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Unknown Number: Hey Rain, it’s John
Unknown Number: John White, your neighbor
Rain: Lol. You’re actually the only John I know.
John: So I’m special?
Rain: (Shrugging emoji)
John: What are you up to this morning?
Rain: Just about to take Luna for a run – need to tire her out before she drives me crazy
John: How about I join you? I haven’t run today
Rain: I don’t think so. I’m sure you run faster than us – don’t want to slow you down
John: I can run slower, it’s no problem
John: In fact, I can run backwards if that makes you feel better
John: It’ll be fun.
Rain: OK but if you call me a charlatan or a witch or otherwise insult my work I’m going to shove you into the ocean and feed you to the sharks
John: I don’t think we have sharks on the Oregon Coast
Rain: Do you really want to test that theory?
John: Good point. See you in five minutes
Rain had to admit she was having a good time. She and Luna met John at the base of their stairs and after a friendly greeting the three of them ran along the beach mostly in a companionable silence. Luna was getting better at running on the leash – their accident the other day notwithstanding – and Rain was able to relax into her workout.
It was a grey and misty day, typical for spring in Oregon, and it had drizzled on and off as they ran. The tide was coming in and in the distance Rain could see the wave crashing against the rocks that surrounded Diamond Bay. A cold wind blew off the water and Rain re-zipped her windbreaker.
She had started running back in college as a way to forestall the weight gain that threatened when she discovered a new world of pizza, fries, and assorted junk food. They certainly didn’t eat like that at the co-op.
Running had been the one constant in her adult life. It helped her manage stress when she was in her sales job and when she became ill, running outside became another form of therapy for her. She had always been a recreational runner, never worried about her pace or any of the things the people with the fancy running watches cared about.
“How far do you usually run?” John broke the companionable silence, sending a glance her way. She was glad he wasn’t one of those people who had to fill silence with chatter. She was an extrovert, she had to be one to be successful in sales, but she still loved silence and solitude. It kept her balanced.
“Three miles,” she answered. “Sometimes four, depending on how much time I have and how fast I feel like moving.”
“How about we run for three and then I’ll make us brunch at my house?” he suggested, looking at his fancy sports watch to gauge their distance so far.
She looked at him in surprise. “You cook?” she asked. She wasn’t sure why this was surprising to her. He seemed like a guy who would order out a lot.
“I make a great breakfast,” he responded. “I’m not as good at dinner, although I get by. Haven’t starved yet.”
“I happen to love breakfast food,” Rain answered with a smile. “I do breakfast for dinner all the time.”
Rain felt a flush of pleasure that he seemed to want to prolong their time together. She and John seemed to have very little in common, yet they found things to talk about.
They finished their run, maintaining an easy conversational pace, and headed up the stairs to John’s house. Leaving their sandy shoes on the deck, Rain followed him inside the house, looking around curiously.
There were a few boxes lining the corners, reminding her that he had just moved in recently. A large brown leather couch and chair faced the large windows toward the beach, a small table with a lamp between them. A table and four chairs were pushed close to the divider separating the main room from the kitchen. The walls were white, nothing hung up yet, and the hardwood floors bare of any rugs.
It was a stark contrast to her own place which had a similar design but was filled with warm colors and mementos. She wondered if he would add homey touches or if the room would remain spartan.
“Cute place,” she said politely, checking out the books that he’d neatly lined up on the bookshelf on the side wall. “I see you like mysteries too.” Her own kindle was full of cozy mysteries. She devoured them, a couple of books a week.
“As long as they aren’t medical,” he responded, heading towards the kitchen. “Those are too close to my real life, then I get hung up on whatever is wrong and can’t enjoy them.”
She nodded and followed him, leaning on the counter island separating the kitchen from the main room. The kitchen looked to be recently updated, with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Other than a coffee maker and toaster, the counters were bare. “How can I help?”
“Just sit your cute little butt down and keep me company,” he responded, pointing to the stools under the island. “I’ve got this.”
She knew she should bristle at that comment, but instead she felt a flush of pleasure. She liked this playful side of him. She watched John as he removed ingredients from the refrigerator, lining them up nearly on the counter. When everything was in place, he expertly made omelets in a special pan, while cooking bacon in the oven. He added some cut fruit from a bowl in his refrigerator, arranging it all neatly on their plates.
“You want coffee? Juice?” he asked as he waited for the toast to pop up.
“Do you have any herbal tea?”
He nodded and pointed to a cabinet next to the fridge. “Up there, pick what you want, and I’ll put the kettle on.”
They took their food and drink out to the deck, sitting side by side so they could watch the waves while they ate. Luna, tired from their run, laid down beneath the picnic table where she could catch any food that happened to fall.
“This is really good, thank you for cooking,” she told him as she swallowed a mouthful of omelet. It was light and fluffy with cheese and sautéed vegetables cooked in. The bacon was perfectly crisp.
“So, what’s your story?” she asked him curiously. He hadn’t really told her anything about himself in their conversations so far. “Are you from Oregon originally?”
John shook his head. “Nope. I grew up back east. Ohio. I did undergrad at Ohio State, then came out to Portland to OHSU for medical school,” he told her. “I fell in love with Oregon and never left. I’ve been here for close to thirty years now.”
She nodded. “What about your family?” she asked. “Are they still in Ohio or did they move out here? Do you have any kids? An angry ex-wife?” Most people their age had older kids.
“I have a daughter, Angelica,” he answered. “She’s 25 and lives in Portland. Her mother and I divorced about ten years ago.”
“That must have been hard after being married so long,” Rain commented, tilting her head in sympathy.
“It’s never easy when a marriage breaks up, but as far as divorces go, ours was pretty amicable,” he said thoughtfully, his blue eyes looking out towards the ocean.
“We had been growing apart for a while and I guess we fell out of love. I was focused on building my career and not as attentive as I could have been,” he continued. “My ex, Susan, started having romantic feelings for someone she worked with.” Rain impulsively put her hand over his and he gave her a small smile.
“She never cheated or anything, at least as far as I know, but the fact that she was tempted told her that it was time for a change,” he said. “Honestly it was a bit of a relief. I don’t know if either of us would have had the energy to get divorced if she hadn’t wanted to be with someone else. We probably would have just drifted on, becoming unhappy.”
“What about your daughter?” Rain asked. “Did she live with you?”
“We shared custody until she went away to Oregon State when she was 18,” he said. “A few months later I got the offer to head the general surgery department here in Diamond Bay and I figured, why not. I didn’t have a lot of friends in Portland, and it was a good opportunity. Plus, I’ve always loved the coast.”
“Do you see your daughter often?” Rain asked. She had never been particularly interested in having kids herself but sometimes she wondered if she should have thought more seriously about it. It was too late for her now.
“She visits me a few times a year since it’s only a ninety-minute drive,” John said. “But we also text or talk several times a week.”
Rain nodded.
“What about you?” he asked curiously, turning in his seat to face her. “Any ex-husbands? Kids?”
She shook her head. “Nope,” she said. “Just Luna.”
“How is that possible?” he asked her curiously.
“I just went to the shelter and filled out some papers, and they let me take her home,” she joked.
He laughed. “I mean, why haven’t you been married? Why aren’t there little herbalists running around?”
She gave him a smile. “When I was younger I was too focused on my career and then when I, um...after...well, after I changed careers, I was busy studying and focusing on myself. I’ve always felt pretty happy being single.”
He looked like he was about to ask more questions she didn’t want to answer, so she hopped up and grabbed their dirty plates. He followed her into the house, carrying the rest of their dishes. He reached around her to set them down and when she turned, he was right behind her, crowding her. They were so close they were almost touching each other.
Rain inhaled. He smelled like sweat and the ocean and something distinctly John. She looked up at him and his eyes darkened, the air seeming to become heavy around them. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said, his voice deeper than it was before.
She nodded. She wanted him to kiss her again. It had been all she could think about since he kissed her on the deck the other day. She needed to know if it was a fluke, the way they had seemed to combust the moment they touched.
He met her lips hungrily, his tongue sweeping in. She met him, her tongue dueling with his for control. It felt like someone had lit her on fire – she was immediately hot all over. The other day wasn’t a fluke. She moaned and he gripped her hips, lifting her up to sit on the counter.
John’s hips shoved between her legs, bringing her butt to the edge of the counter, and opening her wide so he could press his erection against her core. He ground against her, and she tilted her pelvis to meet him. She felt a whoosh of moisture dampen her panties and her nipples hardened painfully against her sports bra.
Rain slid her hands underneath John’s running shirt, exploring the hard panes of his back with the pads of her fingers. He felt solid and comfortable as his muscles twitched beneath her touch.
John pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair, releasing her thick mane of hair, and slid his fingers through the thick wavy strands. He wrapped her hair around one fist, and she thrilled at the dominant gesture. His cock continued to grind against her in a maddening rhythm.
He pulled at her hair, sending a delicious bite of pain, and pulled her head to the side, exposing her neck. He ran his lips down her neck, nipping and kissing, then shoved her shirt aside, baring one shoulder. His lips fastened on the top of her shoulder right where it met her neck. He caught her skin between his teeth, biting down firmly as he applied suction. She gasped. The pain was exquisite, heightening her arousal.
It suddenly registered what he was doing. She smacked his shoulder to get his attention. “Don’t you dare give me a hickey John White,” she chastised. “I’m a middle-aged woman not a teenager!”
He smiled down at her, his eyes predatory. “Too late,” he said, his voice deep and completely unapologetic as he looked back down at the redness on her shoulder. “Besides, I like you wearing my mark, Rain. It’s hot.”
She shivered, a thrill running through her. The air of cold detached calmness he usually wore as a shield was long gone, leaving in its place this hot growly dominant man. She kind of liked this alpha side of him.
She opened her mouth to respond, but he aggressively shoved his tongue back into her mouth before she could get out a peep. He broke away long enough to pull her shirt roughly over her head, then resumed kissing her. Consuming her.
His fingers slid down to rub her nipples over the fabric of her sports bra. He circled around the nipples before pinching them firmly between his fingers. His other hand bit into her hip, holding her in place. She wondered vaguely if he would leave a bruise.
Her pelvis rocked against his in a steady rhythm and she moaned loudly. She dimly realized that she was dry humping him like a teenager. She didn’t really care. She was so soaked with arousal she could smell it in the air despite the fact she was still wearing her running pants.
“Jesus, John, that feels so good,” she gasped as he pinched her nipples again, harder this time. The sensation shot down her core to her clit and she clenched her internal muscles against the onslaught. She tightened her thighs around his hips, holding him close. Rain couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this excited and aroused and desperate for someone.
She moved her hands down along his torso, scratching him lightly with her nails. She slipped one hand beneath the waistband of his loose running shorts and the built-in briefs. His erection was damn near bursting through the fabric, and she removed it carefully.
She grasped the base of his thick penis and gave it a firm pull as she slid her hand towards the tip. It was silky and hard, like velvet over steel. He growled, honest to god growled. There was a bead of pre-cum leaking from his cock and she spread it around the crown slowly before sliding back up to repeat the action again, increasing the pressure on each pass.
“Holy fuck,” he gasped, pushing into her hand. His voice didn’t sound like him at all, it was deep and rough and growly.
“Rain. I want you. So much. I...,” he paused, as if at a loss for words, his eyes squeezing shut as he took a deep breath through his nose.
Her grip tightened on him. He opened his eyes, and she met his dark gaze. “Does this place have a bedroom?”