You Don't Know Me

Peter answered the door to the apartment when Michelle knocked on Saturday. “Hey,” he greeted her with a grin. “Marcus isn’t back from work, but he should be home soon.” He stood aside to let her into the small studio apartment.

“That’s fine,” Michelle told Peter, handing him the Tupperware container in her hands. “I made lasagna last night, and thought you might want to reheat some for dinner tonight.” She smiled at his pleased expression as he peered into the plastic container.

“Thanks a lot. This looks great,” Peter placed the food in the fridge and sat down. “Who were you cooking lasagna for?”

Sliding off her jacket, Michelle sat down at the kitchen table. “My friend, Sean,” Michelle said. “We haven’t hung out in a while, and he begged me to cook it for him. Has Marcus ever mentioned Sean?”

“That’s Tony’s boyfriend, right?” Peter asked, and Michelle nodded her head. “Marcus has taken me skating a couple times with Tony. He’s a really cool guy.”

Smiling, Michelle agreed. “Yeah, they both are,” she told Peter. “So, anyway, how did last night go? Did you have fun at the show?”

It seemed to Michelle that Peter paused for half a second before answering, but she might have just been imagining things. “It was fine,” he said. “We had a good time.”

“And this girl from your school that you were hoping to see there… was she there?” Michelle gave Peter a teasing grin.

Averting his eyes, Peter blushed. “Oh, Marcus told you about her?”

Not wanting Peter to get the impression that Marcus had broken his trust, Michelle tried to figure out what to say next. “He mentioned that you seem to be as crazy as he is, interested in a difficult, argumentative, insulting girl.”

Laughing, Peter looked up. “Yeah, she is a lot like you,” he joked.

A warmth filled Michelle at Peter’s words. Sparring back with her meant Peter was actually coming to trust her, too, and that made her feel good. “So, did you talk to her?”

“I did,” Peter leaned back with a smile. “She even told me to call her tonight.”

“Well, that’s great,” Michelle grinned. “I’m really happy for you.”

Studying Michelle for a moment, Peter leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” Michelle said, her brows furrowed.

“How come you were comfortable with me right away?” Peter asked. “I mean, Marcus said that you aren’t usually relaxed with new people, but with me… you were just really nice from the get-go. Is it just because I’m younger? Or because I was in such a fucked up state that night?”

“Wow, that’s a hard one,” Michelle admitted, impressed at the younger boy’s ability to decipher her personality quirks. “I guess both those things were factors. Since you’re younger, we’re not in any, I don’t know, power-struggle. We’re in different places in our lives, and we can appreciate that difference. And I guess the fact that you were fucked up that night, to use your own words, well, it kind of would have been like kicking a puppy to be a bitch.”

Peter laughed and nodded his head. “Were there any other factors?” His voice was innocent and hopeful.

“Of course,” Michelle said immediately. “The biggest factor is that you are really an amazing kid. You’re smart and strong. I might have a few issues with some of your wardrobe choices,” she teased. “But I guess, if I had a younger brother, I’d be really proud if he were anything like you.”

Looking down and biting his lip, a blush was creeping across Peter’s face. “It’s weird,” he said, not looking up from the table. “A few months ago, there wasn’t anyone I trusted, and now I’ve got these two people I completely trust.”

Michelle’s heart felt like it was bursting at Peter’s admission. Reaching her hand across the table to take his, she was silent until he looked up. “I feel exactly the same,” she smiled at him.

Just then, Marcus entered the apartment. “Ah, am I interrupting something?” He teased, sliding his sweatshirt over his head. “You know, Michelle, they do have laws against these kinds of things…”

Standing up, Michelle walked over to Marcus. “Shut up,” she said, raising herself on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Don’t be jealous just because Peter’s got that young hot thing going. You’re not totally unattractive yourself… Not totally.” She turned back to Peter and smirked before looking up at Marcus again.

“Thanks,” Marcus replied sarcastically, but smiled at her twinkling eyes. “So, anyway, I was just going to jump in the shower. We’ll get out of here in twenty minutes?”

“Sounds good to me,” Michelle told him, her voice now softer and her smile genuine.

“Okay,” Marcus added as he headed into the bathroom. “I’m trusting you to do the right thing, Peter. Don’t let this desperate old lady make you feel bad for her and take advantage of you…”

Peter watched as Michelle and Marcus exchanged a few more quips, smiling the whole time. He felt relieved. That girl Janette wasn’t going to be able to ruin this relationship. They were just too good together. And being as they were both so good to Peter, he wanted them to be together, like they deserved to be.

-----

“I feel like I’m going to explode,” Michelle patted her stomach. “That was such a wonderful meal. Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” Marcus grinned. He had taken Michelle to his favorite seafood restaurant for dinner, and they were now walking on the beach. The sun was about to set, and the water looked beautiful. While breezes from the Long Island Sound were blowing softly, there was no chill in the air. A warm front had finally moved in, welcoming spring. Michelle’s denim jacket and Marcus’s hoodie were more than enough to keep them warm. “Come here, let’s sit down and watch the sunset.”

Allowing Marcus to lead her towards a small dune, Michelle sat down next to him. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this good. She had had a lot of fun with Sean the previous evening, eating, watching movies, and just talking. And she was glad to see Sean so happy; he had even admitted to Michelle last night that he thought he was falling in love with Tony.

She had also been overwhelmed at the outpouring of honest emotion Peter had offered her earlier. He seemed to be such a nervous and wary kid, but he had told her that he trusted her completely. She only hoped she could help this strong frightened boy in some way to fight his way back from such a difficult and painful early adolescence.

But mostly, Michelle thought to herself as she glanced over, it was being with Marcus that made her so happy. She watched his face as he stared with child-like awe at the dazzling display of color and light before him, his dark hair whipping around his face in the wind. She was amazed how easy it had been, once she had taken the chance and convinced herself that Marcus might really care for her. It was so easy to feel good.

Finally noticing that Michelle wasn’t looking at the water but at him, Marcus glanced over at her and gave her a smile. “Come here,” he beckoned softly, and Michelle nervously slid between his legs, her back against his chest and her head resting on his shoulder. She sighed in contentment as he wrapped his arms around her gently, and she held his hands as the rested in her lap.

They sat in silence for the next fifteen minutes, watching as the bright orange ball slowly sank into the horizon. Marcus was nuzzling Michelle’s neck, his eyes closed as he breathed in her scent. “You know,” he finally whispered. “This may be the longest we’ve ever sat together without you insulting me.”

Leaning to the side a little, Michelle turned her head so she could see Marcus’s face. “There’s nothing to insult,” she said softly. “Tonight’s been perfect.”

Slowly, Marcus moved his face towards Michelle’s. Both sets of eyes closed as their lips met. Marcus just gently grazed his lips over Michelle’s at first, soft touches, before parting his lips to allow his tongue to trace the outline of her mouth. Michelle’s lips were soft, and soon she opened her own mouth a little, allowing Marcus to take her bottom lip carefully between his teeth, scraping lightly. As he felt Michelle’s hand move up to his cheek, brushing softly against his skin, Marcus finally allowed his tongue to slide into her mouth, which was hot and moist. Michelle’s tongue met his, and they kissed softly, innocently for several minutes before Marcus slowly pulled back.

Resting her head on his shoulder again, Michelle bit at her now-swollen lip and looked up at Marcus’s eyes, which were hazy with desire. “I know I’ve said this before,” she gathered the courage to say what she was thinking. “But I really am sorry about… about the things that happened between us when we first met – the bitchy comments, pushing you away, treating you the way I did after we…” Her voice faded off as a blush colored Michelle’s cheeks a rosy pink.

Kissing her forehead softly, Marcus gave Michelle a small smile as he slid some hair back from her face that had escaped her ponytail. “I want that to be the last time you apologize for that,” he said kindly but firmly. “That’s all over. You’re here now, right? And that’s all that really matters to me.”

With her eyes growing glassy, Michelle just looked at Marcus. How was this possible? How was she so lucky?

“Listen,” Marcus’s voice became more solemn. Seeing that Marcus wanted to talk seriously now, Michelle slid from his grasp and sat beside him, reaching for his hand. “I wanted to talk to you about what you’re planning on doing in Fall.”

“Fall?” Michelle laughed nervously. “It still April. Why are you worried about Fall?”

“Because you get your Associate’s degree in a little over a month,” Marcus reminded her. “And I know that applications for transfer to universities were probably due a couple months ago. Did you apply anywhere?”

Looking down at where Marcus’s hand clasped hers, Michelle shook her head.

“But why not?” Marcus asked gently. “You’re so smart… you do so well in school.”

Raising her eyes to meet his, Michelle gave him a wry smile. “So I take it you aren’t happy that I’m going to be around for another year?” she tried to joke.

But Marcus wouldn’t hear of it. “Don’t try to get out of this one,” he told her in a firm voice. “Why didn’t you apply anywhere? For that matter, why didn’t you go away to school to begin with?”

Shaking her head, Michelle tried to put into words what she had been feeling. “For most of my life, there were only three people I trusted – my parents and Sean. I never had the courage to get to know anyone else, and I actually became comfortable in my little routine – self-preserving bitchiness and all. Until I met you,” she added with a small smirk. “So when I graduated high school, I insisted on staying home and going to community college. That summer, my parents made me work as a camp counselor, hoping that I would make friends and enjoy the freedom, but that only made me more insecure and uncomfortable around new people.”

“And when applications started to become due this year,” Michelle continued. “Back in January, you and I weren’t… and I was probably even worse off than I had been before, because of… you know, because of us sleeping together and me being so confused by that. I was still very much alone, and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Sean and my parents. By the time you and I started working things out, and I met Brigitte and Troy, and I got to know Tony, and I was actually starting to feel a little confident for the first time in my life… well, deadlines had already passed.” Blushing, Michelle looked into his eyes. “I’ll be honest, though,” she said softly. “Even if deadlines hadn’t passed, I’m not sure I would want to apply anywhere right now. I think I want to see where this thing between us is going.”

Taking a deep breath, Marcus tried to take in everything Michelle had just told him. She had never been this open and honest with him before. She had never shared her fears and concerns, and she most definitely had not shared her hopes for a future with him. “What are you going to do, then? For the next year, I mean.”

“I think I’m going to get a job,” Michelle told him. “Learn to work in a place where hiding behind books doesn’t get the work done. And I’m even thinking of taking a few elective classes at the college, not for credit or anything, just for fun, like art or something. Then I can start applying next year.”

Nodding, Marcus looked into Michelle’s eyes. “That doesn’t sound like such a bad plan,” he told her with a grin. “Particularly the part about seeing where this thing between us is going.”

A lump had formed in Michelle’s throat, but she smiled at Marcus. The way he looked at her sometimes, like right now, made her think that it might just be possible that this nearly-flawless looking man thought she was beautiful. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. They sat in companionable silence once again, watching the moon glowing in the vast black sky, its light reflecting in the calm waves lapping against the shore.

-----

Finals were coming up soon. Michelle was studying at Marcus’s kitchen table when she felt him tug her ponytail gently. “I’ve never seen your hair down, have I?” he asked her as she looked up.

“Probably not,” Michelle told him with a shrug. “I never wear it down.”

Dropping to his knees behind her chair, Marcus put his hands on her shoulders. “You should wear it down sometime,” he breathed softly into her ear. “I’m sure you would look incredibly hot like that.”

A shiver ran down Michelle’s spine as Marcus’s lips brushed against her ear. As she felt his mouth leaving soft kisses on her neck, though, she pulled back. “Oh, no,” she said with a laugh. “Peter’s going to be here in half an hour, and I am not about to have a repeat of last weekend. He almost walked in on me topless!”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded,” Marcus chuckled as he rose. “I know I sure don’t mind seeing you topless.” It had been two weeks since he and Michelle had talked on the beach, and things between then were going wonderfully. Even though they were still taking the physical part of their relationship slow, they had ended up making out pretty heavily a few times. Unfortunately, Peter had dropped by during a particularly intense scene. Michelle had just pulled her shirt back over her head, sans bra, when Peter opened the door. It had been an embarrassing moment for everyone.

“Shouldn’t you be studying, anyway?” Michelle pointed at the books across the table from her. She watched Marcus sink down in the seat with an annoyed look on his face.

“It’s just so boring,” he complained. “At least, when I know I could be doing so many more interesting things with you instead…”

“Great role model you are for a high schooler,” Michelle replied wryly.

With a grumble, Marcus picked up a book and began reading. “Oh, I almost forgot,” Marcus said suddenly, looking up at Michelle. “Your birthday’s next Sunday. I thought we could celebrate on Saturday night. What do you want to do?”

Shaking her head, Michelle gave Marcus a small smile. “You know, I really don’t think I want to do anything to celebrate. With finals coming up and all…”

“Oh, you have to at least let me take you to dinner,” Marcus begged, giving her puppy-dog eyes. “Please, we can just make it the two of us. Pleeaasse…”

Laughing, Michelle nodded. “Okay, just the two of us,” she agreed. “But only if you promise to spend this week studying instead of trying to grope me.”

“I promise to study more,” Marcus smirked at her, his eyes twinkling. “But I make no promises about groping you.’

-----

Sitting in the café a few days later, Marcus was getting ready to eat lunch when he looked up and saw Michelle. “Hey,” he greeted her with a smile. “What are you doing here? You don’t have class until three.”

Smiling back at him, Michelle took a seat across from Marcus. “I just wanted to talk to you about something,” she said, an excited tinge to her voice.

“What’s that?” Marcus asked.

“I, um, I decided I wanted to try it again.”

“Try what?” Marcus asked as he bit into his sandwich.

“Sex,” Michelle replied evenly, smirking as Marcus choked a little on his sandwich.

Looking at her expression for confirmation that he had heard her right, Marcus put down his lunch. “Are you sure?” he asked gently, but the hope was evident in his voice. Nodding, Michelle began to blush. “Because, you know, I’m okay waiting longer…”

Shaking her head, Michelle reached across the table. “I’m not,” she said softly. “So I was thinking Saturday? After dinner? Maybe I could stay at your place.”

“Definitely,” Marcus exclaimed so quickly Michelle giggled. He blushed in response. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little eager.”

Biting her lip, Michelle looked into Marcus’s bright blue eyes. “I am too,” she said softly.

Sitting silently for a moment, Marcus got a mischievous look on his face. “So, listen,” he said. “If we’re going to be sleeping together, I’d really like it if I could start calling you my girlfriend. It would feel cheap and tawdry otherwise. I’d feel slutty.”

Laughing, Michelle felt an overwhelming sense of joy. “Even though I think you’d probably enjoy feeling cheap and tawdry,” she teased. “I’d like it if you called me your girlfriend. But I should get going now,” she rose suddenly, obviously embarrassed by everything that had just been discussed. “I’ll call you later, after you get off work?”

“Please do,” Marcus told her. “And I…” But he couldn’t find the right words to explain how so beyond happy he was at that moment.

“Me too,” Michelle smiled, not needing to hear the words. She knew what he meant.

Marcus watched as Michelle left the café, and a huge grin spread across his face. Things were going so well. Now he just had to make sure he made Saturday night go off without a hitch…

-----

With a goofy grin still plastered on his face an hour later, Marcus slid into a desk and pulled out his English book. “Hey,” he heard Janette say.

Looking over, Marcus’s grin suddenly fell. Janette hadn’t said two words to him since the night at the show Peter took him to, except to mumble an apology and an excuse about being drunk to him the next time she saw him. And that had been fine with Marcus. He now knew that no matter what Janette said or how she acted towards him, she was not getting past her feelings for him. So, in that case, he had to be the one to cut ties. “Hi,” Marcus replied.

“So,” Janette seemed to be trying to think of something to say. “Are you ready for finals?”

“Just about,” Marcus answered, not asking her in kind. He didn’t want to prolong this conversation any longer than it had to be, and he hoped she got the hint.

Turning a bit in her seat, Janette tried to think of something else to say. “Um, are you taking any classes this summer?”

“Nope,” Marcus didn’t even look up at her this time.

“Oh, okay,” Janette finally seemed to pick up on Marcus’s demeanor. She turned around and faced forward in her seat, not asking anymore questions.

There was a twinge of guilt that Marcus felt in his stomach for blowing off Janette so completely, but he knew he had to do it. Apparently, if he continued being friendly towards her, she was not going to stop having interest in him. And although he knew he could just tell her he had a girlfriend now, he thought that might be to cold. After all, he had told her he wasn’t interested in dating anyone. If he told her about Michelle, Janette would know he had only not been interested in dating her.

-----

When Michelle pulled up outside Marcus’s apartment building on Saturday, he was already waiting outside. “Hey,” she greeted him, stepping out of her car.

Looking at her, Marcus let out a low whistle. “Look at you,” he said, awe in his voice. “You look… you look gorgeous.”

Blushing, Michelle was pleased to receive the compliment. She had spent over an hour getting ready, with Sean by her side. She was wearing a simple black dress that complimented her figure, a little makeup, and she had her hair down in loose waves around her shoulders. “Thank you,” she smiled shyly. “You look nice, too.”

He really does, Michelle thought to herself. Marcus was wearing a dark blue button-down shirt that was nearly the exact same shade as his eyes – she had never seen him in a dress shirt before – and a pair of black pants. His sleeves were pushed up, probably because it was warm in the early evening sunshine, and the dragon tattoo on his forearm was clearly visible.

“So, are you ready to go?” Marcus asked, walking towards her. When he approached her, he slid his hands around her waist and leaned down for a soft kiss.

Pulling back, Michelle willed the butterflies from her stomach. “Yeah,” she said. “I brought a bag, though, so maybe I can toss it into your apartment before we go-”

“No,” Marcus interrupted her. “I mean, reservations are for seven, and we don’t want to be late. We can bring your bag up after dinner.”

Perplexed by his demeanor, Michelle just nodded. “Okay,” she agreed. “Then I’m ready.” She followed Marcus to his car and smiled appreciatively as he unlocked the passenger side first and helped her in. She leaned over to unlock his door as she watched him walk around the car. “Stop being so nervous,” Michelle begged herself. “This isn’t like the first time. Tonight’s going to be… different.” As she watched Marcus take a seat beside her and start the engine, leaning over once more to kiss her cheek before pulling the car out of the parking lot, she knew she was right.

-----

“Dinner was really amazing,” Michelle told Marcus as she reached into her car to grab her overnight bag. Marcus took it from her as she locked the door, and then he reached for her hand. “It was too expensive, though.”

Pulling her hand up, Marcus kissed the back of it and smiled. “I wanted to take you somewhere nice,” he told her as they headed into the apartment building. “You deserve to be treated special.” As they approached his door, Marcus pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Now, wait here for just a minute, okay?”

Confused, Michelle just nodded as she watched Marcus unlock the door and slide inside, closing it behind him. The whole evening had been wonderful. Marcus was sweet and attentive; the restaurant was an upscale Italian bistro that served mouthwatering dishes. But Michelle had been quiet the whole ride home, now fully aware of what was to come.

“You can come in now,” Marcus’s eyes were bright with excitement as he opened the door for Michelle. As she entered his apartment, where she had been countless times over the past couple months, she gasped.

No lights were on, but candles were lit all over the room. There were burgundy satin sheets on the bed, with a bouquet of roses and a small wrapped package lying on top of them. In the background, soft music was playing. Michelle turned to Marcus, her eyes brimming with tears. “Why…?” was the only word she could force out.

Moving towards her, Marcus swept Michelle into his arms. “I want tonight to be the way your first time should have been… the way you deserved for it to be.” He lifted one hand to her cheek and slowly stroked it. “Like I said earlier, you deserve to be treated special.”

It was impossible for Michelle to not let a few tears fall over her lashes as she looked into Marcus’s warm eyes. “It’s too much…” she told him, her voice cracking.

“No,” Marcus disagreed, giving her a small grin. “It’s not nearly enough, but it’s all I can do right now. So I hope you like it.” With that, he pulled back and walked over to the bed. He lifted the small gift wrapped package and handed it to her. “This is your birthday present.”

Looking at the box in her hand, Michelle didn’t know what to say. “Marcus, I thought dinner… and now all this… I thought… you didn’t have to get me something.”

“Ah,” Marcus smiled. “I finally found the hard-hearted Michelle’s weakness. You’re a romantic.” He paused as she smiled at him. “Go ahead,” he encouraged her. “Open it.”

Overwhelmed by everything around her, Michelle had to sit down. As she sat on the bed, she took a moment to lean over and appreciate the scent of the roses. “They’re beautiful,” she said softly, looking up at Marcus. Silently, he motioned towards the gift, encouraging her to open it. He looked nervous and eager again. Carefully, Michelle removed the wrapping paper and opened the box. On top of the tissue paper was a small card that Michelle picked up and read. “Dear Michelle, I just want you to know that you don’t have to be afraid anymore. You’re never going to be alone again if I have anything to do with it, because I love you. Happy Birthday, Marcus.”

Tears streamed down Michelle’s face as she gingerly lifted the tissue paper to reveal a small silver frame. Inside was a picture from the last night of Spring Break. She had forgotten how camera-happy Brigitte had been early in the evening. Marcus’s best friend had managed to capture a photo of Michelle and Marcus sitting on the floor side-by-side, with Michelle smiling at someone off-camera while Marcus just stared at her adoringly. Looking up, Michelle didn’t know what to say. “You love me?” she finally dared to ask.

Dropping to his knees in front of her, Marcus nodded as he took her hands. “I do, Michelle,” he told her softly, looking up into her glassy eyes. “I love you.”

Shaking her head, Michelle could barely believe this was real. “I love you, too,” she said softly. It was the first time she had ever said that to anyone besides her parents or Sean. “I love you,” she repeated as she pulled at Marcus to rise.

Rising from the floor, Marcus immediately sank onto Michelle. “Oh, crap,” he said as Michelle fell back into the flowers. “Let me get these out of the way.”

Michelle giggled as she slid off her shoes and climbed back into the bed, watching Marcus cross the room to place the flowers on the kitchen table. Marcus kicked off his own shoes before climbing on the bed and lying atop Michelle. “You look so beautiful tonight,” Marcus whispered as he looked down into her eyes. He reached up and pushed back some loose hairs from her face.

“Thank you for everything,” Michelle whispered back. She closed her eyes as his head dropped. His lips met hers gently, kissing her softly. Leaning up on one elbow, Marcus had slipped his fingers into Michelle’s hair as his tongue traced over her bottom lip. Michelle reached up and slid her own hand into Marcus’s hair, pulling him closer, encouraging him to kiss her more deeply. She opened her mouth imploringly, and she sighed as she felt his tongue meet hers. Despite all the thoughts flowing through her mind, thoughts of the new feelings she had admitted tonight, thoughts of how Marcus had told her he loved her, Michelle could now only concentrate on her body’s reactions to Marcus. As his mouth wandered over her jawline and his lips swept over her neck, Michelle leaned her head back to further expose her throat as one of her hands traveled through the silkiness of Marcus’s hair and the other reached for his back, pressing against the muscles as they moved.

Feeling Michelle responding so passionately to his caresses filled Marcus with desire. His tongue gently ran over the pulse point on her throat and down to the hollow of her neck. He carefully disentangled his hand from her hair to run it softly down to her shoulder, pushing down the simple strap of the black dress that had driven him wild all night. He kissed her shoulder, making sure to take his time and give Michelle the attention she deserved. He ran his hand over her chest, feeling her nipple harden even through the fabric. Leaning up some, he pushed down the other strap and slid the top half of the dress down to Michelle’s waist, exposing her breasts. Leaning down again, he cupped one breast in his hand and ran his thumb in circles around the nipple until it was completely stiff and Michelle had let out a soft moan. His lips surrounded it slowly, his tongue flicking out to tease the hard nub.

Although they had made out like this a few times over the past couple weeks, Michelle’s body was filled with a heat she hadn’t felt before. She knew what was coming, and she wanted it. As she felt Marcus’s mouth move to her other nipple, leaving a moist trail between her breasts, she buried her hands in his hair. As his teeth ever-so-gently scraped at this nipple, Michelle could feel her desire rising. She watched as Marcus leaned up, unbuttoning his shirt with at what seemed like a torturously slow pace. His eyes met hers as he finally slid the dark blue cloth from his body, and he gave her a smile. “I love you,” he mouthed silently as his mouth dropped once again, this time to her stomach. When she felt him pulling her dress further down, she encouragingly lifted her hips, willing him to remove it.

Marcus was surprised to find that Michelle was wearing a delicate black lace thong under her dress – surprised and excited. He stood quickly to remove his own pants and socks, leaving on just his boxers. Repositioning himself as he sank down again, Marcus was now between Michelle’s thighs. He kissed them softly and slowly led his hand up to her panties, applying gentle pressure over the thin cloth. He heard her whimper, encouraging him to go on. One hand gently massaged her inner thigh while the other ran in small circles over her heat. Reaching up finally, he slid his fingers below the waistband and removed her final piece of clothing. He quickly returned his attention to her, his fingers running over her moistening slit and up to her clit. Marcus moved his mouth to her, taking in her scent before his mouth descended on her. Hearing Michelle let out a quiet cry at the contact, Marcus began doing his best to pleasure her.

One of Michelle’s hands was at her forehead, pushing back sweat-moistened strands of hair. Her other hand lay gently on the back of Marcus’s head as she felt his tongue run over her. It was such an unbelievable feeling, the way Marcus pressed gently at her with his hand while his tongue tasted her. At first, Michelle hadn’t even been aware of the muted sounds coming from her throat, but by the time she was, it was too late to stop them. Marcus had slid one finger easily inside her, followed soon by a second. He began a slow steady movement in and out, as his lips sucked at her clit. Without knowing it, Michelle had begun pressing her body down to meet the thrusts of his hand. She felt an unfamiliar heat rising in her, from the places Marcus was touching, and then an ache formed. Burying her hand into Marcus’s hair, Michelle let out a loud cry as she felt the ache reach a point of unfathomable desire, and then her muscles tensed and she felt a release of pure pleasure sending waves over her body. By the time they had subsided, Michelle was still breathing heavily, and Marcus had climbed up her body.

“Was that okay?” Marcus asked, his eyes bright and happy.

“That was…” Michelle was having a hard time catching her breath. “That was so…”

“And we’re not even close to done,” Marcus raised his eyebrows mischievously, kissing her lips softly as he stood up. Michelle watched as he removed his boxers, and she blushed when she saw his erection, completely stiff. Marcus opened the end table drawer and pulled out a condom, climbing into a kneeling position between Michelle’s legs as he opened the packet and tossed the foil to the floor. He slid the condom on quickly, his body aching to be inside Michelle, and then lay back down. “I’m so happy to be with you,” he whispered, looking into her eyes, which were now the water color he loved to see so much.

“I’m happy to be with you, too,” Michelle told him wholeheartedly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Marcus grinned. “Are you ready?” he asked gently before moving any further, although his body felt ready to explode with desire. When Michelle nodded, he reached down to position himself at her entrance. Pulling his hand back up and resting on his forearms, he leaned down to kiss her as he pressed into her body. To his great relief, he felt none of the resistance he felt the first time, and Michelle’s body accepted him willingly. His eyes closed as he sank completely into her, reveling in the feeling of her warmth, her heat and the tightness of her recently-pleased muscles.

“Much better,” Marcus heard Michelle whisper, and he smiled as he opened his eyes to look at her face. She looked comfortable and content, and that was all the encouragement he needed to continue. He watched Michelle’s eyes for any signs of discomfort as he began sliding into and out of her. He moved slowly, gently, until he felt her nervously begin lifting her hips to meet his. She closed her eyes as the speed of their rhythm increased, and Marcus lowered his mouth to her throat, closing his own eyes to revel in the feeling. Their bodies, slightly slick from perspiration, moved gracefully together. Marcus noted that when he angled his hips down, his body rubbed against Michelle’s in a way that made her moan softly, so he continued doing this. The friction, combined with his movements within her, seemed to be making Michelle come close once again.

Running her hands over his back, Michelle lifted her body to meet Marcus’s thrusts. The feeling of him inside her was unlike any she had ever felt before. There was no pain this time, just waves of pleasure as his body pressed against hers, inside hers. To her surprise, she felt an ache rising again, and even more quickly than last time, she felt her muscles begin to tighten. She had no control as she called out Marcus’s name while she came.

As he began to feel Michelle’s body tighten around him, Marcus continued thrusting into her. He could feel his stomach tightening, his balls rising, and the moment he heard Michelle call out his name, he felt an incredible release of heat and pleasure as he came. Panting, he slowed down his movements until finally bringing them to a stop. Forcing himself to lean up, although his body felt like jelly, he looked Michelle in the eyes. “Did you enjoy that?” he asked softly.

”That was a rhetorical question, right?” Michelle smirked.

Chuckling, Marcus lowered his mouth to Michelle’s and quickly pulled out of her, eliciting a disgruntled moan from her. Standing up, he slid the condom off and tossed it into the wastebasket. Moving quickly around the room, he blew out the dozen or so candles that were burning, leaving the room in near-black darkness except for a sliver of moonlight coming through the window and coming to rest on Michelle lying in the bed. Settling beside her, Marcus reached down to pull the sheets over them and was glad that he didn’t have to beckon Michelle to him. She immediately snuggled against his side, resting her head on his shoulder and running her hand over his bare chest.

“So, did I get a second chance to make a first impression?” he asked with a chuckle, wrapping his arm around Michelle’s nude form.

“If you keep it up like that, you’re likely to get a third chance tomorrow morning,” she giggled, causing Marcus to laugh and pull her even closer to him. “No, really, Marcus. I couldn’t have hoped for a more special night.”

“I told you that you deserve it,” Marcus reminded her, kissing her head. “And I meant what I wrote. I love you.”

“I meant it, too,” Michelle replied, yawning. “I love you, too.”

In almost no time, Michelle had fallen asleep in Marcus’s arms. He lay awake for a little longer though. He wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. He was just running his hand up and down Michelle’s spine, taking in the smell of her scent, the sound of her breathing, the softness of her skin. He was just taking her all in.

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OKAY, THAT WAS A FUN CHAPTER FOR ME TO WRITE! I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED THIS STORY SO FAR. THERE’S STILL A LOT TO GO – THERE HASN’T BEEN NEARLY ENOUGH ANGST YET! BUT I WANTED TO SAY SPECIAL THANKS TO FILI, CARIAD, CD9979 AND TAYE FOR LETTING ME KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU LIKE (OR DON’T LIKE!). IT HELPS ME TO KNOW THESE THINGS WHEN I’M WRITING. CHEERS!