by Haley Travis
“Yes,” I gasped.
Such a tender touch from a big, rough-looking guy was making my hips quiver. For half a second, I wondered how far we could go here in the storage room of his business. Sure, it was inappropriate, but if he was the boss, did it really matter?
His lips crept up the other side of my neck, making me giggle and twitch. “Ticklish,” he smiled. “I like that.”
His hand slipped down my spine to caress my lower back, his other hand twisting in the back of my hair, pulling my lips back to his.
I’d barely been kissed before — just a few tiny good night pecks. Kellan kissed me with his entire body, so much raw need coursing through the undercurrent between us. My eyes blurred and I grew nearly dizzy, my fingers slipping inside the neck of his shirt to glide across his warm skin.
Then he kissed a path to my ear, murmuring, “Allie, think about coming to my place tonight. Think about spending the night snuggling in my bed, letting me kiss every single inch of your skin.”
My choked moan made him chuckle, then he silenced me with a kiss that was more like an energy surge. As his tongue cautiously entered my mouth, my lips parted, allowing him to take complete control.
There was no logical reason why it felt so incredible to let him take charge. For once, I wasn’t paralyzed with shyness or anxiety. I was just…free. He wasn’t taking me. I was offering myself to him. Somehow, that tiny detail made a world of difference.
The intensity of the emotion I felt through his kisses was shocking. The caring in each tender caress made my pulse unsteady, as my arms tightened around him, wanting to keep his body against mine forever.
When he finally pulled away, I was left breathless and blinking.
Kellan’s smile was pure saucy joy. “I wanted to do that the second I met you,” he grinned. “Thank you for helping me celebrate. Best business anniversary ever.”
He handed me a glass, and I copied his cautious small sip, followed by a larger one. “What do you think?” he asked.
The residue of the beer was heavy on my tongue and unlike anything I’d ever tasted before. “It’s sort of warm and heavy,” I said, searching for the right words. “Like banana bread.”
“Exactly,” Kellan laughed. “What else do you taste?”
“Um, maybe fruit? And a little chocolate or caramel.”
“Exactly. Now compare that to regular beer.”
I shook my head. “No way. Those other beers tasted like corn and pine and chemicals compared to this.”
Kellan took another sip, then leaned in to kiss my cheek. “It’s worth the wait and the trouble to find something amazing, isn’t it?”
Sliding my skin against his palm, I nodded. “Yes.”
He leaned in to kiss the tip of my nose, then sat back. We sipped the incredible beer, but I pushed my glass toward him after I had a little more.
Kellan peppered me with questions about my job, and the things I’d like to do. He was clearly interested in my entire life.
I learned more about him, and how much he loved running three bars. And about his brother, who apparently had a wife that sounded like a piece of work.
“Do you believe in the concept that the right person arrives for us at the right time?” I asked.
Kellan made a pinched face while shaking his head. “I don’t think so. Not in the great cosmic perfect person sense. People come and go, and we need to find the people we really click with. The problem is, they’re sometimes hard to recognize.”
“What do you mean?”
His forearm leaned on the table, and I saw another curl of ink peeking out of his shirt sleeve. “My brother Dale had all the potential in the world, and he threw it away for the first woman he fell in love with.”
“And you don’t think she’s right for him?” I asked.
“I really, truly don’t. She bosses him around. Constantly controlling him. She just wants a husband and provider, and doesn’t care about any of his dreams.”
“Did you ever specifically ask him what his dreams were? I mean, people have all kinds of wild ideas when they’re young. People change.”
“He wanted to go into medicine so that he could help people,” Kellan said sadly. “Do people really change that much?”
I thought. “Sometimes. Maybe he realized the impossible hours weren’t for him. Or that he couldn’t stand the sight of blood.”
He chuckled. “I hear what you’re saying, but his life changed on a dime when he met Cheryl. It was instantaneous.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a bad sign.”
“What’s a good sign?” he asked me. “I think it’s a great sign that we met at a singles event without being at the event itself.”
I don’t think I’ve ever giggled so much around another person in my life, and hope that he didn’t think I was ditzy. “I wasn’t supposed to really meet anyone that night,” I admitted. “It was supposed to be sort of a pre-date, icebreaker situation.”
Kellan took my hand on the table. “Why? Are you one of those super anxious girls who need to take things in baby steps?”
My breath stopped as my body froze. But I forced myself to look up at him and nod. He might as well know the truth now.
“Geez, Allie, I’m so sorry,” he said, sipping the last of the beer from both glasses and setting them aside on a tray. “And here I have you down in the basement with a strange guy. I didn’t even think. I just wanted to talk with you somewhere quiet.”
He led me back upstairs, and I wasn’t sure whether I was relieved or not. I’d really enjoyed being so close to him, even though it did make me a little nervous.
“Have a great night, Jackie,” he called out, giving the bartender a wave.
As we stepped out onto the street, he took my hand automatically. He began to laugh at himself, shaking his head.
“Someday, I’m going to come to pick you up, and I’ll have another woman’s lipstick on my collar or neck. Trust me when I say it’s just Jackie. She’s a big hugger, but she also tackles me out of the way sometimes behind the bar. We’re really close friends.”
“She seems cool,” I said. Honestly, the thought of being jealous had never even occurred to me.
“May I walk you home? How far is it?”
“Only about ten minutes.”
“Perfect.”
I’d never held a man’s hand walking down the street, and the public display of affection felt unusual. Nobody paid us any attention, but it felt like my brand new feelings were being exposed for all to see. We chatted about the neighborhood, and arrived at my door much too soon.
I desperately needed to feel more of the heat between us, that strange, overpowering lust again, even for a few minutes.
Would it be terrible to invite him in for a cup of tea? Would that be too forward?
I thought back to my last journal, and how I was trying to manifest a new, more decisive version of myself. A person who took charge.
It worked when I got that promotion. It worked when I conjured up the bravery to cut my hair, and buy pretty new clothes that felt awkward for a few weeks. Gathering my intentions, I tried to find my courage.
“Um, would you like to come in for a few minutes?” I practically whispered. “Do you like peppermint tea?”
His thick arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled us together. “I don’t really like tea, but I really like you,” he said softly. “I’d love to come in for a bit.”
As I turned to unlock the front door, his hand stayed in place, shifting around my side from my lower back to my stomach. Something about the pressure of his hand on the front of my hip made my knees completely weak. We went upstairs to my apartment, the second floor of a big old house.
“This is nice,” Kellan said, looking around. “This house is truly solid.”
I smiled as I put the kettle on, watching him kick off his shoes and settle on the couch. “Yeah, I like the old-fashioned moldings around the ceiling. It’s sort of quaint, in a good way.”
I prepared a peppermint matcha blend, then brought the teacups to the coffee table, sitting beside him. “I don’t really like beer, but yours was incredible. So try this.”
His quick grin was adorable. He took a sip, then began to nod. “Okay, I get it. This is amazing.”
The second both of our cups were back on the table, he pulled me against him, then into his lap, his lips on mine with a heat that made my pulse spike.
My soft moan into his mouth made his hands tighten around my hips.
I wanted to give myself to him. Have Kellan take over my body and do anything he wanted. I’d never felt this sort of surrender before, and it was the strangest exhilaration.
It was hard not to think about my bedroom being steps away. It was hard not to notice that every inch of my body was begging for his touch. My heart was already feeling more than I could imagine.
All of those affirmations about things happening at the right time were forgotten as I realized the right time was right now. I wanted Kellan. Completely.
CHAPTER SIX
* Kellan *
My self-promise to stay single and focus on my business sailed straight out the window. The hunger I felt for Allie was nearly overwhelming. Unnatural.
My need for her was becoming evident, so I shifted her on my lap so she wouldn’t feel my erection pressing so hard against her hip. There would be plenty of time for that later.
Her breathy gasps and tightly peaked nipples drove me wild. Our instant arousal was exhilarating. Both of my hands stroked up her back as she leaned into my touch.
The emotion in her deep eyes undid me. Allie was so open, so honest, that I could feel the spark of real feelings connecting us already. Her fingertips slid up my neck, caressing my earlobe so gently that I shivered, pulling her body back against me.
She stood for a split second, shifting so that she straddled me, her knees gripping my hips as she nestled against the throbbing I’d been trying to hide.
“You’re so sexy, Allie,” I growled as I kissed her neck.
“You make me feel sexy,” she whispered. Pulling my mouth to hers, she grazed her lips against mine in a ghost of a kiss. “I’ve never really felt sexy before.”
With a surge of adrenaline, I claimed her mouth too roughly. The way she innocently trembled in my arms spoke volumes.
“Have you been with a man before?” I murmured against her lips.
“No.”
Being the first man to see this beautiful woman naked, making her scream my name, was tangling my thoughts. I’d never been anyone’s first before, which felt like a huge responsibility. Especially if we wanted to keep things casual, at least for now.
Casual and temporary were not words that my body agreed with, however. Dropping my hand to grip her firm, round ass, I needed to claim her. Make her mine. Show her what love could feel like.
Allie practically purred as my tongue entered her mouth, her body writhing firmly against my fully erect cock. My jeans were almost painfully tight under her body. Leaving her clothes on was torture.
Taking my frustration out on her lips, she moaned in my arms. My hand slid under her shirt, around to the front to slip under her bra. Her soft sigh made my bones twitch with lust.
Kissing Allie was like being in a dream. I didn’t even realize her shirt was unbuttoned until I pulled her bra down to wrap my lips around her sensitive nipples. I needed to kiss every inch of her until she was begging for me to take her.
Kissing my way over to the other side, her breasts filled my palms as my tongue swirled around the delicate peaks. Her fingers tangled in my hair as her body shifted against me. I looked up to meet those seductive eyes that seemed to burn straight through me.
There was no way I could take her completely without a real date first. It just wasn’t right. She needed time to think it through.
“Allie, I want you.”
She nodded slowly, knowing exactly what I meant.
“I’m going to attempt to be a gentleman here,” I said, pulling her bra back into place and standing us both up. “I’ll take you out to dinner soon, then if you like, we can come back here and do whatever you want. Okay?”
Allie nodded. I couldn’t tell if she was radiating disappointment or relief or amusement through those magical eyes.
Kissing her forehead, I murmured, “I want you to be sure, sweetheart.” Her eyes blazed from that word. “Can I get your number and call you tomorrow?”
“Sure.” I held out my phone so that her purple thumbnails could zip across the screen. “I’ll see you soon,” she said softly, leaning in for one more kiss as I forced myself to leave.
As I walked down the street, I honestly wondered what was wrong with me. Any other man would have taken her immediately.
Shaking my head, I knew that was shameful. Maybe it was a good thing that she found me, not some random guy who would take her to bed with no intention of ever calling again.
Even if this wasn’t a serious relationship yet, it could be someday. Maybe. When we thought it was right. It was that potential that made all the difference.
CHAPTER SEVEN
* Allie *
For the next several days, every time I thought of Kellan, my fingers tingled from wanting to touch him. My breath caught whenever I remembered the feeling of his lips on mine.
We seemed to have a connection that was far too strong, too fast. Or maybe this was normal with some people. I had no idea how to tell.
The way he could make me shiver so easily simply by running his fingertips along my spine…I knew that I didn’t want to wait any longer. The urge to spend the night with him was utterly overpowering.
I loved the way he took control of me, yet still looked so deeply into my eyes every time he shifted, to make sure that I was comfortable. It was straight out of my journal – a tough guy who was still tender with me.
Even when other things had come to fruition after I planned them carefully, and set the intention to manifest them, I wasn’t quite sure whether I believed in the process entirely. It wasn’t some sort of magic, just keeping my focus on my goals. But there was something about writing things down that made everything seem more intense. Concrete.
By Thursday, we had exchanged a few texts, but there were no definite plans to meet up again. I busied myself with organizing the book store, trying to put it out of my mind.
When my phone beeped at ten minutes to close, I jumped, grabbing it desperately.
Kellan: Hey there, gorgeous. I finally got the schedule straight for the weekend, so I have Friday night off. May I take you out to dinner?
I forced myself to wait a full minute and a half before responding.
Me: Sure. What time, and where should I meet you?
Kellan: How about I pick you up at your place at seven?
Me: OK. See you then.
I felt like I should ask more questions, like where we were going, but I didn’t want to seem fussy.
Thursday night was spent tearing my closet apart looking for something flirty and feminine, but comfortable enough that I would be ready for anything.
By ten to seven Friday night, I had my makeup perfect, my hair styled, and was wearing a great dark purple dress that fell a bit past my knees and showed off just enough cleavage to be enticing. I hoped that with cute black boots, it made me look like the slightly more outgoing version of myself.
The second I heard a knock at the front door, I grabbed my purse and ran downstairs to see Kellan’s eyes fly wide open. “Damn, gorgeous,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist instantly. “You are unbelievable.”
“Hi,” I said, stretching up to meet his lips.
The second we began to kiss, my entire body felt weightless. My long- dormant libido was definitely waking up, and the urge to drag him to my bedroom was nearly overwhelming.
“We better hurry and get to the restaurant,” he said, gliding his lips just under my ear. “You’re so pretty that I want to take you upstairs instead.”
&nbs
p; “Maybe later,” I whispered, shocking myself. Kellan just flashed me a wink, then took my hand as he led me to his rather lovely silver car.
I’d been on a few casual dates, but this one seemed far more – important, somehow. Kellan drove us to a beautiful restaurant that was just fancy enough, and was absolutely perfect for a date.
The food and wine were incredible, but I knew that I wouldn’t even remember what we had when I wrote in my journal tomorrow. All I could focus on was the way Kellan stared at me as if I were some sort of prize that he’d won.
