Beauty of Sunset

by Lynne Connolly

  He smiled. “I’m mildly shortsighted. Enough to use glasses when I drive and for a few other activities. I wear them all day for convenience—easier to put them on and forget it. So yes I can see that far.” He released her eye. “If you have a facelift it will stretch and lift your skin. You’ll have tiny scars at your hairline and behind your ears.” He bent and kissed her earlobe, softly nibbling at the edge around the gold studs she wore then licked up and just inside the rim. The delicate caresses made her shudder. She didn’t try to hide it. “The thought of it makes me shudder. You’ll have a lift every five years or so and you’ll look slightly different each time. It will erase your character.”

  “In that case why do you do cosmetic surgery?”

  He smiled. She loved that smile it seemed to hold secrets hidden inside. “Because I’m good at it, because it pays well and it’s a challenge. I’d rather see someone like me do it than someone who can’t. I’ve seen some botched jobs that make me want to hit something, preferably the surgeon who committed the atrocity. We redo procedures when we can and I do a lot of corrective surgery for people who actually need it. Harelips, burn scars, birthmarks that kind of thing.” He gave a short laugh. “I’m telling you all my secrets. You’re too easy to talk to.”

  “Nobody told me that before.”

  “Not your previous husbands?” He seemed mildly curious not jealous or possessive. She liked that. Her previous husbands had wanted to own her. Perhaps finally she’d met a man strong enough to meet her on her own terms.

  Who was she kidding? This sense of bone-deep rightness couldn’t be anything but an illusion. He was ten years younger than she was, they hardly knew each other although she liked what she did know. Idiot. Just enjoy this for what it is.

  Though she wasn’t sure what it was yet.

  He curved his hands around her waist to touch the knot on the belt. “I know you thought of a breast lift.”

  “You read my notes.”

  “No I didn’t. Most women want a boob job it’s one of the most common procedure around.”

  He touched the knot and his hands stilled. “Can I see?”

  She jerked her head in a quick nod. “You think men haven’t seen them before? Don’t you remember the Quick Nails campaign?”

  He shook his head.

  “Billboards all over the country had it. It caused quite a stir. I was naked but on the poster, I didn’t show anything. Except the fingernails that were the whole point of the ad. It sold millions of fake nails.” She huffed a laugh. “Randy Norwood would have negotiated me a percentage but in those days I was happy to get the work and I took the flat fee. It made my name in the wider world, outside high fashion that is. But enough men saw everything I had to offer then and I did topless shoots, the see-through, the ‘let’s get them to look at the boobs instead of the dress’ clothes. I didn’t realize I could have the studio emptied and rather than that, it filled. The photographer insisted on a closed session after my first one and came on to me. I kicked him in the balls so it was just as well the photos turned out well or he wouldn’t have used me again. Sometimes the full studio is the safer one.”

  “There’s only me and you here.” His hands tightened on the knot, the knuckles showing white. “I don’t intend to lose this bet.”

  She felt the smile start deep inside her and she didn’t stop its release. “That poor are you? Can’t afford to lose?”

  “It has nothing to do with money.”

  He loosened the knot and the belt eased. She let the robe open. It caught on her nipples. No hiding now that his attention had made them crinkle into tight peaks. He hadn’t even touched them. But he did now. He cupped her breasts, lifted them and she sighed at the contact, her flesh aching for his touch. “You don’t want augmentation or reduction?”

  “What do you think? What would you do?”

  His eyes burned into the reflection of hers. “I can’t imagine them any more perfect. That’s why I didn’t know what you wanted.”

  “A lift and a reduction. I can’t do the pencil test anymore.”

  He chuckled and nuzzled his mouth against her temple. “That doesn’t mean a thing. If you have a lift, you’ll lose sensation and have a few discreet scars under your breasts. A reduction would help you fight gravity but if you had it done I’d mourn the loss. You have beautiful breasts Adelaide.”

  “Edie.”

  He frowned.

  “My first name’s Edith. My friends and family call me Edie. I’ve always been Edie. Adelaide and Sunset came later.”

  “Edie.” He tried it again. “Edie. It’s good. It suits you.”

  She leaned her head against him. “I’m glad you think that.”

  His slender fingers spread. The darker skin of his hands against her pale skin looked stunning and again that unaccountable feeling of rightness swept over her. Her garment was open down the front but she still wore her delicate lace panties so she wasn’t completely naked. Nerves had stopped her stripping completely.

  He took the weight of her breasts in his hands, lifted them and touched her areolas with his long forefingers. Just touched them and watched the way she responded as her nipples tightened even more leaving little beads of flesh at the tips. “You might not respond as well as this afterward. Does it feel good?”

  “Yes. Yes it does.” She suppressed her shiver of reaction.

  “Close your eyes.” She obeyed. “Just feel. Concentrate on feeling.”

  He lifted his hands away before he put the tips of his fingers back onto her skin. He stroked her breasts from the base to the nipple, just stroked and didn’t linger. When he reached the nipple, he lifted away and did it again. Base to tip over and over again. His voice heated her ear when he murmured to her. “Feel that? If you have work done it will affect some of those nerve endings. Small numb patches, tiny areas you won’t notice. Unless someone does this.”

  His fingers left her and he stood away from her making her feel bereft. Before she could check where he was, he said, “Keep your eyes closed.” He was still close.

  Then she felt a soft damp kiss on her nipple. She caught her breath, made a small sound of wanting. “Fuck!”

  He kissed the other and touched it with the tip of his tongue. She couldn’t tell if he was kneeling or bending to her until she felt his hands on her waist steadying her. Kneeling then. She so wanted to see that sleek dark head against her flesh but he’d told her to keep her eyes closed and she was too afraid he might stop if she opened them. He circled her nipple with tiny laps then increased his licks to long sweeping caresses until he was curling his tongue around it and then, then he sucked it in.

  Wonderful so good.

  If he hadn’t been holding her she would have jerked right out of his hold. She’d never felt such intensity from having her breasts sucked before. Pleasure sure but not this. He made her feel as if all her senses centered at the tip of her nipple, now held in his mouth between his teeth as he delivered a nip that made her shudder. He suckled drew hard and before she had time to draw breath had moved to the other nipple. He didn’t build up the sensation here but drew it right in and because he’d built up her expectations it drove her to more and harder sensation.

  He released her nipple long enough to say, “Open your eyes,” and he returned to her.

  She glanced to the side and saw their profiles reflected in one wing of the triple mirror. His cheeks were hollowed where he sucked, his eyes closed. The sight of his lips curled around the tip of her breast was for a moment a separate entity until he curled his tongue around her nipple and she saw the movement reflected in the mirror.

  She sobbed and her pussy pulsed, convulsed and she came.

  Incredulous she gripped his shoulders for balance and rode it out. John released her nipple and leaned his forehead in the cleft between her breasts, breathing heavily. Heated air crested her stomach and pussy. She must have soaked her panties. She felt dampness seep over her thighs, too much for the tiny scrap of lace to contain.


  He firmed his hold on her waist and stood, getting up in one smooth motion and then drew her close. His erection probed at her flesh insistently but when she moved her hand seeking him out he pulled back and gripped her wrist just enough to stop her. “Not now. I want you to think about what just happened and make your decision. I’ll contact you tomorrow but don’t contact me before then. Just think about it.”

  She couldn’t believe it. “I know what just happened. I want more.”

  A slow smile curled his lips. “You want instant gratification. The American dream. Mine too once but no more. I’ve learned patience.” His mouth tightened. “Barely. You’re a wonder, Edie, a fucking wonder and I don’t want you to do anything that might change it. But it’s your decision. Always.”

  Chapter Four

  Tempt the Cougar blog:

  I met John Sung again last night and I took him home. He’s the most amazing man. Girls he’s ten years younger than me! Can you believe this is the first younger man I’ve ever dated? And by ‘dated’ I don’t mean ‘went out with’ I mean got hot and heavy with. He’s intense sexy—and he doesn’t want me to have the surgery. Says it would be like whitewashing the Mona Lisa. Nuts. I never saw what Leonardo saw in her anyway. She could have done with a bit of lip-plumping at least.

  This man is seriously hot. He made me come just by touching my nipples. Can you believe that? He asked me to call him tomorrow. I don’t know. Should I? Or should I let this be just one of those ships-in-the-night things. Thing is, while I’m seeing him we’re on a bet and the prize is that I don’t have the surgery. I have a TV interview coming up and if I want surgery I need it soon so I can recover enough to appear. They can do wonderful things these days fast but not that fast. I’m running out of time.

  An email alert flashed on her screen so Edie put up her blog post and clicked on the mail. The address meant nothing to her at first but she decided to open it and risk a virus.

  Edie.

  Dinner tonight? Say yes.

  John.

  She wrote her assent before she really thought about it. Oh yes she wanted to see him again.

  She had an unfamiliar dilemma with her wardrobe before she went to meet John. She arranged to meet him at the restaurant at eight. Sure, there’d be photographers outside but they frequented every decent eating house in LA so that wasn’t a problem for her. At least she told herself not. But this was the first time she’d been out on a date with a younger man and the fluttering in her stomach reminded her she was nervous.

  After deciding on a tight black number, she tore it off, deciding it was too short. A green corset top went the same way even before she found a skirt to put with it. Maybe the red— Scarlet woman went through her mind. Shit. She picked up the phone and hit speed dial. “Cam, what do you wear for a date with a man who’s ten years younger than you?”

  Her friend’s warm husky tones came reassuringly down the line. “You wear something that says ‘look who I’m with aren’t you jealous?’ You relax and you wear something appropriate. Nothing that gives the finger to the gossips but nothing that plays too safe either. Chances are they’ll ignore you.”

  “Sure they will. John’s not exactly unknown. Surgeon to the stars they call him. We were lucky the other night at the art gallery. No pictures today. But they noticed. If they see me with him again they’ll do more than notice.”

  Cam’s laugh sounded like warm honey. She’d always calmed Edie down before a big show and her presence albeit at a distance soothed her now. “And you’re shitting big ones because he’s younger than you. Girlfriend he’s gorgeous and so are you. Just for a change don’t dress for the paparazzi don’t dress for yourself. Dress for him, fuck-me heels and all.”

  “Great thought. As long as you don’t mean lingerie and stockings only.”

  They cut the call still laughing.

  On the other hand, sexy lingerie always helped her feel confident. She found a sapphire blue set, one she’d always loved. The color set off her red-gold hair to perfection. Out of a bottle these days but still only to cover the gray, not change the color.

  Stockings. Not black but sheer nude silk that made her legs feel pampered and she hooked them on to the matching blue garter belt.

  After that, the rest was surprisingly easy. A vivid dark blue silk dress with a draped cowl neckline, classic lines, a couple of inches above the knee. Silver jewelry a sapphire pendant on a slender chain and matching stud earrings and since the dress was sleeveless a silver bracelet watch.

  She parted her hair at the side and encouraged the waves to frame her face but tossed most of it over her shoulders to lie against her back to the level of her bra. At one time, she’d had hair down to her waist but it was a sonofabitch to look after so she’d gradually had the length reduced over the years.

  She had a brief panic when she couldn’t locate the matching shoes to the dress but she unearthed a pair of silver stilettos she hadn’t worn yet that would do just as well. She surveyed her walk-in closet desperately trying to forget the last time she’d stood in front of this mirror. She had too many clothes she should really sort it all out. It was a symptom of her growing dissatisfaction about her looks or her condition or something. Restlessness since her last divorce and a growing belated sense of insecurity and lack of confidence. God knew where it came from. She’d never felt that way before.

  She grabbed a silver purse and shoved her keys, change, a few bills and a credit card inside. When the concierge called up to say her taxi had arrived, she was ready. Except for the butterflies going batshit crazy in her stomach.

  Edie had eaten at this place a time or two but it seemed particularly busy tonight. And the figure lounging outside, the only one she had eyes for seemed at home here. He stepped forward to help her out of her car, and cameras flashed. He leaned forward to kiss her cheek and took the opportunity to murmur, “Next time I pick you up, no arguments.” She hadn’t wanted him to do that tonight knowing they wouldn’t have gotten as far as the restaurant. Despite his desire to take it slowly she would have hauled him inside thrown him to the floor and fucked him crazy. But part of the dare on the blog was to be seen with her guy. At least it was for her. She wanted to go all the way. Sex in private was good but she wanted more.

  Though she wasn’t sure what that was.

  Seeing John again sent warmth through her, one she recognized. Taking a new lover was always like that. If she felt the same after a week, three weeks maybe then she’d consider herself caught. Or not. This time she knew she could walk away if she wanted to. This time. Did every woman think like that?

  He led her through the doors opened for them by two men in uniform. “Why didn’t you wait for me indoors?”

  “I wanted to see your arrival and know it was for me.” He laughed. “Stupid eh?”

  “No.” Some of her pleasure was the photos and the questions she’d heard shouted as they’d entered the sanctuary of the restaurant. Je Suis it was called. Aptly named because it gathered all the egos in LA into one place. “It seems a bit busy tonight. I don’t kid myself. I don’t get that kind of crowd anymore. Thank God,” she added fervently and meant it.

  “Clooney brought his new squeeze to dinner,” John said. “They’re waiting for them to come out.”

  She laughed. “In their dreams. If he wants to, he will, otherwise he’ll go out the back way. He’s a savvy guy, he’ll have scoped that out long before he brought anyone here. But let’s hope he does go out the front because he’s a good distraction for us.”

  He glanced outside, the smoked glass windows adding a dreamlike quality to the crowds gathered on the street. “Nevertheless we’ve been seen and they’ve noted.”

  “Do you mind?”

  He laughed. “Are you crazy? I’m proud of it. I know some much quieter places but you seemed okay with this and for a trendy restaurant they do some damn fine food.”

  She gave him the look, straight up straight down. “So the fat kid eats?”

&
nbsp; “Hell yeah. As soon as I came out from behind the computer and started to live a little, the weight fell away. Together with some exercise.” He winked at her and she laughed.

  The maitre d’ approached them and led them to a table near a window where they could see but not be seen as the glass was of the one-way variety. Cars hurtled by, chrome trim gleaming in the sunshine. LA didn’t have much nighttime at this time of year but the June night dropped hard and fast when it finally came. It wouldn’t for another couple of hours yet.

  He leaned back in his chair and regarded her from half-closed eyelids. “You look fucking gorgeous but I bet you know that already. It must be second nature to you.”

  “No not anymore. I reared two kids and I spent most of my off-runway time in jeans.”

  He raised a brow. “Where are your kids now?”

  “One’s at college doing a doctorate, the other is working in Seattle.” For once, it didn’t make her feel old.

  “I didn’t notice any stretch marks.” The professional speaking. “Not that it would have put me off.” A glimmer of desire flashed from his eyes. She felt herself flushing. The curse of the redhead, that responsive skin.

  “I was lucky.” And it was luck. “I was working then. I would definitely have had surgery to correct stretch marks.”

  “It can’t always be corrected although there are ways of disguising the marks.” He glanced up as the waiter approached. “Do you know what you want or do you need the menu?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve eaten here before.”

  They let the waiter outline the specials and they sounded interesting so she took a chance and ordered those. Mussels in white wine sauce followed by spring lamb with creamed potatoes. John ordered a salad and fish.

  She grinned at him. “Anyone would think you were watching your weight.” He laughed. Right then she decided she wanted to hear more laughter from John Sung.

  Then the sommelier came to their table and Edie loved that he consulted her about the wine. They settled on a crisp dry white, a Moselle.