a woman talked about the long term. I looked forward to our anniversary and many more.

On the next weekend she told me 'we have to talk.' I was nervous and worried what she might bring up but I took a deep breath before responding.

"What's on your mind?"

"Theo, I'll be rather blunt. Once I told my bestie about you, she warned me you have quite the reputation here in town."

"Reputation?"

"Yeah, and it's not the best, quite frankly."

"How's that?"

"It seems you have a tendency to love 'em and leave 'em."

"Oh. I see..."

"Now, I'm not about to judge anyone on what others say and I can't say I was a blushing virgin, not by a long shot, but I want to make sure we're on the same page."

"And what page is that?"

"Well, two pages, actually. The first is that if you're looking at me like another notch in your belt, then I want out right now. No hard feelings, but I don't want to get hurt. I like you. A lot. And I could see myself getting close to you so I don't want to be another short-term plaything that you plan on dropping."

"Jess, I don't plan on doing that at all. Listen, that first night at Orca Cove was fabulous. Don't get me wrong, the sex was great but I found myself closer to you than I have ever been with another, ever!"

"So....?"

"So, I have no plans on dumping you. I want to see where this goes."

"Good. And that brings up number two. Exclusive. We've gotta be exclusive."

"That's a given. I want to spend more time with you and like I said, I want to see where this goes. Is that OK with you, Girlfriend?"

"I'm your girlfriend?" she asked with a cute little smile.

"Yup."

"Good, Boyfriend, good to know. Now can we seal the deal," she laughed as she pulled me towards my bedroom.

"Only if you insist."

"I do. And I expect satisfaction," she laughed.

We got together as often as possible but the firm was even more demanding of my time. I believe Jess understood those demands as she would frequently come over and let herself into my townhouse and have a meal waiting for me when I dragged home late in the evening. She never complained about it and at least our weekends were for us. I was willing to pull long hours for the firm but only Monday through Friday afternoon but I refused to take work home on Friday evening.

Without consciously planning for it, we ended up having a weekly TGIF celebration. It was not anything fancy or special but we would get together, have a glass of wine or two at her place or mine, and use the time to nurture our relationship. There were weeks where I was so busy that I got home after nine or ten pm each night and my only contact with her was a daily quick call or a text. That is why the Fridays were so special.

Our relationship evolved and became stronger and closer despite the demands on my time. After nine or so months, I was beginning to think of our relationship in more permanent terms. I was even kicking around in my mind if I should pop the question when she dropped a surprise on me.

"Ah, Honey," she said one night as we were finishing our wine, "I've got a bit of a dilemma."

"Oh? What's that?"

"My lease is about up and I'm wondering about renewing..."

"Don't! Don't renew."

"Don't?"

"Yeah. Why don't we live together?"

"Serious?"

"Uh-huh. Serious. We'd save money but more importantly I'd love waking up with you seven days a week and not just two or three."

"You're not just talking."

"No. Let's do it. The only question I have is do we live here or find a place that's 'ours'?"

"In general, I think it's best that a new place be chosen. That way it isn't 'yours' and I'm just living here. It would be ours. But this is such a nice townhouse and I'd love living here with you."

"You would?"

"Mmm-hmm, just so long as I get to decorate."

"Mi casa es su casa. Let's do it."

Over the next month Jess moved her things into the townhouse. She replaced some of my ratty furnishings with things from her place, her bed went into the second bedroom and she practically outfitted the entire kitchen with her newer kitchenware. In no time at all, it was clearly 'our' place and not mine. We set up a common household account to pay bills and because we shared expenses, our individual financial situations improved.

But it was the increasing closeness which counted the most. I would still drag home late some nights and find a small meal to nuke waiting for me and, more importantly, a wonderful woman patiently waiting for my return. If I was not too tired, we would make love but the closeness of sleeping together was what truly mattered. I loved rolling over at night and letting my hand softly rub her butt before I drifted back to sleep. And waking up to an expert blow job was a great way to start the day. And yes, I returned the favor some mornings, waking her up with my tongue parting her folds and tasting her sweet moisture.

After we had been together for nearly a year, my work suddenly became far more demanding. One of the partners retired and another junior associate quit the firm, leaving us short-handed. I was still on track to becoming a partner but there were expectations one had to work for a certain number of years before partnership would be offered. As a result, I and several of the other juniors were simply dumped on. Our already busy load became onerous but we all accepted it, after all, we wanted that partnership.

For a few months I continued my personal policy of no work on weekends and Jess and I kept on pretty much as before. True, there were fewer rolls in the hay on weeknights as I was coming home later and later. She got into the habit of calling me around nine pm to see how I was doing and to ask when to expect me to come home. Sometimes those little video-chats were the only time I would see her awake for more than forty-eight hours. I missed her but the job demands were too great to ignore.

Then came the dreaded weekend. Our firm was representing a large business which was suing one of its subcontractors. The money on the table was huge. The business was asking for some thirty million in damages and our firm stood to take in one quarter of it if we won. Everyone in the office was tense and working extra hard to flush out the details of the suit. Even though we thought we had enough time, the judge suddenly told everyone to 'fish or cut bait' and set a trial date for a mere three weeks down the line. That was way, way too little time but we had to get the work done. Depositions, interviews, site surveys, you name it, all had to be done in short order.

And I brought my work home on Friday. You could have cut the tension with a knife once Jess realized why I had my briefcase and laptop with me. I admitted our little TGIF celebration would have to be postponed until after the trial, ate a sandwich for dinner and sat down to do work. Around eleven I staggered up to bed to find Jess asleep, rolled over on her side facing the wall. The symbolism was not lost on me. I knew she was pissed and she had every right to be. But I could not ignore the firm's desire to clean up over seven million.

The next morning when I woke up, she was gone. She had left a little note saying she was going to go shopping with a girlfriend of hers and hoped I could use the time to get my work done. By late that afternoon I still had not heard from her and began to worry a tiny bit but did not feel I should call her. After all, it was my fault, right? I texted her asking if she was coming home and what I should make for dinner. Her response was curt.

r u done w work

N

will stay with Trish 4 dinner, c u later

I knew I was in trouble. She was pissed and rightfully so. We had a 'deal,' an understanding the weekends were for us and I violated that deal. I ate a sandwich, drank a beer and went back to working on the case.

Around nine pm she came through the door. Although it was warm outside, her icy demeanor told me I was in trouble. I closed my computer and went to greet her. She accepted my hug but turned her face away from me when I went to kiss her.

"You're pissed."

"Yeah, I am."

"You get it though, don't you...?"

"What I get is your job is more important to you than I am, that's what I get. Dammit, Theo, I put up with your long hours five days a week but I thought we'd at least have our weekends together. I love you and I want to be with you and not just some shadow of the guy I once knew."

"You're right. You're absolutely right. I don't... I don't know what to do. This is a huge case and we're short at work. The demands are there, like it or not."

"OK. How long is this going to go on?"

"The trial's in two more weeks. It should last about a week, maybe a few days more."

"So, I can expect to have a roomie I never see for three more weeks?"

"I'll still be here..."

"Working your ass of and ignoring me!"

"I won't ignore you, honest."

"Well, you'll be too busy to pay me much attention."

"Yeah, I guess," I admitted meekly.

"Tell you what. I think I need a vacation. I'm going to go home and visit my folks and relax. You call me when the trial's over and I'll come back, but not a day before."

"You serious?"

"Very. And when I get back, we, you and I gotta talk."

"OooKaay. When are you leaving?"

"My flight leaves at eleven."

"What? OK, I'll give you a ride."

"No need, I'll Lyft it. I don't want to waste any of your precious time."

Sarcasm and anger were dripping from her every word. She did allow me to give her a hug when the driver tooted his horn and suddenly, she was gone.

As I had a great deal of difficulty concentrating for the rest of the evening, I threw in the towel and hit the sack. After sleeping with her for so long, it felt weird being in bed alone. And I missed her. I lay there thinking over our, my situation and I realized I was being squeezed between two competing forces: my work and my girlfriend. And I hated it but could not figure a way to work things out. The case was huge, we were short-handed and I was an essential player in the firm's team. And I was in love with a wonderful woman who reasonably demanded a fair share of my time. I tossed and turned for most of the night before falling asleep around three or four.

I will not go into detail about the next three weeks. I worked my ass off, called Jess each evening to say 'Hi' and got increasingly nervous. I was nervous about the trial but more about Jess. Her voice was soft and she was polite on each call but the warmth was missing. I tried to be as upbeat as possible and kept telling myself all would work out in the end.

The trial was, in a way, a letdown. We stomped 'em. The jury was out only for three hours and ruled unanimously in our client's favor. The elation I felt initially was tempered by the knowledge Jess was returning and we would have to have our little talk. I picked her up at the airport and took her out to dinner. We talked mainly about her family and her trip. She knew we had won the case but I did not think it was such a great idea to review the case since it was part of the reason we were in trouble.

After dinner we drove home and settled in on the couch. I offered her a glass of wine and readied myself for 'the talk.' Instead, she surprised me by crawling on my lap and kissing me deeply. We swapped spit for a while and after I found myself getting truly turned on, she reached down, felt me and whispered, "I missed him. And he owes me big."

She dragged me back to the bedroom where we had fabulous make-up sex. We laughed, teased, kissed, licked and stroked until we were both on edge. My orgasm was over the top and I believe hers was as well. Once we recovered and brushed our teeth, we crawled back into bed. I was on my back while she had her head on my chest. I gently ran my fingers through her hair and lightly stroked her back. As I was drifting asleep, she whispered "I love you, Theo, and I don't want to ever have this kind of thing happen again."

"I love you, too, and I promise it won't. Good-night, Love."

"Night."

It was during our second cup of coffee in the morning that she cleared her throat and looked me in the eye. "You made a big promise last night. Do you intend on keeping it?"

"Yes, I do."

"And if they hit you with another case like that, what'll you do?"

"I don't know. I think what I should do is go to both Jenkins and Thomas and let them know that I can't be doing that again."

"What about your partnership?"

"I may not qualify but if I appeal to their good senses, they'll let me stay as a junior associate."

"Somehow, Theo, I don't see you doing that. You love law, you love your work and I can't see you dropping that one goal you've had ever since you started there."

"Maybe that goal has shifted since I met you."

"Maybe."