Sweet Chemistry (22 page)

James propped her legs up on his chest, held them in place, and complied with her request.

“Oh yes. Right there. Yes. Yes.
Yessssssssss
!” Kate screamed again, and this time, James couldn’t hold back. His cock swelled inside her and his hips jerked when he came.

He moved her legs so he could lie down next to her, and when he shifted his body, Kate moaned again.

“Don’t pull out.” She threw a leg over his, holding it firmly in place.

James dropped onto the bed next to her, legs entwined.

She laced her fingers through his and smiled. “That was amazing. Why haven’t we tried that before?”

“I didn’t know we could.” James brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

Her eyes closed and her breathing started to even out, and within a few minutes she was asleep. He pulled the sheet on top of their bodies and let the sound of her breath and the crackling fire lull him to sleep.

* * * *

In his dream, James was surrounded by something warm and soft, and his entire body tingled as pleasure washed over him. And then he was rocking and the pleasure intensified. His brain engaged and he opened his eyes.

It was better than a dream. Kate was riding him and gripping his chest. Her eyes were closed and her forehead was furrowed. She moaned as she came. It was a low, sleepy sound.

As she coasted down, her eyes fluttered open and she seemed to be registering the reality of what was happening. She gasped when he sucked her nipple into his mouth. She smiled and then fucked him hard and fast. She pulled her breast away from him and put her mouth on his ear. She licked and sucked on his earlobe as their bodies joined. “Come with me.” Her words filled his head and went straight to his cock, and after another powerful thrust, they came together.

Kate collapsed against his chest. Only when her breathing became less ragged did she sit up again and look at him. “Did I start that…or was it you?”

James shrugged. “Either way, you won’t hear me protesting.”

“That’s never happened to me before.”

“Me either.” James tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She looked at the clock on the nightstand. “What a lovely way to wake up.”

“Do you want to watch the sunrise?”

Kate nodded and pulled away from him. “I’m all sticky. We need to shower first.”

James chuckled. “I’m usually the sticky one.”

Kate’s legs wobbled as she stood next to the bed. “Small price to pay for orgasms like that.”

He tried to help her, but found his legs to be just as ineffective as hers, so they held onto each other and bumped into the walls as they made their way to the shower. James was tempted to fill the tub, but they wouldn’t have enough time to get outside before the sun came up.

Wrapped in warm clothes, Kate grabbed the basket of food and they went outside. The air was cold, making Kate shiver. She pulled her hoodie over her wet hair.

“Hang on, I’m going to go get a couple of beach towels.” James jogged down to the main office and grabbed two towels off the top of the stack and then took Kate’s hand and ran to the edge of a cliff that looked over a rocky outcrop on the beach. He put the towels down and sat down first, opening his arms and legs to her. Kate nestled into the space he provided, resting her back against his chest. He tightened his arms around her when she shivered again. A few minutes later, the sun peeked over the hills, illuminating the sky with a myriad of colors. The sun warmed them, and Kate stopped shivering but did not pull away. They ate the fruit and bread in the basket and talked about their plans for the day.

“There are about a dozen wineries around here, and the inn has bikes we can borrow if you want to explore the coast. There are also tide pools all around here.” James pulled out his phone and did a quick search. “Low tide will be just before one this afternoon.”

“Let’s go for a ride, explore a bit, find the best beach for tide pools and have a picnic.” Kate stood and packed up the leftovers from their basket while James gathered the towels.

After dropping off the towels and basket at their bungalow, they walked hand in hand back to the main house. “We’d like to borrow two bikes.” James handed over his car keys as collateral. “Oh and do you have any suggestions for good tide pools?”

The woman behind the desk pulled out a map of the area. “Bates beach is really close and great, especially this time of year.”

“More wildlife?” Kate suggested.

She shook her head. “No, it’s too cold for the nudists, so you should have the place to yourself.”

Kate laughed and thanked her for her help.

After a few minutes, he and Kate both found bikes that fit them.

“Remember. I don’t ride a bike often, so you have to promise not to dust me.” Kate straddled the bike and stared at him.

James smiled. “I promise. I’m not going anywhere without you.”

They followed the boulevard for the better part of four hours. As they rode past a bakery, the smell of freshly baked bread was more than either of them could resist.

“Why don’t we buy a loaf of bread and then make turkey sandwiches for a picnic on the beach?” Kate got off her bike and rubbed her ass.

James nodded and waited for her while she went into the bakery.

“I had them slice it for us.” Kate held up a brown paper sack.

At their bungalow, Kate assembled sandwiches and James folded the towels and emptied his backpack so they would have a way to carry everything.

“Okay, we’re all ready.” She handed him a stack of containers.

Bates beach was deserted, except for a family who had come out for low tide. James handed Kate the pile of food while he spread the towels on the sand. She opened the container and handed him a sandwich. Sweet and savory flavors filled his mouth. “What’s on this?”

“Turkey, cranberry relish, and gravy. The bread is awesome.”

“Yeah, almost as good as yours. This sandwich is amazing.” He took another bite. “This needs to go on your menu too.”

“Oh, am I serving sandwiches at my hypothetical bakery?” Her eyes danced.

“You have to. It could be a bakery café couldn’t it?”

“I suppose.” Kate looked out at the soft receding waves. “I’m glad you like it. I made you two.”

James rubbed his hands together and dug into the container for his second sandwich. Just when he thought he couldn’t eat any more, Kate pulled out two pieces of apple pie.

He groaned. “I didn’t know you brought pie. I’m stuffed.”

“We could always eat it after we explore the tide pools. Let it warm up in the sun a little.”

James nodded and stood, offering a hand to pull her up. Kate kicked her shoes and socks off and rolled up her pants. He followed her lead and when they were finished, she wound her fingers through his. When they approached the tide pools, the family nodded and James started to pull away from her until he remembered where they were. It was going to take some getting used to. He and Kate laughed and held onto each other tighter.

They walked around the perimeter of the pools, balancing carefully on the slippery rocks. The air was filled with the smell of kelp warmed by the sun

“Ooo, an anemone!” Kate grinned at him as she brushed the silky tentacles with a piece of driftwood. Suddenly, her head snapped to the other side of the pool and she was up and running. “Come back here.”

“Kate? What are you doing?”

She crouched by a crevice and carefully moved her hands until she was holding a crab barely bigger than a quarter. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She was pinching it gently by the back of its body. It’s claws flailed for a moment, and then it relaxed. “I learned not to get near the claws, even on little guys like him, and if you hold still after you catch them, they calm down.” She brought the crab over to James and let him inspect it. “Do you want to hold it?”

James shook his head. “I’ve been pinched by one before. It’s not fun.”

Kate bent over and gently put the crab in the same crevice where she found it. She picked up a variety of algae and named them all. “If I had come to UC Santa Barbara, I probably would’ve been a marine biologist. I love the ocean.”

James chuckled. “You mentioned.”

By the time they were done exploring, the sun had warmed their towels and the pie. They sat, facing each other, and ate in silence. Everything was perfect. The pie was just as delicious as it was yesterday, and James told Kate again how much he enjoyed it. He loved the way she blushed when he complimented her. They had the beach to themselves now, and when James pulled Kate into his arms, she snuggled against his body.

He sighed and smiled as he stroked her hair.

“Thank you for this weekend.”

“I was just thinking that. It’s so wonderful to be here with you.” James squeezed her tighter against him.

The silence between them filled with the soft sound of crashing waves and sea birds squawking. As the sun started to set, Kate shivered.

“Come on, let’s go. I believe a winery is waiting for us.”

They packed up their things and went back to their bungalow. He couldn’t help but noticed Kate rubbing her ass when she got off her bike. He would have to help massage it later. “Saddle sore?”

She eyed the bike warily. “Yeah, I think I better stick to walking or driving for a while.”

“Why don’t we walk tonight? I’ll take the bikes back.” James kissed her before he left to return the bikes. When he came back, Kate was wearing a dress. She looked amazing. “Should I change too?”

“Nope. You look great. I just wanted to change out of my pants since they were crusty with sea water.” She smoothed out her dress. “Is it too much?”

“You look perfect.” He offered his arm.

As they walked, James could feel the heat from her body against his. After a few minutes, they came to a short white brick wall. “This is it.”

The tables outside were filled with people chatting and drinking wine. Kate leaned closer to him and whispered, “I’ve never been to a winery before.”

“Don’t worry. All you have to do is drink.” James winked.

“Welcome to the Santa Barbara Winery. Here is a menu, I’ll give you a moment to look it over.” The hostess smiled at them and disappeared behind a tall counter.

They decided on a few wines to try, and after the third one, Kate’s eyes lit up. “Ooo, I like this one.”

“Would you like a bottle?” The hostess offered, holding up a bottle of Riesling.

Kate sipped again and licked her lips. “Mm. Do you like it James?”

“Yes, we’ll take a bottle. And I’d also like a bottle of this Syrah.”

By the time they left, Kate’s cheeks were a lovely shade of pink, and she was leaning heavily on him. “Are you hungry?”

Kate shook her head, smiling. “Nope.”

Once they were back in the bungalow, he started the fire and opened the bottle of Riesling. He sat on the couch next to her, and as they drank, they talked.

“Do you like your job?”

James smiled. “Most of the time. I really enjoy teaching, and I’m getting better at keeping up with grading.”

Kate giggled. “You’re a really good teacher.”

He put a finger to her lips. He didn’t want the reminder.

She pried her lips away. “I mean it.”

“Well, you’re a really good cook.”

“I guess we’re both good at something.”

He sighed and thought about his job. “It’s getting a little easier. The first few weeks were rough.”

Kate shook her head. “I can’t imagine.”

“The worst part is, here I am, trying to keep my head above water, and Lloyd is going on about getting on the right track for tenure.”

“Without tenure, you have no job security, right?”

“Right. But, come on. Give me a chance to get settled.”

Kate frowned and took another drink. “He’s right though. You’ve been working so hard for this position, what’s a little more work?”

“Shush, you’re not allowed to be a voice of reason.”

“No?”

James shook his head. “You’re supposed to offer your sympathy.”

“No sympathy here. I believe that you can have what you want if you work for it. If you want tenure, you have to work for it.”

“Believe me, I want tenure. I want to be one of those professors who’s been there so long they don’t give a shit anymore.”

Kate laughed. “You’ll always give a shit, but you’ll get tenure. It’ll take a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice, but it’ll happen. I can see it in your eyes. You’re driven.”

James scoffed. “Look who’s talking. I’ve never met anyone so motivated and determined before.”

“I guess that’s why I feel so comfortable around you. Because we’re the same person.” Kate finished her glass and filled it again.

“I think that might be the wine talking. I’m cutting you off.” James reached for her glass but she smacked his hand away.

“Don’t take my wine. It’s delicious.” She took another sip and closed her eyes.

James got up and went to the kitchen. He filled a plate with leftovers from Thanksgiving and brought it back to her. “Eat something so you don’t get sick.”

“Mm, turkey.” Kate finished her second glass as she ate. Before too much longer, she leaned over, resting her head on his lap.

He brushed her hair out of her face and drew lazy circles on her neck. Her breathing started to even out.

“I’m so glad you got to come with me this weekend.”

“Mm.” She smiled slightly.

“You are so beautiful.”

This time, she didn’t say anything and her smile was frozen on her peaceful face.

"I love spending time with you.” He lifted her limp hand to his lips and kissed it. “Actually, it’s not just spending time with you.” He took a deep breath. “I love
you
.”

The sun was pouring through the windows next to the bed, making Kate’s eyes ache. She was still wearing the dress she changed into last night. James was sleeping next to her in bed. He was also dressed in the clothes he’d worn yesterday. The longer her eyes were open, the longer she wished they weren’t.

Kate stumbled into the bathroom and filled the tub. She opened the medicine cabinet and sighed when she discovered a small bottle of ibuprofen. Once the tub was filled most of the way, she dropped her clothes on the floor and stepped in. With her eyes closed, the throbbing in her head subsided. A while later the bathroom door opened. She smiled at James and then promptly shut her eyes again.