Read A Portrait of Emily Online

Authors: J.P. Bowie

Tags: #General Fiction

A Portrait of Emily (2 page)

BOOK: A Portrait of Emily
3.12Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

“No, he’s not home yet. Can I take a message?”

“No. Is this Peter?”

“Yes, who’s this?”

The line went dead.

Jeff had said he’d be home around six, so Peter prepared a light meal for them both to have later. It was a beautiful, warm July evening. He set the table on the terrace so that they could enjoy watching the sunset over the ocean. He thought of inviting Eve, his mother, to join them then remembered she was going out with her old boyfriend, Fred. Ever since Peter’s father had died, Fred had been there to support and comfort his mother. He’d been there for her when Phillip was murdered and Peter lost to them for the three years he lay in a coma. Now Eve was free to enjoy Fred’s company even more as she no longer had to center her life around her constant visits to the hospital.

Eve still lived in the annex attached to Peter’s house that Phillip had designed for her after Paul, Peter’s father, died unexpectedly from a heart attack. She had talked of moving out now that Jeff and Peter lived together, but they had both insisted she stay. Peter knew that Fred still had high hopes of Eve agreeing to marry him—and secretly, Peter hoped she would eventually. He wanted his mother to know the same love and companionship he now enjoyed with Jeff, and he knew Fred would always adore her. So far though, she had resisted all of Fred’s attempts to persuade her to marry him.

She can be as stubborn as…me,
he thought, chuckling to himself. He heard the garage door open and his heart lifted as it always did when he knew Jeff was home.

“Hi there, you.” Jeff crossed the few steps to where Peter stood and gathered him in his arms, kissing him tenderly on the mouth. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured between kisses.

“Me too,” Peter whispered. “Don’t go to work anymore.”


Someone
has to provide for you.”

“Darn it, that’s true. Like to provide for me—upstairs?”

“Anywhere you like—the kitchen table?”

“Uh…upstairs.”

Jeff chuckled. “I need to take a shower. Join me?”

“You bet.”

They were almost undressed before they reached the bedroom, playfully pulling at each other’s clothes as they ran up the stairs together. Peter never tired of seeing Jeff’s powerful body unclothed. The rigorous police training he’d undergone in his early twenties had honed muscle and sinew to near perfection; a body any sculptor would love to have as a model. And oh, that delectable ass…

Peter liked it all even better when Jeff wrapped him in his arms and held him pressed to his warm, smooth flesh, as he now did, his hot hard cock pressed to Peter’s own burgeoning erection

“Mmm…you feel good.” Jeff’s lips glided over Peter’s throat then down across his chest, sucking on each nipple in turn, hardening the tiny nubs, sending tingling jolts of pleasure through Peter’s body.

Still in each other’s arms Jeff backed Peter up until they reached the bathroom and Jeff could turn on the shower. “Get in,” he growled, smacking Peter’s ass.

Peter moaned. “More.”

Jeff chuckled. “You enjoy it too much.” He squirted body wash onto a sponge and started soaping Peter’s lithe and compact body, trailing kisses over the nape of his neck and shoulders.

“Oh, man…” Peter pressed his back to Jeff’s hard chest and ground his butt against the erection he could feel throbbing between his ass cheeks. Jeff ran the soapy sponge down to Peter’s crotch, circling it with slow sensual movements that had Peter gasping with excitement and anticipation. He turned in Jeff’s arms then sank to his knees, eager to take Jeff’s erection into his mouth. While the shower water cascaded over them he slid his lips down the length of Jeff’s hot, hard flesh. Jeff’s fingers smoothed Peter’s wet hair from his forehead and caressed his face as he thrust in and out of Peter’s mouth. Peter ran his hands over Jeff’s butt, pulling him in closer, deeper inside his mouth, his throat muscles gripping the head of Jeff’s cock.

“Uh…you’re gonna make me come,” Jeff panted.

Peter released him and looked up. “That’s good isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but not so soon. C’m up here…” He pulled Peter back onto his feet and held him, his lips searing Peter’s with a long, scorching kiss, their tongues dancing inside each other’s mouths, searching, tasting every part of their wet heat. Peter’s hands roamed over Jeff’s back then slid down the length of his spine, lingering in the hollow on the small of his back before grasping the round, muscular globes of his ass and pulling him in, grinding their erections together.

Their kiss deepened, their breath filling each other’s mouths.

Jeff pulled away from their kiss. “Let’s get out of here. I need to be inside you.” He turned off the shower and grabbed their towels from the rail. Quickly, they dried one another then practically ran into the bedroom, flinging themselves onto the bed, arms and legs tangling, their lips and tongues scouring each other’s damp skin. They maneuvered themselves into a sixty-nine position and Peter grasped Jeff’s pulsing shaft at the base, bringing the glistening head to his lips, shuddering with pleasure as he felt his cock being enveloped by Jeff’s mouth.

His tongue swirled around Jeff’s cockhead, scooping up the copious precum, swallowing it down, greedily taking the whole throbbing length as far as he could into his mouth and throat. He gulped and his body spasmed as Jeff slid a finger inside him, each pass over his prostate sending fire and ice zinging straight to his balls.

“Uh…” Now it was his turn to protest that he was coming too soon. He released Jeff and pulled himself up into Jeff’s arms. “Want you to fuck me…”

“Want that too…” Jeff reached for the lube then warmed the gel in his hand before inserting one, then two fingers into Peter’s opening. Peter sat astride Jeff’s thighs then lowered himself slowly, impaling himself on the hard flesh, gasping as his opening was stretched, and each glorious inch of Jeff’s cock slid deep inside him.

“Oh…yeah…” Peter’s head fell back in ecstasy and his hips moved up and down, meeting every one of Jeff’s thrusts in a mutually created rhythm that took both of them closer and closer to the brink of orgasm.

Jeff raised himself up then eased Peter onto his back. Without breaking their rhythm he drove his cock even deeper inside his lover, thrusting harder, faster, his breath quickening in his chest. He gazed down at Peter’s face, transformed by his ecstasy, his eyes dark with desire, his lips parted in expectation of Jeff’s kiss. Their mouths met and Peter wrapped his arms around Jeff’s neck, locking them together in one long, rapturous kiss. Jeff squeezed a hand between their tightly pressed torsos and grasped Peter’s rock hard erection, pumping it, urging it rapidly toward release.

Peter shuddered and gasped into Jeff’s mouth and Jeff groaned, unable to control the rush of his orgasm. “Ah, babe…I’m coming.”

“Yes…” Peter arched under him, and the sensation of his lover’s semen surging between their bodies and spilling through his fingers took Jeff over the edge. One last thrust, his body stiffened, hard and taut as a strung bow as he climaxed. Spasm after spasm wracked his body and a thousand lights sparkled behind his closed eyelids as he filled his lover with his hot seed.

He collapsed over Peter, burying his face in the hollow between Peter’s neck and shoulder.

“Beautiful,” Peter murmured.

And if Jeff could have found his voice at that moment, he would have agreed.

Later, as they lay in each other’s arms, watching the lengthening shadows reach across the bedroom wall, Peter remembered the strange phone call. “Oh, I almost forgot, you had a phone call earlier. Some guy with an accent. Wouldn’t leave a message, but he knew
my
name.” His fingers strayed over Jeff’s left nipple, teasing gently.

“What kind of accent?” Jeff gripped Peter’s hand to stop the sweet torture.

“I’m not sure. It was faint…maybe Hispanic?”

A flicker of wariness crossed Jeff’s face for just a moment. “Obviously he didn’t leave a name?”

“Uh-uh,” Peter smiled at him. “Are you hiding a secret life from me? Should I be worried, hire a private investigator?”

“No.” Jeff stretched his long powerful body against Peter’s and held him tightly. “I’ve told you all there is to know about my past, believe me. Joey is the only one I knew who had any kind of accent. It couldn’t have been him. I haven’t heard from him in years.”

“Kind of strange though that whoever it was knew who I was.”

“Not really. Think of all the press coverage we had after the Frank Meeks fiasco. Our names were linked in several articles.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Peter unwrapped himself from Jeff’s embrace. “Come on, I’m famished. I set the table outside, but I think we missed the sunset.” Pulling on a pair of shorts, he left the bedroom and ran downstairs to the kitchen to prepare their meal.

Jeff sat up in bed, his eyes fixed on the open door. He frowned as he mulled over the information Peter had just given him. Could it possibly have been…? No, surely not after all this time. He sat a while deep in thought until he heard Peter call him from downstairs.

“Hey lazybones, did you fall asleep?”

“No. I’ll be right down.” He headed for the bathroom to clean up before dinner, deciding he’d think about this later.

CHAPTER TWO

Emily Hastings pulled her white polo shirt down over her head, and frowned at her reflection in the mirror. At twenty-two she still looked like a teenager. She turned sideways for another look and wished that her breasts were bigger like her cousin Gloria’s. Gloria was stacked. She’d overheard a couple of guys say just that when she and Gloria had been out shopping together the other day; and Emily had to agree. Gloria
was
stacked—and beautiful. She and Johnny, her handsome husband, made quite a stunning couple.

Emily wasn’t envious exactly. She just wished she had more to offer her boyfriend, Jerry. He was waiting for her downstairs while she changed into her tennis whites. Last night he had asked her to marry him and she had said yes. She hadn’t told her parents yet knowing her father would react unfavorably.

Most other fathers would look on Jerry as a great catch. He had a great job and wealthy parents. He was tall, attractive, and athletic. All the right ingredients for a Hastings girl to latch onto. More importantly, Emily loved him. She had not believed that possible. Not after years of trying to hold men at bay, never wanting to get close enough to be intimate. Every time she’d met some eager beau wanting to get to know her better, she had panicked at the thought of what might happen if he tried to kiss her or fondle her breasts. The idea of it had made her want to throw up.

With Jerry, it had been different. He was so kind and gentle, as if he understood her fear. The first time he kissed her, she had frozen in his arms, her lips remaining stiff and unyielding against his. He hadn’t pushed her away calling her frigid or tried to force her mouth open like some of the other guys had. He had smiled into her eyes, kissed the tip of her nose, and, taking her hand in his, had suggested they go for a little stroll together. He had told her of his childhood, of feeling he couldn’t compete with his older brother, of his struggle for recognition in his father’s eyes, until one day he’d suddenly realized he didn’t have to care what others thought of him—he was his own person—and he was damned proud of it. He had good grades, he was a champion swimmer, and, he was suddenly aware, girls liked him.

“I get the feeling you don’t know just how beautiful you really are,” he’d told her that night. “
And
you’re funny and amusing. It feels great just being with you.”

Emily had looked up at him in amazement. No one had ever told her that before—especially the beautiful part. She wondered if he was saying this just so he could take advantage of her.

“Don’t let anyone ever put you down Emily. You’re bright
and
beautiful—and it’s time you realized it.” His goodnight kiss had been a feather light touch of his lips on her cheek.

They had seen a lot of each other over the next few weeks and, gradually, Emily fell in love. Despite the feeling of warmth and safety Jerry instilled in her, she wondered how he would react if she ever told him what her father had done to her and Paula, her sister. She was terrified that he might be disgusted and end their relationship. She couldn’t bear the thought of that. Sometimes, when she looked at his strong but gentle face and clear blue eyes, she felt he might just understand. Jerry was a good person, but he was not naive. He knew there was evil in the world and he knew it could touch anyone regardless of who they were. Often,
because
of whom they were. Still, the words would not come and she was ashamed that she could love him so much, but not trust him with this secret.

She had asked her sister Paula if she told her husband about what had happened and Paula had looked at her in horror. “What are you
talking
about? Nothing like that ever happened to us, Emily.”

Her sister’s reaction caused Emily total bewilderment. How could she not remember those nights of terror? Later, she realized that Paula was in complete denial. It was never to be brought up again. She had considered asking her brother Anthony’s advice. He had returned from military school a tall, leanly muscular young man; a far cry from the shy and timid little boy he had once been. But he was aloof and distant, spending as little time at home as he possibly could, at odds with the father who resented the time Anthony spent away from home.

No one would have guessed the emotions Emily harbored, unseen by everyone she met. Despite everything she’d suffered, or perhaps because of it, she had learned to smile quickly and often, to mask her true feelings. No one knew the depth of those feelings, except her father. When in one another’s company, they circled each other like wary animals, never quite sure of the other’s next move. He would goad her sometimes, with an unpleasant remark, but she would never rise to the bait. Never would she show, in front of others, just how much she despised him. But she knew
he
knew from the looks of loathing she would cast his way when no one was around to see—and at such times, it gave her satisfaction to think she might just cause an icy shiver to run down his spine.

BOOK: A Portrait of Emily
3.12Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Keep the Window Open for Me by Elizabeth Ventsias
Autumn Calling by T. Lynne Tolles
Rex Stout - Nero Wolfe 17 by Three Doors to Death
The Pawnbroker by Edward Lewis Wallant
The Log from the Sea of Cortez by Steinbeck, John, Astro, Richard
Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington
Taken by You by Carlie Sexton
What Daddy Did by Ford, Donna