We're lying in bed more or less totally shagged out. I gave Quinn a run for his money, I did, and he repaid me in kind; there may have been judicious application of vacuum-mouth involved. Yeah, I'm totally spent, about ready to go to sleep, trying to curl myself closer to his body, if that is at all possible. It'd be perfect, except—except Quinn's hand is stroking softly across my belly, just at that place where belly meets groin, just at that place where...
I push his hand away gently, guide it down to my thigh. He strokes that for a few moments, just long enough to let me know he isn't ignoring me completely, and then his hand sneaks back up to my belly and starts stroking that spot again very determinedly.
I reach down and push his hand away again, more violently this time. He sighs and pulls me closer to him using the arm that's trapped underneath my chest. Then he showers soft kisses along my neck and my shoulder. "You don't like me touching there, do you?" He asks.
"It's... that's where..." I stammer stupidly and then give up before I say something really idiotic.
"Got eyes, haven't I?" He replies. "It doesn't bother me, it was there long before I was. I really don't mind."
"I do," I whisper.
He doesn't say anything for a while, just continues to kiss me and pet me, studiously avoiding that spot for the time being. "Rob," he eventually says. "Can I ask you a question?"
There's three guesses as to what that question is going to be. Don't really want to hear it, want to answer it even less, but he's pretty good about giving me the unvarnished truth whenever I feel the need to ask something completely idiotic, isn't he? Guess I owe him that much in return. "If you must."
"Who's Patti?"
Bingo. Score one for the big guy with the impossibly green eyes. "Just some chit," I reply quietly, hoping that that is answer enough for him.
"Must have been quite some chit," he remarks, "for you to have 'Patti's Property' tattooed on your belly."
I squeeze my eyes shut tightly. Shit. Shitty-shitty-shit-shit. I didn't want to deal with that. Then again, must be flattering as fuck to read some chit's name on my body every time he sucks me off. "I was young and excessively stupid, alright?" I snap.
"You're still young," he replies drily. "Haven't made up my mind about the stupid part yet. Time will tell, I've no doubt. Why'd you get that done?"
"The usual reason," I say testily. "I was head over heels and thought it was forever."
"Forever's a long time Rob," he says quietly.
"Was naught to do with me that it wasn't. It'd have been forever if I'd had any say in the matter," I reply. "Asked her to marry me. Round about a week or so before Nicky decided to tell me... doesn't really matter what he told me. Don't really want to think about it too much. I learned my lesson though; round here kicking Rob while he's already down on the ground is a regular sport."
"Do you still want forever?" Quinn asks quietly.
I turn around so our bodies are flush. I can't really see him in the dark, but I know his face is only a hair's width away. "Don't think I believe in forever anymore," I whisper.
He doesn't say anything for a few torturous moments and then he kisses me hard and demanding, kisses me breathless in fact. His hand squeezes in between our bodies and languidly strokes across that patch of skin again, keeps on stroking it, even as he breaks the kiss and gasps for air. He doesn't say anything; just pulls me closer to his chest and continues stroking my belly. Eventually, his breathing evens out—he's asleep—one hand still caught on top of that damned tattoo, his other arm wrapped tightly around my waist.
I'm lying there awake for a long time listening to him breathe, feeling his body pressed to mine and it occurs to me, that maybe, just maybe, forever is a possibility again. Don't want to jinx it though.
© KJB 2002-2003.