Schooled (24 page)

I let Leo take the lead and met his rhythm. The sensation was thrilling, slow and intimate. He watched my face with every movement we made; his smile fading as the intensity grew. We worked together faster, thrusting against each other. His breathing increased as he picked up the speed. He tightened his arms around me, securing me tightly to him as he called my name. I felt his muscles tense and his breath catch as he came with euphoric pleasure.

Holding me, he said, “I never imagined---”

“Imagined what?” I asked, staring at his face, his concentration.

“That my first time would be more extraordinary than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life before,” he confessed. I didn’t know how to respond to such honesty; I kissed him lightly, lying my head down on his chest, feeling content and secure.

I felt connected to him, comfortable with him. It had been a long day, filled with drama and heartache. But then, in one moment, all things disappeared. Leo was an incredible lover, filled with such passion. When he slipped out of the bed, I watched him walk to the bathroom. Leo was a mystery, always surprising me. But Briggs, Briggs was incredibly hot and confident, totally arousing. These two were the perfect combination of a man.

Leo came back in the room, noticed my waning energy, and asked if I wanted him to go. With my eyes heavy and falling asleep, I shook my head, and said, “Stay.” He crawled in behind me and wrapped his body around mine. I was too tired to protest the intimacy when he began rubbing my arms. The sensation was soothing and comforting; I began drifting off to sleep, with thoughts of both Leo and Briggs.

******

At some point in the night, my body awakened before my head followed suit. I was keenly aware of the hot, increasing pleasure between my legs. I moaned, spreading my legs further apart, welcoming the fingers that were delicately messaging and probing my sex. “Keep your eyes closed, stay in dreamland,” Leo’s breathy whisper was hardly audible. I moaned my acquiescence, minutely moving my hips. Leo kissed my stomach, trailing down toward my navel. He circled his finger around my bellybutton, dipping his tongue lightly in. I moaned again, keeping my eyes closed, drifting in euphoria. I wanted his hands and mouth on me. He hadn’t yet tasted the center of my womanhood; I was burning with desire for that moment.

Slipping his fingers into me, he whispered, “I can’t believe I can make you so wet.” His sincerity and disbelief sent shivers of passion throughout my body. My nipples hardened; my insides twitched.

“So wet,” I gasped quietly. He moved lower between my legs, his tongue following his body’s lead. Still penetrating me with his fingers, he lightly flicked my clit, causing my body to chill and my center to warm. “Ooohhh,” I cooed.

Taking my cue, Leo tasted me more, using his tongue to explore every inch of my womanhood, the center of my sex. He increased the pace, moving his tongue in light circles around my clit, and dipping it inside me every so often. The exploration was thorough and sensual. With his mouth still on me, tasting me, Leo sensed my impending release and sucked my clit harder into his mouth at the same time, he inserted his pinkie finger just past the opening edge of my anus. I moaned with pleasure, with pain, with disbelief. No man had ever touched me there. The sensation was extraordinary, so forbidden, so pleasurable.

“Relax,” he whispered, his voice raspy with desire. I released my tension, my muscles relaxing. Leo inserted his finger a little further, while still licking and sucking my clit.

“Leo, please,” I couldn’t hold out any longer. He increased the pressure and pace, and I exploded in climax; my hands tangled around his hair as I ground my vagina into his face and mouth. My sexual prowess awakened, and I had to have him. Pulling his hair, I forced him back up to my head, my mouth. I kissed him hungrily with abandon. I rolled out from under him and sat astride his naked body. I chuckled when I realized he’d already put on a condom. “Am I really that easy?” I joked, feigning anger.

“Just hoping,” he said, leaning up to kiss me again. I returned the kiss, but pushed him back down. I ran my fingers down his chest, twirling them around the small amount of hair that surrounded his nipples. I tweaked his nipples, waiting for them to harden; then I licked his nipple, pulling it into my mouth. He moaned loudly and ran his hands along my breasts. His thumb rolled over my nipple.

I didn’t want to wait any longer, couldn’t wait any long. I positioned myself at the tip of his penis, waiting for his approval. He moaned, shifting his hips, pushing his penis to meet me. I slid down on him, filling myself with his manhood. Sitting upright, I was in complete control. He reached up and massaged my breasts, and said, “You’re so beautiful,” I felt the muscles within me squeeze their approval. He groaned as I rode him.

His thrusts met my own, as I ground my vagina down onto him, lifting and lowering myself on his penis. “Lean back a little,” he said. I reached behind me, and held onto his shins just below his knees. “Do you feel that?” he asked. I nodded, rocking harder on him. His erection was rubbing the front wall of my vagina, stroking that sensitive spot, expertly with his penis.

“Oh God Leo,” I growled, my breathing increasing; my pace quickening.

“Let go, honey, don’t hold back,” he said as his fingers found my clit at the same time his penis thrust against my G-spot. “Oooohh Leo, YEEEEESSSS,” I cried, quaking and exploding on his penis at the exact time I felt him come too. I felt him release as my muscles milked every drop of him into the condom. I slumped down on top of him; his arms wrapped around me, holding me against him. Our breathing was in pace. My lids were getting heavy; I was spent. Sensing my exhaustion, he maneuvered my body off and to the side of him, still holding me tightly. Leo stroked my hair and back until I fell asleep, securely in his arms.

The next morning, I rolled over, reaching for Leo; he wasn’t there. Disappointed, I sat up and couldn’t believe my eyes. Leo had covered the bed in an assortment of flowers from Jasper’s yard. There were flowers everywhere, a rainbow of colors. I couldn’t believe I’d slept through the entire ordeal. These two men were wearing me out. I heard movement in the living room, so I called to him.

Leo came in with Smoothies and strawberries, and said, “I really didn’t know what kind of breakfast food you liked.” His sheepish dimpled grin gave me goosebumps.

“Aww Leo, that’s so sweet,” I said, biting the strawberry he offered me . “You really didn’t have to do all this,” I said, indicating the breakfast and flowers.

Chuckling, he said, “I regretted it after I put all the flowers around you.” I gave him a questioning look, coupled with a hint of disappointment. Clarifying himself, he said, “Oh believe me, you deserve it, really deserve it. I just thought you looked too much like Rue lying there surrounded in flowers.” I lost it, laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

“Seriously Leo, we’ve gotta get you a Dan Brown or David Baldacci book, STAT.” I squealed through laughter. He crawled onto the bed and kissed me.

“You’re beautiful in the morning, especially giggling,” he said. He sat back on his heels, staring at me. My stomach fluttered. “I wish I could stay here all day in this bed with you, but I gotta run some quick errands and get more mulch and fertilizer.” Disappointment flooded me, and he said, “I’ll be back later this afternoon. I’ll stop in, if you’re home.”

I nodded, really not wanting him to leave. He made me feel wanted, desirable. Worthy. I got up to walk him to the door, and there were two packages on my porch. One was labeled: OPEN ME FIRST. The other one was labeled: OPEN ME 30 MINUTES LATER—AFTER GIVING IT SOME THOUGHT. They didn’t have an address or a return label; they’d been dropped off.

Leo looked at me, questioningly. I shrugged my shoulders and started to open the first one. There was no note, no indication of who sent it. The instructions were typed. Once I opened the first box, I was more perplexed than before I even opened it. Inside the box were three very strange things: an old Pinocchio puppet, that was no longer a marionette, but laid limp, not connected to anything at all, a hallowed out guitar, missing strings, and tuning knobs, and the third was a tennis racket with the twine all cut out of the middle. The contents were almost spooky, broken and battered. Leo looked worried. I felt queasy. I had no idea what this meant. Was this some cryptic message from Marcus? One of my students playing a prank?

Pointing at the other one, “I think you should open it now,” he said, concern in his eyes. “Or just let me.”

I knew he was right, so I slowly began to open the box. Worry on his face, Leo took the box from me and ripped it open quickly. Inside, there was a brand new Pinocchio puppet, attached to his marionette handles, a gorgeous brand new acoustic guitar, and a top of the line tennis racket. Thoroughly baffled now, I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head.

“Are you sure you don’t know who would send it or what it means?” Leo asked me for the hundredth time. Leo and I sat discussing the boxes for over an hour, trying to determine their meaning.

“Leo, you have things to do today; you should get going. I’m fine, really,” he was worried about me, concerned that there was more to this display than met the eye.

As I walked him to the door, there was a knock at the front door. A delivery man holding a long white box with a red ribbon around it stood on the porch. Someone had sent me a dozen yellow roses. “Who’re they from?” I asked.

“Is there a card?” Leo questioned, insecurity increasing.

I found the card, and turned away from Leo to read the inside. I smiled at the words, my heart speeding up. The card read:
I hope you got the riddle. Things are always better with “strings attached.” Always, Briggs.
I hadn’t realized that Leo had come up behind me until I heard him sigh.

I turned to face him; his eyes were distant. He smiled a sad smile, shook his head, and said, “It’s gonna be a harder fight than I thought.” He kissed my forehead, and stroked the back of my hand. “I’ll see ya later, Janelle.” He walked out the door, pulling it quietly behind him.

I couldn’t believe Leo covered me in flowers, and Briggs sent me a dozen roses with a box of brand new gifts. Cute, creative gifts. Who knew he had it in him? I would peg Leo as a hopeless romantic, but not Briggs. The softer side of Briggs was so warm, charming, irresistibly adorable. It was unexpected and surprising. But the strong, forceful side of Leo was hot, sexy, and totally irresistible, which was also unexpected and surprising. What were these two men doing to me? How could anyone choose between them? I needed to distance myself from them, at least take the intimacy out of the sex. With Briggs, it could be animalistic and rough, but with Leo, I wouldn’t even have a clue as to how to take the intimacy out of sex with him. Everything about him was intimate and sensitive. I had to find a way though, because I certainly didn’t want to stop sleeping with him, with either of them, really. “Strings attached!” How cute was that?

Jasper and I went on a late afternoon run; it was my “thank you gift” to him for the New York trip. He’d been bugging me about working out more, at all. I threw him a bone and ran a few miles with him. Once I was winded, cramped, and ready to die, I told him that I was heading back. He simply smiled and said, “I’m gonna go six more.” Fuck him and his six more. I was about to die.

Running up to the house, I saw a car in the drive, and to my dismay, I saw Vince, Briggs’ friend, sitting on the hood of his car. What the fuck was he doing here? Hopefully, he was dropping off something for Briggs. Leery and cautious, I approached his car. “Hey Vince,” I hated the feel of his name on my lips; it tasted bitter, sour. “What’s up?”

Getting off the hood of the car, he looked me up and down, eyeing me like prey. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable and ill at ease. I hoped that Jasper’s six miles would be lightning fast. He sauntered up to me, taking slow deliberate strides. “Nothing really, just thought I’d stop by and maybe see what all the fuss was about.”

Stepping back, I said, “Fuss, what fuss?”

“You’ve got my boy Briggs all fucked up; you’re like his poison, can’t get enough,” he said, taking a strand of my hair and twirling it around his finger. He chuckled, a snide eerie sound. “I thought maybe you’d let me see what Briggs and that fag, Leo, are all hyped up about.” He ran his finger around the edge of my sports bra.

Slapping his hand away and walking backwards, I roared, “Vince, what the fuck is wrong with you? Get the Hell off my property.” I was raging with anger and fear, screaming.

He accosted me, putting his hand over my mouth, silencing me. “Listen here bitch, I’ll fuckin’ ruin you; shut your goddamn mouth.” He tightened his grip around my throat. He licked my neck; his breath was hot on my neck. I used every ounce of strength I had and elbowed him in the ribs with a force I didn’t know I possessed. His grasp on me released slightly, but enough for me to break free and run into my house, locking the door.

I ran to the window and pulled the curtains. I peeked through the crack in the blinds and saw him punch the hood of his car, then, get in and leave. What the fuck was that all about? Terrified, I called Char, screaming “Armageddon” in the phone. She said she’d be right over. Char and I sat on the couch, replaying the incident over and over. She wanted me to call Briggs and let him know what his ass-face friend had done, but I was even too terrified to do that. Vince knew where I lived. Causing friction between them would only anger him more. Char wanted to cut his balls off and feed them to him for dinner. She was raging, ready to kill him. My heart was racing with fear.

A few hours later, Sarah texted me; she said she needed to stop by. I’d wanted her to meet Char, and I welcomed the distraction. Sarah said she’d be over shortly. When there was a knock at the door, I jumped, startled and spooked. Char got up and looked to see Sarah and Leo on the porch. They’d pulled into the drive at the same time. When Char let them in, they both looked nervous. I could sense their trepidation.

“What’s going on?” I asked looking from one to the other. Leo pulled me into his arms, and kissed the top of my head. “Seriously, guys, what’s up?”