After the Fall Ch. 01

He pulled back and plunged in again through her spasming muscles. She moaned and quivered, and the last of his control snapped. He braced his arms beside her shoulders and began driving into her pussy. Her breasts bounced with every thrust. He pounded into her until he had to stop to breathe. He ground his pelvis against her clit, instantly setting off a spasm that made her hips arch and her pussy twitch around him.

He resumed stroking into her at a more measured pace, letting her spasms and twitches work his cock. He built speed slowly, and the steady friction was working her up to a crescendo. At the top of each stroke, her hips jerked upward and her muscles seized around him. He kept fucking her until her breathing was ragged and her inner muscles were locked around his cock in spasms so strong that even as wet as she was, it was becoming difficult to move inside her. With the last of his stamina, he slammed into her pussy and came with a groan.

He slumped forward, careful to keep his weight off Mariah. When he could move again, he climbed up beside her. The thought of leaving her wrists tied was tempting, but he untied them and kissed the inside of each wrist. He turned her toward him and gathered her against his chest. She sighed as he stroked her hair and he listened to the little satisfied sounds she made. Exhausted and sated, they drifted off to sleep.

Mariah was only asleep for moments before her eyes snapped open again. She couldn't fall asleep in Michael's room. Under no circumstances would she leave Henry, Julia and Duncan alone on their first night here. Michael's arm was draped over her. She tried to slip out from under his arm without waking him. She gathered her clothes quietly and was heading toward the door when Michael woke up.

"Where are you going, kitten?"

"I've got to get back to Henry."

Michael jumped out of bed and strode over to her, looking dangerous. "Did you just say you have to get back to Henry?"

She nodded. "I can't leave him by himself all night."

He felt rage and pain building in his chest. "Who the hell is Henry, and why am I just now hearing about him?"

She stepped back from him in alarm. "You know about Henry. You promised I could have him here."

Michael looked at her like she'd lost her mind. She was genuinely frightened now. She couldn't let him get to Henry, and she didn't know what to do. She dashed toward the door, hoping to barricade herself in her room where she could try to protect Henry. He caught her. It was like trying to hold onto a wildcat. She kicked and clawed and twisted to get away. She had little chance of getting away from him, but he was afraid she would hurt herself. He managed to get his back against the door and let her go.

She ran to the window and unlocked it before she realized it wouldn't do her any good to get out of the house, even if she could climb down to the ground. She had to get to Henry, so she moved back to the door. If Michael opened it, she would try to run past him. When he didn't move, she yelled at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Michael? You know damned well I only came here under the condition that my pets came with me, and that they would be TREATED KINDLY!"

He looked at her in bewilderment. "What's that got to do with anything?"

She realized what was going on and threw up her hands in exasperation. "Henry is my dog, Michael."

The look on Michael's face was priceless. After a moment of sheepishness, he shook his head and started laughing. Mariah was not even mildly amused. He sat down on a love seat in his sitting area and gestured for Mariah. "Come here, kitten."

Mariah wasn't having it. "No," she snapped. She hadn't decided whether it was best to stay in Michael's room where she could stay between him and the door to keep an eye on him or go to her own room and lock him out. She was leaning toward locking him out.

"I'm sorry. Please come here. Give me a chance to talk to you. I promise you don't need to worry."

Her adrenaline was wearing off and she started shaking. She just wanted this to be over with. Michael came to her and led her to the love seat. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. He tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her face. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

She didn't answer. All she wanted was to be safe in her own house with Henry and Julia and Duncan safe and happy cuddled around her and Mister Barnaby and Quincy comfortable and secure on their shelf in her own bedroom. She could picture it in her mind. She would light a few candles in the fireplace, and they would curl up on the couch and listen to leaves rustle outside the windows. She swallowed hard around the aching lump in her throat and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't afford to think of things like that.

"Mariah," Michael tried to get her attention. "I don't know what came over me. I'm not used to being jealous, but I do feel jealous when it comes to you, and I didn't deal with it well at all. I'm sorry I scared you --"

"I'm not scared of you!" Mariah interrupted indignantly.

Michael picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. Her fingers were still trembling. "I promise I would never hurt Henry. I'm sorry I acted that way. Can you forgive me?"

Mariah wished he hadn't asked her to forgive him. She was tired and completely overwhelmed. It would be so much easier to forgive him so this could be over. Maybe this once, there wouldn't be any harm in doing the easy thing.

"Okay. I forgive you."

He hugged her to him, and she felt a sense of relief. The incident was over and things could go back to what passed for normal in this household. Michael was relieved, too. He hadn't known what to do when she went wild like that. He was embarrassed by his behavior and appalled that he had scared her. And, of course he felt like a complete idiot. It was beyond ridiculous. He knew she thought so, too.

He kissed her cheek. "Thank you, sweetheart. Now, do you suppose you could introduce me to my rival?" That got a smile out of her.

"Only if you promise to be a gentleman," she admonished.

Michael pulled a dressing gown off a hook and handed it to her, then found a bathrobe in the bathroom for himself. Michael followed her next door to her bedroom. As soon as the door opened, a dog jumped off the bed and came bouncing over. His wiry fur was a mixture of tan and black. He looked a bit like a much larger, seedier version of Benji. He jumped up and put his paws on Mariah's shoulders for his hug.

"This is Henry." Henry looked over at Michael. "Go say hi," Mariah told Henry. He whined at her.

"He's just holding out for his kiss." She kissed the top of his head and he dropped to all fours and trotted over to Michael.

Michael leaned down to pet him. He felt it was important to make a good first impression with Henry, but he didn't have much experience with dogs. His father had never allowed them in the compound. Henry didn't wait for him to figure it out. Without hesitation, he gave Michael a big, wet kiss. Mariah giggled. "I'm sorry. I should have warned you. He likes to slurp faces."

Michael wasn't wild about the dog slobber, but he was pleased that Henry seemed to approve of him. He was looking forward to getting to know him. It might be nice to have a dog around the house. "Does he play fetch?" he asked Mariah.

"Sort of. He's not interested in sticks, but if you throw a toy or a pinecone for him, he'll chase after it. He'll usually bring it back a few of times, but eventually, he just wants you to chase him for it."

Hel was still petting Henry when a large black and white cat with tuxedo markings came up and started rubbing against his legs. "This is Duncan," Mariah told him. "He's a good boy most of the time, but he can be a brat."

"Does he want me to pet him?"

"He not only wants you to pet him; he expects it. It's polite to let a cat sniff your finger before you pet him, though. He likes it if you pet him in smooth strokes from his shoulders to the tip of his tail." Michael obliged and Duncan purred loudly.

"Julia is over on the window seat. She's a bit elderly and a little prim, so it's probably better to let her get to know you on her own terms." Julia was a small cat with Siamese markings, but was softer and rounder than a full Siamese.

Michael looked around. "Is there anyone else?"

"Mister Barnaby is in this cage here." Mariah showed him. "He's a field mouse. I found him in a mouse trap when I was snooping around the power plant. He has nerve damage from where the trap damaged his spine. He can't use one of his back legs, so he wouldn't be able to survive on his own. He's asleep right now. He sleeps a lot. The best times to see Mr. Barnaby are around dusk and his dinner time."

She took Quincy's terrarium down from the shelf and showed Michael. "This is Quincy." He didn't see anything. She pointed him out. "Quincy's a cricket. He lost his back leg, so he can't jump around. The moss and bark in the terrarium are easy for him to hold on to so that he can walk around on his other legs without falling over."

"How'd you end up with a one-legged cricket?"

"I just found him on the sidewalk one day."

"Why did you name him Quincy?"

"Look at his little face." Michael looked closer. He hadn't thought about crickets having faces before, but he could see little eyes below Quincy's antennae, and little mandibles at the bottom of his face.

"Don't you think he looks like a Quincy?"

Michael shrugged. "If you say so."

Mariah tried to hide a yawn. Michael realized it was late and she'd had a long day. "Let's go back to bed."

"I need to sleep in here with them. This is their first night in a new place. It's important for me to be with them."

"I understand," Michael patted Henry's head. "You win this round, sir."

Before he left, he pulled her to him and kissed her softly. "Sweet dreams, Mariah."

"Goodnight, Michael."

Mariah was exhausted, but she wanted to clean up before she climbed into bed. She pinned up her hair so she could keep it out of the stream of water. In the shower, she soaped up quickly. She washed her nipples gingerly and avoided letting the water hit them directly. They would be sore for a while. She ached between her legs, too -- not just her tender clit, but her whole pussy. She was annoyed with herself when she realized she was getting wet again from remembering how she got so sore.

After she dried off and let her hair down, she rummaged through the drawers in the closet until she found some pajamas. She normally slept naked, but she would feel less vulnerable in pajamas. Most of what she found fell into the negligee category. What she really wanted was a pair of leggings and a giant sweatshirt, but she did find a cotton shirt and shorts set. It probably qualified for Michael's selection criteria because the shorts barely covered her butt and the shirt was a crop top. She planned to swipe some tee shirts from him at the earliest opportunity. They would be long enough for her to use as nightshirts.

She threw back the comforter and slipped between the sheets. They were luxurious, and the pillows were so soft. It all felt so comfortable that it was easy to snuggle into the bed and let her mind drift. Henry jumped up on the bed and settled next to her. Julia came running and took up her spot above Mariah's head. Duncan showed up a minute later and laid on top of Henry. Henry growled at him half-heartedly and Duncan ignored him, like always. It was their nightly routine.

Mariah was glad Michael hadn't suggested sleeping in her bed, but she wondered why he hadn't. Perhaps he just didn't think of it. She would like to think he was respecting her privacy, but that seemed highly unlikely. He clearly had some boundary issues. She wasn't comfortable with the intimate turn things had taken. She knew sex and companionship were part of the deal, but he was interacting with her as though there was an emotional component. She had expected more of a friends-with-benefits relationship.

Perhaps her own emotions were making her read too much into it. She found herself liking him entirely too much, but there was no point worrying about it tonight when she couldn't think straight anyway. She turned out the light on the nightstand and snuggled into the bed. She was asleep in less than a minute.

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Chapter Two is written and will be submitted after editing. I would welcome your constructive feedback. There is room to make adjustments as the story goes forward. Please let me know what worked for you, what didn't, and what you'd like to hear more about. I'd also welcome style notes. If something annoys or confuses you, let me know. Your feedback will guide future submissions. I would really appreciate it if you vote for this story. It's the only way I'll know whether there is a demand for more.

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