by A. m Madden
“A tad.”
“Is that a bad thing?” He leaned back and folded his arms. If the pale blue fabric of his button-down shirt could speak, it would probably be groaning in protest. Every inch of muscle was clearly defined…mouthwateringly defined.
“That depends. Are you a control freak?”
“If I am, does that scare you?” he countered.
“No.” I mimicked his posture, and his eyes focused on my folded arms or my boobs, it was hard to tell. When I cleared my throat, he chuckled and met my eyes once again.
“What was the question?” he asked with his lopsided smirk, which I now recognized he sported whenever he teased.
Mimo returned with two glasses of ice water, my wine, and a basket loaded up with bread. The divine smell wafted right up my nostrils and caused my stomach to rumble. I reached for a piece before David pulled a piece off the loaf for himself.
“I asked if you were a control freak. But, I’ll answer for you. I feel that you are most definitely a control freak.”
“Is that so?” His green eyes crinkled a bit in the corners; otherwise his face showed no sign of amusement. “Explain how you’ve come to that conclusion. I’m curious.”
“Just a gut feeling.” We watched each other silently until I couldn’t stand it any longer. “What do you do, David?”
“I’m currently unemployed and in between careers,” he answered easily.
“What was it that you did?”
“I’m a vet.”
“An animal vet?” I asked curiously.
“No, a war vet.” His face remained indifferent while mine clearly revealed my compassion.
“That’s amazing. What branch?”
“Private First Class David G. Cavello, U.S. Army, ma’am,” he announced with authority before saluting me.
“Thank you for your service, Private Cavello.”
“You’re quite welcome, Miss Whitney.”
“I never told you my last name. Are you stalking me?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Stalking is not my thing. Isn’t that what your butler called you?”
Fucking Warren. I had forgotten about him. “He’s not my butler.”
“Ah, my apologies. I meant chauffeur.”
As I opened my mouth to set him straight, Mimo arrived with our appetizers. David continued to assess me with amusement all over his face. Once Mimo retreated, I admitted, “He’s not my chauffeur, either.” My offended tone of voice altered his smirk to a smile.
“You don’t have to be defensive about it. So you have money. I like you in spite of that.” He picked up a fried calamari and popped it into his mouth before gifting me with a grin. I pressed my lips together to fight my own threatening grin. “You’re adorable when you try to act cool,” he said.
“I’m not trying to act cool,” I countered.
“My mistake. Let me amend.” He reached for my hand and lifted it palm up until it was an inch away from his lips. “You’re an adorable dork.” Maintaining eye contact, he slowly brought my hand closer and placed a single kiss dead center in the middle of my open palm. The feel of his callused fingers holding my hand open, combined with the touch of his lips, sent a jolt through my body. My mouth gaped open and his response was to place another, although the second one was openmouthed and lingered a bit longer as he pressed a bit firmer.
No one had ever kissed me there, and the effects to my libido were immediate. An instant flame, fireworks, blurred vision—all that crap you read about but never experience in real life. With that one smooth move, David Cavello instantly turned me into a pile of mush incapable of forming one coherent thought into words.
He released my hand, threw me another wink, and said, “Eat up, dork, before it gets cold.”
His words couldn’t have been farther from the truth because I felt like I was literally on fire.
David
She was absolutely adorable. I wasn’t kidding when I just admitted that to her. My instincts were to protect her, keep her safe…but she didn’t need me to. From the little I knew of her, it was obvious she was absolutely capable of taking care of herself, and that made her sexy as fuck.
The feel of her smooth palm beneath my lips only made me curious as to what other parts of her body were smoother. The tiny whiff of perfume that I smelled only made me curious as to what other parts of her body she dabbed it on. Both combined had me subtly shifting myself to relieve the discomfort that settled in my jeans.
Controlling my body of its natural urges and responses had become second nature, but my disciplined methods and tactics were failing me now. Silence stretched between us, and I watched her fidget nervously. Part of me wanted to laugh, but I was sure that would piss her off. I found I already thoroughly enjoyed teasing her to get a rise and to see her pale blue eyes light up as if a match had been lit behind them.
“You said you were in between careers. What is it you’d like to do now?”
“Psychology. I’m currently taking courses online to get my degree.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“Thanks.”
More silence stretched between us. She cleared her throat before saying, “I can see why you like it here. It was absolutely delicious. How often do you eat here?”
“Too often.”
“Do you live nearby?”
“Not far. Except for my sister and this place, I rarely get fed good food.”
“I recently met Angela through Eve. She’s a sweetheart.”
I reclined into the unforgiving back of the stiff wooden chair, nodding in agreement. “That she is, as well as a pain in my ass.”
A giggle escaped. “Isn’t that her job as the younger sister?”
“I guess, and she does it well. Do you have siblings?”
She shook her head before taking a sip of water. “Not biologically. There is a guy who’s worked for my dad for years. He’s a very good friend, actually more like a brother. He and his wife, Phoebe, are family to us. Other than those two, I have my best friend, Betha, who is like a sister to me.” Her delicate fingers fiddled with the stem of her wineglass as her teeth worried her bottom lip.
I waited, knowing she would speak again very soon. It was clear Maygen wasn’t a fan of uncomfortable silence. Right on cue, moments later she asked, “What made you enlist?”
My pause caused her to quickly add, “You don’t have to tell me.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just a long story.” She watched as I lifted my water to take a long sip. Did I want her to know me? My brain had little time to debate when the words starting spilling out uncontrolled.
“I was on my way to getting my master’s degree in education at Penn State. My goal was to be a high school physical education teacher. The old me related well to kids. While in college I worked an internship as a youth counselor at the YMCA near my home in New Jersey. I met a kid who was so lost, so scared. He was only a few years younger than me, and I remember thinking this poor kid had been through way too much in his life. He wanted to enlist for the wrong reasons, basically to escape his abusive father and drug addict mother. Essentially, he was running toward hell to escape his own. I spent a lot of time with him, trying to convince him enlisting was not the answer. There were other options, other possibilities. I couldn’t get through, and Darren joined the army on his eighteenth birthday.
“I found out one week into his first tour that Darren was shot and killed in combat. The news crushed me. I couldn’t help but feel responsible for not trying harder. How many others put themselves in the same situation as Darren did? How many were fighting for our country only because they didn’t have a better option here at home? Most importantly, how many could be fighting in their place?
“I spent a few weeks consumed with thoughts of Darren. After much debate, I abandoned my goals of teaching and enlisted the next day. If my being there took the place of another kid who had no business being there, then I felt at least Darren’s death would be vindicated.”<
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“Wow, David. That’s an amazing reason. You don’t want to go back to teaching?”
“No.” I didn’t elaborate and she didn’t prod.
“Um…where were you deployed?”
“Iraq.”
Predictably, her eyes widened before she added, “How long have you been back?”
“About six months.” Barry immediately popped into my head, as he always did at the mere mention of Iraq. The change in my demeanor was unstoppable. Her responding silence was a strong indication she had no idea how to react to the tension that spread through me as suddenly as an oncoming tornado.
She cleared her throat nervously and asked, “Are you happy to be home?”
“Yes and no.” I wasn’t prepared to talk about it. I loved being in the army, but with each day I was in Iraq a tiny piece of me was ripped away cell by cell and it was never replenished.
When she realized I wasn’t about to elaborate, she added, “I’m sorry, David. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. If you’d like to talk about it, I’m here. If not, I understand.”
“Thank you” was all I could muster up as a response.
My eyes connected with hers, and in their pale depths I could see the sincerity. Most people assumed it was therapeutic to have me open up and talk about it. Only those closest to me understood it was not something I could easily do. The fact that Maygen picked up on that so quickly and understood my needs softened my concrete heart a bit. In a short time, her pure personality was bringing a much-needed light into the dark corners of my mind.
Unfortunately, with the mere mention of Barry my mind was now reeling with thoughts of the past and the wheels were already in motion for the inevitable reaction. The air in the restaurant became thick and heavy. I could feel my lungs struggling for oxygen. I could feel the telltale signs of an episode coming on. I focused on her face, breathing through the bubble of rage that was rising with each long, painful moment that passed.
Thankfully, Mimo came over and placed the check on the table between us. With a trembling hand, I reached out and snatched it to inject a distraction into my mind like a syringe filled with an anesthetic.
Once he walked away Maygen said, “Please let me.”
“No.”
“But, you’re unemployed, and—”
“Maygen, I may be unemployed but I’m not broke. I invited you. Do not argue with me tonight or anytime I take you out. End of discussion.” My tone was much more forceful than I intended, but surprisingly, she challenged me instead of cowering.
“There’s that control freakiness coming through again,” she mumbled, and I couldn’t help but laugh, which caused her to laugh as well. At the sound of it, the dark cloud I felt hovering above my head instantly cleared.
While completely confused by the conflicting emotions, I threw the correct amount of cash on the table and asked, “Ready?”
“Yep. David, thank you for dinner.”
I nodded quietly, before helping her with her coat. Our eyes met as she allowed me to slip it on over her shoulders. The suffocating feeling slowly ebbed as I stared into the depths of her eyes. After a few long moments had passed, she looked away to walk toward the door. Without conscious thought, I reached out and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Her confused look morphed into surprise as I leaned in and gently kissed her cheek.
“What was that for?” she asked once I pulled away.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Her eyes glistened in the dimly lit restaurant, but except for an impish smile she didn’t respond. Turning the tables on me, she took my hand and led me out again, leaving me confused for my own reasons.
Once out on the sidewalk the freezing air filled my lungs, clearing my mind of the demons that were like water circling a drain. Face-to-face, she waited patiently as I dragged in a few more much-needed breaths. She didn’t ask if I was okay or offer up any empty words. She simply waited for me to do what I needed to.
I regained control much sooner than I normally would, making me wonder if it was her presence or the fresh air.
“Where do you live?” I finally asked when a shiver traveled through her.
“Uptown.” She moved her head left to right. “I’m going to hail a cab.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, David. You live here. There’s no need for you to traipse all the way uptown to see me home.” Ignoring her, I moved to the curb and raised my arm at the sight of the first yellow taxi cruising down the street. When it veered toward us and stopped, I opened the door, waiting for her to slide in, then immediately followed.
“David, you don’t have to come all the way uptown only to come back down here.”
“Where to?” the impatient cabbie asked.
Maygen said, “One minute please,” and looked at me expectantly. “Thanks for dinner. I had fun.”
I slammed the door closed, ignoring her. “We’re heading uptown,” I said to the driver. Turning to Maygen I added, “You gonna tell him your address, or wait until we hit the Bronx?”
“You’re so stubborn,” she mumbled while shaking her head. After reciting her address to the cabbie, she threw me a sideways glance and added, “I’m totally capable of getting home by myself. Why does everyone insist I need a babysitter?” The irritation she felt was evident in the tilt of her head and in the sound of her voice.
“Maybe I just don’t want our first kiss to be with my ass hanging halfway out of a cab.”
“You’re assuming I’m going to kiss you?”
“Would you care to wager?” I challenged.
Chapter 5
Maygen
It’d been a week since I’d seen him, or heard from him. I felt like a teenager who’s waiting for the boy to call after he said he would, but who realizes after days pass that he probably won’t.
Figures the last memory I had to hold on to was our smoking-hot first kiss.
Damn him.
Not only did he win the battle to ensure I got home safely, as well as the bet that he would indeed kiss me; he also left me tossing and turning all night long, and every night since.
My thoughts ran rampant due to the many questions that plagued my mind regarding the mysterious David Cavello. I couldn’t stop thinking of his lips on mine, which caused the relentless throbbing between my legs. My body yearned for more of him, and the worst part was, I had no idea if I would ever see him again.
Once the cab pulled up to my building, he paid my fare, ignoring my mini tantrum. Offering his hand, he helped me out while his eyes quickly scanned the façade.
“What a dump,” he teased. “Are you sure you’ll be safe in there? It looks like a place where squatters would be shooting up in the halls.”
“Shut. Up,” I said, placing my hands against his chest in an attempt to shove him, but failing miserably when he didn’t budge an inch. Before I could pull my hands away, he snatched them and pulled me flush against his hard body. With one hand on the small of my back, he slowly buried his other at the back of my head, tilting it until I had nowhere to look but into his electric green eyes.
“You’re so tiny,” he said, looking down at my face. I felt tiny near him, like he could throw me over his shoulder and carry me off without warning…and the thought caused my pulse to race.
“So, before I actually do kiss you, did you want to wager an amount?” The distance between our lips made it hard to focus on what he was saying. My pathetic response was to swallow audibly and shake my head.
“No, huh? Think it’s a sucker’s bet?” With parted lips, I then managed a slow nod.
“Yeah, I agree. I wouldn’t feel right taking your money after tasting your lips. It wouldn’t be fair for me to win twice, don’t you think? So, why don’t we just forget the bet, and assume that I would’ve won, okay?” His warm breath fanned over my face like a sweet caress. His eyes held me in a trance. But it was the way his lips barely brushed against mine as he spoke that had an involuntary shiver co
ursing through me.
“Cold?” A slow smile spread over his lips when my breathing became labored and a huff of air was all I was capable of releasing. He was driving me insane, and if he hadn’t kissed me soon I would’ve taken matters into my own hands.
Thankfully, he had pity on me and asked, “Maygen Whitney, may I kiss you?”
At my winded “Yes,” he shifted his eyes down to my mouth before bending to press his work-of-art lips against mine. Those lethal lips and his hold held me prisoner to the most perfect kiss I’ve ever had. My hands were sandwiched between his firm chest and my heaving breasts, and all I could do was grip the wool fabric of his coat beneath my fingers, holding on for dear life. With his lips, he was taking me on an exhilarating ride that I never wanted to end. It wasn’t choppy, as some kisses are. It was fluent and living, one long endless…
Sigh.
“Do that again,” he said against my lips.
“Do what?”
“Sigh into my mouth. Do it again.”
The second time his lips met mine, his eyes remained opened, willing mine to do the same. With our mouths attached, he opened his and drew in my sigh. Holding it deep in his lungs, he slowly released one of his own into my awaiting body. Before I could catch my breath he skimmed his tongue along the top of mine, coaxing it out, demanding it follow. Once I did, he latched on to gently suck it until my knees almost buckled.
When we broke for air, he looked as dazed as I felt.
He pressed his forehead against mine, and with his eyes closed said, “Maygen, I think you should go inside.”
“Okay.”
Even after his request, it still took a few seconds for him to release me. He stepped away and waited for me to enter the foyer of my building. Once inside, I watched as he lifted the collar of his peacoat, shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and walked away. He never asked for my number, or hinted he’d see me again.
It had been too long since a kiss rocked my world. Actually, come to think of it, I never had a kiss rock my world. Not even while dating the one man I ever loved. I seriously never recalled ever feeling winded or disoriented after Vince kissed me…and we dated for three years. Not once did I give one of our kisses, or even any of the times we had sex, a second thought. As it was happening, he made me feel all the things you’re supposed to feel during sex. But once over, it was over.
