“Humph. Someone’s cocky tonight.”
“Baby, I’m always cocky.” He strutted around her living room. “Didn’t you get the memo?”
He was feeling good. She’d missed this side of him. The playful side that didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Their conversation in Barcelona had taken a serious turn when they’d walked along the beach. Even so, she needed to remind him who was in charge. She put her mat aside, purposely bending over more than she needed to. She’d just ordered the pink-and-teal yoga pants and sports bra set she was wearing. Even her simple pink tank was new.
“If you keep distracting me with that luscious behind, I won’t be able to remember what I came here for.”
“I think it had something to do with our date tonight and my prebirthday list.”
“Oh, right,” he said, snapping his fingers. “Let’s start with what’s on the list. Care to share it with me?”
She was already shaking her head before he finished his sentence. “In the words you so eloquently told me, not a chance.”
“Why not?”
“Well, for starters, it’s a private list.” She sat on her sofa. “And secondly, no one knows about the list, so had I not been tipsy, you wouldn’t have found out about it, either.”
There were so many more reasons why she couldn’t share the list, but she didn’t want to dive into details. There were some key bullet points that revealed entirely too much about herself. Secrets that would no doubt alter the course of their relationship.
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
Danni glanced toward Jaleen who was still standing near the wall. He was wearing dark gray jogging pants and a fitted white tee. His sunglasses were pushed on top of his head and, judging by the hot look he was shooting her way, he should have been wearing those shades to block his piercing stare. “Too much is swarming in my head for me to put into words.” She picked up her glass of water from the coffee table and took a sip. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“What have you got?”
“Water, wine and hot or iced tea.”
“Is it your infamous iced tea recipe?” he asked. “The one you usually make for the parties?”
She took another sip of water. “One and the same.”
“Then I’ll have that.”
Danni welcomed the cool air that teased her face when she opened the refrigerator. She would have taken more advantage of her trip to the kitchen had her kitchen and living room not been connected with an open floor plan. She still felt his eyes on her although he’d now made his way to the same sofa she’d been sitting on.
“Here you go,” she said, handing him the glass. She took a seat on the spot she’d previously vacated.
“Thank you.” He watched her over the glass as he took a swig. She wasn’t the only one with a lot on her mind. She could read the questions in his eyes. Questions that all seemed to center around her list and what was on it.
“I accomplished twenty-two goals I put on my list, but the last eight are a little harder to achieve.”
He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.
You want to share a few things with him.
She shook her head at the thought, knowing all too well that it was true. She’d never met anyone she wanted to share private things about her life with, but Jaleen was one of those people.
“I guess I can tell you about a few things left on my list.” She fidgeted with her fingers. “The last item is something I absolutely cannot share with you. It’s too personal. Too close to my heart. But for the others...” She looked into his eyes. “I trust you.”
She expected to see relief in his eyes, but instead she saw warning. “Don’t put too much trust in me, Danni.” He placed his glass on the table. “I promise that I will cherish what you share and I will try my best to see if I can help you knock off a few items on your list.”
Don’t trust him? She heard his words but she was having a hard time believing they were true. So far, he hadn’t done anything to break her trust and a part of her wondered if his warning tonight, as well as his warning in Barcelona, was more of a defense mechanism. A way to keep him from getting too invested in a woman. She also wondered if he knew how invested he already appeared to be. Based on the way she was feeling, it was hard to believe that her feelings were only one-sided.
She scooted closer to him on the sofa. “Close your eyes,” she whispered. “And no peeking.” When she was convinced he couldn’t see her, she went to her bookcase and pulled out her favorite book. In the back on the binding sat her list. A list she kept close to her heart.
“You have to promise me that you will never try to see the list.”
“Okay, I promise,” Jaleen said. “I’ll only see what you show me.”
“Deal, you can open your eyes.”
His eyes went straight to the paper in her hands. “You’re trembling.”
“Sorry,” she said, straightening her spine. “I guess I’m a little nervous.” She glanced at the list. You’re not ready, she thought. You’re not ready to show him the entire list. “How about I read a few to you?”
“Sounds good.” Jaleen turned so that he was faced more toward her. “I’m ready when you are.”
She opened the paper slowly, her eyes darting from the sheet to him. “I guess I should start by saying that you’ve already helped me cross off three things on my list. One item was sneaking into a movie and seeing two movies while only paying for one. It seems childish, but I’d never done something like that...until our first date.”
He smiled, but his eyes urged her to continue. “Another item that you helped me accomplish was experiencing a thoroughly good kiss. The type of toe-curling kiss that made me forget about any and everything going on in the world around me.” A shiver ran through her body at the thought of just how erotic their first kiss had been. Way more than she’d anticipated when she’d placed that item on the list.
“And another item on the list that you helped make happen,” she said as she cleared her throat, “was to have an orgasm with all of my clothes on. So yeah, you were...um, we accomplished that in the storage room, too.”
Pull it together.
“Another item on my list is to skydive at night. I can’t even imagine the thrill from doing something like that.”
She wasn’t the type to get nervous, but Jaleen wasn’t showing any emotion as he listened to her read the items he’d helped her accomplish and items she hadn’t yet accomplished. His silence should have made her take pause and keep the next item private, but she didn’t want to. She was well aware that there were more sexual bullet points left on her list than anything else. When she’d been concocting the list, it hadn’t mattered since she’d known she was the only person who’d ever read the list. She’d wanted to be honest with herself about the things she wanted to accomplish in the course of a year and, surprisingly, some of those things were sexual.
“One of the items I still have left that I’m sure I won’t accomplish, but placed on the list anyway, was to have an...was to experience a...was to—”
Are you baiting him?
She already knew he accepted challenges. Was she proposing her next aspiration as one she feared wouldn’t happen so that he could prove her wrong?
“One item is that I want to have an intimate experience in a public place,” she blurted. “With the possibility that someone else could walk in on the erotic act happening.” There, I said it. She gazed into his eyes, expecting to see anything but a cool and calm facade. However, that’s exactly what she got. How did that not faze him? Nada! Zilch!
“Anyway, I’ll continue.” She scrolled the list to see what else she was willing to read when he finally spoke.
“Can I interrupt you for a second?”
“S
ure. What is it?”
His eyes studied hers, briefly dropping to her lips as he spoke. “Of the twenty-two things you’d already accomplished, how many of those items were intimate or sexual ambitions?”
“Only two,” she answered honestly.
“The two I’ve already been a part of?”
More like a leading man, but tomato, tomahto. “Yes.”
He studied her some more. “How many of the eight that you have left are intimate or sexual ambitions?”
“Including the one I just mentioned,” she said, glancing at her list. “Three of the eight that are left.”
His jaw clenched, the only movement he’d given her since they’d began discussing the list. “So when you were creating this list, who did you have in mind to help you accomplish all five of your sexual goals? Or did you not have a particular man in mind?”
She didn’t respond right away but instead let his words play around in her mind. Deep down, she already knew the answer. She’d always been a visual person and looking back on the time she’d created the list, there’d been only one man she’d visualized. One man who inspired desires in her that had been dormant for way too long. She had no clue what was brewing between her and Jaleen, but she did know that she needed to experience more with him.
“Do you want to know why I agreed to your bet last month?” she asked. “Why I didn’t debate your suggestion when you laid out the rules?”
He focused on her lips again. “I have an idea and I’m hoping like hell that I’m right.”
Danni looked him in the eye, refusing to look away. “It’s because there was only one man who I knew would bring me the type of pleasure that I desire. So if you’re asking if I imagined you being the man to satisfy me in ways I’d always craved more than I’d cared to admit, then the answer is yes. I didn’t have just any man in mind. I had you in mind for each and every aspiration.”
Her words seemed to pierce straight through him and break the resolve he’d been holding on to since he’d walked through her door. He pulled her to him until she had no choice but to straddle him.
“Since our date isn’t for a few more hours, I was trying to be on my best behavior with you,” he said as he placed kisses along her collarbone, trailing his tongue over the tops of her breasts concealed by her sports bra and tank top.
“I never asked you to be on your best behavior,” Danni said as she started rolling her hips over his hardening shaft. When their lips finally met, his tongue stoked hers in languid movements, causing her to moan in satisfaction at the slow, seductive dance. The sensational feeling was almost too much. She didn’t know what he had for planned tonight, but wasn’t sure she could wait. She was already sexually charged and it would be so easy to remove their clothes right now and continue what they’d started in the storage room. Jaleen seemed to be on the same page as she was. Unfortunately his employees hadn’t gotten the memo.
Whoever was calling his phone called three times before Jaleen finally broke their kiss to answer it.
“I’m so sorry,” he said before answering. “This is Jaleen.”
Danni couldn’t hear the caller on the other end of the line, but she didn’t need to know who it was to see that the call was one he didn’t want to have. He ended the call a few minutes later.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have to get back to work. We’ll continue this tonight, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, leaning in for one more kiss. As with their previous kiss, it escalated within seconds.
“If I don’t get out of here, I might be out of a job,” he said with a laugh.
As she led him to the door, he pulled her in for one more quick kiss. “Tonight, wear something comfortable. Similar to what you have on now. Bring a pair of workout shorts with you, too. I’ll be back to pick you up in three hours.”
I’d rather not have to wear clothes at all. “Okay,” she said instead as she closed the door behind him. She lightly touched her lips and plopped onto the sofa. If anyone had told her that, eventually, she’d be sharing passionate kisses with Jaleen, she wasn’t sure she’d have believed them. But that’s exactly what was happening. She glanced at the piece of paper folded on her coffee table. A piece of paper that contained a secret on a list that couldn’t afford to be read.
Be careful, Danni, her inner voice warned. There’s a reason you didn’t want to get close to him. Don’t forget that he’s not the only one worried about you finding out too much about him. He can’t find out too much about you, either.
Danni swatted the air as if her thoughts were a fly she wanted to smack down. She had a date to prepare for and worrying about the secrets she kept buried inside wasn’t exactly the way she wanted to kick off the night.
Chapter 10
“Where exactly are you taking me?” Danni asked. Jaleen had blindfolded her because he hadn’t wanted her to see where they were going. He’d only been to this part of town a couple of times, but he’d checked out the venue the night before to make sure he knew his way.
“We’re here,” he said as he parked in a back lot and removed her blindfold. Danni looked around the empty lot near a darkened alley.
“Okay, when you said I was in for an intriguing date, none of what I’d fantasized included dark alleys and shady parking lots.”
Jaleen laughed as he got out of the car and opened her door. “Maybe you’ll feel differently when we head inside.” He led her to a door with a security guard standing outside.
“Tickets,” the guard said, shining a flashlight in their faces. Jaleen showed him their tickets.
“When you enter, go down the stairs on the left. Then make a quick right. Walk down the long hall and enter the doors that say Pearl Harmony. You’ll get further instructions when you arrive.”
“Okay, now I’m intrigued,” Danni whispered as they followed the guard’s directions. When they arrived at Pearl Harmony, a tiny, petite woman was there to greet them.
“Welcome to Pearl Harmony. I’ll be your assistant, Mira. Have you been to Pearl Harmony before?”
“No, we haven’t,” Jaleen said.
“Then let me be the first to welcome you to your experience of a lifetime. Here at Pearl Harmony, we specialize in helping individuals achieve sexual pleasure through tantric practices including tantric massages and yoga.”
Jaleen glanced at Danni just in time to see her eyes widen in surprise.
“While our tantric yoga and massages do not involve sexual intercourse,” Mira continued, “they do involve complete sensual stimulation of the body. Tonight, you will be participating in our complete couples’ package.” Mira handed them two plastic bags. “Everything you will need is in the bags, including a pair of clothes that you can change into after your first session of the night. If you follow me, I will lead you to the changing rooms.”
“Aren’t you sneaky,” Danni whispered to Jaleen as they followed Mira. “Tantric yoga? I never would have guessed this is what you had planned. Did you plan this after you saw me putting up my yoga mat earlier today?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I had this planned before I went to your place? And the fact that it mirrored something you were already semi-interested in was just a coincidence.”
He was telling her the truth. He’d already had it planned, yet he was prepared to cancel his plans had he gone over her place today and sensed it was something she would be uncomfortable with. Instead, his visit had only increased his excitement for tonight.
“I believe you,” she said.
“Are you okay with this? I don’t want you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable.”
“No, I’m willing to try it, especially since I knew that at least one of our dates would involve me having to wear minimal clothing.” She playfully shoved his shoulder.
There’s
something else I bet you won’t guess, either. Warning her of what was yet to come would be the gentlemanly thing to do. Good thing he didn’t pride himself on being a gentleman.
“Here we are.” Mira stopped in front of two sets of doors. “Women can change by going through this door and men can go through the other door. There are lockers available for you to place your personal belongings.
“When you picked up your tickets, you should have been informed that both women and men are to wear exercise shorts and women are to wear a sports bra. The clothing in the bag is for after your yoga session. Please lock everything away, especially your phones. You won’t need any of that during your session.
“There will be signs with directions on how to get to the different rooms. Follow the signs that detail the way to the Rejuvenation room.” Mira looked from one to the other. “I’ll see you both on the other side.”
It didn’t take too long for Jaleen to change into a pair of black biking shorts and follow the necessary signs to meet Mira. Danni joined them a few minutes later wearing a baby blue sports bra and tight running shorts. There’s probably nothing this woman doesn’t look good in. Once together, they followed Mira into the room where three couples were already present.
“We only allow four couples to be in the room during this massage,” Mira said in a low voice as she pointed to a large mat in the back of the room on the floor. “At the end of the massage, go back the way you came and meet me in the front Serenity room.”
Once alone with the other couples, Jaleen and Danni followed suit and sat cross-legged like the other couples. The instructor entered the room shortly after.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Hannah and I’ll be your instructor this evening. As in most of my classes, I’d like to begin with a few simple breathing exercises.”
Jaleen would never admit it to his boys, but tantric yoga was something he’d always been interested in but had never dared try.
Nights of Fantasy Page 10
