Good morning! Time to start the week off right with a great story from Mechele Armstrong...

The Bracelet

Ellis sauntered out of his building, mastering the sliding glass doors for once through the jumble of people. He marched down the long granite steps away from his cage-like cubicle, heading for his one respite during his over long workday, his one sanctuary. 

Donnalson Office Park had employed the model that natural settings were conducive to a good work environment and had placed a manmade lake throughout the complex with green hills, grass and trees surrounding it. A walking path took one along the lake’s various locations. Benches graced the path at regular intervals. 

Ellis liked to walk to a particularly secluded point on the path and eat his lunch. He’d been surprised so few people took advantage of beautiful days to eat lunch outside in the manicured grounds, especially as the hot summer had cooled off considerably as it neared its end. But it worked to his advantage. His bench was always available. He’d never arrived to find it taken by someone else.

He liked order. Sameness. Hated chaos theories and unpredictability. Perhaps that was why his chosen profession was computers. In the always regular ones and zeroes that ran them, he found a sense of calm. A sense of peace.

Odd though that he liked nature and to get out of the stuffy building at lunchtime. He always worked through dinner and into the night.

The last thing nature was, was predictable. It was rumored nature was a woman. So that made sense. Ellis had little experience with the fairer sex and found them to be a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. He never knew how to approach them, so found staying away from them his best bet.

He clutched his lunch bag tightly in his hand. It contained his usual white bread with turkey, lettuce and mayo, a box of jumbo raisins, an extra slice of bread, and a napkin. Always the same. His long fingers splayed across the top of his diet soda.

Arriving at his bench, he went to sit down, and then noticed the glimmer in the half-blocked sunshine. A bracelet rested on the smooth gray concrete of his bench. He frowned, looking at it glisten. The trees above him whispered in the warm wind, branches creaking.

He lifted his head, looking left and right. No one. 

His eyes shifted back down to take in the light blue stones bound together along with silver metal. The whole thing glowed. 

Ellis slowly lowered his hand to nab the bracelet.

A jolt went through his fingers.

A wisp of a girl with hair so light it almost seemed white smiled at him, eyes the color of a cloudless sky.

He jerked back. Impossible. Bracelets couldn’t shock. Or give visions.

Beautiful. She’d been lovely. Not the kind of girl who ever paid attention to him. Looked like a girl who could be from those Internet porn sites. Only with clothes. 

His fingers reached out again to pick the thing up. Again, it felt like electricity hummed from the bracelet against his skin.

Wrapping his fingers around it, he stared into the scattering of multi-faceted stones.

She sashayed to him, her smile lighting up her face. Breathtaking. “You found it. You found my bracelet. Thank you so much. I thought I’d lost it, and after I’d just bought it.”

He looked down at the shimmery jewelry in his hand and back to the woman. The stones matched her eyes, which glowed as the bracelet seemed to. She brushed fine blond hair back from her face, which had been pulled forward by the breeze. He swallowed noisily. Desire hummed along his veins. “Oh, you’re welcome. It was laying here when I got here.” It came out with a nonchalance he didn’t feel.

She came closer, smelling like jasmine and something sweeter he couldn’t name. She leaned down to kiss his cheek. It branded him with heat. “My hero.”

Ellis dropped the bracelet onto the ground. “What was that?” He looked all around him as he had before. No one was around. But the woman had been so real. Even her scent still lingered. His cheek burned from the simple kiss. 

He looked down at the bracelet lying on the ground. Would it happen again? Did he want it to? He grasped it in his fingers, picking it up.

She giggled, leaning into his body. “Do you bring the same thing for lunch everyday?”

He blinked, looking down at the lunch he’d packed himself that morning. “I guess I do.”

She shook her head, hair flying. “You’ve had the same lunch every day we’ve eaten together. You should do something different every once and a while. Here, taste mine.” She pulled off a piece of her sandwich, offering it to him.

“What kind is it?” He eyed the bite dubiously. 

“Peanut butter and jelly. You aren’t allergic, are you?”

“No.” He reached out to take it, and she pulled it back out of his reach. A red leaf fell just behind her head. Caught on the crisp autumn wind, it parachuted to the ground.

“Ah ah. Open your mouth.”

With his heart pounding, he opened. She popped the piece inside, and then ran her fingers idly over his jaw as he chewed. Peanut butter and some sort of sweet jelly. The skimming touch made him tremble. Made his hard cock twitch under the rough khakis he wore. “You have a nice face.”

“Do I?” His voice sounded hoarse, strained. A squirrel barreled along the ground to an almost bare tree, crunching in the fallen leaves.

“You do.” She lifted her face to slide her lips under his. “That should have kissed me first.” She cocked her head to the side looking up at him.

“I’m sorry…” He’d had so little dealings with women. They’d had lunch four times together now. Should he have kissed her before now?

“Don’t be sorry. Just do it again.” Her lips opened under his, letting him kiss deeply. He tasted peanut butter and sweetness not from the jelly. Purely from her, her taste. His tongue delved in to dance shyly with hers. 

Without breaking the kiss, she slid up onto his lap. Her breasts brushed his chest. The bulge of his erection bumped her rear. She wiggled against it, causing him to moan.

She wrapped her arms around him as they kissed, before finally coming up to breath, panting softly. “You do more than computer work.”

“Huh?” He looked into those bright aqua eyes that matched her bracelet, which jingled on her arm. Her body so close to his made him want to be closer. He placed a hand on a rounded hip. They fit perfectly together.

“You have muscles. I can feel them.”

“Oh.” He nodded. “I work out.” One thing like his lunches he made time for around all the hours he spent in his chair at his computer. That had never mattered to any girls before. He’d always had them though they hid under loose clothing. She shifted forward, and he claimed her mouth again. She rubbed against him until he thought he’d go mad from not being inside her, from being too clothed. 

His hand snaked down and tentatively touched the mound of her breast, covering it. He waited for any reaction to tell him to stop, but it never came. Instead, she arched herself into his hand. Her nipple grew taut under her shirt as he played. She slowly unbuttoned her long sleeve shirt, sliding it over her arms.

His breath whooshed out in a long rush. She wore a white satin and lace bra. Her skin of alabaster was flawless from her slender neck column, so like a swan’s, to the edge of her pleated skirt. “Someone might see,” he gurgled out. “And it’s getting chilly.”

“No one comes here.” Both of his hands drifted up in spite of his words. Before he reached her breasts, she undid the clasp to her bra. Shrugged it off. “Now.” She tugged his hands up, which had stopped. Frozen. And hot, all at the same time. Her breasts were plump. Looked like they’d been made for his hands. And they were. A perfect fit. Felt so good under them. And her nipples, rosy and large, jutted out, teasing his palms. His thumb brushed against one, and she trembled.

He stroked more before lowering his head to draw one into his mouth. She made a keening cry. His tongue flicked back and forth over the enclosed nipple. She ground herself against his erection, driving him nuts with it trapped there between them…

Honk

The honking goose standing in front of him startled him, making him drop the bracelet beside him. Bathsheba glared at him. Opened her mouth and let out a loud hiss.

“Hush.” He shook off the stupor. He fed this goose every day. He hadn’t even noticed her approach. His eyes kept darting to the bracelet. It all felt so real. Even the ache in his cock. Taking the extra slice of bread, he quickly fed it to the impatient bird, wolfing down and barely tasting his turkey.

With one final fuss, she toddled off, after making sure he had nothing else to feed her. The goose that always accompanied her waited at the water’s edge. Ellis thought the other one was probably her mate. He was much more aloof than the one he called Bathsheba.

Now that he’d had time to think while eating his sandwich, he was more confused than ever. He tapped his foot, keeping his eye on the jewelry as though it might bite him. This couldn’t be happening. These snips of daydreams had to be a fluke. It wasn’t logical. The thing was a piece of metal, string, and imitation gemstones. The visions couldn’t be real.

So touch it again.

The waves lapping and the fluttering of the leaves all seemed to urge him to pick it up again and prove that it didn’t cause hallucinations.

Ellis reached out his hand, feeling the usual zap of energy. Held the bracelet tightly. He thought of cauliflowers and broccoli. Brussels sprouts and Brussels. Anything but the girl who inhabited the space in his head already, but who he’d never seen before.

“So you don’t like broccoli? What other vegetables don’t you like?” the girl asked, sipping her thermos of chicken soup.

“Asparagus.”

“Oh, you are missing out, El.”

They’d been meeting for lunch for months now. She called him El. At first, he’d not known how to take it. But it fell from her lips so sweetly, he’d grown to like it. “I don’t think so. They look too much like trees.”

Her tinkling laugh made him smile. No one laughed like her. Like a warbling bird trilling. “How’s the roast beef?”

He nodded to show her it was good.

They’d finished up their lunch before he grabbed her. Pulled her against him, kissing her deeply. She clung to him, her knees tumbling in reaction to the depth of the passion that flared. The little moaning noises she made undid him. 

Who’d have thought they’d spent all night making love? That he’d woken with a boner and slid into her waking body. No one would with as much as he wanted her right now. Again. The way he always wanted her. He rubbed his hard cock against her middle.

“El…” She pulled back from him, slipping out of his grasp.

“What?” The loss of contact chafed him. He wanted her against him. Couldn’t wait to get home and take her again.

Reaching down to the hem of her sweater, she yanked it off. “Take off your clothes.”

He’d stripped down to his briefs before logic returned. Maybe some blood had reached his brain rather than parts below. “What if someone sees us?”

“They won’t. The buildings can’t see here even with the trees having no leaves. And no one walks out here. Especially now that it’s wintertime.” Standing naked before him, at the water’s edge, she stuck a toe in the water. Wincing, she quickly pulled it out. Her curves lit his blood as they always did. Made him salivate. Walking back, breasts jiggling, she laid her bracelet safely on top of her clothes.

He slid off his last article of clothing. Glancing down at him, at the erection he always sported in her presence, she licked her lips. The motion made his whole body tremble.

“Let’s go skinny dipping today.”

His mouth opened wide. “It’s winter!”

“So. It’s a warm day for wintertime.” And into the water she dashed, letting out a yelp. “Think of how much fun you’ll have warming me up.”

He followed her, as he always did. Muck swished between his toes. Probably…he didn’t want to think about what it was. He captured her before they got knee deep, slinging her over his shoulder and marching back up the bank. He thought he’d take her home after this. They could wash up in the shower. Hunker down in front of the fireplace. Nothing in his cubicle couldn’t wait until Monday.

“I wanted to go in further.” She pouted up at him.

“You can let me go in you.” He lowered himself to her, rubbing his body against hers to take off the chill in the air.

“Always.” She wrapped her arms and legs around him. 

She’d become his sanctuary. His peace. His love.

They hadn’t said the words. Not yet. He’d been too afraid to say them out loud. 

He kissed the smooth skin, laving his tongue over it, enjoying the taste of her, pausing to nibble and plant love bites all over her torso.

“El…” She groaned his name. 

His fingers slid under her pubic hair to delve into her sweet center. To play in the wetness. He found the bud of her clit, stroked it bringing it out. Then, lowered his mouth to it, taking it inside to suckle the swollen flesh. 

His other hand found her channel, his fingers slid in and out. First one, then two. He let her clit slip out of his mouth. His tongue darted out to tag it. One quick flick after another. Then sucked it inside again. All the while his fingers didn’t stop from driving up into her. When he added the third finger and made the fourth pass along her clit, she arched her hips up even more and came on a cry. 

His name. 

The most beautiful words from her lips. 

“I love you.” Her breath rose and fell with the words. His chest tightened. Now his name was the second most beautiful thing from her lips.

He joined with her in a flash of need. Had to be inside. Couldn’t speak to verbalize the things so deep inside of him. He buried himself deeply within her. Needed the joining. She pushed at him and rolled him over, taking control. 

She sat astride him, beaming down at him with the smile of an angel. His. She was his. Shifting herself up, she dropped down on him again, her walls tightening on his cock. He knew he wouldn’t last long and three strokes later, he poured his release into her.

She collapsed on top of him. Sweat cooling them quickly in the air. 

“I love you,” he whispered.

She scattered away before his eyes. 

Ellis’s breathing was labored, like he’d run uphill. His cock ached, hard and wanting. And she was gone.

“No.” He still had the bracelet in his hand. Putting it down, he snatched it back up. Nothing. Not even a jolt from it. “No. I want it back.” Still no electric jangle. No vision. “Dammit.”

“Oh my God!” A lilting voice yelped from a few feet away.

Her.

She stood at the place where the path broke off around the lake. “You found it. You found my bracelet. Thank you so much. I thought I’d lost it and after I’d just bought it.” Her smile was so big. So wonderful to see again. Or maybe for the first time. Who knew? All he knew was that seeing her was the most important thing to happen to him.

“Oh, you’re welcome.” Ellis shook his head to clear it. She reached out delicate hands for the bracelet. And he slid it on her slim wrist. “It was laying here when I got here.”

She sidled closer, kissing him on the cheek. “My hero.” The light touch made him shiver, searing him. Branding him. As hers. “Are you OK? You look pale?” She looked down at him a bit worriedly.

“I’m fine.”

She stood in silence a minute, and then turned to leave.

No. She couldn’t leave. He wouldn’t let her. He summoned courage. He’d been shot down so often with women. But surely she wouldn’t. No, she wouldn’t. She was his. Taking a deep breath, he plunged ahead, his heart beating a quick rhythm in his chest. “Wait. Would you have lunch with me? What’s your name?”

Her smile was immediate. “I’d like that. My name is Lenora.” She turned and sat beside him on the bench. “I’m so glad you asked.”

“Me too.” He stroked her hand with a finger. “Me too.”