They sat for a little longer, enjoying their peaceful surroundings before making their way back to the trail. Drew couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. Never in a million years could he have imagined that a short hike to talk about an invitation to his family barbecue would result in Beth agreeing to go out on a date with him. And that kiss. Heaven help him, but he wanted more of those. Well, he wanted more, period, but he had confidence that it would come in time. He only had to be patient.
Beth walked quietly beside him as they wound their way back down the path that led to their cars. She seemed . . . pensive.
“Something wrong?”
She glanced over at him and then back up at the trees. “No. Just thinking.”
“About?”
There was a twinkle in her eye when she met his gaze this time. “I’m trying to decide how fast I want to take things with you versus how far . . . and fast . . . you’d want to go.”
Although she said it with a hint of levity, Drew knew she was being serious. They would need to talk about things if their relationship was changing. Given the BDSM aspect they both wanted, it would mean a more detailed conversation. “I’ll be honest. Other than the basics and what I’ve seen at the club, I don’t know much. And the more I do learn, the more I’m realizing most of what’s online is wrong.”
Beth nodded. “If you don’t know the specific sites to look for, you mostly end up with porn. It’s a bad example of what the lifestyle really is.”
He snorted. “That’s for sure. I was so nervous the first time I got up the courage to go to a munch.”
“It was nerve-racking for me as well, even though I didn’t go by myself.”
“Was it with . . . Ben?” he asked, almost afraid saying his name would somehow shatter the progress they’d made.
“Yes.”
They both grew quiet as they reached the top of the hill and stepped out onto the grass surrounding the parking area. He could see their vehicles parked side by side about thirty feet away. Soon they would be going their separate ways, and it was the last thing he wanted. Drew wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her yet. “Did you still want to catch a movie?”
Beth didn’t answer until they were in front of their cars. She shook her head. “I’m not really in a movie kind of mood anymore.”
“Hungry?” He didn’t want to sound desperate, but let’s face it—he kind of was.
She chuckled. “I could probably eat.”
“So could I. Would you care to join me? I know a place not far from here. We could ride together and I could bring you back to your vehicle when we’re done.” He paused. “Or you could follow me.”
After a moment’s consideration—Drew thought it was more to toy with him than anything else—she sashayed over to the passenger side of his vehicle. He grinned and went to unlock her door. Beth smiled a thank you, and then slid inside.
While he could cook for himself, he was no stranger to eating out. Being a bachelor meant he knew a lot about the local places to eat. For their date on Saturday, he planned to take her some place nice, but he figured he should keep it casual for tonight. This wasn’t a date. Or officially it wasn’t.
They pulled up in front of a small family-run restaurant, and he turned off the engine. “Ever been here before?”
She looked up at the sign. “I think so. But it’s been a while.”
After exiting the vehicle, they met around front before heading toward the entrance. As soon as they were through the door, an older lady greeted them. “Welcome. Two of you this evening?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Drew answered.
The hostess escorted them to a table along the wall and handed them menus.
Beth scanned the dining room and grinned. “I have been here before. I remember that green counter along the wall.”
He glanced over to see what Beth was referring to, and had to chuckle. Most of the décor in the place had been done in the seventies, including the mint green counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room. “I guess it doesn’t hurt business.”
She took in the other diners. “I guess not. You’d think it would, though. I mean mint green?”
Drew couldn’t argue with her. The décor was tacky at best.
Their server came a few moments later, and they put in their orders. Once they were alone again, Beth clasped her hands together on the table in front of her. “Are you sure you want to go forward with this?”
When he tilted his head to the side in confusion, she clarified. “The non-vanilla part, I mean. Did you want to keep things . . . normal for a while first, or—”
“I’ve done normal. Normal doesn’t work for me.”
Beth nodded. “Okay. Katrina has a limits list on the club’s website that you can download. Fill it out and bring it with you Saturday. We can go over it and see where we want to go from there. Sound good?”
“I can do that.” Nervous excitement was coursing through his body. This was really happening.
She smiled as the server brought their salads. When the woman walked away, Beth cleared her throat. “Were you surprised that I kissed you?”
He nearly choked on his food. After taking a sip of water, he met her gaze. “A little. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for a repeat performance when I drop you off at your car.”
Beth smirked and dug into her salad again. “I might be able to arrange that.”
Drew turned his attention to his food, but inside he was counting down the minutes until he would be able to get his hands on her again.
“Why don’t you tell me more about your family? I should probably know what I’m getting myself into if I decide to spend Memorial Day with them.”
“Not much to tell. I mean, we’re a fairly normal bunch. Dad farms and takes care of his animals. Mom runs the house.” Drew shrugged, not sure what else to say. Overall, his family was pretty boring.
Beth shook her head. “There has to be more to it than that. I mean, you grew up on a farm. What was that like? Were your parents strict or did they let you get away with everything? Inquiring minds want to know.”
He finished his salad and pushed his plate to the side. “It was a lot like you’d expect. It was just my parents, Seth, and I, until Seth went away to college. Our nearest neighbors were almost a mile away, so until I was old enough to go to school I didn’t play with other kids my age much. We went to school, did our homework, and our chores.”
“Did that bother you?” she asked. “Being so far away from other kids, I mean. Given there was such a big age gap between you and your bother, I imagine it could be pretty lonely.”
“Not really.” He paused as their server returned with their meals. When they were alone again, he continued. “There was always plenty to do. If I wasn’t helping Mom or Dad, I was running around the farm pretending to protect our home from approaching enemies and wild animals.”
She laughed.
“Then, once I started school, I made a few friends and they’d come over on the weekends and they’d help me defend the farm.”
“It sounds like a very normal childhood.”
“It was. I was very lucky. My parents have been together since they were in their early twenties and are as much in love today as they were then. I couldn’t ask for better.”
They grew quiet for several minutes as they ate. After talking about his own family, Drew couldn’t help but wonder about hers. “What about you? Was your childhood normal?”
Beth shrugged. “I suppose you could call it normal. My parents didn’t get married until they were in their early thirties. They had me seven months later.”
“Were you the reason—”
“That they got married? Yeah.” Beth hesitated. “I mean, they loved each other—still do—but I sort of rushed things along.”
“And your siblings?” he asked.
“I think they were more planned than I was.” She took a bite and swallowed. “We were all loved and cared for. Even when my dad lost his job and we had to move in with my grandparents for a few months, they made sure we had what we needed.”
It was nice to hear more about Beth and her life. Although he’d gotten to know her some over the last month, he loved that she was opening up to him.
They lingered over coffee and shared a piece of apple pie. Being with Beth was easy.
Although he didn’t want to, Drew let her pay for her dinner. When they went out on their date on Saturday, he was paying and she’d just have to deal with it.
The drive back to her car was too short. They’d spent the last five hours together, yet it wasn’t enough. He felt as if he’d only scratched the surface and he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything.
When she got out of the car, he followed her. They were alone in the parking lot. All the other vehicles were gone.
Drew was trying to decide whether to ask if he could kiss her or just do it when she reached up to cup the back of his head. She pulled his mouth toward hers, and he didn’t resist. Seconds after their lips connected, he had her pressed back against her car, and her leg was wrapped around his waist. This time he didn’t hold back. His hands were on her back, her legs, her ass. She felt amazing, but there were too many clothes between them.
Beth was the first one to break the kiss. When her mouth left his, she trailed her lips down his jaw to his neck. She grazed her teeth right where his pulse was pounding beneath the skin. Part of him wanted her to bite down so he could know what it felt like. Instead, she teased him, holding him on the edge, not giving him what he wanted.
He dug his fingers into her hips and ground his pelvis into the heat he could feel coming from between her legs. Ever since he noticed her across the room that first night, he’d wanted to get his hands on her. Now that he was able to touch her, he didn’t want to stop.
Finally, she clamped down on his neck with her teeth, and his cock pulsed almost painfully. He was hoping she wouldn’t make him wait too long before he was able to feel her pussy surrounding his cock. But thinking about her pussy did nothing to help calm him down. Neither did her snaking her hand between them to cup his erection and give it a squeeze.
“Mmm,” she hummed against his neck.
He swallowed. “I want you.”
“Patience.” Her breath ghosted along his neck, sending a chill down his spine.
He moaned.
She ran her fingernail down the side of his neck, and released her hold on his cock. He didn’t know if that was better or worse.
Drew took a deep breath and nodded. It would be getting dark soon, and he knew she should be on her way. The park closed at dusk. “I should let you get home.”
Beth rose up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. “I’ll see you Saturday. And . . . you can call me.” She was teasing him, and he loved it.
“I’ll call. Let you know what time I’m picking you up for our date.” He hadn’t let go of her, and she didn’t seem anxious to pull away.
She nodded and brought their mouths together once again.
This kiss was all soft lips and gentle suction. It did nothing to dampen the fire inside him.
She pulled away before he was ready, so he followed her with his mouth, seeking more.
Beth laughed. “I promise the wait will be worth it.”
“My cock feels like it’s about to explode.”
As if to test his assertion, she wrapped one hand around his cock and the other cupped his balls. She squeezed each three times, and he nearly fell over. He dug his fingers into the sides of her hips and closed his eyes. “Beth . . . please.”
“Please what?” she asked against his lips.
Before he could form a coherent thought, her hands were gone and she was moving away from him. He opened his eyes to find her slipping behind the wheel of her car. She grinned up at him and waved. “Call me.”
Drew stood without moving as she drove away, his cock painfully hard. Making it to Saturday was going to be torture. Pure torture.
***
Beth was pulling into her driveway when Nicole called. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. How’d your movie date with Drew go?” Nicole asked.
Tucking her purse under her arm, Beth hurried inside, and kicked off her shoes. “It didn’t.”
“What do you mean it didn’t?” Nicole demanded.
Beth sighed, and flopped down on her couch with the phone to her ear. “I mean we ended up going for a walk instead. Apparently, he let it slip to his mom that he was meeting me this afternoon, and was told to extend an invitation to me to the family’s Memorial Day barbecue.”
“Meeting the family, huh? That’s a big step. You gonna go?”
“I haven’t decided. I told him I’d think about it.” Beth rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow. “Oh. And we’re going out Saturday.”
Nicole got real quiet for several moments. “Going out as in meeting up again to hang out or going out as in going on a date?”
Beth didn’t answer right away. She wanted to let Nicole stew a while. “The second.”
“Finally!”
“It’s only been a month.”
“A very long month,” Nicole insisted.
“If you say so.”
They both chuckled.
“So tell me, how did a walk turn into plans for a date?”
Beth eagerly filled her best friend in on the details of her time with Drew, including what turned out to be the first of several kisses. Nicole was riveted, and pumped her for details. Her friend burst out laughing when Beth relayed the heated good-night kiss she’d shared with Drew. “I would have paid to see that.”
“I don’t think we’re ready for an audience.”
“Beside the point.” Nicole released a contented sigh. “I’m happy for you.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s just a date.”
“And several kisses. Rather passionate kisses. We can’t forget those,” Nicole said.
Beth rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say.”
“So does that mean you’ll be coming to the club together Saturday night?”
The thought had crossed Beth’s mind. “I don’t know. We have a lot to talk about. That is, if the date goes well.”
“Don’t jinx yourself. Why wouldn’t it go well?” Nicole asked.
“I don’t know. Just nerves, I guess. Look, I should go. I have a few things to do before I turn in.”
“All right. Sleep tight. And dream of that hunky fireman of yours.”
Beth shook her head. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
Disconnecting the call, Beth headed for her bedroom, placed her phone on the charger, and booted up her computer. She located her limit list and opened the file. It had been a while since she’d read over the list, let alone updated it. She and Ben had been together for three years. At the beginning, it had been a useful tool in helping them navigate the kinky side to their relationship, but after a while they’d foregone their lists entirely and relied solely on verbal communication. If something came up that interested one of them, they brought it up and discussed it. It showed a level of comfort . . . of trust.
Beth snorted. Trust.
She took a deep breath and pushed Ben out of her thoughts. This wasn’t about Ben. It was about Drew. Her and Drew. And in situations like theirs, lists were good. They had to start somewhere, and knowing what kinks interested each of them was better than guessing. She needed to know what Drew wanted to explore. Who knows? They might find out that their kinks weren’t compatible. It wasn’t as if they’d talked about them in any detail.
As it turned out, most of the changes she made were minor. They consisted of changing things from ‘want to try’ to ‘like’ or ‘dislike’. The vast majority of it, however, stayed the same. What happened with Ben made her more cautious, but it didn’t change what she enjoyed.
She saved her new list and logged off the computer. Knowing she needed a little me time before turning in for the night, Beth headed for her bathroom and began filling her tub with water.
Once she made sure the temperature was right, she opened the bottom drawer of her vanity. Tucked into the back underneath several hand towels were two of her treasured bathroom accessories. One was a dildo. The other a vibrator. Both were waterproof and perfect for some underwater fun. There was nothing like a nice long soak in her bathtub, and two of her favorite toys, to relax her.
With her bath ready, Beth removed her clothes, twisted her hair up into a bun, and lowered herself into the tub. The warm water surrounded her. Baths were something she cherished. Before she’d bought her house, she’d lived in a one-room apartment that only had a small shower. The only time she was able to take a bath was when she went home to Ohio, and that wasn’t often. One of these days she was going to have one of those soaker tubs installed so she could stretch out and still have the water come up to her chin.
Beth leaned back and closed her eyes, letting her mind drift. It didn’t take long for Drew’s image to flood her vision. She could still feel his hands on her back, her hips, her butt. His cock pressing against her, wanting desperately to be let out.
She ran her hands down her torso, lingering on each one of her breasts, tugging at her nipples. What would it feel like to have him sucking and licking every inch of her? Beth planned to find out.
By the time she grazed a finger over her clit, she was ready. Beth reached for her toys and positioned them exactly where she wanted them. The soft hum of the vibrator could be heard even through the water as it massaged her pussy. It felt good, but she needed to be filled. Since she didn’t have a real cock at hand, a fake one would have to do.
The silicone dildo stretched her inch by inch as she pushed it inside. While she enjoyed toys, there was nothing like the real thing. Beth let her imagination take over and pretended it was Drew pushing his way inside her. Drew making her breath hitch. Drew pumping in and out of her faster and faster.
She approached her peak and increased the pressure against her clit. It was enough to send her barreling over the edge.
As her high faded, she was struck with a fit of giggles. Over the last few months, she’d pleasured herself plenty. None of them had been as intense as what she’d just experienced. She had no idea if it was because of the afternoon she’d spent with Drew, or if it was because she’d imagined it was him, instead of some faceless man who happened to have a very talented appendage. Either way, she was feeling extremely sleepy.
Beth opened the drain and forced herself out of the tub. As she dried herself off and got ready for bed, she began humming. It was crazy how happy she was. Nothing had even happened with Drew yet. Okay, that wasn’t true. They’d kissed. And, boy, what a kiss it was. There was definitely chemistry there. She’d felt it down to the tips of her toes.
She strolled naked into her bedroom and plucked one of her favorite nightshirts out of her dresser, humming the entire time. After running a brush through her hair, she slipped under the covers. There was a lot she’d need to do before her date on Saturday, but she’d worry about that tomorrow. Letting her eyelids close, she fell into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning started normal enough. Her alarm went off at five, and by six thirty she was elbow-deep in bread dough. She was in the process of taking a fresh loaf of bread out of the oven right before noon when Tommy popped his head back in the kitchen. “Delivery.”
Beth made sure nothing was in immediate danger of burning before going out front. She had a feeling she might be getting more flowers, and she was right.
“Are you going to read the card?” Tommy was in his element.
“Well, of course I am.”
She had her hand poised inches above the card when it dawned on her that every customer had their eyes trained on her. Every one of them stared at her full of curious anticipation. Mrs. Carlisle—an older woman who came into the café almost every morning—was sitting at a table not far from the counter with her husband of nearly forty years. She held her hands clutched to her chest, a huge grin on her face. They were all waiting.
Heat flooded Beth’s cheeks. She grabbed her flowers and made a mad dash toward the kitchen.
Unfortunately, she didn’t get far before she heard a familiar voice. “Who sent the flowers?”
She looked up and all signs of her blush vanished. There, standing near the door, was Ben.
“You need to leave.” Beth resumed her path toward the kitchen and didn’t look back.
She heard some rustling and raised voices, but remained hidden. Maybe it was cowardly, but Ben was the last person she wanted to deal with. Not now. Not when she was finally getting her life in order.
Beth had no idea how much time had passed, but she didn’t think it was more than a few minutes when Tommy came back to check on her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. Is he gone?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you.”
Tommy reached for some gloves, and she realized he was planning to work on the sandwiches she was supposed to be making.
“I can get those,” she said. “Why don’t you go back out front and make sure no one needs a refill on their coffee. I’ll make sure everything is taken care of back here.”
He looked unsure. “I can help.”
Beth shook her head. “I’ve got it. Promise.”
The smile she gave him was weak, but it was the best she could do. Ben showing up had thrown her. The last time she’d been somewhat prepared. This time . . .
She placed the fresh loaf of bread in the slicer and began assembling the sandwiches for her customers. Why was he here? Why now?
As quickly as she could, Beth rushed the sandwiches out to the customers who ordered them. She didn’t miss the sympathetic looks she received from her regulars. Many of them had been around when she and Ben had been a couple. They all knew things had ended between them. Some even knew it ended badly. She hated their looks of pity.
Plastering a smile on her face, she finished her task, and then returned to the kitchen. Her gaze fell on the flowers Drew sent. Ben had taken that moment of joy away from her and she hated him for it.
She ran her fingers over the delicate blooms—tulips this time—and extracted the card.
Beth,
I hope you enjoyed our hike as much as I did.
Drew
Simple and to the point. So why did her chest clench? Drew seemed to know exactly what to say and do to break through her defenses. She felt moisture trail down her cheeks, and swiftly wiped it away.
Before she could second-guess herself, she dug her phone out of her pocket, and shot Drew a text.
Got the flowers. They’re beautiful. Thank you. - Beth
Only seconds passed before he responded.
You’re welcome. Call you tonight?
She didn’t hesitate to reply.
Yes. - Beth
Smiling, she laid her phone down on the counter, and got back to work. Ben was her past, and as far as she was concerned, he was going to remain there. She had the potential of a new relationship with Drew. A relationship that wasn’t built on lies. She was going to concentrate on that and forget Ben ever existed.