Page 16 of Patio Lanterns

Shoulders back and chest puffed out, he hit the top of the stairs feeling like a new man, with more energy pumping through his veins than after an invigorating dip in the lake.

“Good morning.” Wrapped in a blanket, Robin greeted him from the couch with a sunny smile and a tip of her coffee mug. Mutt, lying under the bridge Robin’s legs made between the couch and the table, lifted his head and perked his ears in greeting too.

“Well, good morning,” he said. “Don’t you two look cozy.”

“I tried to be quiet when I got up to let Mutt out. Sorry if we woke you. It looked like you were having a good sleep.”

He wanted to go over and kiss her good morning, but hesitated, suddenly unsure about morning-after etiquette. Would a kiss kill the easy, breezy vibe of casual sex? Would it be misinterpreted, or make him seem overly sentimental? Old fashioned? The longer he stood on the spot overthinking it, the more awkward it became. “I slept great. Amazing in fact.”

“Me too.” She giggled. “I put the coffee on. And I hope you don’t mind, but I raided your fridge to feed Mutt. I found some chicken and cheese, and I gave him some more cucumber too.”

“Of course, not. Glad you thought of it.” He smiled and continued toward the kitchen. She’d left a mug out for him on the counter and he filled it close to the brim. “Can I bring you another?”

“I’ve still got some, thanks.”

He slipped on his glasses before opening the fridge. Feeling a little sheepish about neglecting his hosting duties and leaving Robin to fend for Mutt, perhaps he could make it up to her by making breakfast. She had to be hungry. He had certainly worked up an appetite. “How about some scrambled eggs? Or if you prefer, I could whip up some pan—?”

“Rick, I…”

He turned to find Robin now standing in the kitchen, wearing nothing but one of his old t-shirts. The worn, whisper-thin fabric draped between her lovely melon-shaped breasts, bobbling freely at the tiniest jostle, and gave away the pronounced outline of her perky, mouth-watering nipples. Definitely centrefold tits.

He’d popped wood, and now there was no hiding that either.

Her gaze fell from his face and landed on his erection. “I, hmm… I was just going to say, that, uh, I… wow.” She swallowed. “Fuck me, that is one beautiful hard-on.”

He looked down at the saluting soldier now at full attention in his sweatpants. “Guess I’m not used to having a gorgeous half-naked woman in my house first thing in the morning,” he said. “Sorry, you were saying?”

“I don’t remember.” She stared hungrily at the outline of his rigid cock, as if stroking it with her eyes. That would definitely not help matters. “No, yes. Yes, I do. I was going to say you don’t have to cook me breakfast. Really. Just go about your day like you normally do.”

“Today is already anything but normal,” he said.

“What I mean is, um…” she paused. “Don’t change your routine on my account. Say, if you wanted to go for a swim or something, don’t let me stop you.”

“What about you?”

“Well, if it’s all right, I’d love to grab a shower. Then I thought I might make some toast and then be on my way. Maybe I’ll pop over to the general store and say hi to your secret lover Mrs. Crawley,” she said with a teasing smile.

There was an empty ache in his chest at the thought of the secret lover in front of him walking out his front door. “Don’t feel like you have to hurry, Robin. You and Mutt are welcome to hang out here as long as you like.”

“I’d love to, but I really should be going. I’ve got things I need to get, uh… done.”

She licked her lips, still entranced by his morning wood. Dirty girl.

“Think maybe you could add one more thing to your to-do list?” He showed her the condom he’d pocketed before loosening the drawstring of his sweats. He eased them down his hips, stopping at the top of his pubic hair, just enough to give her a taste of what she could have if she wanted it bad enough.

“Well, I did say I needed to take a shower,” she said. She clasped her hands in front of her, pressing her tits together.

“As luck would have it, I have a shower,” he said, removing his glasses and discarding them on the kitchen island.

She batted her lashes demurely, but it didn’t disguise the lust in her eyes. “Do you think it might be big enough for two?”

“Trust me, it’s fucking huge,” he heaved.

In a blink, they were skin-to-skin and tongue-to-tongue beneath the gentle spray of the ceiling-mounted rain shower. He’d indulged in a state-of-the-art system with triple shower heads, thinking it would take the place of a spa and masseuse to relax tired, aching muscles after a hard day’s work. But now, with Robin’s nubile body, wet, slippery, and mashed up against his, he’d found a much more pleasurable benefit.

Water pelted his shoulders and cascaded between them. He pressed his mouth on hers, kissing her deeply. The slide of their tongues spread the heat of desire everywhere, especially straight to his cock, which was eagerly poking into her soft, yielding belly. As her hands skated over his body as if mapping out every muscle, his memorized the dip of her lower back, the feminine flare of her hips and the feel of her firm, yet supple ass.

She reached between them and held his balls, playfully massaging and rolling them with her fingers until he brought her hand up and wrapped it around his needy dick, insisting on the exquisite pressure of her touch from root to tip. Her fingers wrapped around his shaft, her thumb drawing drowsy circles around and around the thickened head before pumping in a slow, sensual rhythm. It felt so fucking good, he swore his legs would give way.

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