The Education of Donovan Read Free

all his might. The cushion of her ass bounced him away only to welcome him back as she ground, slammed, retreated, and repeated until she had drained every last drop from him.
    Damn! This was a whole other world Donovan had never been privy to. The guilt he’d fully anticipated didn’t rush forth as he’d assumed it might after all was said and done. Not while Cha’Relle gently removed the condom, going into the bathroom and returning with a towel to gently wipe him clean. Not even when she placed a light kiss on his lips and gave him the sweetest, sad smile.
    “I guess you better go,” she whispered, running a manicured hand down his chest.
    Just a simple touch, but his ass clenched, every nerve suddenly alive and aching for her touch. This was no love connection; he wasn’t that naïve. However, there was something here, something that was decidedly absent in his own apartment. The thought of going home left him... Well, he felt nothing. No guilt, no sorrow—just not looking forward to it in general. He liked Mary, he realized, but love? His life was comfortable. Now, perhaps, he wasn’t looking for comfort. Maybe he wanted the hot and wild, not just the mellow and familiar.
    Either way, he had crossed a line, and he was going to have to tell Mary. That was something he did dread. Coming into Cha’Relle’s apartment had been a betrayal, but still he could not regret it.
    “I...” What could he say? He didn’t love her any more than she loved him. That was crazy. But he had enjoyed every second. Still, saying, “Hey, great fuck,” wasn’t exactly tasteful, was it?
    “You don’t have to say anything,” she saved him by interjecting. “It was a hell of a good time. I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t welcome you back. Even though... Well, you can come back any time.”
    No playing like things weren’t the way they were, no histrionics, just a straight acknowledgement of a good time and an invitation back. If only someone had told him women like this existed, his life might have been a hell of a lot different.
    “Thanks.”

 
The Revelation
     
     
    Leaving was hard. Cha’Relle didn’t get dressed other than to throw on a T-shirt that was long enough to almost cover her ass, but so tight it clung to her curves. Getting dressed took Donovan a hell of a lot longer than stripping had. Hell, he only vaguely remembered tearing off his clothes. While she lounged on the bed, his eyes returned to her over and over, like she was some kind of human magnet. All kinds of erotic thoughts rushed around in his head, colliding with one another before settling into a cohesive fantasy. How he’d love to pull a comfy chair to the edge of the bed and watch her play. Legs spread, bare and glistening, red-tipped nails running over mocha skin. Watching as she pinched and twisted those blackberry nipples. By the time he was fully clothed, he was rock hard again, throbbing with the need to take her again.
    He had to go. With one lingering kiss he was gone, too afraid to look back. There was only so much temptation a man could take. Any more lingering, and leaving wouldn’t be an option.
    Walking the few feet to his apartment door was more like a stroll toward an execution chamber. Dread crawled up his back, snaked around his chest, and clutched his heart with icy claws. Clutching his keys in hand, he unlocked and opened the front door as if he were sneaking in. In a way he was, though that made no sense. Mary was undoubtedly home; she hated going about the city without him. Hell, she hated the city. Sneaking in would do him no good.
    Only Mary wasn’t in the front room when he finally stepped through the door. Nor was she in the kitchen. Having grown up on a farm, Mary was an early riser, always finding things to do to keep her busy throughout the day. It made him feel shitty coming home to a spotless apartment day after day, a fresh-cooked meal, and a wife who rarely smiled anymore. A couple of times he’d suggested she