Found by Drew, page 11
I smiled at how thoughtful he was being. I’d been the one who’d invited him, yet there he was, offering to pay for a hotel. “Oh, hell no! As long as you’re not too proud, you can take my room.”
“But, where will you sleep?” he asked, looking puzzled.
“Ah, I’ll just grab the sofa. It’s comfy enough to sleep on. Don’t worry about me!”
In an instant, he started blustering again. “Out of the question. I can’t come into your home and, and… No, Lia. I’ll have the sofa and you can stay in your room. My mother would murder me if she thought I’d turfed a lady from her room when there was a perfectly good sofa going begging.”
“If you’re sure?” I asked, still not completely comfortable with the idea of a guest of mine sleeping on the sofa. I’d leave it for now, but if I could think of a better alternative before bedtime, I would.
“Without a doubt. I won’t hear another word about it. Now, what’s the plan for the weekend then?” He smiled, helping himself to another biscuit and giving it a good dunking.
We sat together, eating biscuits and drinking tea as we planned our weekend. Drew had to leave Sunday evening, but we had plenty of time to get out and see some of the things in the local area. I had promised Jimmy we’d head out for a drink or two one night, but other than that, I planned to keep Drew all to myself. I had missed him more than I imagined I would, despite the constant messaging and phone calls. I was like a kid at Christmas to have him in front of me for a whole weekend. This was the chance for the start of something new. Something that could make me a very happy woman. We’d both agreed only yesterday this was make or break for whatever weird thing we had started. Would it stay a holiday romance? Or would we be able to build it into something more? Right then, I didn’t know, but I had a good feeling about Drew, so I wanted it to be right.
With food in the oven, drinks served, and movies selected. We’d decided a film marathon was the order of the evening. Nothing too heavy going, but something that would allow us to take things slow and catch up with each other. We started the evening each stuck tight to opposite ends of the rather large sofa, talking across it and maintaining a reasonable distance. Each time one of us got up, be it for the toilet, snacks, or to change the DVD, we subconsciously sat closer to each other. By the end of our third movie, we were safely snuggled in a lovers’ embrace, legs entwined, hands held, and my head resting on his chest.
I jarred awake goodness only knows how much later with a start, full of the confused befuddlement that comes when you hadn’t even realised you’d fallen asleep. As I opened my eyes, rubbing the sleep from them in a clumsy way, I realised what had woken me. Drew was tiptoeing towards the bathroom, stumbling into things in the dark as he went. The journey, which would have come as second nature to me, was like an obstacle course for him. I chuckled and reached for the lamp. At the sound, he spun to face me, fists raised as if ready to fight whoever made the noise.
“Oh. It’s you,” he said, looking relieved as he let his hands drop to his sides.
“No shit, Sherlock. Who else did you expect?” I laughed, a sound that bounced around the apartment and was completely infectious. Within seconds, we were both giggling like a pair of children. I couldn’t say what started it, but it was the final layer stripped away from Drew’s unease. Finally, he dropped those last few barriers and looked happy and relaxed in my home. He doubled over, laughing with such intensity his legs could no longer hold him and crashed to the floor with a snort. Picking himself up from the floor, he dashed over, gave me a quick kiss, and ran to the bathroom.
After his toilet break, even more needed after several minutes giggling on the floor, we both admitted defeat on our movie marathon. It was then the first problem arose. My earlier concerns about our sleeping arrangements had been bothering me all night, and as such, we had reached an impasse. As much as I liked his suggestion of letting me keep my bed, I still felt bad making him take the sofa.
“Drew,” I started, waiting for him to look up before I continued. “I’ve got a different idea.”
“I’ve overstayed my welcome, haven’t I? Do you want me to book a hotel? ‘Cause honestly, beaut, that’s fine with me. That is if I can find one at this time of night.”
“Oh, Drew, of course not. Don’t be daft! You’re welcome for as long as you’d want to stay. I was just wondering, and you can totally shoot me down on this, I won’t be offended at all, but, well… I was just thinking, why don’t you sleep in my bed? With me.” I stammered out my thoughts, shyness impacting my ability to form coherent sentences.
His jaw dropped in a comical way as the realisation of quite how badly he had read the situation hit him. Then he opened his mouth several times, continuing with the fish impression, as he tried to put the obvious thought processes in his head into words. “Lia, are you… I mean, is that… is that what you really want?”
“Mmhmm. Just sleeping though. I mean, it’s not that I don’t want sex, but I don’t expect us to be together like we were on the beach again. Not that I didn’t enjoy that, ‘cause I did. It was awesome, in fact. Shit. I’m babbling again, aren’t I?” I said.
“Are you sure though? In my experience, sleeping together usually ends up as something more than just ‘sleeping’ together, if you get my meaning?” said Drew, raising an eyebrow and smirking.
I liked this cheeky side that was re-emerging. I’d seen snippets of it in Cyprus, but he’d always been guarded. We both had. I sensed there was more to it, but I wouldn’t push. Drew would tell me when he was ready.
“Andrew James Swan, what on Earth are you suggesting? I have no idea what kind of girls you’re used to taking as bedfellows, but this lady is not so easily compromised by cheeky smiles,” I teased, using my pretend posh voice and fanning myself with my hand.
We’d both skirted around sharing our full names. Neither of us was fully comfortable with the middle names our parents had given us, but I’d snitched a glance at his passport at the airport.
“Well, dear Amelia, I must admit, I have had some questionable bedfellows, as you so delicately put it. However, on this fine evening, I am rather certain my companion is nothing less than a lady. As such, I would not dream of compromising her honour in such a way,” he replied, returning my mocking with a brand of his own. Except, when he said it, it did something more than just tease. His debonair voice and nature left my breath hitched and my heart pounding.
“Carry on like this, dear sir, and you will compromise this lady with your words alone,” I replied, not even trying to hide the blush creeping up my cheeks.
And that was when the atmosphere changed from being playful to sexual. Drew growled, a seductive and primal noise which set my senses on edge and made places tingle in the best possible way. He kneeled up on the sofa and prowled towards me, his emerald eyes twinkling irresistibly. I stayed perfectly still, my chest the only part of me moving, and I watched him as he shifted towards me. He made sure his legs were pinning mine, getting himself comfy in a straddle position. Nudging my shoulder with his right hand, he pushed me flat so he could lean over me. His eyes looked down at me with an expression of pure longing.
“I think, perhaps, you do want me to compromise your honour, dear lady. I can see it in your eyes, you little temptress. May I?” he whispered in my ear, nibbling at the lobe whilst his left hand reached up from my thigh, his fingers tickling sensitive spots on its way. He gestured to my top, lifting the hem and staring intently. I nodded, unable to remove my eyes from his. In the soft lighting, I felt more confident than normal, and I arched my back as he removed my clothing, piece by piece. My hands trembled as I returned the favour. His body was beautifully toned, and the tan he had picked up in Cyprus, a golden brown most people would envy, set it off just right.
In a more private setting this time, it was much different than our first encounter. That time had been beautiful, but in all honesty, it was a fumble on the beach to release the sexual tension that had built between us. Plus, the sand. Those pesky little grains got everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. This time was different. We explored each other, fingers tracing the lines of our figures, faces, curves, and edges. We took our sweet time, kissing each other with a passion that was slow and heady, none of the rush from before. When we were done exploring, we sat looking at each other for a short while before he cleared his throat.
“Lia, our first time was pretty memorable, but this time, I’d really like to do it right. Can we take this to the bedroom?” he asked, looking sheepish for interrupting the flow of our sexual activities.
“Sure. Follow me,” I said, taking his hand and gently leading him to my bedroom. The sheets were clean, and I had already turned the quilt back; an old habit I’d picked up from my gran, who believed it helped to air the mattress. Well, it would certainly need airing tomorrow. He followed my lead and lay down on his side, both of us trailing lazy caresses over each other, kissing, and pulling at hair with a languid pace which only added to the slow burn of emotions and pleasure.
His cock was hard and ready, and when I looked up at him through my thick eyelashes, I tried to convey the want I felt inside. He slipped a hand between us and felt for my wetness, slipping in first one finger, then a second, before his thumb found my clit. Returning the favour, I rubbed the length of his cock, taking special care to pay attention to the head. I let the top of my thumb brush his soft tip delicately with every upwards movement, twisting my hand slightly to make sure the entirety of his shaft was enjoying my touch. When we’d teased each other enough, we moved to recover the kneeling position we’d been in on the sofa.
“One last thing. I didn’t, I er, I don’t have…” started Drew, looking embarrassed to even be bringing up the topic of protection. I smiled as I reached into the top drawer of the bedside table, thinking how sweet it was he felt that way. Waving the shiny coloured packet at him, I opened it carefully and rolled the condom down his cock without a hitch.
Sat with legs wrapped around each other’s waists and our arms caressing each other’s faces and backs, he entered me with a slow push and started rocking. I reciprocated, matching his rhythm stroke for stroke, pulling at his hair, his ears, his nipples as we built to our climax. Unlike in the movies, we didn’t come together. I orgasmed way before he did. But the pleasure he saw from my own orgasm helped him reach his. He grunted his release, shuddering against me as we held tight to each other. In that position, we stayed for what felt like forever, only moving when a bout of cramp caused me to groan.
Untangling ourselves from each other, we tidied ourselves up, brushed our teeth, and curled up together in my bed. Drew lay flat on his back, his arm around my shoulders, and I snuggled up next to him, listening to the steady beat of his heart until my own felt normal again. Whilst I still didn’t know for certain what ‘this’ was yet, I was feeling more confident that what we had was special, and I wanted more. I could only hope Drew wanted the same.
FOURTEEN
“Come on, you lazy bugger. We’ll never miss that rain cloud if you don’t hurry up!”
I huffed and puffed as I fought with the new walking boots we’d just purchased. Drew had been researching my local area and had found some ‘gentle walks’ he wanted to try out. After raiding my cupboard and only having a pair of Converse to show in the department of ‘sensible shoes’, Drew decided drastic measures were needed and had insisted on purchasing my first pair of sturdy walking boots. They were heavy, a pain in the arse to do up, and possibly the most unattractive pair of footwear I had ever owned. Seeing Drew’s enthusiasm when I was all kitted out was worth it, though. His smile was dazzling, even more so than usual, and his eyes, a deeper evergreen today, sparkled with excitement.
“Ready to roll then?” he asked, holding out his arm.
“As I’ll ever be,” I said, hoping his definition of a gentle walk matched mine, but beginning to think it more than likely didn’t.
We drove a short distance to a place I didn’t even realise existed, and I marvelled at the silence when we got out of the car. The road noise was non-existent, and all I could hear was a gentle babbling brook hidden somewhere in the trees, and the cheerful chirp of birds high. It was peaceful, and I felt my stresses begin to melt away. I looked over to Drew, who was tucking a map into a plastic pouch hanging from his belt, and smiled.
“You said gentle, but a gentle walk for me is to Annie’s and back, maybe to the pub on occasion. What exactly do you mean by gentle, Drew?”
He chuckled. “You’ll find out, now let’s get cracking. I reckon we’ve got an hour before those clouds decide to give us a good soaking.”
He reached out a hand and I gave him mine. They fit like a pair that had been crafted for each other. As I tried to calm my nerves and swatted away flies with my spare hand, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much my life had changed in just a few short weeks. There was no way Alex would have ever done something like this, and I’d lived here for years without ever knowing it existed. Drew was good for me. He was helping me see a whole new side to myself without trying to stifle the me that was already there. I was ready for the change.
As we walked, we covered every little detail we’d missed or couldn’t remember from our long chats in Cyprus. The peacefulness of the woods and the privacy they afforded us was liberating, each of us speaking freely about our memories of the past; our childhoods, our families, our friends. The only thing we hadn’t discussed was what ‘this’ was. It seemed we were both too nervous to bring it up in case the other would shoot us down and say it was all just a bit of fun. As much as I knew it could happen, I didn’t dare to give it a thought as I knew it would cripple me. I couldn’t handle that kind of emotional rejection again.
Reading between the lines of what Drew had said, or rather didn’t say, it seemed to me that he felt the same way too. It was clear he’d been hurt before - by what, or who, I had no idea. Unlike the emotional wreck I was when he met me, Drew seemed to have a better handle on his emotional baggage. His past wasn’t likely to avalanche the first person to show him a bit of affection and sympathy. When we brushed on exes, he always skimmed over his past, preferring to focus on mine instead. I could understand that to a point. I’d had more than my fair share of weirdos, and we’d both enjoyed having a damn good laugh at their expense. His particular favourite was the guy who’d described himself as ‘cuddly’, but when we’d met, he’d actually been more like the marshmallow man than a teddy bear. Deciding his past wasn’t an issue to me, I’d resolved to wait for him to share when he felt comfortable. As long as we were keeping this casual, I had no right to ask those kinds of details, but if it became something more, I’d expect him to share it with me.
And so, it was in some weird state of limbo that our weekend had come to an end. Jimmy, being the only one of my friends who hadn’t met Drew in Cyprus, had insisted on a meeting, but had dropped out at the last minute due to boyfriend drama. Honestly, his whole life was a drama, but that was the way he liked it. Drew had been disappointed. He’d been looking forward to meeting my extroverted gay bestie, but I’d assured him Jimmy would not miss out on the opportunity to survey my new man candy the next time he visited. Worries allayed, bags packed, and stalling tactics in action, we sat drinking cup after cup of tea until it was long after Drew was supposed to have left.
“Drew, not that you’re not welcome here, quite the contrary… but don’t you have work in the morning?” I nudged, genuine in my desire to keep him here longer, but equally concerned he had a long drive home. It was late. He glanced at his watch and struggled to hide his concern at the time he saw.
“Balls. I didn’t realise it was that late. You’re right, beaut. I’m going to have to head off.” He drank his remaining tea and rose awkwardly, rubbing his hands on his jeans and rocking ever so slightly on the balls of his feet.
“That’s fine, sweet.” I placed my half-empty cup on the table. “Although, I’d love to keep you tied up somewhere. Shame too many people would miss you back up there.”
“Tie me up? Now why didn’t you mention that sooner?” He growled at me, playful, yet I knew there was a serious undertone to his question.
Note to self, the man likes to be tied up - I needed to dig out some silk scarves for the next time he visited.
“Ooh! Like a bit of kink now, do we? Man after my own heart,” I teased, a playful wink and a stroke on the arm doing wonders for the size of a certain department. “Oops! Didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“Oh, shit. Yeah, kinda not how I wanted this weekend to end. Me looking like a horny teenager who can’t control the goods, whilst you play the sexy vixen and entice me to your bed again. Seriously though, beaut, as much as I want to stay, and I really do,” he said, gesturing to the very apparent bulge in his trousers, “this meeting tomorrow is a big one, and I still have some prep to do for it.”
“Drew, it’s cool. I understand,” I replied, a tiny hint of sadness in my voice at the realisation our weekend was at an end. “This has been the best weekend I’ve had in such a long time, and I really do mean that. Thank you.” I stood on tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his lips and stroke his hair off his face. It wasn’t a lie. This was the most happy and comfortable I’d ever felt in my apartment, and I knew it was down to his presence.
“Me too, Lia. You bring out sides of me I’d forgotten I had; I should be thanking you,” he replied. Bending down to return my kiss, his hand pulled me closer and a rough thumb traced patterns on the small of my back, just under the hem of my shirt. I returned his kiss with enthusiasm, my tongue dancing with his once more in the familiar groove we had discovered over the weekend. My hands pulled at the hair on the nape of his neck, exploring the soft contours of his face one last time before he left.
