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Disclaimer: I don't own KISS, and Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are real people. This is a work of Fiction, written as a tribute to these great guys who are a rock and roll legend, based on some facts mentioned in KISSTORY and KISS and Makeup by Gene Simmons. Raina MacLaren, Karen Valentez and the idea of Sweet Revenge are both fictional characters property of Trynia Merin.
***
Raina MacLaren, a student teacher in New York
City, was coming up on the board exams for her Teaching license. She had high
marks from her mentor Gloria Steinmetz, and Ray had asked her if she knew any
good tutors. Ray wasn't the best at tests… although she had good grades in
college at Cornell University; she was scared out of her mind about this.
Raina’s parents had made it clear they expected that she shouldn't fail on her
first time. Gloria said she'd check into tutors who could help her cram on the
subjects Ray as lacking on. She knew a number of good young teachers who she
could meet and talk to about what age levels and areas of the city she could
teach in. Then when Ray arrived that next day she handed her a list of the most
likely ones.
"Gloria," Ray said, with a flush.
"These are all male? Are you trying to hint something?"
"You need a social life, gal. So what if
Tom dumped you. You're young, and you need to go out into the dating pool
again! Just because you're a teacher doesn't mean you have to be celibate. This
isn't the olden days!"
"But fraternization… isn't looked too
highly upon…"
"These aren't teachers from our
school," she winked at her from behind her desk. "They're all from
other public schools."
"Mark Rodgers… I remember him from
college," Ray muttered. "Good Lord he's at PS 129? Teaching
English?"
"You know him?"
"I once dated him. But my friend Julie
got to him first. Lucky lady…"
"Here's your chance to get to know him
again," Gloria nudged her.
"Oh please,' Ray groaned. "I don't
think I could tolerate a working relationship…"
"Well I didn't encourage you one way or
the other. Who says you have to date your tutor?"
"So this is a date list as well as a
tutor list?" Ray asked. Gloria was very progressive for her time, and they
often swapped dirty little stories of their love lives. That's why they got
along so well. Ray could tell her things she didn't tell anyone else.
"Both and neither. Have fun. But don't
date your tutor," she joked as Raina got up and got her briefcase. Ray
hated having to wear a knee length skirt when she'd rather wear blue jeans. But
there was a dress code at the school they had to follow to supposedly set good
examples for the students.
***
The next day Ray met Mr. Rodgers. He was
clean cut, professional, and Raina’s parents loved him. How strange things were
to get the next day when she met someone else who was to become influential in
her life.
Mark and Raina would meet for tutoring at the
school Mark worked at, a middle school somewhere in Spanish Harlem, called PS
75. That someone else Ray got to know when she was waiting for him at the
school. Ray often took my papers and assignments to grade to the New York
Public library, and she couldn't help but pass a comic book store on the way
there.
From the beginning of her teenaged years, Ray
collected them. Of course, that was another thing that little girls weren't'
supposed to do, read comic books. God forbid. No more then watching horror
movies or sci fi. Her favorite show was Star Trek, and she was furious at the
rumors that they were going to cancel it after only three seasons.
Ray went in to get Fantastic Four that
month. She collided into someone
carrying a stack of comics. Before Ray knew it, her Fantastic Four and Uncle
Scrooge and Astounding SF was mingled with Spider Man and Super Man. He was
very quiet, and picked up Raina’s comics for her and handed them to her.
"I don't meet many girls who read comic
books," he said.
"These are for my brother…" Ray
lied.
"Really?" he asked, his gaze
penetrating hers. Raina flushed for a moment, because she could swear she felt
his eyes over her in a way she hadn't felt before. There was something that
Raina liked about a man looking at her like that. He wasn't sure what to say
next, and she handed him his Superman.
"No, I read comics, I admit it… it's not
very ladylike…" Ray blurted out.
"So what?" he said slowly.
"You like it. That's what matters, right?"
"I guess," Ray said sheepishly.
"Sorry about…"
"No it's my fault," he said to her.
"I hope I didn't damage anything… I mean the comic books…"
"No everything appears to be in
order," Ray said, biting her tongue. He was dressed, professionally like
Raina was, in a suit and tie. She could swear he didn’t seem the type who would
come into a place like this one. However Ray had long ago learned not to judge
by outward appearances. For they could
be very deceiving.
They both stood in line and paid for their
purchases, and she noticed the briefcase he carried. It looked professorial
like hers. Ray guessed he must be glancing at the bag she carried too, and
their eyes met again.
"You teach?" he asked her.
"What would make you say that?" Ray
teased, and tried a little charm. He seemed to eat up her smile because she saw
a sparkle in those soft brown eyes.
"Well it's obvious. Because anyone who
would be caught dead here like us would be an embarrassment… especially in
regulation dress code…" he said smartly. "You just don’t seem like
the kind of girl who likes wearing A-line skirts…"
Ray saw him shut his mouth as
if he'd blurted out something awkward. "Forgive me…" he apologized.
"No it's okay," Ray
assured him, brushing her hand against his sleeve. He looked down at her hand
on his arm of his jacket and that's when someone kindly assured them they were
blocking the door.
"What sort of a girl do
you think I am?" she asked. Unlike
other women of her time, Ray was into a girl expressing her mind. It scared off
most guys, but not this one.
"Hmm, interesting
question," he responded, turning up what appeared to be the twinkle in his
eyes. They both stood outside the Bodega now, the Spanish music blaring in the
background. Ray glanced at her watch again.
"You have somewhere you
need to be?" he asked quietly.
"I'm on my lunch break.
If I don't get back to the school, Gloria will have my head… even though she's
my friend…"
"I know how that is. So
you're a student teacher?"
"Yes," Ray
admitted.
"Which school? And which
subject?"
"Earth science, at some
place in Harlem. Not Spanish where we are…" Ray said with a flush in her
face. Why didn’t she tell him the number of her school? However, she made a note to later, if she
ran into this intriguing man again.
"Interesting
coincidence. My school's not too far from here. I come here sometimes to get
away…"
"I figured," Raina
laughed. His awkwardness bristled up again, and Raina sensed he was
introverted. Somewhat like her, she guessed. Not like most men, even the
professional ones.
"What subject is
yours?" Raina asked.
"Hmm?" he snapped
his head to attention. "Sorry, I was just checking the bus schedule…"
"What is your subject
you teach?"
"English. Middle
school," he said, rolling his eyes slightly.
"I take it that's not
your top choice…"
"Hey, you go where the
jobs are," he shrugged. "Besides, it's only temporary…"
"Yeah," she
grinned. Just then, the bus stopped, and they looked at each other. Almost at
the same time they tripped over each other's next words.
"Want to have lunch
sometimes?"
They laughed, feeling the
flush on both their faces. He smiled, and Raina breathed and put a hand to her
chest she suddenly felt that wave of awkwardness come over her again. He seemed
to chew his lip, and she could swear he licked his lips nervously for a moment.
"Sure," she smiled.
"But it would help… if I knew your name…"
"Gene. Gene Klein,"
he said.
"Raina MacLaren,"
Raina supplied. They shook hands, and she felt the warmth of his skin on hers.
Was it her imagination or was there a bit of a tingle?
"Well, I come here once
a week to check the titles," he said. "But how about tomorrow?"
"Here?" Raina
asked.
"Well, do you know where
the deli is on 91st?" he asked.
"Yes, on First
Avenue?" Raina supplied helpfully.
"What say you if we meet
there tomorrow at twelve. Sound ok?"
"Sure," Raina
nodded like some idiot.
"We can talk about how
Spider Man should have or shouldn’t have joined the Fantastic Four," he
grinned at her. He had taken the time to notice her favorite comic.
"Yeah," Raina
laughed, giggling like a schoolgirl. Then they saw that their hands were still
clasped, and she flushed again.
"I think I need that
back," he said quietly, his gaze switching to something more like a
mischievous twinkle. "I need something to write on the board with…"
"See you tomorrow… at
noon," Raina said. She got on the bus, and he waited until it pulled away.
Raina settled into a seat and realized her heart was pounding.
***
Gene and Raina met on a semi regular
basis after that. They would just eat and talk about comic books or anything on
their minds. It was refreshing to have a guy who just wanted to shoot the
breeze. Nevertheless, she half wondered where it would go.
Still she would keep her
appointments with Mark Rodgers for tutoring, and it worked well. Until the day
he got pneumonia and Raina arrived at his work to find that he was out on sick
leave. Terrified, Raina wasn't sure where to turn for help with the boards,
because they were in just a month. She stopped meeting Gene for lunch, and
spent her hours at the New York library instead, studying her brains out.
There she was, two weeks from
the boards, her parents out of town for the next month, with the house to
herself. Raina had to call in every Friday so they would know she was at home,
studying like a good girl, keeping her on the short leash. Raina was at the library, hopelessly pouring
over some practice test, when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she nearly
jumped out of her skin.
"You weren't there this
week," she heard him scold.
"Mr. Klein?" she
asked.
"Ouch, no need for
formalities," he scolded, holding a finger to his lips. "Where were
you? I was thinking that something had happened…"
"Well my tutor
bailed," she groaned. "And I only have a week till the state boards…
and my parents are out of town, and I have no idea what to do!"
Everyone in the general
vicinity held up their fingers to shush them. Gene pulled up a chair and sat
right next to her. As close as anyone had sat in a long time. His sleeve
brushed hers as he whispered in her ear, "I could help you… those exams
are crap anyway. It's a game. You just need the right strategy to pass
them…"
"I know… that's the
whole point! Gloria gave me a tutor list, and Mark Rodgers's got double
pneumonia… and unless you can come up with a cure… or help me yourself…"
"I would be happy to
help you," he smiled warmly. "That is if you want me to…"
"Why not, I'll try
anything," she groaned. Raina felt his hand on her shoulder giving it a
reassuring squeeze, and he pulled his briefcase on the table in front of them
both.
"Trust me. I passed
those things, and so can you. Anyone intelligent enough to like Fantastic Four
is obviously intelligent enough to pass their licensing exam."
Raina chuckled, and stifled
the giggle when the chorus of "shhh's" erupted around them. Gene
nudged her and whispered, "Want to go somewhere else where you can talk a
little better? My place isn't too far from here… that is… if that's all right
with you…"
"I don't want to
impose…"
"I'd understand if you
don't want to…"
"Why, because you're a
man and I'm a woman and it's evening?" Raina joked.
"Well some women tend to
get a little nervous," Gene admitted.
"I'm already
nervous," she whispered back. "Let's go…"
On the bus they sat with two
inches between them. It was crowded from Friday night, and she couldn't help
but choke down her nerves, which suddenly got worse. Yes she did know him from
their lunch meetings, but she had never been to his place before! Thank God Mom
and Dad were out of town, and nobody on the bus remotely knew either of them,
or so she prayed. What was she afraid
of? Well, good question. Nowadays for a man and woman to go somewhere together
isn't a big deal, but back then it still was. They were both single, as far as
she knew, and considering that she was Scottish, protestant, and he was Jewish,
she was sure that would have been a strike against him to begin with. In
addition, some people thought of him as a nerd. Not to mention how blasted tall
he was next to her. Nevertheless, he was a teacher like she was… and not that
much older then her. she never asked him his age at that point. However, she
guessed it was only a difference of a few years.
They climbed off the bus near
a deli, and he suggested they could get sandwiches to take with them. "I
don't cook much," he admitted sheepishly as he ordered a Pastrami on rye,
and Raina got an egg salad. Two bags of chips and some other things he got and
threw into a paper bag made the rest of the order. Raina got a six-pack of Tab,
and she noticed him grab some Fresca. Diet soda drinker, she thought. Not bad.
She didn’t care for Fresca herself, but it was something more they had in
common.
Up a few flights of stairs
and he opened the door to his apartment after fumbling with some of the keys
for the multiple deadbolts. It was like nowadays where every self respecting
New Yorker has more then three locks on their doors. He took the bags to the
kitchen while she wandered in and took his offer to make herself at home.
"Hope you don't mind
some music," he said, and she saw the hi-fi he had in the apartment with
appreciation. Nice. The type one could stack a whole bunch of records on for
multiple plays. He already had a stack of records cued up, so all he had to do
was switch the 'on' button, and the quadraphonic speakers hummed into life. she
did peer over his shoulder into the room beyond, and notice something glossy on
a stand. Looked like a guitar and an amplifier of all things. He had mentioned
he played music, when she told him about playing piano in their numerous lunch
dates. However, she had never heard him play, nor him her.
He moved aside a stack of
magazines and comic books, and she caught a glimpse of Playboy amidst
the Spider Man and Superman books, not to mention a couple of
horror magazines. she chuckled, because it reminded her of her room, except she
preferred the SF magazines to the horror pulps. He had a whole stack of papers
and a neat ledger he pulled out of his briefcase and threw on the coffee table
as she sat down on the second hand sofa he had there. All second hand
furniture, but nice and neat.
"These should
help," he said, bringing a stack of notebooks, spiral bound to her and
setting them on the couch between them as he settled down. "They're my
notes from when I took the boards…"
"You don't throw much
away, do you?" Raina joked.
"Not when it might come
in handy someday," he smiled. The awkwardness passed between the two
schoolteachers again, and he got up.
"Are you ready for your
sandwich now?" he asked. "I sure am…"
"Sure," Raina
nodded. "That would be great…"
They soon were eating their
deli selections with potato chips and their respective diet sodas at a small
kitchen table he had. Raina was looking over the notebooks and noticed his neat
block printing style. She guessed his
own handwriting must be pretty bad like hers. She heard Sergeant Pepper's
Lonely Heart's club band in the background and smiled.
"Beatles fan?" she
asked.
"Most definitely. You
like it, or would you prefer something else?"
"I thought Raina told
you I liked them," Raina teased him, and then shifted her attention back
to the notebook again when their eyes met.
"I seem to have
forgotten…"
"That seems hard to
believe. Because you strike me as the sort that doesn't forget things
easily…"
"Really?" he
teased, chewing a mouthful of sandwich. "What makes you say that?"
"You have a head for
details. You notice the little things. Like I do sometimes. Are you feeding me a
line about this forgetfulness stuff?"
"And I thought you liked
me," he winked. Raina smiled because he was loosening up a bit, and she
liked what she was starting to see. Her
heart had stopped pounding, and she was able to concentrate on the notes more
then on his eyes, which seemed to be glancing in her general direction every
few seconds. Particularly on her dress top. She had put the jacket aside, and
loosened the tie collar to let her neck be exposed. Why did she feel like he
was Dracula staking out his prey?
Raina suddenly wondered if he
had lured her here to get her into bed with him. That this whole thing was an
elaborate ruse for her to find Mr. Goodbar. she wouldn't have minded at that
moment, because she liked how he was looking at her, and paying such attention
to what she said. He never once put her down or made her feel stupid like some
of the other men she had dated.
"We'd better hit the
books," Raina joked.
"I have some papers to
grade. I hope you don't mind if I leave you to study my notes," he said
slowly.
"Sure," Raina said
with a smile. "But only teachers would be grading on a Friday night…"
"Really," he
chuckled as he took her dishes and put them into the sink. Raina got herself
settled on the couch, and he came to join her with two glasses of fresh soda,
and the rest of the chips in a bowl.
"Figured we might need
some munchies," he suggested. "I always think better with food…"
"So do I," Raina
nodded. Therefore, they sat at opposite ends of the couch, her with her notes,
and he with a stack of papers that seemed formidable. He seemed very intense
when he was thumbing through them and shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
Repeatedly he licked his lips, and Raina realized she was looking at him more
then she was looking at the notes. Quickly she turned her gaze right back to
them. But she felt as if she was being watched, and guessed he must be watching
her…
Raina loved the length of his
legs, as they were folded and he reclined on the sofa. His hair was a little
bit long for most teachers Ray had seen, as if he had missed a haircut. The
nose was a dead giveaway for Jewish ancestry, or most of the ones she’d known.
But those cheekbones looked Hungarian, Raina could swear. She found herself
wondering more about him, and where he came from, other then the morsels and
scraps he had tossed her over the lunches they shared.
She reached for the glass of
soda, and he reached for a chip, but their hands collided, sending the soda
flying over her and the sofa mostly. "Damn it, I'm sorry!" he got out
as he rushed out of the room and hunted for paper towels.
"It's okay," she
said. "No major damage! This is wash and wear, not dry clean!"
He returned with a roll of
paper towels and they started to sponge her off. Raina half hoped he'd wipe it
off her lap, but he simply handed them to her, wiping off what he could without
reaching too close into her lap. Until Raina grabbed his wrist and found
herself guiding his hand to where the soda had puddled the thickest and
wettest.
"Shit, I'm sorry…"
he shook his head.
"Hey, it's no big
deal…" Raina laughed. "It was just cold and wet. And it's diet, so it
won't caramelize… okay?"
"I have a washer and
dryer down the hall. You want to borrow a shirt and pants while I throw these
into the wash?" he offered.
"Sure," Raina said.
She was so tempted to strip her dress in front of him, but then caught herself
in mid thought. What was she thinking? Did he spill the soda deliberately to
get her to shed her clothes?
she saw him disappear into
his bedroom, and she saw the guitar in full view. It was electric all right,
and there was an acoustic hanging on the wall. she wandered into the doorway
and waited, peering around his tall form as he dug through his dresser. He
hunted for some spare clothes and came up with a T-shirt and a pair of his
jeans, apologizing still. Then he showed her where his bathroom was so she
could change.
Raina emerged later in the
loaner outfit, and was very conscious that his eyes were looking at her in a
very different way. At that moment Raina hated her height and size, because she
could swear the jeans accentuated her large hips and thunder thighs. But he
didn’t seem to mind.
"What's wrong?" she
asked him.
"You've got a cute
figure. Shame you hide it under a long dress," he told her.
"Thanks… I think,"
she joked, hiding behind humor. "But I kinda think I'm a little fat…"
"Now do me a favor and
don't put yourself down in front of me, ok?" he shook his head, hands on
his hips.
"All right," she
promised.
***
They took a break from the
studying when Gene pulled out some ice cream and dolloped it onto two saucers.
Raina was surprised at the treat, and he sheepishly suggested they eat it at
the table.
"We don’t' want to risk
any further… accidents…" Raina joked.
"What a shame. But I
think we've had enough of dry cleaning jokes…" he tisked. Raina heard
Alice Cooper playing, and smiled slowly as she caught herself humming along.
And he noticed and winked to her delight.
Raina glanced at her watch,
and muttered. "I'm missing my favorite show… damn…"
"Want to watch it
here?" he asked.
"You wouldn’t
mind?"
"All work and no play
makes Ray a dull girl…" he smiled, taking her hand in his and leading her
over to the sofa.
"Ray?" Raina joked.
"That's unusual… I like it…"
"You have to admit I
don't know many girls with that name… and besides I like to think we don’t need
to be so damn formal right now. "
Oh boy here we go, Raina
inwardly thought. Time for the real reason behind all this. How would he try to
get her to make out with him? Was that his intent, or something more? Sure he
seemed nice enough, but what would her parents say? All of a sudden Raina didn't give a damn, because she had been
listening to them for 21 years. They were a half a world away, and she knew that
they didn’t have x-ray vision or super powers to instantly tell where she was.
For crying out loud she was an adult! Even though she lived with them still,
she was legal in all ways.
"What are you thinking
about, Ray?" he asked her. "You seem a million miles away. Am I
boring you?"
"No, no way," she
stammered, snapping back to reality. "I was just thinking…"
"Want to talk about
it?"
"Well after I graduate.
What the hell I want to do with my life," she sighed. "Do you ever
have these wild and crazy dreams that someone tells you your nuts for
having?"
"As a matter of fact
yes," Gene admitted. "More then you would know…"
"For instance, you play
guitar, right? Well if my parents caught me even considering that, they'd think
I want to become some showgirl in Vegas who was selling her body…."
"I take it your parents
think poorly of rock and roll?" Gene quipped.
"Yes," Ray snapped.
"That's exactly it! God forbid a woman should even think of performing
except on a damn harp or piano!"
"Nothing wrong with
piano. But you could play guitar if you wanted to…"
"I would stink at
it," Raina admitted. "But that's beside the point…"
"Why do you give a damn
what your parents think, if music is so important to you?" Gene asked her.
"Excuse me?"
"From your reaction, you
actually probably considered music as a career, but your parents didn’t
approve. Is that why you're a teacher instead?"
"Are you a fortune
teller?" Raina laughed.
"No. Just a guy whose
heard this shtick before. Because it's the same damn thing I've heard from the
people who want to tell me how to run my life."
"What do you tell
them?"
"I would tell them to
kiss my ass," he said. Raina winced and laughed aloud at his crass
language.
"If I told them that
they'd die of shock," Raina laughed again. Gene smiled and she calmed
down.
"Would that be a bad
thing?" he asked.
"Actually no. But you,
you like guitar right? What's to stop you from playing in a band?"
"Opportunity," Gene
answered. "And timing. It's just a hobby right now. But in a few years…
who can say?"
"Do you play in a
band?"
"Actually yes. In
college I had a band called the Long Island Sounds, and then one called
Bullfrog Bheer. On weekends. We're
called Cathedral…" he admitted.
"Interesting name,"
Raina laughed. "You write music?"
"Right again. Do
you?"
"Well, I write
lyrics," Raina blushed. "But they're not those sappy love songs you
would hear the people crooning…"
"Sunshine and rainbows
and crap like that?" Gene offered.
"Exactly. Sometimes I
sing about the stuff going wrong in my life. But when it comes to music I can't
think of a tune someone else isn't using…"
"Sing something,"
he said, a twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh crap…" Raina
groaned. "You're kidding, right?"
"Try me."
"Well… here goes,"
Raina muttered. Then I belted out something that she had rattling around in my
brain…
"I'll never be in
love, at least not romantically…
Commitments they come
and go, love is never for free…."
She noticed his eyes on her
again, and she blushed and felt her voice desert her. His knee brushed hers,
and she shivered and froze. "Why did you stop?"
"It sounds stupid
without a piano," Raina protested. "Besides…"
"I'll let you know if it
sounds stupid," Gene said, his eyes filling with something dark that
seemed a lot like desire. She shivered again, and didn't know if she should run
or go along with it. Here comes the payback, Raina thought. The real reason she
was here alone with him.
"Will you?" she
asked, meeting his challenge. She felt his arm steal around her shoulders, he
was so fast and sneaky. She countered with her hand on his shoulder, and they
met with their noses inches from each other, their thighs pressed tightly
together as they leaned forwards.
"Most definitely,"
Gene breathed, his eyes fixing firmly into hers. There was something
irresistible about the hunger there. A whole new side to him had emerged, and
she was nervous, but not scared. She knew deep down inside he was not going to
hurt her. All the reasons why this was wrong, why she shouldn't flew out of her
brain the moment he took her hand and kissed the back of it softly. Those lips
were so soft and gentle it made her tremble.
Raina realized she had to regain some control. she didn't have much
experience with men at that point, and the furthest she had gone was in the
back seat of a Chevy impala. It was a lot like Paradise by the Dashboard
Lights, and the guy involved, Tom, had coaxed her along. Then the next
thing she remembered was her face in his lap, and her mouth choking on something
hot and long. Then the only stars he saw were from the backside of her hand in
his face.
Gene seemed more introverted,
more intelligent then that. He was very clever how he had lured her up here so
far. She wasn't going to make it too easy for him though. For a moment she
admired his lips, and realized how nicely shaped they were. Gene wasn't what
she'd call handsome, but his eyes were deep and penetrating, like Dracula's. He
was tall, but somewhat generous, much like her. She wondered if he had the same
weight problem she did. She stroked his cheek, and felt him cup her chin with
his hands, stroking lightly. Her hand was shaking when it stole up his thigh,
and she saw his smile.
"Bad girl," he
joked. "You're not as innocent as you look…"
"Whatever made you think
I was nice?" Raina countered.
"Mm I like the sound of
that…" he laughed deeply.
Raina leaned forwards,
knowing his lips would soon touch hers. They did, but the contact was so soft
she could swear it was his fingers touching her mouth instead. She sighed, and
felt something warm and wet on her lips. My eyes flickered open in surprise,
and she caught the look of mischief on his face. She felt him cup his hand
around her neck and pull her flush with his body. Not to be beat, she grasped
his shoulder and leaned forwards to press a kiss to his waiting mouth. Their
lips fit well together, she thought inwardly as they glided over hers with a
firm but soft control. Thanks to Tom she did know how to kiss. He probably
figured she didn't… so she wasn't shocked when she felt his tongue trying to
tease her mouth open.
"Mmmhmm," he
chuckled against her lips. "Playing hard to get, baby? I like that too…"
"Good," she laughed
back. But then she gasped in complete surprise because she felt another hand
reach down and slip under her butt, giving it a firm pinch. Gene cleverly chose
that moment to resume his kiss, and she felt his tongue slip into her mouth. It
took her breath away, and she felt a hot rush come over her like a fever. It
was the first time she felt something so intense when she kissed a man, and she
liked it. Her own tongue tried hard to join his, and she laughed despite
herself as they parted for breath.
"Nicely done baby,"
he smiled. Raina’s hands stroked up and down his chest through his shirt,
feeling the soft and hard places on his body. She felt his hand on her breast,
and she didn't stop him, but it shocked her.
"You all right?" he
asked.
"I… just let me get used
to it," Raina said. "It's been a while…"
Damn. Now he's going to jump
to all sorts of conclusions, Raina thought. But she felt his kiss singeing her lips again, and their tongues
slipping over each other's. It was then she realized that he must have a longer
tongue that she hadn't accounted for originally, for she could swear he could
reach the back of her throat easily. It wrapped around her own, and she
shivered with the intensity. Other things pulled her mind from that when she
felt him tugging up the T-shirt, and slipping his hand under it to touch her
bra and skin underneath. She was scared he would think her fat, but she was
relieved when she felt that he wasn't exactly skinny or firm either. She lifted
her arms above her head as he pulled the T-shirt up and off, and for a moment
his eyes admired her chest. She felt goosebumps spring to life, and flushed
again under his gaze.
"You're extremely
attractive," he told her. "Why do I get the sense you're not
convinced of that…"
"I… well I'm somewhat…
fat…"
"No you aren't. I don't
like skeletons. Flesh is nice. Especially yours. And I wanna feel yours right
now… if you don't mind…"
"If I can feel yours
too," she whispered.
"Most definitely…"
he smiled.
He guided her hands to his
shirt, and she hesitated after unbuttoning two or three buttons. An eyebrow
raised, and Gene leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Just let me know if I
should stop. If you don't want to do this, please tell me now…"
"I… am not sure…"
was all she could stammer.
"I won't be mad. If
that's what you're thinking. But just hear me out. I could guess where you were
when you didn't come for lunch, because I saw you get on the bus from your
school. I've been watching you for the last few days. I knew you were at the
library… and I wanted to get you this close for a long time…"
"I hardly dared hope that
you would be attracted to someone like me, considering the Playboy magazines…"
"Strange, isn't it. A
lot of women turn me on, but it's that special one, that you just have to make
yours. But tell me now, do you want this?"
"Yes," she said,
wrapping her arms around his neck for another delicious kiss. Gene leaned her
over and pressed her to the couch under his weight. She could feel his kiss
deepen, and something else between them was also growing with a life of its
own. It didn't frighten her to feel him hardening against her belly, and it was
a nice feeling too. But she winced when his belt buckle cut into her waist, and
pushed him off herself.
"Do you want me to
stop?" he asked again, pushing himself up off her, as his nose was inches
from hers, his arm by her head pillowed on the sofa arm.
"No… it's just that I'm
getting attacked by your pants!" Raina giggled nervously.
"Hmm, let's see what we
can do about that," he grinned wickedly, and Raina felt him put her hands
on his shirt. He stood up, and extended
a hand to her. She felt his hand grip hers gently and give it a squeeze. With
his help she stood up, and he pulled him to her. Head and shoulders he towered
over her, and she felt him pull her hips close to his body as he embraced her
soundly. Soft hot breath hit her neck as he stroked his tongue over the
sensitive areas, and she felt herself groaning.
"Come with me," he
urged, voice low and filled with what sounded like a growl. It sent a new crop
of shivers all over her as he walked her into his bedroom. He didn’t bother to
turn the light on, but he did hit the switch for the lights out in the main
room. In a quick frenzy she pulled at her pants, but she felt him stop her.
"Slowly," he said
in a whisper. "I want to enjoy this…"
That unbuttoning of her
jeans, even though they were his, and the slow tug of the zipper downward drove
her to madness. She could feel her body aching for something more to happen,
not knowing how fast or slow he would go. My bra was next to join the Levi's on
the floor, followed by his shirt. She gasped when he actually swept her off her
feet and lay her down on something soft and firm. Soft kisses took her bare chest, each fire behind it in the cool
dark of his room. She felt his thighs straddling her hips as he kissed her
deeply and softly. She felt her hands on his body, searching for every contour,
wanting to know it as well as her own. Fingers tickled as they tugged her
underwear, and pulled it off. She shivered when she felt his fingers touch her
in places that few men had before, and her whole body froze.
"Shh," he soothed,
and kissed her again. "Relax…"
She felt him take her hands
and put them on his belt. Shakily she unfastened the clothing that had
'attacked' her before. They joined the already growing pile. He guided her hand down to him, as he
fingered her. She was thankful he didn't hurt her with his fingers that lightly
tickled her, making her moan. Between her hands he was firm and hard already, a
thing alive of its own volition. Was that a growl she heard when he gritted,
"I like how your hands feel on me…"
For a little while she
stroked him as he stroked her, whimpering at how good his fingers felt inside
of her. His hiss of pleasure told her he was closer then she had originally
though, because he shifted her hand away, and slipping a hand down her thigh to
part her legs. Almost reverently he settled between them on his knees, stroking
her belly with his hands. She felt his tongue reach down and tease her chest to
its own firmness, cold wetness evaporating into an icy sensation.
"Relax Ray… I'm not
gonna hurt you… relax baby…"
She groaned as she heard
something ripping, and he stopped for a moment to do something. Strange. Was he
actually taking time to do what she thought he was? Something warm and slick touched her hot desire, and she yelped
despite her efforts to control it. His hand on her breasts kneaded slowly and
deliberately, as she lay her legs on either side of his. She bent her knees,
rising her hips to meet him as she reclined on her arms. Gently he cupped her
rear and she felt his desire touch hers. Slowly he slipped inside, and she felt
herself tense up. After all she had heard Gloria tell how the first time could
be unpleasant. She was afraid he would ram himself in all at once, but she was
pleasantly surprised when Gene slowly shifted his way in, letting her get used
to the feeling.
"That's it, relax, Ray…
I want you to enjoy this. I certainly am. Let me teach you…"
"So this is what you
really wanted to tutor me in, wasn't it?" she couldn't resist giggling.
"Umm hmm… and she say
it's time to start the lesson…"
"Oh god…" she
groaned. "Mr. Klein you are incredible…"
"Shh, I told you we
don't need that formality crap, Ray," he scolded, slipping halfway in,
rocking his hips. "Call me Gene… it's easier…"
She chuckled, because he
called her Ray, which sounded masculine, while Gene sounded more feminine. She
couldn't stop the moan that escaped her throat at the feel of him inside her
fully, and she almost fainted at the intensity of the blood pounding in her
temples. Pain spread in a wave at the tightness and pressure that she bit her
lip desperately to try and stop from crying out.
"Is it all right?"
he whispered, staying very still for a time. Gently he leaned over to kiss her
softly and stroke her hair back from her face.
"Damn no," she
groaned. "It's incredible…"
"It gets better,"
he laughed. Then when she felt him beginning to rock, she thought she was going
to die. The pain was brief, but she felt something else snatching her breath
away as he increased his pace. My moans and cries were growing steadily louder,
and she was embarrassed about who might hear. She bit her lips, but nothing
could stop her noise, or his. For a moment he stopped, and plunged as far in as
he could, grabbing her hips and slamming in firmly. Something started to buzz behind her temples, and expanded
outwards from her insides like a wave of light. It was far more intense then
the most fervent of tickles, and she wondered what it was. Whatever the cause
she found her back arching as she writhed under Gene, and she found herself
shouting out loud.
"Gene…" she got out
before she felt her eyes roll into the back of her head and everything stopped
at that second. She heard his laugh, and felt his soft kiss on her lips when he
resumed his thrusting again. Still he was firm and tight inside her, pistoning
in and out with a more fervent tempo that was driving her wild. Again the
sensation built, and she could not hold back the scream in her throat that came
tumbling out. Something was happening
to Gene for Raina saw him in the light of the street, his head thrown back as
he was atop her. She heard a loud moan and a low growl rumble through us both,
as he shoved three times in, each more hard and firm then the last. The final
thrust stabbed so deep she thought he would impale her forever, but she didn't
care. Because her mind had detached and blazed away into such pleasure she
could not contain it in her body alone. Hot wetness erupted with force that mirrored
his last growling moan, and then he lay on top of her heavily.
Soft kisses pressed over her
sweaty cheeks. They lay together on the bed, Gene wrapping himself around her
back. She felt him pull the blankets around us both, and she wondered what time
it was. She didn’t know how long they lay there, before she heard him whisper
into her ear, "How do you feel, baby?"
"Wonderful," she
stammered out. "But I'm so tired…"
"Want to spend the night
with me?" he asked, stroking her sweat plastered hair away from her face.
"I don't think it would be safe for you to leave now… at this time of
night in the city…"
"That's sweet of you,”
she whispered, truly touched at his concern for her welfare. Why should she be
surprised? Perhaps because her other boyfriends had never shown such tenderness
toward her. It was always a contest to see how far they could get with her
before she stopped them cold or they lost interest in her. Or else they would
poke and plead her to stay the night, only out of their hopes that they could
make her give them what they desired. This was far different, for she knew Gene
was truly worried about her in New York at such a late hour alone.
"Why do you sound
surprised?" he asked. "I don't think it's safe. Considering it's the
middle of the nigh, and young women such as yourself tend to make attractive
targets for unsavory folk."
"It's so nice of you, to
show such concern. I really like that," she purred, as he pulled her
protectively to him.
"As your tutor I am
responsible," he laughed into her ear. "And I really, really like you."
"Aww, Gene, I like you
too," Raina sighed. Gene pulled her to rest her body against his, and she
felt his kiss on her ears as he whispered good night.
***
It felt so good in the bed,
she sighed. So safe and warm, she didn't even want to consider getting up. Next
minute she was aware of something warm rising and falling against her back, and
she shivered when she realized someone was in bed with her. Next, it dawned on
her that it wasn't even her bed, or her house either.
Slowly she blinked, and felt
the edge of a mattress before her hands, and the drape of cotton sheets under
her fingers. To her back was a warm breathing body, snoring peacefully as she
felt breath wafting her ear. An arm reached around her and hugged her tighter
to him, as she was about to tumble off the bed. It was a full bed, not like her
twin at home. For a time she examined the room in the growing light of morning,
taking in the sight of the old dresser and the electric guitar on its stand by
an amplifier. Stacks of magazines and cardboard boxes of comic books lay
stacked neatly against one wall, while a pair of lace curtains fluttered in the
morning breeze. She could hear the garbage truck clanging in the street far
below, the beeping echoing off buildings. Shouts and car horns chorused even at
this morning hour, and she could glimpse the time from the clock on the
nightstand.
Over her washed a sense of
well being and safety such as she have only known in her own bedroom, away from
her parents. She realized she wasn't thinking about work, school or anything
else but how nice it felt to lie here next to a slumbering man who was fast
asleep in the wee hours of the morning. Slowly she turned over in the bed, and
lay her arm alongside his head. Dark lashed eyes were fast shut, his lips
formed into a gentle pucker as he continued to inhale and exhale. She couldn't
resist running fingers through his dark curly hair, wiry and soft at the same
time. What was he dreaming about? Dare she think it was her? Or was it of fame
and fortune in some rock band?
She sensed that there was
some potential here, some precursor to something great. Or would he be some
other guy who dreamed big, and years later would hang up his guitar in regret
for wasted youth? What dreams did this man have that she met by accident. Did
fate or design somehow mean that they would share this dream in any way?
Softly she kissed him,
pressing her body close to his in the bed. Slowly the eyes flickered open, and
focused on her, dark with desire. She saw his grin, and felt his arms draw her
close to him so their bodies pressed tightly together. Eagerly she roped arms
around his neck and kissed him softly at first, then increased as her desire
peaked. She savored the feel of his tongue against hers, his hands massaging
her back as she rubbed hers down his and pulled him on top of her. However he
rolled her over till she was on top of him this time, his body beneath hers.
"Mmm," she sighed,
wiping the sweat from his face tenderly. "Good morning, Gene…"
"Ray," he answered
her, with a satisfied sigh. "Feeling good today?"
"Oh yeah…" she got
out, between warm wet kisses. He disengaged from her embrace for a moment, and
whispered an apology.
"Be right back, baby.
Don't go away…" he kissed her ear. For a moment she saw his body in the
daylight, and shivered with shyness as she wrapped the sheets around her like a
cocoon. It wasn't long before he returned, and she still had the sheets in
place.
"What's this?" he
teased, whipping them off her to reveal her body in full nude glory. She tried
to hide her breasts from him but he pulled her hands away, kissing each softly.
"I'm shy…"
"After last night,"
he scolded gently. "We're going to have to do something about that, little
girl…"
"I'm only a few years
behind you, Mr. Gene Klein!" she shot back, pulling him down on top of
her.
"Well, Miss Raina
MacLaren, are you feeling well today?"
"Incredibly," she
sighed, stretching. "But… I feel… strange… like not myself…"
"It's natural to feel a
little weird. I mean after all, it was your first time, wasn't it?"
"Yes," she blushed.
"I'm flattered," he
said, stroking her cheek. "To have been your first."
"Was it that
obvious?" she murmured.
"Not at first," he
said graciously. "And you had nothing to worry about."
"How could you tell…
besides the blood?"
"You were really tight
inside," he said, laying alongside of her and pulling the covers over us
both again.
"Oh," she laughed
nervously. "Silly me…"
"It's not silly if you
don’t know. Did I hurt you?"
"It did hurt at
first," she admitted. "But after that… oh God… it's indescribable. I
never knew it would be so intense… I had read that women rarely have orgasms
their first time… but I swear that must be what I felt…"
He smiled with satisfaction,
not out of self-pride for his own sexual prowess, but pride in his ability to
have made her reach a point that not many woman could boast. "I'm glad you
enjoyed it. I certainly did… and I was wondering if you were up to another lesson…"
"You mean you want to
make love to me again?" she asked.
"Why are you so
surprised?" Gene asked, kissing her bare shoulder, and working his way to
her neck.
"I thought perhaps it
was only a one night stand,” she stammered, hard to believe this was happening
to her.
"No Ray. I'm not letting
you get off the hook so easily…. In fact now that I have you here all to myself
I'm going to make it very interesting for you…"
She loved how his hands felt
on her this time, and hers on his body. He parted her legs and she felt his
tongue slip in place of where his fingers had been before. The sensations were
far more intense then the night before, driving her to new heights of passion.
She felt that same high as before, when her heels slammed into his back and he
laughed as she flooded him with her wetness.
"There's more," he
laughed, taking her legs from his shoulders and laying down, pulling her atop
him. She sighed as she felt herself setting into place on his firm passion
again, rocking her hips as he guided her on, torturously slow.
"Ride me, baby," he
urged, when she stopped. Under Raina he bucked his hips deliciously, and she
found herself falling into his rhythm as she did last night. Each thrust
impaled her more and more on him till she could feel his erection deep inside
if she stroked her belly with her one hand.
She had imagined what having
sex was like, but she never imagined that there were so many things a person
could do. She felt inexperienced and poised on the edge of a frontier about
which she knew nothing. In the back of her mind she sensed Gene didn't know
much more, but had leaned what worked through careful experimentation and
reading. Raina reached a whole series of climaxes that blew the others away
that she had before, her cries sounding alien in her own ears blending with his
moans.
***
Raina finally collapsed into
a tired heap on him, and he kissed her deeply. Sleep overcame her, and she
didn’t realize where she was till Raina next awakened atop him. The shadows had
lengthened and the light brightened in the long windows.
"Oh shit," Raina
got out, suddenly panicking.
"What, what's
wrong?" he muttered sleepily as Raina moved off of him. "Ray… are you
all right?"
"I forgot to call
home…"
"Wait, are your parents
there?" Gene asked her, catching her wrist as she was getting out of bed.
"No… they're away… but I
forgot what day it was…"
"Relax, it's
Saturday…"
"Damn, I really am
losing it," she groaned.
"No you aren't. You're having fun,"
Gene admonished, pulling her back into the bed with him. "And so am I, so
stop worrying…"
***