Title: Lust
Autor: Belit
Disclaimer: I don’t own them.
Rating: NC-17
Summary: AU. No aliens. Can be summarized as; Christmas, smut, Michael and Maria…
Notes: Special thanks to Charlotte for beta reading the fic, and Sandra for making the amazing banner!
PART 1
Lust…
It was all she could feel as she followed the swift movements of his hands. He had big hands. Big, strong… She could imagine how they would feel on her skin. She shivered at the thought.
He handed her the coffee cup without once looking up. She took it carefully, not letting their fingers touch. Who knew what could happen if they touched? He was killing her just by existing…
“Tall, black,” he said distractedly to her, and gave her the change.
Tall. She always ordered tall. That way she could spend more time there pretending not to watch him.
She took the coffee and made her way to her table. She positioned herself at the perfect spot where she knew she could watch him without being too obvious, and opened her book.
It had been a month since she had moved there. The place wasn’t her first choice, but it was cheap and just had to do until she could afford better. Her apartment was on the fourth floor of the coffee shop’s building. Yeah, lucky for her. It made it quite easy to see him every day.
She had first seen him the night after she moved in. Having nothing to eat, she had found herself downstairs in front of the closed coffee shop. She had stood there unmoving for what seemed like an eternity, and watched him sweep the floor.
She was 24 years old. She had seen topless guys before. She had seen plenty of naked guys in college actually, but none of them had prepared her for the way he looked. She had found herself trembling as she watched the way his muscles moved, the way sweat trickled down his chest… Completely forgetting about food, she had run back upstairs with wobbly knees.
She had become addicted to watching him in the last few weeks. There was something about him. She wasn’t denying being horny. But it wasn’t totally about that. He wasn’t just a good looking guy she wanted to fulfil her need with. It was scary to even think that, but she was starting to believe that he was the need.
Turning another unread page of the book, she tried to keep her eyes away from him. One day… One day she was going to either stop watching or finally do something extremely stupid. One day…
- - -
“So, Guerin… Are you still refusing to make a move?”
Michael Guerin turned his death glare to Kyle Valenti. Could his day get any worse? The guy was a complete jackass, but Michael had to bite his lip and stop himself from snapping at him. It wouldn’t be a good idea since he was working for the jerk’s father. It was sad, but he needed the pathetic excuse for a job.
“What are you talking about Kyle?”
“The blonde chick, she’s hot!” Kyle said with a grin that made Michael want to puke.
He looked over to the corner table where she always sat, and let himself see her. Her hair was wild, wavy and falling around her face. She was small. And delicate. Yes, he knew she had delicate hands, he had delivered her coffee for long enough to notice that.
Her small hand reached up to push a strand of hair behind her ear as he watched, and their eyes met for a brief moment. Time stopped, and he froze where he stood, unable to look away. She had green eyes. Long eyelashes. Pink lips. Then everything turned back to normal, and she lowered her head to her book, letting her hair cover her blush.
She looked beautiful when she blushed.
Michael jerked away in disgust when Kyle put his arm over his shoulder. “She wants you,” he stated.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Michael muttered as he kept himself busy arranging cups.
“Hey, you know, I can get lucky if you’re not interested…”
Kyle smirked at Michael’s obvious discomfort, and shook his head. The guy was just clueless…
- - -
Maria walked down the crowded street, hopping like a little girl as she watched the twinkling lights everywhere. It was funny to watch so many people get all flustered over a holiday. They were buying presents, trees and food in a haste to make Christmas perfect for their families. No one was going to use those presents, and half the food was going to be thrown away. Trees were going to die, and the sweet panic of another past Christmas would be locked away in people’s memories in a couple of days.
Except for her.
She didn’t have a family to share Christmas with anymore. She didn’t have anyone to buy presents for. Most of the time she enjoyed living alone, and not having to explain her every action to everyone. Freedom… It felt good. Powerful. But sometimes… Sometimes she was just lonely. Sometimes she just needed someone else’s warmth.
Stopping in front of a red and white window display, she thought about buying a tree for her apartment. It could make her feel a little more Christmassy maybe. But seeing the prices, she quickly changed her mind. She couldn’t chance starving just to make herself feel up to singing Jingle Bells.
She entered the coffee shop soaking wet, water dripping from her hair. The only thing worse than a lonely Christmas was a rainy Christmas. Wasn’t it supposed to be snowing? Didn’t they have laws for that kind of thing?
Taking off her coat, she sat at the counter with the dream of a hot chocolate. She usually never sat at the counter. It was too close. Watching from afar was okay, but being close enough to touch was dangerous. She had started to confuse reality with fantasy a long time ago when it came to him. She needed to believe she was still sane, and kissing the guy out of nowhere would make that really hard.
At that moment, cold and wet, all she could think about was drinking something hot, and doing it fast. The stools at the counter were much closer to the hot liquids she knew they were hiding back there. She wasn’t capable of thinking any further than that.
Her eyes caught movement at the other side and she reached to grab the familiar brown haired guy’s arm. “Can I have a hot chocolate please?”
Kyle smirked at the girl and looked around for a cup. Where the hell did Guerin keep those?
Filling a cup he hoped was clean with something he thought was hot chocolate, he handed it to the girl. “Here you go.”
She grabbed the cup and drank the brown liquid without even tasting it. It was hot and that was enough.
After she finished her first cup, she noticed the guy leaning against the wall, watching her. She rose her eyebrow questioningly at him. What the hell was his problem?
“Kyle Valenti,” he said, extending his hand to her.
She hesitated for a moment, but decided to be nice. It was Christmas after all. “Maria DeLuca. Nice to meet you.”
“So, Ms DeLuca,” Kyle said slyly, leaning towards her above the counter. “…Do you live close to here? I always see you around.”
“I do actually,” Maria stated, already sorry that she had decided to play nice for once.
“You always come alone. Such a shame. A beautiful lady like you…”
Kyle’s words were cut short with the sound of a banging door. Michael Guerin placed one firm hand on his shoulder, and pulled him slightly back, away from Maria. “Kyle, you can leave now, I can handle the rest.”
Maria's heart fluttered in her chest, and her body started to throb all over with the knowledge that he was so close. She wanted to close her eyes, and just listen to his voice. She was sure it would be enough to carry her over the edge all by itself, but his face so close was too much of a temptation.
Kyle mumbled a silent goodbye, and headed out. She wasn’t that hot anyway. Definitely not hot enough to get beaten up by the big bad Guerin. That guy had problems… and muscles…
Michael kept his hands busy and his eyes away from the only customer in the shop. She was staring. That was a first. She was just staring at him wide eyed with a shocked expression on her face. It was starting to get to him.
He stopped in front of her, and sighed in exasperation. Meeting her eyes dead on, he tried to keep his back off glare. She ducked her head and blushed. Damn, she looked so hot when she blushed.
Her ivory skin was now a little pink around her cheeks. Her hair was wet and plastered around her face, making her look like a lost puppy. He gulped when his eyes travelled down, and her cleavage entered his view. He tried to push away the pictures of her naked breasts from his mind. Not good. Undressing customers was so not good.
Her eyes met his, her blush deepening every second, and he felt trapped. Even though he knew she had no idea what he had been thinking about, it felt terrible to get caught like that. He probably had guilty written all over him.
She wet her lips, gathering her courage to talk without squeaking. Her mind screamed too close as she found herself getting fast away from reality. It was just two words she needed to say, but it took all her strength to get them out.
“Thank you,” she said with the most soft and melodic voice he'd ever heard. His brow creased for a moment as he tried to figure out what she was talking about. He hadn't served her, and he hadn't talked to her… Oh… Kyle…
He nodded once, terrified of saying something stupid if he talked.
Pushing the cup away, she stood up abruptly. That wasn’t good. She had started to think about how he would smell, and pictured herself burying her face in his neck. That couldn’t be good. She had to get out before she embarrassed herself.
With one small smile that made his stomach muscles clench and flutter, she ran outside into the pouring rain. When she was out of his sight he took a deep breath and went back to work, his mind starting to create pictures of her he knew he wouldn’t be able to shake away.
PART 2
Maria was sitting cuddled in her comforter in her way too small balcony, sipping her milk and watching the stars when she heard the familiar roar of the engine. She looked down, her heart already running a mile a minute, and watched as he sped away on his bike.
Damn! He just had to have a bike, didn’t he?! She had always had a thing for the image of the biker rebel type, and seeing him, her sex god in black jeans, straddle the machine was just too much for her poor old heart. The way his hair flew in the wind, and his strong hands gripping the…
Okay, stop, stop, stop!!
She had started to pant just from the thought. She didn’t need to torture herself further by getting all hot and flustered with only her teddy bear waiting for her in her bed.
She sighed and hugged the comforter closer. It was nothing new. Just another lonely night. She could make it through. She knew she could.
- - -
Michael was enjoying the silence. It wasn’t everyday that he got to relax and be alone in the damn shop. The place was constantly swarming with people. Not tonight though. Tonight he was going to enjoy making easy money. Everyone was enjoying Christmas Eve with their families. He had no idea why they were supposed to be open, but he wasn’t about to complain. Extra cash was always welcome.
He sighed and cursed inwardly when he heard the door open. Just his luck!
He stood up slowly, scowling without a care about what the customer might think. The damn customer was invading his peaceful night, and he was intent on making his discomfort known.
He froze in his spot when he saw who was standing in front of him.
The blonde girl, in her pyjamas…
What the hell…?
She was hugging herself uncomfortably, her face frozen from the cold wind outside. He suspected that the things she wore did almost nothing to warm her up. His eyes roamed over her body. They definitely did nothing to hide what was underneath. His eyes found her feet and he looked at her questioningly.
“You forgot to wear shoes.”
“I know,” she said nodding, an expression of distress on her face. “I…I kinda left in a hurry.”
“I can see that,” he said looking at her pyjamas. They were cute. Childish. Not sexy. Then why the hell was he finding it hard to breathe?
“I… Uh…” she looked around anxiously. “I kinda need a little help. Can you come with me upstairs for a second?”
He looked around, there was no one to cover for him. But the place was empty anyway. Should he just… What did she need help for? He forced the naughty thoughts away from his mind. This was real life, things didn’t work here like they did in porn movies.
Nodding to her once, he grabbed the keys and followed her.
- - -
“That’s it, right here…”
She opened the door with the spare key she kept under the doormat, and entered the apartment with caution. She was just walking in with her bare feet when she heard his firm voice.
“Wait!”
She followed his gaze and saw the pieces of her favourite mug right in front of her. She had completely forgotten about dropping it. Kneeling to gather the pieces, she pointed him to the bathroom.
“It’s in there. But be careful. It’s huge!”
He tried to hide his smile at her wide eyes. So naïve.
Spotting the huge cockroach on the tiled floor, he casually raised his foot to step on the problem. His boots seemed like the easiest solution.
“Nooo!!!”
He stopped and turned around to face her. What was her problem now? She ran inside and came back with an empty jar. He looked stupefied as he took it from her. What was that supposed to mean? What were they going to do with a jar?
“Put it in the jar,” she explained, looking at him like he should have guessed it.
“What? You’ll keep the bug?”
She stepped back a little as he tried to force the cockroach in with the lid of the jar. “No… I just… don’t want to kill it.”
“What are you gonna do with it?” he asked, watching the bug as it tried to crawl out.
“I don’t know. Throw it out I guess.”
“It’ll come back. You should kill it.”
“No! I don’t feel like killing anybody tonight.”
Michael smirked, “Good to know.”
They stood there for a moment, looking at each other. Time stopped, and the world around them blurred. The girl -he still didn’t know her name- was shining. She looked like a mirage with her golden hair, green eyes and pink lips…
He shook himself to stop staring. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t supposed to be there. He wasn’t supposed to complicate his life again. He needed simplicity. He wanted it. Working in a coffee shop was simple. Going home and watching TV was simple. Standing in a beautiful young woman’s apartment in the middle of the night definitely wasn’t.
He held out the jar to her absentmindedly, and jerked it away when a shriek escaped her lips. “Uh… Sorry. You want me to take this?”
“Yes! Please, thank you.” Nodding once, he headed towards the door.
- - -
Michael was sitting in the shop alone, bored out of his mind, talking to the cockroach in the jar.
“You’re a lucky bastard, I would have killed you if not for her.”
His brow furrowed as he found himself thinking about her once again. He had wanted to kiss her so badly. But that thought was leading to others, like pushing her up against a wall and tearing her clothes off. He didn’t need another woman in his life. Another woman who would seem like an angel at first, but in time turn into a demanding, blood sucking vampire. He was through with women. He didn’t want them. Nope. He didn’t…
He looked around to find something to feed to the bug, but all they had around was coffee beans. He didn’t think it would go for that. He tapped on the glass to get its attention. “What do you guys eat?”
“You can try sugar…”
His heart skipped a beat. She was there. Again. In her pyjamas.
Damn…
“You have shoes this time…” he stated looking at her feet.
“Yeah,” she said, slowly walking closer to him.
She sat down on a stool in front of him, and extended her hand to him. “Maria DeLuca.”
He gulped and touched her hand tentatively. Delicate. Soft. Just like he thought they would feel. “Michael Guerin.”
She gave him a shy smile, and ducked her head slightly. “So… you’re keeping my cockroach?”
He chuckled. “It was keeping me company.”
“Why are you working tonight?”
He pushed the jar away from where she was sitting, and shrugged. “Got nothing better to do.”
“I know… Me too…” she said, her eyes lingering on his face.
“You know… Uh… I…” Why she was suddenly stuttering, she had no idea. She had the whole conversation planned in her head before she entered the shop, but now, under his intense gaze, she couldn’t remember a word of it. “You can… you know… come upstairs if you want… after work or something. Tonight… or tomorrow night… of course if you have nothing better to do… which I'm sure you do… But I’ll try to cook… and I don’t have anything else to do…”
She closed her eyes tightly, and counted inwardly to ten. That had been lame. Really really lame. She stood up abruptly. “Uh… You know what… I…”
She turned to leave, but changed her mind before she could take one step away, and faced him again. “Are you married?” she asked suddenly, looking in his eyes to see the truth.
“No.”
“Are you in a committed relationship?”
“No,” Michael said, and swallowed hard as she took a step closer to him.
“Okay,” she said under her breath, and her eyes dropped to his lips. Perfect. She had imagined how they would feel a million times. Her hand came up to softly touch his chin and trace his slightly parted lips.
“I'm going to kiss you then,” she said in a hoarse whisper, her chest heaving with her laboured breathing.
Michael watched in slow motion as she raised on her toes, and pushing herself up on the counter with her hands, pressed her lips to his.
PART 3
It was supposed to be a soft kiss. That was what she’d had in mind. She was going to kiss him to prove to herself that he wasn’t anything out of this world, and that she wasn’t a coward. But once their lips touched, and she felt his hands cup her face, she knew there was no way in hell she could keep the kiss innocent.
Her lips moved against his sensually. Soft. Warm. He opened his mouth greedily, and tasted her. Sweet. There was a small voice at the back of his mind telling him to slow down, but he pushed it away. It was already too late.
He tried to pull her closer to feel her against him, but then remembered the counter between them. Damn! How was he going to get to the other side without breaking the kiss?
Convincing himself that she wouldn’t run away if he let her go just for a couple of seconds, he pulled back slightly. He looked at her face; her eyes were closed, her lips were red and she was breathing hard. The sight awoke something primal inside him. He had to touch… feel… taste…
His eyes drifted to the glass doors right behind her, and he saw a couple walking by. Lights. He had to get to the light switch.
Moving faster than he'd ever done before, he reached for the light switch. Satisfied with the dim light in the room coming from the street lamp, he jumped over the counter to get to her. There she was; still standing in her pyjamas, her chest heaving with every excited breath she took.
Unwilling to listen to reason, he wrapped his arms around her slim waist and pulled her body flush against his. Warm and soft. Just as he imagined. Just as she looked. Her eyes were still closed, and her lips were searching for his in a daze. He would have watched her face all night if the desire hadn’t been so maddening. He took her lips again in a searing kiss, and let go of his remaining control with the feel of her hands in his hair.
Their tongues fought a battle neither wanted to win as his hands dared to slip under her top. Her skin was as smooth as it looked. He let his hands travel up her chest, one word echoing in his head. Cream. She felt like cream.
Her head fell back and broke their kiss when the hands she'd dreamt about for so long touched her breasts. He groaned when he felt her skin without any restrictions. No bra. Damn! He wasn’t ready for this.
But ready or not, she was there, and he wasn’t about to let go.
His lips kissed a trail of fire down her neck, making her knees so weak that she had to lean against the counter behind her to stay standing. Her hands gripped his shoulders, strong and firm under her touch. She had always thought that she was above the strong man fetish most women seemed to have… Well… She'd been wrong.
Even his scent was strong. Masculine. His large hands, cupping her breasts, were moving slowly, kneading the soft flesh, and she wanted to scream for him to hold her harder, stronger, pull her closer until she couldn’t breathe.
His lips reached the cotton pyjama top covering her, and he growled in frustration. He pulled his hands away from her breasts to unbutton the annoying piece of clothing, and couldn’t help but feel triumphant when she gasped at the loss of his touch.
He unbuttoned her top slowly, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. His breathing was laboured and erratic, and it was the only sound in the room. He held his breath as the soft material slipped down her shoulders to expose the creamy white skin of her chest.
Suddenly he was a teenager again, about to have a heart attack from excitement. She was… exquisite. His hands tentatively reached to touch her waist once more. He was too scared to place them any higher.
He enjoyed the view for a moment. Her too large pyjama bottoms were folded low on her hips, showing her taut stomach. A blush rose from her ivory breasts to her neck as he gazed at her freely, apparently making her feel self-conscious. It only made him want to watch her more.
It was perfection. Her dark pink nipples were erect and taunting him with every rise and fall of her chest. The curve of her breasts, the way she arched her neck… Her every move was graceful. And definitely sexy.
Finally his eyes settled on her face, and he frowned. Her eyes were still closed.
He took a step closer to her, mating their lower bodies. She gasped and swallowed hard when she felt his erection pressing against her through their clothes. He wanted her, that was for sure. Why was she still so scared?
He leaned closer, and whispered to her ear, his breath scorching her skin. “Maria, open your eyes.”
All she could manage was to let out a whimper as he nipped through her jawline. He whispered again when his lips reached hers. “Maria…”
He pulled back to watch her face after giving her a brief, soft kiss. Her eyes slowly opened, like the act itself was a torture to her, and she looked right at him with a hunger he hadn't expected to see.
Green. Bright green. He could swear that they saw right through his soul. She was an angel, or a fairy, or… He wasn’t sure what… Something magical… Entrancing…
His hand, so big and strong that it could crush her easily, reached up to caress her cheek. His touch had a gentleness she would have never thought he had in him. She had imagined him wild, demanding, forceful… Not gentle…
She leaned in to his touch and moaned, unable to control herself anymore. His knees trembled. Looking deep in his eyes, with one soft moan she had abandoned herself to him. A part of him wished to have never asked her to open her eyes. It would have kept things from getting deeper, and more meaningful. Not that it was now. It was just…
Oh hell… He was beyond caring…
His lips covered one nipple, causing her to let out a guttural moan and arch her back towards him, as his other hand held her other breast. Her hands grabbed his head, pulling him closer to make him take more of her in his mouth. At that moment, he would have swallowed her whole if he could. He was craving for her skin.
He tasted every inch of her chest until her impatient hands started to pull up his t-shirt. He was setting her on fire, and causing the desire she held for him to intensify with every touch. It felt like the only thing that could satisfy her need was his skin, but a part of her knew that it would only make her want more of him. She couldn’t foresee an end for the hunger he made her feel.
Dropping his t-shirt on the floor, her hands touched his skin in awe. He was more than she remembered. Her lips attacked his chest without wasting one moment with hesitation. She had wanted to taste him for a month now. She wouldn’t be able to stop herself even if she wanted to.
He was struggling to stay upright as her mouth moved along his chest, sucking his flesh greedily, biting his nipples… His legs were getting weak, and his erection was almost unbearable. He had to stop her.
His fingers delved in her hair, and softly pulled her away from the hickey she’d been so intently working on. Her dazed look and flushed cheeks made him groan again. She was going to be the death of him, that was for sure. “Maria…”
Her lips silenced him before he could say more, and again he found himself getting lost in her taste.
Grabbing her thighs, he wrapped her legs around him. Her centre grinding to his erection made him move faster, and he found a nearby booth to place her on. Her hands flew to his jeans as soon as he pulled back from her, but he pushed them away. He had other plans.
Maria… on a table… naked…
Oh yeah… A perfect meal…
Wrapping one arm around her waist, he lifted her up enough to pull her pyjama bottoms down along with her panties. His hand lingered on the perfectly smooth curve of her hips, and closing his eyes, he enjoyed the feel before he actually let himself see her.
Slowly, he lowered her on the table and gently pushed her to lay her down on it. He took his time to let her get accustomed to the cool surface. Her skin was too tender for a rough place like that, but upstairs was way too far away. He lacked the patience.
It was just as he had imagined. Silky white on the brown old table… She was shining.
His hand parted her thighs as he trailed kisses down her torso. His fingers touched the moist curls he revealed, and his tongue lapped at her navel, causing her to moan and move her hips to meet his fingers. Neither of them had any more patience left.
Parting her lower lips with his fingers and tongue at once, he felt dizzy with her scent and tangy taste assaulting his senses. Her fingers gripped his hair to pull him closer as if he wouldn’t have moved closer if it was physically possible. Her hips rocked uncontrollably, and she moaned her appreciation to him in abandon.
Michael just moved his fingers inside her expertly as his tongue caressed her moist heat the way he could see she liked. To him, motions had lost their importance. He was enjoying having her. He had her with the most primal meaning of the word. Maybe not for long. Maybe it was only for a short period of time. But at that perfect moment, as her little feet caressed the skin of his back, she was everything… And she was his.
“Oooh… God… Please, please, please, please…”
She wasn’t even sure what she was begging for. Her body was burning from the inside out. Her throat was hurting, and her lips felt dry. There was a fast growing ache in her abdomen, and it made her feel like she was about to explode. His fingers kept moving in and out of her, getting faster, and pushing her closer to the edge with every moment.
Then it happened. All of a sudden the sweet torture of his tongue was just too much to handle. Her body arched off the table and rose impossibly until the flames engulfed her, and she started falling.
He grabbed her hips keep them from moving, and lapped all she could give, feeling like a conqueror. Her body stopped spasming after a while, and he felt her hand tugging him up. He complied willingly, and captured her lips in a kiss as deep as a kiss could possibly get.
Her hands moved hurriedly down his back, and one of them snaked its way inside his jeans to caress his skin. He felt her unbutton his jeans, and sighed gratefully. It had almost been too much to take… Almost…
Her feet reached up to push his jeans further down with difficulty and he felt her hands cup his face with a feather-like touch. “Pleease…” she whimpered, looking in his eyes. Like she needed to ask…
He helped her push his boxers down, and reached for his wallet. Then he remembered…
Damn!
He closed his eyes to gather some control. He was hardly keeping his tears of frustration in check. He had removed the condom just to keep himself from doing this. What a great idea had that turned out to be!
“I don’t have a condom,” he told her with a wry smile, brushing his face to her navel longingly.
Her fingers traced his chin and tilted his head up to meet her eyes. “It’s okay,” she said, nodding her head, and watched with adoration as his lips broke into a grin.
He was so much… more… than she had imagined him to be.
PART 4
They both sighed as he slowly entered her. The feel of her around him was almost intolerable, and it was Michael’s turn to moan uncontrollably. He buried his face in her chest as he waited for his body to adjust to her heat. His lips latched on to a nipple and he bit it softly to keep himself distracted.
The need to move was too intense to resist, but his knees were too weak to keep him standing any longer. “I… need to sit…” he muttered to her chest, and wrapped her body around himself with the last shred of strength left in him.
He looked for a place to sit, but they were all either too far away, or too uncomfortable. Finally, giving up the search, he sat on the floor; on top of the clothes they had thrown there earlier.
He hissed in her ear when she let her weight rest on him and made him sink deeper inside her. They sat motionless to savour the feeling. His hands caressed her back and hips almost in a daze, and she placed unconscious kisses on his neck.
Maria could feel his heart beating against her chest… his heat enveloping her… his breath tickling her ear… His hard erection was throbbing inside her, making her feel every aching inch, and causing her already out of control desire to triple. But the soothing caress of his hands and lips were lulling her to a peaceful trance. He had a contradicting nature, and it was overwhelming her.
Michael was content with the feel of her, but after a while, it started to hurt not to move. With a newfound strength, his hands gripped her hips and moved her up.
A surprised shriek escaped her lips with the first jolt of pleasure running through her. She bit his neck to keep herself from screaming and tried to help him. It was too hard. With every move, she could feel him brush against her walls, and the friction was intolerable. She bit him harder, and hugging his body close, she let him move her.
It was impossible to stop; yet, he was sure the movement was going to kill him. Her lips on his neck were providing a little distraction, but it wasn’t enough. Maybe if she cut his arm, he would stop feeling the torture he was inflicting on himself.
It was too hot. Their bodies were slick with their combined sweat. He could feel the cool air hit his heated skin, but it was nowhere near enough to cool down the heat rising from inside him. Flames… He could feel the flames.
Her whimpers rose to screams as he sped up, and he felt her body start to tremble in his arms. Was she cold? She felt hot. It scared him to think she could be hurt or sick. There was a feeling he'd felt his entire life, the fear of hurting something precious and vulnerable, it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. Had he been too rough? He cursed himself for getting so lost, and slowed down his pace.
She felt him stop and let out a whining moan. She simply could not stop now. It wasn’t possible. She didn’t care if the world ended at that moment. He had to keep moving.
His hands pulled her body slightly away from his to see her face, and make sure she was okay. Deep green eyes met his, and he forgot what he was about to say. The look in her eyes… The hunger… The need… The lust… Her lips were parted, slightly pouting; her breath was coming out in pants…
Her hand touched his face, and her fingers moved along his skin sensually. She caressed his lips, and let out a moan when he licked her finger. Her lips crashed on his forcefully, and her hips started to rock in tandem with her tongue. She was fierce. He had never been with a woman like her before. He had never known he liked women like her. Actually, he really wasn’t sure if there were any other women like her…
She growled and bit his lip to get him moving, and he remembered what he'd been about to say.
His hands held her shoulders. She was still trembling. He pulled back, and stuttered, “You… You're trembling…”
She watched his face in awe. He was surprising. He was everything he appeared to be and more. He was dangerous.
Her lips formed the brightest smile he'd ever seen, and he found himself gaping at the glowing beauty in front of him. She was enchanting, and he was spellbound. He was completely against that. He had never let that happen with any woman, and he wasn’t going to start now. But he could let it happen just for a little while… Just for tonight… It was so easy to give in.
“I'm okay…” she said, still smiling at him. “I'm more than okay…”
“Are you sure?”
She slowly rocked her hips and hissed at the sensation. “Yess…” she whispered to him. She’d never been better.
Michael buried his face in her chest. Her skin was teasing him. He suckled one of her breasts as he started to move her once again. Slowly, taking his time, he let the fire build.
It was so easy to let himself fall into oblivion. Her skin, her lips, her heat, her voice… Oh god, her voice… She had the most erotic, seductive voice he'd ever heard. How this woman was still single, he would never know…
Wait a second… She was single, wasn’t she?
Her voice tore through his thoughts. “Miiiichaaeel…”
His name… Her lips… Oh god…
He was losing all rational thoughts and control he had left.
She'd said his name so… No, she hadn't said it… It was something between a moan, a gasp and a scream…
“Michael… please… please…”
He growled, and sucked her neck fiercely to hear her say it again.
“Michael… please… I need… Ooooh god…”
Her head fell back and he felt her abandon herself to his arms like a puppet. He took one taunting nipple in his mouth, and suckled, as if he could summon her strength back that way.
All he got in response was a low moan.
Burying a hand in her soft hair, he pulled her head up to see her face. He kissed her softly, and whispered against her lips, “What baby? What do you need?”
“Michael…” She moaned his name, her forehead meeting his, her eyes open in slits.
“Anything…” he said, trying to keep his eyes open to get another glimpse of bright green.
“Harder…” she gasped, accepting his kisses, too exhausted to kiss him back as hard as she yearned.
He complied. How could he not?
His arms were hurting, but he didn’t care. He moved her higher, and impaled down on himself harder, causing her to cry out, “Yess…”
He moved furiously, her screams urging him on, until he felt her walls start to spasm around him. He felt her body shudder and tremble in his arms, her back arching and her hips grinding to him uncontrollably.
He came with the cry of his name on her lips, his arms squeezing her spent body against his.
Bliss… It was pure bliss…
- - -
Michael opened his eyes, feeling a little cold. He saw her golden hair cascading over his chest, and the night’s events came back to him.
They'd had sex.
And it had been unbelievable.
He pulled back her hair to reveal her face. She was something so different. He had been with more beautiful women, more experienced, younger… He'd been with a lot of women. But she… She was somehow different. She wasn’t like the others.
She looked so peaceful as she slept, snuggling to his chest. Her hands were hidden between their bodies, resting on his abdomen, probably to keep them warm. He let his hands travel down her legs. She had long legs. Shapely. Smooth. Cold.
He rubbed them slowly to bring some warmth, but knew it was futile. They had to move. It was inevitable.
Resting his face on top of her head, he nuzzled her hair, and sighed. She smelled so good. Like peaches… and sex… and Maria…
Dropping one last kiss on the crown of her head, he pushed back the unacceptable thoughts he had let himself think. It was time to be rational.
- - -
He opened the door with her spare key while trying to balance her body on his knee. He had wrapped her in the blanket they kept in the back room, and brought her up through the door that opened directly to the stairs of the building. Thankfully, there hadn't been any neighbours around.
Her apartment had only two rooms, so he found the bedroom easily. The room was… cute. It was small and messy. Her bed was unmade and her clothes were thrown everywhere. He saw small vials in different colours on her bedside along with some books, and there was a guitar resting against the dresser. So, she liked music… He could imagine that voice singing to him…
Okay, he had to stop it there. He had come for a reason, and he was going to just do it, and leave after that. He didn’t care about her personal life. None of his business…
Pulling the covers, he placed her in the bed against all her sleepy, protesting grunts. He didn’t bother with pyjamas, the room was warm enough. He pulled the covers back up, and watched in fascination as she made herself comfortable in the bed. Her hand snaked out and found the old teddy bear by memory. She hugged it to her chest and mumbled something incoherent.
Just as he thought she had completely fallen asleep, her hand gripped his arm and pulled him closer. “Michael… stay…” she mumbled, her eyes only half open. “Sleep with me…”
Michael gulped. If only she knew how tempting that sounded. “No. I have to go.”
Making a whining sound, she pulled him closer to kiss him good night.
Michael turned his head, and her lips met his cheek. She looked at him questioningly, confused and sleepy, but his eyes darted away from her. He pulled himself out of her grasp, and moved towards the door.
Maria watched, her chin quivering, as he mumbled a simple goodbye, and left without a backwards glance.
PART 5
Lust…
It was all he could feel as he watched her slowly sip her coffee, trying to hide her face behind her hair. There was something else he felt, right below the surface, but he was intently ignoring that.
He was strong, he kept reminding himself. He could do it. He could hide it, forget it, and pretend it did not exist…
He could…
She turned the page, and stole a glance at his way. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and a picture of her face from the night before flashed in his mind at the sight of the vibrant green. Then it was over, and she was hiding again.
He hit the counter in frustration. What was the point of this again? His mind was drawing a blank when she was near.
Maria pretended not to hear his not so silent growl. Who knew what his problem was? She had thought she could see him. She had thought she could read his mind. Now, she had no idea who that guy was.
Everything about the night before made sense to her. She couldn’t explain why, but it had felt right. It had been right. But from the moment he had turned his head away from her kiss, things had started to fall apart.
Sex. So it had been just sex. It could be. Why not? She hadn't planned anything else anyway. For a whole month, she had dreamt about having sex with him. Now that she had done that, she could just move on. Like he had done. Easy.
That was why she was there, sitting in her usual table, pretending to read a book again. She had to show him nothing had changed. She had paced her apartment all morning trying to decide and she had hoped that he would just kiss her when she finally entered the shop… But now that she knew he was being a jerk, she could just go back to normal.
The door chimed, and a woman with two children entered. Maria smiled watching her try to balance the presents and children at once. Her eyes started to burn, but she knew it was just hormones. Nothing important. She wasn’t ready for kids. She did not want a family yet.
It was Christmas, and she was alone. But she didn’t care. She didn’t…
- - -
“So, what's up Mikey?”
Michael grunted a reply, and glared at Kyle. Didn’t that guy have better things to do on Christmas?
“Oooh, Maria's here,” Kyle informed, and focused on fixing his clothes, totally missing Michael’s death glare.
Michael's fists clenched as he watched Kyle walk towards Maria's table. That slimy bastard…
He watched with barely contained fury as Kyle pulled up a chair to talk to Maria. Maria first frowned, but then was smiling and talking to him. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but his imagination was filling in the blanks for him.
She was smiling at Kyle, like she had done for him the night before… He could still feel butterflies at the thought of that smile. And she was probably saying his name… Her voice… Soft, sensual, melodic… He could still hear her scream his name, and it still made his knees weak. Suddenly a picture of Maria and Kyle flashed in his mind. Naked. Their limbs tangled. Her lips touching his skin, screaming his name.
He came to with a loud crash, and realized he had dropped the cup he had been holding. Maria turned her head to look at him. Actually, everyone’s heads had turned, but hers was the only one he could see. Their eyes met, and turning his back to her, he made his way to the backroom.
It took everything he had in him to not run.
- - -
Lighting up the candles in the living room, she placed her miniature tree on the table. At least there, she could see it from the couch. She turned on the TV, and surfed through channels, searching for something entertaining. How was it possible that there was nothing to watch? All those special programmes and still nothing to watch…
She left it on a random channel. She needed the background noise. The silence was killing her.
She entered the kitchen, and opened the fridge door. She could cook. It could make the time go faster. Plus she hadn't eaten anything homemade for over two weeks now. It could be refreshing.
She found the chicken she had bought in case she had visitors, and took it out carefully from between the takeout boxes. She started to unwrap it, trying to remember her mother’s recipe. She wished she had written it down somewhere. Her memory sucked when it came to cooking.
She was reaching for a towel to dry her hands when she saw it.
A cockroach.
A big cockroach.
She dropped the chicken, and took a step back, her eyes never leaving it. She slowly made her way to the door, and exited the kitchen, pulling the door shut tightly behind her.
She sighed. So, there was no chicken for her tonight.
She walked to the living room; her shoulders slumped in defeat, and grabbed a bag of crackers on her way. At least she had them and wouldn’t starve. She needed to learn to be grateful for the little miracles of Christmas.
- - -
Two hours later, she was still sitting on the old couch, eating stale crackers, and staring at the screen without seeing any of the flickering images. She was thinking about getting herself a cat. It was better than a dog. Cats didn’t eat you when you died and no one found your body for days…
She heard the familiar roar, and her heart constricted in her chest. A sob passed her throat against all her efforts not to let it. She let the crackers drop, and kicked the little Christmas tree in front of her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she decided to sleep.
Hugging the blanket, she closed her eyes, and wished herself some happy dreams.
- - -
Maria opened her eyes, and yawned. She looked around the dimly lit room sleepily, and her eyes rested on the person sitting on the floor, examining her little Christmas tree. She smiled. Michael. Now that was a happy dream.
She snuggled into the couch, and watched him. His face was so serious as he concentrated on fixing the tree’s branches. So adorable…
It took him five minutes to realize she was awake, and he nervously put down the tree when he did. “Hey,” he said, not really sure how to explain his presence.
Sleep was quickly leaving her mind, and she realized he really was there. What was he doing…? Why…?
“I let myself in with the spare key,” he explained uncomfortably. “I was… worried… You didn’t answer the door…”
“Oh…” She was too shocked to say anything else. Feeling a serious talk coming, she sat up. She was still in her pyjamas, but at least that way she felt less vulnerable.
He stood up, and stepped closer to the couch. “Last night…”
“I know. You don’t need to explain anything. We’re both adults…”
“No! Last night was… great.” The word seemed so insufficient to describe what they had shared, but he wasn’t capable of more at that moment.
“Yeah, until you ran out of my room…” she said sarcastically.
“I didn’t mean to. I mean I did… But… Damn!” He scratched his eyebrow, and closed his eyes.
“But what?” she asked, all her guards up. She wasn’t stupid enough to let herself get hurt even more.
“I… I was scared…” he admitted. And seeing she was too shocked to say anything, continued, “I am scared.”
“Of me?”
“Yes. No. Of this.” He gestured between them. “Of us.”
“Why?” she asked, her eyes begging for him to make everything right again.
He kneeled in front of the couch to see her face. “I could fall for you…” he whispered. “So easily.”
“Is that bad?” she whispered back, her hands itching to reach for him. He was so close she could smell him.
“Could be. I didn’t want this. I wasn’t looking for this.” He shook his head.
“So what now? You're gonna just let me go?” She swallowed her tears, and tried to slow down her heart as she waited for his answer.
Michael looked at her face. She had been crying. It didn’t look right. He didn’t like seeing her cry. Her question echoed in his head. Was he going to let her go? Could he…?
As the silence grew, and moments stretched to an eternity, Maria closed her eyes and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She didn’t need to see him leave one more time. She knew the picture would etch in her brain, and play itself again and again in the most inappropriate times.
Her thoughts were interrupted with the feel of his hands cupping her face. Her eyes opened, and met a pair of chocolate brown ones. His thumbs caressed her skin, and his nose brushed against hers. It took forever for their lips to meet.
She considered the possibility of it being a goodbye kiss for a moment, but it wasn’t, it couldn’t be. It didn’t feel like a goodbye… It was promising.
They were both breathless when they pulled apart. “I can't…” Michael gasped out, shaking his head, “I won't… I have to give it a shot.”
Her lips formed the smile he loved, and her eyes shined with happiness. She was radiant when she was happy. “Okay.”
They fell on the couch, Michael licking her ear to hear her giggle. The couch was small, but at that moment, it seemed like the most comfortable place. They didn’t need much space anyway, Maria was more than happy to lie on top of him.
Maria's stomach grumbled just as he was removing her top, and she cursed the crackers when he stopped. He kissed her nose. “You hungry?”
She looked at him, and pouted. “There was a cockroach in the kitchen.”
He smirked, and pulled her up. “Come on…”
- - -
Michael watched her as she prepared the chicken, swaying her hips to the music. He couldn’t keep the stupid grin off his face. He would never know why she did want him. He should have been begging to her on his knees for a chance.
Her hair was up in a ponytail. It was the first time he saw it that way. It left her neck in the open for his gaze and his touch, and its invitation was impossible to resist.
She smiled when she felt his hands on her waist, slipping under her top. Then his body pressed against her back, and she tried hard to focus on the chicken. His lips touched the back of her neck, as his hands cupped her breasts and started kneading them, causing her to grip the counter.
By the time one of his hands made its way inside her sweatpants and panties, she had long forgotten about cooking. His lips and hands were all she could feel. She felt his fingers enter her, and ground against his erection.
“I could get used to this…” he said, working his fingers in and out of her.
“Oh yeah…” she moaned, “Me too…”
He chuckled. “Not just this,” he said, wiggling his fingers. “You… cooking… dancing…”
“Are you proposing?” she joked with a smile in her voice.
“Nah… I think I should wait a couple of days for that…” Pulling down her strap with his teeth, he kissed down her shoulder. “Plus, I’ll have some demands before that…”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” she choked, her breathing too laboured to talk normally.
“I want you to sing for me…”
“Okay…” she whispered, “That’s easy…”
“Your own songs…”
She paused for a second. How did he…? “O… Okay,” she stuttered.
“And I want you to stop drinking coffee…”
“What? Why?”
“You don’t even like it…” he stated.
“Yes, I do,” she said, shocked that he had noticed it.
“No, you don’t,” he insisted.
“Okay, maybe I don’t…”
“Then why did you keep coming?” he asked, needing to hear her confirm it.
“To watch you…”
He smiled, and sighed with relief.
“I have demands too,” she said, “You will catch the cockroaches, and cook.”
“You wanna eat the cockroaches?”
She chuckled. “No, I meant cooking in general. I can't cook. I need someone to feed me.”
“You are cooking,” he stated, pulling her top up her head with her help.
“I'm trying. And only because it’s a special occasion.”
“Oh, Christmas,” he said, pulling his hand out of her panties, and turning her around.
“Not Christmas…” she gasped between kisses. “You.”
“Didn’t know I was an occasion…”
“Yep,” she said, letting him pull her sweatpants down. “A pretty special one.”
She saw him look around, and smirked, “I don’t have a kitchen table.”
“The floor will do,” he growled, grabbing her waist, and lowering them on the floor.
“I have a bed you know,” she said, her hands busy with his jeans.
“Too far…” he said, and entered her, his impatient lips latching on to her nipple.
They felt the familiar sense of completion, and everything else faded into the background. They forgot about demands, cockroaches, chicken, Christmas… Only the two of them existed in a magical realm where their hearts beat as one. And as they filled the void in each other’s hearts, lives and souls, their mutual lust transformed into something alien to both of them. Something powerful and binding. Something they were too scared to define or name.
It was too early for that. They had time. They would name it eventually. For that moment, they took it as it was, and savoured the feeling of not being alone.
THE END