Chapter 1

Briana

It was my 28th birthday that night, and of course I was running late to dinner with friends.  I had spent over an hour getting ready, trying to shake off my post-hospital shift image, with a brand-new curled sew-in, brown lip liner, and my favorite shade of pink on my lips.  I had changed from scrubs and old, worn-out sneakers to zebra-print heels, jeans that hugged my ass in all the right places, and that orange corset that pushed my tits up to the sky.  Of course, I wore my favorite Vivienne Westwood pearl choker, the one that made me miss the Goddess I grew up idolizing.  To say I looked HOT was an understatement.  I looked fuckable, and I knew it. Fashion had always been my thing, but tonight I wanted more than just turning heads.  I wanted to feel seen—really seen.  He was coming tonight, and that warmed my insides.

Chapter 2

Briana

I flashed back to when I first saw him.  I was in my medical school auditorium when I first spotted him.  He was a full grizzly bear during that time, as I liked to say.  He had thick hair, a full beard, a T-shirt, cargo pants, and flip-flops.  How emergency-medicine of him, I chuckled. He had a couple of gray hairs in his beard, so he was older, but I didn’t care.  He raised his hand when the mediator asked if anyone had a GI Bill, and I immediately rolled my eyes.  Of course, a military man; how very anti-Gloria Steinem of me to be attracted to that.  It wouldn’t be till later that I knew his spirit, grizzly on the outside and sweet on the inside, with a hint of sarcastic humor.

I snapped back to reality, with one final look in the mirror before my phone buzzed; my Uber was waiting downstairs.  I puckered my lips one final time, ran my fingers through my curls, and smiled.  Checklist: License, check; lip liner in place, check; black lace thong, check; quick shot of tequila, double-check; I was ready!

Chapter 3

Briana

Dinner with my favorite people went smoothly, as expected.  We ended up at a candle-making spot, getting high on vanilla and lavender at a BYOB joint before we went for Italian.  I had been taking photos with the girls all night, and I was now slightly tipsy, with a faint flush on my cheeks.  My best friend, Lolo, had taken a video of me, so “I could tell my kids they had a hot mom.”

It was almost midnight. Where was he? It’s my birthday; he wouldn’t miss it.  I had mentioned him to my friends many times, and in my mind, this would be the meeting of the century.  Hell, Lolo might be more excited than me; I chuckled at the thought.  Maybe he would walk in and say, “I love you,” and that’s that… but sigh, that’s a movie plot.  I was more than okay with my girls observing our interactions and making sure none of our flirting was all in my head.  Because let’s be real, an anxiety-filled soon-to-be doctor, lol; that’s a combination made for storytelling.  

Lolo was across the room and yelled, “Should we do shots?”  I love her so much; I smiled.  I heard the door jingle behind me and felt him before I saw him.  I took one gulp of the champagne before me before turning to face him.  Oh yummy, so yummy, and no, it was not the smell of the cupcake candles next to me.  Let me tell you, if you’ve ever poured hot melted butter on popcorn at the movies, you know exactly what happened to my insides.  One look at him and I felt dizzy, and oh so, so wet.

Chapter 4

Briana

He wore a black wool jacket over a button-down shirt.  His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, giving me a glimpse of his collarbone and broad shoulders.  His dark denim jeans fit perfectly, reaching the ground and covering his Chelsea boots.  I slowly took him in, my eyes grazing over him from top to bottom.  I swore I was salivating as my eyes traveled up from his shoulders to his thick beard, with a perfectly clean, new haircut.  If I weren’t already drinking, I’d need water.

I shifted uneasily in my heels as I stood to meet him.  "Hey," I said as he pulled me in for a hug. I was hit with nothing but abs and firm biceps.  “Oh boy, and there goes my eager beaver sex pulsating,” I thought. He smelled so good; it was always such a perfect blend of deodorant and Tom Ford.

He smiled at me. "Happy birthday, B," he said as I turned to introduce him to everyone.

Lolo pushed herself forward. "We’ve heard things, ya know," she said with a sly grin.

He smiled at her. "It’s nice to meet you, Lolo. Get me started on a drink, and I’ll tell you what’s true and what’s a secret.”

He was always kind and good with everyone—a gentleman when he wanted to be, but at times a quiet observer. Everyone loved him. He looked my way, smiling, before she pulled him away.

This was going to be a fun night—did I mention I love birthdays?

Chapter 5

Christian

I met her on a Monday and fell in love that same day.  We went from strangers to people who spoke every day.  It was a natural closeness; I would wake up to messages and voice memos from her, stressing about school but confiding in me just the same.  I realize now I never asked for her trust, but she gave it to me.  What I could never admit out loud was how much that scared me. She was so young and vibrant, running into my life, calling me Chrissy. Here I was older, gray, and an introvert.  I’d lie in bed at night and worry that maybe she’d realize she deserved someone lighter, someone less jaded, someone not carrying old scars.

With most women this gorgeous, you remember asking for their number, maybe even getting nervous asking.  When it came to her, I couldn’t even tell you when it happened or how it came to be.  I remember the day I fell in love with her.  We were placed in the same support group in medical school and had a tedious assignment to complete.  She messaged our newly formed group chat.  “Does anyone want to meet in room 104 to finish this assignment?”  I liked the message immediately, and at 3:00 pm, I opened the door to meet her.

“Hi, so how do you want to do this? I can pull up the video on my laptop,” she said, turning to meet me.  I would have done anything she wanted with a smile like that.  We were only thirty minutes into the film when she said exactly what I thought.  “This is fucking stupid.” I almost burst out laughing then; she was incredibly direct and passionate, eyebrows furrowed, and lips pursed.  We talked for four hours that day, as if we weren’t strangers.  She was direct, self-aware, confident, and of course drop-dead gorgeous—so real that I even noticed the tiny scar on her chin when she laughed.  I loved that about her, the way little imperfections made her even more beautiful to me.

Ever since then, I was hooked; I never thought about telling her. I was older, and she was young, beautiful, and charming. She could have anyone! I found myself smiling often and complimenting her; hell, I just wanted to be around her.

"Chrissy!" I heard her say across the bar we had stumbled into an hour after dinner.

I snapped back into reality, looking at her beautiful tits in that corset.

"I think you’re drunk, you know," I said.

She looked up at me from under those long eyelashes. "No, I’m not; I just wanted to know what beer you want."

"If I were drunk, I’d be in a sex store with my pants off," she replied, laughing before turning back toward the bar.

"Wait, did she just say sex?" I thought, my mind racing. I wondered if she wanted me.

Chapter 6

Christian

"Did you say sex?!" I said, crashing through strangers on my way to her.

"Yes, Chrissy, there’s a sex store next door," Briana replied.

"What?" she said, looking confused.

"Are we going to a sex store?!" Lolo squealed, grabbing her best friend’s arm with a gentle squeeze.

"No! We are not," I said, accidentally harshly.

"OH MY GOD, should we?!" Lolo exclaimed.

"YES!" Lolo squealed, with her girls by her side.

I smiled; of course we were. An hour later, we were halfway out the door when Lolo realized she couldn’t stand.

"I think it’s time for bed," Lolo said before hugging her best friend goodbye.

She called a cab, and we all said goodnight. After closing the cab door, I looked over my shoulder; she was standing in the window of the sex store, squinting.

I smiled. "See something you like?"

Chapter 7

Briana

Danny’s Midnight Confessions. It always sounded funny to me; it felt more like a Halloween store. I’ll never forget moving to the city and getting my first battery-operated vibrator. Mmm, hmm, a wonderful time in a young woman’s life. To be clear, yes, it had sparkles and was shaped as a miniature penis. Yes, it did get the job done, until I realized my lovely clitoris deserved a medical-grade silicone as a soon-to-be doctor. Yes, that is what four years of medical school teaches you, in case you were wondering. Don’t tell my Christian mother, but I now have three in different colors: pink, blue, and purple. I am almost on my way to tasting the rainbow. My body quivered when I felt his hand on my lower back, as I stood on my tiptoes to admire the humongous flesh-colored dildo before me.

I felt his hand reach around my waist, pulling me back into his chest. I smelled that wonderful Tom Ford again, and just as I settled into the smell, I froze. His lips had touched the nape of my neck. “What are we doing in here, B?”

I felt my breath catch as I hastily whispered, “Wha—what do you mean?”

I kept my eyes glued to everything in front of me. Big dildo, women doing splits on video VHS covers…. His lips grazed up towards my ear before he took a nip. “I’ll ask you again, what…. are… we…. doing… here?”

was drawn out sarcastically, like he knew the answer and just wanted to hear it from my lips. He spun me around, my back facing the now non-important R-rated stack of VHS tapes. I peeked up into those deep brown eyes that were sinking into me. “Uh, well, it’s a funny store, and I am a funny girl, not like Ali Wong or anything, but you know I could do comedy,” I rambled, looking anywhere but his eyes.

He grabbed my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. “I think you’re a big girl; you can say what you want for your birthday…” A sly grin ran across his face.

Ah, he’s playing the card; we know I can’t resist. I furrowed my brows. “I am a BIG GIRL,” I said, shifting out of his grasp. Be confident. I ran my hands down his chest and stopped at his belt. I looked him straight in the eyes and whispered, “Fine, for my birthday present I want you.” I barely said the words before he grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the exit. “Wait," I said hurriedly. “What about the dildo?” I laughed.

“What about it? You won’t need it,” he said before whistling for a cab.

Chapter 8

Briana

The cab arrived, and I hesitated, my hand lingering on the door handle. This could ruin everything.  Was I about to blow up our friendship—years of easy laughter, long nights, secrets shared—just for one night that might not lead anywhere? If we crossed this line, there was no way back to how things were.  My chest tightened with fear and want. What if this ended badly? Could I handle seeing him with someone else later, pretending nothing happened, carrying a secret heartbreak in every joke? Or maybe it would be the best risk I ever took. My heart was racing. I glanced up at him, searching his face for doubt, a lifeline that would pull me back. We shouldn’t. But there he was, opening the back door, waiting for me to get in, his eyes hungry and sure. As I slid in, he closed the door behind me quickly, saying his address to the driver before grabbing my face and kissing me. I gasped as he stuck his tongue in my mouth, urgent and hungry, like he was begging me to give myself to him. My hands reached up, gripping his biceps. God, he was so fucking large in all the right places. We were full-on making out in the back of a cab, just like in the movies. I gasped for air as his hands explored everywhere. They roamed and gripped my ass, pulling me in towards him. He moved them down my calves, to my heels, and then gripped my breast.

I wrapped my fingers around his wrists, pulling his hands to where I wanted them—one on my neck, and the other gripping my breast.

“I want you so fucking bad,” he whispered.

I chuckled, “Really? I thought it was the dildo that got you all hot and bothered.”

I had never seen him so undone. He was always Mr. Calm; nothing frazzled him, except me. He smiled against my neck before taking a bite out of my skin. “You’ll see in two more minutes that dildo is the last thing on my mind.”

Chapter 9

Briana

When we arrived, he didn’t waste any time. He yanked me out of the door, running us inside. “Do you need anything?” he asked, slamming the door behind him.

“No, I don’t… th” My words were cut off by his lips. I could taste the whiskey in his kiss. Good ol’ “Breckenridge Bourbon, if you have it,” he would always say to the bartender. I couldn’t wait to break his bridge all the way to Terabithia. I wanted more of him; I found myself with my hand laced around his neck, pushing my body against his. The taste of whiskey lingered on his lips, a sharp reminder of the drinks that colored our night and made every glance feel electric, every touch feels braver.

When his lips reached my neck, I moaned. He looked at me. “Christ, I always wanted to know how you sound.” I felt my face flush with heat, and my nipples harden under his gaze. I was warm, wet, and oh so icky sticky in my panties. I felt my fingers trace down from his beard to the hair on his chest, before kissing his neck with my tongue. His head leaned back as my tongue traced the pulse of his neck, my fingers stroking his chest, before rushing to push off his coat. He helped pull his arms free of the coat before yanking up his shirt. I was against the door, his knees between my thighs holding me against the frame. I squeezed my lips together when I released his belt buckle, letting his pants begin to fall to his concrete thighs.

"It’s my birthday," I whispered, "and I feel like having something in my mouth; do you agree?"

“Jesus,” he groaned, and I took that as a yes. I moved my nails ever so slightly against the waistband of his boxers. He purred, “You’re a tease, ya know?”

“Gasp, me? Never!” I said, playing my fingers like a piano against the outline of his dick through his boxers.

“B, please,” he whispered, kissing my chin and the bridge of my nose.

I slowly moved, gripping him inside his boxers, and heard him curse, “Fuck.”

“Let’s see if boulders really are a Colorado thing,” I teased.

I knelt between his legs, back straight, meeting his gaze before sticking out my tongue so he could get a glance of the beautiful place he would sit. I watched him squeeze his eyes shut in anticipation as I licked the precum off the tip of his penis. It was warm and tasted just like him, fucking sweet. I wrapped my lips around him once before he gripped his hand in my hair, pulling me deeper onto his dick. The more he cursed, the more I felt him thicken inside my mouth before relaxing my jaw to take him wide. I let him slide down the back of my throat before looping my tongue around him. I barely blinked before he yanked me up, smashing his mouth into mine. His hand gripped my ass possessively before lifting me and slamming me into the door. I winced as my back hit the handle, realizing it felt good to experience a little pain before pleasure.

Desire pooled between my thighs, the ache growing with every touch. He slowed, looking me in the eyes.

"You want to have sex, right? Yes?" he asked.

I nodded yes, breathlessly. "Yes." I wrapped my arms around his neck, awaiting my sweet ride to bliss. “Who said consent wasn’t sexy.”

Chapter 10

Briana

I can’t describe how quickly he plowed towards the bedroom. Which was quite surprising for a man with his pants at his ankles, but he did it. The bedroom door slammed behind him as he threw me onto the bed. I laughed out loud, hitting the pillows. “Jesus, he goes to the gym one time and then thinks he can manhandle a girl.” I fell back into the pillows as I saw him kicking off his shoes and pants. He was on top of me in an instant. I wrapped my legs around his waist and smiled underneath him, reaching up to touch his face. He kissed me gently. “Happy Birthday, B.” He reached over into a drawer, rummaging for what I could imagine was a condom.

“It’s fine, I’m on birth control,” I said.

“You sure? I can totally find one,” he said.

I yanked his chin, making him face me. “I am giving you consent to do all things I absolutely fucking want. Trust me, I’ll tell you if I don’t like something,” I said.

No words needed, he yanked off my jeans, my legs swinging in the air, and flipped me over, unzipping my corset. He wanted me to see. I laughed, flipping onto my back and pulling down his boxers. He was big, bigger than I expected.  I mean, I knew it by the way he spoke, but I had deliberately prohibited myself from sneaking a peek when we wore sweatpants at his place. I couldn’t finish studying if that was always in my head. May the feminist Gods forgive me. I sooooo love men! “Queer on the inside, straight, oh so straight on the outside,” I thought. I felt myself grow wet and licked my lips.

He laughed, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless.”

He moved closer to me, and I felt my chest lift, my eyes peeking from under my birthday buzz—my senses humming with that perfect, tipsy anticipation only a night like this brings. It was a dream meeting reality; I could tell this moment would never escape me.  I tried to find somewhere else to look than his deep brown eyes.  The eyes that always knew how to see me, and his mouth, the one that always said words that made me feel safe. His hairy chest pressed against my breast before he reached his hand into my hair, brushing it out of my face.

When my eyes met his, he said, “It’s just you and me, just like always.” He pinned me to the bed; our fingers intertwined before biting my nipple. I gasped, feeling the sting. “God, I’ve been dying to do that,” he said. I arched my back in response to his hand moving down my pelvis. I knew he was close. I squirmed, knowing what came next. “Watch me,” he said, as he took his two fingers into my mouth. “Suck.” It wasn’t a request. I squeezed my lips around his fingers, desperate to fulfill any desire of his. “Now open.”

I released my lips, watching him move his fingers down until they disappeared into my sex. I groaned loudly, my head falling back. I arched my hips up into his hands. He grunted, fingers curling inside me. He added a third finger, his name pouring from my lips as a result. “Say it again,” he groaned, kissing my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut, moaning. I screamed when he added a fourth finger. “Baby.” He chuckled, “That’ll do.” He pushed a finger up against the ridge of my G-spot, and I curled my toes as I orgasmed beneath him. I barely came back to earth before I felt his dick plunge into me. He leaned his body over mine, his knees spreading my thighs wide. “I’ve always wanted this, you.” I pushed my lips up towards his, biting his lip as I dug my nails into his biceps. It was so fucking good; I could barely breathe.

Chapter 11

Briana

“OH, MY GOD.”

He grabbed my thigh, pushing it back, and he went so deep I felt pain at my cervix. I winced, feeling him grow even harder inside me. My hand reached across the bed, desperate to grab hold of something as the pleasure heightened.

“Hold on to me,” he grunted as he thrust harder and deeper. I felt every inch of him, and he continued to take more of me. I bit into his shoulder, urging him closer. His hands moved up into my hair, pressing into the bed on either side of me.

“You feel so good, fuck so good,” he groaned. “Take me,” he growled. His hands tangled in my hair as our mouths crashed together.

We were sweaty and tangled, a mess of lips and skin. I couldn’t get enough. I felt my body levitating; every thrust was earnest and full of desire. My skin was full of goosebumps. His fingers intertwined with mine; I could endure it, feeling all of him. Our pounding pulses felt so loud in my ear; I could feel them beating into my breast. I wrapped my legs around his waist, crossing my ankles against his back. It felt heartbreakingly not enough; I wanted to be inside his skin, to share every breath with him. His hand grazed up, tapping my clit. I gasped; I was so sensitive. I was going to release.

“Christian!” I screamed.

My eyes closed, my brows furrowing. My thighs grew damp with sweat. He thrust deeper, sending me to the edge. I screamed, barely able to hold on.

Chapter 12

Christian

Oh god, I felt her squeezing me.

Fuck," I groaned. "You’re mine," I grunted. "All mine, tell me."

"I’m yours, only yours," she said breathlessly, her body coming to a finish beneath me.

"Show me," I said. "I want to watch you."

I could see that she understood what I needed: for her to give herself over entirely, to let me see every part of her come undone. She grabbed my face and bit my lip before screaming into my shoulder as she came. I caught her breasts in my mouth, relentless. Her body arched against mine. It was like I could read her mind, knowing what she needed. She lost herself in her orgasm as I kissed her neck.

Chapter 13

Briana

He flipped me over, my body straddling him. I could watch him this way, see the effect I had on him. I loved watching his eyes squeeze shut, and I sucked on his index finger. Grinding my hips against him. I flipped my hair back, grinding harder as he groaned, his hands gripping my thighs.

He reached up, grabbing my neck and pulling me closer. “I want to cum like this,” he said, “I want to watch you feel me inside you.”

I nodded, gripping the headboard in front of me as I hovered over him, ready to cum again. His hand reached up, grabbing my breast, before his mouth gripped my nipple. I moaned.

“Not yet, baby,” he said.

He slapped his hips up into mine, gripping my thighs down so I couldn’t escape the feeling of him growing bigger inside me. I screamed out, in urgency, desperate to release. He grabbed my face, pulling me down into his lips.

“Fuck, B,” he said as I felt his cum pump into me.

rush of his cum hit my clit like a rush, my body slamming into his chest as I collapsed on top of him. He hugged me close as we trembled, our climax meeting. I quivered, lying against his chest, soaked. He kissed my forehead and hair.

Everything faded around us, and into the air came a whisper: “I love you.”