“You okay?” I asked, kissing her face.

  She just nodded, still clinging to me, a strange look in her eyes. Her whole body was trembling. I couldn’t help kissing her forehead between her eyes.

  “You saved me,” she breathed, her fingers curled in my shirt, pulling me in.

  Lightning flashed, and I could see the railing was damaged.

  Caroline reached up and touched my face, tracing her fingers along my jaw before pulling me down into a desperate kiss.

  “Come on,” I said softly, guiding her towards the door. She clung to me as we moved inside, not wanting to let go.

  The house was dark and silent. “Power’s out,” I murmured, flicking the light switch as Caroline kissed my neck.

  We stumbled through the den, leaving wet footprints across the hardwood floor. Caroline was making little sounds in her throat, her arms draped around my neck as we passionately made out.

  She broke away just long enough to whisper, “My room.”

  The house was strange in the darkness, windows rattling from thunder as we made our way to the stairs.

  In Caroline’s bedroom, lightning flashed through her gauzy curtains, briefly illuminating the feminine space — a large bed with soft linens, antique furniture, framed art on the walls. Everything about it was so her.

  She faced me, rain still dripping from her hair. The wet dress stuck to her skin. Slowly, deliberately, she reached behind her back and unzipped it.

  She shed the material, letting it drop to the ground and revealing her full breasts almost escaping from her bra, her soft stomach, the curves of her hips.

  She seemed both vulnerable and powerful as my hands found her waist, sliding over her wet skin. She pressed against me, forcefully lifting my shirt. I pulled it off.

  Then I took her waist with one hand, digging my fingers into her flesh as my other hand explored the roundness of her ass.

  Pressing my lips against her soft cheek, I made a trail of kisses to her neck, down to her shoulders, her chest, her stomach.

  I found myself on my knees, caressing her legs and kissing her thighs. She gasped in surprise as my lips came closer to her apex. I kissed her panties, my hands lovingly groping her bottom.

  Her fingers were in my hair as she moaned. I felt her warmth enveloping me.

  Thunder exploded outside, rattling the windows as my tongue touched her panties, my fingers reaching for the band of the material. But she was already scrambling to remove them.

  She squirmed her hips, pushing her panties down. I yanked them down her thighs and immediately began licking.

  She started gasping and shaking as noises of awe escaped her throat. I relentlessly kissed and lapped my tongue over her.

  After a moment, she urgently caressed my face and guided me towards the bed.

  As she lay on the blankets, pulling me down with her, the storm seemed to fade away. She lay back, her skin glowing in the storm-light.

  I traced my fingers over her collarbone, down between her breasts. She was so warm and soft.

  “You’re shivering,” I murmured.

  “Not from cold.” Her hands moved over my chest, exploring. Then lower, working at my belt. I hastily shed my jeans.

  “God, Ryan. I haven’t been with anyone since…” She caught her breath as I kissed her neck, then worked the clasp of her bra.

  It came apart, revealing her full breasts. They were natural and heavy, with large pink nipples. When I took one in my mouth, sucking it, she arched her back, gasping.

  I moved down, kissing her stomach before returning to that place of infinite comfort between her thighs. I licked and kissed. Then, working a finger past her wet folds, I curled it upwards and found her spot.

  She squirmed against the bed, gasping desperately, her hips moving involuntarily as my tongue found her clitoris.

  I continued my ministrations methodically, enjoying the way she shivered and moaned.

  Before long, her hips jutted upwards with convulsions as she closed her thighs around my head.

  Immediately she grabbed me, pulling my face towards her. Her hands found me through my underwear, and it was my turn to gasp. She stroked me through the fabric, growing bolder with each touch.

  “Please…I want you,” she breathed, hooking her thumbs in my waistband.

  “I don’t have a condom.”

  “You’re clean?”

  “Yes. I got a test when I broke up with my girlfriend. Haven’t been with anyone since.”

  She was already pulling me towards her.

  I positioned myself between her thighs. She was soaking wet. When I pushed inside her, she cried out, clutching my shoulders, a look of revelation on her face.

  “Oh god, you feel so good.”

  Her body welcomed me perfectly, warm, tight, and wet. I moved slowly at first, savoring every sensation. Caroline’s legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me in further.

  The deeper I got, the more shocked her face was.

  “Oh, I love your dick…” she moaned, her fingers digging into my back. “Please... harder.”

  I obliged, driving into her with increasing force. Her breasts bounced with each thrust, and she threw her head back, completely lost in the moment.

  Outside, the storm raged on, but we were in our own world. Every cry from Caroline, every squeeze of her inner muscles around me, increased the pleasure.

  “Oh my god, you feel so good…” Her words dissolved into gasps as her body tensed beneath me. I could feel her starting to pulse around me.

  “Come for me,” I murmured in her ear, my voice authoritative. “Let go, Caroline.”

  She shattered, crying out my name as waves of pleasure wracked her body.

  I increased my speed, pushing myself over the edge. I felt myself pop inside her, pumping a powerful stream of cum deep into her.

  She gasped, “You’re coming… I can feel it.”

  I continued spurting seed into her, surprising even myself at how much I had in me.

  We both clung to each other as we rode out our climax together.

  Then I collapsed beside her, both of us breathing heavily. Caroline curled into me, resting her head on my chest. Her body was warm and soft against mine.

  The storm had quieted somewhat, leaving just the gentle sound of rain against the windows. I stroked her hair, still damp from earlier, and she made a contented humming sound.

  “That was…” she started, then laughed softly. “That was what I needed.”

  “Me too.” I pulled her closer, breathing in her scent.

  We lay there in comfortable silence for a while, just touching, caressing. Then Caroline propped herself up on one elbow, looking at me with those bright blue eyes.

  She traced patterns on my chest with her finger. “I haven’t been with anyone since my divorce. That’s… a long time.”

  “Long time to be alone,” I said softly, still stroking her hair.

  “Mm-hmm. Sometimes I thought maybe that part of my life was over. It just got harder and harder to meet people. I mean, I didn’t want to become a ‘cougar’ or whatever, you know?”

  “Like, dressing up and going to bars?”

  She waved her hand. “Ugh! Yeah, I have zero interest in that. But then you show up… And here we are.”

  Rain pattered steadily against the windows. Caroline’s hand kept moving over my chest, as if she couldn’t quite believe I was real.

  She continued. “You know what’s funny? I bought this house right after my divorce. I got a good deal, and my dad helped me with the money.

  “But everyone thought I was delusional. Such a big place for just one person? But the thing was… I’d always had this dream of having a family. And this house was exactly what I pictured. I just thought maybe someday…”

  Her voice trailed off, but I understood. The empty rooms, the big yard, the nurturing way she took care of me. It all made sense now. She should have been a mom and a wife. She should have had a husband and kids to care for.

  “Anyway, I guess life had other plans,” she said with a small laugh. “But I never thought I’d be here in bed with a man young enough to be my son.”

  “Nah, I’m not that young,” I said, even though I knew it was technically true.

  “I know you’re not,” she said dotingly, tracing her fingers down my stomach. “But I am eighteen years older than you. A lot of women around here had kids at eighteen.”

  “Do you like that…The fact I’m so much younger?”

  “Yes…But you don’t feel like a boy to me. The way you take charge, the way you protect me. The way you make me feel. The way you touch me…”

  Thunder rumbled distantly. Caroline’s hand wandered lower, and I felt my shaft stiffening against her touch.

  “You’re still very hard,” she whispered with admiration.

  “That’s what you do to me.”

  She whispered against my ear, “Me, too. I’m so wet right now.”

  Our bodies came together again, but this time was slower, more intimate.

  When I entered her, she clamped her legs around me strongly, driving me deeper. We moved together until we both came again.

  Then we fell asleep to the sound of gentle rain against the windows.

  Chapter fifteen

  Sunlight streamed through the curtains. My cheek rested on the roundness of Caroline’s hip, and I was gazing at her lovely mound topped with trimmed hair.

  Caroline brushed her fingers through my hair. We’d had five intense rounds of sex through the night, finally falling asleep at some point.

  “What time is it?” I said, kissing her thigh and moved towards her center.

  She sucked in a breath. “Don’t get me started now… I—I have to go. It’s after eight.”

  “Eight? You’re going to be late.”

  “It’s okay. Today I can be there at nine.”

  I returned my cheek to her thigh, squeezing her hips with my hands and burrowing my face against her.

  She laughed softly. “But I still have to get ready soon.”

  She made no move to get up, just gazed down at me. I moved up the bed towards the pillows. She settled into my arms, resting her head on my chest.

  “This was fun,” I said.

  “Mmm, it was. We should do it again.”

  “Yes. Definitely.”

  “I mean, you’re gonna be gone soon. Just four more days, right?”

  “Uh, for the booking, yeah. But I have no definite plan. I could stay longer.”

  She ran her fingers over my abs. “You could?” Her voice was carefully neutral, but I felt her body respond to the idea.

  “Yeah, maybe. I just booked a week so I could get a feel for the place. And I must say, I found some things I like.” I caressed her hip.

  She smiled. “You did, huh? Well, if you do decide you want to stay longer in Riverdale, I’ll be happy to have you.”

  While Caroline got ready for work, I went downstairs to see how bad the damage was from last night.

  In the morning sun, the behemoth tree lay sprawled across Caroline’s lawn, branches and leaves everywhere.

  Looking over the fence to the neighbor’s, I could see the other half of the broken oak tree. It had split right down the middle of its trunk.

  I shuddered, thinking about how bad it could have been if it had fallen on the house.

  As it was, the damage was relatively minor. The body had landed safely on the grass. Only one massive limb rested against the porch railing.

  I could fix the damage myself. All the tools I’d need were in the shed.

  I’d just need to buy some new material for the railing.

  The bigger task would be clearing that monster tree. My mind went to that beautiful chainsaw in the shed — practically brand new, barely used.

  I imagined myself firing it up and cutting through those branches, stacking firewood for Caroline’s fireplace.

  I glanced at the shed. It stood covered in leaves, still wet from the storm. It was tempting to go in there just to have a little look at the chainsaw—

  The doorbell rang, drawing me back inside.

  As I approached the front door, Caroline appeared at the top of the stairs, running a brush through her hair. “Oh, would you mind getting that?”

  “I’m already on it.”

  “Thanks.” She returned to her room.

  Opening the door, I found an older man in khakis. “Uh… Oh!” He gave me a dumbfounded look. “I… Jason? Didn’t recognize ya. Well, you’ve sure grown.”

  “I’m not Jason,” I said with a polite smile. “My name’s Ryan. Caroline’s busy at the moment, but maybe I can help you.”

  “Er, well, I’m her neighbor.” He hooked his thumb in the direction of the overgrown bushes.

  “Just wanted to see if everything’s okay after the storm. And wanted to apologize for the tree. Any, uh, any damage?”

  “Just to the porch, but nothing too bad.”

  He looked somewhat relieved. “I’m Bill, by the way.” We shook hands, and I could tell he was hoping for some explanation of who I was, but I let him wonder.

  He cleared his throat. “Thought you were Caroline’s nephew, Jason. Anyway, you tell her not to worry about the tree situation, alright? I’ve already hired some guys to come and cut those other big trees in my yard, and they’re gonna clean up her yard, too—hopefully today or tomorrow.”

  His eyes kept darting over my shoulder to the stairs. Caroline’s heels clicked around on the upstairs floor as she moved around, getting ready.

  She called down, “Ryan, everything okay?”

  A slight flush colored Bill’s cheeks as he heard the intimate tone in Caroline’s voice.

  “It’s Bill at the door,” I called back.

  “Oh! Tell him I’ll be right down!”

  “She’ll be right down.”

  Bill shifted uncomfortably. His eyes moved from my bare feet to my t-shirt. He scratched his head awkwardly. “Well, I should…” he gestured vaguely toward his house. “Yeah, just wanted to check... about the tree.”

  Caroline came down the stairs, dressed for work but still shining with that after-sex glow. Her hair was damp from the shower, her cheeks flushed. “Hi Bill! Good morning!”

  “Morning, Caroline.” His eyes darted between us. “I was just telling, uh, your friend here about the trees. I’ve got some guys coming.”

  “Oh, that’s so thoughtful of you.” She stepped closer to me, her hand finding my shoulder. “I was worried about that big branch.”

  Bill’s mouth worked silently for a moment. Then it bunched up into a tight knot. “Right. Well. Martha will want to know you’re okay. I should…”

  He pointed again towards his house, almost stumbling as he backed down the porch steps.

  As soon as the door closed, Caroline burst into giggles. “Oh lord, I shouldn’t laugh. But did you see his face?”

  “He was scandalized.”

  Caroline was still giggling, her hand on my chest now. “I know! Poor Bill. He is totally running home to tell Martha.”

  “He thought I was your nephew at first.”

  “Jason?” That made her laugh even harder. “Oh no! Well…” She composed herself, though her eyes still sparkled with mischief. “Just be aware, the whole neighborhood will know by lunch.”

  My eyes widened. “Wow. Gossipers or what?”

  She shrugged. “Small town.”

  “Does it bother you? I mean, if the rumor spreads?”

  She shook her head, smoothing her blouse. “Not at all. Let them talk.”

  She glanced at her watch and gasped. “Oh! I really am going to be late now. Okay, bye.” She stepped towards me, raising her face for a kiss.

  I held her waist and planted one on her lips.

  “Will you be here when I get home?” she asked.

  “Yeah. There’s a few things I want to do.”

  She peered at me for a second, narrowing her eyes. “You’re not planning on doing yardwork, are you?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  “Ryan, don’t. Just let Bill take care of it. It’s his problem.”

  “Go to work,” I said, taking her in my hands and directing her to the door.

  She pushed against me with a self-satisfied smile. “You can’t anyway.”

  “Can’t what?”

  “You can’t do any yard work. You know why?”

  “Did you lock the shed?”

  Caroline blinked her eyes innocently. “Uh huh. I just did what you told me. But I know you like that shed, so if you want to get in, the key is hanging by the back door.”

  “Good girl. Now get to work.” I turned her around and slapped her butt as she walked out the door. It made her jump and giggle like a teenage girl.

  She paused on the steps. “Hey, you know what? You should go say hello to Sofia. She usually has coffee on her back porch.”

  “Uh, okay. Maybe I will.”

  “Yeah. You should. Just go over to her back door, and knock if she’s not out there. She’d love the company.”

  “Alright. Enjoy your day.”

  At first, I didn’t think much about the suggestion. But, as I was heading back outside after a shower, I started to wonder.

  What was that about? Caroline did have a twinkle in her eye as she was telling me to go see Sofia.

  I remembered our earlier conversation. Caroline had told me she didn’t mind if Sofia and I flirted.

  Did she want me to go over there now and flirt with her friend?

  They were close friends, after all. Maybe she wanted to… share a good thing? I gave my head a shake. That would just be too good to be true.

  Grabbing the shed key, I stepped outside to gauge the damage more closely. A section of railing and some balusters needed replacing—that was it.

  I could do that part easily. But first, that limb had to be moved out of the way.

  And I didn’t feel like waiting for Bill’s workers to show up.

  “Fuck it.”

  I went into the shed and picked up the chainsaw. The orange casing still had that new-toy shine, not even scratched. But it needed fuel. I’d have to grab some at the hardware store.

  For now, I grabbed an old-fashioned saw and got to work on the branch—just for the hell of it.