by Opal Carew
She followed him out the door and back to his place. Stepping inside felt strange. Ordinarily the thought of being in a man’s apartment, alone with him, would fill her with blind terror. But it was different with Tal.
He’d helped her take huge steps forward.
And the one she’d take with him after dinner had her pulse fluttering.
He led her to the couch. “Just sit down and I’ll bring you a glass of wine, then get dinner started.”
But when he tried to draw his hand away, she didn’t want to let go.
“You don’t have to go to any trouble. We could just order a pizza.”
“It’s no trouble.” He smiled and kissed her hand. “Don’t worry. It won’t be long. I already made a pan of lasagna for tonight that I’ll just put in the over then pull together a salad. So sit.”
She sat down, their fingers sliding apart.
He walked into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a glass of red wine. He handed it to her and then turned on some music.
About ten minutes later, he returned with his own glass of wine and sat beside her.
“It’ll be ready in about forty minutes. If you’re really hungry, we could have the salad ahead of time.”
She gazed up at him, and her eyes must have shown that food wasn’t what she was hungry for, because his deep blue eyes heated. She ran her hand over his bristly cheek, growing weak with need at the masculine feel of him.
She tipped up her face in invitation. His arm slid around her and his face lowered. Anticipation built in her as his lips drew nearer, then when they brushed hers, she felt faint.
As the pressure of his mouth increased, she slid her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. Her heart raced as his tongue glided over her lips and she opened, welcoming him inside. The gentle sweep of his tongue made her feel treasured.
She was lost in the gentle strokes of his tongue, the tenderness of his mouth moving on hers. She felt totally enveloped in his presence.
Protected. Cared for.
Wanted.
Their lips parted and she gazed into his eyes, seeing the reflection of her own need for a deep connection with someone.
She stroked his raspy cheek. “I love it when we kiss.”
He smiled. “So do I.”
“It’s so intimate. So sweet. It makes me feel special.”
His blue eyes gleamed with loving sincerity.
“You are special, sweetheart.”
He stroked her hair behind her ear, sending tingles down her neck.
“I know with what happened to you,” he said, “it’s hard for you to trust a man. I’m glad you trust me enough to open up like this.”
She drew him back to her and found his lips again. His arms slid around her in a full embrace and he pulled her tighter to him, his tongue delving deeper this time. She suckled on it, wishing he could be nestled inside her forever.
His hand slid under her hair, then his fingers glided up the back of her head, threading through the strands. The kiss became more passionate. She melted against him, her heart thumping in her chest. The feel of his hard body against her, his thick arms around her, made her weak with desire.
“If we keep this up, I’m going to have trouble stopping,” he murmured against her lips, then took them again.
She pressed her tongue into his mouth and swirled deep.
He drew back, even though she clung to him.
“Okay, sweetheart. I know you’re not ready for where this is taking us.”
He drew her hands from around his neck and entwined his fingers with hers, then kissed the back of her hand. He picked up her glass of wine and handed it to her. She sipped, watching him over the rim of the glass, a warm quivering feeling inside at how protective he was of her.
“I’m going to bring out the salad now.”
They sat down at the table and enjoyed the Caesar salad together, then he brought out the lasagna. He put a portion on her plate, and she took a bite.
“Mmm. This is delicious,” she said. “You’re a great cook.”
“Thank you.”
He refilled her wine glass and she took a sip. She felt so relaxed. Being here in his apartment. Enjoying his company. Just like they were on a date.
He was right. She had made huge strides forward.
Because of him.
She swirled the wine in her glass as she watched him.
He had his own baggage. His early years had been tragic. Losing his father. Doing his best to protect his mother and little brother at such a young age. Then her death, leaving him alone to look out for his sibling. He’d had to grow up so fast and become so tough.
“Thank you for telling me about your past,” she said softly. “It must have been difficult to dredge it all up again.”
“I’ve never told anyone about it before, except for Steve.”
He took another bite of his food, and she thought he was going to close up, but then he turned his gaze to her.
“But I’m glad I shared it with you.”
Her heart swelled and she rested her hand on his. He lifted it and kissed her fingers. The gentle touch sent delightful shimmers of heat through her.
“I don’t want to pry, but do you mind if we talk about it some more?”
She thought it would help him to share his story, and she really wanted to know more about what had happened and how he had coped.
“Sure. Ask whatever you want.”
“Okay. So what happened after your stepfather died?”
“They arrested me, as you saw in the article. It looked pretty bad for a while. The police saw me as some thug involved with gangs, prone to violence, and figured it was an open and shut case. But then they looked into his background and uncovered past complaints against him from a previous marriage. That pieced together with hospital records showing his dead wife and current stepsons having had suspicious injuries, gave credibility to my account of what happened that night.”
Her heart ached.
His dead wife and current stepsons.
He meant himself.
“So they let you go.” She was so glad he hadn’t been put in prison.
“Once they realized I was the victim, yeah.”
“And your brother… It sounds like you were able to protect him from being physically harmed by your stepfather.”
“Mostly.”
The haunted look in his eyes told her he’d had to witness at least one time when his younger brother had been hurt. She squeezed his hand.
“So what happened to Joey and you afterward?”
“Joey was only thirteen and they wouldn’t let me be his guardian since I was too young. If the two of us went into foster care together, I knew that I’d be hurting his chances of being taken into a good home. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to abandon him to the system. I knew that our real dad had a brother in the UK and when the authorities contacted him, he and his wife were willing to take us in.”
“That’s great. But you didn’t go with him?” Hadn’t they wanted him?
“I did go with him at first. Stayed with them for about six months, but then came back here. Joey was happy there. They had a daughter about my age and a son who was a year younger than Joey. They became friends really fast and I saw that Joey loved being the big brother for a change.”
“So why did you leave? I think there’s more than you wanting Joey not to be eclipsed by you with your younger cousin.”
He sighed. “Yeah, well as you’ve seen, I’m pretty sensitive about women being afraid of me. You can imagine how I felt when I saw dread in their daughter’s eyes every time she looked at me. I’m sure she was convinced that I was going to drag her into a room and rape her the first chance I got. And it wasn’t just her. Even my aunt looked at me with fear.”
“You’re such a wonderful man. That is so unfair.”
He shrugged. “I can’t blame them. I looked like an intimidating bad-ass. But even though I wasn’t what they expected wh
en they agreed to take in their two nephews who’d been abused by their stepfather, they really tried to make me feel welcome. I knew it was better for everyone if I dropped out of the picture. So I came back here and I was able to finish school and get student loans to put myself through university.”
“That’s great that you were able to turn things around for yourself. So what you do for a living?”
“I have a Masters in Sociology and currently I’m working on a study for the government of the effects on society of self-driving cars. I love the freedom of working from home and deciding my own hours.”
“And you don’t have to worry about co-workers perceptions of you. I understand all about that. Except that I stay away from other people because I’m afraid. You stay away because they’re afraid of you.”
She stroked his arm. “I’m sorry life has been so difficult to you.”
He gazed at her and tightened his hand around hers.
“It hasn’t treated you so well, either.”
She smiled. “Until now.”
“God, Sonny. Come here.”
She stood up and he pulled her onto his lap, then cupped her face and kissed her with a tenderness that melted her heart. One hand glided down her back while the other curled around her head, drawing her close to his body, her breasts crushed against his solid chest, her mouth meshed tight with his.
When he released her, she could barely catch her breath.
“I think I’m all done dinner,” she said in a husky voice.
“Really?” He tucked his finger under her chin and tipped up her face, a devilish grin playing across his lips. “So does that mean you’re ready for desert?”
Oh, God, she was so ready.
She nodded.
“Good. I have ice cream. And I think there’s some leftover blueberry pie.”
Her jaw dropped and he just laughed.
“I take it that’s not what you had in mind.”
He kissed her again. Brief but intense. Then he lifted her to her feet as he stood up. Now their bodies were tight together, their gazes locked.
“I think we should finish our wine in the living room,” he suggested.
She just nodded.
He picked up her wine glass and pressed his hand to the small of her back, then guided her to the living room.
“I think you’ll be comfortable here,” he said as he gestured to an armchair.
He handed her the glass, then cleared away the dishes, returning a few moments later with his own glass and sat on the couch facing her.
“You made a request earlier,” he said, settling back. “I think it’s time.”
She shifted in her chair. “Yes. That would be… good.”
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Now, sweetheart, I want you to be completely open and honest with me right now. I don’t want you to be embarrassed by what you like. Or what turns you on. And I don’t want to go too fast for you, so if you don’t tell me, I’ll play it cautious.”
She drew in a deep breath.
“I want you to talk,” she said slowly. “Like in the audios. Tell me what you’re thinking about. What you like. I want this to be totally about you and your pleasure.”
His eyes twinkled. “Well, not totally. Because the idea of me coming turns you on, right?”
She bit her lip. “Yes. But it’s not just about… um… coming. You’ve done so much for me. And part of that is helping me understand what excites me. I want to know what excites you.”
He smiled. “Okay. What else?”
She gazed at him, and the open acceptance in his eyes calmed her.
“I want to hear you. Having that pleasure. To see you.” She felt her cheeks flame. “I mean… your face.”
He laughed. “My face. Okay.”
He sipped his wine, pondering.
“So, is it really just my face you want to see? Because if so, I’ll grab a blanket and keep my cock hidden. Because, baby, it’s going to come out of my jeans at some point.”
Her gaze fell to his crotch, and seeing the fabric stretched over his already growing bulge sent heat simmering through her.
“I…” She sucked in a breath. She desperately wanted to see his big, male member. “I don’t want you to hide it.”
He chuckled. “Okay, I think we’re ready to go.”
He stood up and drew the drapes, closing off the sight of the setting sun, then turned on a small lamp. The room was cast in a soft light. Dim enough so it was relaxing, but lit well enough so she could see him—and his body—clearly.
He sat back down and pulled his cell from his pocket and tapped on it a couple of times, then set it down.
Was he recording this to make another audio for her later? So she could listen again and again? Her body quivered at the thought.
He leaned back and drew in a deep breath. Then his gaze drifted from her face down her body. Her skin heated and little bursts of excitement danced along her nerve endings at his acute male attention.
He took a few more deep breaths, then sighed deeply.
Hello, baby. I’m glad you’re here with me again. I’m going to share one of my most intimate moments with you.
I’m going to take my time. Ramp it up nice and slow so you can really enjoy it.
Are you ready?
His gaze was on her and she nodded. The wide, satisfied smile that spread across his face took her breath away.
Good, baby. Because so am I.
She watched as his hand stroked over the front of his jeans. She sucked in a breath, wishing she was feeling what his fingers were feeling.
Right now, I’m sitting here fully dressed, but I’ve been thinking about you for hours and my cock is so hard… so big… it’s painful inside these jeans. But before I do anything about that, I’m going to take off my shirt.
He grabbed the hem of his white T-shirt and pulled it over his head, then tossed it to the floor. His glorious muscles and dense tattoos were a sensational sight.
Now I’m sitting here in just my jeans, stroking my cock. I told you it’s already rock hard and aching. I’m imagining you sitting in front of me, curled up in the big armchair, watching me. I can see the hunger in your eyes.
His gaze washed over her and she shivered.
I love that you want to watch me. To hear me.
I know the thought of me stroking my cock in front of you is turning you on. You want to see it. My hard cock. Throbbing in my hand as I stroke it.
Do you want me to show it to you, baby? Yeah?
She bit her lip, her eyes wide. She did. So badly. She didn’t say so, but he smiled, reading it in her eyes.
Mmm, it’s exciting knowing how much you want to watch me stroke myself.
Mmm. Yeah. In my imagination, you start to undo your top… a smile on your face… teasing me as you slowly release one button at a time.
Her fingers dropped to her top, resting on that first button. She wanted to undo it. She wanted to be the woman in his fantasy.
His gaze burned through her as she toyed with the button, not meaning to tease him. Just aching to be brave enough to take this step.
I’m unzipping my jeans now, thinking about that. Mmm. Thinking about seeing your beautiful breasts.
He pulled the zipper down as he spoke and she held her breath.
I slide my fingers over my cock, still inside my jeans, knowing you want to see it.
Oh, God, she did. So badly.
His fingers slid inside and the sight of them moving under fabric… knowing he was touching his hard shaft… took her breath away.
I think about your fingers unfastening your buttons … your top falling open.
She licked her lips and found herself undoing the button on her top. His eyes heated and she undid the second, then the third, watching his hand moving under the denim.
She sucked in a breath and released more buttons, letting her top fall open.
Oh, yeah, baby.
The heat in his voice singed
her senses.
I squeeze my cock tightly. It’s hard and ready. I can see the craving in your eyes.
She waited, her breath held, watching his hand.
You want to see what you’re doing to me?
I will show you, baby. I promise. But first, I want you to open your top and let me see you.
She let the top slide from her shoulders a little, opening the front a little more so he could see her.
That’s right, baby. Open it all the way.
Oh, God help her, she couldn’t resist his words. She opened her top and let it slide off her shoulders and fall to the floor.
His eyes widened, then he laughed softly.
Oh, yeah. Just like that.
He hadn’t expected that. But clearly he would encourage her. Trying to help her push past her boundaries.
Ah, fuck, I love the sight of your beautiful breasts all covered in that sweet baby blue lace bra.
Now I’m going to give you what you want. I’m pulling out my cock.
Her breath caught at the sight of his thick, stiff cock as he drew it into view. Oh, God, it was every bit as big as she’d imagined.
It was swollen and red, veins throbbing along the side. The head was as large as a plum.
His hand glided from the base to the tip, then down again.
She sucked in a breath at the sight.
He chuckled.
You like that, baby? Seeing my cock? Watching me stroke it?
She nodded, a deep ache building inside her as she watched his big hand, tightly gripping his cock, gliding up and down.
Now you can watch my cock get harder as you show me more of your body.
I’m pumping it for you. Knowing how much you love watching me do it… is pushing me closer to the edge.
He stroked his cock slowly. The tip disappearing and reappearing in the embrace of his hand. She longed to walk over to him and wrap her own hand around it. To feel it pulsing within her grip.
