Chapter 7
Tiana wanted to stay the night with Tabor. She wanted to sleep with him again. She stared at him, wondering what the hell he was talking about. Jackson…
What is Jackson going to think about my stay in Austin? I didn’t even tell him I was leaving town, she thought. I just told him I needed the weekend off. Why is Tabor so concerned about my work schedule?
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’ll call him later tonight and tell him that I’m not going to be back when I thought I would. He’ll understand.”
She saw Tabor nod.
He spoke again. “And you… you’re okay with it that there’s just one bed in this suite?” he asked. “Or do you want me to get you another separate room? I can you know. I have plenty of money, Tiana. That’s not an issue.”
She wrapped her hand more firmly around his. “I like it that there’s only one bed,” she said.
In fact, the bed was her favorite part of the room. “One bed was fine for us last night,” she reminded Tabor coyly.
Tabor smiled.
“I think it will be fine for us again tonight,” she said. She gave him a questioning look.
“I think so too,” he responded, meeting her eye.
“I had fun with you last night,” Tiana said. “I haven’t felt like that in a long time.”
“Me either,” Tabor said. “I’ve been with women… you know. But there’s something special about you, Tiana.”
Tiana felt herself blush. She batted her eyelashes.
He was moving closer to her. She felt his knee touching her own.
His hand turned in hers, his palm meeting her palm.
“Me?” she asked.
“Yes, you,” Tabor said, his voice soft and deep — a jagged whisper. “Don’t you know how beautiful you are?” he asked.
She looked down, and her hair fell over her face.
He moved it for her, and as he tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingered. He ran his hand down her hair, and then lifted it to her cheek. He stroked her cheek softly, running his fingers down to her chin. He placed his fingers on her chin, and lifted it slightly.
She could feel his closeness. She closed her eyes as she lifted her chin, and when his lips met his, and he kissed her, she kissed him back.
The kiss was like magic, pulling Tiana into him and causing her to forget all of her worries. She felt his mouth move against hers, and she opened her mouth, letting him in.
His gentle touch was mixed with the same firm confidence that she had found so attractive the night before. He kissed her hungrily, his movements free of inhibition.
His hand moved from her chin to her neck, just below her ear. She felt his thumb stroking her neck, softly, yet pulling her into him with each caress.
Leaning forward on the bed, she melted into him. His muscular, strong body held her upright, and the feel of him was delicious.
When they pulled apart, he spoke in almost a whisper. “I want you, Taina,” he said. “I want you again, just like last night.”
That was exactly what Tiana wanted to hear. But she wanted something else as well. As she’d looked for her ring in the bathroom, the shower had caught her eye. It had a double shower head. Perfect for two.
She stood up off of the bed, and began crossing to the bathroom. She turned and gestured to Tabor. “Let’s start in here,” she said. “With a steamy shower.”
Tabor smiled. His eyes glinted eagerly as he stood and followed her, already pulling off his shirt as he walked.
She felt giddy with excitement.
What a roller coaster ride today has been, she thought, as she entered the bathroom. I’ve cried… I’ve laughed… and now I’m getting into a shower with the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in my life.
Tabor moved to the shower, shirtless, and twisted some knobs until water began to pour out. Soon steam was billowing through the glistening, luxurious bathroom.
Tiana couldn’t wait to get under the hot water with Tabor. She wanted him to rub soap all over her, cleaning off the day’s anxieties and preparing her for a night of pleasure. She undressed and stepped under one hot, cleansing stream.
Tabor was soon to follow. His erection let her know how excited he was about the shared shower as well. He was well hung, and his dick stood out before him, adding the finishing touch to his sculpted, tan, muscular body. She couldn’t help but stare at it.
“Don’t you remember this?” he asked her jokingly as she stared.
“I remembered that it was big…” Tiana said, stepping towards him, water cascading off of her body. She reached for his fullness, and ran her hand up and down it. It was wet, hard, and long. “But not this big,” she said.
She longed to have it in her mouth.
Still under the stream of soothing, hot water, she knelt down. With her hands, she guided his dick into her open mouth.
His penis felt good in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around the tip, and he groaned. He placed his hands on her head, asking her for more. She made him wait, swirling just the tip with her tongue again.
He applied slight pressure to her head, pulling her into him.
She accepted his guidance, and took more of him into her mouth.
He groaned again. She too, felt completely turned on. Just the sight of his dick made her wet between her legs, and the feel of his in her mouth increased the sensation. She felt the tingling between her legs grow steadily as she sucked him.
After a few minutes, she stood up.
“Oh, baby,” Tabor said. “That was so good.”
He was still rock hard, and as he reached past her to open a bar of soap, his erection knocked against her. He felt so hard, so ready. She wanted him.
He opened the soap and rubbed it between his hands, building up a white, foamy lather. Then he returned the soap to the dish, and moved his hands over Tiana’s body.
He started with her shoulders, massaging them with small circles. His dick pressed against her abdomen as he touched her, delighting her with anticipation. His hands moved to her breasts, and he created soapy circles around her nipples.
She felt her nipples grow hard with the sensation of his silky touch. Water ran over her body, rinsing the soap away, sending slithering streams of purifying water in rivulets along her body. She closed her eyes, enjoying all of the feelings.
She felt his hand slide between his legs, his fingers brushing against her pussy, back and forth. His fingertips found her clitoris, and he rubbed her there, stimulating every nerve in her body.
Now it was her turn to moan with pleasure.
The sensation grew, sending her into a state of need and desire. She felt heat burning between her legs, and each time he touched her, she wanted his dick more.
“I need you,” she said, her body beginning to ache.
Tabor turned off the water, and stepped out of the shower.
She followed, and he handed her a towel. She wrapped it around her body and followed him to the bed. He was wrapped in a towel as well, and he took a moment to move to the window and pull a thin, filmy white shade down over the glass. The sky was pink, the sun hanging low over the city, still an hour or two before setting. The pink sky cast a soft glow across the room.
Tiana unraveled herself from her towel, and moved to the bed.
In an instant, Tabor was at her side. He wrapped a leg over her, and moved a hand over her breasts, teasing her erect tipples with soft touches. She turned her head to face him, and he met her with a kiss.
His lips felt hot and full of need. He moved them against hers, his mouth open. She played her tongue against his, swirling it around his tongue just as she had done with his dick.
This seemed to excite him, and she felt his erection press more urgently against her thigh.
His hand moved from her breast to her pussy. He stroked her between the legs, gently, stoking the fire that was already burning there.
Tiana felt herself become wetter. She knew that Tabor felt it too.
He pulled his lips from hers, and caught his breath. “I’ll be right back” he said, stroking her cheek and holding her gaze with his for a moment. He left the bed and retrieved a condom from his wallet and rolled it over himself, and then joined her on the bed.
Tiana waited for him to lie down, and then she moved so that she was sitting on top of him. She held herself up with her knees, and positioned herself over his waist.
She wanted to feel his hardness between her legs. She held his dick in her hands and began sliding it against her opening. She rubbed her clit with the tip of his dick. It felt amazing.
Soon she couldn’t wait any longer. Tabor couldn't either. He entered her, and she closed her eyes with pleasure.
She was still for a moment, and waves of stimulation passed through her. In a moment, she felt ready to move. She began rocking back and forth on top of him.
Tabor reached up and fondled her breasts as she fucked him.
“Yeah baby,” he said. “Go wild. I want you to go wild on top of me.”
He pulled on her nipples, pinching them slightly. She arched her back as pleasure shot through her.
She’d always felt self-conscious when having sex in the past, especially in a well-lit space. Being on top made her aware that her abdomen wasn’t flat, like the women she saw in magazines. She thought that men didn’t like seeing her rolls moving as she moved. But Tabor seemed to love it.
The more she moved, the more he reacted.
His eyes never left
her body, and she could tell from his gaze that he liked what he saw.
She felt beautiful as she moved on top of him. She could feel his
dick inside of her, reaching her depths. She arched her back farther,
and her hands found his thighs for balance.
His hand moved to her clitoris, and he began rubbing it as she moved. The added stimulation sent her pleasure-radar through the roof. She lost all sense of herself.
“Oh, baby,” Tabor cried, as she bucked against him, completely out of her mind with pleasure. She felt a need for more, but she didn’t know how to find it. Knowing that she needed another angel, she straightened up and then dismounted.
Tabor seemed to know just what to do.
He moved off of the bed, and then reached for her hand.
Her pussy was throbbing with need for him.
For more.
For more force, and more speed.
He pulled her, and she slid along the bed. When she was at the edge of the bed, Tabor lifted her legs, and pulled her father, until her ass was on the edge of the bed. He held her legs up in the air, over each shoulder.
When he entered her again, Tiana knew that it was just the angle she’d been looking for. He fucked her, thrusting in and out, firmly, steadily. His energy never seemed to abate, and she allowed herself to relax into the ride.
She gave up all need for control, and closed her eyes.
Her whole world centered around the sensations that Tabor was creating in her body with his long, hard dick.
Every few moments, as he pumped in and out of her, he would move his hand over her clit, and stroke her there. His touch was fast and light, and caused her to go out of her mind with pleasure. She had no more sense of words, or who she was, or where she was, as he touched her.
His touch added to the steady in and out rhythm took over her world, she felt herself at the edge, about to cascade over.
Just as she was about to peak, he would move his hand away. She thought she would go crazy.
Every time he fingered her, her pleasure reached new heights.
She heard a crying sound, and realized that it was her. The high pitched yells sounded like someone else altogether. She heard Tabor crying out with ecstasy as well.
When she came, it was like fireworks bursting through her. She felt her whole body tense and relax, trying to process the most intense pleasure that she’d ever felt in her life.
It took her a long time to regain a sense of herself. Waves of ecstasy kept rolling through her, causing her eyes to flutter, and her body to convulse. When she finally felt able to open her eyes, she saw Tabor frozen in a state of pleasure too.
He looked at her and smiled as he lowered his legs.
“Damn,” he said.
Tiana shifted so that she could lie down in the bed. She didn’t know what to say. It was hard to beat the sex from last night, but she thought they just might have.
Tabor lay down next to her. He reached his arms around her, scooping her up and pulling her to him. Tiana nestled into his arms.
She laid her head on his chest, and could hear his heart beating.
He ran his fingers over her hair, which was still damp from the shower.
“I feel so close to you right now,” she said softly.
“Mmmm,” Tabor said. His fingers stopped moving.
She could tell that he was thinking about something.
She tilted her head up, so that she could look at him.
His brow was furrowed.
“What is it?” she asked.
He looked at her. He seemed to want to say something.
Maybe, Tiana thought, he wants to ask me a question. But what?
He opened his mouth and she thought that he was about to speak. But then he closed it again.
She tilted her chin back down, regaining her position against his chest. She lifted her hand and rested it over his pec gently.
“You can say anything you want, Tabor,” Tiana said. “Whatever you want to ask me… you can.”
He was still quiet.
“We have really different lives,” she said. “I don’t know why I feel so… so connected to you.”
The powerful orgasm that she’d just experienced made her feel like she could say anything she wanted to. She had no energy for censoring herself. She let her hand drift lazily over Tabor’s rising and falling chest. Her fingers traced feather-like patterns over his torso.
“I never expected this,” she continued. “Never… in a million years... would I have ever guessed that you and I would be lying in bed together. Would you?”
She looked up at him.
He shook his head.
She looked back down.
His hand started running over her hair again, smoothing it back near her temple. The gesture made her feel loved, cared for, and valued. She nestled in closer, wrapping her arm around him in a big hug.
“Are you glad?” she asked.
“More than I can express,” Tabor said. “I came here — to Austin — on a hunch. I felt like I had to go to that reunion. I wasn’t going to, but every time I tossed the invitation in the recycle bin, something inside me would resist. I’d reach in and grab it back out, which made me feel relieved. It was as if… as if some part of me knew… knew that I would meet you here.”
She smiled, and the movement in her cheek sent a tickle through her as it brushed against his chest.
“Tell me more about California,” she said. “Tell me about your house. And your dogs… Sugar and Pepper.”
Tabor laughed, causing his chest and abdomen to rise and fall. “You remembered,” he said. “They’re a handful at times, but I’m crazy about them. They love to hike. I take them out on a trail behind my house, and… “
Tiana let her mind drift as she listened to him describe his hiking routine with his dogs. She laughed along when he did, savoring the feel of his energy when he laughed. She was surprised at how intense her feelings for him had become, in such a short amount of time.
The feeling that she had noted, only several hours before, which zapped through her like lightning, was now a nearly constant state. She waited for it to fade as the high of their passion wore off, but as he talked and they cuddled, the feeling remained constant.
The electricity-like zapping sensation didn’t get any weaker, but as it stayed alive inside of her, she became accustomed to its glow. It lit her up from the inside. She didn’t want the feeling to go away.
“It’s just the three of us,” Tabor said. “Me, Sugar and Pepper. And it’s been like that for a long time.”
“No future Miss Knight in the picture?” Tiana asked.
“No,” Tabor admitted. “I’ve been too caught up in my business. I guess you could say — I suppose it’s true, yes — that I’m something of a workaholic.”
“You love what you do,” Tiana said.
“Yeah,” Tabor said.
“It must be nice, not to ever worry about money,” Tiana said thoughtfully. “I think about it all the time. I think that comes from not having much of it. People always say money doesn’t buy happiness, but I’m convinced that the people who say that have no idea what it’s like to be poor.”
“I could help you, you know,” Tabor said. “It’s not a big deal. I could give you a few thousand. Maybe a hundred thousand or so, just to get you started. Would that help?”
Tiana felt her heart lurch into her throat. His offer astounded her. She realized that she hadn’t taken him seriously when he offered before. Yet here he was, offering her money for a second time. Her stubborn pride reared its ugly head.
“I told you, I don’t need that,” she said. “I don’t take handouts. You know I’ve been working minimum wage for ten years, and never once went to a food pantry? Other people I work with go all the time, but I won’t do it… not if I can pick up extra shifts and work a little bit harder to make ends meet. I’ve got dignity.”
Tabor was quiet, so she continued. “Never been on unemployment, either,” she said. “And once I broke my leg and couldn’t get to work for a whole three months. But I got a job next door wiring up Christmas wreaths for ten dollars an hour. I could get there on my crutches without driving, and then I busted my ass so that I could make the mortgage every month.” She felt pride swell up inside of her just with the recounting of the story.
She remembered that time… it was one of the most difficult periods of her life that she’d ever endured. It had been during a tough stretch in her on-again-off-again relationship with Ricky. They’d been on an off-again stretch, and Ricky had left her responsible for the payments on their mobile home. She’d eaten nothing but rice with tomato sauce mixed in, or rice cooked up with milk and sugar to make a pudding, for weeks on end. But she’d made it.
All that struggling couldn’t be for nothing.
She’d always made it on her own, and she was going to keep trying.
“Thank you, Tabor,” she said. “For even making the offer. But somewhere deep inside of me, it feels important that I don’t take handouts.”
*****
Tabor listened to her stories of struggle, trying to imagine what it must be like. Money had flowed through his life like a constant, rushing waterfall since he’d left college.
He couldn’t remember a time when he’d even thought about the stuff, beyond brief thoughts of appreciation for a nice meal or vacation home, when he took the time to connect the nicety to his paycheck.
Most of the time, however, he barely thought about the fact that money bought the things in his life.
He was like a fish, he supposed, who became so used to the water around him that he failed to even notice it.
She won’t take it, he thought. But it could do so much for her. I could really help her. Why won’t she just let me write her a check?
He thought again of her fiancé. Jackson, he thought angrily. It’s because she’s got some no good son-of-a-bitch dude at home, waiting for her to get back to East Texas and keep living a life of lack.
She won’t take the money because of him.
That man should realize how lucky he is.
I’m guessing he doesn’t. Not if he’s letting her struggle so much.
He should be treating her like a queen. I sure as hell would be.
She hugged him tighter as she thanked him, and then kissed his chest lightly. He could feel her eyelashes brush against his skin as she kissed him, gracing him with butterfly kisses.
Tabor found that he loved the feeling of holding Tiana in his arms even more than he enjoyed the act of making love to her. She was so soft, so supple. When he held her, he felt as if he didn’t want to let her go – ever.
He liked the way it felt to have her arms around him. She made him feel important, and wanted.
Her presence in his life was so unexpected, but being around her that day had made him see how much he’d been lacking, for many years. I need someone like this in my life, he thought. I want this… feeling. Whatever it is.
Yet underlying the sense of bliss was also a feeling of aching discomfort. He knew that she belonged to another man — no matter how free-spirited the relationship seemed to be she was wearing the ring he’d given her. That had to mean something.
Though he felt underlying anger and confusion, he also felt grateful. He realized how lucky he was to be holding her in his arms.
“How about some dinner?” he asked. “We could order room service.”
“That sounds good,” Tiana said. “I don’t want to leave this bed. I don’t want you to leave it either.”
“Then we’ll eat right here,” he said.
“And then we can play more, afterwards,” Tiana said.
He felt her hands slide over his shaft, and a sense of renewed arousal filled him.
His penis jumped up under her touch. He wrapped his arms around her, rolling her so that he could be on top of her.
“Why wait till after dinner?” he asked. “I think you make a lovely appetizer.”
Tiana giggled as he began kissing her.