Roommate Wanted

He knocked gently on Marie's door. There was no response. He looked down and realized that her bedroom light wasn't on. Colin scratched his head and decided, much to his dismay, that she must be out. It was her first night out since the incident with Jack, he reflected. Things had been better between Colin and Marie, calmer, but there was still something missing. Their friendship was still not as it was, and he suspected this played a role in his recent inability to get a decent night's sleep.

The way Colin figured it, he could either try to get back to bed and hope for the best, watch TV, or go outside for a walk. The latter seemed to be the most promising, the most likely to tire him out. He slipped back into his room to find a pair of shoes and shorts, then slipped back out to meet the night.

Once outside, Colin shut the door behind him gently. The night air was thick with heat and the dissonant song of cicadas and crickets. He walked a little ways out, trying to keep his mind empty of thought, of all the fears that had been nagging at him. He watched the sky and spotted the moon and tried to remember whether it was waxing or waning. He looked back down and toward the lake.

And there was Marie, moon-bathing naked by the water's edge: skin glowing, pale as cream, shielded from the neighbors by a clump of trees but in full view of anyone who might approach from the direction of their house, as he so fortunately had. She lay on her belly in the middle of a big soft blanket. What looked like a robe was crumpled in a heap by her side. Colin's breath caught in his throat, and he stifled a groan.

His mind was too clouded with lust for him to do much of anything besides wonder. In that moment, his first glimpse of her, he was young again, feeling stupid and reckless. Should he join her? Should he be the gentleman and go back inside, pretend he had seen nothing? His indecision pushed him to a third choice, which was to play the peeping tom. He crouched behind a shrub and listened to his heart pound wildly like a trapped bird inside his chest.

After a few minutes had passed, Marie turned over. Colin's eyes skimmed her slim length. Her stomach was toned yet soft, breasts full, her nipples blush-colored. Why hadn't he tried seducing her before this? What had stopped him from sneaking into her bedroom at night, so close to his, to entice her into kissing him, into touching and tasting him?

The divorce, his dissatisfaction with his job, had made him miserable, which in turn had made him meek. The change had been so gradual that he hadn't even noticed. He was just as unaccustomed to this new shyness as he had been blind to it. The man he'd become was a stranger to him, and, he worried now, he was no man at all.

Colin couldn't stand watching her any longer. It was torturous. He returned to the house and paced on the porch, so distracted by the wanton images in his head that he didn't even hear her approach.

"Hey!" Colin spun around. Marie. She was wearing a robe now, at the bottom of the steps and making her way onto the porch. Then panic set in. He didn't have to look down to know that his hard-on was unmistakable through his boxers and thin summer shorts. She faced him now. "Oh," was the only thing she said as she glanced downward. For an endless moment, Marie seemed thoughtful, to consider the situation. "I guess you saw me out there." She caught herself. "Or maybe I'm flattering myself," she laughed mysteriously as she stepped closer.

"No. It was you," he responded thickly. These were the eyes that had been on her in the kitchen, then again that night on the couch, she thought.

Colin wondered how it was that she seemed so totally unfazed when he felt so rattled. But then, he realized, it had been a long time since he had seduced a woman. He had almost forgotten how to do it. As she moved toward him, he breathed deeply and drank her in. He reached out to touch the side of her face, sweeping her jaw with a rough thumb, a reminder to both of them of that night in the kitchen.

With a single step, Colin was on her, pinning her back against the side of the house. He towered over her, and Marie wasn't sure whether to feel safe with him or frightened of him. He took hold of her shoulders then and brought her into a tight embrace. The top of her head barely reached his collarbone, he thought with a twinge of something beyond lust. She felt him kiss her hair. He let his mouth stay there, smelled the delicate scent of her shampoo mixed with the scent of some faded floral she'd no doubt picked up from the side of the lake. He waited for a shove or a shout from Marie, but neither came.

Marie's robe was tied loosely, offering Colin a glimpse of her bra. He flung one of the lapels to the side and inhaled sharply at the sight of her breast through a whisper of lace. The look on Marie's face was stoic and unreadable, her jaw set. He pulled at the fabric and watched for a reaction. When he saw a smile tug at the corner of her mouth, he tore the bra away, ripping it in half, and grinned with satisfaction as she gasped. He watched the gentle bounce of her now-bare breasts and saw that Marie's gaze remained steady on his face. She seemed almost defiant, and it pushed him over the edge.

Colin drew her head back and leaned down to kiss her. As she felt his lips brush hers, the pulse between them was so great that Marie felt her knees buckle, but Colin had let his hands drop to her waist and held her firmly. The touch was just as powerful for him but he had prepared for it, steeled himself against it.

Marie brought his shirt up and over his head and tossed it aside. She let her fingers roam through the soft hair on his chest like a child trying to put a puzzle together, slow at first, then building confidence as she went. Colin closed his eyes and dragged his fingertips across her back. Her hands searched further down to the trail of hair along his stomach. The accidental brush of her hand over his shorts and against his erection prompted him to bend down once more for another kiss, this one deeper and rougher than the first. He wrenched the robe away from her shoulders and let it drop around her arms, trapping her. He hooked a single finger around her panties and pulled, which was all it took to rend the flimsy material in half.

Marie's skin was flawless in the moonlight. He took all of her in and saw that she was better than the picture of her he'd had in his mind, every detail clear to him now. She was infinitely more perfect than he could have dreamed. He dragged her back toward him and reached one arm under her ass, the other around her waist, and lifted her up and against him.

Colin didn't have to say anything. To Marie, the message was loud and clear: that he wanted her to feel the effect she had on him, every inch of it. Even through his shorts, there was no mistaking just how hard he was, and she thrilled at the thought of him inside her.

With unexpected tenderness, Colin placed her on the wide porch railing. Without breaking eye contact, he unzipped his shorts and shoved them off along with his boxers. His cock sprang free, gleaming and big. He moved between her legs, and Marie gasped at the hot press of his cock suddenly against her stomach.

A look of self-consciousness flashed across her face. She scanned their surroundings, to the trees and the mountains and over to the houses.

"What if the neighbors see us?"

"Lucky them," Colin responded with a grin. "You just thought of that?" He looked at her coyly. "You weren't thinking of it when you were lying naked next to the lake."

"How long did you watch me?"

"Long enough. But that wasn't all that did me in. I've been worked up over you for a long time," he explained. Before Marie had a chance to respond to this, Colin's mouth was on hers again, rough, demanding, almost feral. His hands fisted in her hair, and her hot breath came in gasps as she met the violence of his kisses with her own.

Colin's hands were everywhere. Now that he'd memorized the way she looked, he wanted to remember the way she felt: the tiny waist, the swell of her ass, that velvet stomach, her firm breasts that pressed against him.

Colin pulled away, his mouth red and wet. Marie watched him, looking just as defiant as she had at first. He brought a hand between her legs and brushed his fingertips across her lips, then let them slide into her, motionless for just a moment, then pushed them deeper still. She whimpered, and he answered her whimper by letting his hand fall to his cock. He eased the tip of it in, where his fingers had just been, feeling the sweet suck of her sex that urged him to push forward.

"Oh god, please," she pleaded, grasping the back of his neck as though just the sensation of him being inside her might knock her flat.

"Just wait." With one arm he brought her face to his and brushed his lips against hers, the hint of a kiss, and slid his free hand into the tight hot space between them. He massaged her mound, then moved farther down, so that his fingers traced a lazy circle around the button of her clit. She gasped and ground involuntarily against him. But Colin wouldn't allow her to take all of him, though he could feel how her muscles were working around him. The effect was maddening. He thought he could hear his blood boiling, but he refused to give in. He wanted to savor it.

Colin's lazy circles began to tighten until finally he pressed an insistent finger against her clit, kept it still, then followed this sudden pressure with one quick, shallow thrust into and out of her. Marie moaned and bit her lip. "You're killing me," she panted and squirmed on the ledge of the railing, trying to close the distance between them, but Colin wouldn't allow it.

"You're so wet," he murmured with wonder, ignoring her entreaties. His hand began to move again, his finger touching her lightly but directly so that her moans came quicker now. He delivered another abrupt thrust, bringing the head of his cock into her just a few inches deeper than he had the first time, and that was when Marie cried out. Colin covered her mouth with his, letting his tongue probe deeply, exploring her, enjoying every second of her pleasure, his mouth on her and the tip of his cock still inside her as she came.

When it seemed like Marie had started to settle, Colin pulled away from the kiss. Her eyes flew open, and she looked at him curiously. He took her by the hips and lifted her away from the ledge, let go of his hold just enough so that her weight caused her to plunge downward. She impaled herself on him, and they moaned together. He held her, leaned back against the side of the house, and she brought her arms around his shoulders, using him as leverage as she began to work herself up slowly, letting gravity draw her back down against him.

Colin's breath came in ragged bursts as he watched her move against him. The soft slap of wet skin against wet skin made him shudder. Marie leaned in to kiss his rough cheek, grazing stubble as she moved closer to lightly bite his earlobe.

In the middle of his haze, Colin found himself in awe of her, in awe that he was touching her, inside her. She shone against him, unself-conscious in her movements. This was one more side of Marie that he felt he was just beginning to understand, that he had imagined -- but clearly hadn't known the half of it, just how sensual she could be. It made him love her more. The clarity with which he felt that his yearning for her went beyond the carnal startled him.

Colin snapped himself out of the reverie. He turned them around then, pushing her back up against the side of the house so roughly that she gasped, and bringing her legs up and around him. He was back in control then, ramming her, breathless and blind with desire. His hands gripped her ass both to support her and for his own pleasure. He slowed his pace to lean down and take one flushed nipple into his mouth.

With just one lick of the sensitive flesh, Marie cried out as she came again, digging sharp nails into his shoulders, drawing just a little blood. Her scream and the delicious squeeze of her around the shaft of his cock were enough to bring him along with her. After he'd spent himself inside her, he fell against her, their bodies slippery with sweat. His mouth was impossibly brutal on hers, almost punishing. His eyes were hot on hers as he pulled away.

His legs began to buckle, and he drew them both down to the ground. They lay still in a heap there on the porch, bodies still humming, limbs tangled.

After an interminable length of time, Marie finally spoke.

"God. Do you think anyone saw us? It's so late, that's impossible, right?"

"I don't know. Pretty sure I heard a few cars drive past us. Sounded like one or two of them might've slowed as they passed to get a good look. I don't blame them."

"You're joking!" Marie looked, for a moment, her cheeks coloring. Then she saw Colin's smile slowly grow. "Oh, damn you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure no one saw." And then, because he couldn't help himself, "I think we can be pretty sure they heard us, though."

"Oh! Well, you're probably right. Too late now anyway," she sighed. Marie looked down, long hair falling around her face. Her bangs were still damp and stuck to her eyelashes. She blinked them away. Colin rose to his feet and offered her a hand.

"Let's get inside." Colin leaned down and picked up Marie's robe. He helped her into it, gently easing each arm into the sleeves, even tying the belt around her waist.

"I owe you some underwear." The regret on his face was painfully evident.

"That's true. But I'd say it was worth it." Colin reached for his own clothes, slipping back into boxers and shorts. Marie waved a hand when he went for his shirt. "Who needs it?"

Back in the house, they stood in the hallway by their respective bedrooms and looked at each other uncertainly.

"What do we do?" Marie finally asked.

"Who has the bigger bed?"

"Who has the cleaner sheets?" She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head.

"You win."

***

In the morning, Colin was the first to wake. They'd left the door open, and Lyle had sneaked in sometime during the night. He slept soundly at the foot of the bed. Marie was on her side, facing Colin, still asleep but stirring. He touched her lightly and her eyes snapped open.

"Good morning."

"Hello."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Just fine." She stretched, arched her body, luxuriated. "Do you have any notes for me? Any breakfast announcements, I mean?"

"I could probably whip something up. Any special requests?"

"Anything you want," she answered dreamily. Colin rose above her and bent down for a quiet kiss. She relished the sensation of warm skin and breath against her face, the tingling scratch of his stubble.

After Colin left for the kitchen, Marie savored her morning. It had been a long time since she felt so at ease. Lyle still slumbered at her feet, the sun was warm and illuminating through her half-open curtains. The feel of sheets against her bare skin made her rethink getting up.

Marie couldn't be sure how, but she finally gathered the strength to get out of bed. Force of habit caused her to slip a robe on. Lyle, deciding he'd rather not be left alone, trailed her out of the room and into the kitchen.

"I wasn't sure what to make, so I just went with fast and easy. Toast, eggs, sausage." He turned now to explain further but was caught off-guard by the sight of her. Her hair was wild, eyes bright, skin soft and luminous. Her robe was open just enough to afford him a view of her skin, more than enough to awaken his appetite. She coolly ran a hand through her hair and took a seat. He grunted, remembered himself, and slid a full plate in front of her.

Now, outside of the haven of Marie's bed, the two were awkward. It was just catching up to them: how much things had changed, how much things would change, where that left each of them. There was no way either of them could even pretend to forget about the previous night. Colin joined her at the table with his own dish.

He was glad, at least, that they were speaking. Yet now, when it seemed so important to say something, to say the right things, he couldn't think of anything. He kept his eyes on his food, letting them travel up to her every so often, then looking back down. It occurred to him that he hadn't heard from Lyle, but a quick peek under the table indicated that Marie was feeding him scraps on the sly. Colin glanced up at Marie, and she caught his look and smiled mischievously.

"That dog is getting more of your breakfast than you are," he said, finally, clearing his throat.

"He could use it. He's still just skin and bones." Her attention was back on Lyle, patting him around his scrawny haunches. She looked back up at Colin. "See?" But the look on Colin's face was clear, so she sighed and fetched Lyle his bone. He grabbed it from her hands and ran like a dog possessed. Marie sat back at the table and smiled so sweetly at Colin that he felt it clutch at his heart.

"I love you," he exclaimed unthinkingly, almost as easily as if he'd said it once already or even many times before. But he regretted it as soon as the words were out of his mouth. And there was no turning back from them now. Marie let a glob of scrambled egg fall from her fork.

"You don't have to say that now." She laughed weakly, eyes widening. "That's what you say before you get what you want. To get what you want. You've already got it."

"No, I mean it," Colin breathed, voice nearly breaking. "I'm as shocked as you probably are. Is it just me?"

Marie put down her fork. The amount of time it took for her to respond was agonizing for him. But it was the first time she had really thought about it. If she was being honest with herself, she had done all she could to avoid thinking about it. That she desired him was dangerous enough, it seemed. "No," she finally whispered. She rubbed her palms together. "I guess I do, too. I mean, I love you." Colin exulted in her response, but just as soon as he'd felt the jolt of pleasure and relief, doubt began to creep back in.

"What do we do?" He paused, swallowed. "Do you want me to move out?"

"What?" Marie looked even more surprised at his question than she had at his declaration of love. "No. Do you want to move out?"

"No."

"Then that's settled. As for what we do now, I guess we do whatever we want to."

Colin took their empty plates and placed them in the sink. He passed Marie on his way back to his own chair. Her robe was just open enough to expose the slim V of the smooth, perfect space between her breasts, and Colin felt something jump inside him. He stopped by her side and bent down for a tentative kiss.

The kiss was, at first, searching, full of questions, almost shy despite what they'd already shared. Marie's hands reached for the solid line of his shoulders, then traveled to the muscled column of his throat. Colin's hands went from her hair down to the small of her back as he gathered courage and deepened the kiss. He pulled her in closer and closer until he finally lifted her up and around him. Marie's legs wrapped around his waist as her arms tightened their hold around his neck.

Colin stood there for a moment, Marie encircling him like a child, mouths still locked, then smoothly lay her down on the kitchen table. His hands went to her hair, brushing it away from her face so he could kiss her forehead and temples, then her jaw, the dip between her collarbones. He gloried in finally finding the slip of skin between the lapels of her open robe. His lips glided down, seeking. Impatiently, he tore the robe open, and grazed Marie's nipple with his teeth. She gasped and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him nearer to her.