THEY PROCEEDED SLOWLY. DATING turned out to be something Julia enjoyed. Chris took her out to all kinds of places, from intimate dinners to music concerts to watching the latest movie releases to spending the day at the zoo. It was always unexpected and delightful for Julia. Comfortable and easy, she had no trouble getting used to it, something that was previously exclusively reserved for her family.

One Saturday night after a long, cozy dinner, Chris asked, “Do you want to come over to my apartment? For the night?”

Julia’s heart instantly began to beat faster. Go over to his place? For sex? She was following his cue and so far, his moves were slow and steady. Her heart pounded while her body filled with warmth and exciting sensations as she found herself wanting, or even just thinking, about sex with Chris.

She nodded, and her nerves jangled when she replied coyly, “Sure, I’d like to meet Simba.”

He laughed, breaking the tension and they left the restaurant and went to his rather generic apartment building. The one-bedroom had a typical layout and the kitchen had a small bar that separated it from the living room. A couch and a TV, along with some baskets of magazines and a Nerf basketball hoop in the corner with balls scattered everywhere made up the furnishings.

He threw his keys and wallet on a small console table. “So, this is where I live. Not much to look at.”

“Much more than my apartment,” she smiled.

“Why is that, I wonder? Why do you still live at home?”

“You can’t imagine how much this job has done for me. I wasn’t, I don’t know, normal…” She paused to look into his eyes. “I was an oddball. As a kid and a teen. I didn’t grow up or act my age, not until fairly recently. I had stupid amounts of anxiety. I wish now that I could have realized…”

“I’m glad you chose to come here now.”

Suddenly, a huge, orange cat appeared from the bedroom and meowed loudly. Simba started purring and his meows sounded much happier when he stalked over to Chris’s leg, which he repetitively rubbed up against. Chris leaned down and petted the cat’s arched back, provoking him to stretch his entire rump up in the air. His giant hands made the cat, which probably weighed more than twenty pounds, seem no larger than a cute, little, stuffed toy. Julia observed the gentle manner in which Chris petted the cat, saying, “Hey, guy… Good kitty-kitty.” She had to compress her lips but she still couldn’t restrain her smile. Even the cat benefited from Chris’s kindness.

Spotting Julia, the cat meowed and turned, approaching her for the same treatment. Julia reached down and rubbed his purring neck. He purred even louder and meowed some more. Sitting down, he stretched his neck higher to rub it against her fingers. “He’s beautiful. And sweet. And big.” She lifted her gaze to Chris’s. They stared at each other as her hand kept rubbing under the purring cat’s chin. “And I was ready to meet him. But mostly… I’m ready to be here, right now, with him.”

She straightened up and so did Chris. She swallowed hard and added, “Him being you… I hope you get what I was saying.” She felt unsure of herself, whereas with Lloyd, she possessed all the power in the relationship. Whenever she clicked her fingers, he jumped up to do whatever she wanted. She never blushed with Lloyd, nor did she simper or even respond very much. She hardly cared if he touched her or not, either way didn’t matter to her. But with Chris? Her heart was thudding and her palms were clammy. Yet she believed he truly wanted her.

He stared at her for a long while, and suddenly lurched forward, scooping her up in his arms. Holding her under her armpits, he pressed her against his chest. When he picked her up so effortlessly, she did not fail to compare it to how easily he lifted the cat. In his arms, she felt as if she weighed nothing. It was rather erotic and definitely a surprise. Mostly, however, it was hot. So hot. Backing up, he sat down and set her on his lap. She faced him, her legs straddling his. His hands massaged her back, running up and down gently, coaxing her, with the same tenderness and affection he showed to his cat. His huge hands were twice the size of hers and he had no trouble covering her entire lower back. His fingertips found the hem of her shirt before slipping up her bare back with his hand under her shirt. He cupped her neck and head, bringing her face towards his until their lips touched.

This time, there was no slow warm-up with him. His mouth practically devoured hers in seconds, opening up to his tongue, which seemed bigger and thicker, and mashing it into hers. Aroused by his sudden act of aggression and boldness, she reciprocated and then some. Her head tilted and their lips, tongues, teeth and hands engaged as the kiss continued on and on and on. It had her blood boiling and she felt the hot moisture pooling between her legs. She moved forward and found some relief rubbing against the hard bulge that was now in his lap. She groaned, feeling the heat of him through her underwear and the leggings she wore. The thin material of her clothes let her virtually sit on his erection and her need for relief was making it frustrating.

Her hands felt his shoulders, and she began rubbing the muscles under her fingertips. She kneaded his skin, moving toward his neck and slipping her hands around it. She had to hold on when their kissing suddenly increased at a furious pace. Turning their heads and twisting their bodies, they rocked together, trying to unite as intimately as their mouths were. It was wet and hot but also gentle when his fingers trailed up along her neck, fluttering in soft, butterfly-light strokes. There was an underlying sense of unmasked strength in everything Chris did, but he kept it safely encased, restrained by his gentleness. His kindness. And tenderness. Combined with so much brawny heat. She didn’t know the two could exist in one man so harmoniously.

She was fairly inexperienced at this. Her previous sexual encounters, even those with Lloyd, felt clinical to Julia. It was pleasant at times. Kissing always stirred up her appetite and made petting and foreplay feel nicer. When that became more aggressive, she eagerly welcomed it. The act of sex usually capped it all off into a pleasant experience. Once or twice, she even managed to simmer into a boil, which later resulted in a gentle orgasm. Julia liked sex. She really did. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered with Lloyd. It could be fun and sometimes worth all the time and trouble it took.

But sex never had the power to move her insides. Not like this. She was as hot inside as molten lava and every time Chris touched her, she felt sparks. His fingertips lightly found the back of her bra, sending a pulse of shivers down her spine. His touch was so soft in contrast to the rough kissing. He released the hooks on her bra and put his hands over each shoulder before sliding the delicate straps between his thumbs and index fingers. He dexterously slid them down each arm, keeping her shirt on.

Letting go, his hands came back to cup her small breasts, holding one in each hand. She sighed as he rubbed his warm palms over them, flicking her pointed, hard nipples with his thumbnails. She jolted at all the fabulous sensations. Swirling through her mind, everything he did felt so different that her brain didn’t know what to focus on or how to process it. The heat of his wet mouth, and his hot tongue against hers delighted her. He softly nibbled her lips before unexpectedly opening up wider, and giving her open-mouthed kisses that devoured her and gave her an unparalleled thrill. Her insides felt so hot, she feared she could spontaneously combust. Everything overwhelmed her and she felt more turned on, and more crazy heat and emotion than she ever imagined could exist.

She suddenly ripped her mouth from his and her breathing was ragged, as if she were gasping for breath after a long sprint. His hands immediately released her and he jerked back. He seemed ready to put his hands up as if he were under arrest. “I’ll stop,” he said immediately. “I’m sorry.”

She smiled, cupping his face and leaning forward until her forehead touched his. “No. No, it’s not that. It’s not you. I’m, well, I mean, not usually… so into it. And it surprised me. Made me… have to pause.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “So into what?”

“You know, being so turned on. Over sex. It overwhelmed me for a moment. I’m sorry. I don’t want to stop at all. I want us to continue. I was just surprised by how good it felt. I know I try to seem sophisticated and worldly, but I’m not that experienced. There were only three guys… total. And sex with them only occurred a handful of times.”

He smiled. “It’s just you and me, Julia. Here in the present. Remember? The past doesn’t matter, or how often or seldom you’ve done this. It’s all new, because it’s strictly between us. For me too.”

“Chris…” she gulped hard, staring into his eyes. He wasn’t the kind of guy she ever pictured having such overwhelming emotional angst about. Not like this. She wanted to cup his face and memorize every dear, precious detail about his face. His beautiful eyes. The way his mouth curled up in a sweet, encouraging smile. She never foresaw this giant as the one person who could make her feel understood and comfortable enough to be herself. She wasn’t afraid of appearing vulnerable anymore and Chris understood that about her. He didn’t use it against her or try to manipulate or control her. No, Chris supported her, and cared for her and only wanted to build up her self-esteem. She didn’t see it at first, not from him, and never imagined it would be like this with him. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

His face melted before glowing, and his twinkling, warm eyes and smile were comparable to a sixteen-year-old driver getting a brand new car for his birthday or a three-year-old child receiving his first tricycle. He looked so happy. He was touched and embarrassed because it seemed incomprehensible to him. It was unbelievable. Astonished at her honesty and sincerity, his expression suddenly grew fierce and he tugged her closer. Pressing her chest right against his, he almost squeezed the air out of her lungs he hugged her so tightly.

Both arms encircled her back and she tucked herself up under his chin. She couldn’t move or even wiggle her head so she started to giggle. She didn’t expect to have that reaction. She wasn’t a giggler. She wasn’t that kind of girl. Yet, there she was, giggling in his tight embrace. He loosened his arms so she could slide her head up high enough to catch his gaze. His face was close to hers and his expression was as tender as a father seeing his newborn when he stared down at her. It stole her breath away. She reached up and touched the side of his face.

“I love you too, Julia. I have for a while now. I just didn’t dare to hope you felt the same way.”

“I wanted you to know that before we went any further. Being with you, Chris, isn’t like being with anyone else for me.”

He shook his head. “Then you should know I feel the same way. Being with you is not like being with anyone else for me either.”

“Then let’s not stop.” She smiled, feeling strength and confidence from his adoring gaze and smile as he peppered kisses all over her face.

She relished his adoring hands and kisses, demonstrating his affection with soft ministrations but forcibly extracted herself suddenly. It surprised him so he jerked back. Straightening up, she whipped her shirt off, taking her bra with it. His gaze went from being gentle, loving and tender to sparking with visible heat. He swallowed hard, staring down at her naked breasts with unbridled lust before he glanced back up at her.

“You don’t have to be gentle,” she said softly, reaching out to stroke his cheek. “I trust you.”

He instantly tugged off his own shirt and disposed of it. Her breath caught as she beheld his wide, massive, ripped wall of a chest, along with his shoulders, biceps, and abdomen. She reached out to stroke him, following all the different lines of muscles she could find. He was so big, she compared the exploration of his body to an undiscovered island in the sea.

“You are so strong.”

“Only muscles, honey. They’re not meant to hurt anyone.” She melted at his soft words, realizing the irony of Chris. He was first a gentle, kind, wonderful man and his macho side, as a tough, strong man was secondary. He was so much stronger than his muscles. But damn. He had no shortage of those.

He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as Julia continued to feel him, leaning forward to kiss him, and tasting his skin and nipples as she licked along his neck. She ground her bottom half over him and he held his hands loosely on her thighs. Responding all at once, his pulse skipped, and his eyes briefly opened as a look of pleasure shone on his face.

She snuggled against his crotch and he groaned when her arms encircled his neck. She pressed her bare breasts against his chest and moved them up and down, letting his coarse chest hair abrade her sensitized nipples. She matched his groan with her own.

His hands circled her waist before slipping down the back side of her pants. They felt smooth against her bare butt cheeks as he squeezed and kneaded them, pressing her ever closer to his erection. She gasped as their lips met in another kiss and rose up on her knees. Leaning over him, she stuck her tongue deeper into his mouth and his head tilted up to meet hers. He swiftly took the hint as she gently wiggled against his hands. Her body pooled with molten liquid. He pushed his hands deeper into her pants and felt the wet, hot moisture of her panties. She rocked shamelessly against his hand and gasped. “Oh, God, Chris. Please. Touch me.”

Then her mouth captured his, and his fingertips plunged inside her panties until they found her wet, slippery core. She gasped when he started a gentle massage, rubbing, and swirling around her clit. She moved her hips faster, grabbing his smooth, bald head and pulling his mouth forcibly against her chest. She ached to push her nipple into his mouth while her entire body started to grow white-hot, burning with desire, and ready to explode.

She moaned and held his face to her breast as she kissed his shiny head. Being so turned on and consumed by heat, the loving tenderness he offered her only enhanced the entire experience.

He stood up, and her feet slammed jarringly on the floor. He let her go as he dipped his head down, tugging off her pants and her panties. Undoing his own jeans, he leaned down to remove them. She held her breath and the cool air heightened and aroused her core, now straining with heat. They both stood there naked and their gazes traveled over each other’s body. Their eyes devoured and took in the other. Chris was huge, all parts of him. Julia was breathless while staring down at him and her eyes widened as she glanced up. He stopped and began ruffling through his clothes before pulling out a condom, which he quickly slid on. He smiled shyly at her, melting her heart and she pulled him closer. She was too short for him, and their bodies lined up awkwardly. He simply squatted down and came back up, holding her in his arms.

She automatically wrapped her legs around his waist and groaned when his thick hardness rested against her sensitive, soft, wet opening. She’d never been held like this by a man. “Ooh, I like this. I’ve never done it like this,” she whispered excitedly.

Chris didn’t answer as he moved her bottom and she eagerly took him in. Impaling her with his huge organ, she groaned, yelling his name, and his arms held her fast. She imagined herself covering his body up like human Saran wrap wound all around him. She groaned, sighed, moaned, and kept on kissing him as her body enveloped his long, hard thickness. It was so hot and amazing. She was all but screaming as she moved her hips greedily, begging for more. Suddenly launching herself from tender affection to a selfish demand, she did not mean to be so aggressive.

He sat back down and she screamed as he drove himself deeper into her hungry body. She began to move harder, longer, and faster, taking him in deeper. Over and over, she bounced on his lap, jiggling her boobs up and down, her long hair sliding this way and that, as her entire body went wild with abandon. There was no self-consciousness or sense of demeanor, only feelings. Every part of her was alive with feeling. And it was amazing. Hot. Explosive. Wild. Crazy. Wet. Messy. Wonderful. She grabbed both of his shoulders, digging her nails into him as her head tilted back and her body exploded. Bursting like fireworks, her feelings and muscles were all working together in perfect rhythm and giving her the ultimate freedom of flying with a mindlessness she never experienced before.

Her body kept milking him, tugging on his massive organ as the aftershocks of what felt to her like a ten point earthquake until he gripped her waist tightly. Like a giant suction cup, she accepted all of him inside her and he came while moaning and yelling her name.

****

Falling back to earth, and realizing they were still in his living room, on the chair, and she was in his lap came as a bit of a shock. Julia had literally been out of her body. All her screaming, thrusts, and erotic responses were unrehearsed, unplanned, and uncensored. Now that she was calm again, cooling down, her self-consciousness returned. She lay panting against his bare chest and let his arms encircle her. Snuggling in deeper, she was thinking of ways she could stay there and always feel protected. Cherished. And connected.

She tilted her head up towards him. His head was resting on the back of the chair, and his eyes were closed. He sensed her movement and stared at her. Leaning forward, he opened his eyes as he brushed his lips over her scalp.

“Wow, that was…”

“Just the start,” he said in a husky voice.

She gulped, wondering what more there could be? This was, for her anyway, the top of the hill, the most fun sex had ever been. It had to be. She giggled again. “Too much of that could kill us.”

“What better way to die than this?”

“Nothing like it. I’ve never… No. Nothing like this. I’ve never felt like this.”

“We should get comfortable.” He stood up and held her in his arms. She moved her hips and he fell out from her, now spent and flaccid after such an exhilarating workout. She loved how he felt inside her although she was bruised by the pressure of their fervent union. She slid her feet down, and her muscles felt sore, but it was the best, and most satisfying soreness she could think of. “I think I’m a little sore and tender.”

His expression lifted, and he instantly became alert with worry flashing in his eyes. “Did I hurt you? Was I too eager?”

She smiled, staring way up into his adorably concerned face. “No. You could not have been eager enough. My body reacted to yours in ways I haven’t ever experienced before. It was all perfect and so well-orchestrated. Everything went exactly right. I deserved to know what good sex feels like. I never felt it like that. So please. Don’t apologize for it. It was—”

He lifted her up and kissed her until she was silent. She lifted her mouth off his and smiled. “Exactly. Now take me to the bed. And we’ll try it slow and gentle and easy.”

His expression turned from surprise to pleasure to anticipation to enthusiasm. He all but jogged over to his bed and set her down. He had more condoms in his hand that he took out from the nightstand drawer. She stretched her entire body out, letting his cool sheets soothe her soft skin. It felt so luxurious to her. Not the sheets, but her whole body, from the inside out. “This is like a wonderful secret that was selfishly being kept from me. I didn’t know it felt this good. For me too.”

He leaned over her, sweeping her hair off her face, and gazing at her in loving adoration. He kissed her mouth and his hand fondled her pebbled nipple that was standing straight up and ready and waiting for his touch and tongue. He began tugging on it as he pulled. “Ah, honey, you’ve been kept in the dark for no reason. Of course you should feel good.”

She was splayed out on his bed like a lounging cat in the sun, her arms out in each corner and her legs in an unladylike spread pointing towards the bottom corners. She moved so she could look up at him. “I’m usually very self-conscious. Too tense. Love me, Chris. Make me come again. Look at me. Touch me. Lick me. Get me used to it.” His head bent down on her nipple as she whispered her innermost thoughts. She cradled his bald head to her chest and hugged him when he obeyed her. He licked and sucked on her nipple and slid his hands all over her body, creating goose bumps anywhere he touched. His fingers strummed her core and he trailed the wetness to her other body parts. With anyone else, that would have embarrassed her. But with Chris, she merely stretched up more, tilting her hips until she liked how it felt and splaying her legs wider when his face fell between them.

She came over and over again, screaming, while her fingers gripped the air, groping for something, and coming up empty. She could only crinkle the bedsheets in her fists. Her knees rose up and his head was still pressed between them. Staring down at his strong back and his face between her slim legs only made her wetter and a new flood of feelings rushed through her.

Her eyes closed after coming for what felt like a half hour. She fell flat, utterly exhausted and her eyes were blinking with disbelief.

Her exhaustion didn’t last very long. Energized, she sat up to find Chris sitting back on his haunches. He must have watched her orgasm and now seemed to be inspecting his work and final product. She simply pushed him back on the bed and used her hands, frantically, and without any coordination as she bubbled with excitement and went after him. Grasping his hard length in both hands, she began pulling and tugging, while marveling out loud, “You are so big, Chris.”

He liked her compliments, just as she planned and he allowed her hands to continue manipulating him. He fell back, flat on the bed, closing his eyes and letting her have her way with him. She touched and handled him, placing her mouth over his gigantic knob and licking him, sucking him, and taking him inside her mouth as far as she could without gagging. He groaned and thrashed, enjoying every moment of it. She eventually grabbed another condom, sliding it over his shaft before grinding herself down onto him.

Chris’s eyes flashed open as they went at it, which was as longer and harder than she’d ever thought possible. They turned and flipped and moved their body parts in ways she never imagined. She could not wait to try more positions as he got on top of her, hiking one of her legs over his shoulder until she couldn’t take anymore. She was hoarse from screaming in ecstasy.

Chris suddenly wrapped her in his arms, showering her with adoring kisses all over her forehead and her face while his gentle hands cradled her sexually fatigued body. He was so tender with her, like a nurse when he ran his hands over her body, exploring between her legs, and checking to see that all of her was still intact.

“You’ll probably feel sore and sting for a while.” His tone sounded full of regret.

“Probably.” She kissed him. “And every time I move, I’ll be thinking of you, and having your body inside mine and how good it felt to come.” She took his hand. “Feel this. You’re already making me wet at the thought of it.”

He felt her crotch and rubbed it as he groaned. “You are. Well, we shouldn’t let that go to waste,” he mumbled before diving into her body again. This time, they took their time, making it last longer as they tenderly caressed each other until they both eventually came again. He swooped her up in his arms and deposited her in the hot shower, and they shared a soothing wash before wrapping themselves up in his sheets together again, naked, warm, and loved.

The following morning, Julia stretched out and wiggled her toes when she awoke. The soreness she experienced was predictable but she didn’t mind at all. She glanced over to the other side of the bed. No Chris.

Sitting up, she started finger-combing her tumble of messed-up hair. She could only imagine all the snarls. It would take forever to untangle with a brush. She held the sheet over her naked body when the door suddenly opened and Chris entered. He wore loose sweats and no shirt. She smiled, thinking she could quickly grow used to the intricate planes of his well-defined chest and craggy face. He was so interesting to look at. She still had plenty of hard areas to touch and caress and explore.

Chris smiled, seeming all shy and bashful as he stepped towards her. She grinned with eager anticipation when her gaze zeroed in on the hot cup of coffee he held out to her. He had another cup in his other hand. “You brought me coffee,” she said, now beaming. Then she dropped her gaze feeling as bashful as Chris had. Never mind all they did last night. All the sexy, dirty talk, and the shockingly nasty but wonderful new positions for intercourse that she never before considered possible flashed through Julia’s mind. But now in the daylight, even the simple, sweet gesture had both of them retreating from each other.

“Of course I did.” He grinned and his gaze settled over her, suggesting he knew exactly how to please her.

She tilted her head with a teasing smile and said, “Someday, maybe I’ll bring coffee to you.”

He sat on the side of the bed, leaning in to kiss her, his gaze traveling over her face. “That will be on the day when I know you’re here to stay.”

She stared in curious surprise at his words and didn’t answer him at first. The unexpected depth of his statement threw her for a loop. She wondered what it meant. Forever? Together? She wasn’t sure yet.

He kissed her. “But until then, I’ll bring the morning coffee to you. I wanted to go to my mom’s today.”

She jerked up right with surprise. “Your mom’s? Today? So soon?”

“I want you to meet her.”

Julia’s eyes grew bigger. Being asked to meet his mom? That was huge. Right up there with the morning coffee. She gulped, nodding and said, “Okay. Yes.”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Thank you. It means the world to me.”

She smiled but her heart thumped. Simba jumped up on the bed and she scratched his back to avoid all the feelings rising up in her chest. Pressure. This was it. If Tully didn’t like her, she knew that she and Chris would never work. His mother was that important to him. A deal breaker. Is that why he pressed this so soon? Just get it over with? Rip off the Band-Aid now? Figure out if this wasn’t destined to be, sooner rather than later?

Simba’s purrs accelerated and he meowed as she rubbed harder. Simba loved her so far and she easily returned the feelings. He’d been the first hurdle of Chris’s family and she’d passed the test. She doubted the mother would be half so easy. “I wish you were it, Simba.”

He meowed again and she smiled. At least someone liked her.