Rosie nodded, sipping her wine. “Couch?” she asked.
Nodding, Lewis followed her to the living room. For a moment they just looked at each other, each unsure where to start. “I’m sorry,” Lewis blurted out at last.
Rosie raised her eyebrows. “For which part, exactly?”
“For all of it. For being such a dick the first time we met. For being such a dick in general. For hitting on you and making you feel uncomfortable. For just wanting to get into your pants and not thinking about your feelings. For everything. For fucking everything up.”
“And what have you fucked up?” Rosie asked, sipping her wine.
Lewis laughed wryly. “What haven’t I fucked up? My career, my friendships, the possibility of being with you.”
Rosie’s eyebrows shot up. “With me?” she asked.
Lewis nodded. “I…you’ve really…I’ve never thought about anyone else before, about how they feel or how what I’m doing makes them feel. You’re the first person to ever make me realize that other people have feelings too and that my actions hurt them. God, that’s awful to admit out loud. How has it taken me this long?”
Rosie chuckled. “Maybe you’re not an entirely lost case, after all, Lewis.”
He shook his head. “Today has been amazing, Rosie. Playing with Angelo…I’ve never felt so comfortable with anyone in my life. He’s great and you’re great and you’re lucky to have each other. And you both deserve the best. And I…I’m definitely not the best.” Taking one more sip, Lewis set down his wine glass. He took a long look at Rosie and then stood up. “So, I’m going to go now. And you don’t need to worry: I’ll stay out of your life. You’ll never have to deal with me and my shit again. But I really hope that you find someone who deserves you – you and Angelo. Thanks again for everything, Rosie.” And, with that, he headed for the door.
Rosie watched him walk away in silence for a moment. Then she set down her wine glass and stood up. As Lewis was tugging on his jacket, she came up to him and grabbed him by the lapels. Lewis’ eyes widened.
“Rosie—” he began, but she cut him off, pulling him down into a deep kiss.
Lewis put his hands on either wall to steady himself. Her lips were soft and warm on his, just as they had been at the bar, and he felt as if his body would melt into hers any second. When he’d gotten his balance back, he wrapped his arms around her, one hand burying itself in her hair and pulling her head back so that he could deepen the kiss. Rosie reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Suddenly, Lewis realized what they were doing and broke away, keeping Rosie at arms’ length. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, slightly breathless from the kiss.
Rosie raised one eyebrow. “Like I said before: if I didn’t, you would know.”
Lewis didn’t hesitate. Stepping forward, he wrapped Rosie in an enormous hug, kissing her passionately, his kiss filled with all the relief, gratitude, and love he felt pouring through him. “Thank you,” he murmured, nuzzling into her shoulder and trailing kisses along her neck. “Thank you.”
Rosie giggled softly, his nose tickling her skin. “Why don’t you come show me how grateful you are, Lewis? Actions speak louder than words.”
Lewis straightened, grinning down at the tiny woman. “I’d love to,” he said, his smile growing wicked. Picking Rosie up easily, he carried her through the small apartment to the only room he hadn’t seen yet: her bedroom. Shutting the door behind them, Lewis deposited her on the large, unmade bed. The city lights in the streets below kept the room half-lit so Lewis didn’t bother turning on anything else.
Working quickly, he pulled off Rosie’s t-shirt and undid her bra, throwing them to the floor. Taking her face in both hands, he kissed her deeply, then began to work his way down her body, kissing her neck, her collar bone, her small, pert breasts with their dark nipples already hard and pointing skyward.
Tenderly, he drew the flat of his tongue over one breast and then the other, beginning with the sensitive skin underneath them. Rosie sighed with pleasure, her hands burying themselves in his hair. Then, with the very tip of his tongue, he traced the dark edge of her areolas, swirling closer and closer to the nipples themselves while Rosie arched her back, pressing herself closer to him. Finally, he brought each nipple fully into his mouth, sucking rhythmically as his tongue flicked back and forth along their length. Rosie moaned, her fingers tightening in his hair.
Kneeling down at the edge of the bed, Lewis kept one hand on her breasts, teasing her wet nipples, while he undid her belt and fly. Reluctantly, he let go of her breasts, kissing the smooth planes of her stomach as he pulled off her tight jeans and revealed the tanned legs he’d loved to watch during their sessions. Dropping her clothes on the floor, he ran his hands up her inner thighs – the skin was as soft as it looked. Gently, he began to kiss and nip his way up from her knees, enjoying the way she squirmed and sighed.
When he finally reached her pussy, it was already wet with anticipation. Likewise, his erection was already throbbing, straining uncomfortably against his fly. With one hand, he undid his zipper, freeing his cock, and, with the other, he spread her lips wide. Leaning forward, he delicately ran the flat of his tongue up across her pussy, enjoying her warm, salty taste. Above him, Rosie moaned.
Savoring the intimacy of the act in a way he never had before, Lewis explored her. He took each of her folds into his mouth, tracing their ridges and dips, sucking them until they were slick and Rosie was gasping. Then, slowly, he made his way to her clit, tracing it with his tongue, teasing her, as Rosie’s hands clenched in the sheets and she whimpered with desire. Lewis chuckled and, finally, brought the sensitive nub into his mouth, massaging it with his lips. Rosie gasped at the sensation, her back arching as she desperately tried to get even closer to Lewis.
As he sucked her clit, lapping it gently with his tongue, he slid a finger into her slick pussy, stroking her g-spot with his fingertip, keeping time with his mouth and tongue. Rosie’s breathing grew shallow and frantic and her pussy began to spasm around him as an orgasm neared. “Oh God,” she moaned between gasps. Lewis picked up the pace, working frantically to get her off. He was rewarded with a sudden moan as her pussy clenched hard around his finger and her whole body began to shake. He smiled, his lips never leaving her clit.
When her orgasm had faded, Rosie propped herself up on her elbows. “Don’t you want me to—” she began softly, but Lewis gently pushed her back down.
“You told me to show you how grateful I am,” he whispered. “So let me.”
“Yeah, but—”
But Lewis had already returned to his work, his tongue massaging her taint as his fingers teased her clit. Rosie moaned again and stayed where she was, bringing her feet up to rest on Lewis’ shoulders.
Lewis had always been more of a taker than a giver when it came to sex. Foreplay for him consisted of enjoying long blowjobs from star-struck fans and giving only minimal head in return. Sure, he liked to play with their tits a bit, if they were nice enough, but, for the most part, he was there to get off. He wasn’t too concerned if his partner did as well.
But, as he played with Rosie, exploring every inch of her most private places, he found that he enjoyed making her happy. It turned him on to see her writhing and panting as he sucked her clit or licked her pussy. Knowing she was having a good time got him harder than he’d ever thought possible.
As he thought about this, he kept working on Rosie, bringing her clit back into his mouth and sliding two fingers deep into her. This time, he just thrust, enjoying the way her eager pussy tightened around his fingers and how she would whimper whenever his knuckles grazed certain spots. He started pumping them faster, his tongue licking her clit in time to his fingers’ rhythm. He wanted to watch her come again.
This time Rosie helped him, using his shoulders as a brace as she thrust down onto his fingers, bringing them deeper into her. As their pace picked up, her thrusts became more and more frantic, and Lewis could feel he
r clenching around his fingers until, faster than he’d thought possibly, she was moaning his name and shuddering against his hand, her body quivering as she came on him.
Lewis let go of her clit and watched her come, her orgasm making her breasts jump and bounce and highlighting the muscles in her stomach as she strained. He groaned at the sight and knew he wouldn’t be able to hold off much longer. Luckily, she was ready for him.
“Fuck me,” she gasped as her orgasm faded. “Mm, Lewis, fuck me!”
Hurriedly, Lewis pulled on a condom from his wallet and kicked off his pants. He was so desperate to be inside of the wet pussy he’d just spent so long playing with, he forgot to take off his socks.
“Hard,” she whispered as he stood.
Lewis nodded and flipped her over onto her knees. Spreading the smooth cheeks of her ass, he quickly dipped his head to give her pussy one last, long lick before he slid his entire length into her. Rosie moaned into the sheets, her fingers clenching in the blankets.
Her pussy was so tight, and he’d been hard for so long, that Lewis almost came right then and there, but he reigned himself in and, slowly, drew his cock back out of her. Ignoring her indignant response, he eased himself back in. He did this a few more times, teasing them both, until he couldn’t help himself any longer, He rammed himself deep inside of her, thrusting hard and fast as she rose to meet him. Soon he was moaning too, the sound of her ass slapping against his stomach driving him wild. He felt the warm walls of her pussy contract around him and he drilled into her frantically, trying to last as long as possible.
Rosie bucked against him, another orgasm rising. As it broke she swore, trying to muffle herself in the bed so that she wouldn’t wake Angelo. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she moaned as it overwhelmed her. Her orgasm pushed Lewis over the edge and he buried himself in her once and for all, his cock spasming as he came as well.
When his orgasm finally subsided, Lewis drew himself slowly out of Rosie and collapsed onto the bed next to her. She smiled at him and brushed his sweaty hair off his face. “You must be pretty grateful,” she whispered.
“You have no idea,” Lewis muttered.
“Stay with me?” she asked.
“As long as you want me,” he replied, tenderly kissing her forehead.
***
The next morning Lewis woke up to the sun coming in through the still-open curtains. Rosie was looking down at him, her head propped in her hand. “Hey,” she said, smiling.
“Hi,” he grinned back, stroking her cheek. He’d never felt so happy to wake up before.
“Don’t you have a practice to get to or something?” Rosie asked, taking his hand in hers.
Lewis shrugged. “Nah. I got permanently suspended when you resigned.”
Rosie gaped at him. “Why didn’t you tell me? Oh my God, Lewis! I’ll phone Ben right now and—”
Lewis grabbed her wrist before she could go anywhere. “Don’t worry, Rosie. That’s not why I’m here. I don’t care. I don’t need baseball any longer. I had my time to shine. Now I just want to be with you and Angelo. Besides,” he shrugged, smiling, “I’m getting pretty old for the pro league.”
“Really?” Rosie whispered, hope lighting up her face.
“Really,” he told her, leaning in for a kiss.
Just before their lips touched, however, Angelo came bounding into the room. “Mom! Mom! Let’s—Lewis!” The little boy noticed the man and grinned. “You’re still here! Can we go play baseball again!?” Climbing up onto the bed, Angelo flopped down onto Lewis’ stomach, his eager face inches from the man’s.
Lewis grinned, gently wrestling with the boy. “You betcha we can.”
“Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Best Sunday ever!”
“Breakfast first!” Rosie insisted, smiling as she watched Lewis and Angelo play.
The two boys looked at each other. “Fine,” they sighed in unison.
Laughing, Rosie threw her arms around them both and, for a moment, the three of them just lay there, happy to be together as the sun rose above the city.
THE END
Playing With Fire
By Suzie Nelson
Chapter 1
Avery rested her hands on her hips and smiled to herself. She was just starting her morning shift at the Crosby Street Hotel and she was feeling good about it. Morning shifts were her favorite because, before she went down to the lobby to start dealing with the guests, she always came up to the hotel’s rooftop terrace restaurant for a coffee. The view was amazing. She loved looking out over New York City, finding all the iconic buildings as she watched the sun coming up over the skyline. It reflected in all the windows, turning the city into one giant, glittering mirror. Avery loved it.
But the sun had broken the skyline and she’d finished her coffee, which meant it was time to go back downstairs and get to work. With a sigh, Avery picked up her cup and took it back to the kitchen dish pit, waving at Johnny, the hotel’s chatty chef.
“You know, we have waiters for that,” Johnny called from where he was beating house-made hollandaise sauce. He nodded towards her dirty coffee cup.
“Let them save their energy for the paying customers!” Avery replied with a smile. With one last wave, she disappeared down the back stairs, taking the delivery elevator down to the ground floor.
The lobby was bright and clean and already humming with activity, just the way she liked it. Avery was one of Crosby Street’s top concierges. She’d been working there ever since she finished her degree in tourism. Of course, she’d started out as a part-time receptionist, but her talents had quickly moved her up the ladder. She loved her job. She loved the hotel, with its beautiful rooms, pretty courtyard, and, most importantly, its view. She loved the staff, they all took care of each other and looked out for one another. She even loved their guests – for the most part.
Crosby Street was an upscale boutique hotel right next to the famed Museum of Modern Art so it had its fair share of bossy, whiny, spoiled celebrity guests. But, for the most part, their clientele was lovely. And Avery had always been good at smoothing down any ruffled feathers. She didn’t mind telling a few white lies about someone’s ugly coat and terrible updo if it kept her guests happy.
“Good morning, Avery!” Janice, the woman working the front desk smiled as Avery crossed the lobby. “Is that a new skirt?”
Avery looked down at her sleek black and gray pin-striped pencil skirt. “Yes,” she grinned. “Do you like it?”
“Definitely,” said Janice. “Makes you look amazing. Like sexy librarian taken to the next level.”
Avery giggled. “Thanks, Janice.”
Selena, Avery’s friend and another concierge, appeared out of the back room, her coat over one arm. She’d been working the night shift and was dying to get home. Her glossy blond curls fell in a wave over one shoulder and she raised a well-groomed eyebrow. “Don’t you think it’s a bit short for work, though?” she asked.
Avery frowned, looking back down at her skirt. “Do you think so? I mean, it’s form-fitting, but I thought it was long enough.”
“Well, as long as you’re comfortable, sweetheart. That’s the main thing,” Selena smiled, her baby blue eyes crinkling in the corner. Coming forward, she gave Avery an air kiss on both cheeks. “So good to see you, darling. I’m absolutely dying to go to bed. But let’s have drinks soon, okay? I feel like we haven’t hung out in years.”
“For sure,” said Avery, smiling. “Just let me know when.”
“I’ll check my schedule,” said Selena, squeezing Avery’s arm. “Have a good shift!”
And with that, she swept out of the hotel in a wave of rose-scented perfume, looking more like one of their rich clients than a member of staff.
Discreetly, Janice rolled her eyes. “Your skirt is definitely not too short, Avery,” she said.
Avery worried her lip. “Do you think so? I dunno. Selena’s just so much better with clothes than I am.”
“It’s perfect. You look amazing and totally w
ork appropriate. It’s not your fault you have legs the length of Manhattan, you lucky jerk.”
Avery laughed. “I hope you’re right. I don’t want to make any waves just at the moment.”
Janice rolled her eyes again. “You never make waves, Avery. You’re the opposite of a wave-maker. And don’t worry. When Meghan retires next month, you’re totally going to get the job. It’ll be Avery Montague, Head Concierge then. Who else would they give it to? You’re perfect for it. Everyone knows you’re amazing at your job.”
Avery chuckled. “You’re just trying to butter me up so I’ll give you Fridays off once I’m in charge of scheduling.”
Janice put a hand to her heart. “Whaaaaat? Me? Do that? Never!” The two women grinned at each other and then burst into quiet giggles. There was a group of German businessmen reading the paper in the soft seats of the lobby and Avery and Janice knew better than to disturb them.
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