Page 30 of Bronx

"They're fairly daring when it comes to food."

Layla covered her mouth to suppress a yawn. "You know what I miss about not being a kid?" she said.

"What's that?"

"Not having anyone tell me to take a nap. Sometimes, during a long ten hour shift, when things have been crazy on the ward, all I can think about is taking a nap. This seems like a perfect place for one of those naps I fantasize about."

I glanced around. "You know what? I think you're right. And you know what makes a really nice precursor to a nap?"

"Hmm, can't think what you mean." Layla wrapped up her sandwich. I did the same. She crawled over to me on hands and knees, a position that made me instantly hard as a rock. Her face came right up to mine, and she kissed me lightly on the mouth. "Maybe you should show me this precursor."

I reached for her and pulled her down to the blanket. Her legs tangled around me as our mouths slammed into each other. I pushed her sweater up over her breasts and pulled the cups of her bra down. I pulled my mouth from hers and took her nipple fully into my mouth, running circles around it with my tongue. She arched her breasts toward me to feel the full pressure of my mouth against her. We clumsily struggled to free ourselves of our shoes and jeans. She lay back laughing as I finally kicked my pants free.

"So you think that's funny, do you?" I asked. She gasped as I yanked her panties down to her ankles, spun them around on my finger a second, then let them fly. I knelt over her, staring down at her as she peered up at me with longing in her brown eyes.

"I'm thinking we try something a little different." I reached down, took her hips in my hands and flipped her over.

Her gasp turned to a little yelp of excitement as she pushed to her hands and knees. I leaned over and kissed her back, running my mouth down the length of her. I continued the trail of kisses along her ass and stopped to press my mouth against her pussy, exposed and hot, in the late afternoon breeze. I knelt behind her and reached under to stroke her clit as my cock slid into her.

"Jack," she cried out. My name from her sweet, turned-on lips floated to my ears like music.

"Again." My voice sounded hoarse and low as I drove into her deeper with each thrust. "Say it again."

"Oh, Jack." This time it came out on a soft whisper, breathy and full of heat.

She lifted her ass to take in more of me. I buried myself as deep as I could go. Her thighs closed around my hand, nestled against her pussy while my thumb stroked her clit. She bucked against me harder. I couldn't help but give her ass a playful little slap. She squealed with desire. This time it washerpleading for more. "Again," she pleaded.

I slapped her ass again. A half-moan, half laugh rolled out of her mouth.

"Oh Jack, I'm—" her words fell off as she snuggled my hand against her pussy, all the while rocking back into my cock as it impaled her again and again.

I clutched her hip with my free hand and pulled her against me. Our bodies slammed into each other until her entire body tensed and she came. Her soft cries of pleasure drifted over the open grassy fields and dissipated in the autumn breeze. She nearly collapsed beneath me through the shuddering waves of her orgasm.

I held her hips firmly between my hands as I pumped into her, prolonging the waves until her entire skin was flush pink from it. One final thrust and my body went over the edge.

"Fuck yeah," I growled. The thrusts slowed, but I still pushed into her, milking the last edges of orgasm for both of us.

We both collapsed down onto the blanket. I pulled the free edge over us, wrapping our bodies tightly together. Layla wriggled and settled in snuggly next to me. She yawned sleepily.

"This is even better than the naps I daydream about at work," she said groggily. She tucked her face against my chest and scooted even closer. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, the blanket holding us together like a tortilla on a burrito.

The soft sounds of birds in nearby trees and the light rustle of the fall breeze through the slowly dying tree leaves lulled us both into a sleepy state.

"Hmm, I could stay like this for the rest of the weekend and be perfectly content," she said softly.

"Me too." And as I lay there holding the woman who I had loved long before I should have, a sudden heavy feeling hit me. This thing between us was so fucking fragile, vulnerable. Like a dandelion in the wind, it could break apart into a million pieces, pieces that could never be brought back together. Aside from my parents, no one outside of our nice blanket cocoon could know about us. It was a fucked up deal, only it was the way of it. For the time being, I saw no way around it. I'd finally found someone who I adored so much all I wanted to do was shout it to the whole fucking world. But I couldn't. I had to keep it to myself. Any wrong move could tip this whole thing in the wrong direction and I'd lose her. It was too shitty to think about, but somehow, the fucked-up thought had wedged itself into my mind and I couldn't seem to shake the feeling of dread.

24

An idyllic afternoon coasted into an extremely pleasant night. A brisk chill had fallen over the ranch, making the perfect excuse to start a fire in the hearth. I'd finished blanketing the horses and making sure they were fed and watered for the night. I walked inside to the aroma of Mom's lasagna and the cozy warmth only a roaring fire could produce. Tom Petty's "Room at the Top of the World" was thrumming through the speakers, a song that couldn't have been more fitting to the way I was feeling.

Layla's hair was still wet from the long shower we took together. She had it combed off her face. Her skin was flawless, like everything else about her. "I envy your mom. This house, this lifestyle, with the man she loves. What a dream." She handed me a cold beer and picked up one for herself.

"Trust me she pinched herself a lot after we got here. Especially after the rough run she had back in Westridge. She earned this life."

"I'm glad she found so much happiness." As soon as she said it, she turned to me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that knowing what they're going through right now, but I'm still glad things worked out so well for her."

We made our way over to the fireplace. I'd placed some of my mom's gazillion throw pillows on the floor so we could sit in front of the glowing flames. Layla propped up a few pillows to lean against and I did the same.

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