Dashing Through the Snow (19 page)

Smith continued to tongue her, but at a much
slower pace, helping her to come down. “It’s all right, baby,” he
murmured against her mound.

She jerked spasmodically at his touch, but
began to calm. The volatility of the past minutes had her crying,
and hiccupping. She opened her eyes to find him watching her from
his position between her thighs, still with that all-too familiar
rapacious gleam in his eyes. He smiled.

She froze.

“Just a little more, sweetness,” he said, his
tone entirely guttural. “Bend your knees for me.”

She shook her head no, but she was also
shakily bending her knees so that she was giving him the view of a
lifetime.

A sound that was both satisfied and hungry
rumbled in his throat. “Will you use your fingers to hold her open
for me?” he asked her without taking his gaze off her newly exposed
mound.

She was dripping and felt her sheath
contracting in need, and all he’d had to do was look at her.
Slowly, she reached between her legs and using her index and middle
fingers, pushed the lips of her slit apart. Eyes still locked in
place and breathing harshly, Smith licked his lips. Lily
whimpered.

“Thank you, baby.” It was a growl, and one
that Smith knew Lily probably didn’t hear as he was already
pressing his mouth to her opening. He stiffened his tongue and
pushed it through, tunneling his way inside. She tightened around
his tongue immediately and he moaned appreciatively, his cock
stretching as if reaching for glory. He would never get enough of
her, never. He was sure of it, and contracting his cheeks, pulled
his tongue in and out of her in quick thrusts.

As his tongue slid against the silky
membranes, he took her butt in his hands and pulled her closer. He
heard her cry out and felt her squirming, but didn’t let up. He
could tell from her urgent movements that she wanted to go faster,
but he was enjoying himself too much to speed things up. He lost
himself in her scent and wriggled his tongue, determined to make it
last.

She sobbed out his name and he opened his
eyes and lifted his gaze to see her crying again, her eyes closed
and her head moving wildly on the pillow. Quickly, he withdrew and
covered her body with his. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at
him.

“You’re a cruel, horrible man,” she sniffled
breathlessly as she looped her arms around his neck.

He smiled as he kissed the tears from her
cheeks. “I’m sorry. I got a little carried away again. You know
what you do to me. Hand me a condom, will you?”

Lily released his neck long enough to grab a
condom from the bedside table and hand it to him.

“Thanks, darlin’,” he said as he put the
condom on. “You’re not sore, are you?”

She shook her head and returned the kiss he
pressed to her lips. “No.”

“Good,” he said, right before he positioned
his cock at her entrance and then plunged inside. She screamed at
the possession, arching her back and wrapping her legs around him.
He bit the neck she so generously exposed when she threw her head
back, and found himself wanting to devour, so pressed his open
mouth to her jaw. He rode her as hard as his lust was riding him
and felt her internal muscles squeeze his cock unyieldingly.

She met each of his strokes with a thrust of
her own and each time mewled her pleasure. Every utterance was
music to his ears and balm to his ego. She quickened around him and
let loose with short staccato screams, each one shorter than the
next as she came and flooded his cock with her cream. She drove him
wild and when she whispered, “don’t stop,” in a husky voice made
weak from desire, he let himself be taken over by the heat and
passion she generated.

His orgasm loomed large and finally consumed
him, rocking him hard on his moorings and making him shout out
hoarsely as he tripped over the edge. She held him tight and trying
to catch his breath as he came down, he rolled to his side and
positioned her in front of him to spoon her from behind. Resting
his chin on her shoulder, he kissed her neck. “You okay?”

“Mmm,” she murmured sleepily in the
affirmative. “Chicago tomorrow?”

Chapter Sixteen

“So, what’s our plan of action?” Lily asked
Smith as he maneuvered his car around another vehicle. It was
Friday morning and they were on the outskirts of Town Square in
preparation for their road trip to Chicago.

Smith smiled and shook his head. They’d
already discussed their plans the night before, but she appeared to
need to hear them again. For the third time. He chalked it up to
her wanting to be thorough. “Well, as I recall, our first stop will
be his club, The Elite. Mrs. Landry says that a couple of his
friends are retired and can be found there during the week, and
that Landry’s still a member.”

Lily squeezed his knee. “Sorry. I know I’m
being a pain about this, but I just want to make sure we’ve got
everything down.”

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much.”

“Easy for you to say, as you must have had
hundreds of cases during your career. This is my first one -- my
first big one, anyway.”

“Not quite that many cases, but I can tell
you you’ll get more confident as you go on. Besides, you’re doing
well. For a newbie, you’re good. You’re very intuitive.”

Lily looked at him with shining eyes. “Ohhh,”
she cooed and leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Really? Do you
really mean that?”

“Wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

She kissed him again and squeezed his arm
before resting her head on his shoulder.

Smith glanced at her. She’d been touching him
and stroking him all morning and worst of all, he’d been enjoying
it – much too much. For the first five minutes of the drive, she’d
had her hand on the back of his neck and had been stroking her
fingers through his hair, and he’d definitely leaned into the
caress. He liked it, but worried that all their lovemaking had put
stars and expectations in her eyes -- the kind he wasn’t ready to
meet. They hadn’t set the rules for the relationship and he was
hesitant to bring it up, but knew he had to.

“So tell me, Smith. What did you mean
yesterday when you said ‘no strings’?” Lily suddenly asked him.

Surprised, he took his eyes off the road for
a second to look at her. It was as if she’d been reading his mind.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Just what it sounds like, I
guess.”

“I just want you to clarify. Is it in
reference to each of us respecting the other’s right to see other
people while we’re burning up the sheets or are you referring to
long term? As in don’t expect it?”

Suddenly irritated, Smith gave her an annoyed
look before shaking his head in the negative. “I doubt I’ll have
enough energy to see someone else while we’re ‘burning up the
sheets’ as you so romantically and delicately put it, Lily.”

Lily was unmoved and in a calm voice said,
“So I’ll take that to mean you want monogamy, but you don’t want me
to get any ideas about longevity. That about right?”

Sensing a trap, but not quite able to see it
clearly, Smith kept his eyes strictly on the road. She was calm and
seemed
reasonable, which is what worried him. “Ah, well
after all, Lily-bud, you are the type of woman who should
marry.”

She snorted. “Whatever that means. At any
rate I’m not looking for that right now in my life. I want to add
another condition. If we’re to move forward in this, I don’t want
anyone to know about it.”

He scowled. “Why?”

“Because it’s hard to have a relationship
with everyone in your business, that’s why.”

He grinned. “In Sheffield-Chatham it’s hard
to conduct a relationship
without
everyone in your
business.”

“Nevertheless, I’d like to try.”

“You ashamed of me, sweetness?”

Lily sighed. “Of course not, but do you
really want my mother or your mother or our respective fathers to
know that our relationship is just about sex?”

Smith was irritated again and knew he
shouldn’t be, but…well,
hell.
“It’s not just about sex,
Lily, and I think you know that.”

She shrugged. “You know what I mean. Of
course we care for one another, even love each other – always have,
always will. However, this phase of our relationship – one of
mutual gratification – will go no further, so I’m just calling it
like I see it. I don’t understand why you’re getting upset.”

“I’m not upset!” he practically yelled, and
then had to catch himself because he was and he didn’t want to
examine why. “You know what? If you want to keep this just between
us, then we will. I’m good with that. I just don’t know how you’re
going to do it.”

“We’ll just keep it to ourselves; that’s
all.”

“Right,” Smith said doubtfully and made a
turn onto Jasmine Street, the seediest street in town. It was full
of single room occupancy buildings, a couple of second-hand stores
and empty storefronts. It was also the location of the homeless
shelter for men. The street led directly to the highway.

“Stop, Smith. I need to see Cousin Andrew,”
Lily said.

“Andrew?” Smith murmured as he pulled over to
the curb. He switched off the engine and turned to Lily. “You mean
to tell me you guys still haven’t convinced that crazy old coot to
get off the streets?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Her cousin Andrew had
been homeless for as long as Lily could remember. It upset the
entire family, but he refused to move in with anyone. A Vietnam
vet, Andrew had not been the same since surviving the war, and had
told his family that he didn’t do well among decent folk because
they didn’t understand him. He’d said indoors smothered him and he
needed the open air. The family capitulated to his wishes, and took
care of him in the only way he’d allow: someone always checked on
him and provided him with food, money and clothing when necessary.
He showered daily at the men’s shelter and sometimes could be found
there during the day playing board games. Her family knew that it
was the best they could hope for.

Lily got out of the car and started walking
towards the alley where her cousin usually staked his claim. She
entered and to announce her presence, called out, “Andrew! Andrew
Carven!”

“Who’s that?” A gruff voice demanded. “Who
dares to enter here? Into the inner sanctum and showing no
fear?”

Lily rolled her eyes and ignored the rhymes.
He always spoke in them. Most times they made sense, but sometimes
they didn’t. “It’s me, Cousin Andrew. It’s Lily.”

“Oh, it’s skinny, skinny, skinny Lily, the
little girl as graceful as a filly. Will she get her man, or will
she fail?” he sang out. “What’s that green stuff in the well?”

“I also brought Smith with me. You remember
him, don’t you?”

“‘Course I remember the dude,” the voice
called back, “the long tall Texan who eats all the food.”

At the back of the alley was a structure that
was exactly seven feet tall and seven feet wide. It was covered in
tarp and some kind of fur, which Andrew only used in the winter
time. The floor of the place was also tarp and fur covered. He’d
lived in what he referred to as his home for the past ten years.
The family tried to make sure the structure was a sound as it could
possibly be since he refused to seek shelter even during the
coldest of times. The door was nothing more than a plank of wood
with a knob. Lily had no idea how it was affixed, but when her
cousin pushed it open and stepped through, it continued to
stand.

Andrew was a man of average height and build,
but all of the outer layers he had on made that difficult to
discern. He was sixty-three and had lived most of his life on the
streets of Sheffield-Chatham. Lily bent her knees a bit to look
under the bill of his coon skin hat to see his face. His eyes were
sparkling merrily -- if a bit madly -- at her. “Hi, Cousin Andrew,”
she said and bent in to kiss his cheek.

He smiled. “Hi, Lil. What’s the deal? Hi,
Texas man? What’s the plan?”

“No plan, Andrew,” Lily said. “Just on our
way to Chicago and thought I’d drop in to see you. Do you need
anything? I brought you some coffee. It’s got just a smidgeon of a
hint of delicious blueberry,” she told him with a smile and ignored
both his slight look of alarm and Smith’s soft sound of disgust as
she held up a thermos. “I’ve also got some turkey sandwiches and
apples here in the bag, along with a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap
and wash clothes.” She handed him the thermos along with a brown
paper bag.

“Thank you, Cousin Lily, for thinking of me.”
There was no rhyme this time, just simple gratitude.

“You’re welcome,” Lily said softly. As usual
she had to fight with herself to hold back tears and suggestions.
He didn’t take either very well.

Andrew smiled again, and as if he knew what
she was thinking, said, “No need to worry; I’m the self-actualized
man. Look up Maslow’s Hierarchy to understand.”

“I do understand, Andrew. I’m just concerned
about you that’s all.”

“Concern is unwarranted, pretty little
girl.”

“Do you have laundry you need me to
take?”

“Nope. The lovely Glenda took care of that
for me just a couple of days ago.”

Lily looked around, wishing she could just
force him home. “All right. We’ll be going, then. I’ll see you on
Christmas Eve.” He usually came to the family gatherings for all
the holidays and birthdays, and most times they could get him to
spend the night.

“You bet, pretty pet. Bring me back some
Gar-rett’s.”

Lily laughed at the mention of the famed
Chicago popcorn treat. “Will do, cousin. You take care of
yourself.”

“Always do, always will. You take care of
yourself too, as part of the deal.” This time it was he who kissed
her cheek. “No tears allowed,” he whispered.

But Lily let them fall for a brief moment as
she and Smith left the alley.