by Ivy Jordan
I love that Serena has no idea who I am. And damn, it was cute how she believed me when I told her the Super Bowl is decided by who hits the most homeruns. I appreciate that she has a career and a goal for her life. Wanting to reach kids and get them as excited about science as she obviously is, that’s admirable, and I find myself wishing I knew a way to help her.
When I reach my car, I see her pulling away. I’m in my car as fast as I can be, unfolding the napkin in one hand while unlocking my phone with the other, typing the address in and letting the phone guide me as I pull into traffic.
The restaurant isn’t far, ten minutes, and I am surprised by her choice as get out of my car and walk to the door where she’s waiting. “This isn’t what I expected.”
“I’m a simple girl, Cade, with simple tastes, and this is the best Mexican restaurant in town. I eat here two or three times a week during the school year.”
“Really?”
“Really,” she affirms.
She grabs my hand to tug me forward. My pulse quickens.
“Come on,” she insists.
We’re seated fairly quickly, despite how busy the restaurant is. Chips and salsa appear at our table almost immediately, and a waitress comes by to take our drink order a few moments later. We look over our menus in silence, and when the waitress comes back with our drinks, we’re both ready to order. Once the waitress leaves again, I look over at Serena.
“So,” I start, not sure what to say next.
“So...” she repeats at my pause, smiling at me in a way that does something to me I can’t explain. “Are you from Los Angeles?”
“No, I moved here seventeen years ago. I’m originally from Chicago. What about you?”
“Born and raised.”
“Was it like it is on TV?” I question.
She laughs. “Not when you’re a science nerd. Far, far from it. What about you?”
“It wasn’t terrible,” I tell her. I was the star quarterback with the head cheerleader girlfriend and every other girl offering me anything I wanted. Of course, it wasn’t terrible. But I keep that to myself.
“What is Chicago like?”
“Cold, very cold, except for like sixty days in the summer.”
“Really?”
“Yep; it’s very different than here, that’s for sure. But it’s a beautiful city, and I go back and visit my parents as often as I can.”
“Is it scary? I hear the crime rate is crazy.”
“There are bad parts of any city,” I say diplomatically. “Even L.A. But there are some parts of town I wouldn't recommend going into by yourself.” I take a sip of my drink as she nods.
“That’s true.”
“Tell me about your sister,” I suggest. “I’m thinking I should send her some flowers as a thank you for making you go out on a date this week.”
Serena’s laugh is like a melody. Best laugh I’ve ever heard. Hands down.
“Ashley is a free spirit, very bohemian. She paints for a living, and she still lives with our parents, so you know, a true artiste,” she winks. “Seriously, though. I love her, she’s my sister, even though I’m positive she thinks I’m more than a little uptight and that I should date more than I do. Most men I meet, I can tell right away that they aren’t someone I want to spend time with. I’m not interested in wasting my time, you know? I don’t know exactly what I want, but when I find it, I like to think I’ll know.”
“I get that. Actually, that kind of perfectly sums up the confusion in my head. I don’t know what I want to do next, but when I come across the right opportunity, I hope I’ll know.”
“I’m sure you will,” she tells me, reaching across to squeeze my fingers with hers. Her touch lingers for a moment, but the spell is broken seconds later when our waitress comes to check on our drinks.
We settle into an easy conversation after that. We talk a little about our childhoods, I ask Serena more about her job, and she slips in a few more science jokes, some I even get. She asks me more about what I do, but I’m vague, not wanting to admit I’m a professional athlete and ruin her not knowing who I am. It’s so nice to be able to converse with someone with no expectations. I’m also just taken by her. She’s intelligent, funny, self-assured, and low maintenance. It is a refreshing change of pace from Josephine, and I find myself hanging on to her every word.
After we eat, Serena orders dessert, and we end up sharing an order of sopapillas. I like that not only did she eat a full meal, she got dessert, too. Josephine never orders dessert, and I’m lucky if she picks at a salad when we go out. Being around a woman who eats like a real person is fantastic. I snag the bill before she can and ignore her protests to split it with me.
“I asked you to dinner, so I pay,” I tell her. “That’s what a gentleman does.”
“But this isn’t a date,” she protested.
“Yes, it is. You promised your sister one date this week, and I’ve delivered on that. I’m paying.”
“Fine,” she sighs, seeing that I won’t give in.
As we walk out to her car, I grab her hand to slow her pace. “You should come over to my place for a drink,” I tell her, not wanting the evening to be over.
“I don’t know...”
“We’ve spent the last two hours together. Haven’t I proved I’m not a serial killer?”
She laughs. “That’s exactly what a serial killer would say to lure you to their house.”
“Maybe. But, truth is... I’m not quite ready for this to be over. So, do something with me. Anything.”
“I have classes to teach tomorrow.”
“I won’t keep you out past midnight, Cinderella.”
She looks at me for another moment, then sighs. “Okay. Fine. What’s your address?”
My smile turns victorious. Elation courses through me as I mentally pump my fist. Serena grabs her phone to type in my address. I wait for her to get in her vehicle and start out before jogging over to my truck. She pulls out behind me, and I am mindful of her following me, trying not to get separated from her, but knowing she’s got the GPS in case we do.
The drive to my place is maybe thirty minutes, and I feel myself getting nervous as we pull into the driveway. She parks beside me, and we both step out of our vehicles at almost the same time.
“That's a lot of house for one guy,” she comments.
She's not wrong; my house is two stories and twenty thousand square feet with seven bedrooms and ten bathrooms. I still have no idea why I need that many more bathrooms than bedrooms.
“What did you say you do again?”
“Athletic personnel support.”
“So, like an agent?”
“Something like that,” I reply, still purposefully vague. “Let's go inside, I'll give you the tour.”
Just inside the door, I punch in my alarm code after letting her in. I kick my shoes off in the entryway and she does the same, leaving her heels beside my shoes. I like being barefoot at home, and I especially like that she is willing to go barefoot in my house without a second thought. I thread Serena's arm through mine and walk further inside, pointing out the living room and the dining room as I head for the kitchen. There's a bar in another room, but there's also football paraphernalia all over that room, much of it showing me in uniform, so I'm avoiding it.
“What can I get you to drink?” I ask.
“Water?”
“Of course.” I grab two glasses and fill them with ice and then water. “Would you like to sit outside? We can sit by the pool or on the patio?”
“The patio sounds nice.”
I lead the way, and we settle outside. It's a nice night, but I turn on the patio heater, anyway. Our conversation picks right up from where it left off at the restaurant, and it's the easiest I've ever found interacting with a woman to be. Before I know it, thirty minutes have passed and once again, I'm hanging on every word she says.
“How do you organize a space party?” Serena asks me randomly. I know it’s another of he
r jokes.
“How?”
“You planet.”
I stare at her a beat before starting to laugh and shake my head. “You are like no woman I have ever met before,” I tell her.
“Now who's got the lame jokes?”
“It's not a joke.”
“That's definitely a line.”
“I swear it's not a line, I mean it. I've spent too much time around shallow, Hollywood types, and you are so much more than that. You’re real and honest and just you. I've really enjoyed myself tonight with you.”
“Thank you, Cade. I've enjoyed tonight, too.”
I reach over and grab the arm of the chair she’s sitting in to pull her chair closer to me. She laughs that mesmerizing laugh of hers as I do. When she right next to me, I lean in, brushing her hair behind her ear. Her laughter fades, and our eyes lock. Cupping her chin in my hand, I move in, brushing my lips over hers as her eyes flutter closed. It's whisper soft to start, but I can feel the flame start to burn as she kisses me back. I feel her tongue dart out across my bottom lip, and I give her the access she seeks.
When we pull apart, the air is charged around us, and I say exactly what's on my mind.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since you sat next to me at the bar. And, I’ve wanted to take you to bed since the moment you smiled at me, but I don't want you to think I'm just being a horny dude.”
“I don't think you're just a horny dude,” she whispers.
I push back from the table and flick off the heater before grabbing her hands and pulling her out of her chair. I lift her easily, my hands on the back of her thighs and her legs wrapped around me.
“Tell me no,” I say to her.
Instead, she says exactly what I want to hear.
“Yes.”
Chapter 8
Serena
A thrill shoots through me when Cade makes his admission, and when he lifts me up, the feeling only intensifies. I surprise myself when I say yes. I've never slept with a man I've just met, never had a casual fling or one-night stand.
There is something about this man, though, a tenderness in his eyes that shines with the genuine admiration in his words mixed with some sort of sadness he doesn't explain. I want him, even if only for one night before I go back to my reality tomorrow.
He kisses me under the moonlight, and I squeeze myself to him a little tighter. He carries me inside and sets me down just inside the door.
“Are you still sure?” he asks. I can only nod – my mouth has gone dry and words completely fail me. He takes my hand and makes for the stairs where I wordlessly follow.
When we enter his bedroom, the only thing I see is the ginormous, plush bed dominating the room. “That’s a big bed,” I say to him.
He chuckles. “I’m a big boy.”
Immediately, my eyes drop down to the crotch of his pants and then back up to his face, where he just watches me. There is silence for a minute where neither of us moves, and then Cade is advancing on me. His lips find mine, and he moves us closer to the bed, stopping when my backside bumps the mattress.
His hands move down my arms and to my hips before running up my sides, fingertips just grazing my breasts. His kisses move to my neck and my hand slides to his belt. I tug it loose and pull his shirt free, slipping a hand up his stomach to a rock hard chest. Cade pulls back and reaches behind him, pulling his shirt off in one swift motion.
“Jesus,” I swoon. The man is incredibly built, with wide shoulders, arms that look like they were sculpted from marble, and the abs. Holy hell. I count eight leading to the best V-shaped cut of a man’s hip bones I’ve ever laid eyes on. He stands there with a sexy smirk.
“See something you like?” he teases.
“Mm-hmm. But I’m going to need to see more to be sure. You know, for scientific reasons.”
He laughs. “Let’s see what we can do about that,” he says huskily. He pulls me close again and carefully unbuttons the buttons to the silky blouse I had chosen to wear. He pushes it off my shoulders and takes care to put it aside, instead of dropping it to the floor. Cade pushes his jeans down to his ankles to step out of them, kicking them away and leaving him in only black boxer briefs that leave almost nothing to my imagination.
He makes quick work of my bra next, tossing it aside. His head dips to capture a nipple in his mouth, and my head falls back. “Cade,” I moan as he switches to the other breast, teeth grazing, nipping, and teasing me. "Mmm.”
He puts one arm around me while the other hand moves south, and he unbuttons my jeans, slipping a hand inside my panties and cupping me. I know he feels how wet I am through my panties. I squirm against him, desperate for the friction, and groan when he pulls back. He pushes my jeans off and trails kisses down one thigh and back up the other. I kick my pants away as he moves forward, and I sit down on the bed, legs spread for him to step between. He hooks a thumb on either side of my thong, and I lift my hips as he pulls the fabric away from me. I scoot up the bed toward the pillows, completely exposed to him as he stands and looks at me.
“You’re gorgeous, Serena.”
I blush and start to say something when he grabs my ankles and pulls me toward him. I yelp with surprise at the action, but melt into his touch as his fingertips trace my inner thighs, up and down, closer to my clit with every pass until – finally – he lightly touches my labia.
I sigh and move my hips upward with a silent cry for more. His fingers brush over my heated flesh, becoming slick with my wetness. Cade slowly lowers himself to kneel and runs his tongue along my thigh, blowing a cool breath over my pussy as he passes to lick my other thigh. I’m squirming for his touch as he makes a second pass back. His hands slide under my ass, and suddenly, his tongue is on me.
He makes slow, lazy circles around my clit, building in tempo, sensing my need. I moan when his tongue moves down my slit. It flicks my clit again, and I reach for him.
“Cade,” I beg.
“Not yet.”
I can only whimper in response.
He sucks my clit between his lips, pressing his tongue hard against me. I tug his hair, urging him up, but he continues with his sweet torture. He sucks, pulling me deep into his mouth and then releasing, moving his mouth down, circling with his tongue.
One of his hands moves to hold my hip, and he uses the other to ease a finger inside me, working in and out. I feel the waves of pleasure building inside me, right there on the edge, waiting for Cade to push me over. He puts a second finger in me, and I move against his hand. His mouth seeks my clit, sucking and teasing.
“I’m so close, Cade,” I whimper. “Please.”
His fingers move harder, faster, and he presses his tongue flat against my clit while my body tenses and an orgasm rips through me. I call out his name as he rides it out with me, bringing me back down to the most glorious headspace I’ve ever known. He stands and watches me breathe heavily for a moment. I motion him toward me as I move back up his bed. He takes off his underwear so I can settle my gaze on what is easily the largest cock I’ve seen in person.
He moves over the bed and joins me, propping himself up on one elbow beside me. I move in, taking his bottom lip between mine and sucking. He moves so his mouth covers mine and rolls me on top of him. I straddle his waist, his cock brushing against my inner thigh, sliding across my wet opening.
“I want you inside me, Cade,” I say, rubbing myself up and down his length.
He twists and reaches for a drawer on the table beside his bed. He reaches in and roots around a minute before cursing loudly.
“I’m on the pill.”
“I don’t normally. I mean, I’m clean. I just had a physical a few weeks ago.”
“Me, too. Well, I mean, it's been awhile, but I’m clean, too.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod, considering I can count on one hand how many men I’ve been with. “I’m sure.” I grab his cock and slide my fist back and forth over it. He groans and grabs me around the waist, flipping our p
ositions so he’s on top, the head of his dick teasing my entrance. He kisses me, and I swear it is the most earth-shattering kiss of my life. When he thrusts inside me without warning, my back arches and we both moan. He fills me in a way no man ever has before almost to the point of pain, but not; it's nothing but pleasure.
“Oh God, Cade,” I moan as he glides in and out of me. He groans as I wrap my legs around him, heels digging into his ass, urging him on. His thrusts increase, and his thumb comes in contact with my clit. My back arches again and my hips come off the bed, colliding with his. I bite my bottom lip, but he catches my mouth in a kiss.
“Scream my name,” he commands, beckoning my orgasm from me. I come undone under him in seconds, calling his name.
My body shakes, waves after wave of pleasure tearing through me. I can feel his dick tighten then his orgasm wracks his body. He groans my name, and I reach for him, pulling his face to mine and kissing him until he collapses on top of me. Our hearts race as we lay there, and when our breathing has come back to normal, he rolls off me.
He disappears into the bathroom, and when he comes back he has a warm washcloth, taking great care to clean me up. I go into the bathroom to finish and when I come back to his room, I start to head for my own clothes when he grabs my hand to stop me.
“No point of clothes when we’d just take them off again. Come lay down with me.”
He pulls back the covers on his bed and climbs in, tugging me down with him. I wasn’t planning to spend the night, but the sight of a naked Cade in his soft sheets and plush blankets was enough to tempt me. I climb in beside him. He pulls me close, and I lay my head on his chest and snuggle into him. It’s the safest, most comfortable feeling I’d ever felt next to a man.
We don’t say anything, just breathe until our breaths even out and we both fall asleep.
Chapter 9
Cade
I am dreaming about her the next morning, and I wake with a smile, rolling toward the woman I shared my bed with. I haven’t slept so well in I can’t remember how long, and I’m hoping we can get in another round before breakfast.
