Chapter 1

The gallery's clock skipped over another minute and Alissa Clayborn tried not let the pain in her gut consume her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and picked up her purse. Her fingers dipped inside and she dug out her cell phone. Chewing on her lip, she dialed his number. Her fingers hovered over the call button.

"You'll look desperate," a voice whispered behind her.

She closed her eyes and felt her stomach lurch. Alissa turned around and stood up. Her lips trembled as she reached out and touched his face. "Quint?"

"Hey," Quinton Maloy pulled her cell phone from her hand and turned it off. "I'm sorry I'm late. There were problems at work and then the car decided it didn't want to cooperate. I apologize."

Alissa swallowed the lump in her throat. "It's okay." Her hand began to fall from his face, but was quickly captured in his grasp. She watched him lick the pulse that beat under her fragile skin.

"Good," he told her. "Are you ready to go? Or is there more of the River Gallery you would like to see?" He walked around the small bench that separated them and placed her palm in his. He squeezed her hand, still not quite believing she was there.

"No, there is no more I wish to see."

"Good."

He led her outside. The time now approached 4:30 and the Gallery and was about to close. He'd arrived in a cab and it sat idling in a parking spot in front of the Museum. "Walk or ride?" he asked her.

"You decide. You know where we are going."

He paid the driver, thanking him for his time and then he aimed them to the North and began their walk toward the small coffee shop at the corner. "What did they say?" he asked her.

Alissa took a deep breath. "They told me I was stupid. You were too young for me. I was taking a risk meeting you... "

"Aren't you?"

"Aren't I what? Taking a risk? Or too old for you?" she asked.

They continued walking as he answered her question. "Both." "I thought I was too old for you, until I realized that with you I felt young. Am I taking a risk? Yes, but after living my life the way I was expected to, I think it is time I took some risks," she told him.

Quint agreed; he opened the door to the Independence Coffee Company and followed her inside, letting the shop door close quietly behind them. He pointed out a table, placed his hand on the small of her back and together they wove their way between tables and customers.

They sat down. Quinton's hand still held hers and he refused to let her go. If he did, he was sure she'd disappear. He stared at her, watching her blush and then shook his head in awe. "You're amazing."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head in disagreement. "You're a goof."

"Alissa, why did you finally leave?" he asked.

She took a calming breath and stared at him. "I couldn't continue living the way I was. I couldn't hide the fact that when I had to go weeks without hearing your voice I would fall into this pit of depression that only you could pull me out of. I told myself that I had to come. The 'what ifs' piled up and I couldn't push them away any more."

"What ifs?"

"You know. What if you died? What if I died? What if you just disappeared and found someone else when I was the one you were supposed to be with? What if... "

"I'm glad they piled up," he told her.

Their coffee came and they sipped at it until it cooled. In that time they both spoke of how they had first met. Each one remembered how they pursued the other through Instant Messages and hours of conversations. The first night they spoke on the phone, he'd made her body hum in pleasure for more than six hours. They had taken breaks, allowing her time to rest and enjoy discussions about things they had in common. During that time, they both agreed it was a friendship and nothing more.

"When did you know?" he asked her.

"Know?"

"When did you know you loved me?"

"When you said my name."

"Huh? I don't understand," he told her.

She finished her coffee and placed her hands in her lap. "Whenever we 'play' on the phone, you called me your pet, or your slut. I enjoy that. I hope we will enjoy that this Summer, but when you said my name the first time. When you called me Alissa during one of our slow, love making sessions and not my nickname Allie, I knew I was in love with you. I cried that night."

"I know. I remember."

Her lips rose in a smile. He took her chin in his fingers and leaned over the table. His lips touched hers and she sighed against them. Quint took a sample. "We should go," he whispered against her mouth.

"Yes, we should."

They got up and left the coffee house. He again kept her hand in his and they headed down the block, this time rounding a corner and arriving at a park. "You'll love this place," he told her.

"When did you know?" she asked.

"When I had to go home for Christmas and I had no access to you. No online service and no phone calls. I thought about you every day. I could hear your voice. Your giggle. I could hear you breathing in my ear. I knew I was lost. I couldn't wait to get back to school, so I could get online and write you. I couldn't wait to call you on the phone and talk to you again."

"Now?"

"Alissa, having you here with me for the next two months is going to be a mixture of Heaven and Hell. Heaven because you and I will be able to do wonderful things together. We'll be able to have our time. Hell because I know you'll leave... you are leaving, aren't you, Alissa?"

She took a deep breath and spied a bench. They sat down and she turned to him. "Quinton. I can't stay. I was only able to come here for the summer because I made arrangements for the kids to stay with their dad. This is the first time, I'm putting myself first, in over fifteen years. I still feel guilty."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I'm not there. I mean, I've always been there. I've been there for every game, every performance and every tear."

"What about him."

"He's not been; that is the only reason my guilt isn't consuming me to the point of going home right now to check on them."

Quinton touched her cheek. "I'd leave if I could. I'd relocate if I could. I've got this semester and I'm done and then I've got a job lined up with a Studio here."

"I know. I never asked you to move. You're not going to make it in acting by performing at The Embassy in my little town."

His fingers pushed through her hair and he pulled her closer to him. "Let's stop this. We both have jobs and responsibilities, but right now, for the next eight weeks, we have each other."

They kissed. Their lips pressed together and their tongues slowly slid back and forth. They angled their heads and dove deeper. Her fingers clutched his shirt and his knotted in her hair. She could feel her skin flame up and her stomach knot. He felt his veins flow hot through his skin and his body tingle in anticipation. Their kiss ended and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go back to my place. My roommates are gone for the Summer, so the place is mine. You didn't get a hotel did you?"

She smiled softly. "No. I knew I wouldn't need one."

A satisfied smirk rose up from his lips and he chuckled. "Good thing."

They sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the setting sun. He called the local cab company and within fifteen minutes the driver he'd dismissed earlier was back and they were snuggled together in the rear seat of the taxi. Alissa giggled.

"What?" Quinton asked her.

"I was just thinking of all those conversations we had about playing in public and in cars. Look at us now. We're such chickens."

He laughed. "I know. We played out some wicked fantasies didn't we."

"Yes." She turned to look at him and kissed his lips. "I want to act out some of them."

His hand moved down her neck and over her arm. "We will."

Soon the cab arrived at Quinton's house; he held Alissa's hand as they walked up the steps and across the small porch. Once they reached the door, he pulled her to him. "Remember our biggest fantasy?" he asked, tucking several strands of her hair behind her ear.

She tilted her head as she tried to recall the one they'd relived many times over the course of ten months.

He grinned and traced her lips. "You always asked, 'What would I do if you knocked on the door and I opened it to see you standing there?' Remember?"

"Ah, yes I do. We talked about you sweeping me into your arms and making love to me. We said we'd just go at each other like animals. We also said that you'd just drag me to your bedroom, tie me down and fuck me senseless."

Quinton chuckled. "Well... you didn't surprise me, but I think over the next couple months we'll do all of that." He pulled her tight and tickled the roof of her mouth with his tongue. He released her and opened the door to his home. "I'll give you the grand tour, if you like."

"No. I just want you."

The door closed behind her and he pressed her back against it. His mouth descended to hers and their lips once more became anchored to each other. His tongue came out in search of its dancing partner. He angled her head and pushed against her. Quinton felt her fingers slide between their bodies and up to his shoulders, then into his hair, where she twisted the short brown strands. She breathed in his scent as he did hers. His hands moved down her arms and to her waist. Pulling her shirt from her shorts; he cursed at the fabric when he realized it wouldn't cooperate for him.

"Alissa, this summer, promise me two things," he told her as his mouth rested near her ear.

"Anything," she muttered. Her hands moved to his shoulders and she leaned her head to the right, offering him more of her neck.

"No shorts or pants and no button shirts."

She giggled. He groaned and stepped back. "This is a cute shirt. How much do you like it?"

Her face took on a confused expression. "It's nothing special just a -."

He tore the buttons free, ripping fabric and thread. She laughed and threw her head back. He stopped and listened for a moment. She noticed and looked at him. They were similar in height. He topped her by only a couple of inches, though in age she was nine years. She blinked at the look of adoration on his face and pulled his mouth back to hers. "Will I ever get enough?" she thought to herself.

Quinton's palms moved down her ribs, causing her to jerk. He locked the knowledge inside, promising to use it later. His mouth captured her right ear lobe, while her nails trailed down his chest to his T-shirt. She ran her fingers up his chest and played with the sparse coating of hair that lay hidden under the cotton.

"I can't tear this off you," she whispered out in a breathy moan.

He chuckled and stepped away, pulling his shirt off and tossing it to the side. She smiled; her fingers danced their way back up his body. He shivered at her touch and moved his hands to her bra straps. "Oh, another promise. These aren't necessary, are they?"

She giggled. "Not all the time, but sometimes yes."

He grinned. "Not in this house."

"Deal," she answered.

He eased the straps down and spun her around, pressing her chest against the door. "Allie I've wanted to fuck you like this for so long."

She looked over her shoulder. "Do it." Her eyes reinforced the words and she watched his tongue come out to moisten his lips.

"Don't move," he ordered.

A thrill ran through her as she watched him move away. She turned her head back to the door and listened to him strip off his clothes. Her hands went to her shorts and she released the button and zipper. A firm commanding swat on her ass, followed by a deep "I said, don't move" filled her ears and sent another thrill through her.

She placed one hand on the door, the other on the door knob and tried to calm the heat that was flowing through her system. She felt his breath against her back and the wet tip of his tongue trail down her spine. His fingers released the clasp of her bra and his hands pushed away the material.

"Step back a bit," he whispered against her ear. She did and her bra was slid off her torso. Her breasts swayed and he moved up behind her, cupped and lifted them. His mouth caressed her shoulders and his fingers teased her nipples.

"Alissa, you've wanted this haven't you?" he asked, grinding his naked cock against her short clad rear.

"Yes," she answered.

His hands squeezed and massaged the full globes and then released them to slide down her stomach. Quinton reached her waist band and wedged his fingers between the shorts and her warm skin. He pulled on the cloth and bent down at the knee as he slid them away from her flesh. He exposed her white panties and trailed his fingers up her legs as he went toward the round ass cheeks to expose those too.

Alissa felt his tongue slide over both cheeks as he pulled the white satin down and lifted her feet from both her sandals and her clothing Alissa stood still. Her breasts pushed against the door and his hands moved up her legs as did his mouth. Bites and sucks were placed upon her lightly freckled skin. She felt him nudge her legs and she spread them. "Quinton," she gasped. His tongue slid higher and she felt her juices slip from her sex. His breath caressed her and she trembled with need. "Please," she whispered.

Quint thought back to all the times he heard her whisper "please" to him over the phone. He smiled. Her voice never sounded so sweet as it did now in real life. He pushed his tongue between the glistening wet lips and tasted her for the first time. The taste was intense, raw and full of life. He was lost to it and pushed his tongue in for more.

"Oh God," she growled out and banged her fist against the door.

Quinton eased his mouth from her sex and spoke to her, though his face never left her sex. "Alissa, I have only imagined your taste, only could imagine your scent. For ten months I've imagined drinking you. I don't think I will ever get enough."

He opened her legs further and began licking her pussy up and down, drinking her fluids as they emptied out for him. "More Allie. Oh God baby, give me more."

Alissa heard his words and she melted against him. Her sex throbbed and she shivered as his breath, lips, tongue and teeth made love to her. Her hand grabbed the door knob as she turned her head back and forth against the wooden barrier. She whimpered and pleaded with him to not stop and to make her come. When he impaled her with two fingers and his tongue she shook violently and came all over his features.

Quinton's cock jerked and his come shot from his dick. He thought nothing of it, lost in the woman whom he hungered for. He drank her nectar and begged for more. She came again for him and Quinton was there to drink his fill, though deep inside him, he knew he had been right, it would never be enough.