Chapter 47

"You wore a skirt today," Danny said as he knelt between Devlin's legs. "It's hot enough today I thought you'd wear shorts."

"I didn't want to wear shorts to class," Devlin replied. She grasped his cock and began rubbing it up and down her sex. "And it is 95° out there right now."

"With humidity to match. Tell me about it." He felt her position him at her entrance and pushed. He inhaled sharply as he slid into her depths. "Ah, that's good."

Devlin watched his face. She liked that fleeting moment of pleasure she saw on his face when he first entered her. She'd been looking forward to their get together all day, and she was wet enough he could sheath his length in her with his first thrust.

"Why a skirt and jeans?" he asked as he shifted his weight and braced himself on his hands.

"Because my jeans are in the wash."

"That makes sense?" He started moving, sliding his delicious hardness in and out of her while lifting slightly. It rubbed all of the sensitive nerves in the first couple of inches of her channel.

She closed her eyes, suddenly so aware of every touch down there. "Um, that's good," she murmured.

"Why a skirt and not shorts?"

"Huh? Oh... A skirt..." She swallowed. He'd stopped moving, waiting for her answer. She had to focus, remembering what the conversation was about. "Uh, air can get up between my legs in a skirt. That's not always the case with shorts." She began to push back against him. She could feel his balls rubbing against her bottom.

"Why not a dress?"

"Because a dress is more formal than a skirt, and I didn't feel like dressing up that much."

"You like things between your legs, don't you. Always have."

"Only some things, like what's there right now."

He said something else, but she wasn't listening. He'd started moving when she'd answered, and his last thrust had just brushed her cervix, jolting her. She lifted her legs so he could get deep enough to do it again.

"I thought you had a casual dress," he said after a few more thrusts.

"Uhhh. I... uh... skirts..." She paused as a wave of heat pushed out of her womb, filling her. It wasn't a climax, not quite, but it felt damned close.

"I do... uh... damn that's good... ah... but... ah, don't stop, keep doing that."

"Legs?"

"Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"You're talking too much."

He got the hint and applied himself. She kissed him, a hot, wild kiss that tried to go right through her, but was blocked from escaping by his cock.

He shifted, sending another jolt of feeling through her. She was close, so close, and it wasn't going to take much to send her over the top.

He began to make little noises, grunts of effort and sighs of pleasure. She matched him, her eyes closed, lost in the sheer pleasure of their joining. It was so much more fun when the guy sounded like he was enjoying himself.

He pulled out suddenly, breathing hard as he fought for control. Devlin smiled up at him, noting the beads of sweat along his hairline. She'd wanted him to continue, but it was nice he'd pulled out, too. That meant he wanted this to last longer.

His cock hovered over her tummy, dark red and covered with her wetness. The hole in the tip of his glans was dark with promise. She could almost picture his white jism spurting out of it.

He took himself in hand and plunged back into her, making her whole body quiver. Another thrust... he pulled all of the way out before going all of the way back in. Her body shook from the impact. Wave after wave of heat flashed through her as he kept doing this. Each one pushed her higher. Each one drew her out tighter and tighter. There was nothing now, except the raw energy rising up inside her, and his body stoking the flames.

She teetered on the edge, wanting it, not wanting it, trying to make it happen at the same time as she tried to fight it off. Danny was unrelenting, thrusting all of the way home, touching her cervix time after time, winding her up until it was too much and it all let loose in one incredible wave of pure feeling.

She soared, held in place by his arms and body, soared as every bit of energy flashed through her, soared as her whole body contracted around its welcome intruder.

She floated out, relaxing in his arms as the last of her urgency washed away. She was spent, drifting on the moment, totally relaxed.

Danny began to move faster, his body slapping against hers, his balls bouncing against her bottom, filling her, as he moved to his own peak. She felt him rise, stiffening, his cock incredibly hard as it levered her open with thrust after thrust. And then he was there, his whole body tense. She felt his tummy quake; as he stopped. She felt repeated feather light touches deep within her as his spurts filled her. He made a few little thrusts, more to keep the moment going than for anything else.

Finally he slumped, spent by his effort.

They nuzzled against each other, awash in the pleasures of the moment. They traded little kisses, minor touches as their hearts slowed in unison.

"That was just as good as always," Devlin murmured when she felt fully recovered. Oh, she knew she wasn't. He was still inside her, and she loved that feeling. There were times she playfully considered inserting her small dildo--it would fit entirely inside her--and walking around all day just for the pleasure of feeling it. She'd done that a few times with her Ben Wa balls; each time her panties got so soaked she'd gone to the store and bought new ones.

"I don't have time for another round," Danny said. He hadn't moved, which told her he was speaking the truth. He wanted to prolong their joining as much as he could.

"Sadly, neither do I. I'm picking Krissi and Steve up in a little while."

"Are you really going to drive all of the way to Des Moines? What about your Friday classes?"

"I've already cleared it with my professors and my project team." She grinned, running her hands over his shoulders and back. "The women instructors understood. I think the men did, too."

"And you'll be back on Tuesday?"

"Late Monday night, actually. They have a day game on Monday, and we'll be leaving after the game. We should be back in town by 11:00 p, m."

"And you want to get together on Tuesday?"

"You'll be ready for me, and, frankly, I'll probably want it just as much as you."

"You and Evan aren't going to sleep together?"

She shook her head. "I think I made a mistake that way with Jeff. Let's see how this goes with Evan."

"You want to, though, don't you."

She nodded. "Most of my relations with guys have been in bed. I'm not saying that's good or bad." She clenched her tummy muscles and saw the reaction in his eyes. "There have definitely been some positives to doing it."

"You just like cock."

"Guilty as charged. Most women do. We're supposed to deny it, of course, but that's because of social pressure." She grimaced. "My roommate has discovered some group here in town that practices mindless sex."

"Orgies? Like at Tim and Emma's?"

"Not quite. She doesn't know the names of the guys. That's not the case at Emma and Tim's. One is just animal sex, the other is a lifestyle."

"Some might not see the distinction, though there is one." He shifted slightly and his cock slid out of her. He rolled off of her, pulling her in close to snuggle.

She sighted happily as his arms went about her. There was nothing quite like snuggling after sex.

"She came back Sunday morning," Devlin said after a moment. "She wanted me to join her."

"You women are always seeking validation for whatever you do."

"What can I say, it's a girl thing. I didn't tell her what I'd been up to the night before."

"Was there a party at Tim and Emma's?"

"Yup. And I'd rather she didn't know, either. Sunday night I heard a couple of girls just slamming her. She wasn't present, of course, and I don't think they knew I was there, either. But they were cutting her to pieces. Everything, grooming, study habits, clothes--they took repeated digs at the inserts she uses now--but most of all her morals. Alley cat and slut were the two nicest things they said."

"Women can be so vicious with each other."

She shrugged. "It's the way we are. More teenage girls would have sex, except for what the other girls would say about them. That can be a bigger deterrent than parents."

"It didn't stop you."

"Because I successfully kept my private life private. With your help, mind you."

"And Mrs. Witherspoon. She finally gave up trying to catch us."

Devlin nodded. "I hated it at the time, but in retrospect she helped my reputation more than I could imagine. I think she's convinced that our relationship was all proper and respectable."

"Instead of hot and sweaty."

"Yeah, real hot and sweaty."

"Thank God for air conditioning." He thought a bit. "Could we make it early on Tuesday? I have meetings starting at 9:00, and they'll run all day. I may even end up on the golf course with these people."

"I didn't know you played golf."

He grimaced. "I don't, but I bought a set of clubs and got some instruction. Too many of these corporate people do business on the golf course."

She rolled over and reached down to cup his ass. "Poor Danny. And what would you rather be doing?"

He fondled her breast. "Guess."

Laughing, she slapped his hand away. "It's nice to know some things don't change.

He caressed her while his mouth descended on her breasts. Her nipples, still tight from earlier, responded by standing up straight.

"It's too bad we don't have time to finish this," he said, dropping a kiss on her lips. "It feels like you're primed and ready to go again."

She pushed him away, but reluctantly. "I am, but it can wait." She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "A year ago I'd have said 'damn the consequences'."

"And I would have agreed with you." He sighed and swung his feet off the bed. "We'd better get cleaned up."

"What time Tuesday?" she asked. "How early?"

"I can be in town a little before 7:00. Say... here? 7:00?"

"Let's plan on it. Now hurry up and get that shower started."

They showered quickly, little more than a rinse to get rid of the smell of sex. As Devlin dressed she thought back to what Danny had said a little earlier.

"Why are you obsessing about skirts again?"

"What? Oh, it's hot outside and I saw a lot of skirts out there today." He stopped in front of the mirror to put on his tie. "Anyway," he continued as she opened her mouth to say something, "I got flashed."

"Flashed?"

"There's a gal at the office who works in the Loan Department. She was sitting at a table in the cafeteria this morning reading the paper. When she turned to get up I could see why she wasn't showing any visible panty line: she wasn't wearing any."

"You're sure?"

"I could see all the way up her skirt. She has dark brown pubic hair. She has blonde hair and eyebrows, by the way."

"I've gone without panties a few times," Devlin said. She'd pinned up her hair for the shower so it wouldn't get wet. Now she let it down and brushed it out. "Sometimes you don't want to ruin the line of the clothes, and if you don't own a thong, going without is the only alternative. You just have to be a little more careful."

"Don't you feel more... undressed when you do that?"

She nodded. "That's part of the excitement. Clothes can be more than a covering. It's a statement about who you are, and how you view yourself, and most girls will push the limits for the right look."

"In a few years my girls will be making some of those choices." He picked up his jacket and briefcase. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"You can't stop it."

"I know. Ready?"

"Just about." She caught his eye and lifted the hem of her skirt.

"It's not the same," he said, smiling. "I appreciate the view, but I've already seen them."

"And you've seen what they're covering."

"True."

"Anyway," she said as she dropped the hem, "it's the thought, something to look forward to next week."

"I will."

They rode down the elevator in silence. Devlin got out on the second floor. Danny would be going the rest of the way to the basement. He had some door he went out down there that let out into a parking garage that required a key card to enter.

She dropped a couple of things off in her cubicle before braving the heat. It felt like opening an oven, and she headed for the shade as fast as she could as the heat washed around her. This was one of the things about living in the Midwest that she didn't like. She'd looked up the temperature in Key West earlier in the day: expected high of 82°. She could get used to that.

She saw one of the girls from her economics class, and fell in step with her. Cheryl took a sniff. "What are you wearing, Devlin. It smells like you just took a shower."

"It's this body wash my mother found," Devlin said. She saw the car from the other night parked at the curb; there was a dark-haired woman sitting at the wheel reading a newspaper. "It keeps you smelling like you're fresh from a shower all day. I'll bring some to class."

"It smells great, and these days I'd love to smell like something other than grungy sweat."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Devlin plucked at her blouse. "My clothes go splat when I drop them on the floor."

"I wonder what the cost benefit ratio between electricity for air conditioning and water usage from having to constantly wash your clothes is?" Cheryl asked.

"That sounds like one of those things that would take years to research fully," Devlin said. "Coal-fired power plants vs. water from rivers or lakes. And electricity for the washers and dryers."

"And don't forget pollution and legal costs," Cheryl said. "I was looking for a solo project. This might be it."

"Good luck," Devlin said, laughing. "I don't know how you're going to measure comfort levels."

"I don't either. Hmm, fresh clothes or dry skin. Now that's one of those choices I don't think anyone has the math to describe."

"Keep it simple," Devlin said. "I chose to wear a blouse today because it's looser than something like the tank you're wearing. How do you factor in that?"

"Market forces," Cheryl replied. "I've seen more tanks than blouses. A lot more people made the decision my way than your way, though your blouse does look cooler."

"Part of it is my figure," Devlin said. "A tank top emphasizes my bust, and a blouse doesn't."

"Okay," Cheryl said, nodding, "that would be hard to factor. I'd have to get average bust size from you..."

"36B," Devlin said. "It used to be 34B, but there's been an increase in size in the last 20 years. I haven't heard any complaints from guys about this, either."

"Nor would you." She whistled. "How did you arrive at this number?"

"Those are the sizes that sell," Devlin said. "We based this on the average bra for day-to-day wear, not the really fancy ones."

"The kind a woman wears for comfort," Cheryl said, "gotcha."

"We have a sales and licensing agreement with a company in Japan, and they've noticed the same thing. They attribute it to better nutrition. They say women's sizes have increased in the last 50 years, but it's not fat, it's all in proportion."

"I can see that. I may be hitting you up for some references."

"I'll see what I have. If nothing else I can give you our annual report on sales by sizes."

Cheryl smiled. "That must make interesting reading. The fashion industry probably ignores it."

"I think they ignore anything larger than 32AAA. They certainly do their best to ignore girls my size."

"And mine." She waved. "See you later."

They parted at the entrance to the dorm. Cheryl, Devlin knew, had a German class. She had to pick up her overnight bag.

Krissi opened the door at the first knock. She was already packed and had her sweater in hand. She was wearing her light blue floral 'granny dress', though she was also carrying a dress bag. After a quick hug she held Devlin at arm's length.

"I smell Danny on you."

"Really? I thought I cleaned up enough."

"I know you too well. How are we doing on time? I told Steve we'd pick him up about 10 minutes from now."

"Then what are we doing just standing here?"

Steve was waiting on the front porch of his apartment building. He tossed his stuff in the back and hopped in. As they were accelerating up the on-ramp of the freeway Devlin glanced behind her in the rearview mirror. That car that had been parked at the curb earlier that morning was behind them. She smiled and made an aggressive lane change.

"Whoa, girl, what's gotten into you?" Krissi asked as she grabbed at the door handle.

"Just making life difficult for someone who's following us," Devlin said. She didn't expect to lose that car, at least not right away. She wondered how much gas the woman had. Was she prepared for a trip to Des Moines? It was 300 miles, and she'd probably have to stop and gas up.

The car trailing them disappeared before they got to the Quad Cities. Devlin smiled. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Now she could just enjoy the day and the coming weekend.

Steve read, Krissi marked up a manuscript, and Devlin put her mind on automatic and just minded the traffic. They made much better time than anyone expected, and it was a little past 4:30 when they got to Des Moines. Steve had reserved their rooms at the Marriott--"it's where the teams stay"--and Devlin stopped just inside the door. The lobby was blessedly cool, and she was standing under a vent.

"Come on," Krissi said, tugging her toward the front desk. "You'll feel even better after a shower and a change."

"Where are you guys off to?" Devlin asked after they'd checked in.

"We'll be at the ballgame tonight," Steve said. "Krissi has something, though."

"I'm doing two book signings tomorrow," Krissi said, "and I have another one on Sunday afternoon. I'm going to visit the bookstores before the game tonight. It never hurts to do some pressing of the flesh. It may get my books placed better in the store."

Devlin nodded. "Evan said he'd leave three tickets at Will Call. I'm going over there as soon as the gates open up."

Krissi waved and disappeared into her room. Devlin dumped her things on the bed. She wanted to just relax under the vent. Then she saw the message light blinking on her phone. She punched in the number and settled back on the bed to listen.

"Devlin? Hi, it's Evan. I'm in Room 136. If it's after 3:30 I'm at the ballpark. I'm charting pitches tonight, so you can call me on my cell phone any time after 5:30. Talk to you in a bit."

She glanced at her watch. It wasn't quite 5:00. It was time for that shower. She hung up her dress bag and dumped the rest of her things on the bed. She should probably wash her hair. Evan might not notice, but she would feel better, and she knew that would carry over with whatever attitude she projected.

She was sitting in on the bed in her underwear when the digital clock next to the bed clicked over to 5:30. She put down the hair dryer, took a breath, and called Evan.

His phone rang and rang and rang, finally clicking over to voice mail. She left a message, and then decided to go to the ballpark. The game started just after 7, but the gates opened at 6.

She had a dress she'd been planning on wearing ever since the idea for this trip had come up. Now she practically jumped into it, brushed furiously at her hair because it didn't want to obey, and then finally pinned the errant locks back with a clip. A touch of perfume, her pearl earrings, and she was as ready as she could make herself. She had wanted to look perfect, and if she didn't it wasn't from lack of trying.

There was a line in front of the gates, but no line at Will Call. She had to show the woman her ID, and smiled at the obligatory "Enjoy the game." Clutching her ticket she got to the end of the line just as the gates opened.

"Section R, Row 8," the woman said when Devlin asked for directions. "That's to your right. There'll be a sign you can follow. Enjoy the game."

Devlin thanked her and let the crowd pull her along. She wondered if everyone was going to say 'Enjoy the game'. She saw the team store and marked that down for later. Instead she bought a program. She leafed through it; most of it was about the Iowa Cubs, but there was a section about the Sacramento players. She kept her place with her finger while she climbed the stairs and looked out over the seats. Again, an attendant helped her.

"Row 12, 11, 10, 9, 8," she counted to herself. Devlin read her ticket: Seat 9. She settled in and looked around. There were already half a dozen people there, all women, though two had young kids. A pregnant woman coming from the other direction sat next to her. She gave Devlin a smile as she dropped a water bottle in the cup holder in front of her.

"Hi there," the woman said. "Are you... Devlin McCabe?"

"Uh, yes," Devlin said, confused.

"Hi, I'm Trish Martin. My husband, Bo, rooms with Evan on road trips. I was supposed to look out for you." She was a brunette with short hair. She was wearing a white blouse and jeans, and paused while she tucked her purse against the seat in front of her.

"Evan didn't say anything about..."

"How like a man," Trish said. "They don't think about things like this. Bo plays left field. Have you two known each other for very long?"

"Since March. We met when he was home recuperating from appendicitis."

"That's right, I heard about that. Evan missed part of Spring Training."

"We met at a dance," Devlin said. "It was a moonlit night with a view of the ocean..." She smiled. "He swept me off my feet."

The woman sighed. "Umm, sounds romantic. When I talked to Evan yesterday I think you did some sweeping, too. Bo says Evan writes you every other day."

"I don't even want to look at my phone bill," Devlin laughed. "We talk at least twice a week, and we're always writing back and forth."

"It must be hard on the two of you."

"In a way, especially now that he's on the West Coast. I'm in college and I only got here because I practically moved Heaven and Earth to get away."

"I have the same problem. I live in the St. Louis with my parents, and just had to get out of town. I love my mother dearly, but she was driving me up the wall." She looked around the stadium. "I've got things worked out so I can make almost every one of their American Conference games. I won't be able to get to Omaha, but I've already got plane tickets for New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville. Are you coming out west when school is over?"

"I've thought about it. We'll see how that works with my summer job."

"Oh? What do you do?"

Devlin explained briefly, Trish nodding with one eye on the field. "Sounds a lot more interesting than clerking at Sears, which is what I do." She patted her tummy. "Of course with Bo Junior on the way I get to sit down a lot more."

"Bo Junior? You know it's a boy?"

Trish nodded. "I didn't want to wait until the delivery room to find out. I haven't told anyone, well, other than Bo, of course. And... oh, batting practice is about to start."