––––––––
James said, "I shouldn't have left."
"You're right," said Heidi, keeping her seat on the bluff, looking up at him as he approached. "You shouldn't have left but you also shouldn't have followed me into the woods."
James looked sheepish but he did not stop his climb.
"I came looking for you at your apartment and you weren't there. I looked around for you and I caught your scent on the beach path. I had to shift to follow you once I got closer to the water, but I had to find you."
The sincerity in his voice made Heidi's heart contract. Where was this emotion when he told her he would be leaving? Why had he waited until now, after he hurt her to make her feel cared for?
"You're an asshole," Heidi said.
He was close, standing over her. Her back was to the drop off and her shirt was still rolled up over her stomach. From his vantage, she was gorgeous. Her wild blonde curls where framed by the beach and the dark water of the lake. Her cheeks were tinged pink from the cold. The bear inside James growled loudly. He knew he was looking at the woman who needed to be his mate. The one person who would understand him better than anyone else.
"I love you," James said, unsure what else he could say in this moment.
Heidi felt the air sucked out of her again. How could he tease her like this? Why did he insist on playing with her emotions?
"Don't say that if it's not true," Heidi said, her voice sharp. Her eyes flashed and her mouth was set in a hard line. She would not let herself be hurt again, not before she had built herself back up after his abandonment.
James stepped toward her.
"You're the only person I've ever missed," he said. "You're the only person I've wanted to be my family. That scared me, Heidi. You said it yourself, maturity is built through sticking through the hard times. I've never wanted to stick it out for anyone before. But you, you bring out the best in me. I was scared of finding out who I truly was, but I'm not scared anymore. I want you, only you."
Heidi's heart beat hard in her chest. She couldn't help but take in his naked form, his flat abs and his broad shoulders. His penis which bobbed only a foot away from her eyes. She couldn't ignore how he made her feel, even when they were just talking, and how she devastated she had felt until he barreled through the trees. If anyone was worth being hurt for, he was.
"Prove it," she said.
With one smooth motion, James pushed Heidi on her back and covered her with his body. He was already beginning to grow hard. Heidi wrapped her arms around his back as they kissed, enjoying the feeling of him against her. He was hot and covered in a light sweat from his run through the forest and his skin almost burned against her hands.
James kissed her like he was saying goodbye. His lips were soft and passionate against hers. They spelled their apologies, goodbyes, and hopes with their lips and whispered their dreams with their breaths. Heidi moved her hand to cup the back of James' neck, twisting her fingers in the fine hair which grew there. In this moment, he was hers.
James moved his hips, pressing down on her through her jeans. Heidi moved back, following his lead. The waves crashed against the beach and Heidi found herself matching their rhythm. With each crash she moved against James, pulling back as the waves receding back to the lake.
Their lips broke and they stared at each other while they caught their breath.
"I'm sorry," James said, his chest rising and falling heavily.
"Me too," said Heidi.
James reached forward and ran his fingers over her cut cheekbones and her rose-shaped lips. Heidi closed her eyes and memorized how his calloused fingers felt over her smooth skin. This could be their last time together. She never wanted to forget this.
He leaned in for another kiss. It was more forceful than the last, James' tongue demanding entrance, breaching the protective wall of her lips to tango with her own tongue. Heidi followed his lead, moaning as he stroked her.
James took the encouragement and ran his hand up and down her body, feeling every curve and lump through her clothes. He was fully hard now, and his cock pushed hard against her stomach. James rolled off of Heidi, lying next to her. Heidi let out a mewl of protest, missing the pressure of his body of her own.
She was silenced when James' mouth found her again and both hands where free to explore her entire body. James cupped her breasts, kneading them and reveling in their softness. Heidi gasped, her nipples pebbling under his touch. She reached forward and ran her hands over his hard chest, stroking her thumbs over James' nipples. James let out a low growl and Heidi grinned as she felt his nipples harden under her touch.
James trailed his free hand down her body and found the hem of her shirt. He peeled back the fabric and exposed her flesh, inch by inch. Heidi shivered as cold crept under her shirt and James kissed her. When her shirt was almost off, Heidi sat and tossed it aside to reveal heaving breasts inside a pink, lacy bra. James gazed at her through hooded eyes.
"You're absolutely stunning," James said.
For the first time in her life, in spite of her cellulite, stretch marks, and extra chub, Heidi believed him. She moved forward, closing the distance between their mouths. Boldly, Heidi reached out and stroked James' cock. He groaned against her, breath catching with each stroke. Heidi chuckled to herself and kept moving her hand, up and down, against his soft, smooth skin. He quivered against her, breath coming out heavy. She loved how vulnerable James felt in this moment.
James dropped his head against her shoulder as Heidi stroked. He kissed the place between her neck and her collarbone and Heidi sighed. She stroked. He flicked his tongue against her, tasting the soft, salty flavor of her skin. She stroked. He bit down, lightly at first, and grinned as her breath hitched. She stroked. He kissed down the curve of her chest, sucking at the sensitive flesh at the top of her breasts. She stroked. James reached around and unhooked her bra, letting her breasts fall free.
Heidi moaned as James leaned forward and circled her nipple with his tongue. She pushed his head closer and let him bite at her skin. He nibbled, sucked, and licked until heat began to pool between her hips. James growled and bite her nipple hard. Heidi cried out and arched her back.
"I can smell your arousal," James said. "You smell like cinnamon, heat, and the ocean."
"Do something about it then," Heidi said.
As James bit and licked at the quickly reddening skin of her breasts, his free hand roamed down her body. He unbuttoned her jeans, slowly, eyes flashing with desire. Then he plunged into the gap of her jeans and found her heat. He pressed his fingers against her slit and dragged them up, slowly, not parting the lips. It was agonizing. Heidi lifted her hips and threw back her head, breasts bobbing in the open air.
James repeated the motion. And again. Wetness built up inside her. When Heidi thought she couldn't take it, James parted her opening and dipped a finger inside her. She moaned, loving the way he felt inside her, finally feeling whole. He moved in and out, grazing his thumb over her clit in quick motions that caused her to jump and goosebumps to prickle along her skin.
He added another finger and picked up speed, curving the fingers up and moving hard insider her. Heidi moved her hips along with his touches. He grazed the ridged top of her g-spot sending tremors through her body. He flicked her clit, causing her to cry out. He circled her clit again, sending crackles of electricity through her nerves. He pushed inside her, the walls of her pussy quaking with desire. He circled her clit with his thumb. And again. And again. Heidi was on the edge. She was going to come.
"No," she said, her breath shaky, moving his hand away. "I want you inside me."
Heidi pushed away from James and pulled her pants down. Her underwear joined her crumpled pile of clothing on the corner of the bluff. Then, with a burst of confidence she had never known before, Heidi pushed James on his back.
She straddled him, loving the way his muscular legs looked between her thick thighs. James looked up at her reverently, as though he was seeing god. She held his gaze and felt powerful.
Heidi's hand found his shaft and she guided it to her entrance. She closed her eyes in pleasure as she moved the head of his cock against her opening, playing with her lips. James bucked up against her, demanding entrance.
Heidi opened her eyes and kept them on the lusty gray-gold eyes of the man beneath her as she pushed down on his shaft. He slipped inside her like a key fitting in a lock. James' eyelids slipped down, half closing as she settled on top of him. Looking up at her through his beautiful eyelashes gave him the impression of youth, something boyish beyond the salt and pepper hair. Heidi smiled.
She began to move, rocking her hips forward and backward on his throbbing member. James moaned and bucked up against her. He reached forward, taking her breasts in his hands. With each rock of her hips, he kneaded her flesh and swiped his thumbs her nipples. Heidi kept moving, rocking in all directions, first slowly, than quickly, building up speed.
Pressure built inside her as she moved. She began to lift herself up then drop back down on top of him before circling her hips. James' breath quickened with each motion. She pulled herself up, so the head of his cock threatened to pull out of her, then moved deliberately back down the shaft. And again. And again.
James watched her, biting his lip as she moved. She stared him down, daring her to look away. She was in control. She felt like an exhibitionist.
She dropped again, rocking her hips slowly against him. She could tell he was close and wanted to give him a feast for the eyes. With a sultry grin, Heidi moved a hand slowly down her body. First she rocked her hips and tweaked her nipples, playing with her breasts while James stared with unbridled lust. He bucked against her, losing his control for a moment.
"Not yet," Heidi said, pitching her voice low.
"You're so fucking sexy," James said, his voice ragged with desire.
Heidi smiled and trailed her hand further down her body, playing with her belly on her way down. Then, much to James' erotic surprise, she reached her center. As she rocked her hips back and forth over his hard cock, she touched herself. Her movements became more frantic as she played with her clit, teasing herself while the man of her dreams was inside her. Sparks flew from her clit through her body, waking up every nerve and every cell. She felt like she was truly living as she rode James, hips moving, fingers circling the sensitive bundle between her legs.
James' breathing hitched and came back in loud pants. Heidi smiled through hooded eyes as pleasure began to overtake her. Each move of her hips and stroke of her fingers was bringing her closer to the edge. Her toes trembled and her knees wobbled as she felt herself getting close. She started to move her hand frantically against herself, sending waves of pleasure up her body. She moaned, bucking her hips uncontrollably as she felt her orgasm knocking at her door.
Heidi gave into it, throwing back her head and letting out a noiseless gasp. Her hand slowed as her vision turned to the sky. The clouds moved, revealing stars brighter than she had ever seen. The walls of her pussy shuddered around James' cock like the tremors of an earthquake and wetness soaked her like an early summer rain. Heidi's heart felt near bursting. This was bliss.
When her breathing came back and she came back into her own body, Heidi moved to roll off James. She would finish him with her hand or her mouth if needed, she wanted him to experience the same pleasure she had felt.
"Oh no," James said. "We are not done before I get to do this."
He reached up, holding Heidi's waist, keeping her on top of him. Then he began to move his hips, almost violently. His cock dug deep in her with each press. He fucked her harder than she had ever dreamed to be fucked, each thrust creating ripples in her body. Her breasts, stomachs, and thighs resembled the waves that hit the beach and James looked at her hungrily.
James' face was tinged with pink as he stared at her, fucking the wetness in her center. He was deep, thick, and hard inside her. Heidi almost couldn't believe it was pressure started to build inside her again. Another orgasm?
He thrusted, pounding into her, and pulled back again. Then released harder inside her. Back and forth, deeper and faster and harder. Heidi's breath came out in short gasps. She braced herself against his chest, pressing down through her fingers hard enough to leave a bruise. She moved her hips up and down in time with his, slamming down as he pressed up, feeling her walls stretch to allow him access to every inch of her.
With her free hand, she moved back against her clitoris, playing with the sensitive bundle even though it had just led her to orgasm. She wanted to come again, craving release from the pressure James' hard thrusts were building inside of her.
"I'm close," James growled, slamming into her.
Heidi moved her hand furiously against her clit. She wanted to come with him, to reach that place of pleasure and transport themselves to cloud nine together. She was close too.
The orgasm hit them like a train. One second they were moving frantically on the beach. The next their breaths and minds had gone completely silent. For a few glorious seconds they could only hear their heart beating in their ears. James spilled inside Heidi, coming harder than he ever had in his life, filling her up. He leaned forward and bit down on her shoulder as he came.
Heidi felt a fuller orgasm than the one that rocketed through her a few minutes over. This time she was in every inch of her body. She felt the grass tickling her legs, she felt James' cock exploding inside her, she felt the sweat that dripped down the small of her back, and each breath she pulled into her lungs. She felt home.
After a few moments, Heidi rolled off James and nestled into the crook of his arm. They pressed skin on skin, letting themselves enjoy these last, few peaceful moments before reality set in.
"You bit me," Heidi said, running her hand over the red mark on her shoulder.
James looked sheepish.
"I marked you," he said. "It's what shifters do when they've found their mate."
Heidi frowned up at him.
"You could have asked me," she said, tracing the red ridge that was starting to form around the bite. "I would have liked to know that I was being mated."
"It's not binding for humans," James explained. "Shifters do it instinctively when they know they found the one. You're my one, Heidi. I completely understand if you are not ready for that, or if you don't want to be with me after what happened. Just know that I will always want you."
James placed a light kiss against Heidi's lips. Heidi closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest.
"I love you," James said. "I will always love you.'
"I love you too," Heidi said. She was surprised by how true the words felt when she said them. She loved this man, this middle-aged professor who never had a long term relationship before. Who traveled for a living and was afraid to put down ties. What was she thinking.
"I love you," James repeated, noticeably relieved.
"But," said Heidi, "we have to talk about this new job."
James nodded.
"I have to continue to work there," James said. "They barely let me return to see you tonight. I have to go back tomorrow evening. That's non-negotiable, I'm afraid. I've signed the contract."
Heidi traced his chest, wondering how she was going to let this perfect man leave.
"I do want to keep our relationship going," James said, his voice low and quiet. "You said before you only have this year left of school. We can call and video chat, you can see me over winter break. When you graduate, we will figure something out."
Heidi closed her eyes. James looked down, concerned.
"If you want to," James said. "I want to make this work."
"Okay," Heidi said, with a smile. "But you have to get really good at phone sex."