by S A Clayton
“Noah…I can’t…” I don’t even know what I’m trying to say, but it’s like he has a direct line to my brain. Before I know it, I’m lifted onto the island, legs spread, with his fingers tracing up my thighs.
“You have no idea how I’ve dreamed of this moment right here. This,” he says, thrusting his fingers farther into my heat, making my whole body ignite. “And what those luscious lips would feel like wrapped around my cock.” My mouth waters at the image, and he gives me that knowing smirk as he stops his ministrations. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’ll get there.” He winks as he casts his eyes down, taking in the edge of my dress that’s ridden up and is now just covering my heat. He gives me one more look before he lifts the hem and reveals my black lace panties that I thank God I decided to wear.
“Jesus, you are perfection…everywhere.” I want to tell him that’s not true, that I’m far from perfect, but his fingers hook the edge of my panties, and he starts dragging them down, looking up only as I lift my ass off the island so he can tug them off the rest of the way. His eyes search mine for any hesitancy, and I just give him a small nod as he throws them somewhere behind him. “Last chance, sweetness. One word, and we stop right here. I take you out and kiss you goodnight on your doorstep. Otherwise, I will devour you right here, right now, until you come all over my face.” His words alone almost set me off, and I honestly think I might kill him if he stops now. There’s nothing I want more than to feel him between my thighs. So, when I take the strands of his hair in my grip, I bring his lips close to mine.
“If you don’t finish what you started, there will be no date to go on,” I threaten, feeling his fingers tighten against my thighs as his head dips, and his lips lightly brush mine in one of the sweetest kisses I have ever had.
“Well, then, I better make an impression…” he growls, his lips lightly tracing patterns as he makes his way down the length of my body, stopping at the edge of my breasts and sucking the exposed flesh into his mouth. “One day, I will get to spend a lot of time worshiping these beauties,” he says, lightly biting the mound and making me flinch. “But for now, I have to know if you taste like sugar or cinnamon…” Before I can make a sarcastic comment about not all bakers tasting like sugar, his breath is against my pussy.
I don’t have time to think about the fact that I’ve known this man for only a week, that I don’t know anything about him besides the fact that he kisses like a dream and teaches the second grade. However, before I can think any more, his tongue slides through my folds, and I fall back against the marble countertop.
“Cinnamon. You taste like fucking cinnamon.” I barely hear him as he continues licking through my folds as if he’s a starving man. He uses his hands to spread my legs wider as he feasts on me. I honestly can’t remember the last time a man went down on me. Chris always said guys didn’t like doing it. I knew he was full of shit, but I let it slide because I was in love with him, and I wanted to make him happy. But, Jesus, this feels amazing.
I grip Noah’s hair as his tongue does wicked things to me. Before long, my body starts to peak. My legs begin to shake, and just as Noah’s lips fasten over my clit, I combust.
“Noah!” I scream into the silent kitchen, my hands releasing his hair and trying to find another solid surface to hold onto. His licks become softer as I come down from my high. Before long, he comes up for air.
“Sweetheart, I could do that all day if you screamed my name like that.” I can’t help the blush that covers my body as he kisses my stomach lightly, pulling down the hem of my dress as he stands. “Come here,” he whispers as I take his hand. He lifts me off the island, and I stand on wobbly legs. I quickly grab my panties from the floor and dress myself before he pulls me back, kissing me lightly, as I taste myself on his lips. That spurs me on as I take the kiss to the next level, wanting more of him.
“Val, I need to get you out of this house before I forget we have a reservation, and I just have you for dinner.” The thought sends shivers across my body, and before I know it, his lips are back on mine, and he’s leading me toward the door. “We. Need. To. Leave. Now,” he says between kisses, and I smile despite the lust coursing through my body.
“Fine. But this restaurant better be as good as that,” I say, pointing to his very prominent erection.
“I can’t promise anything.” He growls as I get my coat off the hook and grab my purse from the coffee table before following him outside.
THIRTEEN
Her scent is making the drive to the restaurant torture, especially since I can still taste her on my lips. Seeing her in that dress, looking at me as if I were her next meal, made all of my plans fly out the damn window. I wanted to be a gentleman; arrive early, take her out, and then bring her home. I knew a kiss goodnight would never satisfy my need for her, but I wanted to leave her wanting more. Yet the moment I saw her in that dress, her body on display for me, I knew I was in trouble. And when her lips touched mine, everything changed. Before I knew it, I’d lifted her onto the kitchen island and went at her like I was starving.
“Where are we going?” she asks, bringing me back to reality. I give her a smile as she huffs, clearly annoyed. At this point, I don’t care. I have her with me in my car, and we’re headed on our first date. Nothing could shake the relief I feel. “You should know I hate surprises,” she states as I give her a little side-eye but continue driving.
“I find that hard to believe. Everyone loves surprises.” She shakes her head as I pull into an almost-full parking lot.
I hear her gasp when she sees what’s in front of us. “You’re taking me to Fernando’s? How the hell did you get a reservation on such short notice? This place is always booked…” She trails off, and I know telling her that I made the reservation last week will freak her out, so I lie.
“I know a guy who has some connections. I called in a favor.” It’s not a total lie. I do know one of the suppliers Fernando’s uses. I just know that he doesn’t have any clout as far as getting me a table. But she doesn’t need to know that.
“You’re full of surprises,” she says, smiling. I can’t help it, that expression is like a beacon, and my lips find hers in a sweet kiss that leaves us both breathless.
“Thought you didn’t like surprises…” I tease, but when she bites my bottom lip, all rational thought leaves my brain, and I kiss her with everything I have. When my hands start to wander up her thighs, she breaks away, and I groan at the loss of her taste. “Val…” I mutter, leaning my forehead against hers.
“As much as I want to continue…that,”—she motions to my hand and the fact that, even though we stopped kissing, my fingers are still stroking her skin—“I’ve wanted to eat here for months, and you’re not ruining that for me.” Her voice sounds harsh, but the smile tells me she’s partly fucking with me.
“Fine, but I get you for dessert.” Her eyes flare as my hand squeezes her thigh. “Especially since I know how good you taste.” I take her lips one last time before I open my door and jog to her side, helping her out.
“So, do you like being a teacher?” Val asks as the waitress brings out our food. Her eyes meet mine as the server lingers for a second too long. Val eyes her, and I smile, loving the possessive streak she has for me, especially knowing that it’s mutual.
“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress asks me, almost as if she doesn’t realize I’m on a date. Val rolls her eyes, making me chuckle under my breath.
“No, thank you. My date and I are good.” I added the last part to make sure Val knew I wanted nothing to do with the woman handling our food. From the sexy-ass smirk on her face, Val loved it.
“I love teaching, always have,” I say as the waitress takes the hint and leaves us alone.
“You always knew you wanted to do that? Even as a kid?” she asks as she takes a bite of her pasta. I find my eyes zeroing in on her mouth and have to suppress a groan at the way she moans as the taste hits her tongue. What I wouldn’t give to feel that mouth arou
nd my cock.
“Noah?”
I shake myself out of the fantasy of Val’s mouth doing amazing things to my body and smile up at her. “Yeah?” I have no idea what the question was, and her smile tells me she knows it.
“You need to get your mind out of the gutter,” she teases before she re-asks her question. “Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher?”
I shake my head. “No, not always. For a long time in high school, I thought I was going to be an accountant.” Her eyes widen as she chokes on the wine she just drank.
“Seriously?” she asks, wiping the edge of her mouth.
“I’ve always been good with numbers, and math was my favorite subject so it just seemed like a natural progression. But then, in my senior year, I was asked to tutor some of the freshmen, and I found I loved that more. I loved watching their faces when they finally learned something they had been struggling with forever. I loved that I was the one who helped them. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a teacher.” Her eyes soften, and that sexy smirk is replaced by the most loving smile she has ever given me.
“That’s not what I expected you to say,” she confesses, taking another sip of wine.
“What did you think? That I picked being a teacher for the pay?” Her laugh rings through the restaurant, and I can’t help but join her.
“No, definitely not. Everyone with a brain knows that teachers are seriously underpaid and underappreciated.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” We lapse into a comfortable silence as we eat, and I know right then that this is what I want. I want to be able to talk to someone about anything, and then just sit and enjoy the silence. I’ve never had that before, and I’m starting to crave it.
Once dinner’s over, Val orders dessert, saying she’s heard amazing things about their cheesecake. Who am I to deny a beautiful woman sugar?
I focus on her. “So, what brought you to our small town?” Her eyes meet mine, her fingers brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. The look of sadness that crosses her gaze gets my attention.
“Well, I was living in the city. Val’s Sweet Treats was doing as well as can be expected in a big-city setting, and I was happy.” Her eyes become downcast, and she fiddles with the napkin in front of her.
“But…” I say, trying to get her to talk to me.
“But I was in a relationship, and he wasn’t okay with me owning my own business. Well, that’s a lie. He was at first. We were together when I got the idea to open my own bakery, and he was all for me reaching for my dreams. But when he saw how many hours I put in, things got harder.” I take a deep breath, knowing what’s coming.
“I was working later and later every night because I do most of my prep then. That way, I don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn.” I nod because as a man who loves his sleep, I got it.
“We started fighting about my hours. He wanted me to be at his beck and call, and my mind was on one thing. My bakery.”
“Makes sense. You were starting a small business. Those are hard enough, but add in the fact that you have to bake every day, it has to be time-consuming.” She nods as her dessert comes, and she takes a bite, moaning at the creamy texture. I have to tell my cock to settle down. This is not the time to think about those sounds coming out of her mouth when I’m balls-deep inside her.
“So, he couldn’t handle the fact that you were away all the time?” I ask, hoping she continues her story. She shrugs as she takes another bite.
“I tried to make things work, you know? I tried waking up earlier in the mornings so I could be home more at night. But then I was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed early. Nothing worked. I guess I was naïve and oblivious to how bad things were. I thought it was just a rough patch and that we would make it through. In my mind, he was my one.” My heart sinks at the thought that she’s still in love with this guy. She takes a big swig of her wine and looks down at her empty plate, tracing circles in the crumbs with her fork.
“I came home one night, and he was gone. He took everything with him.” She looks up, and my eyebrows crease in confusion.
“He took everything?” I ask, not knowing what she means.
“Yup. I walked into an empty house. He took all the furniture we had bought together, except for the bedroom set since he hated it from the beginning and never wanted me to buy it.”
“What the actual fuck?” I mutter to myself, and Val just laughs. Our eyes meet, and the hurt behind that gaze makes my heart sink. But I also see something else. Relief, maybe?
“I know, right? I know now that he wanted a trophy wife. And that’s not me—never will be. But at the time, I was devastated. So, my best friend, Mandy, convinced me to move here and start over. Best decision I ever made.”
“I would have to agree,” I say, the lust in my voice evident and the presence of my erection telling me that we needed to leave this restaurant soon before I got arrested for indecent exposure.
FOURTEEN
The drive back to my place is quick, and judging by the grip Noah has on the steering wheel, I imagine he can feel the tension building, too. He stops the car in front of my house, and I have no idea what to do with all the feelings roaring inside me. I can only sit and stare ahead, fidgeting with my hands on my lap, hoping one of us comes up with something to say.
All I can seem to think about are his hands, and what it felt like to have them on me, making me feel things I haven’t in years. I glance over and notice that his grip hasn’t lessened, and I inwardly groan when his teeth worry his bottom lip as if he’s fighting to keep quiet. Looking at his lips makes me remember the way his mouth made me feel things I’ve never felt before. The fucked-up part of this is that I know if I invite him in like I want, it won’t end with just me on the kitchen island, and I can’t decide if I’m ready for that yet. Inviting Noah to come inside means finally agreeing to see where this goes, finally admitting that this man is more than just a flirt and not a game-changer. Because that’s what he is. My game-changer. I know he has the ability to change the course of my life, and the thought of it makes my pulse race, and my body shake in anticipation. What I can’t figure out is if I’m ready to take that step. I’ve worked so hard this last year to make something of myself without the input of someone else. I wanted to make sure I was fine on my own. I wanted to prove that I didn’t need someone in my life who could alter my plans. Yet looking at the man beside me, I wonder if I was naïve to think I didn’t need someone like him.
“We can end tonight right here, you know?” Noah says softly, taking me out of my head. I look over and see the soft smile on his lips as he takes my fingers and twines them with his. “I can see the wheels turning in your head and, sweetheart, we don’t have to do anything. As much as I would love to go inside and finish what we started earlier, that’s not why I’m here. That’s not why I asked you out every day for a week, and that’s not why I took you to one of the best restaurants in town.”
“Then why did you?” I don’t know why I’m questioning his motives. He’s never given me any reason to doubt him, but the question came out before I could stop myself.
He smiles that sweet smile that I’m learning is only directed at me, and takes my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly. “Val, you are an amazing woman. Not only are you incredibly beautiful, funny, and one heck of a baker, but you work harder than anyone I have ever seen. You dedicate your life to making delicious treats for everyone else, with no regard to what that workload does to you.” I just stare at him, our eyes locked. He untangles our fingers, bringing his up to trace the line of my jaw. “You work so hard, and I just wanted to take you somewhere where you didn’t have to think about ingredients, measurements, or what you have to do next. I just wanted you to have the chance to be Valentina for a night. Not Val from Val’s Sweet Treats.” And just like that, all my hesitancy about Noah vanishes.
“Val? What are you doing?” he asks, his eyes tracking my every move as I get u
p on my knees and carefully crawl over the center console to straddle his lap.
“Something I’ve been fighting for a damn week,” I mutter as my lips meet his in a kiss I’ve been dying for since we left for the restaurant. It only takes a moment, but once Noah realizes what I want, what I need, he attacks, taking my face in his hands and bringing me impossibly closer.
“Fuck, sweetheart, are you sure?” he asks, his hands hooking into my hair, pulling to give him easier access. He slowly traces his tongue down the line of my throat, sucking lightly at my pulse until I’m quivering in his arms. My fingers grip his hair, pulling him, needing him closer.
“Yes…” I moan, trying to keep my head, but the feeling of his lips on my skin and the grip he has on my tresses sends me into a frenzy. “I need you…I need to feel you,” I mutter as my fingers untangle themselves from his hair and lower to his belt, grasping the edge of his waistband.
“Val, let’s go inside,” he whispers while kissing up the side of my throat, nibbling at my lobe and sending shivers through my entire body. But I shake my head.
“No, I need you right here, right now.” I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’m not an exhibitionist, I don’t like the fact that anyone could walk by and catch us, but the idea of stopping sends me into a panic. If we stop now, I’ll chicken out, I know it. My head will take over, and I’ll think of some excuse for why this won’t work, why I shouldn’t fuck him.
No. I need to see that look in his eyes again. The one of pure lust from earlier. The expression I now crave.
“Val, I can’t do what I want to you in this fucking car. I need you laid out, spread wide so I can take my fill.” He grunts as my fingers find the zipper of his jeans and pull, undoing them. His eyes leave mine as they watch my digits delve deeper, finding his hardened cock as I stroke him through his boxers. His breathing becomes labored as I stroke harder and faster.
