Yes, and getting longer by the second, he said. Ricked yanked off his jeans and boxers, then his shirt went flying. He returned his attention to Josie, pulling her top down so that he could unhook the front closure of her bra. When one breast popped free, his mouth was there to catch the nipple. He repeated the process on the other side.
All the while, Rick had somehow managed to unbutton the top of Josies jeans and his fingers were already exploring the outside of her pussy lips.
Josie arched her hips in need. Are we getting to the climax of your story?
Rick laughed. Youre so impatient, Josie. Then he ripped off her shirt and bra and threw them to the floor. Next, he pulled down her pants and underwear and tossed them aside. They got hung up on the edge of the footboard.
Rick then dragged his lips down the front of Josies body, leaving little electrical shivers of pleasure as he went, stopping only at the rise of her mound. He began nibbling on her flesh.
You know, he said, already laughing, the family who bought this place from Madame Toulouse turned out to be real busy beavers.
Josie shook with silent laughter. Please. Im begging you. No more.
Really, they were! Rick returned his attention to between her legs, a region he obviously considered his own personal playground. The idea excited Josie so much the muscles in her thighs began to tremble. He was torturing her!
The land here was very fertile, he said, letting his fingers push open the plump and wet outer lips. When his fingertips found her swollen little clit she began to pant. When he put his mouth on her and dragged his tongue back and forth from her clitoris to the entrance of her wet opening she nearly swooned.
The wine flowed, he said, nuzzling her. They plowed thousands of new acres of vineyard land One finger entered Josie.
She gasped.
And they added an olive grove that produced gallon after gallon of slick, golden liquid He inserted a second finger. Josie shuddered.
For three generations it just kept getting better and better and better … Rick slid in a third finger while simultaneously placing his tongue on her clit and licking and sucking on the hard little pebble of nerve endings. That was itJosie was gone.
It took a moment, but Josie eventually returned to earth. That was the best fucking bedtime story Ive ever had in my life, she mumbled. When Rick didnt reply, she opened her eyes. He was sitting straight up, frowning. Then she heard it.
Is that somebody at our door? she whispered.
Rick groaned. Yeah, and I know exactly who it is.
Still reeling from having her fertile ground plowed, Josie watched the magnificently naked Rick Rousseau stride toward the door without a care.
He obviously didnt mind if the entire wine country population saw him naked, but Josie sure did, so she struggled to get under the covers.
He opened the door, none too graciously. Well, hurry it up then, he said impatiently. Get in here.
Three dusty dogs ran into the room. After a moment of excited sniffing, circling, and shaking, they sat at Ricks feet. Josie realized Ricks dogs were pretty cute when they werent running like hounds from hell.
These are the rules, he said in a stern voice. Josie watched as all the dogs eyebrows twitched, as though they were hanging on his every word.
No jumping up on the bed. Do not get on the couches. No drinking out of the toiletand Im talkin to you, Chenyour water bowl is in the usual spot.
Genghis had begun to inch closer to Ricks naked body, ready to sniff at the man parts on display. Dont you even /think/ about it, Rick growled.
He then pointed to a corner behind one of the sofa and table groupings.
All of you, lie down and leave us alone.
The dogs toddled over to the corner and collapsed next to each other, Tara sandwiched between the two bigger dogs, all three obviously exhausted from their play. Genghis yawned. He looked like hed lived there forever.
Josie was extremely impressed with Ricks take-charge attitude, and when he turned her way she smiled. I kind of like it when youre bossy, she said, wagging an eyebrow. She pulled back the coverlet and patted the sheets.
Rick got a running start, jumped, and flopped on his back on the bed.
Good, he said. Now where were we?
Rick lay awake in the darkness. Josie was dozing off, floating away on a postsex cloud, her soft thigh thrown over his hip and her head resting on his chest. Chen was snoring. The crickets and tree frogs performed their nightly concerto, a sure sign summer was just around the corner.
He stared at the ceiling and toyed with Josies curls. After about four hours of lovemaking, he was sated down to his bones, warm and loose and at peace. He felt a kind of childlike hope taking root in him, as if all things were possible and the next grand adventure lay just around the bend.
Of course, all this was because he was falling in love with Josiehe was falling in love with a woman for the very first time in his thirty-seven years on the planet. He might have been living in an emotional wasteland of late, but he was astute enough to know love when it hit from point-blank range.
And he could tell it was going to be a love so good and so big that it would make up for lost time.
He looked down at Josies face, innocent and sweet, and knew that she was falling in love, too. It was in her eyes when he was inside her. It was in the way she held him in her arms. Her love was a miracle.
But there was a reason he was lying there awake in the middle of the night. Something was very wrong. He knew he was misleading Josie. He owed her some information, and fast. He owed her a complete picture of who he was. Without it, he would be using her like hed used every other woman in his life. And he knew that if he ever did anything to hurt sweet Josie Sheehan, then everything would come crashing down around him.
If he hurt her, the sweat and tears and pain of the last seven years would become meaningless. The goodness hed managed to salvage from his life would disappear in a puff of smoke. There would be no balancing the scales. There would be no repair to his karma, or to the world. He would be right back to his old self, creating suffering and pain wherever he went.
Rick closed his eyes briefly. He knew there was only one path for him, in all things. Truth. He took a deep, steadying breath and, in the stillness of his heart, he asked the universe to give him courage.
Josie? Are you awake?
Hmmm, she said.
I need to talk to you.
Kay, she said in a sleepy voice. She kissed his chest hair and then began breathing deep and slow again.
Baby, Im sorry, but its important. Please wake up.
Im awake.
You sure?
Yeah. Josie pushed herself up and sat cross-legged on the bed, facing him, looking a little unsteady. A silly smile suddenly spread over her face. I was having the weirdest dream, she said, yawning. It was /The Best Little Whorehouse in Sonoma/the musicaland my friend Bea played the role of Madame Toulouse and Teeny was the sheriff, so, technically, that would make it a nightmare, right?
Rick laughed. Sounds like a real crowd-pleaser. He took a moment to simply gaze at her. Her hair was all jumbled. She was sleepy and cute and naked.
A lump formed in his throat.
Is something wrong, Rick?
He decided he needed light for this conversation, and reached over to the bedside lamp, turning it on to its lowest wattage. Nothings wrong, really. I just need to be completely clear with you about everythingI dont want there to ever be dishonesty or misunderstanding between us.
Josies eyes got big. Youre married.
No! Rick sat up, too, grabbing one of her hands. No, Josie. God, no!
Nothing like that. /But I wish it were that simple,/ he thought.