Chapter 18
After one not so distinct day at work, Taylor escorted Jody back to his apartment. They had gotten settled and had dinner and were cuddled up on the couch. Something about Jody made her look extra special that night. Taylor couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but she was irresistible.
With that thought in mind, he kissed her and felt alive. She returned his affection. She pulled away for a moment and smiled.
“What was that for?”
“Like I need a reason?” he countered. He wanted her so badly that he ached. “I wanna,” he started before he really had a chance to think things through. Jody’s head perked up. He waited until she was looking at him before he continued. “I wanna make love to you.”
Jody’s initial reaction was fear. She had gasped and taken in a quick breath out of surprise. Sure she had entertained the thought, but to have Taylor actually say the words was a little overwhelming. Her jaw moved as if trying to speak, but she couldn’t quite say anything.
Taylor waited for a response and bit the inside of his lip out of nervousness. He still looked her square in the eyes to let her know that he was sincere with what he had said.
“Taylor...I... oh wow,” she stammered after a few moments. Her brain spun and swirled. She took in another deep breath to try to straighten out her thoughts but to no avail. Jody continued to sputter before Taylor quieted her.
“Jody, it’s OK,” he said to ease her fear. Part of him was disappointed, there was no denying that, but he didn’t want to push her. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I just... Wow.” Her thoughts were beginning to straighten out and she was trying to make sense of them. After another breath, Jody felt like she could complete a sentence. “Did you mean it?” she questioned.
Taylor nodded. “Yeah.”
Jody mulled it over, still taken aback. Taylor could see her struggling to get through her thought process.
“Why?”
Her question surprised him. Hell, it surprised her too.
“Why what?”
“Why did you say that?” she asked.
Now Taylor was uncomfortable. “Because,” he started, “I want you to feel the things I feel.” He checked her reaction. “I want you to...” He stopped short.
This was the exact same thing he had said to Natalie before their first time together.
A crash of memories came back to him: the first time they met, the first time they kissed, the first ‘I love you’s,’ the discussions that led to their first night together, the first time he saw her undressed, the first time she saw him undressed... All of it. It hit him like a tidal wave.
And now Natalie was no longer his, no longer about to bounce through the front door on her way back from the store.
Jody watched Taylor’s eyes glaze over after he began his sentence. She was puzzled and intrigued simultaneously.
“You want me to what?” she whispered.
Taylor snapped back to the conversation. “I want you to really spend the night tonight.”
He looked to her for an answer, and as much as she wanted to say yes, she wasn’t sure. “Wouldn’t it be better to discuss this whole thing first?” Jody questioned. “I mean, this is a big step for us.” Taylor sighed and hung his head. He remained silent. “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she started. “It’s just that I don’t want to rush things.” Jody looked up at him. “I’ve rushed things before and it’s been a big disaster. I don’t want to make that mistake with you.” A silence settled on them. Jody felt compelled to say something, but wasn’t quite sure what would suffice.
“So you wanna discuss this?” Taylor questioned softly. Jody nodded. “Let’s discuss then.”
Neither of them spoke, both unsure of how to begin.
Finally, Jody came up with something. “How do you want it to be?” Taylor looked at her, somewhat surprised that she had spoken what he was thinking.
“I just want to make you feel special.” He took a breath. “How do you want it to be?”
Jody paused. How was she going to begin? “I need you to be gentle with me. The last guy I was with was abusive,” she said softly.
Taylor paused and thought it over. “So, um, how many people have you been with?” he asked tenderly.
Jody looked down. “Two.” She also paused. “What about you?”
Taylor shrugged. “Just Natalie. She’s the only one I’ve been with.”
A strange silence overtook them. “What, um,” Taylor began, “what happened with the, uh, with the last guy?”
Jody sighed. “He was everything I swore I would stay away from.”
“How so?”
“He, uh, abused me in 4 different ways all at once.” She checked for Taylor’s reaction. He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair as he waited for her to continue. “Mentally, physically, verbally, and sexually abusive.” Jody was overwhelmed with emotion as she spoke. “He was someone I shouldn’t have been mixed up with in the first place.”
“He hit you?” Taylor prodded, still completely shocked as he took her hand and wrapped her in a hug.
“He threatened to hit me with, um, various parts of his anatomy,” Jody explained as she clung to Taylor. She looked up at him to see that his jaw was clenched and he was angry.
“I don’t understand how someone could do that to you.”
“I was fine while the whole thing was going on, but as soon as I moved away and got some perspective on the situation, I was really thrown.” She paused. “It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with it.”
“I can imagine.”
“Which is why I don’t want to rush things with you. You’re everything he wasn’t and I don’t want to screw it up.”
Taylor thought it all over. “Are you scared?”
Jody nodded. “Terrified.”
“Listen to me,” Taylor said as he looked in her eyes. “We’re going to do this right.” He took a moment to think out what he was going to say. “I’ll do everything in my power to make you comfortable.” The look on Jody’s face told him that she wasn’t convinced. “I love you too much to hurt you,” he confessed.
Jody’s mind was running wild. He loved her. She loved him. She was damaged. He picked up the pieces. He was damaged. She helped him. All the signs were pointing to go...
“OK,” she said. “OK.”
Taylor looked puzzled. “OK what?”
“OK,” she looked at him, “let’s try this.”
“Jode, we don’t have to...”
“I know,” she said, “but if we don’t, I might lose my courage.”
Taylor smiled at her and pulled her off the couch and into his arms. They held each other for a few moments before either spoke.
“I’m glad we talked this over,” Taylor said soothingly as he kissed the top of her head.
“Me too.” Jody looked up at him and smiled.
Then, much like the first time, he slowly bent down, lingered by her lips, and kissed her softly. He tasted so good that her knees began to go weak.
They kissed for a little while before Taylor ran his fingertips along the side of her face and gently down her neck.
“Are you ready?” he whispered with sincerity as he placed his hands delicately on her hips.
Jody nodded. “Yes.”
Taylor took her hands, kissed them, and led her down the stairs to his room. Jody sat down gently on the bed as Taylor knelt before her. He reached up, drew her near him, and kissed her again. As the kiss grew, so did the emotion. Before too long, Jody lay under him, helpless to fight off his affection. He ran his hands down the front of her shirt, stopping squarely on her breasts. He looked at her for the OK to continue. She nodded at him, signifying that she was ready to continue. He traced the outline of her breasts delicately and with immense care. It wasn’t too much longer before his hands slipped beneath her shirt and ran along the delicate fabric of her bra.
The touches sent chills throughout Jody’s body. She wasn’t accustomed to being treated with care when it came to men. He did something to her that she couldn’t quite put into words, but his touch was all that was needed to remember how wonderful he was.
Taylor checked for Jody’s reaction. Her face was slightly distorted with pleasure, reassuring him that he was doing just fine.
Her shirt was slowly removed and her bra followed soon after, drenching the floor like big rain drops. She reached for his shirt, running her hands gently over his chest before tracing down to the hem of the shirt. When his shirt joined hers on the floor, both felt the magic in the air.
Jody’s touch drove him wild. She was softer and gentler than he had expected, and it was a nice surprise. Her quazi-tomboy facade had vanished and Taylor now saw the vulnerable side of a very special woman. It made him want her in ways he hadn’t felt in quite some time.
He kissed her neck, gently nipping her exposed skin. He proceeded down between her breasts as she whimpered slightly. His hands ran along her curves, tracing them as if Jody herself was a priceless piece of art.
Taylor stopped when he was at her navel.
“Are you sure?” he whispered as damp pieces of hair fell in his face. “We don’t have to...”
Jody nodded slowly. Her breath was caught in her throat. Instead, she responded by leaning up and kissing him with every ounce of passion in her body. There was no question in her mind that this was right.
She was trembling slightly out of nervousness.
He put his forehead to hers, as was a habit of theirs. “Are you still scared?” he whispered.
“A little,” Jody responded in a tone he had never heard before. He looked at her again, a little unsure of what she meant.
“Jode, don’t feel pressured...”
She cut him off with a kiss of reassurance. “I don’t,” she responded with a smile. “Just be gentle.”
He stroked her hair before kissing her again. Ever so slowly he broke away and wedged his hand between them and on the threshold of her jeans. He looked to her for permission. Once again, she nodded as he slowly unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and slid them off her along with her panties. He was astounded by how beautiful she looked.
He went back and kissed her very gently. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he felt her run her hand down his torso and unclasp his jeans.
Smiling at what was coming next, he gently removed his pants and boxers and leaned on her to help her adjust to the feel of his body.
His hands once again traveled the path his kissed had left over her breasts, down her stomach, to her navel, past it, and back again.
Jody made an attempt to please him as well, but was stopped because Taylor insisted that there would be other times for that. Tonight was to be about her, he could wait.
He reached over to his nightstand and into a drawer to get a condom. Jody helped him with it, finally able to view him fully naked.
He hovered above her, whispering loving words in her ear. “You ready?” he questioned, his eyes alight with passion.
Jody nodded, still trembling. “Just be gentle.”
Taylor kissed her sincerely as he gently entered into her delicate folds. His entrance made Jody gasp at the wave of intensity of emotion. She allowed him to take her wherever he wanted, moving her body with him in an uncanny synchronization.
The way he felt inside of her was intense to say the least. He nestled his head in the crook of her neck and kissed it tenderly. She was more than enough to make him finish right then and there.
However he waited for her, ensuring that she was more than physically satisfied before he put an end to their consummation.
He stayed inside her for a while, resting on her chest as she tenderly played with his hair. In his mind, she was incredible. She had conquered her fear and let him help her do so. The last thought provoked Taylor to lift his head and press his lips against Jody’s with meticulous care. He lingered by her mouth, breathing her in.
For a long time they just looked at each other. Both feared that the moment would shatter if either spoke, so they continued their soft caresses and tender looks.
Jody looked up at the man who made her feel so alive. There was no denying how she felt, so after gathering her courage, she was the first to speak.
“I love you,” she whispered as he traced the line from her ear to her collarbone.
He smiled and ran his thumb over her cheek. “I love you too.”
Chapter 19
Index
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