Back to You

Michael kissed a slow path across her chest and down the line of her stomach, and by the time he was unfastening the button to her jeans, she could feel the rapid beat of her heart pulsing throughout every part of her body.

He slowly peeled away her sodden jeans before bringing his hands back to her body. He was touching her like she was porcelain, looking at her as if she were sacred, and she laid there, trembling beneath his hands while he reacquainted himself with her body.

When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she sat up and began removing his clothing. She tried to be as gentle as he had been, but her need for him had taken over entirely, and she found herself jerking the garments from his body in rushed, clumsy movements.

He gri

Lauren brought her hands to his waist, looking up at him. “This is real?” she asked.

It seemed like such a silly thing to say, but having everything she wanted fall into place, especially after so long, felt too good to be true. She wasn’t even sure what she was asking him: Were they really about to do this? Was he feeling what she was feeling? Was everything about to change?

He rested his weight on his elbows as he cradled her head in his hands. “Yes,” he whispered, as if in answer to all three.

She closed her eyes and tightened her hold on him.

“Open your eyes. Look at me,” he whispered.

She did as he asked, and in one slow, smooth movement, their bodies were co

“God,” he breathed, dropping his head to her shoulder, and she tightened her legs around his hips, urging him forward.

As soon as he began moving, Lauren was completely overcome. On the one hand, she had waited so long to be with him again, but at the same time, it seemed like they had never been apart, like there had never been anyone else but him.

She was instantly spellbound, completely lost. Everything else in her world fell away, and the only thing that existed or even remotely mattered was Michael, finally there with her, his hands traveling over her body and the brush of his lips everywhere he could reach.

She felt like she was being worshipped.

The last time they had been together, { display: block; text-indent: 5%; font-size: 0.88rem; margin-top: f29he had been so careful. This time, there was a confidence in his movements and determination behind his actions. He could read her so easily; he understood exactly what she needed and when, and he knew just how to prolong the intense sensations he was giving her, drawing out every feeling until it was almost unbearable. And when he knew she couldn’t take anymore, he doubled his efforts until he drove her over the edge, kissing her passionately and swallowing every moan she offered up to him.

There were no words for what Lauren felt in that moment. It was far beyond just physical pleasure, encompassing every square inch of her body until she felt like she might burst out laughing and crying simultaneously in its aftermath. But instead she focused all of her remaining energy on making him feel the way he had just made her feel.

It wasn’t long before she felt his body begin to tense, and when the slow, steady rasp of his breath grew rapid, she pulled him down to her, bringing her lips to his ear.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Then he was gone, pulling her against his body as he gave himself over to the release. Michael fell forward, his overworked muscles trembling with the effort of keeping his weight off of her until finally he rolled onto his back, pulling her against his side.

Lauren placed her hand on his stomach, her breath fast and heavy, and she could feel his heart racing against her cheek.

“Jesus Christ,” he finally said, and Lauren laughed softly as she closed her eyes.

“I know.”

“I thought I built it up in my head,” he said through labored breath. “What it felt like to be with you.”

She shook her head. “To think we could have been doing this for years.”

Michael groaned softly. “Don’t remind me what an idiot I am.”

Lauren smiled. “You’re not an idiot. I kind of like you.”

He burst out laughing. “You kind of like me?”

“Little bit.”

He laughed again, pulling her further into his side as he pressed his lips against the top of her head. After a minute, he said, “What made you approach me that day?”

“Hmm?” she asked as she lazily trailed her fingertips over his chest.

Michael shifted as he placed his hand behind his head and looked down at her. “In high school. I’ve always wondered about that. Why did you give me those notes?”

Lauren smiled as she realized what he was talking about. “Because you looked so sad the day before.”

“Sad? How do you figure?”

“Not when you were flinging desks across the room,” she clarified, and she felt his chest bounce with laughter beneath her. “I meant after that, when you were sitting in the parking lot.”

“Ahh, that’s right,” Michael said slowly, nodding his head. “I forgot about the part where you stalked me.”

Lauren reached up and pinched the inside of his arm, and he yelped out a laugh as he ripped it out of her reach. She went up on her elbow, laying partially on his chest as she looked down at him. “You didn’t look so scary then. You looked like you needed a friend. So I wanted to do something nice for you.”

Michael reached up to touch her face just as she added, “I had no idea you would turn out to be such an asshole.” { display: block; text-indent: 5%; font-size: 0.88rem; margin-top: f29

He raised his eyebrows as she looked down at him fighting a smile, and then suddenly both of his hands were on her waist as he tickled her. She squealed loudly as she tried to push off of him, but he shifted his weight so he was on top of her, pi

When he saw the tears at the corners of her eyes, he finally stopped, rolling off of her as he pulled her back on top of him with a laugh.

Lauren pushed herself up on her hands as she attempted to catch her breath, and he smiled up at her, swiping the hair out of her face as he leaned up and kissed her.

When his mouth transitioned from tender to insistent, Lauren pulled back slightly.

“Okay, this isn’t helping me catch my breath,” she exhaled, and he chuckled softly, shifting their weight so she could rest her head on his chest. Michael slowly pulled his fingers through her hair, and Lauren sighed and closed her eyes.

“So,” Michael said as his fingers lulled Lauren closer and closer to sleep. “What happens now?”

“What do you mean?” Lauren murmured softly, and she felt his chest rise beneath her as he inhaled deeply.

“I mean, with us. What happens now?”

Lauren lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest as she looked at him.

She did her best to keep a straight face as she said, “Oh, come on. You’re not going to get all clingy on me, are you?” She bit the inside of her cheek as she watched the shock register on his face before she said, “I don’t know what you were looking for, but I just needed a little stress relief.”

He stared up at her for a second before the corners of his mouth twitched, and then he rolled them so he was on top of her again.

“Stress relief?” he asked as he settled his hips between her thighs. “That’s all this was?”

“‘Fraid so,” Lauren said, fighting every urge in her body to press up against him.

He smiled. “Well,” he said, lowering his head as he gently dragged his teeth over the skin beneath her ear, “I heard that going for a master’s degree can be pretty stressful.”

“It’s torture,” she breathed, her eyes fluttering closed.

She felt his lips curve into a smile against the skin of her throat. “Could be that you might need stress relief on a regular basis then,” he said as he kissed his way up the column of her neck.