CHAPTER 32

Audrey sat on the small plastic chair. It was late afternoon now. After the boat race, they decided to walk for a while and talk before sitting down again. Her legs burned after that workout.

"I'm hungry," Enzo said.

"Me too, let's get something to eat."

They found a food truck on a small hill just beside the parking lot.

The smell of hot dogs almost made them drool.

Enzo bought two. The truck offered a host of crazy complements: ground cheese, beans, onion, mushrooms, cooked jalapenos... even crushed BBQ flavored chips.

They looked at each other and just put a bit of everything on their plate, no diet pretensions, no awkwardness at all.

He joined her at the table with a sigh.

"You tired?" she asked.

"Not really, you?"

"Doing great."

She took a small bottle of anti-bacterial gel out of her purse and passed it to him.

"Thanks," he said, "was starting to worry I'd have to eat with my hands all dirty."

"I wouldn't do that to you, you know it."

He smiled, "so you say."

"Hey!" she said, patting him on the shoulder, "I'm not an ass!"

"I'm just kidding."

She smiled and put some ketchup on her hot-dog, but right before she was about to take a bite she stopped.

"Do you need it?"

Enzo was already chewing on his meal. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and said, "what?"

She leaned forward and spoke a bit more silently, there was no one around besides them, but still, she didn't want to risk the two guys on the food truck listening.

"Soap, to wash your hands."

Enzo sipped on his lemonade, and said out loud, "you mean because I can't get sick?"

Audrey shrugged, "yeah, I mean, being a shifter and all."

"Well, would you wash your hands before eating, even if you didn't need to do it?"

She thought about it, "I guess."

"Why?"

Good question.

"I guess it's kind of gross eating whatever crap is on them."

"Exactly," he said, taking another sip of his drink.

She finally took a bite of her hot-dog. It was difficult to handle, with so many condiments on it, but it was worth it: the mix of flavors made the thing completely delicious.

"Some guys don't care, though," he continued, "I'm not gonna judge, but come on, you start to stink after a while. And it's not like I want to taste the water."

She laughed, covering her mouth too.

"Gross!"

"I know right? I mean, I'm sure it's clean and all, but still..."

He shrugged. Sunset approached. The magenta colored sky mixed with the yellow horizon and the sweet, warm air made the afternoon look like a fairytale.

They stared at the distance in silence, their meal almost finished.

The laughter of kids reached them, and suddenly she realized. This is the best date I've ever been on.

"I love this town," she said without even thinking.

Enzo nodded, silently looking at her.

She'd never met anyone like him before. It was strange, but for the first time in her dating life she felt like she was talking to a man who really listened. He wasn't just waiting for his turn to speak. It was like having someone on your team. Someone who was always supportive.

"I thought life here would be so boring."

"We might not have huge skyscrapers but the town is pretty cool."

"You live on the mountain, right?"

"Right. The whole crew lives there."

"Is it very far?"

"Like half an hour away from town."

"What do you do? Is it okay if I ask that?"

"You can ask whatever you want, I won't hide anything from you."

She smiled.

"Just remember that no one's supposed to know."

She nodded, "wow, big man, I knew shifters were mysterious but not like this."

"Our crew helps the government; we don't like giving away too much info about it."

"Oh," she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to—"

"No, it's fine. No secrets, I promise."

"So you work for the government?"

"You could say so, but it would be more right to say that the government needs us, and we can provide services no one else can."

"Like what?"

He wondered for a bit, "you wouldn't believe it."

"Try me."

"Okay," he said, leaning back on his chair, "we help nature stay strong, we use our power to keep the bad guys at bay."

"What, like a military unit?"

"You could say that, but... let's say there are things that go bump in the night, and we're the ones who kick their asses back to wherever they come from."

"Are you serious? Monsters?"

He laughed, "you make it sound so stupid."

"Tell me!"

"Not monsters per se, just like a disease, a virus, that tries to get into the world."

Her heart beat so fast. She said she would believe him but this was a bit too much.

"After all you've seen, you still have doubts?"

The water thing he did at the gym, the healing.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. We're pretty good at our jobs. Besides, we haven't had an incident in years. We're probably safe for good."

She calmed down.

"Thank you for your service?"

"Oh, come on!" he said with a laugh.

"What?"

"We're not military, we're more like special agents."

"Really. So now you're spies?"

"Think of James Bond, take away the silly gadgets, and replace them with all the duties a forest ranger has."

"So nothing like James Bond."

"Well, my darling," he said in a silly British accent, "we keep the good looks, of course."

"Of course," she replied with a smile.

They stared at the horizon in silence for a while. Everything about today had been beautiful in a funny, deliciously weird kind of way. She smiled just thinking about it.

"What about you?" Enzo asked.

She shrugged, "what do you want to know?"

"Why did you come all the way up here from Los Angeles? You said you thought this place was gonna be boring."

She nodded, "I needed a change, I guess."

He didn't say anything, didn't push her for more. She was being an ass, not giving him the full story. Fuck it.

"I never felt like I could do much, back in the city. The bureaucracy is just so hard to work with. I needed to get out if I wanted to make a difference."

"I get it," Enzo said.

" I wanted to really stir things up, and I knew I needed to start working my ass from the ground up, so when the opportunity arose to get this position, I jumped at it. Maybe I'll go back some day, but kids need help everywhere, it was silly of me to think only Californians needed help."

"You're making a difference already."

"Thank you," she whispered.

He moved his hand over hers and it felt as if they'd been together forever. No awkwardness, no anxiety, even if this was their first real date. Just two people who enjoyed being together, and talked with the familiarity of life long friends.

The butterflies in her stomach never ceased fluttering. She felt silly, she finally found someone she could be completely open and honest, someone who would understand without making any judgment, but she was scared. What good thing isn't scary at first?

"This is too romantic," she said.

"Yes. Not my fault, though."

"Don't worry, you did your best."

"Won't happen again, I promise."

"We can help someone move or something."

"Great idea, we'll do something horrible like that."

"Just promise me, never a candlelit dinner, or red wine."

"Deal," Enzo said, entwining his fingers with hers.

"Speaking of which," she said, turning to look at him, his eyes inquisitive, "we should get a beer."

"Sure, where do you wanna go?"

Fire surged through her body.

"My place."

***

Audrey wanted to kiss him from the moment she saw him. But she had to play it cool, and he did so too.

This man truly behaved like a gentleman. They stopped at a corner store and bought a six-pack.

Back in the car he didn't even speed or seem as anxious as she was to get home.

The elevator door opened and they hopped in, the bag of beers in his hand.

As soon as the doors closed he dropped them to the floor and kissed her. She let out a moan, losing herself in his embrace.

She needed it. She needed him.

She put her leg around his waist, already feeling his hardness grinding against her thigh.

"Fuck," she whispered.

It was only three floors up, he unbuttoned her shirt and pulled her hair back just enough for him to look at her body, and to let her know he was enjoying this as much as she was. Exposing her neck... her chest to him.

"On your knees," he whispered.

She breathed out, looked at the number on top of the door. It was already passing the second floor.

But she couldn't say no to him. She was already down, undoing his pants.

He reached out and pressed the "stop" button, just as she reached down and took his cock out. She couldn't help herself; she needed to taste him, to fill her mouth with his manhood.

"Shit," he moaned when her tongue explored his shaft from top to bottom, one, two, three times. She pulled his thick member upward and couldn't help herself. Her tongue went down and licked his shaved sack and then went up again, to the tip of his rod, moving her tongue around his deep red cockhead.

She jerked him off, trying to make the moment last longer, but she couldn't wait, she put it in her mouth, loving the sound of his gasps as she tasted him.

His member filled her mouth, smooth, hot and throbbing. She wanted to have it in its entirety, but it was too big. She sucked him off, until the bittersweet taste of his precum filled her mouth, she wanted more but he pulled her up and kissed her.

The man was wild. They did more things in the few times they were together than in her whole life before. It was like discovering a part of herself that she didn't know she had.

And she loved it.

His kiss was soft and warm and full of intensity.

He carried on from her lips to her neck, sending flashes of delicious pleasure all over her body.

He undid her bra with one hand and used his other one to touch her center, over her clothes.

Her knees trembled, she almost felt like kneeling again.

It was impossible, how could her body react to him like this? The electric feeling of her nub being caressed by this sex god turned her into a wild beast, her juices flowed easily, as if by command.

Maybe that was it. His voice, his eyes, his warm hands, the way he touched her... the way he needed her.

Another pulse of electricity flowed up from her crease throughout her body, her arms and legs filled with goosebumps.

She was almost embarrassed; she was already soaking wet. Only a man like him could do it. No one else.

"Take me," she said.

He put his cock between her thighs, against her clit, and she couldn't help but close her legs, the feeling of his thick, hard rod on her sex drove her crazy.

He pushed down her pants and panties and soaked the length of his shaft on her juices, her labia opened for him, the feeling of his flesh on hers completely intoxicating.

He grabbed her legs and she jumped to straddle him, his cock grazing her entrance. Her back pressed against the elevator's wall.

Then his thickness slid inside of her, little by little. He made her feel every inch of his manhood.

She pulled back and looked at him. His eyes were the ones of a predator, fury and lust and intensity all mixed into a look, a sexual desire she'd never found in anyone else. It was more than she could ever ask for. He was lost in the deliriousness of the moment.

Then he pressed her harder against the wall and entered her completely.

Her mouth dropped open, the painful delight of his legs pressing against her, was almost too much to bear. His face was mere inches from her, she held him tighter... the smell of their sweat filled the air.

"Enzo," she whispered in ecstasy.

He entered and pulled away and entered her again, harder and harder until she could no longer think. A freaking elevator, in an old building. Her body surrendered to him...

She pulled his head back, now her voice was the commanding one.

"Fuck me harder, big man."

He pounded at her, the elevator walls rattled every time he entered her.

Her juices dripped down his cock and his legs. This man had complete control. Her body was his. He owned her.

"Harder!" she yelled as her orgasm fused with his, her center exploding in a lightning bolt of delight, the juices down her slit flowing like never before... his warm, thick seed filled her, until it dripped down her legs.

Next thing she knew she was still hugging him, both lost in their ragged breaths, his shaft still inside of her.

Her throat hurt with how loud she'd yelled.

He pulled back and looked at her. They both smiled, kissed again and put their clothes back on.

"I hope the date's not over," he said, pressing the button on the elevator's panel.

"Why, 'cause we already had sex?"

"It wasn't too romantic, right?"

"Hopefully not," she said with a wink.

The doors finally opened, he grabbed the beers and walked out.

"Want to stay and watch a movie?"

He looked at her and his eyes turned soft. He nodded.

"Beers and a movie. Sounds fantastic."

"What else could you ever ask for?"

"Nothing. Just you."

She had to admit she was in big trouble. I like him too much already.