"Julien doesn't mind you drinking from the bar?" I say as he takes a swig from the bottle.
"Julien owes me more than a couple of beers." He smirks, but doesn't elaborate.
"I'll take that as a no..."
We sit in companionable silence for a minute before I wonder, "How do you stand working for Julien? Three seconds in the same room and I begin to wonder how Sarah hasn't strangled him already."
He laughs before answering, "I am used to him. Honestly--though I would never admit this if it ever came up outside of this conversation--he's like a brother to me."
"Oh, well. That I can understand--sometimes I want to strangle my sister."
"What about you?"
"What about me?" I ask, trying not to notice how, even in the low light, I can make out the vivid blue of his irises, or the way his eyes slightly crinkle when he smiles.
"What keeps you here?"
"Well, Sarah's my best friend--who regularly gets herself in over her head--someone has to keep her grounded."
"Who keeps you grounded?"
"Strict dad and liberal mother?"
"So I assume the purple highlights were part of a rebellion?" he asks as he gestures to the vivid highlights in my otherwise dark hair.
"Oh, I've just always loved colors in my hair. Too much anime as a kid, I guess. Dad and I have plenty more to argue about..."
Ben nods in understanding, but he doesn't really know the half of it--I don't know how Mom and Dad ever got together. Dad must have been having a rebellious streak himself that day, because Mom is anything but conventional. I'd chalk it up to their incredibly different upbringings--Mom was raised by Portland hippies; Dad, traditional Japanese parents--but there must have been something that drew them together at the time.
Opposites definitely attract...and then repel violently and end up with annoying divorces.
Ben's voice interrupts my slightly bitter thoughts. "Always lived in Seattle?"
"Spent alternating summers and holidays between Oregon with my grandparents and New York with my mom, but that's about it. You?"
"Originally from France."
"Sarah said something about that. Where exactly?"
"Near the Loire Valley."
A place I am actually familiar with! "Wine fan, then?"
"Not really, more of a beer or hard liquor man," he says with a smile and I can't stop myself from returning it.
"Yeah, I hear you. Sarah's the wino, I'm more of a hard liquor woman, myself. I even taught myself a few drinks," I say proudly, forgetting altogether that I am talking to a bartender.
"Is that so?" His eyes flicker with amusement.
"That's so!" I say, a little more unsurely than I'd first intended. Though, I could probably make some crazy concoction and he'd pretend to like it--or laugh with me while drinking it, Ben seems like the type of guy who rolls with whatever comes his way.
"Show me."
"Right now?" I look around like there's something else I should be doing.
"Right now."
"With Julien's booze?"
"That very booze."
"As long as you promise not to tell," I say with a pointed look. Last thing I need is Julien breathing down Sarah's neck on my account.
"My lips are sealed."
He places his beer down and then holds out his hand. I look at his outstretched hand questioningly.
"Allow me to escort the fair maiden into my dark domain."
I laugh and slide my hand into his. "Prince Charming or Dark Knight?" I wonder as his scent swirls around me--Gods, he smells like sex on a stick--smooth and masculine, even after working all evening.
"Can't I be both?" his voice rumbles and I can't stop my slight gasp as he leads me around his muscular body, his hand sliding low, tracing a tingly path along the edge of my hip.
Oh, please be both! My mind hopefully suggests as I wonder whether or not his touch had been intentional. He'd popped the first few buttons of his shirt after his shift had ended and his tie dangles from both sides of his neck. His shirt is rolled up to reveal well-defined forearms and I might have tripped a little...erm, accidentally on purpose, so that I had to steady myself against his firm body.
"Oh, excusez moi." I try and fail to keep the little smirk from my face. It really was his fault. He started the touching game, after all.
He continues to lead me around towards where the bottles of alcohol are all lined up, his fingers brushing along the inside of my wrist as he finally releases me.
"Parlez-vous français?" The words roll naturally off of his tongue; I have a hard time concentrating on what he is saying to me.
Taking a moment to collect myself. I walk over to the liquor, pulling out a bottle of vermouth and cherry brandy before walking back towards Ben.
"Je ne parle pas le français. Sadly. I only know a little from Sarah--and my pronunciation isn't the best," I say with a practiced pout.
"The pronunciation is difficult for the tongues of English speakers. Perhaps you just need practice?" he suggests, a wicked look on his face.
I bite my lip before breaking into a sexy smirk. "Oh, my tongue is practiced, alright." The look in his eyes says that he remembers.
Though I'm naturally flirtatious, the alcohol definitely enhances my sexy side. I slide my hand past Ben's waist, softly scraping my nails along his hard abs as I reach for a cocktail shaker. "Pardon me. It's kind of cramped back here. It's a good thing you don't work with anyone else."
Ben slips behind me, his hands sliding up along my hips, fingers curling softly at the gap between my skirt and sweater. "I don't know. Small spaces work well for increasing intimacy between friends." His lips brush against the rim of my ear and I have to suppress a shudder.
I lean back against him, pressing into his firm body. "You're trying to distract me from making my rose cocktail."
"Is that so?" he says, his fingers holding my body tight against his as I subtly rock into him.
"That's so. I think you have other things on your mind," I say while sloppily measuring out two ounces of vermouth into a shot glass.
"You're making a mess of my counter," he accuses as his fingertips resume their exploration, this time sliding up along my ribs.
"I'm almost finished." I reach across the counter to grab some raspberry syrup, shooting a liberal dash into the shaker, but not before getting the sticky substance all over my fingers.
"A little help?" I purr over my shoulder, licking my index finger invitingly.
As quickly as I suggest it, my fingers are in Ben's warm mouth, his tongue swirling tantalizingly--making me wonder what it would feel like on more sensitive places.
"You taste divine," he says once he's licked my fingers clean. "I've had your lips, your fingertips...I wonder what the rest of your body tastes like?"
I try to focus on mixing the drink. "Guess you'll have to wait and see," I say coyly as I pull two cocktail glasses from the racks above us.
I pour out the drinks and pop a maraschino cherry into each glass. "Ready!" I say, about to turn around, when Ben suddenly stops me.
"The whipped cream is missing..." His lips brush against the side of my neck as he keeps me from turning around.
"There's no..." My mind quickly catches up--there is no whipped cream in a rose cocktail, but there definitely is whipped cream in a Hana cocktail. "You're right. It's missing the whipped cream. A little help?"
"Absolument." Ben slowly drags his hand along the side of my leg as he reaches to the little cooler below us, leaving a trail of goose bumps in the wake of his fingertips. Slowly shifting me around so that I am facing him, he holds the can of whipped cream up triumphantly before me, and I give him a seductive smile as I slowly lick my lips.
"You know the French way of drinking a rose cocktail?" he asks and I shake my head, trying to focus on his words and not on how much I want to peel his shirt from his body.
"First," he says as he places the whipped cream down on the counter. "We must prepare you for th
e drink." Ben slowly runs his fingers up along my arms before dragging them along my collarbone; his hands meet at the buttons of my blouse.
"Are you ready?" he asks slowly, seemingly to give me a chance to back out--but there is absolutely no way I am going to miss out on a piece of Ben, especially on Valentine's day.
"Absolument," I mimic and he flashes his sexy grin.
"Parfait." And one by one, the buttons of my blouse are flicked open.
Pop.
Pop.
Pop.
I take a second to silently thank whatever intuitive sense I'd had when I dressed this evening as I'd luckily put on a lacy, but most importantly matching, bra and panties.
Ben growls in appreciation as he brushes my shirt open to reveal my full breasts. "You are exactly as I've imagined."
I arch my back and smirk as I watch his eyes glaze--definitely a breast man. "You've imagined me before?"
"Of course. From the moment you and Sarah walked into my lounge."
"Ahh...Sarah and I? Naughty boy. Too bad Sarah's caught up with your boss, though I'm not sure she'd be interested in what I have in mind," I tease.
He laughs. "That wasn't exactly what I imagined, but you have been in my thoughts for some time now."
"Never acted on it?" I ask as I finger the lace of my bra, drawing his attention to the curve of my breast.
"Just a kiss. The rest...only when I was alone," he says wickedly and my mind reels as I imagine him--his gorgeous body spread out, nude, gripping himself--thinking of me. I'm barely able to keep myself from panting. "Julien is rather demanding," he continues as I trail my nails over my chest. "I didn't know whether or not pursuing you would interfere with his plans."
"And now?" I ask as my finger slips under the fabric of my bra, teasing my nipple until it pearls beneath my touch. I can't repress a purr at the sudden wave of self-pleasure.
"Now all I want is to see if you are exactly as I've imagined, inside and out."
His lips brush along the curve of my jaw and I can't stop the little moan that escapes my lips--sexy man, dirty mouth; my absolute favorite.
I wiggle my hips into his and he groans against my neck. Funny. I want to see if he is as big as the outline in his pants seems to be.
Ben backs up just enough to be able to take the sweater completely from my body before moving on to my bra. A flick and tug later and I'm half-naked before him. He slowly slides his hands up my waist, murmuring about how perfect my curves feel in his hands, before he cups my breasts.
I groan as he squeezes.
"Harder," I beg.
He obliges.
My last boyfriend had been afraid to push me too far--as if he'd break me. Ben sure doesn't seem to have the same problem.
"Little Hana..." his deep voice purrs. "Like it rough?"
I gasp as his fingers pinch my nipples into stiff peaks. "I like variety. Speaking of which, weren't you going to show me how you Frenchmen like to drink your cocktails?" As I finish, I slowly slide my hand over the bulge in his slacks and give him a firm squeeze.
Slowly grinding into my palm, he asks, "Yes, I did...Did you want to move somewhere more private? The office, perhaps?"
"The lounge's locked, isn't it?" I say as I tease the skin along his waistband.
"Oui..." he slips into French as my fingertips slide behind the fabric of his pants and slowly slip along the top of his thick, swollen cock--Commando!
"Not worried Julien and Sarah will interrupt us?" I wonder as I pop the button to his pants and unzip them to allow me greater access.
"Not particularly. You afraid of being caught?" he says with obvious effort as I roll his slick tip between my fingers.
"Absolutely not. I'm an artist. My personal boundaries reach farther than most." Which was an understatement--I'd been modeling for Sarah and her artist friends for years before I started managing her shows. Not to mention, my tastes ran closer to kinky than vanilla...but it was hard to find a partner to explore with.
"Mon petit, you are full of surprises." Taking the can of whipped cream, Ben slowly trails a path of the sticky-sweet fluff along my collarbone...to the tip of my nipple. I can tell that my hand on his cock is distracting, but I'm not about to relinquish the bit of control I have over him that easily.
"Lick. Suck. Drink. You ready?"
"As long as I get my turn," I reply as he leans towards my body.
I arch towards him as his reply rumbles against my skin, "Of course."
Slowly, so slowly, he traces his tongue along the sensitive ridges of my chest--ridding my body of the cream. He stops before he reaches my nipple, tracing a maddening path around my areola.
I try to wiggle into his mouth--blatantly enticing him, but he resists. So I up the ante. I begin to pump with my hand, firmly gripping and sliding along his thickness until suddenly he stops me.
"Ah, ah!" he says with a wicked grin. "You'll get your turn." And before I can register what's happening, he has my hands pinned between his and the high counter of the bar.
"Be a good girl and let me have my drink."
"Be a good boy," I say breathily. "Let me have mine." I'm used to being in control--it's how I keep myself from falling to deep, or letting anyone else have control over any aspect of my life, so it's hard for me to let someone else take the lead.
Ben leans in and brushes his lips across my ear. "Let me show you how good it can be." I know he's talking about much more than just this moment and I am beginning to wonder exactly how much Sarah has told him about me.
"I don't know..." I whisper, trying not to let my past experiences cloud this moment with mistrust.
Ben releases my hands, only to trail one up to my cheek. He brushes his fingers along my jaw while lifting my head so that I'm looking him in the eyes. "I promise I will make it worth your time...worth the risk."
He reaches towards the counter and grabs our drinks again. He holds mine towards me. "A toast?"
"To what?" I wonder while taking my drink back.
"To us--to now. Just this."
I think about this for a second--he's right. I'm living for the past, or for a complicated future. It's a part of me that I've worked to overcome, but obviously it's still a work in progress. But with Ben...maybe a moment is all it takes before you can find a piece of forever?
Maybe with Ben, it could be a moment shared between two people who enjoy each other's company, and each other's bodies?
I smile up at him. "To the moment. Lick, suck, drink?" I remind him.
He laughs a little at my prodding. "As if I could forget. Prepare yourself, mon petit."
Leaning back in, Ben trails his tongue down and along my neck. "Lick."
Slowly, his lips and tongue swirl and suck along the sensitive skin of my neck and shoulder. I suppress a shiver, but I can't suppress the moan that passes between my lips. "Suck," he purrs against my skin.
Finally, he backs up and gives me a gorgeous smile before shooting back the liquor. "Drink."
I grin up at him. "My turn."
Taking Ben's hand in mine, I reverse our positions and back him up against the counter.
First, I pull the long cord of his tie from around his neck.
Second, I take my time and explore the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one by one till he's finally, blessedly, revealed to me.
Third, I let my nails trail down along his shoulders and back as I pull the shirt from his body. I step back slightly and take him in. He's beautiful; gorgeously sculpted--like an art piece come to life. A little trail of dark hair leads downward and I can't help but trace my fingers through it, stopping just shy of his open pants and straining sex.
He groans a little in disappointment, which I enjoy immensely. "My turn, Ben," I remind him.
I brush my long hair back and over my shoulder before kissing a path down his abs.
Back arched, tongue tracing suggestively along my lips, I make eye contact. "Lick."
Ben moans as my tongue slowly swirls around the tip of h
is cock. I reach up for the can of whipped cream and trail a liberal path along his swollen shaft.
"Suck." I swallow him hole, sucking him clean as his hands thread through my hair, strong fingers pulling the strands softly as my tongue and mouth play with him.
I straighten and give him a devilish smile as I reach behind him and grab my drink. "Drink."
I barely have enough time to place my glass back on the counter before his hands are on my hips, fiddling with the side zipper of my skirt. In a flash, my skirt joins the rest of my clothes.
Ben kisses me whole. Everything fades out of existence until it's just us two, our minds and bodies connected in an all encompassing experience. It's amazing. Overwhelming. Frightening. But it's just a moment, a moment that I can analyze later.
Because, right now...I have other things on my mind.
And with a quick flick of my hips and a seductive look, I step away and beckon for him to follow me into the little office of the bar. It's not much, but it's perfectly suited for what I have in mind.
I can feel Ben's eyes on me--taking in the sexy little thong I'd decided to wear tonight, the lace-rimmed thigh-highs, the pointed heels of my stilettos. It's a good thing I decided to dress for Valentine's, even with my anti-Valentine intentions...
Slowly sauntering into the room, I position myself invitingly on top of a big, old desk. It's mostly clear, except for a few pens which I nosily knock to the floor as I slide backwards. After kicking my shoes off, I point my toes towards Ben as he closes the gap between us. "Whose desk is this?"
Ben shrugs as he reaches forward to grab my ankle. Trailing his fingers up along my leg, he reaches the inside of my thigh and catches the edge of my stocking before finally pulling it off. "Julien's, I suppose."
I laugh gleefully as Ben goes back for the other leg. "Well, I suppose it's fitting--he fucked up my night."
"Ah, but how glad I am that he did," Ben murmurs along the inside of my thigh as he uses his teeth to remove my other stocking.
He walks between my legs and slowly hooks his fingers under the waistband of my panties. I lift myself as he slowly backs away, pulling them off in one, quick movement. Bare before him, Ben pauses to look at me and I can't help but feel a tiny bit self-conscious. Which is ridiculous given how much we've seen and done to each other already. I mean, art students studying me for a portrait I can handle--sexual experiences with a new partner? Okay, not as confident.
My Dirty Little Valentine: An Erotic Anthology Page 6
