Decker #10

The bed was pretty comfortable. The temptation to let it draw him down into the softness of sleep was strong, but the nervous excitement in his belly was stronger. Jade wasn't the most beautiful woman Decker had ever seen, but she was the most beautiful woman that had ever expressed such an interest in him. He hoped she wasn't just being flirtatious. He was definitely going to do a little moon-gazing.
Aida was still chattering away, but her words were muffled; her head was tucked under her wing. Degren had tossed and turned for what seemed an eternity, but now he was quiet, his breathing slow and regular. Cletus had fallen onto his bed and started snoring instantly; he'd obviously consumed a good deal of the liquor he'd "liberated". Decker hoped Aida was talking in her sleep; he wasn't going to wait any longer.
He eased off his bed, grimacing at every rustle and creak. He tiptoed to the door and turned the knob; it opened silently. He let his gaze slide over his sleeping comrades in the silvery moonlight. What a crazy ride, he thought. Like I fell down the rabbit hole.
He turned the knob again and pulled the door closed. It was weird how silently it pulled shut; not even the snick of a catch. Very well-maintained. Hmm.
But hopefully, the lovely Jade awaited him out under the stars. He ambled down the hall toward the stairs. The sound of carousing drifted up softly. At the bottom of the stairs he had a choice; go left and through the doors that led back to the room full of revelers, or right down the long, door-lined hall. At the end was another door.
He didn't want to brave the crowd in the saloon. Hoping the door at the end led outside, he strode to the right.
He was in luck. The knob turned, not a quietly as the one to their room, but it still opened the door. He slipped out onto a tree-lined patio. Five wrought-iron tables stood with chairs upturned on them. Obviously not a lot of nature lovers here, Decker thought.
He strolled the rim of the patio until he came to a break in the trees. There was a foot path worn in the dirt. Well, Jade wasn't on the patio. "Might as well investigate," he muttered. He poked his head out past the trees. The path veered left along the treeline, back toward the roadhouse.
The trees met the end of the building right at the corner. There were windows along the ground floor, and small balconies above each window. There was light coming out of some of the windows, but thankfully they were all curtained. Jade was leaning on the rail of the fourth balcony; as advertised, staring at the large blue-white moon. Decker padded softly along the footpath, but the crunch of gravel gave him away just as he approached her balcony.
She startled slightly, but almost immediately giggled, raised a wineglass to her lips and took a lazy swallow. "Well, if it isn't little fuzzy. Where's big fuzzy?"
"Ah, he's sleeping," Decker tried to keep the nervous quaver out of his voice. "I don't think he's much into, um, skin anyway."
"You say 'skin' like it's a bad thing, sweets. Don't you think little Jade has nice fur where it matters?"
"Oh, um, that's not me, you know, who doesn't like, er, skin. Especially skin as soft and pretty as yours." Decker was warming up slowly, but starting to get more comfortable.
Well why don't you come on up and have a glass of wine with me, cutey-pie? Maybe you'll find out if this skin is as soft as you think."
He didn't want to go all the way back around and up the stairs. There really wasn't anything to climb, though. He wondered if he could make the jump to the balcony. Might be embarrassing....but what the hell. He crouched, steeled himself, and sprang.
He easily reached the top of the railing and vaulted himself onto the balcony. Wow! These furry bodies were definitely a bit more agile than the one he was used to. He was glad he hadn't had to duke it out with Degren, back before the "change".
"My, we're springy!" Jade's eyes were wide, and she sized him up in a whole new light. Decker felt the warm glow of her admiration melting into him like Arizona sun. "Mmmmm...let me get you a glass, tiger!" She disappeared into the room, quickly returning with a second glass and her bottle. "Let's toast," she said, "to a strange and beautiful evening!"
Decker raised his glass, and she slid one leg between his, gently hooking her heel behind his calf. She tossed back the rest of her wine and pressed herself to him, tucking her nose in against his neck and unleashing a hot stream of breath as she slid her chin along his shoulder. He took a long pull from his glass, all the while looking for a place to set it down. He tentatively put his other hand in the small of her back; she took his wrist and pulled the hand down to her shapely rump. "So...is it as soft as you'd imagined?"
"Oh, even softer. Magnificently soft."
"I have even softer places for you to...explore." She pulled free and took his elbow. "Come inside, won't you? And be a dear; grab the wine."
Well, things had definitely taken a turn for the better, Decker thought. He snagged the bottle and followed. Her glass was nearly empty; he flourished the bottle and she nodded. He poured, finished his and poured it full.
She led him to the lone bed in the small room, motioned him to sit, then writhed up into his lap, her lips brushing his. She'd set her glass on a small table at the head of the bed; he followed suit and centered his face on hers, let his lips float fully onto hers. Her hands were inside his shirt, stroking the soft fur on his chest; her tongue played at the inside of his upper lip, then darted in to wrestle his tongue.
He let his hands wander over her; stroking, gently probing, occasionally eliciting a soft moan. It was a slow, patient dance they did together to shed each others' clothes, until, like a revelation, they were naked and in each others' arms. She was poised over him; she let herself slide slowly down...
Suddenly his heart thundered in his chest, and his lungs burned in panic. What was he doing? Oh, Degren, dear Degren, what would you think if you saw us here? He tried to shrink into the mattress, but it was too late; he was inside her, and she was moaning, moaning like some she-devil, thundering against him like some terrible earthquake, and he was frozen, there was nothing he could do as she thrust and writhed, Degren forgive me! Constellations of white-hot stars seared through his eyes, his brain, and he shook as his body took over, meeting her thunder with animal insistence until they collapsed together in a pool of sweat. He tried to ease her off gently, but she clung to him as though he were the broken mast of her wrecked ship. the air was thick in his lungs; he felt the gorge rising in his throat. He pushed at her harder, and in the moonlight she watched the question in her eyes turn to hurt and regret as she saw the look of horror on his face. "I'm sorry...." he whispered, over and over as she dressed, "I'm so sorry.... so sorry...."