Crushing the small piece of paper in his hand Kid once again stuffed it back into a pocket as if to seal the memories that were being drawn from the coat. His fingers slid into another pocket grazing the cool smooth surface of an unseen object tucked within the shadowed space, but he refused to acknowledge the thin plastic surface. He knew exactly what it was, but he wasn't ready for it, not yet. Retreating almost instantly, he dug deeper into another pocket. Excavating another artifact of a forgotten memory, a girl he had promised himself to put away, shutting her up in a small white box so he didn't have to revisit the pain, the mistakes he made. Again, reliving his self-made despondency, torturing himself with the past or maybe torturing himself with the future that could have been... that should have been.

Unfurling his hand from a pocket 3 black buttons glinted in the center of his palm. They shined like the shells of beetles beneath the dull lighting of the lamp next to his bed. He smiled at the thought of Athina picking up the small pieces from the alleyway. She had always squirreled away little treasures, trash to everyone but her. She saw them as tokens to collect, memories to relive. That he had once sent her large bouquets, perfume, or fancy delicate lace, trying to seduce her was laughable, they were soulless gifts and she had sent them all back one by one. He would however always find little pieces of him or them tucked away, hidden in a book, a drawer, a shelf.

A flower he had given her pressed between pages for safe keeping, scrap paper he tore from a book to write her his secrets, she had been so pissed at him until she read his words... the damaged pages meant nothing after that. A random flier she had taken from the museum as they had dinner, her smile more beautiful than he had ever seen, a nickel he had found and given to her to start paying back the cost of her store always being closed for him. All of them were so meaningless but meant the world to her. Before he left, he had taken everything, every small piece from her collection of him, as if to erase himself from her, those moments they shared or created left with him, trying to find control over the pieces to a game they had both ended up losing to.

Rolling over the round buttons in his palm. The sound they made being ripped away from their threads echoed in his mind. Bits of plastic pinging off the brick walls with such force as he tugged at the thin fabric of her summer dress in the alleyway. Hearing her gasp between a wicked smile as she tried to keep composure underneath him, her arms still laced around the handlebars of his motorcycle, gripping the metal tightly as he uncovered her. Hearing her voice, he was once again lost to another talisman of the past.

"Thief." He teased, eyes dipping seductively through a curtain of dark hair. His leather-bound hands slowly inching up the golden skin he just finished exposing.

"Liar." She responded with just as much debauchery, tilting her body toward him.

It was a Friday or maybe Sunday... then again possibly even a Tuesday. All the days seemed to meld together within the walls of Athina's apartment. Seconds, minutes, hours meant nothing anymore as long as he was there with her, but she was starting to feel claustrophobic. Days on end without leaving, not feeling the sun on her skin, or the gentle autumn breeze as it had only been allowed to blow through her windows, the curtains dancing slightly. He didn't want to leave, not yet, content in playing out his pauper's fantasy, his starving artist facade that allowed him to shut everything out around him... everything but her. Again, she was held a willing captive except this time it was within her own space and not his hotel. Somehow, he managed to still be the one in control, or at least she thought he was. Finally though he relented, agreeing to take her for a ride on his bike.

They had spent all morning looking for his belongings, his shirt, which Athina refused produce, tucking it away for her own selfish reasons. Then finding his jacket, his glasses, his gloves, his keys whose location was still a mystery. It had seemed like a fruitless search; she knew each item would again be thrown into corners unknown just as they had been days before. Their bodies struggling through the glass door of her shop, a mass of limbs and lips making their way up her staircase. He was wasting time on a trivial pursuit, and she knew it, but she wanted to see how it would all play out in the end.

In the alleyway next to Athina's shop Kid's bike sat parked next to hers with no intention of leaving its current stationary state. He loved the idea of her little black vintage Bonniville next to his bigger, more powerful machine. They lounged on his bike facing each other, her legs carelessly tossed over his, the simple floral dress she wore slipped dangerously exposing the soft glow of her upper thighs pressing against him. As they spoke quietly ever so often, he would casually lift a leather clad hand and undo a button from her dress. One from the top... then one from the bottom, one from the top... then one from the bottom, till there were only four buttons left clinging to each other. Her conversation never wavered, she knew he was hoping for an objection or a small breath catching her in anticipation, but she steadied herself and her thoughts against him. Wrapping her arms around the handlebars taking in the coolness of the breeze that made it through the darkened alley. The sweetness from the rain days before clung to the ancient brick that surrounded them. The damp shadows created a cave for them to hide within as shoppers passed by on the sidewalk just yards away.

"We just gonna sit here all day while you undress me?" Athina feigned annoyance. Of course, he was undressing her in the alleyway, and she would allow him to do it as many times as he wanted to. The moment he said yes to her pleading for a bike ride, she knew this exact outcome, further solidified by the lack of jingling keys in his jacket pockets. All she had wanted was a change of scenery from the four walls and the mattress held within, and that's what he was giving her. "Come on Kid, you promised."

"To undress you? Looks like I'm keeping that promise then." Without even a glance another button was undone. "Besides who says I'm not gonna take you for a ride?" Wiggling her hips softly from side to side over his, she let him know the kind of ride she knew she was expecting to receive.

"Liar... you find your keys?" She questioned though she knew the truth he shielded behind his mirrored shades.

"No." His voice was stoic, vague, but he gripped the soft skin of her thighs tightly, widening the gap in the loosened fabric. It fell cascading behind her as more and more of her skin peeked through.

"You didn't look very hard, did you?"

"Nope."

"Wanna take mine then?" Athina glanced at her lonely little bike next to them. She would be a little disappointed if the answer that followed was yes. Though she wondered how long she could get away with pretending not to find her keys.

"No... you find my shirt?"

"No." It had never been lost to begin with. She wasn't ready to give it back... not yet. He had come through her door with only the clothes on his back, though recently he had been more than happy not wearing any. She knew she would have to wash it eventually and the thought of erasing their memories as they mingled through the threads made the reality they were hiding from that much closer.

"Thief."

Slightly shrugging her shoulders at his playful accusation, "We aren't leaving, so it's not like you're gonna need it anyway." He was so effortless in his sexiness, leaning back against the seat of his motorcycle. The dark knit of his jumper rolled down exposing the perfect curve in the dip leading to his hips, the tiny glimpse of his pelvis as it edged the bottom of his leather jacket excited her. Watching her reflection in his glasses she tried to extinguish it as soon as it began. Tucking his arms behind his head he flexed every lovely ripple. He would try to tell her he was just wanting to get comfortable, but of course he was showing off. He adjusted his body into the seat, and with that small movement Athina slid further into him. Bumping against the growing thickness between his thighs she let out a soft longing gasp. As that unconscious sound left her lips, her stomach tensed, she knew she had just lost.

"Chicken." His voice lifted softly from his lips. He had been playing for days and it seemed she always yielded to him and his body. A soft moan or latent sigh before she would catch herself. He reveled in that small dominance over her and pointed it out every time. She would try to recenter herself against him but somehow, he always found a way to make her slip, revealing a part of herself she tried to keep from him. He had hoped there was more there buried behind the sound of her breathy desires.

Giving a huff of actual annoyance this time, she inched her body away from his, lacing her arms tighter around the handlebars so she couldn't slide into him. Tugging at the hem of her dress he tried to bring her body back down on his, but she refused... this was his punishment.

"Come on."

"No." She smiled in defiance trying to prove she had an ounce of control over him.

"Athina..." Her name left him in a low pleading grumble. That was her favorite sound, and she would deny him at every turn so he would continue the chase. If he could play games, so could she, and she loved this one because when she finally allowed herself to be caught by him, his hands, his mouth would be so abrasive trying greedily to make up for any lost moment denied him, but his eyes would always tell a different story. Not of power, or control, or even ravenous lust but of need and she so desperately wanted to be needed, especially by him.

Her back arched against the metal of the gas tank as he continued to tug, the delicate fabric created gaps between the three lonely buttons still holding their threads. The soft tissue of her breast bounced with every tug egging him on, until the rounded edge of a tawny peak poked through the loosened cloth. Beginning to pull more forcefully wanting to feel the weight of her thighs against his, he was growing impatient. "Come on, A."

"No." Throwing up her foot to stop her body from slipping, the curve of her toe playfully traced the supple flesh of his ass, dipping beneath the rolled fabric. She had said no, but that was only for his prying apparently. Taking her foot in his hand he began to skirt the line of hair that trimmed the center of his lithe frame. The softness of the pad of her foot took in each muscle as he slowly inched her toward his shoulder. He watched her intently daring her to slip and produce a sound, but she bit her lip through slow concentrated breaths, she wasn't ready to give up so easily.

Bringing the tenuous flesh of her instep to his full lips he pressed carefully, thoughtfully, as if this gentle act of tenderness had been his intention all along. Faulting underneath the warmth, she finally allowed her body to nudge against him in the rider's seat. Any sweetness he had showed her was a trap, the moment she loosened her grip on the handlebars and fell into him, his body arched over hers. Gripping tightly the hem of her dress in his hands, he tore at the buttons, their threads snapping almost instantly against his forceful fingers. The small sound of plastic hitting brick finally gave him relief as he flung the fabric back exposing all of her to him.

"Hey." Her voice raised in protest but softened almost as quickly as he buried his face into her. The cool rim of his sunglasses pressing against her downy flesh, she soaked in the sweetness of his touch.

"It's fine, I'll just buy you a new one." His lip pulled gently away from her skin; he smiled as it snapped back into place. He would buy her as many dresses as she wanted if he got to stay between the thighs the fabric covered.

"I don't know how? I've checked your pockets, you ain't got no coin." She taunted him. It was so easy to forget who he was, or how he had ended up here. That he wasn't just some poor unknown troubadour on the back of a motorcycle, no matter how much he loved to lean into that story. Somewhere there were multiplatinum records, there were stadiums filled to the brim with uproarious adoration, somewhere he woke up to the most beautiful faces in the most beautiful places, but to her that somewhere wasn't here, in the darkened back alley of a little bookshop, a little bookshop owned by a simple girl in Minneapolis.

"Thief." Again, the accusation fell from him so easily, though in reality he had consumed every piece she had offered up to him, and still he wanted more.

"I told you there was nothing in there to take." She chuckled.

"Fine, I'll sew them back on then." The idea of watching him darn her dress by candlelight was far too amusing.

"Liar..." She teased through fallen curls. "But I really liked this dress."

"Me too... I like it better open." The full weight of her hips finally resting on his he began to slowly widen her thighs to him, uncovering more parts of her. The rosy tone of her glistening center always made his mouth water. That pink was always one of his favorite colors, especially hers. He had felt that familiar slickness rubbing against him as soon as he popped that first button. And as much as she would roll her eyes at him, or deny him entry, her body would give her away instantly. She wanted him, she seemed to always want him, and he hoped it would stay that way. All the teasing, the taunting, built tension between them, and right before it would bubble over, they would get lost in consuming each other. "It's about 3 o'clock. If you want that ride, you'll have to be quiet."

"Then don't make me scream." She looked to the sidewalk, the street was busy with feet, busy with cars. She was sure no one would hear them or even care. Her windows had always been open anyway and she was certain their carnal sounds carried below. A few couple stories wouldn't make much of a difference.

"No promises."

"Then no promises." Athina shrugged nonchalantly as if his challenge was nothing. Though she was well aware how hard he could push her body, how loud those sounds of ecstasy he brought forth could be.

"You're gonna go to jail." He chuckled lowly at her fraudulent arrogance.

"Will you visit me?" She looked to him her eyes widening coyly hoping to the hear the adorning words he would often whisper sweetly as he held her.

"Only if it's conjugal." Slickly those words instead left his lips as they curled into a grin.

"Oh y... oh ohhhh mmmmm." Her witty remark was cut short by a moan as it escaped her as he pressed the rounded head of his stiffness against the plumpness of her bud.

"Chicken." That rosy tint deepening between her thighs, as her blood began to rush with anticipation.

"That one doesn't count." Athina spoke through clinched teeth in frustration. At every turn he bested her. As she got older, she had always been the one in control but with him it seemed she could never find it or hold on to it. "Do it again."

Taking his shaft firmly he knocked against the delicate skin. She was prepared this time and arched her eyebrow rebelliously as if she was unimpressed. He tried once more making small circles around the sensitive tissue. The little bead of liquid that began to form at his tip made a lovely trail joining her slickness as he traced further down her folds. She never uttered a sound at his gentle prodding, but he knew exactly what would. Slipping himself in he caught her off guard. She watched intently as he joined them together, arching her hips towards him she slid down slowly. She let out a gasping moan; the slow rumble that began was quieted as his lips met her throat.

"Shhhh, baby." His deep voice whispered closely to her as he eased her body down his shaft. Her knees being draped over the crook of his elbows, fingers tightly wrapped around her thighs, he pushed deliberately, she bit down on her lip quietly whimpering. Sometimes he moved far too slow for her and the need for him would become almost maddening. His lips, his voice, his hands, his eyes, all seemed too much to take at times. As her volume started to rise, she felt another deep 'Shhhh' against her heated skin.

Opening her eyes, she tried to find his within her mirrored shadow. Another small broken moan escaped her as he drew back only to ease himself smoothly back in. "Don't you ruin this." The words hitched in her chest, hoping she wouldn't hear his taunting of chicken.

"No, not this one." He wouldn't dare stop that sound as it escaped her, he wanted to hear it again. It was gentle, melodic as it left her, there was an innocence there, it reminded him of the slight cooing of a dove. He loved that sound; he loved all her sounds. The way she would squeal getting lost in the joy of her euphoria, the way her voice would deepen as she begged him to push harder, the way she would throw her moans into his mouth, feeling it echo against the back of his throat, finding ownership in every vibration he had caused within her. Most of all he loved that she had so many more sounds to discover, that she had only given him a few notes and the Gemini in him wanted to own them all.

"You gonna take off your glasses?"

"No, I want you to watch yourself. I want you to see what I see." With his hips picking up speed his thrust deepened. She saw herself smile as her eyes rolled closed. Watching herself was too much in these moments. She hated seeing the longing there, hidden behind all her lustful intentions it always shown through, that piece of her that yearned for him. The piece that wanted more than just his body, more than his company, the piece of her he completed. She hoped he couldn't make it out behind the movement of her hips.

He always revved her body like an engine. She always wanted hard and fast, losing herself to the intensity of it all. Then like an amusement park ride she would rush to go again to relive the bliss she had just finished, her body still reeling in the memory. Kid on the other hand liked it slow, finally finding the patience, wanting to feel every move her body made against his. Carefully taking in each part that he could. He had found a happy medium alternating between them both. Not allowing her to heat up or cool down too quickly. His thrusts would be hard, fast, feeling for her thighs beginning to quiver, the tightness she had held around him with precision start to faulter. His hips would back off slowing down so she could steady her breathing, finding herself more aware in the moment. But in this moment, she wasn't having any of it, she didn't want to share. They had let that tension rise too far to the surface and there was only one way she wanted to be ridden... her way.

"Harder." Her voice echoed through the alleyway. "Yes." She moaned even louder as he bent her body further into his motorcycle. The shocks on the bike doubling his thrusts. His feet planted firmly on the asphalt beneath him, as her toes curled towards the buildings above, the sun barely reaching into their corner of heaven.

The thought of all her small sighs were completely erased, any encouraging 'Shhhh' was ignored. He knew the exact sound that was coming, his name as it would bounce beautifully off the brick walls. He so desperately wanted to hear it, wanted to feel it, know he was the one that brought her to that place. But out of impulse his hand so gingerly reached down and covered her mouth, and she bit him. With the sudden sting and the look of unbridled lust that glowed all over her face, he came before she could.

His chest heaving against her, he pushed back his damp hair. "Really?" He questioned lightly with an exhausted kiss, trying and failing to find composure.

"You're the one that put it there. Should have made you promise not to scream." The perfect exasperated tone of his voice still reverberating through the alleyway. "Didn't even let a lady finish."

"What kind of lady bites a musician's hand?" Shaking his hand from his wrist, Kid smiled at the viciousness of the girl he was just fucking. She had always seemed to nibble, nip but never bite, again he found another new piece to collect.

"The same kind of lady that's been walking around with your teeth marks on her ass for the better part of a week." The purple bruise he had left on her finally fading into her skin. "It can't be that bad, I bit you on the meaty part anyway."

"Could have said the same thing about your ass. It's all the meaty part though." Grabbing tightly the soft round flesh behind her he squeezed relentlessly making her body jump forward into his.

"Haven't heard you complaining."

"Absolutely not... but it could be a little juicier..." Playfully patting the fullness he made her bounce, taking every opportunity to grab at her.

"Oh, so we're critiquing bodies now. 'Cause I can start my own list for the complaint department."

"Yeah, uh no." Nervously he scratched his eyebrow as it arched over the rim of his glasses. "Come on... your ass is perfect, and you know it."

"Maybe." Her lips curved, head tilting demurely as she accepted his quasi-complement. "Well, it used to be, now it's damaged goods."

"So just like my hand then? We even?"

"Lemme see." Taking his hand into hers she carefully pulled back the leather against his skin. Her handiwork shown bright red on the palm of his hand. The toughness of the glove not allowing the full impact of her bite to come through. Her teeth leaving small indentions that encircled the fleshiness under his thumb. She loved the idea that her mark was left upon his Mount of Venus, she kissed it sweetly as if to seal it. Peeling back the rest of the glove she placed his hand against the warmth of her breast. Squeezing lightly, he cupped the weight in his hand, marveling how perfectly it fit there. Rolling his thumb over her nipple, she smiled.

"See, it still works. You big baby." She teased leaning her body closer to him.

"You gonna take care of me?"

"For as long as you'll let me." She said wistfully, taking off his glasses she slipped them on. She was tired of looking at her reflection, tired of looking at the truth that screamed back at her, the truth she knew he could see.

Leaning in closer to him, her lips left a trail against his moist skin, drying off each piece she touched. As he leaned into the back rest of the passenger seat, she laced her fingers behind his neck allowing the full weight of her body to melt into his. Burrowing into the crook of his neck she found her comfortable spot inside his coat as she always had. Wrapping his arms underneath her dress, with his forearm he pushed up the roundness of her ass, making her body lean into him tighter. With her enveloping all his senses, he let out a slow satisfied grunt.

Reaching up to his ear Athina whispered... "Chicken."

Bread and Music III

For it was in my heart you moved among them,

And blessed them with your hands and with your eyes;

And in my heart, they will remember always, -

They knew you once, O beautiful and wise.

Conrad Potter Aiken