Nine

It turned out that my drunken recollection of my diary was not that good, and it was the twelfth of January by the time I actually had a free evening. Which did not go down very well when I'd text Julius to arrange something more concrete. Still the twelfth got here eventually I got ready for our date with an odd mixture of excitement and nervousness that was entirely out of balance to how they should be.

I had no idea what to wear, and I couldn't text Jessie because I had decided to keep the whole going on a date with her dastardly cousin thing a secret until there was a more concrete understanding of what exactly was going on here. I pulled on a fitted grey woollen dress with a high neck and a low back that skimmed my mid-thigh; changed it to a longer maroon one, decided that I didn't want to wear red and changed back. In the end I left my hair down because I ran out of time to do anything else with it. I'd kept my make-up neutral and slipped on flat winter boots. Then I checked myself in the mirror, and with disgust I realised that apart from my hair I looked like I was about to go to work.

Grimacing I kicked off the flat knee highs and pulled out a pair of patent black ankle boots with a chunky heel from the back of the cupboard that I hadn't worn since I left university but had refused to get rid of. I checked myself again, ran back up to the bathroom, smudged a bit of smoky eye shadow over the top of the neutral brown I'd gone for before, switched my delicate necklace for a chucky chain, and slipped a couple of pins into my hair behind my ears to hold it off my face. Now I was going to be more than fashionably late. I glanced at myself in the mirror again as I shucked my long winter coat on and was relieved that at least somebody date worthy looked back, rather than someone who'd fallen out of the office and into a restaurant.

As I walked towards the restaurant I'd chosen I wished I'd stayed in my flats. Not because it was January and my first choice in footwear would have been much warmer, and not because I'd chosen to walk the ten minutes to the restaurant, but because suddenly I felt overdressed and self-conscious. I pulled out my phone, the idea of cancelling seeming quite appealing right now.

'You look like you're about to send me a text I won't like.' I glanced up from my phone, my eyes finding the huddled silhouette that Julius's voice had come from. He was leaning against the gate to the park, which we lived on opposite sides of, and this was not the side closest to the restaurant.

'I was just going to tell you I'm running late,' I lied, hoping it was smoothly, adding a small smile onto the end. He straightened up and leaned forwards, one arm going round me as he leant in to kiss my cheek.

'That's fine then, you look lovely,' he added as he stepped back, offering me his arm to link my gloved hand through.

'Thanks, erm, you could have waited for me at the restaurant,' I ventured as he led us back through the park; it felt like he was shivering slightly despite his jacket, which wasn't surprising as it was below zero.

'Hmm, well I know we said that we would try this like we didn't know each other, but I do know you, and I had a sneaking suspicion that you might change your mind. I figured if I waited here and you didn't change your mind I'd get to walk with you, and if you did I could come and drag you out.'

'Does this mean you know where I live again?' I asked darkly, thinking that our fresh start didn't seem to be all that fresh.

'Not because of Jessie,' he looked down at me as I hurried next to him in my heels, a slight smile on his lips. 'I am a journalist you know, quite a good one, and I don't usually write lifestyle.'

'So you're saying you're allowed to be a stalker because of your job?' I asked archly.

'No, I'm allowed to be a stalker because you were just about to text me saying something had come up and then simply not have time to rearrange,' he glanced down at me, daring me to disagree. I just sighed, unable to deny what he said.

'Well, can you blame me?'

'Yes, I can, you're a big chicken,' I glared up at him in outrage, causing him to laugh lightly. 'You think this isn't odd for me too? Everything's backwards, we've already done this, we just didn't know we were doing it. But that means you should stop worrying because was it really that bad when we ate together last time?'

I'd completely forgotten about the Sushi, last summer felt like a lifetime ago already. I laughed lightly as I realised he was right, we'd already had our first date, and it had been fine. He smiled down at me warmly and pulled me closer to him.

'Good, that's better.'

We arrived at the restaurant and like an old fashioned gentleman he took me coat and pushed my chair in under me. Making me laugh lightly at him as he sat opposite me.

'Are you going to complain if I order your drink for you again?'

'I drink wine these days, if you prefer?' I added, noticing the wine list the waiter had left by Julius's elbow.

'Jessie's influence?' said Julius with a disapproving look in my direction, leaving the wine list where it was and ordering two lagers.

'Pretty much, she always complains that a bottle to herself is too much,' I said as I skimmed the menu for obvious choices.

'Then orders two, if I know my cousin.' I nodded glumly, I had learnt that lesson quickly, and my tolerance for wine had sky rocketed.

Our beers arrived and I was glad to have something to busy myself with.

'You're fretting again,' Julius commented wryly as the waiter left with our orders.

'Ah, sorry, so how's work, and things?'

'Pretty quiet, I'm just doing some small projects until I find something that catches my eye.'

'Nothing about me?'

'I promise to warn you if I ever get the urge to write for the lifestyle section again.'

'Well, while I realise that the idea of a young woman creating a successful business must make for a thrilling and surprising read, I really don't need any extra work right now, if you don't mind terribly.'

'I'll keep that in mind. So what has Jessie been telling you about me while you're supposed to be working?'

'Your cousin works very hard, when she's at work,' I clarified, feeling like I needed to defend Jessie, although I'm sure he knew her as well, if not better than I.

'Indeed, and what does she say when she's not working? You seem to have some very firm opinions of me,' he started, leaning forwards on the table, his tone interested rather than angry. 'And while they may be correct in essence knowing Jessie the specifics might be a little hazy.'

'You are not a constant source of conversation in my office you know,' I said, wanting to get that straight off the mark. 'She simply said that you had only had one girlfriend, and that you worked your way through quite a lot of her friends leaving them heartbroken.'

'Oh please? Really,' he laughed, his face breaking into genuine amusement. 'That was back when she was still in high school, and her friends were a load of starry eyed idiots. Then there was that one girl when she was in uni, but I learnt my lesson with that one, I slept with her after a friend's house party and after that she started coming back with Jessie whenever Jessie came home at the weekends, next thing I know I get home one day and she's naked in my bed. When I chucked her out she tried to get Jessie kicked out of uni for plagiarism.'

'Wow, must be hard being so irresistible,' I mocked.

'You tell me,' he grinned back and I was glad our starters arrived.

'Anything else I need to set straight?' he asked when I'd begun my first course.

'Not really, she told me you didn't normally have girls in your flat, but you told me that yourself since.'

'Hmm, so you knew it was unusual me having you over and you still thought I was a jerk just trying to get in your pants, interesting.' It was easy to say that now that he'd made everything clear, but it had seemed so unlikely at the time.

'So, you know about me, and I assume you know about my family from Jessie?'

I nodded slowly, guessing where this was going and wishing he wouldn't ruin my garlic prawns. 'Yeah, she told me about your "dads".' He grinned at that, then continued to look at me, waiting expectantly.

'My family isn't really good dinner conversation,' I said darkly, and truthfully.

'Oh? Well, humour me,' he was still smiling but it waverer slightly as he noticed my reluctance. 'Please?'

'Well, don't blame me afterwards,' I sighed and wondered where to start. 'Basically my parents and brother don't speak to me, my sister tolerates me out of pity and hope that if everything goes well I'll help her put her kids through school and uni.'

'That makes you sound a bit bitter you know.'

'You haven't met my sister, did you meet anyone Jessie used to work with before she moved north?' The face he pulled told me he had, 'well my sister is probably like them, she went to uni and got a job in the city so she could marry someone from the city and retire to have children before she hit thirty.'

'Wow you have a really low opinion of her,' he looked surprised, which just made me sigh.

'I tried to warn you, and it's not as low as hers is of me, although she was pretty impressed that I got in The Times, to the point where she actually introduced me to some of her friends when I stayed with her at Christmas.' I pushed my last two prawns around my plate, my appetite gone.

'My family all read The Times,' I carried on, leaving my prawns and taking a big gulp of my beer instead. 'Want to know who contacted me that day?'

'All of them?' he sounded more hopeful than certain.

'Just Roi,' I met his eye, just to make sure he didn't think I was digging for sympathy. 'I know they saw it, because Roi told me they did.'

He whistled lightly through his teeth, 'sheesh. Tough crowd, that was a great article, if I do say so myself. So go on then, tell me why they're not talking to you, sorry to press but I'm naturally curios, one of the banes of being in the news business.'

I grimaced, 'if you write some kind of sob story about me I will never speak to you again – understood?'

'That bad? Well, I promise.' I paused while the waiter took our plates and I collected my thoughts.

'It's really not that interesting,' I sighed, genuinely hoping that I could put Julius off the whole idea, thinking about it was bad enough, but actually talking about it was worse. He raised an eyebrow and waited.

'Fine, when I was little I used to go visit my Gran every weekend and there was this little tea shop she'd take me too,' the memory of it was still fresh even though it had been almost ten years since I'd last been there. 'It was amazing, such a beautiful homely place, we'd sit there for hours on a weekend, talking about different types of tea and cake, and how I would have something similar when I was older and she'd bake the cakes for me to sell,' the smile the memory brought with it was bittersweet.

'Except she got altzimers, it was horrible, watching her fade away in painful jumps and lurches. There would be a flash of her, and for those brief moments it was like having her back, then it would dwindle away, and there would be that blank eyed stranger staring out of her body. It was like watching her die over and over.' I shook my head, keeping my eyes on my beer, knowing that if I looked up I would see the horrible, inevitable pity, because the rest of the story was so self-evident.

'Her will is dated back when I was fourteen, two years before the illness took her and six years before she died, when I was twenty, but my family still took it to court, said I had tampered with it somehow, that I had taken advantage of her illness.'

I stared at my place setting, twisting my knife between my fingers, looking but not seeing as my memory was full of the hearing, and the subsequent appeals, having to get special dispensation for my final year. Struggling to find somewhere I could afford to live while I set up the first shop.

'Okay, so now I understand why you might sound bitter, and I'm sorry for pushing the point.' I finally looked up, Julius's voice pulling me back to the here and now, reminding me I was in a restaurant and was supposed to be on a date.

I met his eye, he had a wry kind of smile on his face, just a touch curled at the edge of his lips, not the awkward pity I was used too.

'Aren't you going to tell me how sorry you are, and that you're sure there was just some misunderstanding? That if I just spoke to them they would understand,' I said.

'That what usually happens?' he asked gently.

'More or less,' I sighed, thinking that as a date this had not got off to the best start. 'Can we have some more beer?' I asked wishing the main course would arrive so that I could eat and get this ridiculous debacle over sooner. It seemed like such a simple thing, going out for a meal, yet it had gone so very wrong.

'So that at least explains your trust issues?' Julius said when fresh beers were set in front of us.

'My trust issues? Are you a shrink now?'

'Well why else would you be so happy to discard me – an uber catch – on the word of someone like Jessie?'

'Oh wow, back with the modesty,' I exclaimed, then realised he'd managed to make me smile again at least. 'Being sensible and listening to advice does not mean I have trust issues,' I countered.

'Hmm, if you're so sensible why were you dating that DJ? Who was so obviously a bad idea it's a cliché?'

'It was convenient.'

'Hmm, and was working yourself to the bone until you absolutely had to get help convenient too? I guess it would be if you were trying not to get close to anyone in case the betrayed you again.'

'Wow this evening you are on form even by your usual standards,' I said, starting to get pissed off, it was one thing not wanting pity, but this psychoanalysis stuff wasn't much better. I was fully aware I was messed up, and I certainly did not need to be told it by this guy of all people.

'Are you done?' I snapped as the food was put in front of us.

'You're kind of cute when you're pissed off, did you know that?'

'The chances of this happening again are very slim right now, and getting slimmer if you don't drop this.'

He took a slow deep breath, looking a little apologetic as he started on his food.

'Just to check there is still a chance right?'

'It's not looking good, there had better be some really good pudding.' He turned back to his food, leaving me staring across the table at him feeling like a bitch. I should have stuck to my guns and kept quiet. I know I'm tetchy about my family and usually I'm good at skimming over it and changing the subject. But Julius was the kind of pushy person that wanted to know everything, in many ways it was more surprising that he'd not asked before this.

'How's your food?' I asked after a few minutes of awkward silence past between us. He pushed a bit of food around his plate.

'Not amazing, yours?' his answer was a relief because I thought it might have been my mood making the food taste bland and boring.

'Next time let's go back for sushi,' I said as I took a last mouthful of my tarragon chicken and set my knife and fork together.

'Next time? I thought I'd screwed that up already?'

'Meh, who knows? My family have screwed enough of my life up already without them ruining this evening as well.'

Julius put his knife and fork down as well, he'd eaten more than me but there was still half a plate of food left in front of him. He considered me across the table, his green eyes unreadable. As much as he had pissed me off a moment ago I felt like I wanted to keep giving him chances.

'Do you want to go get some pudding and take it back to mine?'

Something caught in my chest, nerves, excitement, twinned with indecision, as he stared at me waiting. Not looking particularly hopeful. I took another swig of my beer, and edged my free hand across the table. Cocking his head to one side, he looked faintly amused as he took it, raising it to his lips to kiss my knuckles.

'That a no?' he said, his resignation evident.

'Ah well, yes, but not because …' I stumbled over my words, feeling ridiculously like I was sixteen again. 'I have lots of cake at mine, that ah, well it's much better than that supermarket rubbish,' I finished quickly, hoping I wasn't blushing too much and trying to sound more blasé than I felt.

'Maybe I should be the judge of that?' Julius said, his face splitting into a grin.

'Well I'm pretty confident.'

'Excellent, shall we get the bill?'

We split the bill and agreed never to go back, Julius helped me into my coat and this time when we walked back he tucked me under his arm reminding me of the last time we'd walked home together.

'I should warn you my view isn't as good as yours,' I said as I opened the front door and let us in. 'The back garden won't be done until spring,' I explained as I led us through the hall and into the kitchen. I'd left the general plan the same and just updated it all. The kitchen was through at the back of the house, half the roof was glass, which would be great in the summer but meant it was chilly this time of year.

'Chuck your coat at the bottom of the stairs,' I pointed back through to the hall and handed him my coat as I grabbed two beers and a paisley Lucid box from the fridge, kicking my shoes into a corner with my trainers.

'Any preference?' I asked as he came back through to the kitchen, pointing at the box of leftovers on offer.

'What are you having?' said Julius as he peered into the box.

'Chocolate, its good blasted in the microwave for a fifteen seconds, there is also banana or lemon cake or raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake.'

He chuckled and turned back to me, his face set in a grin that I knew meant he was up to no good. His arms slid around my hips, pulling me closer to him, my hands were full of beer bottles and without spilling them all I could do was let myself be pulled in.

'I want them all,' he purred down at me, and I had the distinct impression that I was included in that statement.

I slid up onto my tip toes so I could press my lips lightly against his, tasting the sharp tang of the beer he'd been drinking, and beneath it the smooth familiar taste of him. His hands slid further around along my back, one up, one down, pressing me closer to him. I rested my hands against his arms, unable to hug him back without spilling beer down his shirt.

I broke the kiss, sinking back down onto my flat feet, 'that can be arranged, but first how are you at lighting fires?' I pressed a beer bottle into his hand and stepped away before he could argue.

'Does it make me less of a man if I say not very good?' he grumbled.

I chuckled and shook my head, leading the way through to the living room with the box of cakes tucked under one arm and two spoon and my beer in the other.

'Nope, you didn't strike me as a fire kind of guy I have to be honest,' I dropped my bounty on the coffee table and set to work on my log burning stove, which thankfully I had laid earlier, because I wasn't very good at it myself, especially when I was in a hurry. So it was a relief when it caught straight away and I could shut the door and take a seat on the sofa next to Julius.

I left a gap between us, curling my legs up under me on the other side. He glanced down, rolled his eyes at me wrapped one hand around my hip and the other around my thigh and pulled me closer so I was sat snuggled up against him.

'Better,' he announced as he looped and arm around my shoulder.

'Has anyone ever told you you're very pushy?' I commented dryly as I lent forwards to collect the box of treats.

'Frequently, you forgot to heat your cake,' he said as he picked up one of the spoons and scooped up a slice of chocolate cake, pressing it towards my lips.

'I wonder why that could be?' I said, taking the offered piece of cake into my mouth. I'd had it a hundred times before, but somehow being curled up in front of the fire, being fed it by Julius made it taste even better that usual.

'I really like your house,' he said innocently as he watched me eat, and then pressed a kiss to my lips as I finally finished. The hand over my shoulders dropped down to the bare skin at my back, rubbing gentle circles against my spine that felt divine.

'I would have thought it was a bit cluttered for your tastes,' I answered honestly, trying to collect myself and not get carried away. I was glad for the distraction as I let my eyes skim briefly over the modern but decidedly homely décor that I had chosen.

He shrugged and offered me another sliver of cake, 'the flat just came like that, I like it but that doesn't mean I don't like this too.' He nodded towards the fire and the cluttered bookshelves laden with how-to business guides and cookbooks, then he pressed another kiss to my lips. Lingering this time, making me lose track of our conversation.

I realised the small mewing noise I heard had come from me, blushing and breathing heavily I broke away. I wondered if this wasn't just going to cause the same problems as last time if things carried on the way they were headed.

'You're very good a testing a man's resolve,' he growled, and I was relieved to hear that he sounded decidedly husky himself.

'Resolve?' I questioned, staring up at him. I let my eyes skim over his lips, still moist from our kiss.

'Well wasn't this was supposed to be like a first date? And aren't there rule and silly things like that, which girls like to keep?' his voice was low as he leaned into me, nuzzling my mouth with his, pulling a few brief kisses from my lips.

I swallowed, as he kissed me again. Ribbons of warmth radiating through me, pooling at the base of my belly and between my legs. Sleeping with him tonight was probably a really bad idea.

'I think we're a bit beyond that,' the words left my lips in a hushed whisper. My gaze found his, checking his reaction. He grinned and pressed himself back against me, his hands collecting the cakes and bottles, depositing them on the coffee table without breaking our kiss. Then he returned his touch to me, he slid his hands up my legs, and beneath the hem of my dress, up my thighs and over my stomach until he could pull the whole thing over my head. I arched out of it as he left me in pants and bra, shivering slightly in the lingering chill.

I made short work of his shirt, enjoying the smooth glow of his skin as he covered me, keeping our warmth close as he moved his kisses lower. Down my neck along my collar bone, the delicious intensity making me arch up into him as his hands skimmed the lace of my bra, toying with my nipples before his mouth dropped over them. I fumbled with his trousers, feeling clumsy, then relieved as he hovered over me, breaking his contact with my nipple to rid himself of the trousers, pushing them to the floor, swiftly followed by his pants. I stared with hooded eyes at his erection, as his mouth reconnected with my nipples, drawing a moan from me. My fingers found his hips, dancing over the skin, running round to his arse, pressing him down towards me so that his cock pressed against the dark lace of my kickers. The pressure drew another moan from me and a growl from him as he drew away from my breast reaching up to kiss my lips again. He lifted off me, hovering as his hands slid back down to rid us of the scrap of lace that separated us.

My pants landed on the flood, and his fingers slid up between my legs, finding the source of the delicious warmth that radiated through me, sliding over it, drawing a breathless gasp of pleasure from me as he worked me and held himself just apart. I pressed myself up, wanting more, sober enough this time to ask about a condom.

Breathing heavily he scrabbled around for his trousers, no domineering orders to stay put and not touch myself this time, as he found his wallet and slid out a condom. I grinned up at him as he turned his attention back to me, my fingers where his had been a moment before, drawing more of the pleasure he had started as I waited for him to be ready. He growled at me, but his hands were busy dealing with the foil wrapper and holding his straining erection as he slid the rubber over and down the length of him. Then it was done and his hands were pulling mine away, raising them to his lips to lick as his other hand guided himself to my opening. I was ready for him, delicious waves of pleasure tightened my hips, making me twitch as I felt his head nudging at my opening. Sighing breathlessly as he slid into me, filling me. I contracted around him, and he groaned as he drove in. A ripple of bliss slid up my spine, entwining itself through every fibre of my being, drawing tighter and tighter with every plunge. He pressed one hand under my arse, pulling me up to meet his thrusts, driving deeper, the other balancing himself on the back of the sofa that rocked with us.

I felt him swelling inside me, the knowledge that I caused it driving me higher still, each time his hips thrust into me and his hand held me closer still. Radiating out, blinding me, my hands pressed into his back and arse, pulling him closer as the crest of my pleasure broke, pulse after pulse of delight that left me sated and wanting more. He drove in again, my orgasm contracting around him, driving him over the edge, stalling his thrust as he shuddered into me one last time. Then with a groan he relaxed on top of me, his arms and legs taking most of his weight, leaving me with a comforting blanket as he pressed kisses along my neck.

'You're so gorgeous,' Julius whispered into my ear, sealing his words with a chaste kiss to my forehead as he pulled out of me. I curled my legs back up onto the sofa, grinning sheepishly as I pulled a blanket over me against the chill that threatened my now damp skin. He padded through to the kitchen to dispose of the condom and reappeared in the doorway proud and naked. And I was glad there were no neighbours overlooking my back garden that might see in the glass doors and get more than they bargained for.

He joined me on the sofa, sliding himself under the blanket and pulling me up onto his knee so he could wrap us both up in it. I snugged back against him, feeling oddly comfortable being with him like this despite our history, or maybe because of it.

'Even if I drive you nuts, you've got to admit we seem pretty compatible, right? Or is that just me getting ahead of myself?' I twisted round so I could see him over my shoulder, surprised by the slight edge of uncertainty in his voice. But I hadn't been imagining it, as I met his eye he looked slightly apprehensive, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that question.

I smiled at him, trying to make it as genuine as I could, to show him the warmth and affection I felt towards him right at that moment.

'It's not just you,' I pressed a kiss against his lips. I liked the feel of his against mine, and loved the sensation of his nakedness behind me. The kiss continued, and his hands dropped down from their casual loop around my stomach, trailing down the neat v of hair between my legs, his fingers testing as behind me I felt something thicken against my back.

'Maybe we should take this upstairs,' I breathed between kisses as my body kicked against the building pressure, softer this time, more intense.

'Shit,' he mumbled against my lips, 'that was my only condom.' I twisted around onto my knees, dropping my sex to rub teasingly against his. Julius moaned, and desire flared in me, my hips begging to just sink down over him.

'Upstairs,' I said breathlessly, forcing myself away from him, grabbing his arm, dragging him up off the sofa. He stumbled behind me, his hand skimmed over the cheeks of my ass as we got to the stairs. His fingers slipped up teasingly between my legs as I tried to take the flight of steps to the first floor and my room. I stumbled to a halt as his digits penetrated me. Slipping onto all fours I moaned as he slid another finger inside me, coming up behind me on the stairs his hand sliding round to my play with my clit as his other hand fucked me. I could feel his cock rubbing against my ass. And that was what I really wanted. I started to climb again, still bent over as he continued to writhe his fingers inside the sopping hole that was begging me to just stop and take his bare cock right here. His other hand left my clit and came round to toy with the puckered hole of my ass, I stalled, pressing my hips back and towards him, tempting him.

I heard him groan, felt his cock slide up between my legs, and I hissed in anticipation. Then his hand was pushing me, encouraging me up the stairs, reminding me of our destination. I moaned as I ran out of stairs and had to stand, stumbling the last few metres to my bedroom door, pushing it open and falling towards my en suit and the packet of condoms I knew was there.

The box spilled over the floor. I cursed as I bent down to pick one up, I groaned as Julius beat me to it, and shoved me forwards onto the bed, pinning me down against it with his legs. I watched over my shoulder as he sheathed himself again, parted my ass cheeks and drove into my sopping wet hole. I moaned as he filled me up again, and pressed myself up onto my tiptoes so he could go deeper. Contracting around him as he filled me to bursting again and again, sating me as he built me higher and higher, his hands gripping my ass as he fucked me against the edge of the bed. My orgasm crested in a sudden burst, a breathless scream stuttering from my throat as his fingers snaked round and found my clit, sending me clattering over the edge, pulling Julius with me as I shuddered around him.

He collapsed on top of me for the second time, pressing kisses down my spine this time. His hands covering mine as he did. I twisted my head to one side and was rewarded with a gentle kiss as he pulled out of me. Scooping me up and dropping me onto the bed while he went to clean up, then came back to join me on the bed, scooting me over and settling himself next to me, pulling the covers over the both of us as I settled into the crook of his arm.

He chuckled lightly as his gaze skimmed over the shimmering packets of condoms scattered over my carpet like jewels. 'If I stay, do you think twelve will be enough?' he muttered, shooting me a cheeky grin as I looked up at him.

'Who said you could stay?' I said archly, then felt bad as the smile on his face fell. I twisted round so I could press a kiss to his lips. 'You can stay, but some of us have to work in the morning.'

'So you're saying twelve will have to be enough?' I rolled my eyes and stole another kiss.

'If twelve isn't enough I'll let you stay over on a non-school night one time.'

A wolfish grin spread over his face, 'that sounds much like a challenge.' He flipped me over onto my back, his hands slipping southwards and his kisses following, 'and I love a challenge.'

---

A/N: So that's it guys(?)and girls. Lucid was one of the first erotica-ish stories I ever wrote, and I never put it down on paper (or ones and zeros) with any intention of people reading it. Since then I started posting my other stuff and I figured I'd just put this up here to see what people thought. What I'm getting at is that I hope it didn't burn your eyes too much, and I'm sorry for finishing in this rather open ended way. They've probably got a few hurdles ahead still, but in my head they end up happy.

I hope you enjoyed their journey.

-Pantu