31. gray
31
GRAY
“ D ude!"
Rooted to the spot, I stood still. The female voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. Not immediately, but as soon as I turned around, I knew who it was.
"Manon."
"Oh, at least you remember my name." She stormed toward me like a whirlwind. "What were you thinking?"
"I… Sorry?"
"Yes, you should be. Begging Amelia on your knees. And while you're down there, you might as well…" She stopped herself, waving her hand through the air. "You get the idea. So?"
If Amelia was a gentle breeze on a warm summer evening, Manon was the thunderstorm that followed the next night.
"So what?"
"She told me what a jerk you were. Well, those weren't her words. But they're definitely mine. How could you just disappear after she poured her heart out to you?"
"Believe it or not, my best friend already gave me a piece of his mind about it."
Manon scrunched her nose but simmered down. "Good man. And what are you going to do now to win her back?"
How did she even get here? I had only been gone a few hours, and Amelia's cavalry was already on the move?
"Amelia doesn't even know I'm here," Manon continued as if she had read my mind.
That made me raise an eyebrow in question.
"Well, given she hadn't responded yesterday and it's been a while since we last saw each other… I thought I'd visit. On my way here, she texted me and told me what happened."
"So you intended to ambush me and make sure?—"
"That you apologize and make her happy again. Don't get me wrong, I still resent you a bit for the mistake you made today, but I also can't deny that I've never seen her like this."
"Like what?"
"She's doing well. No stress. She's open. Strangely enough, she even smiles occasionally. And even though she wouldn't tell me about the amazing skills you have in bed—and from the looks of you, they must be earth-shattering—I believe you are really the best thing that could have happened to her."
How unlikely was it to be ambushed by Amelia's best friend in front of my own bed-and-breakfast?
"Where are you staying tonight, Manon?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Why? Planning a steamy threesome as a make-up gesture?"
I laughed. "No. But you could go to Soraya and tell her to give you the keys to the cottage that's vacant for the next three days. Only, of course, if you'd rather not sleep in your car."
Her gaze flicked to the parking lot and back to me. She narrowed her eyes at me, then sighed. "You really make it hard to hate you. Fine. But only if you finally go to her and fix this."
"Deal." As if I hadn't planned on it anyway. "And tomorrow morning, you'll make her happy with your presence."
She nodded in approval. "Of course. And in the future, you can take a cue from me when it comes to her mood."
A soft snort escaped me before I turned away. As quickly as this encounter started, it also came to an end. Manon was many things but certainly not the enemy. The mere fact that she had come after not hearing from Amelia for some time proved how loyal she was. How much she valued her friendship with Amelia. Both elevated her in my eyes and made me consider her trustworthy.
The walk to my house couldn't go fast enough, and the relief I felt upon seeing the lights in the living room almost brought me to my knees. I didn't even want to imagine what it would have been like to come home and discover she was gone.
When I closed my eyes, that was my worst nightmare. Watching Amelia turn her back and walk out of my life, never to look back again.
She had already done it once—not with me, but did that matter? Not for a second did I doubt she would do it again if given the right reason.
I thrust the front door open after jamming the key into the lock with trembling fingers. It was the mistake I had made that was making me so nervous, churning up my insides so much that it felt like I might trip over my own feet at any moment.
The falling night reminded me once again how long I had been away. Too long. Too long given that I knew exactly what I wanted.
My first stop was the kitchen, so it wasn't long before I entered the living room with two cups of tea. The atmosphere emanating from Amelia almost overwhelmed me. She was wrapped in a blanket pulled up over her head on the couch, and even though her face was dry, I could easily tell how much it was costing her to hold herself together.
What I had done was unfair to her. Leaving when all she needed was for me to stay.
I would have loved to punch myself. I found solutions for everything. I was there for everyone. I always had an answer ready. Advice. I understood how life worked. Until the moment I felt overwhelmed by everything, so much so that I fled.
Wordlessly, I placed both cups on the coffee table before sinking next to her onto the soft cushions.
For a split second, I felt unable to meet her gaze. But then I did and was rightly confronted with the one question that had been looming over us both like an impending disaster since noon.
But before I managed to find the right words, Amelia broke out of her trance. She flew straight into my arms, which I instinctively opened wide as soon as I noticed her movement.
Her body crashed against mine so hard that we both fell backward, and it briefly knocked the breath out of me. She didn't let go, not even when she lay on top of me, and there was no more space between us.
I had made her wait for hours. And yet she welcomed me in this way immediately.
I was an idiot.
A damn idiot.
With one hand, I held her head, and the other rested on her back, keeping her as close as possible. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart," I murmured against her hair.
Breathing in her scent only made it clearer that I had made a mistake in the worst possible way.
"Just tell me you'll never leave me alone again. Do that, and I'll forget these past hours." Her voice carried a hint of hesitation. She feared that I might say the opposite.
But I had so much more to say than that. "May I say a bit more than that?"
She mumbled something indecipherable, and I took it as a reluctant yes.
"Amelia," I began gently, letting my fingers slide through her hair. "My response earlier today was wrong. There's no denying that, and I need to apologize. What your ex said… it mixed with the few insecurities I had. Still, it wasn't right to question everything because of it."
She looked up at me then, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "It hurt me."
"I know. And it might not be the last time one of us gets hurt. But I regret it, and every moment I wasted convincing myself of something that wasn't true. The truth is, you are not just a fling or a nice summer romance. You are so much more. And no matter what it takes for us to work, I'm ready to give it my all."
She pursed her lips, a look on her face that I couldn't quite read. "Keep talking."
Of course Amelia chose this moment to make me squirm a little. I didn't mind, although she knew what all my words meant. But before I could go on, I grabbed her and flipped her onto her back, assuming the position above her.
If I was going to grovel, I at least wanted to look her in the eyes. "The last ten years have been a disaster, and after being stood up by yet another date, I had almost convinced myself to give up for good. That I didn't need a woman by my side to be happy with my life. Fundamentally, that's still true—but then you ducked under palm leaves and dropped into the seat at my table, and… despite everything I've been through, you make me believe in love again. It's as if I had to defy all those challenges so they would lead me straight to you. Because being with you feels like I'm finally coming home after a lifetime of searching.”
Her eyes searched mine as I continued. “Even if people say that everyone is complete on their own, you are my missing puzzle piece. My safe harbor because I don't have to pretend with you. The thought of someone else making you smile for the rest of your life kills me because in your eyes, your smile, I see a future that mirrors our shared experiences these past weeks. I want to be the man to whom you entrust your secrets, desires, and every little dream so I can turn each one into reality. And more than anything, I want you to keep making every mundane moment special just by sharing it with me. I could go on forever, but in the end, it all boils down to the fact that you are not the only fool in this relationship because I have also fallen too quickly and too deeply in love. With you. And if you let me, despite my foolish mistake this afternoon, I will prove it to you every single day."
With every word I spoke, her grin widened. "You never told me you were so good with words."
I tilted my head, doubting her statement. I was not good with words—I just knew exactly how I felt about this woman, and now that I had regained control over my doubts and insecurities, it was easier to express my feelings.
I had also made good use of the time I spent at theCurved Grape. I mentally went through numerous scenarios, focusing mostly on those where she allowed me to prove that I was serious and that I was sorry for how I had initially reacted.
"Do you think I deserve your forgiveness?" I asked instead of revealing how long I had pondered the words that just slipped from my lips.
"I don't know. Does your apology include a few orgasms for me?" When she looked me straight in the eyes, her expression was so damn innocent that I felt my body temperature rise several degrees.
"Now?"
"It would help me forget the stress of the day, you know…" Her sentence trailed off.
Incredible. What had I done to deserve this? Instead of holding a grudge and making me suffer for my blunder, Amelia decided that a simple, honest conversation and the right kind of attention afterward would set everything straight.
"So?" she pressed. Her legs were already wrapped around my waist, and now she began to draw feather-light circles over the skin on my neck with her hands.
A shiver ran down my spine. "Any requests?"
"If you ask like that…" Apparently, I had sparked an idea in her, and I was not yet sure if I should endorse it.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm… I think you may only fuck me with your dick when I give you explicit permission to do so."
A quiet, dangerous laugh escaped me. "You won't last long, sin. Your pussy needs my dick like you need air to breathe."
"I have very strong willpower," she countered.
"Perhaps I should find out just how strong it is." Patience was one of my virtues. And I truly didn't need to be inside her to feel pleasure. In fact, I sometimes preferred just watching. It allowed me to savor her desire. I didn't miss a detail. Sometimes, bringing pleasure to someone else was more fulfilling than seeking one's own. Seeing someone fully immersed in the sensations you provided was a validation unlike any other.
"Go ahead. I'll prove to you that I can last very, very long without your dick."
"Sure. Keep telling yourself that. And in the end, you'll be the one begging. Maybe this time, I'll make you wait instead of giving in to the first plea that crosses your lips. Or that sweet whimpering when you lie helpless beneath me, unable to even remember your name because it all feels so intense for you. Will you ever stop blushing when I talk to you this way?"
I continued to support myself over her with one hand while letting the other glide over her flushed cheeks.
She wrinkled her nose, as if embarrassed by her body's reaction. "Maybe in a few years, when I've gotten used to it."
"You read the dirtiest smut that exists on this planet, and yet you blush when I whisper it in your ear. I can't tell you how much I enjoy that."
Amelia gave me a light tap on the chest. "There was no dirty talk in my last relationship. Nor the one before that."
I’m sure before that, she was probably too young to even have a serious relationship.
"No one to praise you because you enjoy having a dick in your perfect mouth? Good girl. "
"No," she hissed.
All I was doing was lying on top of her, hands supported on either side of her head, looking down at her, and having a conversation.
"What a pity," I murmured. "Then no one must have told you how good it feels to be inside you. Just the fact that you clench tighter around me when I spank you in between should at least be mentioned once."
"Maybe no one else has paid attention to my ass until it was burning hot and glowing in various shades of red."
"A real shame. Not only do you moan so beautifully, but you also get so wet that the moisture runs down your thighs."
"Gray."
"What? I'm just listing all the reasons why you've been dealing with idiots in the past. Do you know the difference between a boy and a man?"
She looked at me provocatively.
"A boy neither has the vocabulary to make you blush nor knows how to touch you. I, on the other hand…"
"There's another difference I can think of," Amelia began.
"And that is?"
"I would never say to a boy, ‘ Daddy, please fuck me .’"
A soft growl escaped me. She was right, of course, but… "You would never say that to anyone else anyway."
There was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Is just four little words enough to turn you on?"
"If we're being precise, you've already lost with those four little words."
"But it wasn't an invitation. Just an observation…" Amelia knew very well the power her words had over me, even more than the expression on her face, which she always controlled so perfectly. Innocence. Challenge. A fine line, and in the end, I was just addicted.
Instead of answering her, I sat up and pushed the blanket aside, which still half wrapped her. Then I grasped her knees, pushed them apart, and stared at the loose black shorts that, conveniently, only needed to be nudged aside to reach the place I was about to be engrossed in for the next few hours—unless Amelia collapsed before then.
Ignoring my still rock-hard erection, I leaned down and made myself comfortable between her thighs. Believe it or not, given everything we had already done together, one of my favorite activities was to bring her pleasure. It thrilled me to watch how Amelia melted under my touch and surrendered completely—when her world revolved solely around what I provided, and everything else faded into the background because it just didn't matter.
What she had said in the cabin applied in reverse for me as well. The reasons she flourished in the submissive role were exactly those I would give for adopting the dominant role.
Kissing up from her soft thighs, I avoided all the spots where she would have preferred my mouth to be. Making her suffer a bit until she got what she wanted not only pleased me—it was an essential part.
I could have brought her to a quick climax almost immediately, but it was far more exhilarating to let it build slowly. Leading her away from climax only to push her back toward it more swiftly… and then prolonging it time and again until her climax was so explosive that it shook her world.
Edging was the perfect way to discover how much Amelia was willing to endure for me—whether she could control her body when the stakes were so high.
Again and again, she provocatively tilted her hips, bringing them closer to my face. I didn't move away, but instead, I placed my hands on her thighs, not only keeping them open but also keeping her lower body as still as possible. I didn’t want her tempted to rub against anything within her reach.
I heard her breath hitch and then quicken whenever I neared her pussy. Likely, it was the anticipation that I would soon play with her using my tongue… only for her to discover I was still focusing on the warm, inviting skin in the vicinity.
Patience was a virtue, and Amelia notably lacked it when it came to fulfilling her desires. It amused me each time because, although she loved to beg, she clearly had a problem waiting longer for her demands to be met.
So I turned my head, allowing her to feel my breath on her sensitive center. I didn't need to hear her soft, strained whimper to feel the siren-like allure of her pussy. It drew me in irresistibly, so I gave in and enveloped it with my mouth. This time, unlike before, I did not waste time gently easing her into it. I immediately went to work on her clit with my tongue, using my fingers to stimulate her entrance as well.
Reluctantly, I allowed her to lock her legs around my neck, clearly signaling that she wouldn't let me go anytime soon.
Amelia was mine. Not just from today. I had merely chosen beforehand to be blind enough to ignore it. No longer.
There was no longer any reason for me to keep this woman at any distance. I wanted her even closer—and I feared that being inside her might not be enough to quench this desire.
Her body's response shifted. Her breath came quicker, in more irregular intervals, as her muscles gradually tensed, and her moans and groans grew louder, like music to my ears.
She was close to orgasm… which meant I pulled away from her pussy, a nearly devilish grin on my lips as I licked over it to continue tasting her on my tongue.
Perhaps I was also beginning to enjoy having her scent on my beard throughout the mornings I spent with my head between her thighs and during the rest of my day. My dirty little secret. My reminder of why it was worthwhile to hurry through my day's work.
Amelia's protest came immediately as her hand in my hair tried to persuade me to continue licking her. Instead, I pressed a kiss on the inside of her thigh and sat up, savoring the pure horror on her face.
"You can't just…" she began to whine.
"I can. And I will."
So she wouldn't trap me between her legs again, I got up from the couch. Then I bent down, grasped her waist, and hoisted her over my shoulder, just like I had in the woods.
The hand resting on her ass slid a little lower, allowing me to tease her with a few light touches as we moved.
"Has anyone ever told you that your ass looks damn good from this angle?" Amelia asked breathlessly.
"No," I growled. While it wasn't new to me that she watched me, hearing her say it out loud was.
"Well, Gray, your ass is really… to die for. I mean, I can judge. I've seen it bare. Round and perfectly shaped. Firm. And the impressions of my fingernails definitely look good on it. And I'm responsible for that," she replied. I could hear the grin in her voice. "Besides, it's only fair. You leave plenty of marks on my body too."
"Are you worried someone might think I'm still available?" I asked as we climbed the stairs together, enjoying the wonderful view of the forest surrounding the bed-and-breakfast.
"No." It was just a faint murmur. "I would make it crystal clear that you belong to me."
Before she got the chance, I would have already demonstrated to anyone present by pulling her close, holding her chin, and giving her a firm kiss in front of everyone, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
I wasn't jealous—but I wasn't a man who shared or liked watching someone else try to claim what was mine.
Not that I doubted Amelia's ability to defend herself. Unfortunately, I had a very clear idea of how men behaved and what they were willing to do to get what they wanted.
"I believe you," I growled before tossing her on the bed in front of me. "But you could still leave that to me."
Amelia propped herself up a bit, sliding to the head of the bed, leaving her shorts behind. She stretched, arms above her head, which immediately sparked an idea in me.
"Keep your arms up there," I instructed her, heading to the wardrobe to pull open the drawer where she had hidden all her sex toys from me. As if I wasn't aware they existed. As if I would judge her for them or see competition in silicone and a few handy devices that could get her to her destination but hardly provided the full experience.
I heard her inhale sharply behind me, slightly surprised.
"What? Did you think you could still keep that a secret from me? Or—worse—that you needed to hide them from me?"
"My ex—" she started.
"Is an idiot. We both know that. Plus, there's a clear reason why he's your ex," I said.
I found the silk ribbon, but my gaze caught on something else that I would return to later.
First, I tied her hands above her head, then I nestled between her legs and licked her to the brink of orgasm. Then I gave her a few seconds to recover before repeating the process with my fingers, watching her grow increasingly desperate.
A sight fit for the gods as she lay helplessly before me, bearing the marks of the previous night yet still incredibly hungry for more.
"How much longer are you going to torture me?" she demanded.
You could hear how easily I drove her to the edge of madness, only to pull her back each time. Slowly, I straightened up, shrugging lightly. "Who knows? Maybe until I've had enough and want to feel you."
Besides, I had something to make up for. I wasn't about to cut her fun short, especially when we had all night.
Again, I moved away from the bed and back to the closet. Just earlier, I had seen something there that caught my attention and painted a strange picture in my mind.
I pulled out the colorful, monstrous piece, examined it closely, and decided it was just the right toy to torture Amelia a little more, in more ways than one.
As I turned back to her, her eyes widened. "Is that my fantasy dildo?!"
Amused, I twirled the piece in my hand. Its size was challenging, just like its make and color. "Yes. I think it matches perfectly with the monster smut you were reading in bed last week. It was hard to miss how exciting it got just as I was about to fall asleep."
Amelia opened her mouth as if I had just offended her. That didn't stop me from joining her back on the bed. She was leaning against the restraints. "Sorry that I empathize with the characters and that there's sometimes still a storyline, and not just porn! Why are you coming closer with that thing?"
Casually, I parted her legs again, eliciting a sound from her that was a mix of surprise and indignation.
"That was a gag gift from Manon! Gray? Oh god, please tell me you're not serious. Gray, you're not going to—oh fuck."
Fascinated, I watched as the interestingly shaped tip slid into her.
"What kind of creature are we dealing with here?"
"Dragon," she grunted between clenched teeth.
I grimaced. "What other gifts does Manon give you? Should I be worried that one day, there will be one with tentacles?"
Her eyes rolled back as I pushed the dildo further in and then slowly pulled it out again. Suddenly, she managed to keep her legs open for me on her own.
"It's not like I ever used it before," Amelia hissed, spurring me on even more.
"Too bad. Don't you want to admit that you're somehow enjoying this?"
"Because I'm not," she snapped.
"Strange, because you're getting wetter. And you have to bite your tongue to stop yourself from moaning for me."
"Delusion," she retorted.
I thrust the dildo in once more sharply. Her sigh made me throb. "Then I'll fuck you with it until you come," I declared.
"Don't you dare!"
But it was too late—my decision was already made, and I immediately acted on it, using one hand to move the dildo and the other to massage her clit. Within seconds, her resistance melted away. Her pelvis met mine, demanding each thrust.
This time, I didn't pull back; I didn't stop stimulating her but let her sail straight into an orgasm that hit her unexpectedly hard.
I kept sliding the dildo into her until even the last twitch of her muscles subsided. Instead of giving her a break, I kept her at this peak of pleasure.
"You said when I come…" she managed with a trembling voice.
"That I would swap the dildo for my dick? No. What I said was that I'd fuck you with it until you come. But I never mentioned how many times that would be."
"Gray?"
"Yes, darling?"
"I hate you."
A snort escaped me. "But only until I make you orgasm again."
And that's exactly what I did. Once more with the dildo before I carelessly threw it aside and licked her again.
By now, a fine layer of sweat covered her skin, which really meant that we were just getting started.
After she had come for the third time, she could barely keep her eyes on me. Only one word left her lips. Please .
So I moved up her body, taking her mouth. "Did you really think Daddy would be done with you after he made you come a couple of times? Think again, love, because I'm just getting started. I need to right my wrongs."
And that would cost me more than a few orgasms.
Much more.