JC

Tori, Nasaan and I spent the morning at the shop. My parts hadn't arrived yet, so while Tori did some cleaning and organizing, I got a detailed, step by step tour of the refurb process of a Harley Knucklehead.

"See these mirrors? I saw them on another bike. Mom swapped out the original ones. Same with the handlebar grips. I liked these better."

"Okay so..." I scratched my chin, taking a turn around the vintage Harley. "At what point is it not the original bike anymore? I mean, at some point you've gotta say to yourself, this  isn't the same bike."

"Well, the engine's always gonna be the same, that's what makes a bike. Harley Davidson numbered his engines." He bent over, showing me the numbers stamped into the bottom of the casing. "See, that's the manufacture year- 1947, and the model and the engine number that was produced. This is number 4,620. So long as that stays intact, and no one alters it, it's always gonna be a Knucklehead."

I nodded following along.

"And there's certain design elements that have to stay the same, like the pressure oiling system and the valve engine-"

"Okay. Okay." I held up a hand in surrender. I heard giggles from behind a tower of tires. "Uncle. I give. You know your stuff. So, you think you're ready to take her out on the road?"

Nasaan made a noise and waved a hand in the direction of the bike. "Not hardly, according to my mom. I have to take a safety course-"

"Okay, but aside from that," I asked, lowering my voice. "You think you're ready to go from a little dirt bike to..." I rubbed the leather seat, which I could tell he'd already been carefully, painstakingly polishing. "This baby? It's quite the step up. Took me a while to get used to a bigger, more powerful bike."

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't encourage him to even think about taking this bike out before he's ready."

I hadn't noticed Tori coming up behind us. I almost jumped out of my skin at the sound of her voice, so close I almost felt her breath on my neck.

"He and I have an agreement and a process that we're going to go through. He doesn't even sit on it until he turns sixteen. And then I take him out on some rides to get used to it so he can pass his class and the test to get his license. Right, Nasaan?"

The kid nodded quickly, as well he should.

"So I'm not going to have to worry about you trying to sneak this bike out, am I?"

"Nope," he said, sheepish. He turned around and found something to occupy himself.

"Uh... sorry," I said to Tori. "I didn't... I wasn't really...I don't know what I was thinking."

"Obviously. He's mature, but he's still a teenager. He's still going to think and act like a teenager. Don't give him ideas. The ones he comes up with on his own are evil enough."  

She smiled, but the look in her eyes made me afraid of her. "Your parts are in. It'll be faster if we pick them up, rather than wait for FedEx to bring them. Nasaan, would you mind running up to the shipping outpost for me?"

He perked. "If I can ride the- never mind."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. The key isn't here, anyway. Go, so you can get back." She scooted him out the door, then watched him walk down the street and turn the corner before turning around to face me.

"I'm... really sorry. I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot. You don't have teenagers."

"Yeah, I can't... I can't see myself with teenagers."

"Speaking of teenagers. And, well, children." Tori slowly sauntered across the shop until she stood next to me.  "We didn't use anything last night. Mr. I don't have any dust. Mr. LA Pretty Boy... do I have anything to worry about, from you?"

"Absolutely not." I shook my head. "I wouldn't have even broached the subject if I thought I'd be putting you in danger."

"Okay." She paused, clearing her throat. "But... if...we should happen to find ourselves alone in the house as two consenting adults, ever again- which is bound to happen, we need to use condoms. And, obviously, I can't go buy them."

"Uh... okay. I might have a few in my bag. I'll check. But... why couldn't you?"

"Because people in this town talk. The number one way to get this town all up in my business is for Felicity at Cloudcroft Drugstore to see me buying Magnums."

I laughed at that. Really hard. "I don't... I guess I could use Magnums but I don't. Anyway, I get it."

She wasn't laughing. "You should. Mess around and break a condom and get me pregnant.  I just got my pre-pregnancy body back. I'll ruin your life."

I laughed harder. "I bet you would. But... so... are you thinking about it?" She turned on her heel and walked away, but not before I saw her cheeks turn pink. "About having sex with me again?"

"Are you?" She asked, from behind the counter where she was punching the keys of her laptop.

"Pretty much nonstop," I admitted.

I stopped fiddling with the handlebars of Nasaan's bike and started a slow, meandering walk across the small shop until I ended up on the other side of the desk where she was standing.

"Do you know how hard it was, sitting next to you last night, pretending nothing happened, like it was no big thing? When all I wanted to do was to take those cat pajamas, which are ugly, by the way, off of you and do all of that all over again."

I made my way around the counter, the same slow walk as before. But this time she watched me approach. And didn't move when I settled my hands on her hips and pulled her body back, up against me. I wanted her to feel me, what just talking about what had happened between us was doing to me.

How could she possibly think it mean nothing?

Tori's breath hitched in her throat, but she didn't pull away. "First of all, my cat pajamas are not ugly. They are cute."

"No, honey. They're ugly. You're cute, though." I turned her in my arms so we faced each other. With her boots on, we were almost eye to eye. Lip to lip. "How much time do we have?"

"Not enough," she muttered, under her breath. "But uhm... Kaya is working tonight and I'm positive my teenage son wouldn't be so uncool as to stay at home with his mom on a Saturday night."

"So I can have you later?"

She leaned in, brushing her lips against mine a few times before I cupped her face in my hands and brought her mouth to mine. The kiss was just getting good when I heard Nasaan calling to someone outside the shop.

With grace, Tori stepped back, adjusted her sweater and fanned out her hair, then scrubbed her palms down her face. She pushed me, forcing me back a few steps.

"Go! Over there!" She whispered.

When Nasaan came in with a large white box, I was crouched next to my bike, feigning interest in any of the repairs that would be happening that day. I was more concerned with what would be happening that night.

...

"I see you got your phone. Got everything set up okay?"

I was surrounded by parts and pieces of new iPhone paraphernalia- boxes and cords and instruction manuals spread out on the coffee table in front of the couch. Tori let me borrow her laptop and Nasaan helped me find my latest backup in the cloud. I was a stickler about regular backups, so though my information would be a few days old, it would be better than not having a phone. Or worse, having a phone but not knowing anyone's phone number. Technology, man.

"I'm set up enough," I told Eric. "I still need to down to download all my apps. How's Taos?"

The groan he let out made me laugh. "Shitty. They haven't had winter here yet, so there's no snow pack, really. We've been hanging out downtown and drinking in the hot tub at night."

"Oh, man. That sounds.... yeah, shitty."

"Gotta be better than fuckin'.... where are you, again?"

"Cloudcroft. You guys should just come here. We're close to a ski resort.  It's snowing right now." I angled my head to glance out of the window and make sure the snow was still coming down. "We're supposed to get a few inches tonight."

"Rub it in. It's snowing here, too and they have the guns out." The snow guns added man-made snow to actual snowfall to create bulk. "Maybe there will be enough to do some runs tomorrow. How's the bike?"

"Coming together. The parts came in today and she got started on the work."

"So, if the bike is on the mend, you should be clear to take off. If you can get to Albuquerque, I can send the plane to pick you up from there-"

"No, no.  I don't really want to do that. I'd like to be here while she's fixing it."

"How long is that gonna take?" Eric was whining, which was amusing but also annoying. "JC, you're missing this entire trip to babysit an old as fuck motorcycle that you spun out on. If you trust this mechanic, let her fix it and then send it home, but don't waste your vacation-"

"I said I'm fine, Eric. If I miss the trip, I miss the trip. You already have my money, right? Make sure my suitcase gets home."

"Ohhhhhh..." The word came out kind of sing-songy, like he thought he knew something. And knowing Eric, I knew what he thought he knew. "Did you find some uh... you know what I'm saying?"

"No, man. What are you saying?"

"I know you know what I'm saying. Are you hanging out in Cloud whatever-the-fuck trying to catch some ass?"

"You're an animal," I said, laughing. "Hey, get back to your drunk hot tubbing or whatever you're doing out there. Sounds like a good time. Thanks for checking on me."

"You didn't answer the question."

"Yeah, well what does that tell ya?" Before he could answer, I ended the call and set the phone to Do Not Disturb. I'd already called my parents and filled them in. There wasn't anyone else I needed to talk to, at least before tomorrow.

That meant no interruptions, at least from my side.  

The clink of ice in a glass grabbed my attention. Tori sauntered from the kitchen, two glasses cupped in the palm of one hand and the bottle of bourbon in the other. And she was wearing those god awful fleece pajamas with cats all over them. The top, which had been unbuttoned halfway to her navel was long enough to hit her mid-thigh. She wasn't wearing the bottoms so there was nothing but long, brown legs in view.  

"Everything okay?"

She set a glass of the honey colored liquid in front of me, followed by the thunk of the half-empty bottle. Then she settled herself on the couch next to me with one leg curled under her body. I'd heard what she'd asked but... I couldn't stop staring.

"I mean, Nasaan helped you get your phone all set up and everything?" She tipped the glass to her lips and I watched her swallow a small amount of bourbon. Her eyebrows were raised, keeping the question lingering between us.

"Yeah, everything's... good," I finally answered, when I could tear my eyes from her. She'd showered and she smelled amazing, like brown sugar. The teardrop shape of her breasts was just visible through the part in the pajama top and I caught a flash of something lacy and barely there when she lifted her leg to sit next to me.

Tori was playing hardball. Batter up.

"And your friends? In Taos? Are they missing you?"

"They'd miss me more if they could brag about how much they're skiing, but I guess Taos is just now getting their snow."

"Mmmm," she hummed, taking another sip. "Winter doesn't really get going around here until January, February. Then it's gone by April and it's desperately hot and we pray for winter again."

"That would have been good to know before we booked a plane to Taos."

"But then you wouldn't have decided to get on your new, vintage motorcycle-"

"And spin out-"

"And end up at my house."

I laughed. "Remind me to send Eloise some steak. She doesn't seem like a roses kind of gal."

I reached for my glass and took a swallow. I wasn't really a liquor kind of man, and when I did drink, I liked vodka or tequila, but the bourbon was smooth and didn't make me feel like I was choking. Besides, it was what Tori drank, so... when in Rome.

"So, everyone's out for the night, right?"

Tori nodded. "Kaya won't be home until morning. Nasaan is working, then hanging out with his friends. They get together and eat and game until all hours of the night. He'll sack out at Landon's and come home in the morning. I don't want to worry about him getting home in the middle of the night."

"So we're  two consenting adults, alone in the house again."

"That we are."

"And guess what I found?" I leaned away from her so I could dig into the pocket of my jeans. I pulled out a strip of foil packets.

Tori brightened as she reached for them, then ran the strip through her fingers, counting them. "You were planning on getting extremely lucky in Taos."

"Those were just in the bag, not specifically for this trip. I like to be ready. And they're not Magnums, but they fit fine."

She handed the strip back to me, a smirk on her lips. And then those lips were on mine.

If there's one thing I could say about Tori, she wasn't afraid to make the first move.  

I welcomed the softness of her lips and the taste of her, the scent of her, the feel of her. I didn't even consider leaving early when Eric suggested it. Somewhere between just wanting my bike fixed so I could get out of here, and this moment, I had decided that this place was as good a place as any to spend my vacation. Even if my bike were fixed tomorrow, I was in no hurry to leave Cloudcroft.

"Do you uhm..." Tori paused to inhale, a little short of breath after the wild, passionate kiss she'd just pulled back from. "Do you want to watch a movie, or something?"

"A movie? No."

I ran my palm up one thigh, under the hem of her pajama top. I reached the rise of her hip and the band of her panties and kept moving up until I held the weight of her breast in my hand. With my thumb, I rasped over a pert nipple.

"I mean, maybe later. But there's something else I want to watch. And it won't be on the TV."

"Oh? Well then there's the matter of where you want to watch. The couch is fine for a repeat performance, but..."

"I'd rather be in a bed," I suggested. "I know it's uh... exciting to experiment outside the bedroom but honestly... I'm older than I was the last time I had a good romp on the couch and it doesn't feel so good afterward."

Tori started to chuckle, but it turned to a belly laugh. Which made me laugh, but I had no idea what we were laughing at.

"Thank God you said that. I was trying to be young and sexy and flexible but... I'm... sore."

"We are a pair. Come on." I got up from the couch, grabbed the bottle of liquor and both glasses, then nodded at Tori. "Lead the way, honey."

I had the pleasure of walking up the steps behind her, her long legs disappearing under the hem of her top. Every time I'd been upstairs, the door to her bedroom had been closed so I hadn't even seen a glimpse of it before she turned the knob and swung the door open, then stepped aside so I could walk in.

"Wow. Woooow..."

I couldn't help but saying it, looking around the cozy, rustic room. The bed was made of thin plated steel with a cutout image of the mountains on the headboard and footboard. The furniture was unstained wood, the built-in stone fireplace in the corner held a low burning flame and the walls were painted a soothing dark beige. Colorful rugs covered the pine floors and the decor matched the thin metal plating in the bed frame- the lamps and a few wall pieces were made of the same material.

It was the kind of place that looked like it had been painstakingly put together to fit the specific desires of someone in particular.  

"Did you make this set?"

Tori laughed, taking the glasses and the bottle from me to set on one of the nightstands. "I'm good with a welding torch, but not this good. No, my grandfather made this set for him and his new bride when they first built this house. And, over the years he created the other pieces to match. I've always loved it; I used to lay in the bed with my grandmother and she would tell me stories about our people."

I ran my palm along the edge of the footboard and marveled at the skill. "Must have taken forever to get it perfect. I'm... kind of an artist myself. I mean, not just a music artist but an artist artist."

"Oh, yeah?"

Tori slid onto the bed, planting herself in the middle and beckoning to me to her. I'd almost forgotten why we'd come upstairs, but the site of that woman and the way her hair framed her face and her eyes and her come-hither smile reminded me. We had all the time in the world... until just before sunrise. I joined her on the bed, following her lead when she laid her head on a pillow.

"Tell me," she mumbled, scooting close to me, "about your... art."

I dipped my head to capture her lips in a kiss. "You really want to know about my art?"

She nodded, humming, "Oh yeah. I want to know all about your... art."

"Hmmm," I hummed in return. "We're not talking about the same kind of art, I think. Right now I want to see something."

"Oh?" Her eyebrows rose and she smiled. "What's that?"

"This thing." I tugged at her pajama top. "Off of your body. Immediately."

She tossed her head back and laughed into the air. "Why? I'm wearing it. It's keeping me warm."

"That's what I'm here for."

I moved a hand between us and began unbuttoning the top until it would open and pull away from her body. Underneath, she wore a bra that was black with burgundy lace overlay. Between her bra and her matching skimpy bikini panties was a landscape of smooth, flawless skin that begged for me to kiss every inch of it.

I leaned over her until she was on her back, the top splayed open and her body on display.

"You... you are beautiful," I whispered, before I lowered my head and dropped a kiss between her breasts, and then the swell of each of them at the point where they nearly burst out of the bra. I moved further down her body to her taut, firm belly and even further past her belly button to the mound hidden by soft fabric.

"I clean up nice," she replied, then moaned when I gently pushed her thighs apart.

My lips trailed slowly up her naked thighs and over her panties. I found her clit and nipped it through the fabric. Tori shivered in what I hoped was anticipation. Her flesh prickled with tiny goosebumps all over.

"You cold?" I whispered. She shook her head, her eyelids at half mast, watching me.

I rubbed my palms over her skin until I felt her relax, sinking into the mattress. Little by little, I pulled at the fabric until the thin satin briefs were at her knees. And then on the floor.

I didn't waste any time returning my attention to her. Her legs ended up over my shoulders and I lost myself in giving her the most pleasure I could possibly give her. Just like the night before, every moan, every roll of her hips and heave of her breasts made me want to drive her higher. And made me harder.

I stopped long enough to raise my head and ask, "You're not gonna make me stop, are you?"

"No," she panted, palming my head and pushing my face back where it had been. "I want you to make me come. And then come again. You think you're up for that?"

"Umph," was all I could say, because she thrust her pussy into my face and I dove back in.

I felt like I could go all night, so I teased her a little, slowing down, then speeding up to bring her to the brink of climax and then backing off again. Tori was not amused. Well, she pretended to not be amused. I had it on good authority, by how wet she was, that she was having the time of her life.

"You...fucking asshole!" She yelled, while laughing. "Make me come, God dammit!"

"Last night I got yelled at for saying fuck and Jesus in the same sentence."

"Well, I understand how that could happen, now. Please, oh my God..."

She threw herself back against the bed and writhed, working her hips with the rhythm of my tongue. I decided to take pity on her and put her out of her misery. I inserted one and then two fingers inside her and worked them in and out in the same rhythm.

"Holy... unh, fuck I'm... gah, shit!"

She inhaled sharply and stiffened, letting a ragged yelp rip from her throat, followed by another and another. I felt her pulse around my fingers- felt her entire body convulse in climax.

"Muh.... I can't... oh my God..."

She mumbled and murmured, coming down slowly. I worked my way back up her body until I reached her lips. I made sure she tasted herself on my mouth, on my tongue. Even though she was limp, Tori was still red-hot. The energy between us was like static electricity.

"You must think you're hot shit or something, Mr. I Don't Have Any Dust."

I laughed, then rolled to the left and laid on my side next to her, making sure to not lose contact with her body. I still wanted to feel her, to glide my hand up and down her belly, up and over her arms.

"I'm just saying. Now you see why I don't have any dust. Women line up at my door for that kind of treatment."

Tori howled. "Shut the entire fuck up, JC."

"You don't believe me?"

"No. I believe a lot of things about you," she said, sitting up, and then moving to straddle my hips, settling her body right where I wanted her to be. "But I don't believe that at all."

"Damn. I guess I'm not a very good liar."

"You aren't. You really aren't. But I'll tell you one thing you're good at."

"Besides crashing my bike in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yeah, besides that." She bent to kiss me. I grabbed a couple of handfuls of her breasts while she was close.  "You are good at fucking me. And I want you to do that right now."

"You think you're ready for me?"

"Jesus. I shouldn't have made that comment about Magnums. Now you're acting like Mr. Big Dick over here." She sat up and shoved a hand in a pocket of my jeans. "Where are the condoms, damnit?"

I'm not sure I've ever laughed so much during sex, but Tori was hilarious. I dug into the other pocket and pulled out the strip, handing them to her with what I was sure was a smug grin. "These?"

She snatched them from me and ripped one off of the strip, then tossed the strip onto the nightstand and started to rip the foil package open.

"Uh, you gotta bring me out first, honey."

"Oh." She handed me the condom and said, "Hold this", then went at my jeans like a woman on a mission. I was partial to button fly, so she had to actually put work in to open them. Once they were loose, I raised my hips so I could push them down and kick them off.

Tori took one glance at me and a devilish grin bent her lips. "You dirty boy. You weren't wearing any underwear."

"I uh.... need to borrow your washing machine. I have two day's worth of clothes with me and I have worn both days."

"You should have said something. I'll take care of you. Just make sure I get them and I'll wash them for you." She bent to kiss me, a soft touch against my lips. Her hair fell in a dark curtain around our faces. "It's fine to ask me for help, JC."

"I know. I'm just... I'm putting you out so much already."

"You're not putting me out at all," she said, shaking her head. "Right now, right this very second, I don't mind you being here. You have that condom handy?"

I grinned, holding it up. She took it and scooted back so she could get a good angle. I closed my eyes, preferring to feel and not watch, but without even looking, I knew I was rock hard and throbbing, aching for something- someone.

Her hands-  long fingers, delicate touch, warm palms stroked my flesh, stirring me into even more of a frenzy until I was fully erect. And then the warm wetness of her mouth took me in, releasing me, swirling her tongue around the tip and then going deep again, sucking me in with rhythmic pulses.

"You dirty girl. You are so good at this."

She chuckled, as well as she could anyway, with me in her mouth. After a few more strokes, she pulled off. I felt the coolness of the air, then heard the package wrapper and then the sensation of thin latex slowly rolling over me.

"Is it good? You want to check?"

I slid my palm up and down my shaft, testing the fit and the application. "Well done. You're good at that, too."

"I like that part," she said, smiling down at me.

"Are you seriously not going to take that ugly shirt off?" I asked, laughing while tugging at the sleeves of that pajama top.

"It's not ugly, asshole."

"It is. It comes off." She sighed, like I was seriously putting her out and shrugged out of the shirt. "Throw it over there. I don't want to see it again tonight."

She did ask I asked, tossing the shirt so it draped over the TV on top of the dresser. "There. Happy?"

"So happy," I answered, then sat up and pushed until her back was flat against the mattress. I gripped her legs and put them back over my shoulders, positioned myself and arched my hips forward. Unlike the night before, Tori was relaxed and very, very wet- I'd made sure of that. I sank until she was full of me.

At the same time, we both exhaled.

Then laughed.

"I guess we were both anticipating that moment."

"Since... last night, really." I began a slow rock of my hips against her, not trying to pound her into oblivion but grind her to an amazing climax.

"I wish we... would have had time... for a second round last night."

"It's okay. We're making up for it tonight."

"In a bed. With lots more time."

"Mmmph." I lowered my lips to hers while we rocked our bodies against one another in steady rhythm.

"I'm... not sure... if you realize... fuck... how good this feels."

"I'm pretty sure I do, honey. I'm the one that doesn't have any dust."

Her laughter came from low in her throat. Her half closed eyes focused on mine, then she said, "Officially, I don't either. Anymore."

She wrapped a hand around each of my biceps and moved her limbs to lock her thighs around mine, speeding up our rhythm with her hips until we were crashing into each other, the sound of skin meeting sweaty skin and groans of pleasure filling the room.

"You comin'?" I panted, trying to moderate my pace so I didn't go before her. I thought a man was a punk if he came before his girl.

"Yes... yes... yes, oh fuck, yes I'm coming...." Her thighs clenched even tighter around me and her nails dug into my skin. I was focused on her face, how her skin flushed a deep red and her expression changed as she watched me watch her come.

Heady. That was amazing.

With a sigh of relief, I let myself go right behind her.