by T. C. Clark
“Well, Tara, I recommend the garlic chicken tacos,” he said with a smile. Obviously this was the start of the charm. Although the charm barely hid his desire. She could still feel the heat from his eyes. It was like a deep hunger that lurked just beneath the surface. It was a hunger that both intrigued and concerned her. Before she could respond their waiter walked up.
“Hi, my name is Carol and I’m going to be your waiter today. What would you like to drink?” she said, her eyes focused on Alex. The blonde girl perked up as she examined him.
Tara rolled her eyes, it got on her nerves when people deferred to the man at the table.
Carol hadn’t even looked her way. The young woman seemed to be waiting for Alex to notice her. She could understand why, he was a specimen of a man in his three-piece suit. Before he could react Tara spoke first, “We will have your apple pie and ice cream and also two glasses of Moscato.”
For a second the waitress looked startled as if she’d just noticed another person at the table. She’d turned to Tara quickly and a nasty look passed across her face. A look that she’d seen many times before.
“Oh, I didn’t see you. You’re with him?” she asked with a frown of disapproval .
Okay, she was one of those. Tara had been on many different dates and as always when she went out with someone of a different race, she would get a wide range of reactions, but most involved fascination or disgust.
Tara could only smile. She’d been blessed. She’d had amazing parents who’d taught her the value in herself. If young Carol thought she would take any hint of shit, she had another thing coming.
“Of course she is with me, why the hell else would she be at the table?” Alex snapped, his eyes flashing behind the dark-rimmed glasses.
The girl’s eyes shot back to his and she flushed. She murmured, “Sorry,” and hurried away. Tara’s eyes widened with surprise. She couldn’t lie, she liked Alex’s style.
“You think she’s going to spit in our food?” Tara asked as she watched her go.
“She’s 100 percent going to spit in our food if I allow it. Hold on for just a second while I speak with the owner.”
“Alex, don’t do that,” Tara warned. The girl had been rude, but she didn’t want her to lose her job over it.
“I’m not going to get her fired but I’ll be damned if she ’s going to do anything to our pie,” he said winking, at her.
He stood and started to walk away and then changed his mind. He came back to the table with determination written on his face. He leaned down so quickly that she didn’t have time to react to the brief possessive kiss he placed on her lips.
“I just want to make it clear to anyone else that you’re here with me. Just in case we get any more Carols,” he said, moving away.
Tara took a deep, calming breath. This was just food and a drink. He was a welcome distraction to everything that had happened this week. Sending Josh Boehm to trial wasn’t a hard decision, but meeting him had been hell. The man was a narcissist and a sociopath but he was competent enough to stand trial and she would do whatever she could for justice to be served.
But she’d been unprepared for the blatant interest he’d shown in her. His reaction had unnerved her. Tara shook her head to clear it. Josh was being held in jail until his trial and he would most likely end up on death row. Tonight wasn’t the time to reflect on who or what he was.
As she relaxed, she saw Alex in the corner with the owner. Now he was something to focus on. She smiled when she realized she wasn’t the only person in the restaurant watching him. She wondered if he knew how much attention he received without even trying. She was pretty sure he did.
He came back to the table holding a wine bottle and two glasses.
“Well, the owner will be our waiter tonight,” he said, pouring up two glasses. She sipped the wine and whistled.
“This is the good stuff,” Tara said as the fragrant drink hit her tongue. She looked around the restaurant at all of the lingering couples. Alex pulled out his phone and silenced it.
“So Alex, do you do this a lot? Pick up women at the bar and bring them here. I mean it’s not a bad plan. Drinks loosen them up and the food makes it feel like a date,” she said without malice. She was actually interested in his answer.
“No, if I pick up a woman at a bar we go directly back to my place so there can be no mistaking what’s happening,” he said, putting his phone down on the table and giving her his full attention.
“So, what am I doing here?”
“Honestly, I have no fucking idea. I saw you and I wanted you. I did think taking you here would bring me closer to sleeping with you, though,” he said with a wry smile.
“Wow, I didn’t expect you to say that!” Tara leaned back in her chair.
“Yeah, I know. I have this thing where I refuse to lie and I want to be clear that I’m not looking for a friend. I want you in my bed.” She didn’t respond to the blatant invitation in his eyes.
“What do you do, Alex Stravanos?”
“I’m a lawyer,” he said. He smiled when she burst out laughing. “I know, obviously I’m a lawyer, apparently I give off that vibe. At first I thought it was a compliment but I’m starting to believe people think otherwise.”
“You really do exude the lawyer feeling. But I bet that helps you with the ladies as well. It doesn’t hurt that you’re handsome. You look like a cast member from Suits, so that’s something,” she said, taking another sip of her wine. “Have you ever seen that show?”
“I don’t watch television.”
“Of course, you don’t.” Tara granted him another sweet smile.
“Well, what do you do?” he asked.
“I’m a counselor,” she said vaguely. She was actually a psychiatrist who also worked as a psychologist, which was rare. If she gave him too much information he would be able to look her up and she didn’t need that.
“Now you do not remind me of a counselor,” he remarked.
“What does a counselor look like in your mind?”
“I don’t know. Less sharp, more inviting. You’ve got some serious ‘don’t mess with me’ vibes going on. In my business I’d call you a shark.”
“Why thank you. I do take that as a compliment. It’s taken me a long time to develop an edge. I like inviting but sometimes that’s not what a patient needs. But why a shark?” she asked, smiling as the owner brought their pie and ice cream out. It smelled delicious.
“I hope you both enjoy it. Alex, thanks again for helping my son with his calculus. He’s finally passing the class. Please let me know if you need anything else.”
“No problem, Antonio, and thanks for hooking us up tonight.” Alex said patting the older man on the arm.
“It was nothing. Here you are on this fine night with a beautiful woman and a delicious dessert. Life couldn’t be better, eh?” he said as he limped away. For a while they watched the charming man as he made his rounds greeting the other diners, and then Alex brought up the topic of sharks again.
“A shark is a person who has a certain look in their eyes. One that tells you not to get in their way. It’s like they always have a plan and they never move backwards. I have it, you have it, but people like Antonio they lack it. I don’t think it’s a bad thing but it’s always good to note.”
“I can agree with that. So shark to shark, why were you babysitting a client. You don’t strike me as a man who gets assigned those types of tasks.” She leaned in to smell the golden apple pie. It made her mouth water. She was going to enjoy this.
“I’d heard through a lot of my employees that my client was both a sexist and weirdo. I decided to find out for myself if the rumors were true and I’m sad to report that they are correct.”
“But you will continue to represent him?” she asked, taking a bite. Alex was right, this was some of the best apple pie she’d ever had.
“Oh, you have zero shitty patients?” He took a bite too. He groaned in delight as the cinnamon and apple flav
ors hit his tongue.
“Touché, I guess there are assholes everywhere.” She sighed.
“Yeah, but as long I personally deal with him things won’t get out of hand.”
“Because you don’t allow things to get out of hand?” Tara asked, surprised at how easy it was to talk to him.
“Exactly. It’s like you’re inside my mind,” he said, tapping his head.
As she devoured the apple pie and ice cream she sent a thank you out to the universe. Whoever had created this combination was doing God’s work.
“So you said you had a hellish week. Do you want to talk about it?” Alex adjusted himself in his seat, watching Tara eat was starting to turn him on.
“No, I don’t,” she said. “Talking about it is just going to piss me off again and I was just starting to relax. Why don’t you tell me why you became a lawyer?”
“To be honest, my story is not that interesting. I saw a trial on television when I was ten and I remember thinking I could do that. My brain is logical; if I have all the facts I could argue almost anything. What about you, did you always want to be a counselor?”
“Yes, I’m like you in a sense. When I was younger I saw what kind of change a counselor could have and decided I wanted to do that. You might be surprised, but I’ve had a life plan since I was fifteen,” she said, giving him the bare facts. She left out the part about how mental disability affected her family. That was too deep for tonight.
“And is everything going according to plan, career and personal wise? For instance, are you seeing anyone?” he asked, putting his fork on the table and giving her his full attention.
“Career wise, yes…personal wise, no. I thought I met the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with, but it didn’t work out. Apparently my best friend was a better match for him,” she said plainly, without a hint of bitterness.
“Ouch, he sounds like an asshole,” he said, finishing his glass of wine.
“Yeah, he was. They are still together and they’re working on baby number two.” She picked up her glass and downed the rest of hers as well.
“That’s fucked up, but at least you found out and didn’t waste any more time with him. He sounds like he wasn’t good enough for you, anyway.”
“Ah, you don’t believe in cheating?” Tara wanted to know exactly what Alex thought of the act.
“I feel like people who cheat are weak at their core. If I didn’t want to be with someone I would leave. Yes, it would be brutal, but I make my decisions based off of reality. If I no longer want to be with someone, why stay?”
“Alex, I love the way you think. So what about you, are you seeing anyone?”
“Not yet but I’m working on something now. There is a counselor who is just my type and I want to see where it goes,” he said boldly.
“You think you got a shot with her?” Tara giggled and then mentally slapped herself. When did she start giggling?
“I’m not sure she’s hard to read. I know she likes me though, so that’s a start,” he said, picking up his fork to take another bite of the pie. She looked down at her now empty plate ruefully. She could never wait when it came to food; she always finished first.
“How do you know this counselor likes you?” she asked.
“One of the first things I learned after I entered law school was how to read body language. It’s not an exact science but I can tell that you are enjoying my company. From the way you’ve moved in your seat to the way you’re playing with your hair.”
She sat back when he spoke and immediately stopped playing with her hair. She ignored the satisfied smile on his face.
“And say you do get her. What happens then?”
“I take her home and I give her the night of her life. It’s not an arrogant claim; I’m as thorough in the bedroom as I am in the courtroom. You say the word and I’ll show you,” Alex said, picking up his napkin. Something about the way he looked at her said he wasn’t playing around. He believed every word he said.
“Why should she go with you?” Tara asked, genuinely interested in the answer. She could feel herself being drawn deeper into his spell and she didn’t kid herself, there was definitely magic between them.
“Why should she not?” he asked instead.
His intense focus touched something elemental inside of her. She wanted to know what else he could do, wanted to test his words. She’d had her share of men and she wasn’t the type of woman who sat back and waited to be gifted an orgasm. She took hers.
She’d had a friend with benefits situation with a fellow colleague, Aidan. It had been wonderful, but they’d both gone into it knowing it wouldn’t last. They lacked that special spark that kept people going in a relationship, and ever since he’d seen his college sweetheart again they’d gone back to being friends.
So here she was. Afraid of a serial killer who was behind bars. In a big city with a man whose eyes promised her a night she would never forget. Could she go for it?
The owner walked up to take their plates and asked, “Do you guys need anything else. I have more pie in the back?”
Tara shook her head and patted her full belly with a grin.
“No, but thank you Antonio,” Alex said his eyes on Tara. The owner smiled and disappeared back into the crowd of people surrounding their small table.
Tara was already wet just watching Alex. She wanted him and he wanted her. She didn’t want to go back to the hotel room to relive today or even scroll through Facebook, she didn’t want to see another update from Reese and his new wife. She’d blocked them but their information still got on her feed. She wanted to feel something else tonight, she wanted….Alex. She got to her feet and made her decision.
* * *
He almost had her; he could feel it. It had taken everything in him not to cross the table right then and there and take her mouth. Every second in her company was making it clear that he needed to have her beneath him tonight.
He didn’t know why. He sure as hell couldn’t explain it but every instinct screamed at him to take her home and keep her there until this feeling flowing through his blood subsided. She watched him closely. He knew she was looking for reasons to say no.
As far as Alex could tell there were none. They were unattached adults with sound minds. There was nothing that had to stop this night from progressing to its natural conclusion. But women were…difficult. So he had to be patient. She didn’t belong to him, at least not yet.
They walked up the sidewalk quietly, both lost in their thoughts. He needed to come up with a reason to keep her with him. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d ordered for the both of them. He’d grown hard watching her devour it. She was a woman with an appetite. Briefly, he wondered if that was how she would be in bed.
He had to stop these thoughts. He was already hard; he was lucky his pants were tailored so well, else he would be embarrassing them right now. When she stopped in front of a fancy hotel, he took a deep breath and turned to her. His eyes widened for just a moment before she leaned forward and kissed him.
Her tongue entered his mouth easily. Alex could feel her hands on his waist drawing him closer. It took him only a second to respond; his body automatically took over. His strong arms clamped her to him as he took control. She gave it willingly, opening her mouth and bending her neck in a way that gave him better access. She tasted just as he had imagined, like sunshine and cinnamon.
When she whimpered, he groaned. The feel of her body on his was everything he’d imagined it would be. She was soft where he was hard. Their tongues battled for minutes and then he felt her tense and try to pull away. It took him a moment to relax his hold to let her go. His balls ached and his body demanded more.
“We can’t do this here,” Tara said huskily as she tried to catch her breath. She reached for his hand and pulled him with her. He followed her, still in a daze of lust. He’d never felt a need for anyone this strongly. What was happening to him?
He followed behind her, hunger
so deeply etched on his face that everyone moved out of their way as they approached. For her part, Tara was not some shy child. She looked more than confident with her beautiful head tilted back and her dark brown eyes filled with a need of her own.
He had no idea how long it took them to get to the room. His focus remained strictly on the woman at his side. He didn’t want to do anything that would get him dismissed for the night. He was almost home free when she stopped at the door.
She tensed as she fumbled with the door card. He knew she was trying to decide if this was a good idea. He reached over and settled his hand over hers. He turned her around and tilted her head back.
Her mocha-colored eyes were luminous in the muted light of the hallway of the hotel. They were a mystery to him. She was a mystery to him. Her brown skin was tinged with a pink hue. Ah, she felt it too. This heat between them was almost too much. He could understand why she was a little nervous.
But he still couldn’t let her go. He leaned down and took her mouth. He needed to seduce her. He caged her with his body, using his strength to hold her in place. Tara whimpered again, a sexy noise he was coming to crave with an intensity that was shocking.
One hand moved down her body exploring her curves, while the other took the door card and opened the door. They moved inside with his mouth still fastened on hers, still feasting. Her hands wrapped around his neck pulling him closer, demanding more.
The room was dark. Alex had a desire to cut them on to see more of her, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the haven of her body. She stumbled and he lifted her from the ground.
He needed to be inside her now. Primitive thoughts replayed in his mind. Thoughts not suitable for a twenty-first century man. But they were notions he couldn’t deny. He placed her on the bed and leaned back. He took off his glasses and shook his head, hoping to get control of the dangerous emotion running through him. To say he’d never felt this degree of need would be an understatement.
Alex looked down at her and he knew she was feeling the same way. Her thick black hair was a mess because of his rough fingers. Her plump lips swollen by the force of his. Her brown skin flushed with arousal. But it was her eyes that entrapped him the most. It reflected the same ravenous hunger that was no doubt displayed in his.
