Innocent Before, Guilty After

"You know what, Shelia?" Russ asked, interrupting her.

She looked at him quizzically. "No, but I have an idea you're going to tell me," said Sheila with a grin.

"We're taking the night off. We've been working nearly non-stop for six months. We need a break."

"With this storm, it isn't like we can go anywhere, anyway."

"We don't need to. I'm going to light a fire, and we can cook dinner and have some wine and relax. There will be no conversation about business allowed. What do you say?" he asked expectantly.

"It sounds delightful," said a smiling Sheila.

Russ positioned some logs on the andirons in the fireplace, adding some kindling. Within a few minutes, he had a blazing fire going, which threw light and heat into the room. He opened a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass, then settled onto the couch near Sheila.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to romance me, Russ."

"Who says I'm not?" he asked with a wicked grin that made her giggle.

"Emily has been torturing me about you."

"How so?"

"How so? Russ, you're an attractive man who has spent months by my side. I'm practically living here. Do you really think my sister isn't curious if something is going on with us? Who wouldn't be?"

Russ took a sip of his wine and stared at Sheila long enough to make her blush. He decided it was time to stop being a gentleman.

"Are you?" he asked Sheila.

"Am I what?" she replied, trying to dodge the question.

"Are you wondering is something is going on with us?" repeated Russ.

"We haven't done anything."

"That isn't an answer."

Sheila was biting her lip and her breathing had become a bit labored as she stared at Russ. She tried to look away, but he put a finger to her chin and turned her face back toward him.

"Is there something going on with us?" he repeated.

"Yes," Sheila whispered.

Russ put his glass on the end table and brought a hand to her cheek, then drew her in close, gently kissing her lips. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes, then leaned in for another kiss, then another, her lips parting and his tongue slipping past them, dancing with hers. Their kisses became longer, hungrier and bolder. His hands began to touch her, his fingers unbuttoning her blouse and pushing it back off one of her shoulders. Russ broke their kiss and nibbled his way down her neck, lower still, to the edge of her bra. Pulling the strap down over her shoulder, Russ freed one of her breasts, exposing the erect, light colored nipple to him. He gently bit it between his teeth, causing Sheila to take a sharp breath and grab his head in her hands. He used his tongue then, licking, sucking, his hand pinching her other nipple, still held prisoner in the bra.

Sheila was moaning her approval, her hips gyrating slowly as she squeezed her legs together tightly, trying to get some stimulation on her needy cunt. Russ kissed his way down her tummy, opening the button on her slacks on the way down. He slipped onto his knees on the floor, between her spread legs, and pulled her slacks down and off. She lay back on the couch looking down at him, one tit exposed, breathing heavily, her black lace bikini panties the only thing between his full lips and her naked cunt. She prodded him with the heels of her bare feet as if she were spurring a horse. Needing no further encouragement, Russ pulled her panties down and off, tossing them aside. He nuzzled the neatly trimmed sandy blond bush with his nose, breathing in the smell of her before he used his tongue to part her lips.

The taste of her exploded onto his tongue, tangy and pungent. As always, the taste brought out the beast in him, something primal and instinctual. He slowly fucked her with his tongue, licking her insides as he turned his head from side to side, nearly pulling out of her completely each time before thrusting back inside her. Sheila lay back, thrusting her hips and moaning, pinching her nipple with one hand, pulling at his hair with the other. She started to shake violently, months of sexual tension that had slowly built up erupting all at once as an orgasm wracked her body, her screams filling the room, Russ relentless until she pushed him away, able to take no more.

He sat on the floor with her legs draped over her shoulders, watching her as she lay back and looked at the ceiling, catching her breath. After a few minutes, she looked down at him and smiled.

"Wow. Where the hell did you learn to do that?" she joked. "I have never cum like that before in my life."

"It must be the wine," Russ said with a smile. "That was a hundred and sixty bucks a bottle."

"Ah. That must be it," replied Sheila as she sat forward. "Come up here," she beckoned.

Russ rose and sat on the couch next to Sheila. She leaned over and kissed him while moving a hand down and grabbing his stiff cock through his jeans. She unbuttoned him and slid the zipper down as they kissed, then reached a hand down into his briefs, squeezing and stroking him, her fingers finding the head of his cock already dripping and slick. Pushing Russ back, she bent over and swirled her tongue around his cock head, tasting him for the first time. The taste made her hungry for more, and Sheila took him into her mouth. She slowly bobbed her head up and down on his stiff prick, stroking him with her hand and swirling her tongue around the glans. Russ held her hair back as he watched Sheila work on him, the sight exciting him as much as her ministrations. It didn't take long for him to start to thrust his hips in time with her movements, and with a grunt Russ exploded into Sheila's mouth. She didn't stop until she was satisfied she had drained him, finally releasing his cock and kissing it before looking up at Russ with a smile.

Sheila stood and removed the remaining bits of clothing she still wore as Russ watched her.

"I think it's time for bed, don't you?" she asked as she slowly walked toward the archway that led out of the living room.

Russ yanked his pants the rest of the way off, and then followed Sheila into his bedroom, realizing that she had never before been in there. She was already laying on top of his bed, naked, arms and legs outstretched. Russ yanked off his t-shirt and climbed onto the bed between her legs, running his hands up the side of her thighs, her waist, and settled them on her tits. She looked up at him, feeling that his cock was once again hard and was resting on top of her cunt.

"I want you inside me, Russ. Now. Please."

Russ shifted slightly, then guided his cock into Sheila. He leaned back and watched as each inch disappeared inside her, and when he was in to the hilt, he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her tight against him, causing her to grunt. He then leaned forward, laying his body on top of hers, and kissed her as they began to move together, slowly at first. In a flurry of kisses and nips and scratches and grunts and moans they carried on, growing more and more aggressive, an overly sensitized Sheila cumming twice before Russ finally finished, pounding her hard into the bed as he filled her with his cum. Spent, they curled up together and had the best night's sleep that either of them had enjoyed for months.

In the ensuing months, they had repeated the night's activities many times over. It was on a sticky night in May that they were laying together, coming down from the high of another encounter. Russ looked over at Sheila, who was curled up on his shoulder.

"Can I tell you something, Sheila?"

"Do I have a choice, Russ?" said Sheila with an amused grin.

"I have fallen head over heels in love with you. I want to build something here. Something more than just a business."

Sheila sat up in bed and looked down at Russ, a sad smile on her face.

"I've been thinking about us a lot lately, Russ."

"I sure as hell hope so."

"No, you don't. Russ, we just aren't working."

Now Russ sat up as well, staring at Sheila with shock.

"What do you mean we aren't working?"

"You're a joy to work with. You're a ton of fun, and you're a great guy. You are, by far, the best lover I have ever had."

"So..."

"But my heart just isn't into it Russ. God knows I've tried. I've tried, but the friendship and sex just aren't enough. I've been in love before. This isn't it."

Russ let out a huge sigh. "Just like that old Meatloaf song, huh?"

"Kinda," said Sheila with an understanding look. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be, Sheila. "I'd rather you tell me than live an unhappy lie."

"Well, I am anyway," she replied. "I really am sorry." Sheila rose from the bed and grabbed her robe, wrapping it around her. She leaned over and gave Russ a tender kiss. "I guess I should sleep in the other room." She touched a hand to his cheek, then silently walked from the room, leaving Russ alone with his thoughts.

**********

Russ watched Bob Jones from the other side of the conference room table. He had asked Russ to come up to Natick to discuss some important matters. Russ assumed Bob wanted to be bought out, and was prepared for the discussion.

"I've had discussions with a few people about the business, and I've got a pretty good idea of what it's worth," Bob continued. "My best guess puts that number at around a million and a half dollars."

"So you want me to buy you out for seven fifty?" asked Russ.

"No. If you want to buy me out, you'll have to come up with one point five million," Bob replied.

"What? That doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense, Bob. I've always known you to be fair. Why are you trying to screw me?"

"I'm not. There's another player in this, Russ. It seems Dick Ambery wants to merge what's left of his business with this one. He's willing to pay a premium for the business. He'll buy us both out for three million."

"Dick?"

"Yup. Did you know that Sheila is back together with him, Russ?"

"Yeah. I heard. She walked away from her stake in the business without asking for a thing. Dick asked her to come back, and she didn't hesitate for a second. I guess she never stopped loving that man," reflected Russ.

"Love is strange, Russell. That's why you never shit where you eat, son. You best remember that."

"I reckon so," said Russ.

"So what do you say, Russell?"

"I guess we should sell, then."

"One other thing. Dick wants a non-compete clause from you. For the next ten years, you can't compete with him on the east side of the Mississippi."

Russ paused for a moment, frowning. "Make the deal," he said.

Bob stood and offered a hand to Russ, who grabbed it and shook on the deal.

"You take care of yourself, son."

"Thanks, Bob," said Russ as he left the conference room.

**********

Russ took one last walk around the empty house, pausing to look out the bay window in the living room that looked out at the water. The sun was sparkling on the small waves and a few sailboats dotted his view. He was going to miss this place.

A short while later, Russ was on a plane, rising off the runway at JFK and headed south over the ocean. He glanced out the window to his left, looking down at the island, watching the Atlantic Ocean lap at the shore. He loved Long Island, from the Queens line all the way to the Montauk lighthouse at the easternmost tip, from the rocky north shore to the sandy ocean beaches of the south, he loved it. All of it. The plane banked to the west, and the setting sun painted the few clouds in the sky a fiery orange-red color. They were beautiful, Russ thought to himself. The sense of sadness he felt was slipping away as each mile passed behind him. Heading west, as so many had before him, he began to find himself full of hope. And hope, just as much as air, food, water, and shelter, was among the most basic of human needs.