"Am I still not ready for what comes with sleeping in this bed?"

Sawyer sighed and settled a little deeper into the bed, thinking. Something within him didn't quite want to make love to her yet, it didn't feel right. Considering they hadn't even been on a date yet.

But he wanted her, and as far as he knew, she wanted him. He'd take her on a date eventually but for now, he would give her what she wanted. Kiana could feel her answer in his blue eyes and smiled coyly as she straddled his pelvis. She hunched over to give him a deep kiss.

Sawyer's hands wandered over her smooth back and unhooked her bra. Her dense tits were plush against his chest and her puckering nipples smouldering his own. He marvelled at the feel of her full lips and couldn't wait to be inside her. Kiana reached under her heated pussy to feel for his growing cock.

"Condoms." Kiana warned, feeling him get too far gone. He huffed in annoyance and sat up in bed. Kiana gasped as he carried her toward his dresser and tightened her legs around his waist. His hand roamed around the shelf until he found what he was searching for. He kissed her lips one more time before he sat back down on the edge of the bed and laid down. Kiana was back in her riding position and Sawyer was putting his protection on.

Kiana pulled her panties aside to let Sawyer guide himself into her core. She huffed in amazement as she sat onto him. Sawyer seemed to be in a daze as well and let out a stream of profanities as he gripped her thick thighs. Kiana gyrated her hips in a vertical circle motion, scooping her hips in, up and back down.

Sawyer gazed at her teardrop shaped breasts and reached for one unconsciously. It was so soft under his hands and he toyed with the stubby nipple. Kiana purred out in contentment as her thrusts came quicker. To balance herself, she put her hands onto his chest. That small movement had her tits pushing closer together and Sawyer shut his eyes. He'd come sooner then he'd want if he kept staring at her.

Sawyer felt an overwhelming urge to pound himself deep into her. He wanted to take control and finally make her wither into submission. So he flipped her onto her hands and knees forcefully, knocking the wind out of her. He tore the panties off her bottom and palmed it for a mere few seconds. The feel of her flesh gathered into his hands had his cock a steel rod between his legs.

He then guided himself to her hole and her arched back curved upwards from being filled. Sawyer planted a firm hand on her ass and she squealed out in surprise.

"Stay bent." He commanded. He could see her contemplating whether or not to follow his order, but after a few seconds, she did as he asked. She put her head onto the bed and allowed him to fuck her into oblivion.

Sawyer had his hands lying limp beside his thighs and he watched her ass jiggle from his shoves inside her. Kiana whined into the comforter while she allowed herself to be taken from behind with her bottom still stinging from his spank. Although she had to admit, for a moment she was enjoying that little punishment especially after dwelling on the fact that Sawyer was significantly older than her.

"Look at me." Sawyer said. Kiana lifted her cheek off the mattress to give him her big, doe eyes. The sight took him over the edge as he intended and he came roughly above her. The animal like sounds of his orgasm got Kiana to the brink of orgasm too. But as Sawyer's orgasm ended he slowed down and left Kiana unsatisfied. He sighed in completion and pulled out. He went to the bathroom and closed the door behind himself.

Kiana was pretty annoyed. She initiated the sex but it ended without her release. Sawyer closed the bathroom door and came back to bed. He reached his head up to hers for a kiss but was met with thin air. Kiana was out of bed and walking out the door in a second. She sat down on the couch and tried to let her anger cool down.

His curiosity encouraged, he went out to the living room and stood beside her.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a bored voice close to a whisper.

"You're a selfish asshole." She said simply, not making eye contact.

Sawyer let out a sharp breath and shifted on his two feet.

"Watch how you—" He began to chastise. Kiana stood up and cut him short.

"Is that what kind of lover you are?" She threw a hand toward the bedroom door, the strength of her voice rising. "As soon as you cum that's it, we're finished." She pressed, a smirk on her lips. Sawyer could feel his emotions shifting from a light orgasm buzz to a deep pit of rage. Sawyer had never waited for the woman taking part in their sex to cum first. When he let out the deep roar of his finishing point, they were through. He hadn't even noticed Kiana was left so unfulfilled.

He angrily put his fingers between her lips and attempted to toy with her clit. Her folds were still slippery from her arousal before sex. Kiana slapped his hand away furiously.

"Fuck you—if that's what I wanted I would've done it myself." She sneered, attempting to turn away from him. Sawyer managed to pin her against the nearby wall. Kiana fought against his hold but his wide hand was pressed firmly against her upper back and all his strength was used to keep her still.

"Sawyer get off of me!" She screamed, feeling helpless and exposed. Sawyer only fed off her cries compared to seconds ago when she was claiming him as less of a man. He'd show her otherwise.

Kiana's lip pulled at the corner plastered against the wall. Sawyer split her legs with his foot and ploughed his dick right into her pussy. Kiana let out a shriek of surprise. Sawyer scooped his hips upward to accommodate her height in contrast to his own. He let his other hand frame her meaty hip and after a few minutes of fucking her like that, he could notice her loosen up. So instead of using his hand to pin her down, he grabbed a fistful of her curly hair and tugged at it. Kiana responded by sticking her hips out a little further and letting her hands wander toward her clit. From there she rubbed on her swollen nub. Sawyer growled lowly.

"Move." He said, pushing her hands away to let his own take their place. His index and middle finger circled around her pussy and soon Kiana's piercing weep filled the small area. Her thighs twitched and Sawyer had to pull out quickly to stop himself from cumming inside her. He waited for her high to reach a controllable point before he let her go. She stood up straight and stood in discomfort before him. Her juices were dripping down her bare thighs and her scent hung lightly in the air.

"Get in my bed, you aren't sleeping out here." Sawyer said in an even voice. He didn't care how upset she was, he wouldn't fall asleep alone when he could be curled against her warm body. However, Kiana gave him a look of disbelief with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll sleep wherever I want." She said sternly. Sawyer didn't say another word. He just retreated to his room and left the door open. Kiana lay on his couch and eventually fell asleep, leaving Sawyer waiting in his bed.

**

Soft background noises awoke Sawyer and he searched the room for its source. Kiana was spotted slipping back into her jeans and buttoning them.

Somehow she ended up in his bed last night and awoke to his wide biceps covering her entire upper half. His legs were wrapped around her and his lips right beside her bare nipple. Luckily he was a deep sleeper and slipping out of his hold wasn't too much work.

"Where are you going?" He asked dazedly. Kiana gave him a quick glance.

"I'm going to catch the number 4 back to the dorms so I can get ready for class." She said, putting on her shirt and fluffing out her hair. Sawyer fully sat up and groaned in dissatisfaction.

"I'll drop you off." He said, trudging to his closet to find some sweatpants. Kiana watched him as he moved around with an abundance of sex appeal and almost lost her train of thought. Somehow that

"I actually want to use that bus ride as some time to think alone." She said, not trying to be rude or impolitely decline his offer. But she had new things on her mind now and a moment with her thoughts would only benefit her; she was almost certain she had lost a great friendship because of weed.

"No, it's cold outside and I don't want you—" Kiana cut him off.

"Sawyer, I'm only going to say this once. I'm an adult, and I'll make my own decisions about what happens to me. So I do appreciate the offer, I'm fine taking the bus." Kiana said, crossing her arms over her chest and not breaking eye contact for more than a second. Sawyer was flexing his jaw in discomposure.

Since when did he care about anyone having to stand outside in the cold? He should be glad those extra miles wouldn't be spent on his car but rather a public bus.

"Alright." He said, climbing back to bed and pulling the covers over himself. Kiana was a little upset that they were ending on an off note again, especially since they had sex last night. She decided she wouldn't let their day end like this again. She deserved a more cliché goodbye. So she walked up to his side of the bed, peeled the covers off his face and planted a sweet kiss on his slightly open lips. She pulled away and Sawyer opened his eyes to watch her. After a few seconds of watching one another, he spoke.

"What are you doing tonight?" He asked quietly. Kiana had spent 3 days in his home before he'd taken her out on a date and they made love after a little less than 2 weeks of knowing one another. Their relationship was working backwards. Now Sawyer was going to slow things down to a pace more suitable for them.

"I have work until 10." Kiana told him.

"Is that too late for us to get dinner?" He asked, not quite knowing if she'd feel comfortable eating so late. Kiana smirked, letting butterflies fill her with anticipation. Sawyer would finally take her on a date.

"Not at all." She smiled at him. Sawyer smirked at her cuteness from below her.

"I'll pick you up from there... Give—Can I have another kiss?" He rephrased his words to ensure a better chance of receiving what he wanted. Kiana chuckled and leaned down to meet his lips one more time. Sawyer let his hands wander over her back while her hands kept her supported over the bed.

Kiana arrived at work after classes already noting the change in atmosphere. Janelle and Kiana's argument hung in the air. Her only positive aspect of coming to work had turned into a negative so now she had nothing to look forward to. She opened the Employees only door and sat in front of her mirror beside Janelle's.

She hadn't come in yet, but Kiana knew she'd be due to show up soon. So Kiana put on some more mascara and separated her curls a little more. Just as she was about to get up and wash her hands to get started, Janelle sat down. She took off her jacket and put it on the back of her chair before splaying her hair over her shoulders to prep it for brushing.

Kiana did feel a little sorry for what she said the other day. But not enough to apologize for saying it. Janelle had put her in a difficult situation that could only be described as selfish on her part. So for now they weren't on speaking terms and that was fine, but sooner or later they'd be friends again and they both knew it. This wasn't their first dispute and it would never be their last.

"Have a good night everyone." Kiana told her last table of her shift which consisted of a family of 5. The youngest of the children, probably not even 2 years old waved his hands and smiled at her. He was preciously cute and had insisted on speaking to her every time she came by.

"See you sweetie." She said, waving back at the little boy while giving him an affectionate smile. She seemed to be in high spirits considering she and Janelle still weren't friends. They had ignored one another's existence all night and didn't even ask for favors as they usually did when they had the same shift. But Kiana had a date in a matter of minutes and she needed to get ready. So she hurried to get her things and change.

She knew she wouldn't have time to head back to the dorms so she brought along an outfit. It was a simple pair of black jeans, peach ballet flats and a flowing long sleeve blouse. She had on just a little too much makeup for her liking but it was already 10 minutes past. She opened the bathroom door and was on her way out until she walked into someone. The body held her firmly in place.

"I'm so sor—" She stopped short when she finally looked into the person's eyes and saw it was Sawyer. He looked a little angry, yet slightly dazed.

"I've been waiting for 15 minutes Kiana." He said, looking over her head and loosening his jaw. He was a stickler for punctuality. She left his grip and straightened her shirt.

"Sorry." She replied plainly. He took a deep sigh and headed to the front door, holding it open for her to exit. Kiana did and attempted to put on her coat while still carrying her bags.

"Stop walking." He grumbled. Kiana rolled her eyes; even when he was being nice he couldn't just be nice. He held the collar of her jacket and put it over her shoulder, making it easier for her to put her arm inside. He faced her and then let his eyes focus on the zipper. She watched him while he put care into securing her into it and almost chuckled at his focus. When it was finally zipped, he grabbed at the material over her breasts and used it to pull her closer to him. Kiana gasped inside his mouth while his lips crashed onto hers. His face was freezing but his mouth was entirely too warm. Kiana almost groaned when he pulled away and looked her sternly between the eyes.

"Don't keep me waiting again." He told her. He let her go and then proceeded to get to his car. He was walking so fast, he ended up a few feet ahead of Kiana. That was when she finally took him in. He wasn't wearing a coat even though it was a little below 50 degrees. But he did have on a pale blue—almost white ¾ sleeved button down tucked into low rise slacks. His somewhat brogue like shoes clacked on the pavement as he walked and his hair was parted carefully on the side. He never failed to look like a model.

As soon as Kiana got in the car they pulled off and onto the highway. They drove in silence and Kiana wondered what he was thinking about. Soon he pulled into a restaurant known for its prices. The Black Pearl was located in the heart of Newport and was recently debuted on The Today Show.

Sawyer opened her door and allowed her to step out. She thanked him quietly and they strolled to the front door. Once inside, they got their seats immediately. Kiana looked back at the handful of people waiting and wondered what strings Sawyer pulled to have their table already prepared.

Kiana sat right in front of Sawyer and took in the room. It had an old Benjamin Franklin sort of feel and she absolutely loved it. She looked around a little more and finally noticed the people. They looked pretty snobby and familiar with the restaurant. She tried to stifle a laugh when she realized she was the only black person in the entire restaurant. Not a waiter, waitress or customer was of any sort of color. Instead of feeling out of place, she found it amusing. Sawyer looked up at her over the menu with a raised brow.

"What's funny?" He asked.

"Nothing." She said, not quite sure if he'd understand the joke. Kiana should've known better then to think Sawyer would let it go, because he continued to give her an expectant look.

"I'm the only black person here." She whispered, finally giving into his glare. Against her assumption, he cracked a light smile and looked around before snorting a laugh. The waiter came by and asked for their drinks.

"The Viña Carm—" Kiana cut him short.

"Sawyer." She warned with big eyes.

"Shit." He whispered under his breath. He kept forgetting Kiana wasn't anywhere near the legal drinking age. They'd definitely be escorted out if he attempted to order a bottle of wine for a 19 year old.

"Alright, just a glass." He replied. Kiana ordered a sweetened iced tea.

After ordering their food, they were beginning to loosen up and communicate more with one another. Sawyer was leaning back in his chair and Kiana's legs were casually crossed.

"So what do you plan on doing with that psychology degree?" He asked her.

"Teach it. I definitely don't want to be a psychiatrist so that's the next best thing." She said simply.

"Tell me about what they teach you in college. I never understood how you could learn the explanation to why people do certain things." Kiana shifted in her seat and prepared to give him a quick rundown of the basics of psychology.

"Everyone's brain is essentially the same. We have all the same parts and they function the same ways. So when a traumatic experience, injury, deformation effects one person's brain, it's pretty much easy to say it would happen to anyone who's gone through what they've endured. Therefore we use that basis of teaching it." As if ready to challenge all that she's said, Sawyer sat a little closer to the table and folded his hands over the table.

"So you're saying that everyone has a reason for why they are who they are." He stated.

"Exactly." Kiana retorted, knowing all too well the truth of that sentence. Every breath she took, Arabesque she preformed, scowl produced on her profile and order written in her notepad had its own purpose that was too great of a purpose to be ignored. But they all made her who she was.

"Tell me why I am who I am." He gave her a sultry, devious smile. Kiana returned it. She had already raked her brain of this topic and had come to a sound conclusion that she was willing to share.

"I think as a child you were using a lot of cognition. That's the process of how people store, use and process information. You've seen how operating in a forceful, careless way has positive results and you learned to act on it. This merges into a Psychoanalytic approach which is all that I've said, but becomes apparent into adulthood after being witnessed in the upbringing. So I don't think the source of this behaviour is in your life anymore, because I personally don't think you two wouldn't make a great match. As far as your derogatory view on women, it involves your mother or maybe even a close sister. But something has happened to make you view them as nothing more than objects. Which is a shame because I'm sure that you, at one point if not still do, see me as a triumphant conquer."

Sawyer laughed out of astonishment which came across as something different. He read the discouragement on Kiana's face as she embraced the false thought that she was completely wrong about her assessment. She felt terrible and contemplated visiting the bathroom but that would give her away too much. Looking at Sawyer, you'd think his family was happily together living in a mansion on the other side of town all the while giving Sawyer monthly allowances. She couldn't believe she thought it would've been anything different.

Sawyer could see her troubled appearance and fought himself over the idea of telling her she was absolutely correct. But he wasn't ready to disclose his disturbing childhood with a psychiatrist so in essence, he wasn't ready to disclose them with her. She budged a little in her seat and Sawyer could hardly handle seeing her so nerved although it was obvious she was trying to hide it.

"Kiana, it's alright." He cooed, looking her in her brown eyes that were fixed somewhere else. The rest of their night was quiet, and hardly any words were spoken.

It was close to 12 o'clock when they arrived at Kiana's dorms. She took off her seatbelt and gathered her bags.

"Thanks for dinner." She told him, opening the car door and stepping out.

"Night." He mumbled. Kiana trudged up the walkway and opened the front door. Sighing in relief and exhaustion as she closed the door behind herself. But it came back at her with full force and intense blue eyes startled her to a small screech. The sound only lasted a fraction of a second because Sawyer's lips were perfectly lining over hers. His hand was decisively wrapped around her midsection and the other moulding their pelvises into one. Kiana melted into his arms just as he pulled away, ending their kiss with three, noisy sudden pecks on her swollen lips. Kiana put some distance between them and shifted on her two feet, feeling a little light headed.

"I'll call you tomorrow." He said, stepping out the door and adjusting his pants on the way back to his car.

**

"Stretch it out." Naomi announced. Kiana took her spot on the ground and waited for her to give the announcements. She took languid steps along the length of the room.

"Tomorrow is thanksgiving, and I'm expecting all of you to visit the homeless shelter for a few hours with two pans of one dish." Naomi said, glancing everyone over for silent confirmation. Kiana had plans to spend her morning at the shelter and the rest of the day with her dad. It was the least she could do considering Naomi was letting her dance pretty much tuition free. "That's all, you're free to go."

Kiana took the bus back to her dad's house and walked up the steps, using her key to unlock the door. She put her bags in their usual spots and walked toward his room. Nicolette was sitting in the chair while he slept in bed. Kiana gave her a light smile and joined him under the quilt. She nuzzled into his side, taking in his scent and eventually fell asleep.

*

Kiana made three pans of mashed potatoes with one pot of gravy. She stood behind the cafeteria like counters in her yoga pants and dance company jacket. She served the food to each person that came by, smiling and wishing them a 'Happy Thanksgiving'.

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too gorgeous." The voice hit her as familiar but as she looked for its source, she discovered it was a complete stranger. He had piercing foggy eyes paired with a Jesus facial structure hidden under long hair and a full beard peppered in greys. He was over 6"5 yet skinny in the most attractive of ways. Kiana smiled modestly.

"Thanks." She replied. He seemed to admire her for a little bit longer before he gave her a wicked grin full of obvious lust. But to her surprise, Kiana didn't feel uncomfortable under his watchful eye. She took his flirtation as a compliment more than anything else.

"Come to my table when you finish here sweetheart." He said, finally stepping away from the counter to join some other people she could only guess were his friends.

"He's pretty hot for an old homeless man." Ann, another dancer in the company said. She had snow white skin and auburn hair. She and Kiana only spoke every once in awhile, but when they did, they seemed to be the perfect match. Kiana laughed at her comment.

"I guess he is." She replied, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

*

Kiana joined the man's table after the shelter's doors closed and excluded those who didn't arrive on time. She had a cup of eggnog in her hand that she sat on the table. The man's eyes seemed to rake over her features as she took her seat he had left specifically for her.

"I'm Kiana." She introduced herself, reaching a hand over the table.

"Richard." He smiled and took her hand. He had intentions of pursuing her but now that he'd finally taken in how young and inexperienced she was, he didn't deserve her body. She was too much of a clean slate matched up to his closet of skeletons.

"Nice to meet you." She said, she brought her cup up to her lips but Richard's sour expression captured her attention. "What?" She asked.

"Here honey." He said, taking a little bottle of Jack Daniels and pouring some inside her cup. Kiana chuckled as he took a cautious look around before putting it back inside his pocket.

"Tastes like shit without it." He grumbled, continuing to eat for a little bit. Kiana watched as he scraped mashed potatoes off his plate and savoured the gravy she'd made from scratch.

"You enjoying the food?" Kiana asked. He nodded in approval.

"Probably one of the best meals I've had in awhile." They sat in silence for a little bit longer. Kiana took a sip of her now alcoholic beverage and allowed the warmness to settle comfortably in her pit.

"I don't mean any disrespect but you don't look like a dancer at all." He said, looking around the room. The dancers were now sitting at various tables, some eating, most of them just talking. Kiana was the only black woman in the adult section of the company and she was used to being the odd one out.

"I know. There aren't a lot of bla—" Richard cut her short.

"No, I'm not talking about that. You're the only one in here with some fucking meat attached to your bones." He growled in a disgusted voice, glancing around the room. Kiana chuckled.

"Well thanks I guess." She replied with a smile.

"You're welcome honey." He said, taking a sip of his drink.

"So what are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking." Kiana said, toying with her hands below the table. Christmas music played in the background now and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Richard sighed before giving her a dazzling smile as if the story was a long, hard journey he had to endure with things to surmount on the way.

"I always made bad decisions but shit, I can't do anything about it now so I'm not going to torture myself with regret. I turned some important people against me and I got mixed up in some drugs. I spent every penny I had gambling, getting high, and prostitutes— dumb shit. So now I'm a handsome man on the street." He finished, with a dazzling smile. Indeed he was handsome. His grey eyes were intense and beautiful.

"I'm sorry to hear that. No family you could turn to?" She pressed, sensing for some reason it would be alright to question him a little further.

"None that would want my ass around." He chuckled honestly, giving her a knowing look. "But it's fine. I find some comfort in knowing that they're safe and I'm the only fuck-up in the family. Hopefully I can be an example." He said waving a philosophical hand in the air.

"How many kids do you have?" Kiana asked.

"Four beautiful kids—adults I should say." He corrected, entering a daze. She could only guess he was picturing the obvious loves of his lives in his mind. She could see he loved them.

"Do you want to be in their lives?" That question had its own meaning. Did he want to be sober, get off the streets and find a job to ensure he was a stable man? He thought over it for awhile and gave her a curious look.

"I guess I do. I never really thought of it like that. It always seemed like a 'get clean' sort of situation. Seeing it as a bridge to getting to know my children better gives me a new... feel." Kiana was a little proud that she might've been changing his life by the minute.

"Well, I'm here for you if you need motivational speaking." Kiana told him honestly. She'd do what it took to help him; because it was clear he wanted a different life for himself. If he wanted to admit it to his conscious, she didn't know. Richard was trying to convince himself it was nothing he could do to change his past and not trying to change his future.

"That's nice to know love." He replied, giving her a sweet smile. "So what's going on with you—I'm talking 'bout my damn life story and you aren't saying a word." He took another deep swallow of his drink.

"I'm in school, I dance... that's all I can say really." Richard seemed unimpressed.

"No boyfriend?" Kiana thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure if that's what we're calling it." He gave a confused look and she quickly restated her sentence. "Neither of us has established if we're in a relationship or not." Were she and Sawyer dating? They were acting more and more like a couple, but dating didn't come naturally to her so she had no idea.

"He's a fucking idiot if he hasn't made it clear by now." Richard said to himself. Kiana sighed.

"He might've, I just haven't noticed." She said, defending Sawyer.

"Well, he's a lucky man. You're a beautiful young woman with her head on straight. He should kiss the ground you walk on." Kiana smiled.

"Thank you... If I got you a ticket to the Nutcracker show next month would you come?" Kiana asked.

"If you're dancing, of course." He replied with a smile.

"I will be." She said. She had some major parts in the dance which had surprised her. Considering the Swan number was meant to be portrayed by snowy skinned dancers.

"I can't wait." Richard told her. They spoke for a few more hours about nothing but then again everything. She handed him a piece of paper with her phone number so she could give him more information on the tickets. He promised he'd call a week before. She finally departed after the 3rd hour and they both left together, going down separate ends of the block. For some reason Kiana felt strangely comfortable in his presence, as if she'd known him for awhile and they were just friends visiting again.