My legs threatened to give out, my orgasm was spent but I was so far from done with Laura. Not sure where her wild abandonment came from, I embraced it and let her own it, despite the surprise. I’d never been a selfish lover with Stella, yet standing on the stairs with my jeans around my ankles and trying to catch my breath, I could be with Laura. Not so much in taking what I wanted, no - more making sure she took what she desired. I’d bow to her whims, no questions asked.

Once our frantic breaths had settled and my heart no longer hammered, I became conscious of the fact that cum was dripping onto the floor between us. A moment of panic struck me.

“Shit!” I pulled out of her, my cock not entirely sated, probably after another round and cursed again. “Shit. Laura. I’m sorry.”

I was a grown arsed man for Christ’s sake, how could I forget a bloody condom? No way. I wanted to do it right this time and I had just royally fucked that notion right out the window. This was brand new between us, it couldn’t start with an unplanned pregnancy. Scurrying to look anywhere but at Laura, embarrassment stained my cheeks, my irresponsibility churning in my gut. What a fucking way to ruin the moment.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, staring at the pool of fluid puddled on the stairs between us.

Laura wriggled in my arms, signalling she wanted down. I set her legs gently on the stair, straightening her skirt, watching it fall to her ankles and hide my poor judgement. Her hand gently pushed at my chest and I shuffled back, bending down to yank up my boxers and jeans. I didn’t bother buckling back up, just shoved my pleased as fuck cock into the confines of the material.

A million words fell between us, not a single one uttered as we stood fixated on the other. She led me up the stairs pointing to what looked like a bathroom while she slipped into another room, presumably her bedroom. I cleaned up and washed my hands before tiptoeing back to the room Laura had disappeared into.

She lay in her bed, her covers up to her waist and a t-shirt hiding her beautiful body. I took the hit of disappointment making no mention of it as I walked to the foot of her bed, my hand reaching out to touch her covered foot.

“Are you staying?” she asked shyly.

I dropped my head, not yet ready to voice any words for fear of the wrong thing slipping out.

“Then get in.”

She flipped back the covers and I undressed, hesitating when I was down to my boxers. Fuck it, they came off too. I slept naked, I wasn’t about to change that now for the sake of modesty or embarrassment. I had a passable body, I took care of myself as much as a busy nearly forty-year old man could. I watched Laura look away as my semi chubby and I slipped under the cool sheets. Awkward was certainly top of the moment.

Once she’d huddled onto her side facing me, I did the same, getting comfortable. I simply stared at her, in awe of this beautiful woman and what we had done. I wasn’t about to regret our first time against the stair wall, it had been hot as fuck. I wanted a repeat of it. Many repeats.

I was still overwhelmed and annoyed with myself though. I cleared my throat, moving a stray lock of hair away from her face. Her neck and shoulders were still ruddy from her orgasm and I was awash with satisfaction. I remembered the condom disaster and smugness ebbed to worry.

“I didn’t use a condom, Laura.”

She clasped her hand with mine under the covers and sighed. “It’s okay.”

There was no follow up, no explanation as to why and I questioned myself on whether or not to push it. I didn’t, instead I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me. She came willingly and snuggled into my chest, any doubts chasing me falling with the heat of her body against mine, I was content to be lying with this amazing woman in my arms.

* * *

Hot. I woke up too hot. I was wrapped around Laura, my leg slung over hers and her head snuggled into the crook of my neck, a position I could get used to. Stella had always slept at the other side of the bed, no cuddles, barely any skin touching at the best of times. I lay there enjoying the new sensation until Laura moved, holding me tighter, as if she was afraid I was going to take off. I found it funny. I was right where I wanted to be, where would I go?

I kissed her head and felt her move closer, my morning wood poking into the top of her thigh. I skimmed my hand down her clothed back, finding skin at the bottom, I slipped my hand underneath the bunched-up material and swept my palm over the small of Laura’s back, up towards her shoulder blades. She had the smoothest skin I’d ever felt, silky and warm, yet it felt mottled with raised marks in places.

“Hmmmm...” The satisfied humming noise she made told me she was stirring from sleep. “Morning.”

Her voice was gruff, still sleepy sounding. I wiggled closer as she shifted her leg, moving between mine where she pressed her thigh against my balls.

“Morning,” I returned, feeling the burning swell of arousal in the most delectable of ways.

“Hangover?”

I groaned. “Kind of.” I kissed the top of her head again and kept brushing my hand across her flesh.

“You want some coffee?”

I pushed away from her. “Take this off.” I grabbed at the hem of her t-shirt. “I didn’t see you properly last night. I want to see you.”

The t-shirt came off without protest and Laura lay in front of me in a pink thong that begged to be stripped. I flipped the duvet back and raked my eyes down her body, marvelling at her naked skin. My fingers reached out to touch the jagged scar that ran the entire width of her stomach. I sucked in a breath, then observed Laura, a tightness coiling my muscles.

“No condom.” I said quietly, realisation dawning on me. “I didn’t need one, right?”

She shook her head, unable to speak the words, a bone deep wretchedness evident in her eyes. She didn’t need my sympathy nor my pity, that much I knew, the time had come and gone years ago for that, here wasn’t my place for apologies. I pushed my finger against her lips and shook my head back at her. She kept looking at me, I didn’t want her explanation, she didn’t need to give it. The reasons had no place between us.

“Okay.” Laura kissed my finger. “Okay.”

Her eyes met mine briefly, I wasn’t finished my slow perusal. I examined the thick, ropey scar that travelled along her collarbone and up the side of her neck. It hadn’t been a minor cut either, the intent was clear in the scar the knife had left behind. Tears sprang in my eyes as I leaned forward and kissed at the skin there, my heart sensitive to the pain she’d endured. And for what? The sake of some money?

Who, in their right mind, would do such a wicked thing to such a beautiful creature? “I will never hurt you, Laura. Never.” I grimaced at her, a tear dropping down my face. “I promise.”

Tears shone back in her eyes as I pressed my mouth over hers and kissed her deep, my hand trailing between us and resting on her stomach again, my finger stroking the scar. She pulled away.

“I met your wife, Lucca.”

“Ex-wife. When?” I frowned at Laura. Her having met the bitch from hell spelled nothing good.

“After our coffee date. The day you ended up in hospital.” Laura ran the tips of her fingers across the raised pink flesh on my chest.

Stella turning up at my house suddenly made sense. Just because I hadn’t seen her around hadn’t meant she’d left Beaufort. I didn’t want to lie to Laura, I wasn’t that man, yet I saw no point in telling her the truth. She couldn’t know Stella was the one to attack me.

“She warned me.”

Laura’s confession compounded my need to find Stella. There was no way on earth she was hooking her talons in, she wasn’t ruining another single thing in my life.

“Said you’re not on the market. Not for the likes of me.”

Not for the likes of her? Who the fuck did Stella think she was? I couldn’t make light of the situation, no matter how much I wanted to laugh at Stella’s cheek. I didn’t want Laura worrying over my bitch of an ex-wife a minute longer.

I stopped rubbing my hand up the bare skin of her back and moved to grab the firm flesh of her arse cheek. I roughly pulled her closer, flexing my hips so there was no denying how aroused she made me. How much I wanted only her.

“I’m not on the market.” Her sweet smile would have brought me to my knees had I been standing. She understood what I was telling her.

“No. No, you’re not.” Laura’s words were resolute, and I had nothing in return to say.

We lay for a while, our hands running across warm flesh, subtle hums of approval escaping now and then. Her thoughts running in directions I didn’t know. I wasn’t going to pry. Laura would say whatever was on her mind when she was ready, I’d learnt that about the sisters early on.

“Coffee?”

I flashed a smile and shimmied closer, grabbing at the discarded t-shirt she was trying to pick up. “Laura.” I reached for her wrist before she rolled from the bed. “Don’t go...”

She grinned at me, hopefully thinking my idea was a super one. I snuggled back down into the bed, hauling her with me. She pulled the duvet up over our heads and giggled, more carefree than I’d ever heard her.

There we stayed and made-out, morning breath and hangover kisses had never tasted so sunny. Soon, our legs tangled, our hands wandered, and I hadn’t felt happier in the longest of times. When she straddled me, and my arousal slipped between her wet lips, my heart flew a million miles an hour. I was lost to Laura Hamilton.

I eased up into her, claiming her as mine, watching as she savoured me filling her. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open on a gasp, her nipples taut and begging for attention. I lay back and let the world melt away as Laura took her pleasure and towed me along for the ride.