The River

The shade from the Texas live oak didn’t seem to stop the heat of the sun from searing my skin. It was a brutally hot day, even by Texas’ standards. Trying to find relief, I had spread a blanket under the tall tree, grabbed my favorite book and an icy glass of lemonade. It wasn’t working. I could barely breathe. Saying the day was hot, didn’t come close to describing it. It was sultry.

Lifting the heavy hair that fell down my back, I sighed. The faintest breeze sent ripples through the grass, bending each blade towards the river. It seemed as if the thirsty blades were reaching for the water, seeking their own relief. Standing up I pulled at my clothing. Tossing it into a pile on the blanket, I ran for the cool water. "Why didn’t I think of this sooner?" I thought. As a child my family had spent many summer days splashing in the water. It was here that I first met Ed. Finding a shallow spot, I sat down. As the river flowed around me, my mind drifted off, back to the days of my childhood.

"Hi Jen." My eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice. He was there, standing on the grassy bank, smiling at me. "Is it helping?" He asked. I looked around trying to find anything I could use to cover myself with. There was nothing. Bringing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs, I asked,

"Is what helping?

"The water, is it helping to cool you off?" That arrogant smile was back. I felt as if he could see into my very soul. I felt as if he knew what I was thinking. Before I could answer him, he was removing his shirt, and kicking off his shoes. "Aahh." He sighed. "Kind of makes you feel like a kid again doesn’t it?"

Ed stood before me wearing only his blue jean cut-offs. I hadn’t seen him in almost two weeks. Not since that night in his Mothers rose garden, when he had asked me to marry him. I didn’t know what to say to him. I didn’t know if the proposal was sincere, or only something that was created from the passion of the moment. Now here I sat, vulnerable, and not sure as to what was going to happen next. "It has been awhile hasn’t it?"

Not able to look up and meet his eyes, all I could do was whisper, "yes." He walked behind me and sat down. Reaching for me, he pulled me close, until I was sitting between his legs. His hands were sliding up and down my arms, caressing.

"I missed you Jen." He said simply. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"No." I replied. "I just wasn’t sure what you wanted."

"I think I made that pretty clear two weeks ago. I want you. I want you in my life for the rest of my life."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I wouldn’t have asked you if I wasn’t. Jennifer, I love you and want you to marry me. Will you please be my wife?"

I didn’t know what to say. Part of me desperately wanted to marry him. Another part of me, was scared, and unsure that it was the right thing to do.

The silence grew to be unbearable. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I didn’t want to rush into anything either. "I don’t know. I love you too, but I feel like we barely know each other. I don’t want to rush into anything. Please understand." I pleaded.

"Look at me Jen." Ed said. I turned and looked up into the warmest green eyes I had ever seen. They were full of compassion and understanding, and love. "I do understand Sweetness, and you are right. With the way I have been coming and going I can imagine how confused you are. I am not taking my proposal back. It is still there, and when you are ready to answer, let me know. I’ll be waiting."

I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from me. I didn’t want to lose him, but I also didn’t want to do something that wasn’t completely thought out. "Ya know what?" I asked, with a devilish grin.

"What?" He asked.

"I am always right, and it is about time you realized it." I teased as I gave him a not so gentle shove and watched as he fell backward into the water.

"I am going to get you, you little vixen." He yelled. With that I screamed, jumped up and ran towards the river bank, trying to reach my cottage for safety. I ran as fast as I could, but Ed was faster. He caught up with me, laced his strong arms around my waist, picked me up and cradled me in his arms. "I love you Girl."

"I love you too, now put me down you big overgrown ape!"

"OVERGROWN????? OVERGROWN????? You, my little midget, are just jealous."

"Put me down." I demanded, pounding on his sun-browned chest.

" Fine. I’ll put you down." With that he plopped me back into the water.

"You turd!" I yelled, but he simply turned his back to me and marched off towards my cottage. "Hey where do you think you are going? Don’t you dare go in there and get everything all wet."

Ed stopped dead in his tracks. "For your information Little Missy, that cottage belongs to me. Mom and Dad signed it over a few years ago. You are merely renting it for the summer." He turned once again and stomped towards the cottage. I sat there, not quite knowing how to respond. Ed walked into the cottage and reappeared a minute later with something in his hand. He came back to the river's edge, removed his shorts and stepped into the water. "Want to take a bath with me?" He asked.

"Here? In the river?"

"Yes, here, in the river." Ed said smiling. He stood there naked in front of me. Teasing me, playing with me. Knowing that he was opening taunting me. In his hand he had a bottle of my rose scented liquid soap. He opened it, squeezing a quarter size pool onto the palm of his hand. He began to lather the soap on his chest. My mouth went dry. I needed to be the one touching him so intimately. Offering his hand out to me, his eyes questioned me again. "Jennifer, do you want to join me?"

"Yes." I smiled at him. Taking his hand, I pulled myself up next to him. My nipples hardening as they brushed against his water cooled flesh. His soapy hands slid down the sides of my body, coming to rest on my hips. Ed lowered his mouth to mine, crushing my lips, forcing his tongue into my mouth.

"Oh, God I want you Girl." He moaned. I went weak against him as his exploring mouth found the sensitive skin on my neck. Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him closer. We held each other like that for moment when he broke the spell by pulling away.

"I want to wash you Jen. All of you." A shiver went through me. Once again Ed poured the scented soap into the palm of his strong hands. Starting at my shoulders, he massaged the fragrance into my skin. Sliding his hands down to my throat, and lower to the swell of my breasts. Tracing his fingers over the tops of my breasts to the sides he cupped them, lifting slightly. As his hands closed over the crests, I felt the heat of passions' flames burning between my thighs. He rolled my nipples between his fingers and thumbs. I arched my back, and tangled my hands into his hair, pushing his warm mouth onto my hardened buds. The warmth of Ed’s hands was now burning into my ass as he molded me to him.

Together we melted into the river, kissing and touching as the soft currents rinsed the last of the soap from us. "Let’s go lay on your blanket Sweetness." Ed said holding his hand out to me. When we reached the blanket, he pulled me into his arms, and kissed the beads of river water from my eyelashes, shoulders, and finally the drops of water hanging from the tips of my nipples. "What a way to spend my birthday." He whispered into my ear.

"It’s your birthday?" I asked, surprised. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because it really isn’t that big of a deal."

"It is to me. I love you."

"I love you too, now come here and let me show you just how much." Ed ordered.

"No, not this time." I told him rebelliously. "Tonight I am going to make love to you." With that I sat down on the blanket and motioned for him to join me. My hands gently cradled his face as I started kissing his eyelids, forehead, temples. My tongue tenderly tasting. I kissed my way down to his lips. My fingertips trailing down his neck to his shoulders. Looking into his eyes I took one of his hands in mine and brought the fingers to my mouth. Taking just one, I lowered my lips to it, circling it with my tongue, gently nibbling, sucking.

Ed reached out to touch me, but I stopped him. "No, please, let me make love to you this time. Again I reached out to touch his face, looking into his eyes. My lips met his with an intensity that took both of us by surprise. I need this man I thought to myself. I need him for the rest of my life. My kisses went lower, covering his chest, his stomach, and finally the moist head of his cock. "Oh God girl, you are making me crazy. Please Jen, please." I only smiled at his pleading. Taking his cock fully into my mouth I closed my hands around his balls. I licked at his throbbing hardness from the base to the tip, circling the head. Sucking any and all moisture I could get from it.

I then crawled on top if him, rubbing my wet slit over his cock, not letting him penetrate me. Sliding off I took him into my hands and began to stroke him. One hand starting at the base while the other circled the tip. Ed sat up and grabbed me. "I can’t do this anymore. It is not fair. I want, no I need to touch you too." His hands went to the cheeks of my ass and pulled me onto him. Burying his cock deep inside me, he called out my name. "Jennifer, God girl what you do to me." Together we moved in a rhythm only lovers familiar with each other can achieve. Both of his hands closed over my breasts, bring them to his mouth.

I arched my back and rested my hands on his thighs, just above the knees. Tossing my head back, I rode him, my hair tickling the tops of his thighs.

One last time Ed drove himself deep inside me. Grabbing at my hips he pushed me down hard onto him, grinding against me, grinding against my clit. I felt his cock getting harder and thicker as the love built in him. His fingers were again pulling on my nipples, driving me over the edge. The world seemed to shatter into a million tiny pieces as I reached my climax. "Oh Baby come here." Ed said, and he wrapped his arms around me, bringing me up against him. Entwining my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist, again he started the sweet assault of his lovemaking. Sliding his cock in and out of me, I felt the beads of perspiration form on his back. With his hands on my ass, he lifted me up and down. I was the one sliding onto him now. Once again brilliant colors washed over me. Ed and I were one. Together we screamed out as our worlds collided, taking us to new heights.

We laid on the blanket side by side. Not speaking. Just lost in out thoughts, and watching the sun set. The colors reflecting on the water of our river. My lover was the first to break the silence. "When are you going back home?" He asked, sounding sad.

"I don’t think I am." I told him. "Do you know of any teaching positions opening up here?" When my eyes met his face I was overwhelmed by the joy I found dancing in his eyes.

"I think I could probably check into that for you." He grinned at me.

"Good." I said, standing up. "I am going for another swim, want to join me?"

"Yea, race Ya!" He shouted as he bolted up and ran towards the water.

We swam and played in the water for over an hour. Then we got dressed, went inside, poured two more icy glasses of lemonade and sat on the porch talking and enjoying the night. "Jen, were you serious about staying? I mean I would love it, but what about your apartment, your other job?"

"You’re not there." I stated. "I don’t have anything other than the apartment and job there. Here I have you." Ed gathered me into his arms and started to kiss me. Headlights from a car turning into the driveway broke the kiss. No sooner had the car stopped than a door opened and a little boy can running out.

"Daddy!" He said, stopping only long enough to glance at me. "I missed you Daddy."

The tenderness that had been mine only moments before was now centered on this little boy standing before me.

"Jen, I would like you to meet my son, Mark. Mark, this is my friend, Jennifer."