Playing For Keeps by Deborah Fletcher Mello Page A

weighed heavily on his spirit, he no longer had any qualms about Cilla meeting his children. He’d taken age-old advice from his mother and had prayed on it, dropping to his knees for answers. In that moment it had felt like everything had come together, his reasons for wanting his daughters and his girlfriend to meet outweighing any concerns about it not working out.
    Thoughts of Cilla billowed through his mind. His affection for the woman had grown substantially and he realized that their friendship had quickly become so much more. Although they joked about marriage and children and a future together, Malcolm had come to the realization that Cilla was definitely the woman he could see having all that with. That understanding came with wanting them all to meet and bond.
    He felt himself smile, realizing that everything about him and Cilla together felt right with his spirit. When they were together, he felt complete, having never realized just what he’d been missing until she’d come along. He suddenly imagined himself wrapped around her, wishing she were there in his bed beside him. Remembering their shared kisses and her touch made him break out into a sweat, the rise of heat moving him to kick the blankets back to the floor. As he continued to think about Cilla his body responded in kind, an erection lengthening beneath the sheets. He palmed the wealth of flesh, imagining that it was her hands kneading and caressing him so easily. A shiver raced down the length of his spine and his body shuddered at the thought.
    He stroked himself easily, wishing it was Cilla who was stroking him. His hardened member twitched eagerly. Perspiration dampened his hand as flesh touched flesh, each pass of his palm shooting a current of electricity through his core. He imaged that it was her fingers gliding up and down against him. He lifted his hips and parted his legs as he stretched his body out against the pillows. Losing himself in the fantasy, he thought about her mouth and the luscious lips that always tasted sweet. He willed that mouth to him, her damp kisses exploring, teasing, tasting. Energy surged with a vengeance as his pace quickened, his fist tightening, his strokes harder. Every muscle tightened, his whole body beginning to feel like it would combust if he couldn’t have her.
    His lips parted as his breath quickened, Cilla’s name on the tip of his tongue. Malcolm knew that once the opportunity presented itself he would eagerly make love to her. He was almost desperate to make love to her, he thought, imagining his body delving deep inside hers. He pushed himself into his palm, over and over again, as he imagined himself pushing and pulling his whole self in and out of her body. He moaned her name over and over again as if in prayer, every thought of Cilla Jameson consuming him. As he fantasized about her warmth, moistness wrapped around him, her juices flowing as he tasted her, Malcolm felt a spasm shoot through his groin. His body pulsed and surged as he bit down against his bottom lip to keep from crying out. He rode wave after wave of pleasure before snatching his hand from his crotch.
    His breathing had become a heavy pant as he gasped for air. His body was still heated, still wanting, still wishing Cilla was there to share in the pleasure he imagined between them. Desperate to shake the rising desire that refused to be abated he threw his legs off the side of the bed, moving onto his feet. He inhaled, taking a deep breath and then another. He moved toward the bathroom. Since meeting Cilla, cold showers had become a very necessary evil and Malcolm found himself excited by the prospect of leaving them behind once and for all.
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    Malcolm skipped into The Playground, his footsteps light as joy gleamed across his face. Despite the rough start to his morning, Cilla meeting him at the coffee shop had shifted his mood nicely. He liked starting his day with her and he couldn’t stop himself from