That flashlight made her mentally chastise herself as she turned on the one in her phone. When he walked back across the front and headed toward the back, she went into the kitchen and opened the door and watched him check the back of the house before coming in.
“Hey. You got a towel?” He grinned. Although he had arrived during a lull in the rain, he was drenched and was dripping water on the entrance floor.
“Oh! Yea! Sorry I didn’t think–.” Now mentally chastising herself for not thinking of this, she rushed to her bathroom to get him a towel. “Here you go. Sorry, again,” she said upon returning and handing it to him.
“No worries,” he grinned in understanding, using the towel to dry off his face and arms. “The house wasn’t hit, but the power’s out all through the neighborhood. So, I’d guess a transformer got hit.”
“How long do you think the power will be out?”
“Judging by the storm… Probably ’till sometime Tomorrow.”
“Well, fudge,” she groaned. “I can’t charge my phone or make coffee in the morning.”
“Your hot water on demand, so no hot shower either.”
Frustrated, Ashley plopped down into one of the kitchen chairs.
“Good time for Linda to be out of town,” Jim offered with a grin that said to look on the bright side.
“Yea,” she smiled, understanding.
“Listen. If you want… You could stay in my guestroom tonight. Unless you have somewhere else to go, that is.” He offered with his usual helpful tone.
“Let me put a bag together.” Accepting the offer without thinking, she stood up and headed toward her room.
“You want me to wait for you?”
“Please.” She knew where he lived, yet she would feel better following him there with the storm.
Even though she hurried from the house to her car, then from the car into Jim’s house, Ashley was drenched by the rain when she got inside. Asking her to wait in the kitchen, he retrieved them both towels.
“I can use a hot shower right now,” he chuckled as they partially dried off.
“That does sound good.” Ashley agreed as she started to shiver.
“The guest room and bath are that way,” he said, pointing toward one end of the house. “There’s fresh towels in the linen closet.” Opening a set of bifold doors at the kitchen’s edge, he peeled his soaked t-shirt off and tossed it into the washing machine. “If you bring your wet clothes out afterward, I can toss them in too.”
“Thanks.” Watching him walk in the opposite direction, she picked up her bag and headed for the guestroom.
Under the shower’s cascading hot water, the soapy washcloth stirring a deep-seated ache as she ran it over her lithe body, she suddenly realized the situation’s potential. Until then, the fright from the transformer’s explosion and then having to drive through the storm had kept her from putting it together. But now the thought that she would be spending the night with Jim in his house echoed through her. And with it, an excited tingle of possibility ran along her nerves.
At first, remembering the conversation with her mother and the possible implications, she tried telling herself that nothing would happen. Afterall, she hadn’t seen anything in his expression when he had made the offer to make her think he had any ulterior motives. Plus, he had pointedly steered her toward the guestroom and not even hinted for her to join him in his shower.
Still, that doesn’t mean things can’t happen. Her mind pointed out, creating an unexpected surge of hope.
Getting out of the shower, she was glad she had thought to bring her hairdryer. Using it, she reflexively inspected her body in the mirror.
Thin tan lines swooped down from her shoulders to the flesh-toned triangles covering the front of her firm breasts. At the center of these triangles, her dark nipples stood semi-hard from the air conditioning. Similar tan lines reached around her hips with another flesh-tone triangle diving down across her crotch where a small tuft of neatly trimmed dark hair sat atop her carefully shaved sex.
With her mother’s words about being bold joining the unexpected hope and excited tingle, she wrapped a towel around her and slipped across the hall into the bedroom. Digging into her overnight bag she wondered what to wear and whether or not to put on any make-up.
Both decisions proved fairly easy.
Given the circumstances, putting on make-up would seem weird and unnatural. Besides, Jim had made several comments about her natural beauty and how she looked better without it. As for what to wear, she hadn’t exactly packed a lot of options in her rush and mindset at the time.
Briefly considering going with just the towel, she knew she didn’t have the nerve for such a brazen act. Slipping into a pair of sexy, pink panties, she then considered going with just them and maybe a baggy t-shirt. But again, she didn’t have the nerve. So she slid on a pair of tiny shorts and a better fitting t-shirt.
Walking out, she found Jim in the kitchen, pouring himself a drink. He had his hair pulled back in a ponytail and was wearing a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt.
“I’ve got it ready. Just toss those in and hit start.” He indicated the washer.
Through her peripheral vision, she thought she saw him checking her out as she walked past the island. Dropping her clothes into the washer, she shut the lid and hit the button, then walked back to stand across the island from him.
“Can I have one of those?” She asked.
“I never supported the 21 law,” he shrugged, his gaze briefly lingering on her. “How strong do you like it?”
“Make me one and I’ll add soda if I need to.”
“Ok,” he shrugged.
When he turned around to grab a fresh can of soda, she quickly glanced down to see what had made his gaze linger. Her nipples were still semi-hard and clearly poking at her t-shirt. Smiling with the belief that this was what he had been noticing, she felt the hope being stoked.
“I thought we’d watch a movie.” He said, making her drink.
“Sounds good.”
Handing her the drink, he set the half-used can of soda on the island. Taking a sip, she couldn’t stop the grimace that its sharp taste caused.
“You do like them strongly.” She turned the grimace into a sheepish smile in response to his chuckle.
“Yeap.” Holding his own glass up in toast, he took a sip of it. “You wanna find a movie?”
“Sure.” Taking the can of soda with her, she moved over to the couch and sat at one end. “What do you like?” she asked, picking up the remote.
“Action and comedy mainly. But, believe it or not, there’s a handful of rom-coms I like. As a compromise.” Following her, he plopped onto the opposite end of the couch.
“Let me guess.” Quickly chastising herself for not waiting for him to sit so she could conveniently sit closer to him, she thought about some of the movies they had discussed, then queued up one of them. “This one?”
“Yea. That’s good. If it’s ok with you.”
“Me and mom checked it out after you told us about it. I like it.”
“Great. Then you won’t be bored and have your nose stuck in your phone.”
“Oh, I’m leaving that on the charger in case your power goes out too.” She said, thinking of the excuse in the moment. Although she had left her phone in the bedroom, she had really done so because of the thing she was hoping for.
“Good idea.” Plugging his own phone into a charger next to him, he dropped it on the end table.
As they watched the movie, Ashley’s hope waned. With the entire couch between them, Jim showed no signs of doing anything other than watching the movie and there were no scenes that gave her an excuse to move closer. Nor did their limited conversation seem to be leading anywhere.
She kept looking at him through her peripheral vision, hoping to catch him looking at her. But she never did. Waning hope and growing disappointment led her to sipping at her drink more frequently than she normally would have, adding soda to it each time.
Although the storm had weakened, thunder continued rumbling and flashes of lightning split the darkness outside the big front window near the TV. About halfway through the movie the rain began pounding on the roof loud enough that they had to turn the volume up. Moments later, the entire house shook as a brilliant flash of light momentarily filled it.
Yelping in surprise, Ashley nearly jumped off the couch.
“I jumped too,” Jim chuckled, standing up and walking over to the window. “That was close.”
Maybe it was the alcohol that gave Ashley the courage to let him know she would be okay with certain things happening. Maybe it was the lingering hope that made her hit pause on the remote. Maybe it was her mother’s words echoing in her mind that drove her to walk over and join him.
Maybe it was the fright caused by the lightning strike and the ensuing wish to be comforted that made her slip partially in front of him, resting her left asscheek against the front of his right thigh. Maybe it was simply the nine-plus months without a man’s touch or a combination of all these things.
Whatever it was that made her do it, she was glad she did.
As another bolt of lightning split the darkness outside, Jim’s hand came to rest on her hip, providing both the comfort and touch she desired. Then, as his hand slid up and down to caress her through her shorts, the tingle along her nerves morphed into anticipated excitement, stirring the embers within her loins. Quietly sighing, she leaned back against his chest as lightning once more split the darkness.
Standing there for a minute, his hand cuffed her hip, its fingers stretching across her upper thigh and pulling her back against him firmer. Believing she was seeing yet another crack in his chivalry, she molded her body against his as anticipated excitement intensely crackled along her nerves.
When he took a step back a few moments later, she let him turn her around. As she lifted her face to look into his eyes, she saw the crack was real. And a lot more than just a crack.
His one hand remaining on her hip, his other came up to brush loose strands of her hair away. Then he cupped her cheek and leaned down. Lifting up onto her toes to meet him, she brought her hands up to lightly grip his biceps. Their lips connected. Their first kiss is soft, yet determined. Electrical sparks shot along Ashley’s nerves. As their lips briefly parted and reconnected a couple of times, waves of warmth flowed through her, making the lightning and thunder fade into the distant background.
When he locked his lips against hers, guiding them open and slid his tongue past them, she eagerly raised hers in greeting. As their two appendages swiped and swirled against one another in a long, passionate kiss, the hand on her hip pulled her to him. Her breasts being gently pressed against him, an ache awakened within the twin mounds that fueled the warmth flowing through her. Both sensations grew as the kiss was followed by another. Then another. And another.
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