Short Fuse
© 1992/2016 by K Pelle
Chapter 12
I thought I was in good shape and that I was running fast. Yet when I got to the parking lot where both cars were parked, Arlene was diving into her car as I opened the door to mine. She actually pulled out of the parking lot before me.
I honestly don't remember the trip back to Arlene's, even though I do remember that it seemed to take forever. Somehow I managed to pass Arlene on the way so that I was the first one to burst through the door at her place. Shannon was laying on the couch, curled into a tight little ball and sobbing hysterically. I simply scooped her into my arms and held her tight.
Crooning to her and rocking her in my arms slowly calmed her. Arlene and Cindy stayed close by, but Shannon was ignoring them, clinging to me so tightly that I knew this was a major expression of her grief.
We sat there for hours. At first she was crying, then she started to talk and she reviewed everything that had happened in the last few days.
The words just poured out of her mouth and she talked steadily, shushing me when I would try to say anything. She was insistent that she wanted to tell me what she felt and what she was going through. Finally, crying softly, she hugged me once more and stopped her repetitive rambling. I thought she'd fallen asleep until a few minutes later she asked Arlene if it would be okay to take a bath. Cindy instantly jumped up and offered to run the tub for her. Shannon kissed my cheek, and hugged me tightly before she slipped away. Then I was left alone with Arlene.
"Wow," I sighed. "You were right."
"Pardon?"
"She was holding on until I was acting more like myself before she let go," I said quietly.
"Has she done this before?"
"No, but it's the way her aunt acted when my Dad died, so I recognise the pattern. If she does the same thing, she'll be fine for a while, but there will be at least a couple of more times when she's going to need someone just to listen to her pour out her grief."
"And how do you grieve?"
"Well, when Dad died, I was still in good shape from playing football at the University so I ran. I think I must have run at least half the length of a marathon each day for a week. Part of that was frustration that the doctors had been so wrong, but most of it was just pure grief," I reached out and took her hand. "The strange thing is that I don't feel any grief at all right now. I know it's going to come. I just don't feel it yet."
"Well, when it comes, if you need a shoulder, I'll be there."
"I know," I stood and wrapped her in my arms to hug her gently. "Thank you."
We were standing there, hugging each other, when Cindy appeared. "Oops, sorry guys, but Shannon and I were wondering, is dinner going to be soon, or do we have time for a snack?"
"Dinner will be soon," Arlene said, her voice muffled against my chest. "We're having soup and sandwiches because I'm feeling lazy. If you want, you could do it."
"But Mom, I was keeping Shannon company," Cindy protested.
"Okay then, that works for tonight," Arlene sighed as she pressed away from me. "I'll start something to eat now, but you can tell Shannon that she has to come eat at the table with the rest of us. Warn her that I'll have it ready in fifteen minutes."
I was thinking about Shannon as Cindy disappeared again.
"Arlene, the doctor gave me some antidepressants. I was wondering, do you think they might help Shannon for now?"
"Actually I think it would probably help. In fact it might help both of you, but don't you think you should ask him about it, before you give them to her?"
"Yeah, but look at the time, it's after five. He'll be home by now."
"I thought I noticed a sign in his office about twenty-four-hour calls though," she frowned.
"Oh yeah, thanks. He's a member of a group that has one doctor on call at all times," I smiled and grabbed my wallet, pulling out my doctor's card.
Ten minutes later I had permission to give Shannon one of the pills. In fact, the doctor actually urged me to take one myself. After that I helped Arlene to heat up a couple of cans of prepared soup and make sandwiches for each of us. When Shannon came out of the bathroom with Cindy, I explained about the pills.
"I'll take one if you do too, Dad," she smiled weakly. "Maybe it'll help both of us rest better so we aren't so edgy."
I got the strange feeling that both Arlene and Cindy were applauding silently as we each swallowed a pill, then joined them at the table. We had barely started eating, when the phone rang. Cindy leaped up to get it and almost instantly turned to me.
"Mr. Gamble, it's for you," she handed me the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Hello Dave, it's Santos. We've had to postpone that press briefing."
"Oh, why?"
"Because most of the news crews were out chasing bank robbers. About thirty minutes before the briefing was scheduled to happen, a group of Oriental youths walked into the main branch of the Bank of Montreal on Douglas street with guns drawn. The press decided that a bank robbery was more exciting than you and your problems. I'm happy to say that you are now old news, at least for the time being."
"Huh, well, I'll be."
"See ya pal," he hung up.
I sat there thinking for a moment before I even hung up the phone.
"Well, what was that about?" Arlene asked.
"It seems that there was a bank robbery and we are now old news. No one showed up for the news briefing that Jaro was going to hold."
"So that's it?" Shannon asked. "The newspapers and TV won't bother us?"
"Well, there's no guarantee of that, but at least they have something more exciting to chase for the moment."
"I just hope no one was hurt," Cindy said, heading for the TV. "Let's find out."
So we finished supper while watching Channel Six news. As bank robberies go, this one was a complete dud. A plain clothes cop had seen the robbers donning their ski masks before entering the bank so he had called it in. That was at ten minutes to five, just as rush hour was starting.
Since Douglas Street was so busy at that time of day, the cops had arranged an 'accident' between a transit bus and a tow truck that blocked all traffic and then arranged a second fake accident between two unmarked cop cars right in front of the bank. When the gang exited the bank, plain clothes officers simply crowded around them as if they were crowding to see the accident.
Since the gang wasn't prepared for a large crowd, they were easily separated from each other, then the cops simply cuffed them where they stood. The astounding thing was that not one shot had been fired and no one had been injured. The whole capture had even been filmed from a rooftop down the street.
Of course the press were going crazy and doing their best to turn the officer that had first seen the gang into a hero. As well they were praising the police department in general. Both Arlene and I found the whole thing slightly bizarre and almost funny. Arlene gaily pointed out each of the officers in the crowd and began to talk about them. The girls sat around for a few minutes, then excused themselves and disappeared. That left Arlene and me alone to talk as she snuggled at my side.
It wasn't long before the conversation turned to my former marriage. I actually found myself talking about Claire again. How we had met, where we had gone, what we had done. I must have talked for hours and sometime during that period, I'd begun to weep. It was late when I finally fell silent and I felt completely wrung out. Arlene didn't say anything for so long that I thought she was asleep, but then she stood and held out her hand.
"Come on. Bed time," she whispered. "You need a cuddle."
"What?" I muttered, staring up at her.
"Come on, we need a rest and you need a cuddle," Arlene pulled incessantly on my hand.
"But where are the girls?" I asked in a daze.
"I believe they've gone to bed," she sighed. "They looked in on us and I suppose they didn't want to disturb what was going on. They just waved at me as they went into Cindy's bedroom."
"Shannon was so upset before that I think we should check on them, if you don't mind."
She looked at me and a smile lit her face as if I'd given her a gift.
"I'd like to tuck Cindy in too," she squeezed my hand in hers. "I try not to miss doing that if I'm home, I thought it was just a 'mommy' thing."
"I think it's a parent thing," I smiled as I stood and reached out my other hand.
Now I was holding both of hers. When she smiled up at me, I couldn't help smiling back. There was a look in her eyes that was so soft, so tender and so wishful, even without her saying a word I knew that right then she wanted a hug and I needed one too. I released her hands, slid mine down and around her butt as I bent and scooped her upward to hold her tight in my arms. Her arms lifted and slipped around my neck, then her eyes gazed into mine as a soft smile lit her face.
It was strange, but as I held her, I realized that my feelings toward her had been changed during the time she had listened to me ramble on about my life. She'd neither condoned nor condemned my actions, instead she had simply accepted them as part of me and my ways. Somehow that had increased my liking and my respect for her even more than before.
"You'd better not do any more than hug me," she sighed.
"Oh why?" I couldn't help grinning as I shifted her into a hug.
"Because if you kissed me right now, I think I'd rape you," she whispered in my ear, her voice a wistful giggle.
"I guess I shouldn't kiss you then?" I whispered in return, then before letting her slip to the floor, I gently mouthed the lobe of her ear with my lips as I let her slide slowly downward.
"Oh Jeez, don't do that! Please!" she moaned and pressed her cheek to my chest as her arms slipped down to hold me tightly around my chest.
"Sorry, I didn't know you didn't like that," I sighed softly, enjoying her hug and returning it gently.
"Oh, but I do like it, way too damn much!" she pulled back and grinned up at me. "There's a direct nerve connection between that spot and pay dirt."
That comparison made me laugh, and I saw her tongue softly tease her lips as she looked at me almost hungrily.
"What's your hot spot?" she asked softly. "Where do I have to go to find the opening to the mother lode?"
"I don't think I have one special spot. It's all up here," I touched my forehead with a fingertip. "For me, my real hot spot is my partner's character and intelligence, even more than her looks or her actions."
"Oh man, how am I going to ever manage all that," she laughed softly.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry if I were you," I chuckled. "Now, before either of us says too much, I thought we were going to go tuck in a couple of kids?"
"Spoilsport, just when things were getting interesting," she turned, but as she did she grabbed my left hand in her right and led me toward Cindy's bedroom door.
"Hello, are you two awake? Dave and I wondered if you'd like a goodnight hug?" she asked as she tapped lightly on Cindy's door.
"Come on in. We'd both like a hug," Cindy's answered to my surprise.
"I thought you two would have been asleep?" Arlene said as she opened the door.
The two girls were laying side by side on the bottom bunk and Cindy's arms were around Shannon, holding her close.
"We were just talking," Cindy said quietly and Shannon nodded.
That quiet nod, the pile of crumpled tissues by the bed and Shannon's red rimmed eyes told both Arlene and me that the talk had been quite heavy. Both of us could guess what it was about.
As we stepped into the room, the two girls shifted. In seconds Shannon was in my arms and pulling me down to sit on the foot of the bed. In about the same amount of time, Cindy was wrapped around Arlene at the other end of the bed. I glanced at Arlene, asking a question with my eyes and found she was looking at me with surprise in her eyes too.
"Okay girls, somehow I think that there's something that has really upset you both, but I don't know what it is. If it's anything we can help with, we'd like to know," I said quietly.
"We were talking about Mom," Shannon mumbled quietly. "And I realized that all I have now is you."
"And that made me realize that all I have is Mom," Cindy sniffed and looked at me. "I know we both have a Granny and an Aunty, but it's not the same. Something can happen just so fast that it's scary."
Suddenly both Arlene and I each had our arms around a crying teenage girl. I looked at her and she rolled her eyes.
"Oh I don't think anything is going to happen to either Dave or me in the near future, at least not something that will leave either of you two as orphans."
"I bet Mom didn't think so either," Shannon blurted as she sat up. "I know it's silly, but I can't help it if I get scared. I'm sorry that I got Cindy all scared too."
Then she was sobbing on my shoulder again. Arlene was able to calm Cindy a lot sooner than I could soothe Shannon. In fact Shannon ended up falling asleep in my arms as the center of a 'community' cuddle that seemed to calm her more than anything. After I'd tucked her into bed and Cindy had slipped in beside her, I bent and hugged Cindy, thanking her quietly for being such a good friend to Shannon. She just kissed my cheek. When I looked at her with a questioning gaze she simply shrugged, then snuggled close to Shannon, as if only Shannon were important right then.
I was in a very thoughtful mood when Arlene and I left the room.
"Poor Shannon," Arlene said quietly as she followed me to the patio door where I paused to stare outside.
"Yeah, it's not every day that you lose a parent," I said with a deep sigh. "Thank you for your help."
"Oh come on," she sighed as she leaned against my side and slid an arm around my waist. "You'd have done exactly the same thing for me if I was in your shoes."
"Can we go outside for a few minutes?" I asked.
"Sure, but why do you want to go outside?"
"Well, it's a nice night with a bright moon, but mostly it's because the kids can't hear us if we go to the other end of the garden and talk quietly."
"Oh, there is that. Sure, let's go," she slid open the door and led the way across the lawn to the far end of the yard. "Now what did you want to say so the girl's would be unable to hear?"
"Well, I think in a way, Shannon blames herself for her Mom's death."
"You mean because of her mother's reaction to that stupid doctor's attempted rape?"
"More or less. That and the deal with the neighbourhood kid," I sighed. "In all honesty, Shannon took a lot of guff from Claire over the last while. Everything that Shannon wanted to do was something that Claire found fault with. Life around our house was a constant bicker session, yet now, Shannon is missing her terribly."
"Did you find yourself caught in the middle of their skirmishes?"
"I tried not to let that happen," I smiled slightly. "Of course both of them laid their views on me, and sometimes I had to wade into the fray. I did try to be as fair as I could though. Often I'd make them both wait until I'd thought through the problem first."
"I can see you doing that, but I don't think I could. I make up my mind rather quickly most of the time."
"I've noticed," I chuckled and brushed her hand gently with my finger tips.
She actually laughed for a few seconds then.
"You mean about you?" she asked, grabbing my hand again.
"Yeah, but about lots of other things too. You leap to conclusions from much less evidence than I do. Sometimes you surprise me."
"Did you ever think that part of the reason for that might be my training in the police force?"
"I thought you were more into youth services than anything else?"
"I am. That's partially why I'm so involved with you and Shannon. Both of you are atypical in some ways, yet in other ways you're both quite predictable," she sighed, suddenly much more serious. "After tonight, I'm sure that both of you need grief counselling. You seem to be over the worst of your grief already in some ways and yet you're going to feel pangs of grief for a lot longer unless you learn to let go and accept things. Part of your grief is assuaged by the anger or annoyance that you've felt toward Claire. I think her treatment of Shannon has bothered you for a long time. The treatment you've received over the length of your marriage hasn't helped either. Yet in a way that anger is preventing you from accepting the grief you feel."
"On the other hand, Shannon's grief is going to be just as hard or harder for her to manage and it's going to leave a lasting impression on her. More so if you don't accept that she can feel extreme grief even though she was as angry with her mother as you were. Then too, she was much closer to her Grandmother than you were and she's suffered a doubly heavy blow in losing them both at the same time. I'm only hoping that the autopsy reveals a reason for your mother-in-law's actions."
"Would you care to explain that?"
"My explanation won't do much good because I'm only guessing right at the moment," she sighed. "Now, it's past midnight, and I'm going to bed. Oh, just for your information, tonight I'm sleeping on my side of the bed."
"That was a sudden switch of topics."
"Yes, an intentional one," she said sharply as she turned toward the house and began to walk away. "I don't want to talk about grief any more tonight. Instead, let's talk about something completely different."
"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" I asked as I followed her.
"We can talk about anything, but problems," she sighed as she waited for me at the sliding door in order to lock it behind us.
"That cuts out most topics, doesn't it,"
"Not really, it just limits them," she led the way into her bedroom. "I'd just like to relax in bed and enjoy your company for a bit, damn it. Both of us have been under so much tension for the last few days that I'm really starting to feel worn down by it all."
"I am sorry," I said quietly and reached my hands toward her.
"Just wait," she said sharply, stepping back and holding up her hands. "I want to take a complete break, okay? Let's get cleaned up and ready for bed, then we can talk."
With that, she left me alone in the bedroom as she went to get ready for bed. I sat on the edge of the bed waiting and while I did, I was thinking about how I'd been leaning on her. Suddenly I began to feel extremely guilty. When she came back, she was even wearing a robe, which had to be because I had let her know that I was somewhat uncomfortable with her nudity.
Since she didn't speak, I simply went and got ready myself, but when I was done, I intentionally walked back into the bedroom wearing nothing. Instead I was carrying my clothes.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed and did a double take as I sat down at her side. It was a few seconds before she commented with a strange smile.
"You do realize that I'm wearing this robe intentionally, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do and in a way that's my fault. You shouldn't have to do that since you normally wouldn't. After all this is your house and I'm imposing on your hospitality, I should be the one who is adopting your customs, even if I'm uncertain where that would lead," I reached out and took one of her hands in mine.
"Don't do that!" she snapped, yanking her hand away. "You just said that you were uncertain and if you . . ."
"Oh shut up," I growled and wrapped my arms around her, then kissed her open mouth as she tried to argue.
"Mmmph," she growled as she struggled for an instant.
That instant of struggle faded into oblivion, then she seemed to melt into my arms. Suddenly I was being kissed back at least as passionately as I had been kissing her. We were like two teenage lovers, afraid to move our hands too quickly, yet trying to express with our mouths the rampaging passions that were running through our bodies. That kiss lasted for a long time and I wasn't sure I ever wanted it to stop.
Somehow it did though. That's when I found that she'd shifted her body and so had I. When we finally broke the kiss, we were both laying back on the bed, my hands on her back with her body laying on mine and our arms encircling each other. She was staring down into my eyes.
"I thought you said you were under control and that you weren't going to let yourself get excited," she said laughingly, her eyes sparkling. "Besides, nothing has changed, what's happened to your vaunted moral standards?"
"I saw the light," I grinned. "In other words, I had an epiphany."
"An epiphany? Isn't that a religious thing of some sort?" she chortled.
"I suppose it wasn't an epiphany then," I chuckled. "It's just that I made a mental leap to the idea that I was single and in bed with a woman that I want very much to be involved with. Besides, if a lawyer asked me tomorrow where I've been spending my nights, I'd have to say I was in your bed and if I'm tarred with that brush . . ."
"So what are you saying?" she smiled almost shyly.
"Well, you really want more than just a cuddle, don't you?" I grinned back, patting her round bottom gently.
"You're sure of that?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
"Okay, turn out the lights. I can find my way back to bed in the dark," she ordered and slipped out of my arms, then out of bed.
"I take it that you're going to come back then?" I asked as she moved toward the door
"Yes, but I want to check that the girls are sleeping soundly first," she laughed softly as she stood at the door. "Lights out, or you sleep alone."
With one last glance at the wonderful curves inside her robe, I flipped out the light and lay there in the darkness as she disappeared from the doorway. In one way I felt almost as tense as a teenager waiting at the curb for his girlfriend to meet him for his first date. Yet at the same time, I felt wonderfully relaxed. I felt that Arlene might tantalise me, but I doubted if she'd tease me and leave me totally dissatisfied. Actually, I was enjoying the anticipation of her return, even though it seemed to take hours.
Surprisingly I wasn't feeling any conflict of loyalties, no remorse that I was going to sleep with a woman who wasn't my wife. Somehow, my psyche had learned to accept the idea that I was a single man now. As soon as my mind drifted to those thoughts, I mentally clamped down on them. There was no way I was going to let myself go there because if I changed my mind now, I would hurt a woman that I was growing to love. Instead I thought of how kind and delightful Arlene was and just how wonderful her touch felt on my flesh. Those thoughts seemed to energise my desires to an even higher level and I felt myself growing impatient as I waited for her
Then she was standing in the doorway, I could barely make out her shape in the darkness but I heard her moving slowly toward me. Then I felt her lift the sheets and the bed settled as she slipped over to lay at my side. Her hand found mine as we lay side by side on our backs. I started to roll toward her and she stopped me by pressing her other hand on my chest.
"Rules first, okay?" she whispered.
"I guess."
"Nothing energetic tonight."
"What?" I felt worse than a kid who'd just lost the ice cream from his cone on a hot day and had no chance to buy another.
"Oh quit whimpering," she snorted. "It's worse for me."
"Impossible," I sighed.
"No, it's not, I haven't been to bed with anyone for several years and I'm almost terrified."
"Oh shit, I won't hurt you, I promise! Can I at least cuddle you?"
"Cuddling is allowed, and there will be more, but this has to be my party."
"Jeez woman, you open a door and then slap bars across it."
That made her laugh aloud, then whimper through her chuckles. "I know. Life's a bitch."
"Cuddles are allowed huh?" I sighed softly, then hand or no hand I rolled onto my side.
She still clasped one of my hands, but the other one was free. I lifted it and reached in the darkness, carefully avoiding her breasts or anything obviously sensitive, instead, trying for her far shoulder. I found it, first try, and cupped it in my hand, then I pulled on it in order to roll her onto her side. After that, I slid my hand down to the middle of her back to draw her body tightly against mine.
"Just cuddling," I whispered, then I rubbed the tip of my nose against hers.
I could feel her body tense, but at the same time I knew she wanted to be kissed, instead I teased her. I rubbed her forehead with mine, used the tip of my nose to touch the tip of hers, then used the tip of my nose to touch her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead. Finally I laid my cheek against hers and whispered softly in her ear.
"Just cuddling."
Her whole body was strung tight and I was simply pressing against her, not moving. After a few seconds I began to gently nibble her earlobe, but just with my lips, not my teeth.
"You are a dirty rotten bastard," she mumbled into my ear. "Kiss me, damn it."
"Oh I couldn't. My heart beat would increase tremendously and I was warned that if I had that happen it could cause me to have problems," I couldn't help but chuckle.
"If you don't kiss me, I'll finish the job Claire started," she snorted softly. "Now I know why she bopped you one."
I expected those words to hurt somehow, but they didn't and for a brief instant I wondered if I was that shallow. Then her lips met mine and I didn't think of anything else for a long time. Kissing her took all of my attention.
I'm afraid it didn't stop at a kiss. After a few minutes I realized that I wanted her and she wanted me just as badly. At first we tried our best to satisfy our desires using just our hands, but if anything, that simply seemed to make things worse.
"Do you think we could . . ." I asked quietly?
"Well no, if you get energetic . . ." she sighed leaving her fears unspoken. "But I think I could . . . I mean, if you were on your back and you didn't do much . . . maybe we could try."
So I rolled onto my back while pulling her over and on top of me, then I held her there. That didn't hamper her. She's a very limber person and she wriggled inside my arms until I was exactly where she wanted me to be. Then she paused, her thighs resting astraddle my upper hips, her moist warmth teasing my stiff member.
"Whoa!" she barked, as I shifted my hips slightly and the head of my shaft touched that magic warm gap it had been seeking. "This has to be my party. No kidding. You're a very big man who is very well endowed and I'm a small woman who hasn't had sex in almost eight years. You could hurt me badly. If you push too hard, I'll be in trouble and we might even be calling an ambulance. As it is, I'm gambling that I can stretch enough to satisfy both of us. I know it's liable to hurt, just don't make it any worse than it has to be."
That sobered me.
"You play. I'll be a spectator and enjoy you vicariously," I sighed. "Or if you'd like, I can lend you a few fingers?"
"You'd better damn well enjoy this," she moaned softly as she moved slightly. "I'll borrow your fingers later. For now, let's try this my way."
She was pressing against me and I knew we were lined up correctly, but her body was so tight I wasn't slipping inward, I was just pressing against her. I could feel warmth, sense moisture, yet it was as if I was pressing against a soft barrier that wouldn't let me in. Then I felt her body slowly open, tightly squeezing against my flesh as it entered hers. There was a ring, almost a defensive barrier. Then suddenly she shifted and pressed down harder, then she grunted as her body was forced open. Part of me was inside her and to my surprise she mewed like a kitten.
"Oh God, that stings," she whispered.
"Should I pull back?" I managed to mumble, because I was feeling discomfort myself.
"Don't you dare move. Just don't move at all," she muttered.
To my surprise, she pressed even further before she paused and sighed.
"It's getting better," she whispered. "But, please, don't even wiggle."
Then fantastic and phenomenally delightful sensations washed over me as she rocked back and forth, slowly easing away, then forcing herself against me, and oh so slowly her body opened itself around me.
I felt pleasure and pain, delight and worry. I adored the feeling of warmth and moisture, but knew that if I was feeling pain, she must be too. My body wanted so badly to thrust against her, yet I fought that reflex, holding my reactions in tight rein, letting her do everything.
Having managed to become well started, she paused, her breath coming in long deep sighs. She stretched forward and I lifted my head, bending to meet her lips. She kissed me lightly then sighed deeply.
"Stay still," she murmured. "At least for now."
"I'll do my best," I sighed. "That almost hurt me."
"And what do you think I felt?" she gasped. "Damn, but you feel big."
"I'm not really all that big," I twisted to kiss her cheek. "We could stop and get relief by hand if you want that instead?"
"Like hell!" she announced. "I want you."
Then she began to rock back and forth gently again, every few strokes she was pressing back harder, taking a bit more of me inside her. It was wonderful, yet frustrating. It was satisfying, yet tantalising. I wanted very much to thrust deeper, yet knew that I needed to hold still. Finally she had perhaps half of my shaft inside when she paused again. Then she slid forward until only the head of my cock was inside her warmth and snug pressure.
"Do you know what a pelvic thrust is? Where you just roll your pelvis back and forth?" she whispered.
"Unh huh."
"Do that, but not too hard or too fast, okay? Try it slowly and gently at first, please."
"I won't last long," I warned her.
"Doesn't matter," she moaned as I began to move gently. "In fact, it might help."
I tried to move gently. So little movement, so much sensation. Soft ridges rubbed sensitive nerves, gentle pulses teased prodding rigidity, moist flesh caressed intruding bulges as we fit like hand and glove. I moaned softly. She matched my moan, then raised her bid with a groan. I sighed as I felt an increasing restriction and paused as she whimpered, then I slowly eased back to start again.
Advance, retreat, advance again. Slowly, oh so slowly. My body and my mind fought, my body wanting instant satisfaction, my mind wanting her to feel a far gentler relief. Then her body interfered. It spasmed, it clamped, a splendid surging series of clasping motions milked and manipulated my firm column of needy flesh. I couldn't completely mute an unbidden grunt of protest at the sudden change.
With no warning beyond a lightning bolt of ecstasy that verged on pain surged through me then, so I couldn't help stiffening and I found my pelvis involuntarily surging against her pulsing form. Then my whole body was engulfed in the sensation of satisfaction as my prostate emptied in a series of surging spurts. Arlene moaned softly, her body's actions may have triggered mine, but for her it seemed that the sensations lasted longer, seemed more profound, more fulfilling, if that was possible. For me the sensation was euphoric, I was satiated, my desires appeased and I lay back in a stupor of sexual gratification.
She calmed and snuggled above me, her cheek resting on my shoulder, her breath teasing my chin. I found the energy to raise a hand and stroke her hair, gently tucking her head close to my chest and I bent my head so that my lips touched her forehead softly in a tender kiss.
Her sigh matched the way I felt. I relaxed, still holding her tightly, still inside her, but slowly, so slowly softening. Yet she still pulsed, still moved. Now the sensation gradually changed and became different; more intense, more invasive, almost irritating, until it verged on being painful. Still, I didn't want her to stop. As I thought about the fact that it must be giving her pleasure in some way the discomfort eased. I sighed and hugged her body tight against mine, closing my eyes and relaxing.
"Thank you," I whispered softly.
"Shh," she hissed. "For me it's still happening."
"Sorry, but I'm about done in," I whispered and kissed her forehead again.
I sighed once and was surprised to hear Arlene moan softly. After a few more moments, her gentle motions gradually calmed. Then for a while we lay there quietly, the two of us simply too relaxed to move. I'm not sure how Arlene felt, but I decided I didn't need to say anything, just being so close was enough for now.
I suppose I was the first to slip off into a sound sleep.