The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée

by Dr. Ivan Rusilko

  “Please, don’t remind me,” she shot back with a growl. “At least I’ll have you there to keep him at bay.”

  “Damn right I’ll keep him at bay. I may need to mark my territory, so if I pee on your leg during the party, think nothing of it.”

  Her eyes opened, and she giggled. “You’re such a freak!”

  He wrapped his arms around her, gripped her ass with both hands, and pulled her against him. “And you love it!”

  “I sure do.” She snuggled into him and wrapped one leg over his hips as he began to grind his erection against her. “How much time do we have before we have to leave for the airport?”

  “Enough.”

  “Ohhhh, no. I’m not falling for that. Remember the last time we had a pre-flight quickie? You had to bribe the cabbie, and we sprinted all the way to the gate.”

  He nestled his head in the crook of her neck and began kissing and nibbling just below her ear. “It was totally worth it.”

  “Yes, ahh…yes, it was…” she said. “Ivan…”

  He smiled against her warm skin and kept up the teasing, hoping he could coax her into the same groove.

  “Stop, babe,” she pleaded with a laugh. “I need to shower.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “No.” She wedged both her hands between them and pushed against his chest, forcing him away so she could look at him. “I’ve got a better idea.”

  He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Better than showering together?”

  “Yes.” She smiled a wicked smile and matched his raised eyebrows. Then she looked toward the bathroom and back to him. “But you have to do as I say.”

  He smiled at her, loosened his grip, and then submitted to the sexy fantasies that filled his lustful mind. “All right.”

  She slinked out of his arms and untangled her legs from his. She sat up next to him. “You stay here.”

  “Yes ma’am.” He sat up against the headboard, adjusted the covers, and laced his fingers behind his head. When Jaden failed to move from the edge of the bed—momentary jitters?—he cleared his throat expectantly.

  She stifled a laugh and turned away from him, gathering the sheet around her and taking it with her as she went. She walked to the bathroom, the damn sheet hiding her full glory. She was covered up, but he was lying naked on a stripped bed, fully exposed and hard as hell. His dick grew harder by the second in anticipation of what was to come.

  As she disappeared behind the door, the sound of water streaming onto a hard marble floor filled the air. A moment later the door flew back open, and the shower’s light blinked on. Then, in his mind, two and two became four. This was way better than what he’d had in mind. All he needed was popcorn.

  A beautiful bare leg came into view from behind the door, and he marveled at its perfection. The leg was followed by a bare hip, beautiful pelvis, and toned stomach. And then—with one slow but intentional step—every glorious, naked inch of her was revealed. He’d admired her body before, of course, but never every curve of her naked skin in such a voyeuristic way.

  As she stepped into the glass-walled shower, things got a whole lot hotter. He shifted on the bed and groaned. He couldn’t take his eyes off this peep show. He watched as she dropped her head back under the flowing water. He watched as she ran her fingers through her slick black hair. The water formed rivulets that ran down her face, slinked past her tits, and skated over her sculptured abdomen and smooth pussy. He was desperate to be with her, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away, let alone move, except for the hand that now reached for his dick.

  A thin vapor of steam wisped out of the bathroom, and drops of water pattered against the glass as Jaden hummed the first song they’d ever danced to: “The Way You Look Tonight.” Something about the way she moved, the way her hands roamed her body as she touched herself, was so…uninhibited. She caressed her breasts, working the soap into a lather. Thousands of tiny bubbles adorned her taut, wet nipples. He longed to suck them, to take her into his mouth and taste the salt of her skin. His cock was so hard in his hand that it had its own goddamn heartbeat.

  He watched in astonishment as she again tilted her head back into the flow of water. Ribbons of bubbles ran down the length of her body and into the drain below. She lowered her head and opened her eyes, casting him a sidelong glance, but she carried on as if no one was watching. Her hand dipped between her legs and he watched, his eyes fixated on the juncture between her thighs, as she massaged. She arched her back against the wall and her body quivered as she began to peak. He stroked himself in time to her rhythmic movements, each pass of his hand sending jolts of ecstasy along the length of his spine and curling his toes.

  He felt awkward, embarrassed, and invigorated all at once as he continued to enjoy both the show and himself, and Jaden continued to do the same. It was as if there were no walls between them anymore.

  When she screamed out her climax and collapsed against the shower wall, Ivan found the ability to move. With purposeful strides, he marched to the bathroom with only one thought on his mind: Mine. Now. Throwing open the shower door, he joined her under the hot water. He grabbed her by the arms, spun her around, and pinned her to the shower wall. His cock pulsed as he pressed up against her, his erection nestling between the cheeks of her ass.

  “Do you have any idea how sexy you are?” He groaned and took her earlobe between his lips, nibbling and biting, and he smiled when she writhed beneath him.

  “Did you enjoy watching?” she murmured. Grasping his cock, she began to stroke it up and down.

  He took a fistful of her hair, pulling her head to the side and exposing her neck. He bit her shoulder softly. “You have very skillful hands, baby. I’ve often wondered how you used them when I wasn’t there.”

  “Let me go, and I’ll show you what other tricks I have up my sleeve.”

  Instead he pressed into her and pinned her more firmly to the cool, wet wall. Using his foot, he spread her legs farther apart. “Hmm, I’m gonna hold you to that, but right now I need to feel you.” He reached down and replaced her hand with his, positioning himself between her legs, and pushed.

  Jaden stiffened, her body going rigid as she gasped.

  He stilled. “What’s wrong?”

  “Umm, baby? I think you have the wrong hole.”

  He tried to stifle a laugh but failed, and they both launched into hysterics. “One of these days, I’ll take you there too.”

  Her laughter immediately faded, and she turned to look at him. “Are you serious?”

  “Sure, why not? I’ll take you any way I can get you,” he replied, his voice sultry.

  He studied her reaction. Had he gone too far, crossed some invisible barrier just when he thought they’d shared everything? But the look on her face told him no, he hadn’t. And the look of desire that flashed across her delicate features next made his cock stiffen even more.

  “I’m going to hold you to that promise.” She stood on her tiptoes for him.

  He adjusted his position and entered her swiftly. They groaned as their bodies settled around and in each other. He hooked his arm under the back of her knee and brought her leg high in the air. Then he worked deeper into her core, and the sound of flesh on flesh drowned out the echo of the water splashing on the tile floor. Sweat mixed with the water running over their bodies as he took her from behind, his thrusts pushing her into the wall with each stroke of his cock.

  She tilted her head back and screamed, pushing her hips down against his. “Oh, God!”

  “What is it? What do you want?” He gripped a handful of her ebony locks and pulled her head back, his lips meeting hers and quieting her cries. Their tongues mated feverishly, their lips crushing together.

  Jaden pulled back, breaking the kiss. “Please, let me come!”

  Ivan loved it when she begged. It was like an aphrodisiac. “Your wish is my command.”

  He reached around her body, finding her clit, and rubbed it not so gently with his thumb. He could
feel her body tremble, her muscles clamping down on his cock as she convulsed around him, but his own release seemed just out of reach. He picked up his pace, thrusting into her harder and deeper, and he could feel another climax building within her, nudging him closer to his own release.

  “Oh fuck, yes!” Her body flung forward into the wall. “Again!” she roared.

  That was all the coaxing he needed. With one final thrust he slammed into her, deeper than ever before. Hot jets of semen poured into her, filling her with everything he had.

  Exhausted and sated, he lowered them to the floor, sliding out of her warmth, and they sprawled on the tile. When their breathing had returned to normal, he reached up and took the bottle of body wash from the shelf. He squirted it into his hand and, with steady motions, drew circles over Jaden’s skin with his palm, working up a rich lather. Neither spoke as they took turns washing each other.

  When at last the hot water began to run cold, Jaden spoke. “Maybe we should get out now. I’m turning into a prune.”

  He took her hand and raised it to his mouth, kissing the tips of her fingers. “No, you taste too sweet to be a prune.”

  She placed her head on his chest and ran her fingers through his long, wet hair. “You’re too good to be true. How did I ever get so lucky?”

  “Babe, I’m the lucky one.”

  “How do you figure?” She raised her head to look at him.

  “You said yes.”

  “After that ridiculous display at Bianca, I thought Geoff was going to fire me for sure. I had to say yes just to get you out of the restaurant before all hell broke loose.”

  He laughed as he remembered that day: the “business” lunch, chasing her into the kitchen, spilling sauce on the ridiculously expensive suit he’d worn to impress her, and finally, asking her out. Laughing, they untangled their limbs and stood. Ivan turned off the water while Jaden retrieved two towels from a nearby shelf.

  “You know,” he said, tossing his towel aside moments later and rummaging through his suitcase for clean clothes. “I think—”

  Billy Idol’s “With a Rebel Yell” blasted from his phone, interrupting him and startling Jaden.

  “What the hell?” she squeaked.

  “That’s our wake-up call,” Ivan explained as he pulled on a pair of jeans. He held up the phone and showed her the time. “Two hours until our flight. Ha! Told you we had enough time.”

  Chapter 10

  “It’s a Beautiful Morning”

  AS SHE GATHERED HER BELONGINGS and repacked her suitcase, Jaden’s heart sank. It was the same lethargic feeling she always got when one of their weekends was coming to an end. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. She needed Ivan like she needed air to breathe. Tears stung her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. Instead of pondering the “what ifs,” she busied herself with cleaning the room. She stripped the bed of its soiled linens before collecting all their belongings. She didn’t find a sweater in her suitcase, so she rifled through Ivan’s and pulled on his old Mercyhurst College sweatshirt. She held it to her nose and inhaled. It smelled of sand and sun, cigars and cologne. It smelled exactly like Ivan.

  When everything had been packed, he took her hand and led her down to the front door. She looked around one last time before her eyes settled on his, and they both smiled. Something different, something life-altering had taken place over the weekend in this romantic cottage in the middle of the Northern Californian wine country. Whatever it was, both of them knew, but neither said anything more about it.

  As they sped back to the airport, she fished her phone from her purse and checked the emails she’d been neglecting all weekend. Skimming through various work updates and spam, she smiled when she saw a note from Tasha. God, she missed that crazy girl. But then the next message, from her mom, caught her eye. Tapping the screen, she opened it and began to read:

  Honey,

  Just wanted to send you a quick reminder about the retirement party we’re throwing for your father in August. I know that’s three months away, but you’re a big Hollywood celebrity now, and I’m sure you need time to plan. Don’t forget us simple folk!

  Anyhow, your father also wants you to bring that boyfriend of yours so he can see who’s been occupying all of his baby’s time. He says Ivan is getting off easy with only chatting on the phone. You know your father and how he’s set in his ways, so if Ivan is free that weekend, please invite him. We would love to finally meet him in person.

  Your brother and sister say hi and that they love you. Call them. They miss you, and so do we.

  Love,

  Mom xoxoxo

  A knot tightened in Jaden’s chest. What would Ivan think of her family? What would they think of him? They’d done pretty well on the phone so far, but was it really a good idea to have her father, a park ranger sceptical of hunting enthusiasts, and her boyfriend, who considered hunting a fantastic family activity, in the same room together? Particularly with copious amounts of liquor involved?

  She grimaced as she recalled Ivan’s first conversation with her dad. Last Christmas had been their first together as a couple. He’d been bogged down at work, and she’d had only a one-week hiatus from the show, so they’d decided to have a low-key Christmas together in Miami. When she’d called her family to wish them Merry Christmas that morning, her dad had requested to speak with Ivan, then lectured him about the importance of family being together over the holidays. Once Ivan had finally assured him he was not trying to keep her away, the two men had found some common ground, and they’d spoken several times since.

  But this was different. At the retirement party, all her kooky relatives would be there. Her dad’s family didn’t exactly hail from the Upper West Side, but damn, they were fun to be around. Actually they were a lot like—quite a lot like—Ivan’s family in Meadville. Jaden smiled. If they could get past the awkward introductions, Ivan would fit in just fine with her crazy, awesome family. At heart, they were all a bunch of rednecks.

  Turning to Ivan, who was singing horribly as usual, she fiddled with the buckle of her seatbelt and readied herself to ask the question. “Hey, I umm…I have something I need to ask you.”

  Glancing over, he sat up and turned down the music. “What’s up, toots?”

  “Well, my dad is retiring in August and—”

  “He is?” Ivan raised an eyebrow. “He’s never mentioned that to me. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine, and it doesn’t surprise me that he never mentioned it. He’s not too happy about the idea, but mom thinks it’s time. She wants to do some traveling while they’re still young enough to enjoy it.”

  “Are they throwing a party for him?”

  Nerves crept up Jaden’s spine. “Yes, the second weekend of the month, and I was wondering if you could come with me to Colorado. My family wants to meet you in person.”

  “Damn, that’s a pretty busy time, babe.”

  She looked up at him, and for the second time that day, her heart sank.

  He reached across the seat and cupped her face in the palm of his hand, his thumb caressing her cheekbone. “It’s a shame my patients will have to deal with it.”

  She laughed and swatted his shoulder. “Damn right they can deal with it. I don’t know if I can handle that many of my insane relatives on my own.”

  “Of course, baby girl. I would love to meet everyone. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Thank you for inviting me.”

  A blanket of relief covered her and warmed her to the core. She placed her hand on his and squeezed. “Thank you.”

  They rolled to a stop in front of the car rental, dropped off the car, and began the trek to the gate for their flight back to LAX—and to the party she’d been dreading. But suddenly she didn’t mind as much. Her new co-host was likely an ass, and she had to deal with him whether she wanted to or not, but her stress about Damian had been replaced with pleasant thoughts of Ivan and her family. She began compiling
a mental list of things she wanted to do with him in Colorado. While they waited at the gate, she opened her email and began to tap out a response to her mom:

  Hi, Mom!

  Of course I remember. I can’t wait! And you ALL better be on your best behavior. because Ivan’s coming with me!!! So no anti-hunting talk from Dad or craziness from anyone else. ; )

  I love and miss you more. And yes, I’ll call Magan and Justin sometime this week.

  PS…They have phones too!

  Love you lots,

  Jaden

  Slipping the phone back into her pocket, Jaden smiled at Ivan and waited for the plane to take them home. China, Alaska, Colorado—she didn’t care as long as he was by her side. After their weekend, she felt happier than she had in a long time, and she owed it all to him. He’d succeeded in making her the luckiest girl in the world…yet again.

  Chapter 11

  “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”

  THE NIGHT AIR WAS COOL and crisp against Jaden’s skin. The smell of citronella infused the air, but it sparked a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She and Ivan walked hand in hand past the row of tiki torches lighting the walkway of Kevin Gibbs’ fabulous Hollywood backyard. What had been billed as a small, informal dinner had turned out to be a lavish affair complete with open bar, DJ, and a pig on a spit roasting over an open fire. The man had spared no expense. There had to be at least a hundred guests at this “informal” dinner.

  The tiki light cast an iridescent glow against the shimmering fabric of her emerald green dress, a color that matched her eyes. The dress was simple but elegant, and she’d selected it because it hugged her curves in all the right places and accentuated her assets. She knew Ivan loved the dress, because on more than one occasion she’d caught him gawking at her backside while she was wearing it. But tonight was not about Ivan’s attention. It was about making a statement that said, “Back off, boy toy. This is my show!” Damian Gris was nothing more than a pretty kitchen utensil, she reminded herself.

  As if he could sense her stress, Ivan squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “This guy doesn’t stand a chance against you.”