I’ve never done this with a partner, and I watch my face flush at the thought of sharing the oddly intimate routine with someone else. He notices, and his lips curve up.“You okay?” he asks, rinsing his toothbrush. “I don’t think your eyes could get any bigger.”I nod, spit, and rinse, conscious of my hot cheeks.“You’re trembling,” he says. “Are you sure you’re not cold?”I shake my head and wipe my mouth with the towel. I’m suddenly intensely aware of him, of how gorgeous he is, how relaxed and confident.He studies my face, frowning, then turns and cups my cheeks in his hands. “Did I hurt you?”“No. I’m okay. Just… overwhelmed. I haven’t done any of this before. I’ve never shared myself with a man. It’s all new to me.” I give a self-conscious laugh. “I know I’m twenty-six now, but I feel like how I imagine a fourteen-year-old medieval virgin must have felt when she was married to the lord of the manor.”“Aw,” he murmurs, frowning, “I didn’t think of that.” His eyes search mine, and
“I sort of am. I’ve been thinking about having you in my bed for weeks, and I kinda lost the plot.”I can’t help but be flattered by that. “So you’re sorry you marked me?” I ask, already knowing the answer.“No. I’m not sorry about that.”“Why did you do it? It’s not like I’m going to let anyone see it.”He shrugs. “I know it’s there.”I can almost feel it, like a brand. “I’m glad you asked me, even if I didn’t know what you were asking.”“Why did you agree, then?”“I didn’t want to look like an idiot. I note that you didn’t ask before you did the vanishing ice trick, though. You knew I’d say no to that.”“Yeah, and yet it felt so good it still made you come,” he says smugly. “Maybe you should trust me.”“Depends what else you’re going to shove up there. Anything bigger than an ice cube and we might have a problem.”“I promise not to insert anything else unless you beg me to.”That makes me laugh. “Fair enough.”He kisses my lips, long and luscious, then lifts his head and kisses my no
KipWhen I wake, the sun is just coming up, filling the room with a white-gold light. I stretch and yawn, and then, as the memories from last night come flooding back, roll onto my side to face the woman who’s sharing my bed.She’s still asleep, lying on her tummy, cheek pressed against the pillow. The sun has cast her pale skin in a rosy flush, and her blonde hair, while messy in its untidy bun, shines like gold thread.I don’t know what it is about this girl that rings my bell. I’m sure there are more beautiful women out there, although it’s hard to think how her features could be perfected. I love her baby blue eyes, now hidden behind her lids, her long, fair lashes, her straight nose, the scatter of faint freckles across her cheeks, the attractive curve of her Cupid’s bow. And her body couldn’t be improved—she’s neither too thin nor too curvy, her waist dipping and her hips flaring in perfect proportions. And I love her breasts, and her pale pink nipples that point up, begging to
We talk about all kinds of things, her upcoming podcasts, her recording setup and studio, my work, AI, gaming… We talk, and we sip our coffee and watch the sun rising in the sky, filling the room with bright-gold summer sunshine.I’ve never done this with a girl. Never shared the same tastes in books, movies, and music, and been able to lie there for hours talking, laughing, and enjoying just being together.It’s nearing midday when Alice finally says, “This is lovely, but I really should have a shower.”“No point,” I tell her, reaching out to lace my fingers through hers.“Why?”I pull her hand toward me, and laugh as she falls onto my chest. “Because I’ve got some very dirty things planned,” I murmur, sliding a hand to the back of her head and pulling it down to kiss her.“Mmm.” She kisses me back, then lifts her head to look at me with wide eyes. “But it’s the middle of the day.”“So?”She looks genuinely surprised. “I just thought…”“We had to wait until it was dark and the lights
Moving off her to the side, I pour more oil on my hands, lots and lots of it, so it runs over my palms and dribbles over both of us, and now she’s wet and shiny and so am I as I stretch out beside her, our skin sticking together and peeling apart with a delicious sucking sound. I smear the oil across her bottom lip with my thumb and then kiss her hungrily, too fired up to go slow. She opens her mouth to me, though, and our tongues tangle, while I slide a hand over her breasts, then continue down to between her legs.I drizzle some more oil there and begin to massage it in. My fingers slide easily through her swollen folds, and we both groan.“You’re so fucking wet,” I murmur, plunging my tongue into her mouth.“I wonder why?” she asks when I lift my head. “You’re driving me crazy.”“That’s the idea.”Her eyelids flutter shut as I slip two fingers inside her. I move them in and out of her gently for a while, then ease them out. This time, I slide my middle finger further down to the ti
I lift up, bracing myself on a hand, and come over her shiny skin, sending thick, creamy jets shooting across her tummy and breasts. She watches, fascinated, her fingers pausing for a few seconds, and then her gaze lifts to mine and our eyes lock, and something passes between us, like an electric shock, something hot and fast and exquisite that makes me catch my breath. Her fingers continue to circle again, and then she closes her eyes and bites her lip, obviously feeling the approach of her orgasm.I can’t resist her—I’m still hard—and so I slide right into her in one smooth move, and thrust her through the climax, grinding my hips against hers so I’m touching her clit. I kiss her, plunging my tongue into her mouth, capturing her moans. She squeals and comes around me, clenching with such strong pulses that it makes me groan.We stay like that for ages as she drifts down to earth, me thrusting gently, just enjoying being inside her, and her limp on the mattress, arms above her head,
Alice“Red or white?” Saxon asks.It’s Sunday evening, and we’re at Saxon and Catie’s house, about to have dinner. She’s baked some focaccia, and we’re currently dipping chunks of it in olive oil, salt, and dukkah.I look at where he and Catie are sitting opposite me and Kip at their dining table, noting that neither of them has a wine glass in front of them, and say, “I’m happy to stick to soft drinks.”“Aw,” Catie says, “I don’t mind if you have a glass of wine. I’m living vicariously at the moment. Saxon won’t let me have mayo, soft cheese, alcohol, or too much coffee. He’s like Hitler with food and drink at the moment.”“Harsh,” he says. “But probably true.”Kip chuckles. “I’m happy with Sprite, too.”“All right,” Saxon replies good-naturedly, and he pours us all a glass from the bottle he brought out for himself and his wife.“So,” Catie says, picking up her glass and sipping it, “what have you two been up to this weekend?”“Playing Scrabble,” Kip says without missing a beat. Sax
“Oh my God, I’m so full,” I declare after I finish the last mouthful. “That was divine.”Saxon gathers up the plates, looks at his brother, and gestures to the kitchen with his head. “Come on, bro. Let’s do the dishes and let the girls put their feet up.”Kip chuckles. “Yeah, all right.” He gets to his feet and kisses the top of my head before following Saxon out to the kitchen, carrying a pile of dishes.Catie looks at me and smiles. “Would you like to see the nursery?”“Oh, I’d love to!”“It’s not finished yet,” she says as we get to our feet, “but I’ve started getting a few bits for it.” She leads the way along the corridor to the other end of the house. “That’s our room,” she says, “and here’s the nursery.”We go into the room. It’s empty apart from a table covered with magazines and swatches. The carpet is covered with newspaper. The wall is divided by a dado rail. She’s painted it light blue above the rail and light green below it, so it looks like the sky and grass. I can see t
June 21st (two months later)KipIt’s the winter solstice, exactly six months after I met Alice, and Mum and Dad’s house is full of people who’ve come to celebrate the renewal of Saxon and Catie’s vows and their baby-naming ceremony. Saxon sprung a wedding on her after Christmas while they were on holiday, because he wanted to marry her but knew she’d be overwhelmed by having to say her vows in front of lots of people. However, six months have gone by now, and she’s settled down a lot, to the extent that when he suggested they combine a naming ceremony with a vow renewal ceremony, she jumped at the idea.Dad’s twin brother, Brandon, and my aunt, Jenny, are chatting to Mum and Alice’s mum. Penny has been spending a lot of time with Mum, and I’m so pleased that they genuinely seem to get on well. Penny’s holding one of Catie’s twins and Mum’s holding the other, and the two of them are clearly enjoying themselves.Kennedy’s helping Catie get ready. Her husband, Jackson, with baby Eddie, i
He holds out a hand to me. “Let’s go outside.”Meekly, my head whirling, I let him pull me up and lead me out into the garden. It’s dark now, and a couple of moths are fluttering around the kitchen window, but there’s enough light for us to see each other clearly, and it’s not cold.Still standing, he turns me to face him. “What do you think?” he asks.“I don’t know what to say. I… I’m ashamed Mum feels that Charlie and I didn’t listen to her. She’s right of course. I was determined to make the sacrifice because I thought it was what I should do. But she is still my mother, and she deserves to have a say in it.”I look down at where he’s holding my hands. “But it’s not easy. It would be a huge change for her to move, and I know that change is one thing she really struggles with. When anything big happens, it always makes her unwell.”“That’s fair enough, but we’d make sure we did it in small steps so it didn’t become too overwhelming.” He lifts my hands and kisses my fingers. “Whateve
I glance at Charlie, a little ashamed. She looks back at me, her lips twisting.“I don’t think it occurred to either of you to ask me what I want,” Mum says. “And every time I tried to talk about it, you shut me down.”I stare at her, horrified. Is that true? I suppose it is. She did try to say she wanted to find a solution that would mean neither of us would have to give up the men in our lives, but we both steamrollered over her, insisting we weren’t going to cave.“When I talked to Kip, though,” Mum continues, “he said, ‘What do you want?’ I was so touched I nearly cried.”I glance at him, but he’s looking at her, his lips curving up behind his fingers.Mum looks at me. “As I said, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I’m not going to let either of you pass up on the chance of happiness with the man of your dreams for me. Alice!” She snaps as I open my mouth. “Please!”I close my mouth again, shocked at her sharp tone.“I know that over the years you’ve had to step up an
AliceI’m absolutely shattered.Charlie’s revelation yesterday threw all three of us into a whirlwind of heightened emotions, and it’s been very difficult to stop them spinning us around.Mum went to bed early last night, exhausted from the whole thing, and the two of us stayed up until very late, checking on her from time to time, both frightened of leaving her alone.“We have to sort this,” Charlie told me at one point, long after the sun had set. “We can’t keep doing this to her.”“I know that,” I snapped. But I couldn’t see a way clear through the thick forest of our problems.In the end, both of us were so tired and irritable and upset that we decided to sleep on it and talk again the next day.I lay awake for about an hour, thinking about Kip, missing him, and feeling miserable, and fighting with myself because he’s my best friend, and I wanted to call him and talk it over with him, and I couldn’t. Eventually I crashed out, slept too long, and I’ve woken with a headache, grouchy
I sigh. “Shit.”“Yeah. She was so happy, and I just couldn’t bring myself to say it. I kept thinking about the baby, and I knew I had to try and make a go of my marriage for the baby’s sake. So I stayed. I told Renée I couldn’t see her again. She texted me occasionally, but we didn’t meet up. I tried, I really did. But Chloe had morning sickness for the first few months, and after that she just didn’t want sex—she said it felt weird while she was pregnant. And then the baby was born, and even a few months after, she still wasn’t interested. I tried to be understanding, and accept she was tired and probably sore, but… I know it makes me a terrible person, but I just kept thinking about how Renée wanted me, and how good she made me feel… And then one day she contacted me again and asked to see me. And I’m only human, Kip. I was lonely, and I know it sounds pathetic and childish and makes me an arsehole, but I was angry with Chloe for not wanting me, and for not taking my needs into acco
KipAfter my long phone call with Penny, I send a text to Sam, the pilot of the Knight Sky, then take my laptop out onto the deck and spend half an hour browsing and jotting down some notes until the doorbell goes. I answer it to find Craig standing there. To my relief, there’s no sign of Renée. I’m tempted to say, ‘So she let you out on your own, then?’ but I manage to restrain myself.“Jesus,” he says, staring at my eye, “what happened to you?”“Don’t ask,” I reply wryly. “Come in.” I stand back and let him pass, close the door, and follow him down the steps. “You want a coffee?”He shrugs. “Okay.”I take it as a sign that he’s planning to stay at least long enough to have a drink, and turn on the machine. “Thanks for coming,” I say as I start the espresso pouring. “I wasn’t sure you’d agree to it.” I glance at him. “Was Renée okay with you coming?” I’m genuinely curious, as I was convinced she’d arrive with him.He sits on one of the barstools and scratches at a mark on the counter.
He puts his arm around her. “It’s amazing,” he says softly. “Thank you.” The last ounce of resentment has vanished from his eyes.“They’re lovely gifts,” Mum tells me. “Well done.”One of the babies—Liam, I think, because he’s wearing red—stirs in the cot, waving his tiny fists in the air.“Can I pick him up?” I ask, and Catie wipes her eyes and nods..“Of course.”I lift the baby out and walk beneath the umbrella so he doesn’t have the sun in his eyes.“Hey, little fella,” I murmur, and he looks up at me with his big blue eyes. He smells sweet, of milk and talcum powder, and when I stroke his cheek with a finger, he grabs it and tries to suck it. I chuckle and look at Saxon, who’s watching me with a smile.I feel a huge swell of relief. It’s the first step to putting things right with the people I love, and it feels damn good.I just hope I can do something similar with Craig and Alice.*I stay for another hour, drinking my coffee and chatting to my family. Then, just before midday,
KipI read it several times, then send it.It’s time to head over to my parents’ house. Dad bought each of us a breathalyzer when we were younger so we could make sure we weren’t over the limit after a few drinks. I haven’t used it for a while as I don’t tend to drink at all when I’m driving, but I take it out of the cupboard and blow into it, relieved to find I’m well under.Taking the presents with me, I get into the Merc and head out into the sunny morning.When I pull up at the house, Saxon’s Aston is already there, gleaming in the sunshine. I pick up the parcels and make my way inside, my stomach fluttering. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the need to apologize for bad behavior.As I pass the kitchen I see Mum there, talking to Pamela as they load a tray with cups of coffee. They both look over as I stop and walk in. Pamela gives a wry smile, and Mum gives me a look that says, ‘What am I going to do with you?’“Morning,” I say, going up to Mum, leaving the parcels on the cou
KipI vomit twice more in the night, but luckily Damon’s there to help me stumble to the bathroom, and to encourage me to drink more water. So when I eventually wake up for real, I feel a tad fragile, but not half as bad as I might have done if he hadn’t been there.I check the time—07:14. The sun is up, flooding the room with pale yellow light. The sky is such a light blue that it’s almost white.The bed next to me is empty, and I can’t hear Damon upstairs.Still no message or calls from Alice, but there are a few others waiting for me. The first is from Damon.Hey bro, I left around two a.m. once you stopped throwing up. Take the Panadol and drink the orange juice, then go apologize to Saxon and Catie and I’m sure you’ll feel better. DThe second is from my father.I’d like to see you here at eleven a.m., kiddo. Make sure you’re not over the limit. Dad xHe hasn’t called me kiddo for years. It’s obviously a reflection of my behavior last night.The third and fourth are from Saxon. The