Ardent

The house was pitch black again, not a sound could be heard save for the barking dog a few houses down and the thunderstorm. Keira kissed him back; feeling shivers as his arms crept up her body. A kiss was something to be treasured, Keira always thought. Her first kiss at 16 had been a sloppy affair behind a bike shed with an older student, after that she never spoke to him again. Her second kiss was taken without her say so at 18 when some lout in a club jumped on her, and her third was Pete’s. James’s kiss wasn’t like any of them. It was strange and careful. Pete kisses had always been begged for, and even then they were harsh bumps on her lips, his foul tongue circled her mouth and then he left. Keira stood enjoying this kiss; James was taking his time to explore her mouth softly and gently. It didn’t hurt as Pete often had, nor did his tongue taste off booze and cigarettes like Pete’s always did, in fact James tasted of the pizza they had just eaten so she wasn’t complaining.
”Why am I thinking about how he tastes” Keira asked her self silently, “Why am I kissing James? Oh god” Keira pulled back, James stumbled forward, not expecting her sudden jolt.
”James I don’t..” Keira stuttered, “What’s going on”
James walked toward her, he couldn’t see her but he could sense her out there in the dark hallway. He could even picture her confused face as she tried to work out why one of her closest friends in the world just kissed her. The dog was still barking and the house still in darkness, James turned and closed the front door. Turning back round he tried to adjust to the dark but it was impossible, in the end he just dropped to his knees and sat on the floor, leaning up against the door. Keira crept over, reaching out with her hands to find him, touching his foot she ran her hand up his leg and climbed in between them, lying close on his chest. James held her tightly to him, “I’m so sorry Keira. I tried so hard not to like you but I cant help It.”
”Why? No not why. That’s a weird thing to answer, I’m just very confused here, what do I do?”
”Whatever you want” he sighed, “If you want me to leave I will, but I would rather stay”
”Just shut up let me see something,” she took his face in her hands and leant up to kiss him once more, feeling the same tingly sensation in her mouth that she hadn’t felt before, “Wow” she breathed, “Its actually not that bad”
”Excuse me?” James laughed, “What were you expecting?”
”I don’t know, Pete never kissed like that before,” Keira blushed in the dark, thankful he couldn’t see.
”There’s a lot of things Pete never did you right by Keira” James stroked her face and pulled her in to kiss him once more, Keira threw her arms around him and lifted him to his feet, pulling him backwards, they walked giggled between kisses into the living room and fell onto the sofa. Keira laughed as James threw his wet jacket off and shook his head, sending water everywhere.
”Do you want me to get my towel”
”You want to rub me down again?” he growled, smiling as he heard Keira’s embarrassed giggle ring through the air. James sat up and thought hard about this situation, Keira may have been in a 3 year relationship but where men were concerned she hadn’t a good template to base future relationships upon. James could treat her like a dog and that would still be an improvement on Pete. If he was going to be involved with Keira he would have to be very careful how he went about certain things, certainly treat her like she deserved, but then if they separated he would lose her friendship. His train of thought was destroyed as Keiras hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed his shirt, pulling him back down to her lips.
”Keira” he groaned, feeling her body beneath his, “You’re so fucking sexy” Keira stopped kissing him and shoved her off him, “Am I one of your girls James?”
”What?” he asked, sitting up, as she stood to her feet, again the dark covered them and he couldn’t see her but he could picture her furious face.
”One of your girls, lets be honest you like your woman don’t you? Is that the oh so rehearsed line you use for all girls.”
”I’ll be honest. Yes, but I actually mean it with you. Odd that isn’t it, I have known your for months and I’ve steadily become attracted to you and now I cant even pass an hour without texting you or seeing what your doing”
”Don’t try and charm me” Keira laughed, seating herself back down on the sofa a few inches away from him. “I’m not being one of your girls James, I’ve never known you to have a relationship, so maybe this isn’t a good idea”
James dived forward and kissed her again, “This is the best idea I have ever had, I’m serious about you Keira, you aren’t one of my girls”
”I want you tested for STI’s” Keira kept her face straight as she spoke, then remembered he couldn’t see her anyway, so grinned to herself. Suddenly James struck a match and held it to her face, spotting her grin and breathing a sigh of relief.
”I had to check you weren’t begin serious, I slept around Keira but I am always careful.”
”James why are we sat in the dark if you have matches?” Keira asked, staring at his face, which was licked with light due to the match.
”I don’t know” he grinned, winking at her and blowing out the match. Leaning over he kissed her once more and pushed her back down on the sofa, flipping her over, she lay on top of him. James groaned as her body wriggled on top of him, it was like torture. Any other girl he would have in a cab home by now, but she was different. For the first time in the last few weeks he actually didn’t want to have sex with Keira, now that he could he didn’t want to. He wanted to look after her and get her to trust him first. It was true, as his closest friend she knew all of his faults, she knew what he was capable of and what he was useless at. Useless as commitment and capable of breaking hearts. She knew all this and she was still kissing him, surely that meant something. James knew he should be leaving, or he would do something he would regret.
“Right sorry chick I should go now. Can I meet you tomorrow? Will you be here?” James spoke the words, with a grin on his face he wondered if she remembered the first time he has asked her out, he ad all the intention of taking her home that night but he grew too fond of her.
”Sorry I have a morning lecture tomorrow” Keira laughed, knowing what he was up to, and recalling Star Bucks.
”Afternoon?”
”I’m studying all day I’m afraid”
”Ok dinner?”
”I could do dinner” she smiled, kissing him softly on the lips, “Is this a real date this time?”
”Sure is, I’ll even buy a rose off any people who try and sell them to us while we eat.”
”You did that last time”
”Yeah and you wouldn’t take it, right sweetpea, c’mon I really should go” James lifted her from him and stood up, trying to adjust his erection, thankful of the dark. It had helped him a lot tonight, maybe next time he would cut the power himself and see if it had the same effect.
”James I know what your doing, we don’t have to have sex, in fact i would rather not, the though of you naked scares me. But will you stay anyway? Its too dark to be alone, and there’s no way Kayleigh will come home”
”Me naked… how dare you, woman all across the land want to see this body”
”Yeah to reassure themselves that they are better off with their husbands”
James jumped back to the sofa and grabbed her, poking her until she cried with laughter, “Alright, I’m sorry, I like your body, its very nice”
”Touch it when you say that” he demanded, half laughing. Keira grinned and flipped one leg over his lap, sitting on top of him while he was seated upright on the sofa she leant down and gave her lips to his once more.
”I love your body” she breathed, hugging him tightly and nipping at his neck, then kissing it, she could feel hs erection beneath her and was getting a kick out of toying with his morals. She knew in his head there would be an angel and a devil kicking hell out of each other as he tried to make up his mind as to what he should do.
”Good, I’m glad that’s settled, however I do hate your body” he laughed, then screamed as she twisted his nipple, “Fuck, I’m joking” he roared, throwing her on the sofa, and leaning on her, kissing her all over, “This body is amazing, beautiful, wonderful, sexual and all other words that end in ul.”
Keira giggled and his hands stroked down her, feeling her figure with his fingers and squeezing her waist so she giggled.
”Mmm, lovely curves” he groaned kissing her neck, he slid his hands under her and grabbed her bum, “There are no words to describe this” he growled.
”You are a seduction king aren’t you” she laughed.
”I’m serious, this is one fine arse” he smiled, squeezing it. “The best I have gripped so far, very toned, lovely. For a girl who sits on her arse eating Pizzas all day with me, your not half bad” he laughed, jumping back as she hit out at him.

A few hours later, James carried Keira up stairs and laid her in her bed. Keira sat up and pulled off her jumper; again thankful for the dark she got changed quickly into some pyjama pants and a tight top and slid under her covers. James nervously pulled off his shirt and flicked off his shoes. Here was the problem, would she go crazy at him for appearing in her bed with just his underwear on? Sod it he thought, and pulled off his pants, jumping into bed beside her he edged over and kissed the top of her shoulder, then crept back to his side and curled up. Keira smiled and crawled over to him, sneaking her self under his arm she curled up on his chest and sighed, tracing her nails over his bare chest. James felt his heart beat quicken and his breathing deepened, he was feeling that strange content feeling he had been so afraid of when he fell asleep with her on the sofa the other night. Now it didn’t seem so scary though, it felt nice. In all honesty he had never really cuddled anyone to sleep before, he had his fun and then they left. It was odd for him to be cuddling and feeling so happy without having sex.
”Good night Keira” he whispered.
Keira kissed his chest in reply and then drifted off to sleep. Being in his arms was comforting, even in this hellish dark around them. This was another thing Pete never liked to do, cuddle to sleep. Keira wished she could stop comparing James to Pete but James was so different. It was hard for her not to compare and contrast the two.