First Time for Everything

By Diane

Category: M&M, AU

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: Nope, I don’t own a thing

Summary: Maria’s relationship with her brother’s best friend changes...

Author's Note: Thanks to the girls at RCWW for all your help and support. :D     

 

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Chapter 1

 

It was Friday night and Michael Guerin was getting ready to meet up with some of his friends. He had just arrived back home in Roswell that afternoon after being away at college in New York . He cussed at hearing the sudden knock on his door and quickly rinsing himself off, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel before stepping out of the shower and wrapping it around his waist.

 

“Hang on, I’m coming.” He called out as the person on the other side of the door knocked again. Opening the door he was more than a little surprised at who was standing in front of him. “Maria? Uh....hi. What are you doing here?”

 

Maria Deluca couldn’t take her eyes off the vision in front of her and she stood there open-mouthed as she stared at the water droplets glistening on his skin. She had a sudden urge to move closer and capture them with her tongue.

 

“Maria, are you okay? Is anything wrong?” He asked genuinely concerned. The young girl in front of him was someone he had known for years and considered a sister.

 

“Uh....what?” Giving herself a mental shake, she gave him a crooked smile and said, “No, no everything’s fine. I’m sorry I spazzed out on you there Michael. Could I come inside for a minute?” she asked a little shyly.

 

“Sure, come on in.” He held the door open wider so she could enter.

 

Michael’s “apartment” was basically the Evans’ large garage. They had taken him in when he was 15 years old after his foster father had beaten him to within an inch of his life. Philip and Diane Evans had known Michael for some time as their children’s friend and had no hesitation in taking him into their home but they knew what the young boy was like about accepting help. They were already in the process of converting their garage into a room that Max and Isabel could share as a type of den but neither their son nor daughter objected when they decided to convert the room into an apartment for Michael. The room was large and airy and provided Michael with a bedroom, a bathroom and an area where he could entertain friends. He accepted their offer but as soon as he did he got himself a job as a cook at the Crashdown, a local diner, so that he could pay his way.

 

“Make yourself comfy while I go and get dressed,” he told her before heading towards his bedroom which was situated behind some screens.

 

Maria smiled at his retreating form and took a seat on the couch. It had been a while since she had last been here but nothing had really changed. He still had his Metallica posters on the wall and his motorcycle magazines scattered all over the couch and coffee table. Leaning back she closed her eyes as she worked up the courage to ask him the question she had come over to ask. She had deliberately waited until her overprotective step-brother, Kyle, was out of town with his girlfriend for a few days. He’d kill her if he knew what she was planning.

 

Walking out from behind the screen Michael was about to say something when he saw Maria leaning back on his couch with her eyes closed and he took the opportunity to look at her. He hadn’t seen her for months and she had changed quite a bit from the young tomboy he and Kyle had often hung out with. During high school his best friend had often insisted on having Maria with them so he could keep an eye on her and protect her from guys their age and younger. They had noticed that her name was starting to appear on the boys bathroom walls and this made Kyle ever more protective of her. He knew only too well what guys their age were like being such a horndog himself.

 

Maria could feel his eyes on her and she slowly opened them and smiled at him. Taking in his semi-smart appearance she asked, “Hey, you look nice, are you on your way out? Oh god you are. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come round tonight. I know it’s your first night back and all but I really wanted to see you and...”

 

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Woah! You haven’t changed a bit with your babbling have you?” he said chuckling. “I am on my way out but I’ve got some time to spare so it’s fine. It’s always great seeing my little surrogate sister. What did you want to see me about?” He walked towards her and took a seat on the couch beside her.

 

She groaned at the sister comment and decided not to ask him her question. “Uh...it’s...er...it’s nothing. I just wanted to come by and say hi. It seems like forever since we last saw each other, you know.”

 

Michael saw the blush colouring her cheeks and looked at her curiously. “Come on Maria, I know when you’re lying so you might as well drop it. Just say what you came over to say. I promise not to say a word until you’re done if that helps.”

 

Thinking about it for a moment she nodded before getting up from the couch and starting to pace up and down in front of him. “Okay, but don’t look at me when I’m asking you this. It’s just....it’s kinda embarrassing and I know you’re going to freak when I ask but.....”

 

“You’re starting to get me worried here so just ask me. Please. Or do I need to give Kyle a call?”

 

“NO! Please, you can’t call him. He’ll absolutely freak if he finds out about this and....oh god I...I’m just gonna go okay. Just forget I was here Michael.” She told him before turning away and heading towards the door. Just as her hand touched the lever to open the door his hand covered hers, stilling her movements.

 

“There’s no way you’re leaving here until you’ve told me what’s going on. Never mind freaking Kyle out you’re starting to freak me out.” Taking her hand firmly in his he led her over to the couch and gently pushed her down. Crouching in front of her he cupped her cheek with his palm and tilted her face up so he was looking into hers. “I promise that what you tell me won’t leave this apartment. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” she whispered. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes before saying the words that came as a bolt out of the blue to Michael’s ears. “I....I want you to....erm....teach me about sex.”

 

 

Chapter 2

 

A moment or two had passed and Maria slowly opened her eyes and looked into Michael’s. He seemed frozen to the spot and his eyes although looking into hers seemed vacant and unseeing. His hand was still cupping her cheek and she covered it with one of her own hands. “Michael? Dammit, I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”

 

Blinking a few times Maria’s face came back into focus and before he knew it he was laughing. “Okay you got me. Whose idea was this, huh? Yours or Kyle’s? I can’t believe he’d use you to stun me like that.”

 

Her eyes filled with tears at his laughter and she quickly removed his hand from her face before practically jumping up off the couch. “Thanks Michael, thanks for making me feel like an idiot. I’m sorry I ever came to you with this.”

 

Sobering up quickly at her reaction he said, “You...you mean you’re serious about this? But why? Why do you want me to teach you about...um...you know?”

 

“Sex Michael, it’s called sex. I would have thought you were adult enough to use the word by now. You don’t know what it’s like for me having Kyle as a brother. He’s great and I love him but I’m 18 years old and I’ve never been on a single date because between him, you and Sheriff Jim no guy will come anywhere near me. I’m about to go off to college where all the girls will be talking about boyfriends and sex and how far they’ve all gone. I’m going to look like some kind of country hick who doesn’t know a damn thing.”

 

“There’s no need for you to rush into things...”

 

“Rush? I’m not talking about rushing anything. I just want to know what I’m supposed to do on a date, how to kiss, how far I’m expected to go, that type of thing.”

 

Michael breathed a sigh of relief at hearing her words. “So you’re not talking about having sex with guys at college?”

 

“I didn’t say that. Look, if I meet someone I like and we start dating then it’s only natural that we’re going to want to do...stuff and I’d like to know what I have to do.”

 

“But why me?” He asked scratching his eyebrow.

 

Maria walked back over to where Michael was still kneeling in front of the couch. Taking a seat, she took one of his large hands between hers and said, “Because I trust you. I’ve known you practically my whole life and I know you won’t hurt me...well at least not deliberately.”

 

“I’d never hurt you deliberately or otherwise, Maria. I...I just don’t know about this. If Kyle ever finds out then I’m dead meat and you’d probably be locked in your room for eternity or something.”

 

“He won’t find out, I promise. Why do you think I came over here tonight, huh? He and Vicky just left for their trip a couple of hours ago so I was able to leave the house without the third degree. I can’t understand why he’s so overprotective when Mom and Jim are cool about me going off and doing my own thing.”

 

“He cares about you that’s all,” Michael told her as he got up from the floor and took a seat beside her again. “I know he can be a bit over the top but he’s just looking out for you.”

 

“I know he is and I love him for that but I’m a big girl now and I want to live my life without his restrictions. What does he think is going to happen when I’m at college? Is he planning on changing schools so he can keep an eye on me there?”

 

He laughed at the look on her face. “No, but I wouldn’t put that suggestion into his head just in case.”

 

She paused for a second before laughing too. “Yeah, thanks for the tip.”

 

They sat there in silence for a while before Maria spoke again. “I think we should pretend I didn’t ask you to help me. I know it puts you in a difficult position what with you and Kyle being best friends so I’m going to...”

 

“Forget your plan?” He asked hopefully.

 

“No, I’m going to find someone else to help me. I still feel exactly the same way as I did before I asked you to help me. Maybe I could ask Doug. Lizzie told me that she heard from Alex that he has a crush on me so I’m sure he’d be willing to help me out.”

 

Michael couldn’t hide his outrage. “There’s no way in hell you’re asking anyone else to help you with this crazy idea Maria. If you’re determined to do this, then it’s going to be with me.” He told her vehemently. “Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this because once we start it’s going to change things between us?”

 

Maria bit back the smile that was threatening to take over her face. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure Michael. And nothing will change between us because we won’t let it. You may be Kyle’s best friend but I’ve always thought of you as one of mine too.”

 

Michael gave her a grin. “Really? Well I’ve always thought of you as Kyle’s annoying little sister.”

 

“Well in that case I think I’ll definitely find someone else to play with then,” she teased.

 

“Don’t you dare.” He glanced at the clock on his desk before cursing. “I’ve gotta go now otherwise I’m going to be really late meeting the guys so I’ll just walk you home before I hook up with them.”

 

“There’s no need ‘cos I brought the Jetta.” Seeing the look of panic on his face she smirked. “Don’t worry, I didn’t park it outside. The last thing we need is for Max and Isabel to hear about this. I parked the car in the next street.”

 

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Cool. Come on then, lets sneak you out of here before anyone sees you. I’ll walk you to the car.”

 

“Okay, thanks. Uh…when do you...I mean, when should we get started on our...er…project?”

 

He couldn’t help smiling at the embarrassed look she wore. “How about tomorrow evening? I’ve got a shift until four and then I’ve got to be back here to wave the Evans’ off on their vacation so how about you come over here about seven?”

 

“Seven’s fine. Hey wait a second, why aren’t you going with them this year?”

 

He shrugged. “I need to try and earn some money to help with next semester so I got my old job back at the Crashdown plus I get this place to myself for the next two weeks.”

 

“Cool. Am I...” she coughed to clear her throat. “Will I be staying over tomorrow night?” she asked him, her eyes concentrating on the floor.

 

“NO! Why would you ask that?”

 

She raised her eyes to look at him and catching his shocked expression she let her gaze drop to the floor again. “I…uh...I just thought...I don’t know.”

 

“Besides, I’m sure I’ll be able to teach you all you need to know in a hour,” he said with a smirk.

 

The surprise she felt at his statement made her look at him questioningly. “Really? I thought it would take longer than that.”

 

“Nah. If you’re as good a student at this as you are at school stuff, you’ll know everything you need to by the end of the hour.”

 

Her face was burning with embarrassment at his casual words. ‘Get over it Deluca, he’s going to be seeing you naked so stop blushing dammit. Red is so not your colour,’ she told herself.

 

“Come on, lets get you home.” Michael said taking her hand in his and sneaking her out of his place. He was lost in thought as he walked her to her car. ‘This is going to be so embarrassing. How am I supposed to talk about sex with my best friend’s little sister?’

 

 

Chapter 3

 

The next night Michael was anxiously awaiting Maria’s arrival for her first lesson. He couldn’t believe he was going through with this and he silently prayed that no one would ever find out. By no one he meant Kyle.

 

He had to admit that Maria was beautiful and if he was being totally honest he could admit to having fantasised about what her gorgeous pouty lips would feel like against his own. But he would never in a million years have imagined her coming to him to ask for sex advice. Even though he knew this was wrong and he was signing his own death certificate, he would rather it was him that helped her than some other jerk who would end up hurting her.

 

As soon as his shift had finished he had raced home from the diner and had eaten a farewell meal with the Evans’ before they left for their annual summer vacation. Before they had left Diane had once again tried to persuade him to join them but he had politely declined. She had given him a soft smile and hugged him tightly before she and the rest of the family had driven off to the airport in a taxi.

 

Once they had gone he had started to tidy up his apartment. Luckily there wasn’t too much to do seeing as he had only been home a day. He had then jumped in the shower to wash away the smell of the greasy fried food he had spent most of the day cooking.

 

Now he was standing in front of his closet trying to decide what he should wear; should it be smart or casual or a mixture of the two. Hell, maybe he should just stay as he was with the towel wrapped around his waist and they could get started as soon as she arrived. ‘What am I thinking, we’re just going to be talking about sex that’s all.’ he told himself trying to suppress the disappointment he felt about that.

 

He finally decided on casual, there was no need to make themselves feel more nervous than they already were. Grabbing his black jeans from last night he pulled them on before pulling one of his Metallica T-shirts over his head. Just as he was tying the laces on his sneakers there was a knock at his door. His legs felt like boiled noodles as he made his way towards the door and before opening it he wiped his sweaty palms on the back of his jeans.

 

On the other side of the door Maria’s heart was racing as she waited for him to open the door. She wiped her sweaty palms on the front of her denim mini skirt before putting her hands in the pockets of the fleece jacket she was wearing. The only reason she had worn the jacket was to cover up her straining cleavage created by the white Wonderbra she had on underneath her pale blue spaghetti strap top.

 

Suddenly the door was flung open and her eyes locked with Michael’s and they shared an awkward smile.

 

“Hey, come on in.” He told her as his eyes looked behind her to make sure no one was around watching them.

 

“Thanks.” Maria crossed the threshold and stood anxiously in the centre of the room unsure as to what she should do next, if anything.

 

“Do you want to take your jacket off?”

 

“Uh...oh sure. I guess we should get started huh?”

 

He smirked. “No, I don’t think we should just jump into this. I was just asking if you wanted to take off your jacket because it’s a bit warm in here. You can keep it on if you want to.”

 

She laughed nervously before removing her fleece jacket and handing it to him. “I’m sorry. I’ve been on edge all day thinking about whether I should go through with this or not.”

 

As she handed over her jacket Michael’s eyes wandered down to her chest which seemed larger than it had yesterday and he couldn’t help staring at her impressive cleavage. He gave himself a mental shake before saying, “We don’t have to do this Maria, not if you’ve changed your mind. I’m not going to think badly of you if you want to call this off.” He coughed to clear his throat of its sudden huskiness.

 

Shaking her head no she replied, “I want to do this and if I’m going to do it, then I’d rather it was with you. I trust you.” She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

 

After hanging up her jacket on the back of a chair he walked back over to the couch and took a seat beside her. Seeing how she was twisting her hands in her lap he placed one of his hands over hers and stilled them. “Can I get you a drink or something? I’ve got some sodas in the mini fridge if you want one.”

 

“No, I’m fine for now thanks.”

 

“Right. So I guess we should get started now?” He asked her removing his hand from the top of hers. He could feel his palms sweating again and he discreetly wiped them on the back of his jeans.

 

“Yeah, I guess we should.” she mumbled. “Is the door locked?”

 

“Uh huh. I locked it as soon as you were inside. Not that I was presuming...”

 

“It’s okay. I don’t want anything interrupting this. I’m nervous enough as it is.”

 

He nodded in agreement before asking, “So...uh...what do you want to know about first?”

 

“Well I guess kissing would be a good place to start unless you can think of something else.”

 

Michael inwardly groaned and thought to himself, ‘Great, how do you explain how to kiss? Surely she’s seen how it’s done on TV and stuff.’ He was about to tell her that maybe they should forego the kissing part but surprised himself by instead saying, “I think kissing would be the best place to start.”

 

Maria gave herself a mental pat on the back. She had had a crush on Michael for as long as she could remember but he had always considered her Kyle’s little sister and so would never make a move. When she had decided to ask someone to help her with her plan, which was a genuine one as she really didn’t want to be clueless at college when it came to sex, Michael’s name was on the top of her list. Okay, she didn’t have a list. Just his name. She just hoped she didn’t screw this up. Even if things didn’t work out between them and this experiment stayed just that, an experiment, she was determined that their friendship should remain intact and that at least she would have the memory of him being her first kiss. Getting up from the couch she stood in front of him.

 

Michael looked up at her confused. “Where are you going?”

 

“Uh...to your bedroom.”

 

“Oh.’ He felt even more confused at her reply. “Why don’t we stay here on the couch?”

 

“Um...okay I guess. I just thought it would be too small.”

 

“For sitting?”

 

Now it was her turn to look confused. “You do it sitting?”

 

“Yeah, sitting, standing, whatever.”

 

Maria stared at him open-mouthed. “Uh...right. I figured we’d be lying down when we did it.”

 

“Did what? We’re only talking Maria. You tell me what it is you want to know and I try and explain it to you.” He looked at her closely, the way her mouth kept opening and closing and the way she seemed to be constantly blushing. “That’s what you wanted to happen right? Me to answer your questions about sex?”

 

She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips at his adorable expression of confusion. Shaking her head she sat beside him again and forced herself to look him in the eyes while talking. “Yes and no. Yes I want you to explain it to me but no I don’t want to just talk about it. I want you to show me...physically show me how to do the stuff I want to know about.”

 

It was Michael’s turn to blush and stare open-mouthed. “Oh...I...er...I didn’t know that. I figured we’d just...we’d just be talking about it. So that’s why you were heading for my bedroom.” He ran his hands through his hair. “This changes things Maria. Kyle’s gonna more than kill me if he knows I’ve laid a finger on you.”

 

Maria placed one of her hands on his which was resting on his thigh. “Well I was hoping you’d be laying more than your finger on me.” Seeing the look of horror that passed over his features at her remark she lowered her eyes realising she had made a big mistake in asking for his help. “Lets just forget this then Michael. The last thing I want is to cause trouble between you and Kyle. It was a stupid idea anyway. I’ll see you around.” She gave his hand a squeeze before making a move to get up from her seat. Moving his hand Michael grabbed her wrist stopping her from going anywhere.

 

“No, don’t go. Like I told you before, if you’re determined to do this then I’d rather it was with me. I care about you Maria and the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

 

“Are you sure?” she asked hesitantly.

 

He nodded.

 

Turning to face her more comfortably, Michael took her hands in his and stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “Okay, when you’re about to kiss someone you tilt your head to one side, the opposite direction of your partner. It’s usually an instinct although with my first kiss we seemed to tilt heads in the same direction for ages before she suddenly took my face between her palms and planted one on me.”

 

She chuckled at his words and started to feel a little more comfortable. The feel of his hands on hers was helping to relax her. She followed his advice and tilted her head to one side and said, “Like this?”

 

He nodded. “Yeah. You both slowly lean in so you’re closer together...” he trailed off as they inched closer and he instinctively tilted his head to the opposite direction. “...then you close your eyes and part your lips and then...”

 

Just as Maria closed her eyes she felt Michael’s warm breath on her face and then his soft lips were upon hers. He held them there for a moment or two before gently sucking her top lip between his lips. He then repeated the action with her bottom lip. Using his tongue he parted her lips a little more and he let his tongue wander inside her mouth to play with hers.

 

Maria gasped at the sudden invasion of his tongue but a moment later she was letting her tongue stroke against his, loving the soft silky feel of it. She copied his actions by sucking on his top and bottom lips, enjoying the feel of his soft plump lips beneath hers. After what felt like hours but in reality was only a few minutes they pulled apart, panting heavily.

 

“Wow! That was...wow!”

 

He chuckled at her. “Yeah, wow pretty much covers it.” Looking into Maria’s sparkling emerald eyes, he couldn’t help smiling broadly at her. He couldn’t believe how good it had felt to kiss her.

 

Looking into his eyes she blushed and quickly averted her eyes to look at the floor. “Did I...um...did I do it right?”

 

Michael stared at her incredulously and using his fingers raised her chin so she was looking into his eyes. “You did it beautifully. You’re a great kisser. Are you sure you haven’t done this before Maria?”

 

“Nope, you’re my first. Can we...”

 

“Do it again?” He finished for her.

 

“Yeah. I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t want t...”

 

Before she could finish her sentence Michael’s lips were on hers and he was practically sucking the breath out of her.

 

 

Chapter 4

 

“Okay, so what’s next?” Maria asked eagerly as she lay propped up against the pillows on Michael’s bed. After they had spent some time kissing she had taken him by the hand and led him to the bedroom area of his apartment so they could have more room and be more comfortable.

 

Walking back into the room he handed her a can of Coke before sitting down on the bed beside her and opening his can. He couldn’t help smiling at her mussed up look. Her lips were puffy and kiss swollen and he felt a sudden surge of...pride, for want of a better word, that he was the one responsible. “Well we’ve got a couple more hours before I have to get you home so we could continue the kissing but add in touching. That is if you want to move it forward a bit tonight. If you’re not ready we can do it another night.”

 

Taking a long drink of her soda Maria swallowed and then nodded. “Touching...uh...sounds good. Do you want to start now?” She shifted on the bed and placed her drink on the nightstand and nervously started playing with the hem of her top.

 

“Now’s good.” He placed his own drink on the nightstand before climbing onto the bed next to her. He lay on his side facing her and gestured for her to do the same which she did. Moving in closer he slowly began to kiss her and Maria was soon responding and kissing him back just as passionately. While he was kissing her he brought a hand up to her cheek and stroked it softly, letting it trail down to her jaw, her neck and then her collarbone. She wasn’t objecting in the slightest to any of his touches and finally he took the plunge and let his fingers graze gently over one of her breasts. He felt her gasp into his mouth but she didn’t object and just continued sucking on his tongue.

 

Maria loved the feeling of Michael’s hand on her skin and the way he was moving so slowly was perfect. The situation felt so completely natural that she could let herself believe this was happening for real and wasn’t something else. His fingers were stroking over the exposed part of her breast peeking out from her top and she gasped at the tingles that were shooting up and down her body. She brought one of her arms up and wrapped it around his neck before tangling her fingers through his soft hair. They reluctantly broke the kiss in order that they could breathe in some much needed air and the only sound in the room was their heavy breathing.

 

“Was that okay? I didn’t move too fast for you did I?” Michael asked her, his hand cupping her cheek.

 

“It was more than okay. It felt really...it felt good. What should I do to you? I mean, in this situation what would a girl do to the guy while he’s touching her?”

 

He leaned in and captured her lower lip between his lips and sucked on it before tugging it gently. “What you were doing was fine. You can play with the hair at the nape of the guy’s neck or scrape your nails against his scalp or you could run your hands up and down his back.”

 

“Uh huh. I just wanna say that I...I really appreciate you helping me like this. I don’t feel like such a freak now that I’ve at least had my first kiss.”

 

He nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad I could help. And you’re not a freak just because you’ve never been kissed before. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel that way.”

 

“That’s easier said than done,” she told him giving him a soft smile. Pausing for a moment she then added, “Um Michael, do you think we could...er...maybe...”

 

“Just say it Maria. I agreed to help you so just say whatever you want to and we’ll take it from there okay?”

 

“Okay. Well, I was going to ask if we could do some more touching. Maybe go a little...go a little further this time?”

 

“Are you sure? We don’t have to rush things and do it all in one night.” Realising what that sounded like he quickly added, “Not that I’m expecting you to want to do that with me.”

 

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I know what you meant. Lets just move things a little further along and see how it goes.” He smiled and nodded in response. “Hey Michael, were you babbling just then?” she teased.

 

“I’m going to refuse to answer that on the grounds that it might incriminate me,” he joked before his expression turned a little more serious and he turned them slightly so that Maria was laying on her back and he was half on top of her. Seeing the trusting look in her eyes he smiled again and lowered his head to kiss her lips once more. This time she took the lead and parted his lips with her tongue and once she had slipped it inside the hot cavern of his mouth she let it explore every crevice. Breaking the kiss he kissed down her jaw until he reached the soft skin of her neck and proceeded to suck and nibble on the flesh.

 

Moaning in pleasure, Maria’s hands flew to each side of Michael’s head and holding him in place she shivered when she felt him lick over the area he had been sucking furiously. Remembering his words from earlier she raked her nails against his scalp and felt his moan reverberate through her and she smiled broadly, happy that she could elicit the same feelings in him as he was with her. She also couldn’t fail to notice the evidence of his arousal pressing against her thigh which was further proof that he was enjoying this as much as she was.

 

Moving to suck on the other side of Maria’s neck, Michael brought one of his hands up and placed it over one of her breasts and he held it there for a moment to see what her reaction would be. The next thing he knew her hand was covering his and squeezing it gently and he complied with her silent request and began massaging and kneading her breast. He wasn’t able to feel much of her and he put this down to the padding of her bra so stopping what he was doing he pulled back and looked into her face. Her skin was flushed, her eyes were closed and she was biting her bottom lip in what seemed like concentration while one of her hands was running up and down his back. He couldn’t remember ever having seen anything so beautiful.

 

Sensing him watching her, she opened her eyes and stared straight into the rich chocolate pools of his eyes and she gave him a crooked smile. Bringing her free hand up she caressed his cheek with her fingers before hooking her hand around his neck and pulling him down to crush his lips to hers. He had wanted to say something but she seemed to suck the words right out of his mouth. It was when his hand once again touched her breast that he remembered what he was going to ask and he again pulled back despite her objection.

 

“Maria, do you....uh...still want to move this further now?” He couldn’t believe how husky his voice sounded but he didn’t care. Right now he didn’t care about anything except what they were doing and how she was making him feel. He never would have thought that this young girl, a girl he considered a sister, could evoke such strong feelings in him.

 

“Yes Michael, I do. Did you have anything specific in mind?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

 

“Uh...yeah. I was wondering if you could...that is if you want to...take off your bra.” He suddenly felt the years melt away making him feel like an awkward teenager again.

 

She blushed self-consciously before gently pushing him over on the bed so she could sit up. “Oh...uh...why?”

 

“It’s just that I can’t really feel you through the padding and if you want to know what it feels like to be touched, then it’s probably best if you take it off.” He reasoned and seeing her hesitation he added, “You don’t have to take your top off yet if you don’t want to. Just do whatever you feel comfortable with, we can stop any time you want to.”

 

Releasing a deep breath, Maria unfastened her bra and slipped it off from under her top and let it fall to the floor. She had always been self-conscious about her breasts, feeling that they were too small compared to what some of her friends were endowed with. Keeping her top on for the time being made her feel much more comfortable. Laying back among the pillows she closed her eyes and let herself relax again.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Uh huh.” She reached out a hand and traced his lips with her index finger and gasped when he caught the digit between his lips and nibbled on it before letting his tongue swirl around it. Slowly removing the finger from his mouth she grabbed a fistful of his T-shirt and pulled him back on top of her and leaning up slightly she captured his lips with hers and kissed him hard.

 

Michael stroked his fingers over her cheek before again finding his hand resting on her breast and this time he kneaded and massaged the soft flesh without any hesitation. Her hard little nipple was proof enough for him that he was doing something very right and he loved how her breast fit easily into the palm of his hand.

 

“Ohmigod! Don’t stop...please don’t stop,” she panted after they had pulled apart. As she sucked on his Adam’s apple she let her hands roam his back pulling up his T-shirt as she went, desperate to feel his skin.

 

He was feeling the same way and he let his hand move down from her breast to play with the hem of her top before slipping underneath. They both gasped at the sensation of his hand cupping her naked breast.

 

Maria loved the feel of his slightly rough callused hand touching her and she wanted more. For some reason unknown to her she didn’t feel self-conscious anymore and wanted more but wasn’t sure how to go about getting it. Tugging on his T-shirt Michael stopped sucking on her neck and looked into the emeralds of her eyes.

 

“What? What is it?” He panted, his hand still gently massaging her.

 

“I...um...I want to feel you,” she told him shyly.

 

“Huh?”

 

“I want to feel your skin against mine. I want to know what it feels like.”

 

Moving off of her he knelt beside her on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know Maria. Maybe we’re moving too fast too soon. We’ve got another couple of days with Kyle gone so we don’t have to worry about being sprung. I don’t want you to end up regretting this.”

 

She shifted in the bed so she was propped up a little more against the pillows. “I’ll never regret this Michael. Do you honestly think I would let anyone else touch me like this so soon? You’re the only person I trust enough to feel comfortable doing this when I’ve never done it before.”

 

“Then why were you so nervous when I suggested you taking your bra off, huh? I wouldn’t have minded if you’d said you wanted to stop things there or...”

 

“I wasn’t nervous, I was...I’ve always hated the fact I’m so under developed in the chest area. I just felt self-conscious about you seeing me without the Wonderbra on. I saw the way you looked at me when I arrived tonight. You couldn’t take your eyes off my cleavage.”

 

He smirked at her. “Only because I was trying to work out if they really were bigger tonight or if I was imagining it. And I don’t think you’re too small at all. They’re perfectly in proportion with your frame and besides it filled my hand nicely.”

 

She blushed at his words and looked away from him. His fingers under her chin directed her to look back at him. “I’m serious Maria, you’ve got nothing to worry about on that score.”

 

“Thank you for saying that.”

 

“You’re welcome,” he told her sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders. “How about we leave things here and pick up tomorrow evening, if you’re free that is?”

 

“Sure, that sounds good. Are you working again tomorrow?”

 

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got the morning shift and then I’m hanging out with a couple of the guys in the afternoon. Do you want to come around about seven again?”

 

“Seven should be fine. I guess I’d better be going huh.”

 

“Yeah, I guess so. I’ll walk you to your car.”

 

Giving him a smile she got up off the bed and slipped on her sandals and remembered to pick up her discarded bra off the floor. Michael pushed his feet into his sneakers without untying the laces and taking her by the hand he led her back into the living room area where she put her fleece jacket on and quickly stuffed the bra into her bag.

 

Opening the door he scanned the area to see if any of his neighbours were around and seeing that there weren’t he opened the door a little wider and let her exit first. They walked in silence to where she had parked the car and they reached their destination after a couple of minutes.

 

After unlocking the car Maria turned to face him and giving him a soft smile said, “So, I’ll see you tomorrow night then.”

 

Michael smiled back at her. “Yeah, you will. Would you do me a favour and call me as soon as you’ve arrived home? I just want to make sure you got there okay.”

 

“I’ll be fine but if it will make you feel better I’ll call you.”

 

“Thanks.” He had a sudden urge to kiss her lips but he resisted it and instead leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Opening her door he gestured for her to get in and she did so, buckling her seat belt once she’d tossed her bag onto the passenger seat.

 

After saying goodbye Michael watched as she drove away and he gave her a wave before walking back to his place. He had enjoyed Maria’s first lesson and he had to admit that he couldn’t wait to see her again the following night and pick up where they had left off.

 

Just under ten minutes later Maria arrived home and after greeting her parents who were watching a late night movie in the living room, she went up to her bedroom and dialled Michael’s number. He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, it’s me.”

 

“Hey you. You got home okay then?”

 

“Duh, would I be phoning if I didn’t? Sorry, I retract that last comment. I’m glad you care about me enough to worry.”

 

“I do care.” He coughed, trying to relieve his voice of its sudden husky tone. “Anyway, I’ll let you get to bed. Sweet dreams Maria.”

 

“You too Michael. See you tomorrow.”

 

After they hung up Maria quickly washed up and changed into her PJ’s before climbing into her bed. She couldn’t stop her mind replaying that night’s events and as she slowly succumbed to sleep her dreams were filled with Michael.

 

 

 

Chapter 5

 

The next morning Maria entered the Crashdown carrying a few boxes of  desserts that her mom had made for the diner and seeing Liz at the counter she smiled warmly at her friend. “Hey Liz, how’s it going?”

 

“Oh hey Maria. It hasn’t been too bad so far but I’ve probably just jinxed things by saying that. Oooh I see your mom’s been busy,” she said as she observed the boxes before taking them from her.

 

“Tell me about it. Poor Jim’s hand is red raw from all the slapping it’s taken due to her evil wooden spoon. Every time he’s reached for a slice of pie, down comes the spoon.”

 

Liz laughed before carrying the desserts into the kitchen to set up on display plates. While her back was turned Maria took the opportunity of  looking through the serving window to see if she could spot Michael working. She bit back a smile when she saw him but suddenly, as if he could sense her staring, he turned and looked straight at her. Their eyes seemed to lock and it was only Liz’s voice that broke the spell.

 

“Maria? Hello, are you listening to me?”

 

Blinking quickly, Maria nodded. “Sorry Liz, what were you saying?”

 

“I was asking if you wanted to go and see a movie with me tonight?”

 

“Oh, I’d really like to but I’ve...er...I’ve got to help my Mom with something,” she told her, wishing she could kick herself for the lame excuse she had come up with.

 

“What are you helping her with?” Liz asked curiously.

 

“I’m not sure...I mean she hasn’t told me what it is, just that she needs me to help her.”

 

“Oh okay. Maybe some other time then. We definitely should do something before we leave for college though. I can’t believe we’re going to be separated.”

 

Placing her hand over Liz’s which was resting on the counter top she smiled. “I know, it’s weird to think that for the first time in our lives we’re going to be apart. But at least we can keep in touch by phone and e-mail and we’ll see each other during the holidays.”

 

“Yeah, but it won’t be the same without you there. I’m really going to miss you, Maria.”

 

“I’ll miss you too. Hey, why don’t we plan a night out for before we leave? The whole gang can get together before we all head our separate ways.”

 

“That’s a great idea. Do you want to meet up tomorrow and start arranging something?”

 

“Sure. Come over to my place about one-thirty and we can have lunch while working out the details.”

 

“Okay, I will.” Seeing a big group of customers suddenly walk into the diner Liz groaned. “I knew I spoke too soon. I’ll see you later Maria.”

 

“Bye Liz.” Before turning to leave she looked through the serving window again but only saw Michael’s back. She stood there watching for a moment, wondering if he would turn around again but when he didn’t she made her way towards the door and left.

 

Michael turned and seeing her exiting the door quickly called out, “Jose, I’m taking a break.” before practically running out the back door and heading towards the parking lot.

 

Feeling a hand on her shoulder Maria swung around ready to punch out whoever was touching her and she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing who it was. “Hey, what’s up? What are you doing out here?”

 

“I just wanted to say hi and…uh…to see if we’re still on for tonight.” The last part of his sentence was almost a whisper.

 

“Oh, well hi to you too and yes, if it’s still okay for you.” She answered smiling at him.

 

“Yep, it’s still okay for me. So what are you up to now?”

 

“I’ve got a few errands to run and then I’m heading over to the video store. I’m thinking I might have me a date with Brad Pitt,” she joked.

 

“I wish I could go with you. Not that I particularly want to see Brad myself but I’d rather be watching movies than slaving over a hot grill. I’d better get back inside before Jose remembers I’ve already had my break. I’ll...er...see you tonight.” He said and suddenly found himself lowering his head so he could kiss her lips, as if it was the most natural thing for him to do. Realising what he was doing before it was too late, he straightened his back and smiled shyly at her before quickly turning and jogging back towards the diner.

 

Maria couldn’t help feeling confused as she watched him go back inside. She could sense he was about to kiss her and while she had really wanted him to, she was a bit surprised that he would attempt to do it where anyone could walk by and see them. Oh well, she had tonight to look forward to and she couldn’t help grinning as a rush of images of the two of them suddenly ran through her mind as she drove out of the parking lot.

 

* * * * *

 

Back inside the diner Michael leaned back against the door he had just walked through, closed his eyes and then banged his head on the door a couple of times, trying to knock some sense into himself. He couldn’t believe he had almost kissed her...and on the lips this time. While he had known that things would change between him and Maria if he was to help her with her plan, he didn’t realise how quickly it would happen. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her after she had gone home and he was left alone in his apartment, painfully hard. Before going to bed he had taken another shower, relieving himself of the problem whilst in there. He couldn’t help the low moan that escaped his lips at the thought of Maria doing that for him. Suddenly, the thought of moving things forward looked good...very good indeed.

 

* * * * *

 

Flicking off the TV Maria rolled over on her bed and stretched. She had just finished watching the gorgeous Mr Pitt in Meet Joe Black which was one of her favourite movies. He looked so good in the suit he wore and she closed her eyes savouring the image when all of a sudden Brad was replaced by Michael wearing a black suit. Damn! He looked way better in black. Giggling she got out of bed and headed over to her wardrobe to start getting her outfit together for later.

 

There was a knock at her bedroom door and she called out, “Come in.”