Caroline & The Parallel Universe
By: Jana~
And: Caroline
Chapter Three
*****~*****
--Richard let himself sink into the warmth and passion of their first kiss, but then his self-doubts brought him back to reality…
"Why--? What did you kiss me for?"
"I wanted to…" she admitted shyly…
"You wanted to?"
"Yeah." She looked away… "Lately… I've been having these… feelings…"
"Feelings?" he repeated…
She nodded… "About you…"
"Me?"
"And I was kinda hoping…"
"Hoping?"
Caroline chuckled… "What, are we at the Grand Canyon here?"
"Huh?" he asked, confused…
"You're like my little echo…"
"Oh… sorry."
"It's ok." She smiled… "So, what… what do you think?"
"About what?"
"About you and me. You know? Us?"
"Us?"
"Richard, the echo… remember?" she reminded… "Look, is this your way of saying you're not interested? Cause if it is--"
Her sentence was cut off as Richard grabbed her face and pulled her lips to his, kissing her passionately. She quickly warmed to the touch of his lips, and kissed him back. As the kiss grew in intensity, his hands left her face, touching her shoulders, lightly grazing her sides as they glided down to her hips.
He pulled away, breathless… "I've had feelings for you since the first moment I saw you…" he confessed, leaning in to kiss her again.
This time the kiss was loving and tender, not to express need or desire, but to express love and respect…
"Richard?" she whispered as she broke their kiss… "Let's continue this upstairs…"
"Upstairs?
"You're being my little echo again…" she chuckled…
"No, it's just… well, we're moving… kinda fast…"
"Richard, for once don't analyze… just react…"
She took his hand and led him up the stairs, glancing back briefly to smile reassuringly. They entered the room, Caroline shutting the door behind them with a quick kick of her foot. Nervously, they gazed at each other for what seemed like an eternity… then, without words they were back in each other's arms. The kiss was gentle at first… exploring and tender, but it quickly grew to more.
Need took over, and Richard moved his hands up Caroline's back to the zipper on her dress. Pulling away from their kiss he silently asked permission with his eyes, and Caroline nodded her approval. She offered a slight smile, and he smiled in return, leaning in to kiss her again. With the delicate hands of an artist, he slowly pulled at the zipper, traveling down her back, his fingers brushing against her bare skin as the zipper parted.
She shivered under his touch, running her hands through his hair, encouraging him. With the zipper down he moved his hands to her shoulders, pushing the material off and allowing the dress to fall to the floor. They pulled back and looked at each other... eyes filled with longing and desire… and Caroline moved her hands to his shirt, nervously working each button. He helped to remove his shirt, then placed his hands on her hips as she reached for his belt buckle.
Their breathing seemed almost ragged as they both became aware of the point they were crossing... the point of no return. Caroline worked the belt, then moved to the snap and zipper... their eyes never left each other's. Inching closer, she moved her hands into the waistband of his pants and pushed them down his legs… he kicked them aside as soon as he felt them around his ankles, then pulled her into another kiss. It showed how desperate he was for her, and the knowledge that he wanted her so made her want him all the more.
Richard's hands moved from her waist to her breasts, lightly grazing them before moving around to the hooks on her bra. His kiss left her lips and moved to her neck as he unhooked each hook. With a soft brush of his fingers, he moved the straps down off her shoulders, down her arms till the garment hit the floor. His lips left her neck as his hands slid to her breasts. His eyes stared at hers, watching her reaction as he fondled her gently.
A soft moan escaped her lips as her eyes drifted shut, the sensation of his hands on her in this intimate way intoxicating. His hands moved lower till he reached the delicate material of her underwear. Her eyes flew open to find his, and he smiled as he inched his fingers inside the thin elastic. With the slightest of nods from Caroline, he had her approval, and he kneeled as he gently removed her underwear.
His fingers danced across her skin... her thighs... her calves, her ankles, then back up again to her abdomen. He looked up at Caroline as she looked down… then he leaned in, kissing her belly button. She startled at the ticklish sensation, but the moan that soon followed told Richard to continue. He kissed and licked his way back up, paying special attention to her breasts before traveling to her neck. He kissed and licked her shoulder… his warm breath sending shivers through her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her warm embrace, leaning against him for balance… her mind reeling from his touch. When she pulled back and ran her hands down his chest, down to rest just inside the waistband of his boxers, he moaned her name. She took that as his approval and pushed the boxers down and off, leaving both of them naked. She rose up slowly, caressing him as she stood. Their hearts pounded, breathing was heavy, their gaze intense. They slowly backed away from one another, their eyes remaining locked. Then, at her prompt, they both lowered their gaze.
She was as beautiful as Richard had imagined… pale white skin with a sprinkling of freckles… not one scar marred her gorgeous body.
He was as handsome as Caroline had envisioned… defined muscles, but not overly defined… and he was definitely well endowed.
They smiled awkwardly at one-another before embracing again…
"Are we really doing this?" he asked in a whisper…
She nodded against his chest as she held him tightly… "Only if you want to…"
"More than anything," he replied as he kissed the delicate skin between her shoulder and neck…
"Do you want to get under the covers?" she asked timidly…
"Yes…" he whispered in her ear, moving carefully towards the bed.
They climbed under the covers and immediately sought the other's warm touch… the other's loving embrace.
His hands frantically roamed over her trembling body as he kissed her with yearning… fondling her breasts, rubbing her thighs… touching her everywhere… needing her desperately.
She trembled with need as he touched her, caressed her, fondled her… creating a strong need like she had never felt before. Her hands wandered over his form, the feel of his naked body beneath her fingertips exhilarating.
He shifted his weight above her, looking deep in her eyes as he entered her… her eyes drifted shut at the sensation of him inside her…
"Caroline…" he whispered… "Open your eyes…"
She did as he asked and he smiled as their eyes locked. The rhythm he set was slow and sensuous… wanting their union to last. Their gaze remained on the other till Richard gathered her into his arms and pulled her tight to him, kissing her with urgency… she instinctively knew he was close, as was she. She moaned his name, her back arching, then gasped audibly as her release shook her body. Richard grunted her name as his release followed a moment later.
*****
--There was an awkward silence as they held each other close… both nervously wondering what the other was thinking.
*What is he thinking?* she thought to herself… *Does he think this was a horrible mistake? Does he think I pressured him? Does he think we moved way too fast? But… I've never had a connection like that before in my life. This wasn't just sex… this was so much more. Somehow, I knew it would be. I knew beneath that hard exterior was an extremely passionate man. Did he feel the same bond forming? Was it just as meaningful for him? Is this what Sincere Amore feels like?*
*This didn't just happen…* he thought to himself… *Fate isn't that kind. Still, here she is… in my arms… holding me… God, her touch is incredible. SHE is incredible… so, why is she with me? Was this just because she's lonely? It didn't feel like just sex… at least, for me it wasn't. But, what about her? Did this affect her the same way? Did she feel the same attachment? It was like… the melding of our souls. Surely she felt it too. I could ask her, but how foolish would I look if I did?* He gave that a moment's thought… *Very.* he decided…
"Richard?"
Her voice brought him out of his thoughts… "Yeah?"
"Penny for your thoughts…"
"I'm getting a raise?"
"Yeah, funny…" she quipped… "I'm being serious, Richard…"
"I know…" he replied softly… "I don't even know where to begin…"
"Ok…" her tone sounded down beat… like she was expecting bad news…
"No, no…" he assured her, sensing her concern… "It's just-- Well, what brought this on all of the sudden?"
"Well…" she started… "Remember when Annie and I were talking about that dream I had?"
He moved just enough so he could look at her… "You dreamt about having sex with me?"
"No… not exactly…"
"Then… what exactly?" he asked curiously…
"Well, do you mind if I tell you about the dream?"
"No. I don't mind…" She started to sit up to face him, but he shook his head and grabbed for her… "No. Wait." He told her, bringing her back to him and holding her tight… "Now go ahead."
She chuckled slightly as she snuggled into him… "Ok…" she started… "In my dream, everything was backwards…"
"Backwards? Define backwards…"
"Like, everyone was the exact opposite of how they really are. Del wanted to get married and raise a family. Charlie was actually really intelligent… and not at all weird. Annie was still a virgin--"
Richard laughed… "Annie?! A virgin?!"
Caroline smirked at his response… "Yep!"
"So, what about you?"
"I was super pessimistic and gloomy… like you!"
"Uh-huh…" he playfully scolded…
"It's true! And you were like me! Optimistic and chipper!"
He scoffed… "Chipper?"
"Yep! Oh, and you and Annie were dating…"
"Dating? That's not a dream! That's more like a night terror!" He started to get up…
"Where are you going?"
"I just got the sudden urge to scrub myself raw…"
Caroline chuckled as she pulled him back into her embrace… "Later. I want to finish telling you about the dream…"
"Sorry. Go ahead…"
"Thank you. Ok, so, well… seeing you and Annie together… I kinda got… jealous."
"Jealous?"
"Yeah. I wanted you. Cause I was in love with you. And I told you I was… I even kissed you! But you just looked at me with all this pity… and told me you didn't feel the same way about me."
Richard watched carefully as her expression changed… realizing how much the dream affected her…
"I ended up becoming so depressed that I locked myself in my room and refused to come out."
"All because of me?" he asked, astonished…
"Yeah…"
"Then what happened?"
"Then I woke up."
"I see…"
"And it's like, all these feelings came rushing at me. All these feelings I've been trying to deny…"
"What did you try to deny?"
"Well, we're just… we're just so different. I kept thinking that I couldn't be… because of our different views… that I couldn't be attracted to you. But then I started really thinking… about you… about us. You've always been there for me Richard. Even when no one else was… you were. Even though sometimes you bitched about stuff… you are the one person I could always count on."
He moved just enough to look in her eyes… "You're right… we are different. As different as night and day. I never thought you could care about someone like me…"
"Could and do…" she smiled as she touched his face… "Very much." She inched closer and touched her lips to his, the kiss light and sweet.
He pulled away just slightly from their kiss… "Are we crazy? I mean, can we make this work?"
"Yes to both." She replied, leaning in to kiss him again… "I love you, Richard…" she whispered against his lips…
"I love you too." He whispered back, smiling… "I was afraid that this was a one night thing… cause you were lonely…"
Caroline pulled back, the look on her face showed she was offended by his words… "What?!" she snipped… "Who do you think I am… Annie?!"
Richard could only stammer… he hadn't meant his statement to offend or upset, and he was at a loss for how to fix it… "I… ummm… uh… no, but… uh…"
"You really thought that, didn't you?! You really thought I had sex with you cause I was lonely!"
"No… I didn't know… I was… I had hoped…"
She grabbed the sheet and sprang from the bed, leaning against the wall near her bathroom door… "So, if you really thought that, why did you sleep with me?"
"I didn't… I didn't know what to think Caroline. It all happened so fast. I wanted… I wanted you. I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you. Since I first heard your voice…"
She watched him carefully as he desperately tried to explain…
"I didn't know what your intentions were. I didn't know why you wanted me… I just knew… I just knew I wanted you…"
"Wanted me… for just one night?"
"No. I want you for more than just tonight…" he told her firmly… "God, did I ruin everything?"
"No…" she assured him… "I just… I just can't believe you would think that of me…"
"Think what of you?"
"Think of me as a slut…"
"What?! No! No! I never thought that!"
"If you thought I was sleeping with you cause I was lonely… what else could you be thinking?"
"I wasn't thinking… all the blood was rushing away from my brain at an alarming speed…"
Caroline chuckled and offered a slight smile.
"God, Caroline, please believe me… I could never think badly of you…" he sighed… "I was just… I was aroused. The smell of you, the touch of you… the taste of you…"
Caroline shivered at his words… at the sound of longing in his voice… remembering what it felt like to have his hands roam over her body.
He noticed the change in her demeanor and reached for her, kissing her passionately, but within a moment, Caroline broke away…
"Wait, Richard, tell me what this means…" she asked of him… "I need to know where we stand…"
"I love you Caroline…" he told her softly… "I want this to be more than just one night." He watched her face for a reaction… "If you do…" he added…
She responded by returning to their kiss…
As their kiss intensified, Caroline's arms moved away from the sheet she was clutching around herself to wrap around his neck… the sheet then falling to the floor. Richard took advantage of this, and ran his hands along her body. She shivered and trembled beneath his touch, and he noticed...
"Are you cold?" he asked, moving his kisses to her neck...
"A little..." she responded, her head spinning from his touch. Richard bent down and scooped her into his arms, carrying her back over to the bed and laying her down. Once they both climbed into bed, Richard grabbed the comforter and wrapped it around her, hugging her tightly, kissing the top of her head affectionately....
"Better?" he asked tenderly.
She smiled at his compassion... "Much... thank you..."
They stared longingly into each other's eyes, inching slowly into a soft and perfect kiss. Richard's hands slid effortlessly under the comforter… feeling her… arousing her once again. His touch was amazing, and she closed her eyes as he fondled her… all of her… moving lower and lower.
She knew where he was headed, and was quick to stop him. She sat up and took his hand in hers… he looked confused, but she smiled reassuringly. She turned on her side, sliding her hand across his bare chest… he laid back and allowed her touch to take over his senses. The sound that came from him was almost like a kitten purring, and Caroline smiled as she continued her affection. She kissed his neck, sucking softly and his moans grew louder. Moving slowly, her hand traveled down his chest to his belly button, running little circles around it before moving lower. Her hand moved to his inner thigh, tickling and massaging.
He reached for her… "Caroline… please…"
"Ssshhh… patience…"
When her fingers brushed against his arousal, he jumped slightly. He forced himself to remain still… to not take her and make love to her passionately… like he wanted to… like he was desperate to… God, how he ached to be inside her.
Her small hand moved up and down the length of him, slowly at first, but with increasing speed. She felt his hands grasping at her back… her shoulders, and it was thrilling to know the pleasure he was feeling… the pleasure she was giving him. Her efforts were soon rewarded... and he groaned in satisfaction as his climax hit. His hands grabbed her, pulling her to him… and she leaned in, kissing him as he struggled to breathe. Without breaking the kiss he moved to hover over her… his hands on her igniting something within her.
He left no part of her untouched… no part of her unkissed. Her head was spinning, and she closed her eyes as he cherished her. His hands moved to her breasts, her stomach, her belly button… then on to her thighs. He grasped her thighs lightly, signaling that he wanted her to open her legs, and she complied.
He ran his hands lightly over her inner thighs, her body responding… her moans intoxicating. He started at her toes, moving slowly, drawing little imaginary patterns across her legs as he traveled higher. He touched her where she wanted to be touched the most, and the sound of his name could be heard as she sighed.
He smiled, pleased, and kissed her lips softly, moving quickly to her neck, her shoulder, her breasts… when he kissed her belly button, licking it, dipping his tongue inside it, she gasped. She knew where he was heading, where his kisses were going, and her breathing became ragged in anticipation. His breath was warm on her skin. His lips brushed against her thigh, and he kissed there softly. He teased her by kissing her everywhere but where she wanted his lips the most…
"Richard…" she breathed, her body trembling…
"Ah-ah-ah… patience…" He knew she couldn't take much more… and his desire was to tease, not torment. He brought his lips to hers, and when his tongue darted out to pleasure her, she gasped. She grabbed at the sheets, fighting the urge to close her legs around his head. His tongue danced across her most private area, causing her to writhe against his mouth. She needed him… wanted him… ached for him to complete her…
"Please… Richard… make love to me…"
He needed no further invitation. With haste he crawled up from between her legs, kissing his way to her neck. He needed to feel her around him… and knowing she wanted him just as much was too much to bear. He entered her… slowly at first, but when she arched into his thrust, he sped up. Love turned to lust, and he moved frantically within her.
He gathered her into his arms, holding her tight to him as he started to sweat from the sheer effort. She wrapped her legs around his back, encouraging him… encouraging his pace.
Her hands were everywhere they could be… his back, his hair… holding him close to her. He was as close as he could be, yet she wanted him closer still. The pleasure that was building was incredible… and she knew as she felt his lips on her neck, sucking and nibbling, that he was the most incredible lover she had ever had.
His kisses moved to her earlobe, and she could hear his ragged breathing in her ear. She moved her pelvis to meet his thrusts and that was all it took for Richard. His pace faltered as his orgasm shook through him, but not enough to deter Caroline's release.
The sound of his groans caused her release to follow a moment later. It was earth shattering… literally. Her whole body shook as wave after wave washed over her. She moved against him in such a way that told him to continue. Exhausted, he forced himself to move. When she finally started to relax, he collapsed beside her.
"Oh my God, Richard, that was the most amazing experience..." she gasped as she struggled to catch her breath…
"I agree," he exhaled… "I'm gonna feel that in the morning..."
"Richard, it's already morning..."
He smiled as he kissed her temple… "Then, maybe we should try to get some sleep…" he suggested… "Unless… you would rather I leave?"
"No, Richard… I would like for you to stay."
They snuggled up together, enjoying the closeness, and within a few minutes, both fell fast asleep.
*****~*****
--Caroline stretched and yawned, waking to the noonday light that was invading her bedroom. A smile crossed her lips as she recalled the reason she had slept in so late… Richard. She reached for him, but he wasn't in the bed. Confused, she called to him. Maybe he was up already… but if he was he wasn't answering. She climbed out of bed and looked around the room… his clothes were gone. She was puzzled for a moment, then a look of fear crossed her face…
"Oh my God!" she gasped… "It was a dream…"
TO BE CONTINUED
Thanks for reading!