Chapter 15

“HELLO?” I CALLED INTO THE HOUSE. I turned on the light and went back to the bedroom, but it was empty.

“Where are they?” Kate asked.

“Melody took Lissa dancing. They must not be back yet,” I said. I wasn’t sure about this. Did Kate look nervous? “We could, uh ... go join them ... if you want,” I suggested.

Kate looked at me and I saw the ghost of a smile play at her lips. She moved closer to me and, as her lips touched mine, her hand found the hall light switch and flipped it off.

“I’ve got a better idea,” she whispered into my mouth. “Let’s go in the living room and make out in the dark.”

That sounded great to me. I led her to my favorite make-out spot, the big recliner next to the fireplace. I sat down and pulled Kate into my lap. She flowed against me and our lips were soon interrupted by our tongues. Kate’s kissing had changed over the past few weeks. I remembered some of those early tentative kisses that were so incredibly sexy. This kiss was no less sexy, but had more assurance and enthusiasm. It was almost impossible for me to control my hands, but as they strayed closer to her breasts, she pulled away from me and snuggled in to my arms, content to sit in my lap and firmly hold my hands against her stomach. She wiggled a little and my erection poked at her.

“Melody and Lissa don’t poke me when we kiss,” she giggled.

“I’m sorry, Kitten. It just kind of happens,” I said. I made to shift so that it wouldn’t be against her, but she held me tightly.

“It’s okay. They have other ways of letting me know they’re excited. I like your way, too.”

We sat there in the dark and, believe it or not, I was really content and happy. Her hair still smelled of the flowers she’d braided into it. It was really comfortable and while my hard-on continued to remind us of my aroused state, I was beginning to notice subtle changes in Kate as well. Little clues, I guess, like I got from Melody and Lissa. Stretching her head back to my shoulder to expose her neck and shoulders to my lips. A little whimper when I kissed that hollow between the clavicle and scapula. A deep breath as she gripped my fingers tightly.

We sat there for a long time, just feeling the sensations of being together. Of course, that also gave us time to cool down a little and talk.

“Thank you for going back to Bree tonight, Tony,” she said. I hadn’t actually wanted to discuss Bree, but I did have some questions.

“How did you know, Kitten?” I asked. “How did you know what was going on with her?”

“I’m not sure. When I first saw her, she looked ... hurt. More than she would be by seeing us. She looked like she was deep down sad.”

“I feel bad that I could have missed something that significant.”

“Probably because she was directing all her focus at you and you felt under attack. It’s hard to sympathize with someone when they’re trying to hurt you. But aside from the toss-off comment, she hardly even noticed I was there. That let me see her better. You know, if she’d been jealous of me, she’d have attacked me. But it was all about why she wasn’t good enough. I just started crying for her.”

“You are the most sensitive and compassionate person I’ve ever met,” I said. “You were so into helping with Tent City tonight and getting things organized at PCAD, I could hardly believe it. It takes me so long to process when others need something. I have to remind myself to be aware of other people and not zone out into my own world.”

“But you do it automatically with Lissa and Melody and the boys,” Kate said. “And with me. You connected with me that first weekend when we were at the posing party last spring.”

“Maybe,” I said. “But you were all alone the whole first semester and a half before we made that connection. I was so wrapped up in my own misery that I thought you were just stuck up. I couldn’t see what you were going through.”

“Well, I was alone, but I don’t think there’s anything you could have done about it until I was ready. I had my own issues to deal with.”

We were quiet again, but in a few seconds Kate’s lips found mine again. She shifted her weight to turn toward me, but pulled my hands around her waist to her back and I got the message that she didn’t want to deal with them on her front. Then the kiss heated up and I felt her right hand slide down from around my neck to my shoulder and then to my biceps as she stroked up and down my arm. Oh man, had she learned to kiss. I was close to coming in my pants just from having her sitting on my lap kissing. I’d moved my hands up and down her back and her bare shoulders, but respected her wish not to go further. This was a marathon kissing session, though. We were both panting for breath the next time we pulled our lips away from each other and Kate mashed herself against me as we hugged. Her frame was so light and delicate, but there was no fear of being hurt. We hugged fiercely.

“Do you know the legend of King Arthur?” she asked, when our breathing had returned to some semblance of normal. Well, maybe halfway between supercharged and excited, anyway.

“Um ... just the basics. I never read the whole thing, but portions came up in literature classes. It’s a story about Britain, but I understand the story was written in French.”

“Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory was actually written in English, even though the title is French. It was published by William Caxton in 1485.”

“Wow! How’d you know that?”

“My grandfather is a new age hippie. End of the baby boomers. He started telling me the stories before I could walk and read me the whole book about the time other kids my age were discovering Harry Potter. I wasn’t more than five.”

“And what made you think of King Arthur just now?”

“Us. All of us.”

“I don’t think Malory could have imagined the kind of us that all of us are,” I laughed.

“Don’t be too sure. Remember, the biggest stories in the canon are of impossible love. Think Lancelot and Guinevere or Tristan and Isolde. Honor, threesomes, and love.”

“Still, they...”

“Shh ... Do you remember the story of Gawain and the Green Knight?”

“Isn’t that the one where he cuts off the Green Knight’s head and then has to go let the Green Knight cut off his?”

“Yes. It’s a story that illustrates fairness in the face of impossible situations. But it isn’t just about the head chopping. When Gawain goes out on his quest at Christmas to yield to the Green Knight, he comes upon a castle where he is welcomed and given hospitality. Bertilak, the owner of the castle leaves Gawain in the castle with his wife and goes hunting. The agreement is that anything Gawain gets from Bertilak’s wife that day, Gawain has to trade for what Bertilak gets while hunting.”

“Is this where he has to kiss the guy?” I asked.

“Gawain apparently doesn’t have any problem with that. The wife tries to seduce him, but the first day gives him one kiss.” Kate paused the story long enough to give me a soft sensual kiss. “The second day two kisses.” Kate kissed me a soft sensual kiss, pulled back and then gave me a more sensual open mouthed kiss with her tongue dancing with mine.

“The third day, three kisses.”

She gave me another soft, sensual kiss. It was quickly followed by a more sensual kiss full of tongue. But the third kiss Kate gave me knocked my socks off. She pulled me to her and scorched me with her lips and tongue as she lifted and dropped in my lap caressing my cock with her butt. Her right hand had floated down from my shoulder and caressed my chest, flicking her thumb across my nipple. I gasped.