They’d only managed a few hours of sleep, so the sun was just coming up over the horizon in a burst of molten orange, a brass and copper symphony playing out in reflection on the water. 

Doc’s hand clasped Carrie’s as they walked barefoot along the edge of the beach. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, her sandals swinging from her other hand as the lacy edge of the water chased their footsteps down the shoreline. Doc was still wearing last night’s clothes—they both needed a shower and a good night’s sleep, but neither of them cared. 

“Well, you were right.” Carrie snuck a glance up at him, smiling at the tousled mess of his hair.

Doc laughed. “Wow, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard a woman say those words out loud.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “This did cheer me up.”

“Oh, I’m not done cheering you up yet,” he said, stopping and putting his arms around her waist. 

“No?”

“You can’t see it, but…” He touched his finger to her lips. “Your mouth is still turned down a little at the corners.”

“Is it?”

He nodded seriously. “That means my job isn’t done yet.”

“Well I guess you’d better get to work…” She felt her mouth curling up into a smile. 

“Agreed.” He leaned in so close she could feel his breath, her eyes closing in anticipation. “I think I’d better start here.”

His mouth captured hers, a sweet, gentle kiss, nothing demanding or insistent, but it still made her knees weak. 

“That’s a good place to start,” she breathed as they parted.

“But not the best place to finish.” He grinned. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” She had no choice but to follow him down the beach as he led the way around a patch of sea grass and up toward a house. “What is this place?”

“It’s my parents’ place.” He dug into his jeans and plucked out a key. 

“Nice.” It was cool inside, the air conditioning on—even the dew-wet mornings in Key West were warm and humid. It was large and spacious and utterly quiet.

He led the way, up a flight of stairs, opening a door to a bathroom. “Would you like a shower? Or maybe a bath?”

The tub was huge, black and marble and Carrie’s eyes lit up when she saw it. 

“A bath,” she said immediately. 

Doc took some towels out from the linen closet and put them on the counter. “I’ll get us some breakfast.”

She ran a hot bath and added the bubbles sitting at the side of the tub as well, melting into the water. I’m dreaming, she thought, floating lazily, eyes closed, her thoughts filled with Doc. She should have been worried about Maureen—and she was, a little. But the man downstairs cooking them both breakfast had somehow stepped into her life and obliterated everything else. 

This is crazy, she decided, washing her hair and rinsing it, then running a soft, fragrant bar of soap over her curves. She was imagining him, his hands on her, touching her like that. This night—morning, now—wasn’t going to end without sex. They both knew it, but the anticipation was exhilarating. 

She found a large, fluffy white robe hanging on the back of the door and wrapped herself in it, making her way downstairs. Doc was in the kitchen, the radio on—a blues station—flipping pancakes in one pan and worrying eggs in another.

“It smells fantastic.” She curled herself into one of the kitchen chairs, plucking a banana from a bunch on the table and peeling it. “Can I help?”

“You sit.” He slid pancakes onto their plates and then scrambled eggs. “I’ll serve.”

“That’s a switch.” She smiled as he put a plate in front of her. His dark curls were wet—he’d obviously taken the time to take a shower and he was still wearing boxers, but they were a different pair.

“I hope it’s okay.” He nodded at her food, already halfway through his eggs. 

“Yummy,” she agreed, pouring syrup and licking some off her fingers. His gaze was on her, although his fork didn’t stop moving from plate to mouth. 

“So why do they call you ‘Doc?’” 

“Pre-med.” He swallowed and then grinned. “And I used to, uh… be the guy you could get stuff from.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Used to?”

“Yeah, well…” He grabbed a bottle of ketchup and squirted more onto his eggs. “Once you start med school you really get an education about what better living through chemistry can do to you in the long run.” 

She nodded, making a happy noise when she took a bite of pancakes. “Chocolate chips!” 

He smiled. “So what about you? I know you work in the cafeteria. I know you’re graduating next year. What’s your major?”

“Business administration.” She took a sip of orange juice and made a face—too sour after the sugary sweetness of pancakes. 

“Really?” His eyebrows went up. “I didn’t figure you for a business major. I thought you’d be into something more creative… art major or something…”

“If I had a choice, I’d be a creative writing major,” she admitted, sopping up syrup with the last of her pancakes.

“Don’t you?” He frowned. “Have a choice, I mean?”

“Not if I want to get a job when I graduate.”

He nodded. “Family pressure?”

The silence stretched for a moment and then she said quietly, “I don’t have one.”

“You don’t have a family?” 

“My parents and little brother were killed in a car accident when I was sixteen,” she explained. She didn’t talk about it often, mostly because she hated the sympathy. She hated anyone feeling sorry for her, and of course she knew he was going to say it…

“I’m sorry.”

She nodded. “Thanks.” She was already used to the awkward pause that followed. 

Doc cleared his throat and said, “So tell me about you and Maureen.”

“We’re roommates.” She wiped her mouth on a napkin—linen. “Best friends since freshman year…”

“And lovers,” he added.

“Yes,” she admitted, flushing. 

“But you’re not just into women…” He looked at her quizzically. “I mean, unless I’m crazy, I get a pretty strong vibe that you like men, too. At least, some of us…”

She smiled. “I’m an equal opportunity lover.” Glancing up at him, she asked, “Does that bother you?”

“Hell no.” He gave a short bark of a laugh. “After last night, you have to ask?”

She stopped short of rolling her eyes. “Ah, the whole lesbian fantasy thing.”

Grinning, Doc leaned back in his chair. “Well, come on… I don’t know a straight guy who doesn’t get off on that.”

Carrie wiped her finger around the edge of her plate, capturing the very last of sweetness. “Talk to James.”

Doc rolled his eyes. “Well, I meant outside of the puritanical future ministers of the world.”

“I’ve never been with a man and a woman at the same time before,” she admitted. 

He tipped his chair back down, leaning his elbows on the table. “Did it turn you on?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “You?”

“Being with two women?” he scoffed. “Like I said, might as well die and go to heaven now.”

Carrie frowned. “Don’t you think one woman is enough?”

“She could be…” He laced his hands behind his head and looked at her. “If she was the right one.”

They were playing a game now, cat and mouse. “How would you know?”

“I’d know.” 

She crossed her arms over her chest. “So you haven’t met her yet…?”

“I didn’t say that.” He laughed. “Come here.” He held a hand out and she took it, letting him pull her toward him. He situated her, standing, between his knees. “Carrie, I have to tell you something.”

“Hm?” She was distracted by the way his hands cupped her hips, even through the thickness of the robe.

“But I don’t want to scare you away again,” he admitted, looking up at her.

“You won’t.” Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. Standing so close to him, feeling the flex of his thighs against hers, was making her crazy.

“Well…the first thing is…” He looked up at her sheepishly. “The poker game was fixed.”

She gaped at him. “You cheated!”

“Can you ever forgive me?” He looked like she was about to hit him, and she thought about it for a minute. It would serve him right.

She smirked. “What’s the second thing?”

“The second thing is… I can’t stop thinking about you.” He reached out, playing with the tie on her robe, tugging gently. “And it’s taking every ounce of my self-control not to just take you right here, right now.”

She swallowed, looking down at the tie in his hand. It was undone, but the robe was still closed. “You don’t need to stop.”

“Are you sure?” He pressed his index finger to her chest, at the V the close of the robe made, and began to trace down the opening.

“Yes.” She shifted, letting the robe fall open for him, seeing his eyes darken with lust. “Please. Don’t stop.”

He groaned, giving in, and she did, too, drawing his head to her breasts, arching her back. His tongue made fat circles against her nipples, sending sweet pulses through her, straight to her sex. 

“God, you’re gorgeous,” he moaned, cupping her breasts and pressing them together, his tongue trying to span the distance between her nipples as quickly as possible, back and forth, making Carrie dizzy with wanting him.

“So wet,” she murmured, taking his hand and pressing it between her thighs. He kissed his way down her belly, his fingers moving, parting her swollen pussy lips and exploring. 

“Yes you are,” he agreed, slipping his fingers from her cleft and sucking them. She grabbed his hand and lifted it to her own mouth, making him moan as she licked her own juices from his fingers. “Oh, god, I’m so fucking hard for you.”

“Let’s see.” She smiled, sinking to her knees before his chair. His boxers were nicely tented and she tugged them down, grasping him in her hand. Gorgeous, thick and hard—very hard. She leaned in and licked the head of his cock, slowly exploring him with her tongue. His hand moved in her hair, eyes half-closed, watching her take him into her mouth. 

“Easy, girl,” he murmured as she began to pick up the pace, greedy for him, sucking hungrily. “I want to fuck you.” 

She moaned at the thought of his cock inside of her, sliding her tongue down his shaft to circle the tightening sac of his balls. His hands moved down to cup her breasts, fingering her nipples, making her wiggle between his thighs. 

“Upstairs,” he instructed, helping her stand, kissing her deeply before turning and marching her up the stairs. 

The bed was a cloud oasis and they both stripped down to nothing before crawling in together, kissing and rolling and groping each other in the early morning light. 

She found herself on top of him and turned around to grasp his cock, longing to feel it in her mouth again. He throbbed against her tongue, swollen and thickening in her throat as she began to suck him again. He groaned and his hips moved in time with her motions, his hands moving over her ass, drawing her down to his mouth.

“Mmmm!” was all she could vocalize when his tongue parted her pussy lips, lapping gently through her wetness. Her hips rocked, giving him better access, a new direction. His tongue found her clit and she gasped, grasping his cock and squeezing it, stroking instead of sucking as he focused his energy on her hot, swollen nub. 

“There,” she urged, moaning louder as his fingers parted her flesh, plunging inside. She was thinking about his cock, already wishing he was inside of her, but his mouth worked magic against her pussy, drawing every last bit of pleasure from her possible. “Oh my god, yes, yes, please, don’t stop!” 

He made a noise in his throat, licking her faster, fingering her harder, giving her just what she wanted. 

“Oh baby, make me come! I’m gonna come!” She cried out as she hit the point of no return, grinding her hips, mashing her pussy against his face. He grabbed her hips and drank her in, moaning and thrusting up into her fist. She’d almost forgotten about his cock, she was so lost in her own pleasure, shuddering and gasping on top of him. 

“Fuck,” he murmured, kissing her wet, trembling thighs. “That was incredible.” 

“Mmm,” she murmured, turning around and kissing him, sucking at his tongue, tasting herself. His hands moved down over her curves, rocking her hips, sliding the slit of her pussy up and down against the hard length of his cock. She wanted him inside of her—she had to have him.

“Fuck me,” she murmured, reaching for him, guiding him, aiming him. He let her, moaning softly as she slid down the length of his dick, burying him inside of her. “Oh. God.” Her eyes flew wide when he was fully into her, pressed as deep as he could go. 

“Okay?” His hands gripped her waist, watching her face.

“Oh yes,” she whispered, eyes closing again. “Definitely okay.” 

She began to rock on him, back and forth, round and round, finding an easy rhythm, working her way upward again. It had been so long. So very long. He let her lead for a while, biting his lip, but when she got too exuberant, he grabbed her hips, slowing the pace. 

“Let me,” he said finally, rolling her to her back, his cock working between her thighs, his hips thrusting. She gave herself over, curling herself around him, arms and legs wrapped tight. The feel of him, so thick and hard and pounding into her like that, was more than enough to take her over the edge. 

“Ohhh now,” she managed to whisper, her pussy clamping down around him, making him gasp and thrust deep, grinding her to another orgasm. Her nails raked down his back and over his shoulders, her teeth sinking into his neck, and still he didn’t stop, taking her further, deeper, harder. 

“Wait,” she gasped, using both hands to push him far enough away so she could see his face. “Please… oh god…” 

“I have to.” He kissed her mouth, her cheek, her chin, desperate. “Please let me…”

“Wait.” She moaned softly, reaching down and sliding him out of her. He sighed, but she turned around for him, looking back over her shoulder. “Like this.”

“Oh Christ.” Doc’s eyes moved over her ass and thighs before grabbing her hips and sliding his cock back into her. “You feel so good.” 

“Yes,” she whispered, arching back for him, meeting him. “Fuck me. Oh yes, yes, fuck me hard! Harder!”

He grunted, driving in deeper, his thighs spreading hers. There was no stopping him now and she didn’t want him to. Her fingers found her clit, rubbing in fast circles as he pounded into her. 

“Don’t stop,” she begged, her cheek pressed against the sheets, eyes closing, feeling the insistent pull of another climax in her lower belly. “Oh please, fuck me until I come all over your cock!”

He groaned and gave in, his swollen length throbbing as he came deep inside of her, still thrusting, grinding, giving her more. Carrie met his final onslaught, shuddering beneath him as his weight collapsed her onto the bed, her pussy spasming around his thick length. 

“Holy god,” he groaned as he rolled off of her, pulling her into his arms. 

“You can say that again,” she gasped, sliding a wet thigh up over his. 

“Yeah, but can we do it again?” He grinned, tweaking her nipple, making her squeal. 

“Give me five minutes,” she laughed. 

“Ten,” he countered, closing his eyes, still smiling. 

“Okay,” she conceded, letting herself drift to the rise and fall of his breath. She thought he was sleeping when he squeezed her close and whispered, “So who’s your favorite writer of all time?”

“Hemingway,” she said without hesitation. 

He snorted. “Hemingway was a giant misogynist.”

“I know,” she agreed dreamily. “But he could write his ass off.”

“Can’t argue with that,” he replied, smiling and pulling the covers over them both.