The Bird in Hand

All characters in the following story engaging in sexual activities, even in the past, are 18 or older.

This story is set in the UK, as am I. That’s not significant but it can get pretty British at times, so I thought it was worth mentioning. The legal drinking age in the UK is 18.

Please enjoy.

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Nicole returned to her hometown for the first time in almost seven years. It was the sort of place that people did not really go to, and if they did go, once they left, they did not go back. It was a dull grey nowhere kind of place whose most marketable feature wasgreat transport links, meaning the only reason anyone lived there was because it was so easy to get from there to just about anywhere else.

When Nicole, born and raised, had left for university, she hadn’t shed a single tear for the town she left behind. Her parents had put in motion an escape plan of their own soon after, so when Nicole wenthome to them it was to a different house in another part of the country.

She missed her friends though. Friends with whom she had grown up, survived school, and spent countless hours trying to find ways to pass the time. They had kept in touch mostly online, meeting up occasionally elsewhere for a concert or some such event. There had never been a good time or reason enough to visit them at home, but now Nicole found herself with a free weekend and an invite to a night out for Stacey’s birthday. Happy to be included, she had swallowed her reluctance and agreed to go.

She packed three outfits ready for any weather, and when it stayed fine and warm all day, she wore a navy sundress with white polka dots and brown suede ankle boots. A hint of blue eyeshadow jazzed her up just enough to tie in the look. She curled her hair, painted her nails, and spent the rest of her getting-ready time deciding what items were essential enough to take with her based on what she could fit into the small brown crossbody bag that went with her shoes.

Her room in one of the cheap chain hotels looked out onto the motorway and she could hear the thunder of passing traffic. She prepared either to stay out really late or to get really drunk, because how else was she supposed to sleep afterwards?

Determined not to let the greyness get her down, Nicole followed the familiar streets into town with a bit more of a spring in her step. It was impossible to have a night out there, so no doubt she would be on a bus or train to somewhere brighter soon enough anyway.

She met Stacey and Ffion outside theBird in Hand; an old pub tucked away in a narrow side street. Stacey, the birthday girl, was the short one, with short dark hair and a shorter skirt. Ffion, the tallest of the group, wore a blazer and jeans and her hair in a braid. Their joke had always been that they could arrange themselves in a line, tallest to shortest, oldest to youngest, smallest to biggest boobs. Nicole was in the middle on all counts, and it wasn’t lost on her that the dynamic worked just as well without her.

Despite Stacey’s insistence that being 25 years old meant they were allold A-F, they greeted each other in the same manner they had for over half their lives, with much squealing and hugging andI love your hair-ing.

“You remembered where to come then?” asked Ffion as Nicole finished wishing Stacey a happy birthday.

Nicole looked at the pub behind them. “Believe me, there’s plenty of things about this place I’d sooner forget.”

“I don’t remember us thinking it was so bad back in the day,” Stacey countered, looking sidelong at Ffion.

“I think we were just glad we had somewhere to go,” said Nicole.

TheBird in Hand had been their hangout most weekends of their late adolescence. From too early an age, in fact. No adults with any self-respect ever went there, so if the money was good, the dodgy landlord was not concerned with how old they were or what they were drinking. And drinking was required as it was not pleasant inside. Cleaning occurred maybe once a month — if that — and maintenance far less often, but with its dirty windows and broken lights, it had been dark even in summer, which made it easier not to worry about it. Ultimately, they had settled for it, rather than trying to go somewhere nicer only to be evicted for being underage by staff or even by the police. By the time they were all old enough to go elsewhere, they were just used to it.

“Anyway, never mind this place,” said Nicole, “where are we going?”

Ffion raised her eyebrows and looked at Stacey, who was already reaching for the handle on the front door.

Nicole started to protest.

“C’mon,” Stacey laughed, “once you get some shots in you, it won’t be a problem. Besides, it’s not even bad anymore. Miles has really turned the place around.”

“Miles who?”

“What do you mean,Miles who? Our Miles. Miles Cook.” Stacey hadn’t even looked back as she spoke, and Nicole stared blankly as they disappeared inside.

Miles Cook? The younger brother of her high school boyfriend, Jason? That shy kid who jumped at his own shadow and never looked at her when she spoke to him. She couldn’t imagine him anywhere near theBird, never mind having anything to do withturning it around. And since when was heour Miles as far as her friends were concerned? Feeling curious and a little foolish standing alone in the street, Nicole took a deep breath and followed them inside.

Whoever was responsible, inside the place was transformed. Light and clean. Had the floor always been that colour? The décor had been updated recently, and all the chairs had been either reupholstered or replaced. The bar itself, on the one side of the room, looked a lot cleaner and more inviting, and the old broken wooden stools had been replaced with those plastic and chrome ones that raised and lowered at the touch of a button.

There weren’t many customers in as it was still early but a group of people in suits sat towards the back drinking and laughing, and a couple of them circled a pool table that occupied a space Nicole remembered was used to store broken furniture and stacks of crates. An older couple were sharing a bottle of wine nearer the door. Two heavy guys in hi-vis propped up one end of the bar with a pint each and Ffion was chatting away with them cheerfully. Even the clientele — even the barflies — seemed to have improved.

Stacey was talking to someone unseen through the door behind the bar that led down to the cellar. She was standing on her tiptoes on a brass footrail that ran along the bottom of bar in order to lean over it and her skirt had ridden up. Nicole laughed as Ffion moved behind her to tug the hem back into place. Some things would never change. Stacey would never give a damn what anyone thought about her, and she would always be too short to lean over the bar, and Ffion had spent much time over the years making sure Stacey’s ass was not showing. Stacey shrugged and proclaimed that since it was her birthday, she most likely would be dancing naked on the bar by the end of the night.

“I should say I probably don’t have the right licenses for that, as much as I’d love to see it.” A man’s voice came from behind the cellar door.

Nicole may not have known Miles unprompted. He was two or three years younger than her, so he looked very different to when she had seen him last. Instead of awkward and gangly, he was tall and lean, and he came out behind the bar with an easy swagger. Nicole recognised the dark brown eyes, the messy tangle of dark hair, and the serious eyebrows, but his face was a better fit with a more angular jaw. He wore black jeans and a plain grey t-shirt which showed off toned arms and hinted at a similarly cut torso.

“Happy birthday, Stace,” he said with a wide smile. “I’d say you don’t look a day older, but then it’s only been about 18 hours since you were in here last.”

Nicole was surprised by the lightness in Miles’s voice. It was deeper, but far less sullen, and she found herself trying to remember if she had ever seen him smile before.

Miles set a bottle of Pimm’s on the bar next to a glass jug half-filled with ice. From a tub he retrieved from a fridge behind the bar, he heaped chunks of cucumber and apple, sliced strawberries and orange into the jug. He dropped in some mint leaves, poured over the Pimm’s and topped up the jug with lemonade from a soda gun. He stirred the whole lot with a long spoon while fishing glasses from beneath the bar without looking.

“First round’s on me for my favourite ladies,” Miles beamed as he slid the cocktail towards Stacey.

“Aw, thank you Miles, you’re the best,” Stacey said in a saccharine voice, before reaching over, grabbing his t-shirt and pulling him towards her. Miles’s eyes went wide as she kissed him full on the mouth. Stacey made a dramatic ‘mwah’ sound before releasing him, and he staggered back. Ffion rolled her eyes and shrugged at her hi-vis friends who were laughing.

“So, uh, no boyfriends tonight then?” Miles asked, looking around. His gaze passed over Nicole, who hadn’t made it much farther than the doorway. It had been a lot to take in so far. He smiled at her in greeting as though she were a new customer who had just walked in. Then his face adopted that same look of shock from moments before.

Nicole smiled and raised her hand, then immediately felt silly for waving from 20 feet away and started towards them.

Stacey was explaining that her and Ffion’s boyfriends were watching the match, that hers would more than make it up to her later, that he wouldn’t care about her kissing anyone if he didn’t have to put his hand in his pocket to pay for drinks. Besides, what’s a kiss between friends, it was her birthday.

“Oh, and we’ve got better company tonight,” she added as Nicole made it to the bar at last.

Miles continued to stare at her for a moment, and all Nicole could do was stare back. Last time she saw him he had been a kid, or at least that’s how she had thought of him. He had looked like a younger — if ganglier — version of his brother, whom she had dated for the last year of high school. Now, he was a man. Aside from the same brown eyes, he looked nothing like Jason had looked the last time she saw him, which was years ago too for that matter. Miles looked more mature. His body fitted him better. In short, he was hot now. It wasn’t just the pub they stood in that had been transformed.

“Nicole,” Miles finally said, “Jesus.”

“Right first time,” she laughed. “Hi, Miles.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“That makes two of us,” she said, glancing at her friends. “I never thought I’d be back in this place. I can’t believe you work here.”

“Somebody has to,” he replied, spreading his arms to gesture to the room. “What do you think?”

“Did you do all this yourself?”

“Yeah, pretty much, over a couple of years.”

“You’re a miracle worker.”

“He has magic hands,” snorted Stacey, “or so I’ve heard. Mixes a hell of a drink too.” She handed a glass of Pimm’s to Nicole who tried not to down it immediately, despite the strong temptation to drown the butterflies in her stomach.

“All true,” Miles grinned. He held Nicole’s gaze as she sipped her drink. It was the longest eye contact she had ever had with him, and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Miles seemed about to continue the conversation, but instead had to excuse himself to serve another round to the group of suits.

Nicole followed her friends to a round table opposite the bar. Stacey sat with her back to the wall, facing out so she could see everything that was happening. She wanted anyone she knew who came in to be able to wish her happy returns. Nicole and Ffion took up positions either side of her. They clinked glasses and drank. Nicole gave in and chugged most of hers.

“There’s our girl,” said Ffion, throwing back most of her drink as well. “Welcome back, Nic. We missed you. Probably should have mentioned where we were going.”

“No worries. It’s great to see you guys. I’m just glad the seats are clean, or I would rather not be wearing a dress.”

“We always wore dresses or skirts back in the day,” Stacey retorted. “How else were the boys supposed to know they could get to third base?”

Nicole glanced sub-consciously over her shoulder. There was a corridor that led out the back to a patio area, with the toilets on one side and a cleaning cupboard on the other. Back in the bad old days of theBird in Hand, the only things ever in that cupboard were a filthy mop, dusty cobwebs, and teenagers making out.

Nicole laughed. “Well, I’m here for my girls so I might have to skip getting fingered in the cleaning cupboard tonight. I can’t get over how this place looks though. No wonder you never stopped coming here.”

“Oh, we did stop,” said Ffion, “like, right after you left.”

“You, and everyone else who left,” Stacey added. “A lot of the people we knew moved away for one reason or another, and this place was empty, grosser than ever, and no fun at all. So, we found other places to go.”

“So, how did you end up back in here?” Nicole asked.

Stacey and Ffion exchanged looks before nodding towards the bar. Nicole looked over at Miles who was making two businesswomen laugh while he placed twists of lemon peel into pink cocktails in sugar-rimmed glasses. His smile widened when he saw Nicole watching him.

“Miles started working here sometime after we moved on,” Ffion explained. “We joked about coming here for the novelty, but Jason always made a fuss. We saw Miles around a lot more after Jason left, and that brought us back here.”

Miles had not been part of their friend group because he was younger, but even at home — especially at home — he and his brother had not been friends. Whenever Nicole had gone round to spend time with Jason, the brothers had done little more than grunt at each other.

“Have you heard from Jason recently?” Nicole asked. It was meant in the spirit of the conversation. She didn’t dwell on thoughts of her high school boyfriend all that time later. They had split up a couple of weeks before she left. It had been mutual, as far as breakups ever could be. Jason had started the conversation, but Nicole knew it came after months of her talking about how eager she was to leave town and never come back.

“We haven’t spoken to him since he left,” said Ffion, draining her second glass and reaching for the pitcher. “Before that, actually.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you guys had a falling out,” said Nicole.

Stacey tanked her drink and took the jug from Ffion. “Jason had the falling out. He’s a dick.”

“He was always having a dig at someone or something,” Ffion explained calmly as Nicole poured the rest of the cocktail into her glass. “It was funny when we were kids, because we were caught up in it, but he was a bit of a bully, to everyone including us. Then when everyone left, it was just us. It was only ever angry rants and snide comments, but it was all the time. Literally, the first time we suggested maybe he should calm down, he stormed out then refused to speak to us again.”

“Not that we were super upset by that,” Stacey added. “The worst was how he treated his brother.”

Nicole glanced over at Miles, who was now serving beers to a group of lads who had come in while they were talking.

“I know they didn’t really get on,” she said.

“Jason was good around you, you know,” offered Ffion. “What we’re talking about, his attitude, he was never as bad when you were there.”

“So…” Nicole couldn’t quite work out the right question.

“Everything Miles is now: successful, confident, happy…”

“…gorgeous,” Stacey interjected, and Ffion rolled her eyes again.

“Yeah,” was all Nicole could think to say. She understood what she was being told, and it wasn’t really all that surprising after all.

“I’m not drunk enough for this,” Stacey proclaimed, shaking a glass that now contained only a soggy fruit salad.

Ffion offered to get another round in and headed off to the bar. More customers had come in, and Miles was busy serving and chatting. A couple of lads came over with beers in hand to wish Stacey a happy birthday. Nicole was introduced but she didn’t catch their names in return. They talked for a minute before heading out the back towards the patio area behind the pub.

Ffion returned with three fruity-looking yellow and orange cocktails, and a tray full of assorted shots which she divided between them. She and Stacey looked expectantly at Nicole, who suppressed a groan.

“Just tell me there’s no Sambuca,” said Nicole. “I don’t like the taste and will be sick instantly.” Ffion moved two of the colourless shots over to her side and passed Nicole an extra brown one. Nicole raised the shot glass to her friends and downed it. She spluttered as Jägermeister burned the back of her throat, and the others laughed at her. She immediately swigged her cocktail to kill the taste. A tropical flavour like pineapple or mango easily hid the drink’s more sinister ingredients.

Stacey whooped. “Ladies. Let’s get wasted.”

The bar filled up as they drank and talked. Nicole realised how many regulars there were at theBird in Hand as more people stopped by to speak to her friends. A few knew it was Stacey’s birthday and they got through another couple of rounds without having to pay for a drink. Nicole found her mind wandering while her friends’ attentions were occupied by people she didn’t know. She amused herself by watching Miles, busy behind the bar.

A couple of hours after they arrived, Miles was still on top form, effortlessly shaking cocktails and filling glasses and chatting with every customer as he went. He had been joined behind the bar by a girl with purple hair and a rose tattoo on one arm. Stacey had said this was Bea, one of Miles’s schoolfriends, before spending ten minutes ribbing Ffion about her supposed girl crush. Nicole started wondering about their relationship as she watched them dancing around each other behind the bar. They didn’t seem to be as flirty with each other as they were with the customers, but Bea still laughed often at the things Miles was saying.

“Speaking of being fingered in the cleaning cupboard,” Ffion said from across the table, shocking Nicole back into the present moment.

“Were we?”

“Yeah, a little bit ago.”

“What about it? You mean Bea and Miles?”

Ffion gave her a quizzical look, then shook her head as if trying to get rid of the image. “No. God, no. They’re strictly BFF’s. Sure, they look amazing together, but if there was an advert for platonic boy-girl friendships, they’d be on the poster.”

“Oh, ok. So, what was that about being fingered in the cupboard?”

Ffion stared into space as she tried to regain her train of thought. “I was just going to ask what’s going on with you. How’s your love life?”

“Ha. Love life. Who’s got time?” Busy with work was pretty much Nicole’s constant state. Early on, it had beenwork hard, play hard, but recently it had become justwork hard. She was currently up for a promotion, so the plan was work harder now and play harder later. The only guys she spent any time around were those in the office. While a few of them were probably willing to hook up with her in the cleaning cupboard, or the stationery cupboard, she wasn’t quite that desperate just yet.

“When was the last time you got laid?” asked Ffion.

“Do you mean when I last had sex, or the last time someone other than me got me off?”

Ffion blew out a deep breath at the implication that both answers were equally depressing. “You should talk to Miles,” she said.

“What? You think I should go up to the bar and order some casual sex with an orgasm chaser?” It wasn’t a bad idea. She could believe Miles had that sort of request most nights. She wondered how often he served it up.

“You could try that if you want,” Ffion laughed. She waved her empty glass and winked. “Get the drinks in first though. It’s your round.”

The bar wasn’t so busy when Nicole walked up but Miles was at the other end pulling pints.

“Hey, you’re Nicole,” called Bea over the noise of nearby conversation.

“I was when I came in,” Nicole replied. “I’ve had a fair few drinks since then, and I only knew what half of them were, so I could be like 70% alcohol now.”

“You feeling ok? You want a glass of water?”

“I’m good, thanks. If Stacey catches me, she’ll pour an entire bottle of something down my neck with a funnel.”

Bea laughed, “I believe she would do that, yes.”

“Can I get three Southern Comfort and lemonades, but put a ton of ice in mine please?”

Bea grabbed three glasses, filled one to the brim with ice, and added a measure to each. She had the soda gun in hand when Miles walked up.

“Bea, do me a favour. Earl’s asking for his usual and I can’t quite remember what that is. I’ll take over here.”

Bea raised her eyebrows at Miles, then handed him the soda gun, patted him on the arm and shuffled off down the bar.

Miles smiled at Nicole as he topped up the lemonade. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“Yeah, I’m hanging in there, thanks.” She reached for the ice-filled glass, and fished out a cube to suck on, enjoying the brief cooldown.

Stacey appeared suddenly behind her, reaching over to take one of the other glasses. “This my drink? Thanks, Nicky. We’re heading out to the patio. Come out to the patio Nicky.” Nicole managed to hand Ffion the other drink as Stacey dragged her away.

“Party time with Stacey,” Miles chuckled, shaking his head. “Puts fear into the bravest hearts.”

“I’m a little out of practice.” Nicole admitted as she crunched her ice cube.

“How long are you in town for?”

“Just tonight. Getting out of here tomorrow with the hangover I’m brewing is going to suck.”

“I know a couple of places you can hide if you like?”

“Like the cleaning cupboard?”

Miles cocked his head to the side and grinned. “Sure. Though I hasten to point out that these days the cupboard’s primary function is in the name. I do clean this place now, so I do actually store chemicals and cleaning equipment in there”

“Compared to how it used to be, that sounds romantic.”

Miles shrugged. “It is what you make of it, I guess. Geez, Nicole, it is so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Miles. I’m still processing how much you’ve changed. In a good way, I mean.” She cursed her tipsy brain. Liquid courage was all well and good, but liquid smooth-talking would be a handy follow up.

“I had such a crush on you back in the day.” For the first time, Miles lowered his gaze briefly after he said it. Nicole swallowed the last of her ice cube, its effects wearing off as heat filled her cheeks again.

“Wow, I had no idea.” It was true that she hadn’t known, though now she was trying to remember if there had been any signs. She wondered if that was part of the reason younger Miles never looked at her directly when she spoke to him.

He was staring at her intently now. His eyes flitted over her face as though searching for some hidden truth. She suddenly realised that his face was much closer to hers. He had leaned on the bar after putting her drinks down. She lowered her eyes and found herself appraising his body again. Yup, still hot. How long was too long to spend watching the muscles in his arms flexing as he leaned on the bar?

“Right. I wasn’t sure if you knew. I thought maybe my brother would’ve told you to punish me.”

“Punish you?” She frowned at him.

“Yeah. I was like 15, so it was just a crush. There was nothing to it, but you were pretty and nice, and always around. Nobody else would ever have known, but one day I was at the house with my friends playing Truth or Dare or something and I admitted it. Jason overheard and lost his shit. Shouted the place down. Said he’d make me suffer if he caught me so much as looking at you again.”

“Miles, I’m so sorry about that. Genuinely, I didn’t know. Seems there was a lot that other people knew about Jason that I didn’t.”

“He wasn’t like that with you, was he?” Miles asked, and Nicole shook her head.

“I’m glad about that, but it’s just as well he’s not around now. I couldn’t have avoided looking at you tonight. I guess I’m making up for lost time if that’s ok?”

Nicole smiled and shrugged. It wasn’t like she had been able to take her eyes off him either.

“If I’m honest, I think I’ve still got a pretty big crush on you,” he said.

“Does that mean if I kiss you, I can have drinks for free?” she asked, then let out a nervous laugh.

“Oh, absolutely,” he said. “What would you be willing to do if I threw in some snacks as well?” He narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, then added, “sorry, I’m trying to flirt with you, but I should state clearly that I would never ask for any kind of favour as payment, no matter what Stacey may have led you to believe.”

With a sly smile, she grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled until his face was a fraction of an inch away from hers. “I didn’t want free drinks. I was just trying to get you to kiss me.”

Nicole was still smiling as Miles closed the distance and their lips met. He took her hands in his across the bar and she squeezed his fingers as she leaned into the kiss. People up and down the bar cheered and wolf-whistled at them. Someone — possibly Bea — shouted at them to get a room. The kiss broke as they both laughed

“So, cleaning cupboard then?” Nicole suggested.

“For old times’ sake?” Miles laughed.

Nicole fought a memory of Jason that sprang unbidden into her mind. If anything similar had occurred to Miles, she couldn’t see it in his face.

“How about for tonight’s sake?” she offered.

Nicole followed Miles’s gaze as he turned to look around the bar. It wasn’t very busy in that moment. Outside it was still light, so most people had made their way out the back. Bea, who was still handing drinks to a few of the remaining customers, shrugged at them.

Miles turned and plucked a key off a hook over the counter behind him, then walked to the end of the bar near the pool table. He lifted the flap and stepped out. Nicole abandoned her drink and joined him. He offered his hand, and she took it, then he walked her to the corridor.

It was strange to think that if she or any of her friends had ended up in the cleaning cupboard with a boy back in the day, there would have been some elaborate drunken plan to sneak in there while nobody was looking. Now, it was obvious to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention. Ironic, since the preceding event in this case was a single kiss, whereas when they were younger, they would have been unconcerned with who was looking on as they all spent the evening making out in the bar.

Either way, Nicole didn’t much care. The cupboard was just a shorthand for agreeing to take things further. That’s what she wanted, badly. Even if her body was now 70% alcohol, the rest of her was topped up with lust. Just looking at Miles, and the way he stared at her — which he was still doing, even as they crossed the room — was getting her going. The buzz that had hit her the second she downed that first drink, and had continued to grow through the evening, made her whole body tingle from just that one kiss. The warmth spread from her lips to the tips of her fingers wrapped around Miles’s hand, to other places she wanted to be touched by him.

Miles unlocked the door and pocketed the key before pushing it open with his free hand. Nicole stepped quickly inside, and Miles followed. The door clicked shut behind them. The cupboard — actually, a small room about 5 square feet — was dimly lit by the fading sunlight coming in through a small high window. There was a low sink on one wall and a metal cabinet adorned with chemical warning signs against the other. Various mops and brushes and a vacuum cleaner stood about. It was clean and tidy and smelled faintly of chlorine. It felt so much smaller.

“Cosy,” said Nicole when she noticed Miles watching her.

“There’s a better place we can go, if you like,” he offered.

Nicole shook her head. She couldn’t deny the effect of the nostalgia of being in there again. While she didn’t want to consider any actual memories of time spent in the cupboard, the old feelings of excitement and anticipation flooded back to her. She wrapped her arms around Miles’s neck and pulled him back in for a kiss.

Their lips parted this time as they met. A deep passionate kiss. Miles’s hands went to Nicole’s waist, and he walked her back against the wall, the blocks rough against her bare shoulders. She twisted her fingers in Miles’s hair, holding him against her as he explored her mouth with his tongue.

She still wore her bag across her body and his fingers ran up the strap to her chest. He cupped and kneaded one of her breasts. Her dress had narrow straps, so she had braved not wearing a bra, and she gasped into his mouth as his thumb teased her nipple through the fabric. His hand moved round to her back, and he lowered his head to kiss her neck.

“Nicole,” Miles breathed into her neck. She shivered as he whispered her name. Her whole name. Not Nic or Nicky. Her whole name whispered like a prayer. He said it again and a moan escaped her throat as he sucked her earlobe.

The coolness of the wall against her bare shoulders did nothing to dampen the fire burning inside her. Her skin flushed all over and her heart raced. The heat prickled along her arms, her chest, and between her legs. She squirmed under the touch of Miles’s lips and fingers.

Miles lifted her bag over her head and dropped it to the floor, then his hands went back to her breasts. Both her nipples were rock hard. He moved one hand up to clutch the back of her neck as he consumed her mouth once more. His other hand slid down her body until his fingers reached her thigh below the hem of her dress, then moved upwards again. She sighed and adjusted her stance, spreading her legs more in anticipation. When his fingers grazed the inside of her thigh, hers tensed around the back of his neck. It was her turn to gasp his name as he slid his hand into her panties.

He didn’t tease. He immediately spread her labia, letting out an appreciative grunt as he realised how wet she was for him. He gathered up slickness on the tips of his fingers before seeking out her clit. The fire inside her flared as he found his target.

Nicole slumped against the wall, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she fought to steady herself. Miles put out his other arm, bracing himself against the wall, caging her in with his body, leaning forward for better access. Her legs shook as he circled her clit. It wasn’t always so sensitive right away, but Miles’s very presence did something to her, and he had happened across just the right place to touch her. Maybe he did have magic fingers. He kept up the pace without moving as though he had read her mind.

“Jesus, Nicole. You’re so beautiful,” Miles grunted.

Nicole looked at him through lidded eyes. Even now he was studying her face with his intense gaze. She twisted her fingers back into his hair and pulled him in for another kiss. His mouth was hot on hers as he kissed her again and again. She gasped and whimpered. Years ago, in this room, she had learned how to get off quietly, but Miles was touching her in a way that made her want to moan, and cry out, and scream his name.

Their kiss broke as her head lolled against the wall. She gasped, “Miles, please…”

“Tell me what you want,” he whispered. “I’ll give you anything.”

“Put your fingers inside me, please,” she begged.

She felt his hand shift, spreading her lips again. He pressed the heel of his palm against her clit, and as he slid his middle finger inside her he rocked his hand to keep up the motion that had brought her this far. Nicole suppressed a squeal as the pleasure shot through her from two directions. Her insides clenched around his finger. He spread her again, pushing a second finger inside her, curling them against the front wall of her vagina, squeezing his whole hand against her vulva.

Nicole melted into the wall. The fire inside her raged as Miles, with one hand, drove her to unexpected levels of pleasure. She whimpered helplessly, her voice scratching in her throat as she fought not to scream. She released Miles completely, clamping both her hands over her mouth as she came. She bucked and shuddered as the waves of pleasure rolled through her. Miles didn’t let up until she begged him to stop, and then he put both hands on her back and held her to him as he kissed her again.

“Oh. My. God,” she panted, as she struggled to stand under her own power. “I needed that. Almost as much as I wanted it.”

“My pleasure,” Miles replied with a grin.

“It was definitely my pleasure. We can work on your pleasure next.”

Her mind was racing with ideas of things she wanted to do to Miles when they were startled by a loud cheer from the bar. Miles looked to the heavens and groaned. Nicole’s first thought was that she had made too much noise, but the timing seemed off. Then there was a knock.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt boss,” Bea called through the door. “We’ve had a spillage.”

The cheer had come after someone spilled their drink or broke a glass. Standard procedure. Miles grabbed a mop and dustpan and brush and shoved them into a bucket on wheels. He motioned to Nicole to stand out of the way of the door and cracked it open. It was only when he moved to stand awkwardly behind the open door that Nicole became aware of the obvious bulge in the front of his trousers. Bea stood in the doorway with a hand over her eyes and a sheepish grin.

“Everyone ok,” Miles asked as he wheeled the bucket out to her.

“Yeah, fine, just Earl talking with his hands at the bar again, knocked over a pint. You ok in here?”

“Yes. Ongoing,” he said. “Are you coping out there, or do you need a hand?”

I need your hands in here, Nicole thought.

“All under control, boss,” Bea said, with a salute. “Take your time. Honestly, I’m impressed. I thought you would have embarrassed yourself by now.”

“You suck.” Miles grimaced and started to close the door.

“You love it,” she smirked and turned away with her bucket.

He turned back to Nicole with an apologetic look on his face.

“What’s the deal with you two?” she asked with genuine curiosity.

“No deal,” he said, “just good friends since school. She wastes her talents working for me and I let her give me a hard time to make up for the shitty wage.”

“Why did she think you would have embarrassed yourself?”

He tilted his head. “She means, y’know, ‘embarrassed‘ myself.” He did the air quotes. Nicole gave him only a blank stare, so he clarified, “she knows how I felt about you the first time around. She thinks that if I’ve had a crush on you for seven years, I would have come in my pants the second we walked through that door.”

“Oh!” she let out a nervous giggle, her eyes flitting back to his crotch. “Did you?”

“Please don’t be insulted, but no, I didn’t.”

“That’s ok,” she said, walking slowly towards him, “there’s still time.”

She tilted her head up to kiss him again. He cupped her cheek with one hand and caressed her breast with the other. Her hands roamed under his t-shirt, fingers tracing the lines of his toned torso. Keen to see what she was feeling, she pushed his t-shirt up and he let her pull it over his head. In response, he ran his fingers across her shoulders and curled them under the straps of her dress, pulling them down her arms, freeing her breasts. His hands were all over her again, caressing the curves of her breasts, pinching her still-hard nipples.

Miles’s touch was distracting. Nicole had to focus on what she wanted to do to him before he rekindled the fire inside her. She bent to kiss his neck and chest as she ran her hands over his abdomen, then worked to unfasten his belt buckle. Miles kept playing with her breasts, but he was watching her as she unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down over his hips. She wasted no time tugging his boxers down as well before wrapping her hand around his erection.

His cock was smooth and warm in her hand, and Miles murmured as she began stroking him. She ran her thumb over the head, spreading the glistening fluid that leaked from the tip. She moved slowly at first to test her technique, then with Miles making all the right noises, she picked up the pace.

She turned him against the wall where she had been, so she could press against him. The tingles started again as her erect nipples grazed against his chest. She tipped her head up and he bent to kiss her. She sucked his bottom lip between her teeth, running her tongue over it, before moving her tongue into his mouth. His one hand slid into her hair, and the other caressed her neck and shoulder.

As she worked his shaft, she moved her other hand between his legs, cradling and massaging his balls in her palm and teasing his perineum with her fingertips. Miles groaned into her mouth and breathed her name again, and that alone had the power to stoke her fire. The skin prickled on the back of her neck as he stroked it, and she sighed as he tugged at her hair.

His words echoed in her mind. Tell me what you want. I’ll give you anything. She wanted to say the same to him, but she feared what he would ask of her because she knew in that moment, she would give it to him. She lowered her mouth, and a growl escaped his throat as she kissed her way along his jaw.

“I want you inside me again,” she whispered into his neck. “Not your fingers this time.”

Without a word, Miles grabbed her hips and turned her, switching places, and pressing her back against the wall. With one hand, Nicole guided his cock under her dress, pulling her panties aside with her other hand and pressed the tip between her labia, slicking it in her own juices. Miles ran his hand down her thigh and hooked it under the back of her knee, adjusting their positions by lifting her leg over his arm.

“Kiss me,” she murmured, and he leaned in to capture her mouth with his. Tender but insistent.

His cock twitched in her hand, and against her vulva, sending tingles up her arm and through her swollen labia. She guided it down, teasing herself, and positioned the tip at her wet entrance. Miles groaned into her mouth as his fingers gripped the back of her neck. With the barest movement of his hips, she opened for him as he pushed inside her.

They moved gently together as Miles’s cock inched into her. As wet as she was, she could feel herself being stretched out bit by bit in one long slow movement. Her walls squeezed around him, and she flared with desire as he slowly moved out again. The next few strokes were exploratory, each reaching deeper than the last. Each time he pushed in brought a greater pleasure as she opened around him. A delicious ache, like scratching an itch.

Miles gradually found his rhythm, rocking his hips to push up into her. His free hand moved to one breast again, kneading, caressing, and pinching her nipple. Her other breast bounced as his thrusts shook her. Nicole’s arms clung around his neck as she sucked his tongue into her mouth.

Miles picked up the pace and Nicole gave herself over to him. His cock worked deep inside her and his fingers dug into her flesh. She gasped weak cries of desire that were stolen away by his mouth as he kissed her.

Miles shifted his position and let go of the leg he was holding up, allowing her to stand flat on the floor again. Nicole whimpered as he pulled his cock out of her. His hands moved to her hips, and she let him turn her to face the wall. His hands ran up her back and she raised her arms to lean with her palms against the blocks. He pressed himself against her back. His fingers twisted in her hair, and she turned her head as he leaned to kiss her.