The Deviant Underground (Time Bandit) (4 page)

“No. I’m trying to be a good girl.” She rolled over onto her stomach and began tracing the pattern on her pillowcase with her finger. “I actually really like this guy, so I didn’t want it to be a one-night thing. He did kiss me though.” She paused, lightly touching her lips to help bring back the memory. “It was . . . electric.”

Susan burst into peals of laughter.

“What?”

“Nothing. It is just nice to hear you like this. You sound happy.”

Kathryn rolled back over and stared at the ceiling fan. “I know. It’s such a rare occurrence.”

“Well, you’ll be happy again tomorrow when he calls you.”

“Do you think he will?” Kathryn silently groaned to hear herself sound so needy.

“Of course he will! Did he say he would?”

“Yes.”

“Then he will.” Susan was always so encouraging when Kathryn needed it.

“Okay.” Kathryn wanted to say more. She wanted to express her eternal gratitude to Susan for introducing such a phenomenal guy to her, but she didn’t know how to say it. Instead, all that came out was “Thanks.”

“Welcome. Good night, and have pleasant dreams!”

“Oh, I will. You can bet on that!” She hung up the phone, got up, and turned off the light. The ceiling fan’s steady hum was the only noise in the darkness. Kathryn took off her robe and slid naked between the cool sheets. As she reached for her vibrator in the night stand, she pretended that it was Sam, and that the kiss they had taken them much further than just the front door.

Chapter Four

He did call the next day—at 6:37pm, not that Kathryn was taking note. She was shocked at his follow through, and she was over the moon. As he spoke to her, all the feelings and memories from the previous night came rushing back—the way he looked when she opened the front door, the way he smelled when he got close to her, the way he tasted when he kissed her. They made plans to go out on Friday night. Kathryn wished that Friday night was now.

Fortunately, the rest of the week sailed by. She taught her classes, graded papers, went to meetings, and held office hours all with thoughts of Sam lingering in the back of her mind. She left campus early on Friday so that she’d have plenty of time to shower and get ready before he picked her up at 6:00. That night, they were going to Archway Bar and Grill to watch March madness, drink beers, and eat greasy food. It was Kathryn’s idea of a perfect date.

Her heart raced as she slid into Sam’s black Accord. He was casually dressed in a maroon t-shirt and jeans. His clothes had a way of showing everything without showing anything. Kathryn pressed her lips together hard to keep from drooling.

“Hi.” Sam flashed his mega-watt smile.

“Hi,” Kathryn said shyly. She hoped she had picked out the right outfit. She, too, was wearing jeans—her best and most form-fitting pair. She also picked out a cute, button down, white cotton shirt. She had unbuttoned the first two buttons to show a little bit of her brown skin, but not too much. She wanted to tease him as much as she felt teased by him. It seemed to work.

Sam leaned in close and kissed her lightly. “You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. Kathryn had to grip her hands between her legs to keep from lunging at him.

Instead, she simply smiled and said, “Thank you. You are looking quite dapper yourself.”

Sam laughed his deep, throaty laugh, and Kathryn felt the butterflies beginning in her stomach and starting to move down between her legs. “Thanks. Ready?”

“Yep, let’s go,” Kathryn said as Sam pulled out and headed down the street. “You know my money’s on Louisville, right?”

“You’ve got to be kidding! Morehead State’s going to take it tonight.”

“Wanna make a bet?”

“Oh absolutely. What are the stakes?”

Kathryn thought for a moment. She wanted to say something about the loser has to have sex with the winner, but she was trying to watch her mouth tonight. “How about the loser picks up the tab?”

“That’s a bet. Shake.” Sam took his right hand off the wheel and extended it.

“Deal.” Kathryn slipped her hand into Sam’s. His hand was large and warm and engulfed hers softly as he squeezed. Kathryn imagined what both of them would feel like all over her body. She took her hand back and turned to look out the window. She needed a moment to compose herself and bring back the G-rated thoughts.

They arrived at Archway, and since they were early, they were able to get a good booth in clear view of one of many tvs. They both ordered beers. Kathryn decided that it would be a good idea to be a bit of a teetotaler again tonight. She promised herself that she was going to actually try to work on turning this into more than just a sex on the weekend and an occasional meal/movie thing. She knew that she couldn’t get too close or let her guard down too much, but the journey until that point could be rather fun.

Archway had the best cheese fries in the city, so they ordered a basket to share. They both also got burgers, the perfect complement to beer and basketball. The conversation before the game started was natural. Sam was smart and funny. He could talk about a variety of topics with intelligence and ease. Better yet, he laughed at her jokes.

“Do you talk this way in front of the classroom?” Sam laughed.

Kathryn suddenly got very serious. “No. I am all business in the hallowed halls of academe. Don’t you know, humor is not allowed. College is serious business.”

Sam smiled and reached for another cheese fry in the almost empty basket. “I do seem to remember something like that.”

“Where’d you go?” Kathryn took a sip from her second Heineken.

“Texas. UT-Austin.”

“Ah, the Longhorns.”

“That’s right. Hook ’em horns!” Sam made the Longhorn gesture with his free hand.

“Hey, did you ever play football for them?”

“I did for a while, until I got injured my junior year. How did you know?”

Kathryn shrugged. “I didn’t.” She winked at him over her raised bottle. “But you kind of look like you might have played back in the day.”

Sam smiled. “Oh, really?”

Kathryn took another swallow. “Yes, really. Hey, just how tall are you?”

“6’4”“ Sam’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Hmm.” Kathryn could see what Sam was thinking. She decided to push it a bit more. “A big boy.”

A sly smile crossed his lips. “Perhaps.”

That old, familiar tingle flared up between Kathryn’s legs, but before she could say anything else, their attention was diverted by the start of the game.

The game was very exciting, but ultimately, Morehead State was no match for Louisville. Kathryn tried to be a gracious winner, but she couldn't help but gloat.

“Well, since this is on you, I think that I will have another beer.” She said as she signaled the waitress.

“Okay, fine. You won this one, but at some point I will declare a rematch.”

“Feel free to bring it anytime.” Kathryn ate the very last cold, cheese-coated fry. It was good.

Sam just shook his head.

“What?”

He gestured at her. “I don’t know where you put it all. You certainly don’t look like you can put away a burger, cheese fries, and two” the waitress set another Heineken down on the table, “now three beers.”

Kathryn laughed as she took a long gulp. “Tomorrow I will be hitting the gym and adding a couple of extra miles to my run.”

Sam looked at her appreciatively. “I can tell that you work out.”

Kathryn smiled. “Several times a week. You?”

“Same.”

Kathryn raised one eyebrow. “It shows.”

Sam smiled that slow, sultry smile of his. “Hey. You don’t play basketball by any chance?”

“Sure do. In fact, I played in high school. Tall forward. I’ve got a mean jump shot.”

“How about tomorrow we play some basketball. I’d love to see what kind of game you have.”

Kathryn raised her bottle. “It’s a date.” Sam slowly touched his bottle to hers. Even that small movement excited her.

The news had come on after the game, and the anchorwoman’s report caught their attention.

“ . . . this type of deviation has been recorded in patients as early as the 1950s. Centered primarily in the brain, the afflicted have various manifestations of the anomaly from mental illness to physical deformities. Currently, all documented ‘deviants’ are held in mental institutions or prisons for their own safety and for the safety of the general public. Recently, there has been a push by fringe groups to attempt to mainstream the afflicted within the greater society. Opponents, however, argue that those who demonstrate this particular type of brain formation actually suffer from brain damage and are dangerous if not kept under close supervision. As a reminder, if you see or know of anyone who displays abnormal physical or mental behavior and suspect that they may be a deviant, for your own safety, do
not
confront the individual. Instead, contact the authorities immediately. And now, a check in with the weather . . .”

Kathryn felt sick. She took a big gulp of beer to wash away the strange taste in her mouth. She then realized that Sam was no longer looking at the tv. He was looking pointedly at her.

“Hey. What do you think about that?”

Kathryn set her bottle down a bit too forcefully and cleared her throat before speaking. “About what?”

“About that report. About the ‘deviants.’”

Kathryn tried to sound casual and nonchalant. “I don’t think much about it.”

Sam looked at her without saying anything. For the first time that night, Kathryn felt very uncomfortable. She changed the subject. “I’m going to the bathroom before we go. Do you want to close out the check, loser?” She tried to force a lighthearted smile.

Something dark passed over Sam’s face. But just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. “Sure.”

Kathryn headed toward the bathroom. She felt like she had to throw up. She went into the stall, closed the door, and pressed her forehead up against it. It felt cool. The image of the tree branch flashed through her mind. The look on everyone's faces. The sound of her heart in her ears. She took several deep breaths. Slowly, the panic washed away. She used the bathroom, washed her hands, and splashed some cold water on her face. By the time she was finished, she felt much better.

She headed back to the table. Sam looked like his jovial self again. “Ready?” he asked.

“Yep.”

Once in the car, Kathryn knew that she had a decision to make. They pulled up in front of her apartment complex. “Would you like to come up?”

A slow smile crept across Sam’s face. It made Kathryn hungry for him. “Thank you. I would like that very much.”

It was on the couch that he finally kissed her like he did the other night. It was even better than she had remembered. His tongue deftly danced over hers as he stroked the side of her face with his large, warm hand. Kathryn’s body instinctively learned towards his. Her hands slowly found the bottom of his shirt and slipped up inside of it, touching his body for the first time. Kathryn could read the contours on his torso like Braille. It was clear he had a beautifully defined six-pack—no, wait, make that an eight-pack—and a solid muscular back. Kathryn had to see more. But before she could pull up his shirt, Sam changed the direction of his skilled kisses to her neck, sending shivers down her spine and quickening her breath. His hand found the buttons on her blouse, and he began slowly unbuttoning them one by one, kissing the flesh that he exposed. Almost too much for Kathryn to handle, her hands went right into his lap, and she could feel the wonderfully hard bulge that was straining to get out. Then Kathryn did something she normally would not have done. She stopped.

“Wait.” She pushed away from Sam just as he had revealed the top of her flesh-colored bra.

Sam reached behind her neck and drew her back into him. “It’s all right,” he whispered. “I have condoms.”

The fact that he was so damn sexy and responsible almost broke Kathryn’s resolve, but she persisted. “No, that’s not it.” She pushed back again, looked him in his brown eyes, and said something that she hoped she wouldn’t regret. “I think we should wait.”

Sam sat silently. He still had one hand on her thigh, and Kathryn felt the warmth of it pulsating through the denim. She wished she could read his mind as his eyes wandered over her face, her now slightly disheveled hair, and her open blouse. But his expression betrayed nothing. Finally, he spoke. “You're right. We should wait.”

He got up and readjusted his shirt. Kathryn began to wonder if she had made a huge mistake. He then turned and smiled. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 11:00?”

Internally, Kathryn almost cried with happiness. Her attempt to be a “good girl” had not backfired. She jumped off the couch, rebuttoning her shirt. “Absolutely.”

“Great. Bring a change of clothes and we’ll grab some lunch after.” Sam then stepped to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I had a great time tonight.”

“I did, too.” That kiss stirred up the passion inside her, but she fought to keep it contained.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Kathryn closed the door behind him. She stood there for a moment, her hand on the doorknob. She had the smell of him all over her, and it was intoxicating. She lightly brushed her fingers across her neck where his lips had been, relishing in that memory. The warm tingle began between Kathryn’s legs again. She sighed, released the doorknob, and headed to the bathroom. Time again for a cold shower and a date with her vibrator. Well, at least she had tomorrow to look forward to.