CHAPTER 91

When Kevin had finished wrapping and knotting the length of silk around her wrists, he trailed the tips of his fingers from her forearms to her shoulders and up to her neck and chin. It was an affectionate gesture, which brought her a degree of comfort considering the sudden shift in circumstances. Connie dropped her arms and held her bound wrists against her lower abdomen causing the ends of the scarf to brush against her thighs and knees.

Kevin took a step back to examine his handiwork and then his eyes fell to the floor for an instant before he raised his head. The neediness that washed over his face was far more intense than the spark of shame that briefly lit his eyes. He removed his coat then and tossed it onto a nearby chair. Outwardly, his physical demeanor had remained calm and controlled but the large and distinct swelling that rose from under his leather pants told another story. He saw her eyes widen a bit when she glanced at his groin and gave her a grim smile before passing his fingers down the length of his hardness and squeezing. Kevin was caught in the throes of high erotica. The brief display was for her benefit. It would be all she would see for some time.

He needed another scarf and turned to open a dresser drawer. He didn’t ask her if she had another or where one might be and had to rifle through two drawers before he found what he needed in the third. This one was smaller – a dark turquoise square the color of Connie’s eyes. Kevin rubbed the square between his thumb and forefinger. The irony did not escape him. Turquoise would be hidden behind turquoise. He placed the silken square on the dresser and began to fold it into a narrow strip.

Connie’s breath hitched in her throat but she managed to swallow before her gasp became audible to Kevin’s sharp ears. She knew what he was doing. One small corner of her mind focused on how methodical he was in his task, carefully folding the fabric and tucking in loose corners as if it was a bandage. She could see his reflection in the mirror as he folded. It only took a matter of seconds but in that short time Connie ascertained three things. He was very serious, he was incredibly hard and erect and she had managed to maintain a neutral expression despite the fact that her heart was beating wildly. Kevin was about to deliberately open the door to her worst fear and invite her to enter the darkness. She knew intuitively that she had to accept the invitation. He turned, the silk hanging from his hand, and stepped in front of her.

“Take off my shirt, Connie…”

She did as she was told without comment, fumbling with the buttons as one hand got in the way of the other. When the buttons had been unfastened, he straightened his arms and she tugged at the cuffs so he could pull his arms from the sleeves. She thought he might step behind her to tie his makeshift blindfold but instead, he put his hand on her shoulder and turned her very gently so that her back was to him. In an instant, dreaded darkness enveloped her. She felt a vibration in her throat as the scarf tightened around her eyes. Despite her best efforts to control herself, she whimpered.

When Kevin’s finished knotting the silk, he stepped away. Now she stood alone and completely vulnerable, trapped in darkness as well as silence. She could feel nothing but the floor beneath her feet and the bindings on her wrists and eyes. She could detect neither taste nor smell. Connie had entered a void – a type of conscious coma. Perspiration began to gather at her temples.

Kevin kicked off his boots before standing back to take this moment in. He would never have another like it and he wanted to press it into his memory. He wasn’t denying the possibility of future acts of submission but the first time had a distinct edge. Similar trysts with Connie that may take place at some other time would be reenactments. Nothing compares to the original. You never forget your first time… Trevor’s domination had been altogether different. He was cruel and domination was sport to him. It had nothing to do with passion or love. Connie hadn’t loved Trevor. He had never seen the beauty of her orgasm or experienced the joy of giving her that pleasure. God, she looked beautiful standing there, copper colored curls falling down her bare back. Kevin ached to part her legs and spill himself into her but he couldn’t. Not yet…. He needed to gaze a little longer.

He slowly pulled the covered band from his ponytail and let his hair fall to his shoulders before unfastening his pants and pushing them off of his legs. The boxers were next and soon they were on the floor as well. Unconsciously, he cupped his testicles in an effort to relieve the pressure mounting in his groin. They felt heavy and full. Kevin closed his eyes for a moment. He could almost feel his own seed churning and stroked himself in an attempt to calm his angry genitalia. His own touch only exacerbated the sexual tension and caused a smear of pre cum to ooze onto his glans. It was time.

Connie wanted to call out to him. Deep breaths were impossible and she felt like she was suffocating. The lack of oxygen was affecting her and she began to feel dizzy as threads of panic took hold of her heart. It was then that she felt him beside her. She was lifted from the floor and carried like a child to the bed, unaware that she was trembling until she felt her skin shiver against his. Her sense of touch had been restored.

Every tactile sensation was heightened, every touch charged with meaning. Kevin’s touches and movements were gentle as he feared that Connie’s remaining sense might overload if he pushed too hard. Cool, crisp sheets cooled the heat of her adrenaline rushed body but the distraction was only temporary for after she had been laid upon the bed, she felt his hands at he wrists once more. He was pulling her arms up over her head. A moment later, they would be tied to the metal headboard. Now, not only was she deaf and essentially blind, she was also immobile.

The light touch of his fingers brushed across her forearm and then began a journey down to her shoulder. Connie could feel his weight shift the mattress as he sat on its edge. Then the gentle stroke began again. There was nothing sinister or harsh about his touch but Connie’s heightened senses detected every nuance – every change in pressure or direction. His fingers paused in the valley of her breasts and she felt his thumb move up and over her skin until it reached its prize. He pressed there and held, forcing her tender nipple back into the swelling of her breast. She felt herself gasp and arch her back. The sensation had been intense and surprising, as if Kevin had tripped an electrical switch. Despite her anxiety, she felt a warm current of pleasure wash over her. He was watching her react. She could feel it. She could feel everything….

Kevin’s fingers moved again, down the center of her rib cage to her abdomen. There, he paused again and placed the heel of his hand above her pubis. More pressure. Another wave as Connie’s reproductive organs responded to Kevin’s manipulation. She had never fully realized their sensitivity. She felt her hips raise against the weight of his hand. Her slight movement also made her realize something else. She was wet.

Kevin’s hand lifted and moved downward. Now she could feel just the tips of his fingers as they brushed back and forth through soft pubic curls. God, he was so close … A snippet of a previous conversation passed through her memory. They had been playfully jabbing at each other one morning when Kevin had called her ‘Carrot Crotch’. – a reference to her coppery pubic hair. She had feigned disgust although she actually found pleasure in these intimate and personal jokes. Connie actually had very little pubic hair, as is common with many redheads. She had a head full of thick curls but her underarms, legs and pubis were sparsely covered. On that day, she had idly remarked that she was thinking about shaving off what little she had. ‘You will not touch my muff,’ he commanded. He had been quite serious and she had been amused by his insistence. ‘I mean it, Connie.’ End of conversation.

Now his fingers did a slow waltz through those red hairs, stimulating, enticing and soothing her desires. His fingers moved again, deliberately avoiding her pleasure point, to the velvety softness of her labia. Connie felt a moan escape her as Kevin deftly separated her folds and ran his finger up their length, still stopping short of the swollen spot she wanted him to touch so badly.

Connie realized, at that moment of need, that Kevin’s desire for domination wasn’t entirely selfish. It was true that he wanted and needed control but he had also wanted her to feel without distraction or preconception. His role as master was on equal footing with his wish to teach her – to make her aware of her body, to make her aware of his power and need to please her – to show her love and not just physical gratification. By doing it in this way, he was taking an emotional risk. Would she be able to accept his darker moments – his secret needs and desires? Kevin had begun to push the envelope ten days ago. Now he wanted to cross the line into total security and unconditional love. But he had to know, He had to… She had shown him trust but that was only one side of the coin. Now he craved acceptance.

His hand was still stroking when she felt him lay beside her and press his face into the crook of her neck. His loosened hair tickled her collarbone, his goatee pressed against her throat, and still his fingers moved. Connie began to pull at her bindings as her earlier anxiety morphed into frenzy. She could feel Kevin’s tongue on her neck now, licking and tasting her skin as his beard moved against her. Her attempt to remain controlled and compliant was dissolving quickly and Connie felt herself cry out – not in apprehension but in frustration. Kevin was holding back.

When his mouth moved to her jaw, she could feel his lips moving. Unheard words vibrated against her skin between gentle licks and kisses. She wanted desperately to see what he was saying to her. She wanted desperately to be taken. Tears began to form as she tried to jerk her hands free but were quickly absorbed into the turquoise silk.

“Touch me, touch me there… Please….,” she whimpered.

She felt his left arm circle her head, holding it in place and then his mouth covered hers. When his tongue entered her mouth, his fingers entered he body and her hips moved against the rhythm of Kevin’s hand in a dance that had been choreographed at the beginning of time.

Kevin’s thumb had barely grazed Connie’s tiny erection when her orgasm overtook her. Although Connie’s senses had been severely limited, all of his screamed for sensation. They would be satisfied, all five at once, in a darkened room with the woman he loved. However, right now, he had to calm her. He was not finished.

Connie could feel Kevin’s lips brushing against her cheek as he withdrew his fingers. He was speaking to her again as she felt him trail her wetness back up her body with the same fingers he had pushed into her moments before. Those fingers lifted and come down again on her lower lip, still moist from her sexual secretions. Then she whispered his name.

Kevin heard his name bantered or called at least a hundred times a day but never with the smoky intimacy that wrapped Connie’s whisper. Her tone carried no plea and no judgment. It was if she could taste his name and savored its flavor.

She still lay in the shallows of bliss, waiting for post-orgasmic sedation, when Kevin moved away from her. For second, she was confused and then her thighs were over his shoulders and his face was buried between her legs. His large tongue moved over her inner thighs and vulva as if he was cleaning her and then he began to suck. This ambush was not as gentle. Long puffs of his breath against her skin indicated that his breathing was labored. He would stop sometimes and press his face against her, breathing her in, filling his nostrils with the musky scent of her sex. The smell of her almost made him high.

His hands had been under her buttocks but they moved now. Connie moaned loudly as she felt his fingertips push back her clitoral hood. She was still painfully sensitive and instinctively pulled away when Kevin’s mouth covered her sexual epicenter. A slight flick of his tongue caused to her quake but he was relentless and began to suckle her small jewel, forcing her, yet again, over the edge and into the blinding light of ecstasy.

The contractions that followed were interrupted only long enough for Kevin to enter her. He could barely stand it as his erection was bombarded with vaginal caresses. Connie was trembling beneath him, hands still tied above her head and blindfold spotted with soaked-up tears. Kevin supported himself on one arm and reached forward, releasing her arms with a tug on the slipknot which held her. When the scarf was untied and unwound from Connie’s wrists, her arms dropped like dead weight. The turquoise scarf was pushed up off of her eyes and tossed aside. Connie’s eyes remained closed. The did not open until Kevin brushed his thumb against her dark lashes. It was if she were awaiting permission. When she did open them, trapped tears fell down her cheeks. Kevin kissed her deeply and began to move against her and inside of her, seeking his own much needed release. It didn’t take long before he could feel himself contract, sending hot sperm into Connie’s body – again and again and again.

He did not withdraw, but lay perfectly still, relishing the sensation as his ejaculate coated his undiminished erection. Kevin’s relief was not only physical but emotional as well. She had not judged him. He was free and unafraid. Peace of heart fell over him like a warm blanket and was confirmed when he felt the tender touch of her fingertips on his throat.

Chapter 92

Kevin flushed and lowered the seat before taking a good look in the bathroom mirror. Even he could see the difference in his face. An indescribable burden had been lifted. Color had returned to his cheeks and his eyes were brighter. Frown lines seemed less noticeable – for about five seconds. That’s when he saw it. He combed his fingers through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead and looked again. He rubbed his eyes. I must be seeing things… He had never paid that much attention to his eyebrows even though they had been the butt of many a joke. They were just a part of him, like being left-handed or having big feet. Anal as he was, he had certainly never examined individual hairs but it was hard to ignore what he saw. A single white hair, standing proudly against a background of black, wove itself through his right brow. It was only one hair – a tiny, single thread – but to Kevin it was shocking and impossible to ignore. He felt like he had a miniature skunk over his eye. He was incredulous.

Fuck that shit! He tried to separate the offending strand from the others with his finger but soon realized that removal would require a more delicate hand. Jerking open the medicine cabinet open with one hand while rubbing at his brow with the other, he scanned the narrow shelves looking for tweezers. He spotted them on his second perusal, lying next to a pair of tiny scissors and he glanced back and forth between the small tools of destruction. Cut or pull?… Kevin cocked his head around the open door of the medicine cabinet and took another look at his prey. Better pull. Might lose too many if I cut and end up with a bald spot in my eyebrow… Having made his tactical decision, he slammed the cabinet door shut and went in for the kill.

OUCH! Motherfucker! His right eye began to water as he pressed the heel of his hand against the wounded brow. How the hell do women stand this.., He had to blink several times before he was able to focus again and held the still pinched tweezers up in front of his face. He counted three hairs – all black. SHIT! When he looked into the mirror again, the white strand was still attached….mocking him. Kevin composed himself and prepared for another assault but first, he cocked his head towards the bathroom door. It was quiet so Connie must still be sleeping. That was good. He really didn’t want to have to explain to her why he was standing naked in front of a mirror, plucking his eyebrows. He did have some pride…

This time, he decided to coax the offending hair into the grip of the steel tweezers. After much manipulation and squinting, he pulled again, winced and held his catch in front of his eyes. A smile formed on his lips. He had captured the ‘great white’. Ahhhh, got you, you little cocksucker… His victory ended with a ceremonial flushing as he wet his finger and smoothed down the follicles that remained. Kevin was not ready for gray. Although he despised the moniker of ‘boy band’, he wasn’t quite ready for ‘dinosaur rock’, either. Besides, he had teased AJ and Brian plenty about their receding hairlines. But only after they ragged me about turning thirty… Satisfied that his youth had been restored, Kevin left the bathroom.

It was after 10:00 am and Connie was still sound asleep. It was hard to believe that Kevin had gotten up earlier than she had. It was a rare occurrence but he was glad because it gave him the opportunity to take her in at a time when she was vulnerable but not self-conscious. She lay on her stomach, red curls splayed across her pillow and onto the sheets. Her back was uncovered, affording Kevin an unobstructed view of bare skin that ended at her hips that were covered with the tousled top sheet. Her small feet peeked from the bottom of the sheet. As he stared, she gave a little sigh and the corners of her mouth curled upwards. She was dreaming.

He had heard her mumble in her sleep before – soft, whispered words mumbled in the dark of night. The words had never made much sense and they didn’t make any now, even though the room was sunlit and he could see her face. He only knew that the dream was a pleasant one and that she was happy, wherever she was. Then Connie made a sound that he hadn’t heard before. Her lips closed and she began to hum very softly. Kevin wasn’t sure he was hearing what he thought and moved closer. He tried to be very quiet, knowing that if she opened her eyes and saw him staring, with his face close to hers, it may scare her to death.

The little tune she hummed sounded familiar and before long he recognized the song even though Connie continued to pause and sigh between stanzas. He was amused, fascinated and touched all at the same time, much as he had been the night he saw her dancing in the studio, depending on the large speakers to mark her rhythm and movements. Kevin smiled a little and pulled the sheet up over her torso before turning to walk through the flat to the kitchen. If he’d had any doubts about exactly what song Connie had been humming, they were dispelled after only a few steps.

“There will……. be an answer……… Let it be….”

Kevin froze in his tracks before turning his head back to the bed. Connie was singing in her sleep. He could hardly believe his ears. Singing…. And although she sang softly on deep breaths of sleep, her voice had the clarity, sweetness and pitch of a ‘natural’ singer, like a pair of crystal goblets kissing each other in a toast. As McCartney’s lyrics floated from her lips, Kevin’s throat began to hurt with suppressed emotion and confusion. He had never considered that Connie had an interest in music, much less a talent – a talent that had been sucked away with her hearing. Did she ever sing? Did she ever play an instrument? Had she ever had any musical ambitions? Did she use to sing into a hairbrush like he did or write music?

“Whisper words…….. of wisdom…”

Jesus, Connie…. His eyes watered as he realized two things. He had just been granted a look into Connie’s past, a glimpse into a part of her he had never suspected existed. Secondly, he realized for certain that, in her dreams, she could still hear.

Kevin stepped back a little when Connie gave a soft grunt and rolled to her side. His brief glimpse was over and so he left her to sleep, grateful that she seemed content and that he was so loved by her.

*****

Sleep was floating away but Connie was reluctant to let it go. She felt weightless and trouble free and safe. She also felt like there was too much room in the bed. She and Kevin were usually twisted together when they awoke, wrapped in the mingled scents that two bodies produced when they had been against each other all night.

Raising up on her elbows, she cracked her eyes and tried to focus. White sheets and neutral colors were interrupted by a flash of turquoise buried between the pillows. Connie closed her eyes again and fell back into the bed. Oh yes…. After a moment, the smell of bacon filled her senses and she stirred. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked across the open space into the kitchen. Kevin stood between the island and the countertop – shirtless and rummaging through drawers. A pan rested on the cooktop. He was dancing a little and it looked like he was singing. Kevin was in a good mood and cooking.

How sweet… She stretched before pulling herself out of bed and making her way to the closet for a robe. After a few brush strokes, Connie walked lazily towards the kitchen but was topped by the sight of a flashing red light above the elevator keypad beside the flat entrance. She peeked through the small hole in the door, which allowed her to view her guests, and shrieked. Company.

Kevin, who’s back was towards Connie, never saw it coming. He was about to put a pair of salt and pepper shakers on the table when he was startled by Connie’s delighted cry.

“Connie! No! Don’t open the door! CONNIE!”

His pleas were not heard. Connie hit the ‘open’ button and as the doors began to slide open, and Kevin grabbed the only thing within reach – a small plant that had been centered on the table.

“NICK!” Connie shouted.

Kevin breathed a sigh of relief. It was shortlived.

“….and Hannah!” Shit! Their two guests stood inside the entrance and stared past Connie, their dumbfounded expressions quickly replaced by smirks. Connie was confused and turned to see what had captured their attention. There Kevin stood, naked as the day he was born – but decidedly hairier – holding a potted plant in front of his groin.

Everyone stood quietly as an unplanned moment of silence went into effect. No one moved. Hannah’s eyebrows had shot up and seemed to be permanently affixed to her upper forehead. Nick was grinning his ass off, more than happy to be a part of this unforgettable moment and Connie stared at the……plant. Kevin’s ‘death glare’ was going unheeded. Finally, someone spoke.

“You didn’t tell me about the tats, Con…” Hannah admonished. “Nice, but….well…’Ouch!” she laughed. As awkward as the situation was, she attempted to dispel the embarrassment and glanced around the kitchen. “Ooooh, is that bacon I see?” she asked, trying to change the obvious subject.

Nick couldn’t resist. It wasn’t often that such an opportunity came his way. “I think what you see is more like sausage,” Nick grinned, feeling empowered by Kevin’s vulnerable state.

“Shut the fuck up, Nick!” Kevin growled as he began backing his way across the apartment towards the bathroom, still holding the potted plant in front of him.

Nick just laughed. “Good choice you made there, Kev, although I would have expected something a little….bigger. That is a snake plant, right? Real appropriate…”

Kevin’s mumbled epithets faded as he disappeared into a closet at the far end of the room and pulled the door closed behind him. Hannah had been holding back as long as she could and burst into laughter as soon as the closet door closed.

“I didn’t know he was naked…” Connie muttered in explanation.

Nick grinned back. “No shit, Con… Even I know that you never fry bacon naked.”