A deleted chapter

I sat on my high stool in front of the window looking out at the rain. Whenever I  am dow or depressed sitting here is my thearpy. The time/ temperature marguee at the branch bank across the street flashed, 2:30 am, but I was too restless to sleep. My mind was wandering, M.G.’s was dead, killed by the hands of a madman; Dave was gone, dead for sure but I probably would never know what actually happened to him. And then all the other murders, this sort of thing shouldn’t be happening in Lexington. We’re too far removed from the big city way of life, yet, the reality was, it was happening.
And, then there was Cran, Dave’s best friend... they had an arrangement, he told me he loved her but it was a strange sort of love, not sexual but very close. He was paralyzed and usless as a lover yet Cran stayed with him, satisfied with the fact that he cared for her. He did, I knew that much and he did want to take care of her. I had only known her a short time, but I could sense a special quality in her the first day I met her. I could see why Dave cared so much for her. If I did nothing else, I was going to protect her from whatever evil was trying to harm her. That is what Dave would have wanted me to do and if no other reason existed, that was enough. But, already I knew, I had more reason. She was nearly half my age but I was attracted to her. She was beautiful, intelligent and aggressive. Yet, in her own way, she was shy. I kept my  feelings to myself out of respect for Dave and I didn’t want her to think I was a dirty old man looking for a cheap thrill.
“Scratch.” The voice startled me. Normally I am alone here with my thoughts and not since M.G. had anyone called my name in the middle of the night. I turned in the chair and saw her standing in front of the bedroom door. All I could see was a silloette of her. She was wearing my extra large Bengals jersey a friend had given me. She had said before she went to bed that she wanted something of mine to sleep in so she would feel safe. The jersey was the only thing I could find.  My friend had played full-back for the Bengals and he gave me the shirt as a souvenier. It was so big on her it came down to her knees and nearly swallowed her.
“Scratch?” She repeated. “Are you OK?”
“Oh, yeah. Everything is fine.”
She walked across the floor and stood in front  of the couch. “Do you always sit in the dark like this?”
“Sometimes you can see out better with the lights off. It helps me think. What about you? Are you OK?”
“Oh, I guess. I’m not used to sleeping this time of night. Usually I am working or just getting home and trying to unwind. I did fall asleep right a way, though. That’s amazing, I must have been really tired.”
“Amazing?”
“Yeah, most of the time I have to take a sleeping pill or something to get the edge off. You know all the lights and music and booze in the club has a tendency to come home with you...even the smell. Don’t you sometimes bring your work home with you?”
“Sure, I guess everybody does, no matter what kind of work you do.”
“Is that what is bothering you tonight? Work?”
“I’m alright, honest. It’s nothing.”
She walked over and stood by the chair and brushed my face with her hand. “I’m a good listener, if you want to talk.”
“Really, it is nothing... just trying to sort things out. I’m glad you could fall asleep but I am sorry if I woke you.”
“I felt safe,” she stood back and held her arms out to her side, “who wouldn’t in an outfit like this?”
I laughed, “I don’t know but I think it suits you. So what woke you up?”
“I don’t know really. I had a strange sensation and when I opened my eyse I somehow knew you were out here... awake. I was, like, drawn to it.”
She turned to look out the window. “It is beautiful. Even knowing what evil lurks out there it feels safe in here and to look at the beauty from a safe place makes it better. I love the rain, it just soothes my soul somehow. Perfect romance weather, if you ask me, what do you think” She turned her head and looked me right in the eyes.
I stood up and pulled the chair out of the way so she could see out better. I didn’t answer the question. When the lights from the street reflected on her face I could tell she had been crying.
“Are you sure you are OK?” I asked.
“It is just silliness. Nothing for you to be concerned about. You have enough on your mind without having to worry about some stranded dancer.”
I stepped up beside her and put my arm around her waist. “Cran, you were a part of my best friend’s life, now, be it fate or what, I am here to protect you. Nothing else matters... The police can handle the investigations... but you, well, you’ve become important to me too. I care about you in some special way that I can’t explain just now.”
“That’s sweet, Scratch. And I appreciate it. I know Dave would too, but...”
“No buts, Cran. Right now at this moment all we have is each other.”
“Dave once said the same thing. He said there was a time when you said the same thing to him.”
“yeah, we were ass deep in lily pads with black pajamas all around us, but by relying on each other we made it out alive... and we will too, you and I. I promise you that.”
“God, Scratch. I am scared.” She turned to me and threw her arms around me, laid her head on my shoulder and started to cry. I stroked her long hair and held her tight.
“You are trembling. Are you cold?”
“No it’s just, well, where do I go from here. Dave and I were going to at least have a life, you know, toghether and now, well, I’ve run out of places to go.”
“You’re here aren’t you? And you are welcome to stay here forever. No strings attached...none, do you understant?”
“Why would you do that? You don’t know anything about me. All you knowis what you’ve seen and I don’t think that impressed you all that much. Do you offer that because of Dave, I mean he was your best friend... do you feel obligated to him?”
“No, not because of Dave. Yeah, he was my best friend and right now I feel a little guilty having you here, holding you like this and knowing he may be out there somewhere. But, in the short time I’ve known you, well, I don’t know, for some reason I care a lot about you. “
She stood back from me and looked me straight in the eyes again and whispered, “Yeah, me too.” Then for the longest time, she stared at me. She raised up on her tiptoes and kissed me.  I wasn’t sure what it meant. Did she want me to kiss her back or was it just graditude fro being kind to her. When she pressed harder against me, I responed by putting my arms around her and kissing her like a lover.
She began to unbutton my shirt while still looking me in the eyes. Her eyes were smiling and it felt good to have a woman touching me again. “I need you tonight.” she said, “especially tonight.”
She pressed her palms against my chest and slid them slowly down to my breasts. Until that moment I had never realized how good that could feel. When she rubbed my nipples I felt them get hard and I was amazed at how sensitive they were. The she put her arms around me and pushed my shirt down and it fell to the floor. She pulled close, her breath was warm on my neck, when she kissed my neck a shiver ran through me and I felt things I thought had died in me years ago. When she started kissing my chest I felt elated. I gasped when she put her wet mouth on my nipple and began to suck and nibble. I was a school boy again having his first sexual encounter. It felt new and right and wonderful to be alive again.
I stroked her hair and reached down to lift the jersey over her head. She raised her arms just long enough for me to pull it off and drop it to the floor. She was completely naked underneath and she pressed against me.
We kissed again and drifted, melted to our knees on the carpet in front of the window. She unbuckled my belt and I stood up just long enough to take off my jeans and boxer shorts.
I pushed her down gently to the floor and streched out beside her. We laid there quietly for a few minutes as the rain beat against the window and the reflection of the street lights washed over us.
I stroked her skin and felt the smoothness of her hips. When I ran my fingers across her breast her nipples hardened.
She began doing the same with me and it seemed we were content for the moment to just discover each other as the passion weld up inside us.
“Hummm, Boston... I need you.”
“I need you to, Cran... in everyway.”
I hushed the feelings of doubt in my head and concentrated on the beautiful, warm woman beside me. She was beautiful in everyway and I was amazed at how good it felt to touch her, to feel her respond to my touch.
My hand moved down her body to her legs and up again. And when I slid my hand down her belly and between her legs I realized she had only a narrow ribbon of soft pubic hair. The rest was completly shaved and it felt smooth and silky. I had dreamed of such things but never experienced them.
When I rolled over on top of her and kissed her neck, I could feel my hardness press against the small mound of soft hair. It was the most sensous feeling I had ever felt. I kissed her hard for a moment and then slid down letting my tongue make a damp trail to her breasts. Her nipple was erect as I put my mouth over it and caressed it with my tongue. She skin glissened with the trail of moisture my tongue had left as I slid down her belly.
When I reached the soft ribbon of red hair, I let trace just the edges and it felt good against my face. I lifted her leg just enough to  kiss her knee and softly trace kisses down her thigh.
When my mouth brushed against the smoothness between her legs, she moaned again and arched her hips up to meet my mouth. I made tender circles around the outer lips and then pressed hard against her.
My arms and hands oved up in under her hips and over her belly until my fingers could touch the silky smoothness that made her a woman. My tongue slipped inside her as I gently spread her open so my tongue could find the sweet jewel hidden inside. It was waiting hard and erect and at first I only touched it with the tip of my tongue but slowly I rubbed harder and harder until I felt it throb for more.
My mouth was pressed against her as I sucked and stroked deeper and deeper.
She began to quiver and move her hips... up and down while I flicked my tongue around and around her sweet jewel. It pulsated more and more with each movement.
Her motion quickened and she reached down and gripped the back of my head, pulling it harder and harder against her. I sealed my mouth around her and pulled her inner lips in around my tongue.
The thrust quicken as she groaned and whimpered. Then she completely let go and pushed herself up tight against me three or four time. She moaned again loud and relaxed her hips back down onto the floor.
I raised up and slowly let my tongue glide up her belly to her breasts. I played there for a moment until she raised up and pushed me over onto my back and straddled me. I could still feel her wetness pulsating against my belly as she ran her fingernails down my chest.
I raised up and slowly let my tongue glide up her belly to her breasts. I played there for a moment until she raised up and pushed me over onto my back and straddled me. I could still feel her wetness pulsating against my belly as she ran her fingernails down my chest.
She leaned over and took my nipple between her teeth and gently pulled it into her mouth. With a soft, gentle yet quick motion, she slid down and kissed my belly hard. She sucked so hard I knew I would have a fabulous spot where she had been. I could feel my hardness push against her breast as she moved back and forth teasing the head with her erect nipples.
The she put her mouth where her nipples had been and ran her tongue up and down the sides and around the tip of my erection. She trailed her tongue down one side and gently took my balls into her mouth and gently massaged them with her tongue. Just as quickly as she started, she released them and took the head into her mouth. Her hand was stroking me up and down until her mouth completely covered the head and shaft. I could feel the back of her throat against the tip of my penis. I was quivering just as she had been earlier. Her mouth was moist and warm. I had never known such ecstasy in my life.
I raised up and pulled her to me and she once again straddled me. Kneeling there she pushed me inside of her.
All I could do at first was lay there as she rocked back and forth. But, then, I reached up and cupped her small, supple breast in my hands and pinched her nipples.
I pushed and she rocked until we both quaked and I exploded inside her. It was the longest organism I had ever experienced. She continued to squeeze and hold me inside her. I felt completely spent.
When she streched out on top of me and continued to qrip me inside her, I knew more was coming. Slowly she rocked back and forth while running her hands up and down my sides and across my hips until she felt me begin to harden again. She didn’t stop. It took longer than before but she continued until I exploded the second time. That had never happened before and I felt like I had found paradise.
We laid there a long time and just breathed on each other. Then she raised up, smiled at me with her eyes and said, “Not bac for an ‘old’ man.”
Cran and I had fallen asleep on the floor with nothing but the big jersey covering us when the phone rang. I reached over to the coffee table and picked up the portable.
“Hello.” I said half asleep.