Connected by the Tide (7 page)

“Because they’re asleep.
They’re my archenemies.”

She leaned toward the glass. “I would love to touch one.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” he said quickly. “But how about a dolphin?”

Her eyes lit up.
“A dolphin?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“I’ll show you.” He took her toward the back and to the outside pool. They approached the edge of the pool and
sat down. Henry tapped the water a few times until Rose came to the surface, squealing.

Ren’s mouth dropped open
, and her eyes were wide. “He’s beautiful.”

“Actually, her name is Rose.”

“My mistake,” she said quickly. She reached out and started to pet Rose. “How amazing.” She leaned forward, and her dress rose slightly. Against Henry’s control, he peeked down and looked at the top of her thighs, wanting to see more. He forced himself to be a gentleman and look away.

“She’s a pretty cool fish.”

“I wish I worked at the aquarium.”

“It
sounds nicer than it really is.”

Ren kissed the dolphin on the head.
“Such an amazing creature.”

“I didn’t know you liked animals so much.”

“Well, I do.”

“Maybe y
ou should change your major to zoology.”

“So I can study zoos?” she teased.

He laughed.

“What else do you want to show me?”

“I like the showcase exhibit.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s our biggest tank that holds eels, sharks, fish, octopuses, tuna fish, and others that I can’t remember.”

“Let’s go,” she said excitedly.

“You remind me of a child,” he said with a smile.

“I am a little hyper, huh?”

“It’s cute.” He took her inside and they sat before the big tank, watching the fish swim around. She crossed her legs while she sat there, mesmerized by the life inside the tank. They said nothing to each other while they watched the eels move from their crevasses.

The hallway was dark
, and Henry could barely see her face. He heard her breathe in the dark, her excitement evident in the rise and fall of her chest. He glanced at her lips and saw the red lipstick she wore. He wondered what she tasted like.

Henry leaned in and pressed his lips against her cheek, leaving them there for a long time. He wanted to taste her lips but knew they both weren’t ready for that. Just being this close to her set his skin on fire. He wanted to lie on top of her and kiss her everywhere, but he kept the touch innocent. He really liked Ren and wanted to treat her right. That was the least he could do.

When he pulled away, her face was still close to his. She pressed her lips against his cheek and kissed him back. He enjoyed the feel of her lips on his skin.

Henry stared at her, watching the green
shine in her eyes.

She met his
look. “I know you’ll be worth the wait.”

10

When Henry got home later that night, he felt horny again. The first thing he wanted to do was masturbate to the thought of Sydney. It was easy to do and always got him off, making him come harder than any other sexual experience he
’d ever had. Her tits and ass were perfect. He didn’t have to beat himself hard when he jacked off thinking about her. It just happened.

He opened his computer and found a picture of
her, then pulled out the Vaseline, but then the guilt settled in his stomach. He didn’t feel bad for masturbating, but felt horrible for thinking about Sydney. He was trying to move on, and this wasn’t helping. Ren was sexy and beautiful. She knew about his obsession with Sydney, but that didn’t give him the right to beat off to her.

He closed the computer and put the jar of lubricant away. Even if he watched porn, he would still think about Sydney when he jerked himself. He didn’t trust himself. Instead, he thought about the ocean until his cock stopped throbbing and went down. When he went to sleep, he had dreams about Sydney
, but he couldn’t recall them the next morning.

When he went to class, he got there early so he could avoid Sydney and Coen. He waited in the building until Ren arrived, wearing a sundress with a golden bracelet. She looked beautiful
, like she always did.

“Good morning,” she said with a smile.

“Hey,” he said, eyeing her dress. “I like that.”

“This old thing?” she said with a wink.

“It looks nice.”

“Thank you. Shall we get to class?”

“Yeah.” He stood up and walked beside her. When they reached their classroom, they saw a sign on the door that said class was canceled. “Dang. Again?”

“I hate getting up early for a class as it is.

“Well, you wanna get some coffee, then?”

“Sure.”

They walked to the cafeteria and ordered their coffees before they sat down by the window.

“I didn’t do the reading anyway,”
Ren said as she drank from her coffee.

He laughed. “Neither did
I.”

“So, how was your night?”

He shrugged. “It was okay.”

“You spent the evening with me. I thought it was more than okay.”

“Yes, it was. It was after you left that made the day grow dark.”

“Tell me about it.”

He played with the sleeve of his cup, averting his gaze. The topic made him feel awkward. She was an easygoing person, but everyone had their limits.

“You can tell me anything,
” she said.

“I know I can.
”

“As long as you’
re honest with me, I’ll never be upset.”

He shrugged. “I feel comfortable talking to you about things. I don’t feel judged or ridiculed.
I haven’t felt that way in a long time.”

“I care about you, Henry. I think you’re a wonderful guy.”

Those words made him sad. He wished Sydney was no longer in his heart and mind. “When I masturbate, I usually think about Sydney.”

She didn’t react to his words at all. He expected her to throw the hot coffee at his head, but she seemed calm. She just looked at him, listening to him.

“And I did it the other night, feeling ashamed after I was done. I wanted to do it last night, but I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I’m with you now.”

“Why didn’t you think about something else?”

“I guess I’m addicted.”

“Do you do it every night?”

“No. A few times a week.”

“I usually do it three times a week.”

He eyed her, surprised by the response. “Really?”

“Yep.”

“And what do you think about?”

“No one in particular.
Just hard bodies.”

“Do you use your fingers?”

She shook her head. “I upgraded a long time ago.”

“That’s—hot.”

“Really?”

“I’ve
never heard a girl admit she masturbates.”

She rolled her eyes. “A lot of them
do it. They’re just not open about it.”

“I don’t see why they should be embarrassed.”

“Women’s sexuality has been discouraged since the beginning of time. It’s okay for men to enjoy sex, but it’s taboo for women.”

“I’m glad you don’t feel that way.”

“Definitely not.”

He drank from his coffee while he looked at her. He was even more attracted to her than he was before. “Thanks for being so cool about it.”

“You want my advice?”

“Of course.”

“You need to stop thinking about her in that way.”

“I know,” he said with a sigh.

“And the best way to do that is to think of someone else.”

He didn’t know where this was going.

“And I think that person should be me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You and I should fool around.”

That made his cheeks flush
. He was very attracted to her and imagined her naked body often. “Have you been in this situation before?”

“I loved someone who didn’t love me back. After I cut him out of my life,
starting seeing other people, I moved on.”

“Do you still talk to him?”

“Sometimes. We are still friendly.”

“Did the feelings go away?”

“After I stopped seeing him on a daily basis and started seeing other guys.”

“I really like you, Ren. I want this to work.”

“Well, let’s take baby steps.”

He nodded.
“Yeah.”

“And you should come over tonight.”

“I should?”

She smiled.
“Yeah.”

“Is this a date?”

“I guess.”

“What does it entail?”

“Well, I think I can help you with your masturbating problem.”

He felt his skin flush with desire. He didn’t know what she meant, but he knew he would like it. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

“As intrigued as I am, I meant what I said before. I respect you and want to take
this slow.”

“I’m d
oing this to help you. When you’re with someone else, you’ll stop thinking about her.”

“But it sounds physical.”

“When two people please themselves, does it always have to be about love?”

“No. But I would like it to be.”

She grabbed his hand on the table. “Trust me. I’m helping you.”

“Okay. But you don’t have to do this. I’m more than willing to wait as long as you want.”

She ignored his comment. “Come over tonight. Whenever you would normally—you know.”

He popped a boner just thinking about it. “Okay.”

She looked at her watch. “We should get to class.”

He adjusted himself before he stood up.
“Yeah.”

They went to class
, and Henry tried not to think about what they would be doing tonight. He wanted to stop thinking about Sydney every time he rubbed one out, but he didn’t want to ruin what he had with Ren. She said this wasn’t related to their relationship, it was just physical. He was too curious to say no. Since she knew exactly how he felt about Sydney, he didn’t feel so guilty. He wasn’t tricking her, using her, or hiding anything from her.

11

Henry pulled the napkin out of his pocket then drove to the address she
left or him. When he drove down the street, he fantasized about what she had planned for him. He hoped it would help him get over Sydney without ruining the relationship they had now. He knew he could fall for Ren if he was in the right place.

When he parked the car in the driveway, he looked at the house for a moment. It was average size, large enough for a small family. He wondered if she lived alone. When he knocked on the door, she answered with a smile on her face.

“Come in.”

He stepped through the door
, then looked at the house. The room was covered in wooden floorboards and white furniture. Colored pillows brought some diversity in the mix. “Your place is nice.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you live alone?”

“It’s just me and Perry.”

“Perry?”

“My dog.”
She nodded to the back door. A Great Dane was looking through the window, giving Henry a look of jealousy.

“Nice,” he said.

“So, how are you?”

“Nervous,” he said honestly.

She grabbed his hand. “Let me show you my room.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat as she guided him down the hall and into her bedroom. She closed the door behind them then faced him. Henry felt awkward now that they were in her bedroom, about to do something nasty.

She grabbed his shoulders and rubbed him gently. “Relax.”

“We shouldn’t do this. I really like you
. I want this to lead somewhere.”

“We are doing this as friends. I want to help you.”

“You really don’t need to do that.”

She leaned close to him. “Close your eyes.”

He obeyed her.

“Good.” She grabbed his hand and pulled
him toward the bed. “I want you to take off all your clothes then crawl in the sheets. I’ll keep my eyes closed so I won’t see you. And you’d better keep yours closed so you don’t see me.”

“Why are we getting naked if we can’t see each other?”

“You’ll see.” She released his hand then walked around the bed. He could hear her footfalls against the wooden floorboards.

With shaky hands, he unbuttoned his jeans
and pulled them down, pulling his boxers with him. He removed his shirt then reached for the bed, sitting on the edge. He pulled the blankets up until most of his body was covered. The bed shook as she joined him.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Open your eyes.”

It was pitch dark. The curtains were drawn shut and all the lights were off. Only the time could be seen on the digital clock on the nightstand. She moved closer to her him until her leg touched his, rubbing against him gently.

“Can you see me?”

He looked at her. He could barely see her in the darkness. Her hair touched his shoulder, and her eyes reflected the light from the clock. Even if he couldn’t see her, he could hear her breathe. “Yeah.”

“I can see you, but barely.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“What do you like about my body?”

“What?”

“Tell me what you like.” Her hand touched his arm, moving up and down.

“Everything.”

“Be more specific.”

“You have beautiful eyes.”

She sighed.
“How about my ass? Do you like that?”

“I like it a lot.”

“Picture it.”

“Okay.”

“How about my tits? Do you like those?”

“Yeah.”

“Think about that.”

“Okay.”

She grabbed his hand then dropped a scoop of lubricant in it. It was sticky and warm, just like real pussy. “You know what do with that.”

He didn’t move, just
held it in his hand.

She
lay down then pulled something under the blanket. He heard the sound of something moving inside her, the moisture licking as it glided. She leaned her hand back and moaned as she separated her legs. She started to rock herself, making the bed move. When Henry realized what she was doing, his dick sprang to life. He sat back and watched her please herself.

The sound of her cries
made him get harder. He imagined her breasts moving under the blanket, rocking up and down. He thought about her ass, pressed against the mattress. Then he started to think about fucking her, pounding into her with everything he had.

She turned on her side then grabbed his shoulder. “Come on,” she whispered.

He moved his hand under the sheet until he felt his throbbing cock. He smeared the lubricant everywhere, generously applying it to the base of his balls. He squeezed the tip then moved down, feeling the sensation course through him. He turned on his side and faced her, looking into her eyes. He reached toward her and grabbed her side, feeling the shirt she wore. He moved inside the material and felt the skin of her stomach. He knew that was all she would let him touch.

She bit her lip
as she moved her toy inside her repeatedly, rocking into it with her hips. She was breathing heavily, her lips open as she rammed herself. Her fingers squeezed into his skin, showing how much pleasure she was feeling.

Henry jerked himself harder, feeling the tip all the way to the base. H
e tightened his fingers and rubbed himself, igniting his senses in a rush. He thrust his hips as he got into it, enjoying the experience more than any other he’d had. He had never masturbated like this. It had never felt so good.

“I’m thinking about you, Henry,” she said before she reache
d her climax. She leaned her head back as she reached her moment, crying loudly as she breathed heavily. Her hands stopped moving under the sheets as she finished.

Henry kept going.

She moved toward him and grabbed his wrist, touching nothing else. “What are you thinking about, Henry?”

He smelled the scent of her hair and felt the brush of her skin against his. Her green eyes were breathtaking, even in the darkness. He thought about how her body must look under the sheets, nothing but curves.
“You.”

She moved his wrist up and down the shaft of his cock, making him jerk himself even harder. “Be more specific.”

He imagined himself on top of her, her legs pinned back as he fucked her. He imagined her wet pussy as he moved inside her, stretching her wider with every thrust. Her tits moved as he pounded into her. Sweat formed on her top lip. He imagined kissing her, slipping his tongue inside her mouth just to keep her quiet so no one else would hear. He felt his bliss start. He was coming. “I’m thinking about fucking you.” He used his other hand to catch the jizz before it shot everywhere. He continued to stroke himself until he was completely finished.

He leaned back on the pillow and caught his breath, facing the ceiling. It was the most intense orgasm he
’d ever had. It rocked his entire body, leaving him shaken and weak. His hand was full of his own semen. He had never come that much before, not even when he was a teenager with raging hormones.

“Were you thinking about her?” she asked with a smile.

He’d completely forgotten about Sydney. “No.”