Late Night Date Night - 7: Place and Press (Patreon)

(A/N - This story’s last installment is the first use of our 18+ designation. How fitting. 😏 Please be advised the following chapter contains explicit sexual content.)

Something brought Jerome out of a deep sleep. With a pleasant jolt, he realized it was Hollis’s foot. She had turned onto her stomach at some point and neatly settled her foot across the top of his ankle. It sent a thrill of wildfire along his nerves.

He savored this peaceful moment, simply enjoying the warm presence of the woman beside him. Hollis’s even breathing spoke of a trust that filled him with both joy and protectiveness. She wasn’t his girlfriend—they weren’t even dating—but her choice to sleep in the same bed, to affirm their mutual attraction…how could he be awake since it still felt like a dream?

Jerome turned to look at her. He saw nothing but black. Strange. He blinked, then lifted his head to look for the small light he always left on in the kitchen. Nothing. He cursed quietly.

He felt Hollis jerk beside him, as if part of her was always poised to shoot awake. “What is it?” Even groggy, her words held an edge of anxiety.

“Power’s out. Can’t see a thing. I mean nothing.”

“What?” Her tone shifted, suddenly becoming both alert and fearful.

“It’s okay. Just surprised me ‘cause it’s so dark. Street lights are out too.”

“Jerome,” she said. It was ragged, almost a warning.

“It’s okay,” he repeated, though something in her manner was affecting him too. It was completely dark. Shouldn’t his eyes have adjusted? He started to shift out from under the blankets. “I have a flashlight in the—”

What happened next took him by absolute surprise.

He felt hands on his shoulders…the sense of a lithe body shifting halfway on top of him, pressing him deeper into the mattress. He could hear Hollis’s rapid breathing. It sounded like someone in a panic…or in the grip of intense emotion.

“Hollis—”

Her lips silenced him. His mouth opened in surprise and her tongue met his; she tasted wild and alive. A lightning bolt flashed behind his eyes. Something was off here, he was missing some vital context, but her vivid presence made it impossible to focus.

Hollis’s hands ran through his hair. There was a shaking intensity to it, as if fueled by an undercurrent of fear. Why would she be scared? He tried to understand even as the movement of her lips dulled his thoughts. Slowly the erratic edge faded, and the grip of her fingers loosened. Her kisses transformed into feather-light contacts against his still-parted mouth.

If someone isn’t there to keep an eye on me, I’ll fly right off the face of the earth.

His words from earlier rushed back, spurred by…what? Not the gentle touch of Hollis’s mouth, ephemeral and achingly sweet. No, it was her fingers, still trembling against his scalp, telegraphing a quiet desperation within her. Someone trying to hold on.

Following his instincts, Jerome reached up and carefully brought his arms around her. She froze, lips millimeters above his. One hand slowly spread over the gentle curve of a shoulder blade, and the other caressed her lower back. Not pulling her tight, or making demands, but simply holding on. Anchoring her.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered.

Her breath caught. Then, on the softest sigh, she answered, “Don’t let go.”

“I won’t.”

The feel of her palms on his head lessened. Slowly her hands drifted lower, whispering past his cheek, his ear. Settling on his shoulders. Her fingers began to move in a new way, a tentative exploration. He felt one of her thumbs stroke the delicate skin just underneath the neck of his T-shirt and it drew a rough exhale from him. The shared intimacy hung between them, a second stretched to a sublime eternity.

And then Hollis lowered her head and kissed him again, and this time there was nothing unsteady in it. She branded him with quiet desperation, communicating a world of desire with the movement of her lips against his. It was like closing a circuit. Jerome’s arousal skyrocketed past any semblance of control. He returned her kisses without holding back, matching her passion until need crackled between them like electricity.

Hollis whimpered and Jerome took the opportunity to flick his tongue against hers. The whimper became a moan as she deepened the kiss. Her hands slid up his neck and fisted into the pillow beneath them. She pulled her body hard against his chest. The dueling sensations of her breasts and her tongue wrenched a deep groan from his diaphragm. He broke the kiss to run his lips along her jaw, then nuzzled upward to lick the sensitive skin below her ear.

“Oh God,” she gasped, “Jerome…”

He reclaimed her mouth and they kissed even more recklessly. She captured his bottom lip in her teeth before diving down. He felt her tongue at the base of his throat. It was his turn to gasp. The sound seemed to spur her, bringing down another barrier of restraint. She splayed her hands against his chest and pushed herself upright, almost springing out from under his arms.

“Hollis?” was all he managed before her next move stole all coherent words from his mind. Below his bunched-up shirt he felt her naked thigh slide against his stomach as she frantically moved to sit astride him. His hands immediately grabbed her hips as she settled, her breath harsh with adrenaline.

“I’m sorry,” she said, the words whispery and sibilant. Before he could reply, she pushed against his chest, sliding herself back until she nudged against his painfully hard erection. She shuddered, then raised up on her knees and wiggled her hips, placing the juncture of her thighs over his length. She spread her legs further, pressing him deep against the material of her panties. She was hot, damp. They both moaned at the exquisite sensation.

“I know we shouldn’t,” Hollis whispered.

All Jerome could do was reach up and trail trembling fingers against her kiss-swollen lips. She shuddered again, then started to move, rubbing herself against him in an instinctive, primal rhythm.

“I know we shouldn’t,” she repeated, the phrase ending with a soft cry of pleasure. He felt her sharp exhale across his fingers. There was no restraint after that. He returned to grab both hips as Hollis’s words became a mantra, repeated over and over in a breathless tone as his thumbs found the inner edge of her panties and his hands pulled her harder against him.

They strained against each other in the dark, whipped into a frenzy by the unrestrained wantoness of their mutual desire. She ran her hands up under his shirt, sliding her palms through his chest hair. He wanted to respond in kind, to hold her magnificent breasts and play with her hard nipples, but she was close and he desperately wanted to hear her cum before her movements sent him over the edge.

Keeping one hand against her hip, he slid the other over, swiping his thumb below the silken warmth of her panties. He sought out the top of her cleft even as she continued to rock against him, driving towards orgasm.

“We shouldn’t …we shouldnnnn’t…” Her words melted into a long keening moan as his thumb located her clit and circled it. Once, twice, three times. With a final cry, Hollis came undone. She fell forward into his arms, shaking in pleasure as her climax took her, gasping sharp hot breaths against his neck. Jerome followed right after with a loud groan, the sheer sensuality of her body and voice sending waves of bliss cascading through his frame.

They lay in a disheveled sprawl for more than a minute, catching their breaths. That had been, Jerome realized bewilderingly, the single most erotic experience of his life. He wanted to stay there forever, but certain…messy realities had to be dealt with. He turned and kissed her temple. “I, uh, need to clean up,” he said with rueful humor.

He gently rolled her onto her side and slid out of bed. By the time he pulled a pair of sleep shorts out of his dresser and started towards the bathroom, he realized the light in the kitchen was once again casting a soft glow over the space. The power must have come back while they’d been lost in each other.

After cleaning up, he hesitated upon approaching the bed. Hollis was still on her side where he had left her, her slim arms arms poking out from below the blanket. He could just make out the slow flexing of her fists, and guessed at what was causing it. He hesitated, knowing what she needed to hear, but not wanting to undermine what had just happened. He watched her fists clench again, and that sign of anxiety made the decision for him.

He padded over and sank to his knees next to the bed. Reaching up, he caught her hands in his own and gently clasped her fingers as if stopping them from clenching could somehow ease the tension inside her.

“Hey,” he said softly. She grew very still. He wet his lips, and spoke from the heart. “That was…astonishing. It was wonderful. I hope it meant as much to you as it did to me.” He gently squeezed her hands. “But it doesn’t alter what we talked about. The situation between us…it only changes when you decide. If you decide to tell me you’re ready. Okay, Holli?”

“Hollis.” Her tone wasn’t accusatory. In fact, her hands had lightly squeezed his when he’d shortened her name without thinking. That instinctive endearment had meant something. But now wasn’t the time.

“Hollis,” he affirmed. “Are you feeling better now? I can sleep on the—”

“No.” She spoke without hesitation.

Suddenly Hollis was pulling him back to bed, and he eagerly slid underneath the blankets where it was warm and welcoming. Their legs twined together, a communication of hearts and bodies to replace the words that couldn’t be spoken.

“Thank you,” she said, her tone so grateful that he felt a wave of profound tenderness for this amazing woman. Such an unusual combination of strength and vulnerability.

She shifted towards him suddenly, curling up against his chest. His arm instinctively went around her, pulling her close. They snuggled together, finding what felt like the perfect fit. It was bliss.

“We’ll pretend,” she mumbled, sleep already pulling her down. “Just until we wake up, we’ll pretend I’m ready.”

His only answer was to squeeze her tighter. She made a small noise of contentment and was soon breathing gently. Jerome marveled that he was here in this moment. He wanted to enjoy every second, but drowsiness and the reassuring feel of Hollis quickly dragged him towards his own contented sleep. Maybe they could have a deeper conversation in the morning.

Hours later, when he finally stirred from a deep and dreamless slumber, she was gone.

(A/N - And so concludes Jerome and Hollis’s late night adventure. An ending of sorts if you don’t mind a bittersweet flavor. There’s no HEA or HFN, because their story wasn’t over, but I hope you enjoyed reading about this first connection between a lonely guy and a lost girl.

In a few days I’ll post an afterword talking about the concept behind this story, its original scope—which was epic—and the challenges that emerged while I was writing it. I’ll also shed some light on where it would have gone next. Thanks for coming on this journey with me!)