#marlo ryder

"Really?" She'd had him pegged as a whiskey or scotch drinker and she loved being right. "How many has he had? Would it be over the line to send him another?"

"He's just had the one. You've seen it hasn't been the slowest night for him, attention-wise."

Marlo took a deep breath. "Give him one more on me, would you, Ryan?"

The bartender smiled at her. "Sure thing, Lolo. If you ask me, you should go over--he could use a night off and a good lay; hasn't gotten any since the divorce eight years ago. If I was his type, I'd try to change that, but, alas, I have a penis."

Marlo snorted. Ryan sauntered down the length of the bar, prepping the drink exactly as he had before, making his way towards the stranger with the proffered drink. They had been building up this rapport for the better part of a year and had become fast friends so even though she didn't drink alcohol, he still let her hang out to read and she always tipped well. The bar was just down the street from her apartment and on her off days from being an Alliance Peacekeeper, this was where she came. She didn't even mind the nickname anymore, though she'd fought so hard against it at first. She couldn't remember ever being this nervous–she was no blushing virgin, having left a string of broken hearts behind her since she was 17, but he was an older man…Hell, apparently had already been married once, and she hoped she hadn't been reading the signs all wrong and was about to make a complete fool of herself, a few sultry glances she hoped were worth the risk.

Harry looked up from his datapad at the bartender as he placed another drink in front of him with a flourish and a wink, one eyebrow cocked in confusion and waving a hand dismissively.

"I didn't order this."

"One scotch and water, compliments of the lady down the bar--the one with the piercing teal eyes."

The drop dead gorgeous one who'd been making eyes at him every time she looked up from her book. The one he'd been hoping would come over and save him from himself. The one–he'd admit–he'd been imagining taking home and fucking six ways to Sunday. That one. Sure, she was younger than him, half his age by the looks of her and he really shouldn't have even been entertaining the idea, but if the way she emphasized her breasts whenever she caught him looking was any indication, she wanted this as badly as he did. He smiled at her down the bar and lifted the glass in her direction in thanks and took a drink. She grabbed her purse and shoved her book into it as she slid off her stool and came around the bar, Harry almost wishing she hadn't, her dress leaving precious little to the imagination. It was a soft baby pink thing that matched the ends of her dark hair, with a plunging cowl neckline revealing a gold body chain necklace nestled between and probably around her breasts, a satin fabric that hugged her every curve, the skirt barely long enough to cover her ass, her long, bare legs accentuated by a pair of strappy matching stilettos. She'd been wanting to pick someone up in that get-up and had her sights set on him from the moment he entered the bar. He bit back a groan as she got closer–with how skin-tight the dress was, he didn't see how she could be wearing underwear and the horny, red-blooded male in him wanted to push her against a wall, shove that tight little skirt above her hips and feast.

She stuck out a perfectly manicured hand, and he should've guessed her nails would be pink too. "Ari."

"Harry, but considering you got chatty enough with the bartender to get my drink order, you already knew that didn't you?" His grey-green eyes sparkled with amusement.

Marlo flushed, her cheeks the same color as the ends of her hair and her whole ensemble. "I figured it was only polite to buy you a drink considering we've been eye-fucking each other all night."

Heat headed south, causing a prominent bulge in his slacks--the way she swore seemed so soft and natural without being vulgar, though the things he wanted to do to her were all manner of filthy. If he had his way, she'd be bent over the bar top already, ass in the air, her short dress bunched around her hips as he took her from behind. He took a long drink of scotch, a little surprised with himself--his celibacy since the divorce had been of his own choosing, and yet, he wanted her, badly. She leaned in, Harry catching a whiff of the floral perfume she wore, the scent intoxicating as she raised her eyes to his, her lower lip drawn under her teeth. The heat she saw in his gaze made her bold, putting her hand over his on the bar top, small and soft and perfect.

"It's not another drink I want…" He breathed.

Marlo smirked, watching him from under her lashes, fully aware of what he was implying but she wanted to hear him say it. "Oh? Then what do you want? If it's within my power to give, that is."

Harry growled and ran a hand through his hair, as his gaze raked over her body, caressing her every curve--may as well put it all out in the open…besides, what did he have to lose? "I want you."

Her lips were mere centimeters from his--it wouldn't take any effort to feel them against his, and when she spoke her voice was husky. "How do you want me? Please tell me…in excruciating detail."

He threw his head back and laughed, the first genuine laugh he'd had in a long time--this woman was definitely something special. He closed whatever he'd been working on and turned the screen of his datapad dark as he angled himself to give her his full attention, unable to focus on anything but her and the indecent thoughts crowding his mind. She smiled and dragged a stool closer and hopped onto it, perching herself on the edge of the seat and crossing one leg over the other, her dress riding higher as her foot brushed against his calf. Harry inhaled sharply as she leaned a little closer and placed her hand on his knee, giving him the perfect view down the front of her dress; she knew exactly what she was doing, and he was enraptured by her every move, watching her through half lidded eyes, lust clouding his vision.

"If it wasn't considered public indecency, I'd have you right over this bar top, but instead I'd like to take you home and bend you over the kitchen counter, since I don't think I'll be able to wait until we get to the bedroom…"

"I live a block away; pretty sure it's closer than your place." Marlo teased as she smirked at him, running a teasing hand up his thigh and over the bulge of his erection, feeling him grow harder with how much he wanted her. "Looks like someone's eager for a healthy dose of vitamin me."

Harry groaned at the pickup line as she sucked his earlobe between her lips, her hand continuing to stroke him through his pants, every semblance of rational thought out the window as she stirred him up. Her arm glowed orange, wiring credits to Ryan, Harry standing from his stool, the datapad he'd left forgotten in one hand and the other outstretched towards her. Marlo smiled and stood, smoothing down the fabric of her dress before slipping her hand into his, letting Harry tug her out of the bar as she shot her favorite bartender wink, Ryan chuckling to himself as the door thudded shut behind them. A warm summer breeze tousled their hair the moment they stopped outside, the sky overhead streaked with pink and orange and purple and blue, lending a romantic atmosphere to the evening. Marlo took a deep breath as she gazed upwards--she couldn't help but wonder if Andromeda would have sunsets like this.

"So, what's Ari short for?" Harry asked, interlacing their fingers together as they walked down the street towards her apartment--it was almost as if he could sense the shift in her mood.

She smiled at his attempted distraction from her thoughts. "Marlo."

"Huh. My best friend's daughter is named Marlo."

"And one of my dad's best friends is a Harry; I even dated a Harry a couple years ago, and played with a Marlowe in grade school, though the spelling was different–our names aren't exactly uncommon." Marlo chuckled.

Harry laughed wryly. "Very true."

Her building loomed up in front of them, the two of them practically running up the stairs to the third floor, eager to get the other naked. The scent of him wrapped around her as he stepped closer, his chest against her back, the length of him pressed against her as she fumbled with the keycode for her apartment door. She was growing wetter by the minute just thinking about all the things she wanted him to do to her. With his hands on her hips, it was getting harder to think straight and that was before he slid them over the thin fabric covering her butt to give it a fond squeeze, before moving them up underneath the fabric to touch bare skin. She paused, pushing her ass back against his palms, one of his hands sliding around her front and dipping between her legs. She was completely smooth and hairless, his earlier assumption that she had been commando under her dress was absolutely correct, making him growl as he discovered how wet and ready for him she already was, and he'd barely touched her. Marlo rested her head against the cool metal of the door, not even caring that he'd pushed the skirt of her dress up and if a neighbor came around the corner, they'd get a nice view of her bare ass as she was fingered by a complete stranger. A strangled sound escaped her somewhere between a moan and a sigh, as he ran a finger through her slick folds, brushing her swollen clit, making Harry chuckle.

"Am I distracting you, Marlo?" His breath was warm against her ear.

"A little." She admitted, cursing under her breath as her code timed out again, too distracted by his touch to work quickly.

"Better hurry up before I decide I can't wait any longer to taste you, and I devour that pussy right out here in the hallway, every one of your neighbors hearing how much you enjoy it."

God, if that didn't turn her on even more--she hadn't realized she had an exhibitionist streak until now, and part of her wanted to just say screw it and let him drop to his knees his mouth on her aching center, eating her out until he had his fill, and then pinning her against the door and fucking her hard and fast–her neighbors would talk, but she was leaving the galaxy behind in three months anyways–however, the keypad flashed green, the door whooshing open before her, saving her neighbors from that particular view. It had barely closed behind them when she suddenly felt it against her back, Harry's mouth against hers as he dipped his hands into her neckline, his cold hands against her heated skin made her gasp, nipples pebbling under his touch as he eagerly bared her breasts to the cool air. He smoothed his hands along the curves of her body to push the skirt of her dress farther up her hips before he dropped to his knees in front of her, draping her leg over his shoulder, her bare pink pussy stealing his breath. He leaned forward, about to take Marlo's clit into his mouth when she wound her hands in his salt and pepper hair and pulled him back to look in his eyes.

"Harry, wait." She panted, as his tongue snaked out to tease her clit. "You promised me the kitchen counter."

He grinned. "So I did. I'm getting forgetful in my old age."

She rolled her eyes as she helped him to his feet, not even bothering to fix her dress and tugging him by the hand into the kitchen she had meticulously designed and was ridiculously proud of--it was one of the few things she would actually miss when she was gone. His hands were on her hips, lifting her up onto the island, the cold counter against her bare ass making her gasp as he stepped between her legs, bending his head to capture her lips. The fingers of one hand trailed up her arm, over her naked breasts and cupped the back of her neck, the other twirling a pink end of hair, fisting a handful, Harry keeping her mouth crushed to his as he opened his mouth against hers, their tongues intertwining. Marlo barely noticed her purse strap slipping off her shoulder, the bag hitting the floor with a dull thud, contents spilling across the hardwood--too lost in his kiss to care. He started to pull away, but she wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, trapping him against her throbbing core.

"Just leave it." She breathed against his lips.

That was fine by him–he didn't have the brain power to give it more thought, his mind stupid with lust. He laid her down on the countertop, bringing his body flush against hers, Marlo moaning as his hardened bulge pressed against her dripping core through his slacks and he took a pebbled nipple into his mouth. Harry hooked his index fingers under the spaghetti straps of her dress and lowered them down her arms, deciding he wanted her bare before him instead of just exposed--the body chain he'd noticed before sparkled against her skin, and he bit back a groan at the sight. Cool air brushed over her super-heated skin making Marlo shiver, Harry trailing kisses along her breasts and up to her neck, teeth grazing teasingly along her pulse point, before heading back to her chest and reclaiming her nipple, hands continuing to peel the skin tight fabric from her body and letting it fall unceremoniously to the ground.

He gently squeezed the breast not being lavished with attention by his mouth, Marlo groaning and arching up off the counter towards him. Her hands slipped between their bodies, clumsy fingers fumbling with his belt, eager to be rid of the final clothing barrier between them. Harry switched breasts giving the second the same attention as first and she couldn't think straight, finally succeeding in getting his pants open enough to take his impressive erection in her palm, but before she could guide him inside her, he took a step back and then another, stepping just beyond her reach. He took a moment to study her, drinking in the sight of her nakedness, eyes lingering on a tattoo on her hip; a treble clef and music notes in the shape of a crescent moon and stars–he'd have to ask about it later, when he could form coherent sentences after he took her as many times as his body let him have her. She reached for his cock once more, Harry smirking and pinning her hands to the countertop--she would've screamed in frustration had he not leaned forward and started trailing kisses down her stomach, his destination obvious. Marlo's hips jolted off the counter as he drew his tongue through her slick folds before flicking her clit, torturing her with his slow pace.

But God if it didn't feel amazing--he was wicked and talented with his tongue.

"Harry…" She moaned, hips canting invitingly, begging him to devour her and he was all too happy to oblige, sucking her clit between his lips and tugging gently.

"That's it, Marlo; beg for me." Harry muttered, releasing her hands and running his own up the inside of her leg to slip a finger between her folds.

Marlo fisted a hand in his salt and pepper hair, the other bracing herself against the countertop as she squirmed under his attentions, head resting against the hard surface with a dull thud as she arched her hips up, seeking more pressure from his teasing tongue and fingers. His finger thrust in and out of her, making her moan as she rocked into his mouth, panting and lost in his caress. The delightful noises she was making got louder with each pump of his skillful finger inside her, Marlo's nostrils flaring, hips rocking back and forth, impaling herself on his finger, Harry suckling her clit and bringing her to the brink of ecstasy. He stood, finger still teasing her, his mouth glistening with her juices, the pad of his index finger caressed her as it slid into her, and back out, Harry enjoying the feeling of her clamping around the digit, pushing deeper inside her warm, wet pussy as he curled it against her inner wall.

“Harry…Harry, please…” She panted, her breathy moan hitting him hard--he'd never expected how aroused he'd be to hear his name like that.

He felt her start to come undone beneath him, easing her up off the counter and holding her in his arms as she came, his index finger circling her clit to keep her aroused, but not touching it directly and making her writhe under his attentions, her legs shaking in the aftermath of her orgasm. Marlo collapsed against his chest, breathing ragged as she buried her face in the crook of his neck as he held her up. But he wasn't done with her yet–they were just getting started. The plan had been to bend her over the counter and take her from behind--and he still might, before taking her to bed and fucking her until the sun came up, but he wanted to see her face as she rode his cock. The muscles in his arms flexed as he lifted her with no effort, spinning them so his backside was against the edge of the counter, and her knees were braced against it, his hands cupping her ass as he held her, supporting all her weight, his body hard and warm against hers. She smiled down at him as she placed one hand on his pec to steady herself as her other hand reached between them to grasp his dick, teasing her folds with the tip as she lined him up at her entrance, the two of them groaning in unison as she sank onto his waiting cock, her walls closing tightly around his erection. His fingertips dug into the flesh of her hips as he lifted her up and then lowered her back onto his dick as she bent to press a kiss to his lips, the taste of herself lingering there.

The fabric of his t-shirt rubbed against her taut nipples, reminding her that she was the only one naked, and that needed to be rectified, immediately--she wanted to feel his skin against hers. Teasing fingers slid under the hem of his shirt, sliding it up the muscles of his stomach, her nails scraping gently across his skin. Marlo broke the kiss to yank the tee over his head, her lips immediately finding his again in a heated kiss as Harry thrust his hips up to meet hers. She rolled her hips slowly, pumping his shaft with her own wet heat, as he matched her rhythm, his hips arching up to meet hers and her clit connecting with his body at just the right angle as she rode him. Her lips parted, eyes fluttering closed and a low moan escaping her as she leaned backward slightly so he hit just right at the top of every thrust, breasts bouncing each time their hips connected and her hold body chain glinting in the light. Harry couldn't stop watching her, memorized by every move she made, eyes glazed over in lust as he watched his shaft slide out of her, coated in her arousal, before she lowered and took him deeper, feeling the way her muscles tensed around him, body going rigid as she jerked and shivered, orgasm racking her body with tremors, as she collapsed against his chest, drawing his own release from him and he came just behind her, his hips spasming just a little as he cried out her name.

Harry tucked a lock of pink hair behind her ear before pressing his forehead to hers, panting quietly as he rocked his hips, savoring the feel of her lingering quivers around his shaft, overwhelming her with sensation. "That was–

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Marlo finished for him, and he nodded, drawing his thumb along her lower lip, her body shaking and spent, but nonetheless lighting up again at his touch.

Marlo lifted her hips, letting him slip out of her and immediately missing his warmth inside her, but she wasn't done with him quite yet. She was still breathing hard as she clambered off him, her legs unsteady as they touched the floor, needing a moment to catch her breath. Her eyes roved over him; he was still lounging with his elbows and ass against the counter, shirtless, a smirk on his face and a trail of dark hair led her gaze downward, his pants hanging open about his hips and his exposed dick already hardening again under her gaze.

"See anything you like?" Harry teased, making no effort to move and instead taking himself in hand and giving his cock a few quick strokes, the tattoo sleeve on his left arm flexing with every move he made.

"Only everything." She breathed, stepping between his knees and hooking her fingers into the belt loops of his pants, peeling the fabric down his legs and placing a kiss to the head of his cock, tongue snaking out to taste him.

His hand curled into her hair, giving it a slight tug and pulling her head back to look her in the eyes. "Let's take this to the bedroom, shall we? This counter isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world."

She laughed and bent to collect their clothes in a small bundle which she tucked under her arm before she held out her hand to him, Harry smiling as he took it, letting Marlo lead him to her bedroom. The moment they were through the doorway, she laughed in sheer delight as he whisked her off her feet and carried her over to the bed, depositing her in the center and bending down to steal a kiss, his hands on either side of her naked hips. His dick was begging for her attention, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd gone multiple rounds in a night, but there was still so much of her he wanted to explore and get lost in.

In one deft motion, Harry flipped her over underneath him, gently scraping his blunt fingernails up the back of her legs before positioning her on her hands and knees, legs spread. He gave her ass an affectionate squeeze as he leaned forward, smothering her back with his chest, the head of his erection pressing at her entrance and sending a thrill rocketing down her spine. He was all muscle pressed against her and she couldn't get enough. Harry pressed a kiss between her shoulder blades, a low growl emanating from his throat as Marlo rocked her hips back, taking his cock to the hilt inside her. She bit her lip as he surged forward, thrusting into her slowly, deeper and harder, the edges of her vision getting fuzzy as she rolled her hips back into his, Harry's fingertips digging into the soft flesh of her hips as he thrust into her again.

Marlo moaned and pressed her chest to the mattress, ass in the air to take him deeper, fingers twisting in the sheets, her toes curling as her eyelids fluttered closed. The sheet rubbed against her nipples, as he surged forward, driving deeper into her and making her body recoil under the raw power of each thrust. A broken gasp dripped from her lips as he pulled back and rocked forward, her walls clamping tightly around his cock, their rhythm getting faster as they both teetered at the brink of ecstasy, unable to last much longer. A broken gasp dripped from her lips as he pulled back and slammed forward, her walls clamping tightly around his cock as she came, Harry following her over the edge with a shudder, his body slumping against hers and together they collapsed onto the mattress, bodies and limbs entangled and breathing hard. 

"Wow…" Harry breathed as he rolled onto his back and pulled Marlo closer, nestling her against his side.

"You can say that again." She panted, pressing a kiss to his shoulder, one hand on his stomach and dangerously close to his cock, but neither of them could bring themselves to move except to pull the sheet up over their bodies and snuggle together, drifting off into sleep.

Harry awoke before Marlo, stretching in the bed, sunlight streaming through the window in her bedroom and making him smile to himself; what a beautiful morning. Marlo lay on her stomach beside him, faced away from him, the sheet barely covering her ass as she slumbered on and he leaned over her pressing a kiss to the center of her back before extricating himself from the bed, carefully, so as not to wake her. He pulled on his pants and made his way into the kitchen, stumbling across her purse strap from where it and its contents had spilled onto the floor the night before--he'd honestly forgotten all about it. Might as well get that cleaned up before starting breakfast for them. A little clear cube pixel family photo with four smiling people sat just out of reach and her book had fallen open, his stomach twisting in knots as he read the flourishy handwritten note inside the front cover, the standard 'If found, please return to' with her omni-number and the address of the bar where they'd met. But it was the name that had gotten to him.

Marlo Ryder.

Fuck. It couldn't be--but as he picked up the small crystal with the family photo immortalized inside, his stomach sank. Marlo, at probably age 13, and a boy who looked almost exactly like her, were standing in front of a man and a woman, and that man, happened to be his best friend of the last 7 years, Alec Ryder. Fuck. His mind flashed back to the conversation the night before on the walk to her apartment. Somehow, they'd known, but also didn't know. One year after his divorce, he'd been trying to distance himself from his ex-wife's and his own mutual friends; he was tired of having her name come up in every conversation since she'd cheated on him, and he'd wanted a clean slate. He'd met Alec having been assigned to do surgery on a prisoner the C-Sec officer was in charge of guarding and the two of them hit it off, becoming fast friends. The man was a workaholic, but so was he--at least he had been since the divorce. He heard the padding of her bare feet along the floor and glanced up, swearing quietly as he saw her wearing his shirt, her hair still mussed from their sex the night before, the sight sending all the blood rushing south. He'd seen this girl's baby pictures and he'd just taken her to his bed--and if he was being honest, he still wanted her and that was a problem.

"Good morning." She breathed, crossing the kitchen and going to wrap her arms around him, but Harry held her off and moved around the island, keeping the counter between them. Fuck. She was even gorgeous when she pouted. "Harry, what's wrong?"

He slid the clear block with the family photo toward her, Marlo barely glancing at it, but not understanding.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, making it sexily disheveled and Marlo bit her lower lip. "If I told you my last name was Carlyle, would that mean anything to you?"

Marlo paused. That name did sound familiar, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Carlyle. Carlyle. Harry Carlyle. Her eyes widened as she glanced between the pixelated version of her father and the gorgeous man in front of her; she did know that name and with the look on Harry's face–his walls already going up–she wished she didn't. This man wasn't just any older man--he was one of her father's best friends. But it wasn't like they were as close-knit a family as they'd once been, back before Ellen got sick and before Alec had thrown himself into work and his obsession with AI. Marlo had tried so hard to make things work, even arranged weekly family dinners to drag her dad away from work, though after her mom's funeral they seemed more like a chore, her and her twin, Desmond just trying to keep their dad sane. Especially after he was dishonorably discharged from the military for violating Council law regarding illegal AI research with his creation of SAM. It wasn't like she wanted his reputation following her around. Though she had gotten a good friend out of his stint in C-Sec in the form of his other best friend Castis Vakarian's son–even if Garrus didn't bend rules for her and Desmond because the turian had a massive stick up his ass, but she liked him anyway.

Lately, it seemed like her dad thought Andromeda was a big cure-all for their problems–a family vacation that they couldn't leave, so it would bring her and Desmond closer to him again. She had her doubts, but she was still willing to try.

"Harry."

She said his name so softly, he almost thought he imagined it as he glanced up from the little crystal that had ruined everything. She said it again, her hand reaching across the counter and covering his--he didn't have the will to pull it away.

"Marlo, this changes everything. Last night can't happen again, as much as we want it to." He sighed, gray-green eyes meeting teal; he really should have known from the color of them who she was.

She squeezed his hand, a little harder than she meant to, her eyes steely and determined. "This changes nothing. I'm an adult, allowed to make my own choices and I want this. If you say you don't, I'll walk away, but if you do, we can make this work. The choice is yours."

"Marlo–"

"And I don't know about you, but last night was hands down the best sex I've ever had." She teased, the heat back in her eyes and he almost gave in.

"We can't–"

"Harry, do you want this?"

"Yes, but–"

"Do you want me?"

Harry blew out a breath through his nose. "More than I should admit."

"Okay, then. We don't let this change things." Marlo shrugged, pulling her hand away and turning to open the fridge, bending to get the milk from the bottom shelf, the hem of his shirt riding up and his mouth went dry seeing her bare ass and pussy on display; she was naked and in his shirt and his brain short-circuited. "And I think this conversation was far too deep to have on an empty stomach. How do you feel about pancakes?"