Rm w/a Vu

by A. D. Ryan

  “So, you didn’t leave the party the other night with Erik all over you?” he demands, sounding somewhat jealous. “Because that’s what a few people have been saying. I bet your sugar daddy—”

  “Would you grow the hell up and stop calling him that?” I demand, growing more and more annoyed the longer I stick around to listen to his inane prattling.

  Not wanting to hear another word, I turn on my heel and begin to walk away when Ben calls after me. “I don’t get it; what does he have that I don’t have?”

  I refuse to stop, instead turning and walking a few slow steps backward as I shrug. “You mean, besides basic respect for our relationship?” Ben remains quiet, and I smirk cheekily. “Me.”

  At the end of the day, Daphne meets me by the front entrance and walks with me outside. She’s rambling on excitedly about her psych class while we make our way to the lot. It isn’t until Greyston comes into view that she clams up—or maybe I just can’t hear her because he’s smiling crookedly at me. It’s more likely that, because Daphne isn’t known for going mute for anything.

  He’s parked his car right at the end of the sidewalk and is leaning against the passenger side of his car, smiling wide when our eyes meet. As if that’s not enough to make every single bone in my body turn into pudding, he’s wearing a suit and tie. He pushes himself off his car, and I pick up the pace until we meet halfway. His arms encircle my waist, mine his neck, and he pushes his face into the crook of my neck, his breath tickling me.

  “Hey,” I whisper, teasing his soft hair with my fingertips. “I want to introduce you to someone.” I turn around to see Daphne smiling wide. One of Greyston’s hands remains on my waist, always keeping a physical connection between us. “Greyston, this is my friend, Daphne. Daphne, this is Greyston.”

  Greyston outstretches his free arm. “It’s a pleasure, Daphne. Juliette’s told me so much about you."

  Smiling even wider, Daphne takes Greyston’s hand and begins to shake it enthusiastically. “I’ve heard so many things.”

  This makes Greyston laugh, and I blush when he looks down at me with a cocky grin and an arched brow. “I’ll bet you have. Though, I’m not sure how much of it was based on fact. Am I right?”

  “There may be a possibility that I confided in Daphne about a thing or two,” I tell him, reaching for his wrist and glancing at his watch. “Shoot, we should get going. I’ll talk to you later, Daphne?”

  “Sounds good! Nice meeting you, Greyston.”

  Greyston takes my bag and opens my door. I’m just about to step into the car when he grabs my upper arm and stops me, smiling as he leans down and gently presses his lips to mine.

  “I never realized just how much I could miss that,” I whisper, bringing my hand up to grip his tie. “By the way, this suit? It’s like you’re trying to kill me.”

  Chuckling, Greyston nods toward the car. “Come on, let’s get you to work, shall we?”

  I sigh. “If we have to.”

  “What time do you get off tonight?” Greyston asks as he pulls out of the lot. He realizes what he’s said before I can say or do anything, and he starts laughing. “Get off work.” He shakes his head at himself. “I’m sorry.”

  Honestly, I find it comforting to know that I’m not the only one who says ridiculously inappropriate things at the worst possible times. Smiling, I place my hand on his arm and give it a reassuring squeeze. “Nine-thirty.” I glance over at him. “I’m closing tonight, so I’ll grab a cab home.”

  “Not a chance.” I’m about to protest again, but before I can, Greyston continues. “I told you I’d help you out until your car was fixed, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

  “No,” I protest, turning my upper body to him as much as possible in my seatbelt. “Greyston, it’s too much. I’ll figure something else out.”

  “It’s really not a problem, Juliette. I don’t understand why you won’t let me help you.” He seems almost disappointed that I’m so quick to refuse his help.

  Dropping my eyes to my hands, I shrug. “I just don’t want you to have to rearrange your entire life because my car is a piece of crap.”

  His warm hand moves from the gearshift to my thigh, making me inhale shakily. “It’s really not a problem. I don’t mind rearranging a few things to make this work.”

  “Fine,” I concede, placing my hand over his. “But don’t do anything that might jeopardize your work. If you can’t drive me or pick me up for whatever reason, please let me know so I can figure something else out. Promise me?”

  “Okay. I promise.”

  When we arrive at the café, I unbuckle my seatbelt and lean across the console to give Greyston a kiss. “Okay, I’ll see you later, then. Thanks again for the ride.”

  The minute I open the door, I see Katie is alone behind the counter and there’s a lineup that almost reaches the door. I decide not to wait the additional twenty minutes before my shift is supposed to start. Instead, I rush behind the counter without changing into my uniform so I can make Katie’s orders as she rings them in.

  Within fifteen minutes, we’re caught up.

  “Thanks for starting early,” Katie says, wiping the counter down.

  “Yeah, no problem. Where’s Paul?” I ask, pulling my uniform out so I can go change.

  Huffing, Katie tosses her rag onto the counter and crosses her arms. “He called in sick, and no one could cover.”

  “Sorry. If I wasn’t in class all afternoon, I’d have come in sooner. You know, if it’s not busy later, you should go home early and I’ll close up,” I offer.

  “Yeah? Cool.” Katie picks up her cloth again and puts it in the sink before restocking the shelves. “Oh, by the way, was that your hunky landlord that dropped you off?”

  I hum affirmatively, turning to give her a sly smile. “My car wouldn’t start this morning, and he’s kind of designated himself my personal chauffeur.”

  She must hear the happy lilt in my voice, because her eyes widen and her jaw drops. “Oh my god! Are you two together?”

  “Yeah, we kind of are. We had the best weekend, and he wants to take me out on our first official date tomorrow,” I tell her excitedly.

  “Fun! Where’s he taking you?”

  I shrug. “No idea. I didn’t ask.”

  “Well, whatever he’s got planned, I bet it’ll be amazing. He seems like the romantic type.” Katie seems almost mesmerized as she talks.

  As the hours go by, we don’t see too many customers. We have our busy periods, but for the most part, it’s pretty dead. By eight o’clock, I tell Katie to head home, because with only an hour left, I can probably handle things.

  “Only if you’re sure,” she tells me. “I’d hate for you to get busy after I leave.”

  “It’s nothing I can’t handle,” I assure her. “Go home.”

  Once I’m alone, I begin the pre-closing duties. I wipe down all the tables, sweep and mop, clean all of the coffee machines, and make sure that everything is stocked for the next morning. I have maybe three customers come in over the last forty-five minutes. After the last one leaves, I have nothing left to do, so I grab myself a double chocolate chip cookie and hop up on the counter with my back to the door to eat it.

  “Busy night?” The silky voice both alarms and excites me, and instead of hopping down and going the long way around, I bend my legs and turn on the countertop until I’m facing him. Before I can dismount the stainless steel surface, Greyston has approached me.

  “It’s been all right,” I tell him. “Better now that you’re here.” He’s still wearing his suit, which either means he’s been working all this time, or he left it on for me. His reasoning doesn’t matter, really, because I really love this look.

  He places his hands on either side of my thighs, his thumbs grazing the skin below the hem of my pleated uniform skirt, and he pushes his way between my legs. I’m beginning to compare our position to Saturday morning in the kitchen, and I feel a tingle building between my legs. I want him so bad
ly, but know that we can’t do anything here. It would be wrong.

  Oh god, but so much fun.

  “At the risk of sounding incredibly cliché,” Greyston says in his low, sexy voice, “I really missed you today. Before this weekend, being without you wasn’t easy—especially when I was in Houston—but now that we’re finally on the same page, I found it hard to concentrate on anything all day.”

  “Well,” I say, setting my half-eaten cookie down on the counter and wrapping my hand around his tie to tug him closer. “I’m here, and you’re here.”

  Greyston lowers his face until his lips are within an inch of my own. I can feel the warmth of his breath on my face. My pulse begins to race, my skin prickles with anticipation, and my stomach knots with desire for him. Then, just as I feel his soft lower lip brushing my own, there’s an annoying vibration against my thigh that distracts me. I assume it’s a text and try to get back into the moment when it buzzes once more.

  “What is that?” Greyston asks, dropping his eyes between us to the apron pocket I stowed my phone in earlier.

  “My stupid phone,” I grumble, reaching into the pocket and pulling it out to see who it is. My nose scrunches and my upper lip pulls back in a silent snarl when I see Ben’s name glaring across the top of the screen. I hit ignore and set the phone down next to me. “Sorry, where were we?”

  When that sexy half-smirk appears again, I pull him closer by his tie and am just about to kiss him when my phone vibrates again. This time it sounds a lot more annoying, rattling against the steel countertop.

  Greyston’s eyes drop to where it sits, and they narrow angrily. When it vibrates again, he pulls away from me and snatches my phone up.

  Before I can even think about protesting—not that I’m going to—Greyston answers the phone in a hostile tone. “Hello?” There’s a pause where I can barely make out Ben’s voice. “She’s busy, and last I checked, she wanted nothing to do with you.” Greyston’s anger is escalating, as is my desire for him as I watch this all unfold before me. I pull him closer with my legs. “So, unless you want a repeat of the first time we met, I suggest you back the hell off.” He hangs up the phone and sets it back on the counter roughly.

  I swallow thickly when my eyes fall upon the muscles in his clenched jaw. My gaze continues north until I see his forehead is furrowed in anger, before finally settling on his blazing blue eyes. Slowly, I run my fingers over the lines in his forehead, softening them slightly, then down to his jaw, and I pull him to me.

  We kiss hard and fast, our lips pressed so tightly together they throb, and his hands ensnare my hips, pulling me to the very edge of the counter until he’s pressed firmly between my legs. His slacks do little to hide his growing arousal, and my short skirt allows me to feel all of it. I’ve never loved my uniform more.

  I moan against his ravenous lips when he thrusts his hips into me. When I pull away, I’m breathless and feeling a little light-headed. “I’m going to cash out, and then you’re going to take me home before things get out of hand here.”

  After agreeing, he doesn’t hesitate to let me down from the counter. My legs feel a little weak as I make my way for the door to lock it and flip the sign over. I eventually find my bearings and head back behind the counter for the register. Greyston snatches up my abandoned cookie, and I glare playfully as I watch him take a huge bite.

  It takes a little longer than it should to cash out, but only because as I’m counting the coin, Greyston starts calling out random numbers to throw me off. It works time and time again, and it isn’t until I threaten to pick up a shift and postpone our date that he stops. There’s no way I would actually do it, but he doesn’t need to know that.

  After I’ve made the deposit and locked the money away in the safe for the night, Greyston and I leave the café together, locking the door behind me.

  The air between us during the car ride home is charged with pent-up sexual frustration. Greyston’s hand is clutching the gearshift so tightly that his knuckles are white. I yearn to lay my hand over it, to relax him a little, but I’m afraid that it will only make things worse.

  We arrive home a short while later, and once we’re inside, Greyston closes and locks the door before pulling me to him and pressing my back against the door. His hot lips trail over my jaw and down my neck while his hands grip and pull my hips to his again and again. My body grows hot, like fire licks the surface of my skin, and his hands move from my hips and up to palm both of my breasts over my shirt.

  “God, you taste like coffee and sex,” he murmurs, placing open-mouthed kisses on my neck.

  I moan like some kind of porn star. Suddenly desperate for his lips to be on mine, I bring my hands to his face and draw him to me. We kiss, and it’s not sweet and gentle, but aggressive and rough. His tongue sweeps over my lower lip before I open my mouth and meet it with my own.

  With one hand continuing to massage my breast, the other travels down, pulling my shirt from the waist of my skirt until he’s stroking the flesh of my belly. My skin quivers beneath his touch, and I whimper into our kiss when his hand travels down over the pleats, lifting the hem and stroking the apex between my thighs and teasing the edge of my panties. My lower half tingles and reacts to each and every languid stroke he makes, and the muscles in my stomach begin to tighten.

  My hands tremble as I bring them to his tie and pull it apart, sliding it from his collar and letting it hit the floor before I set to work blindly unbuttoning his shirt. The minute I reach the bottom of his shirt and pull it from his pants, he stops kissing me, and I can see some kind of conflict in his expression.

  “Juliette, I don’t think we should rush into sex.”

  Smiling, I run my hand along his smooth chest, watching as his nipples harden under my touch. “Who’s rushing? I’m okay with waiting.” I drop my face, but look up at him through my lashes. “But who’s to say we can’t…do other things?” I push my hips forward, and he hisses. “Touch. Take. Have.”

  “Dear god,” Greyston groans. He doesn’t waste another second before reclaiming my lips. There’s no slow build to this kiss; it starts hard and passionate and holds firm.

  Apparently that’s all the incentive he needs. The hand between my legs slips inside my panties, making me gasp when his fingers come into contact with my slick flesh. Back and forth, his fingers move between my legs, making my knees buckle slightly beneath me and my breath to shorten. Tighter and tighter the muscles in my stomach wind, like a metal coil getting ready to spring. It’s intense and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’m not sure what to make of it, so I bite my lip to keep from making a sound. This doesn’t seem to appease Greyston, and he raises his eyes to mine.

  “I want to hear you,” he growls, pressing a little firmer and moving his fingers in a circular motion.

  “I-I-I can’t,” I pant, trying to keep whatever’s happening harnessed. My insides feel tight, and warmth blossoms throughout my body, swallowing me whole.

  But Greyston doesn’t relent. Using his free hand, he lifts my shirt, forcing my arms over my head so he can remove it entirely. With my breasts only concealed by my lacy bra, he lowers his face to the supple flesh and pulls one of my covered nipples into his mouth and bites down gently.

  I gasp, placing my hands on his shoulders and clinging to him, curling my fingers into his sinewy muscles. Something inside is screaming to be freed, but for some reason, I’m nervous, and I continue to hold back. My skin prickles with a light sheen of sweat the longer I deny my body what it wants.

  “Jesus, Juliette,” Greyston groans, raising his face from my breast as his fingers continue their eager mission, pressing hard and circling fast on that one part of my body that I know will be my undoing. “Don’t hold back, sweetheart.”

  Turns out, that’s all it takes before the coil releases, and I cry out. The sound echoes off the walls and high ceiling of the main foyer as my heart races and my eyesight darkens except for the bright flashes of light I see every time I blink.
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  As I try to catch my breath, Greyston plants soft kisses across my chest and up my neck until he’s kissing me softly. My legs tremble beneath me, so he wraps his arms around my waist to steady me.

  “That was…” I say breathlessly as Greyston kisses the side of my mouth, following an invisible trail along my jaw. “That was just… I can’t even… Wow.”

  He stops kissing me, raising his head to look me in the eye. There’s something about his expression I can’t quite decipher because I’m still trying to wrap my head around how completely blissed out I feel right now. “Juliette, was that…?” He pauses, almost like he’s not sure what it is he wants to say. “That wasn’t your first orgasm, was it?”

  I can feel myself blushing furiously. “What? No, of course not… I’ve had… I think?”

  Greyston pushes my hair back from my face with a light chuckle. “If you think you have, then it’s been my experience you haven’t.” Continuing to look over my face, Greyston sighs. “I wonder what other firsts we can uncover.”

  The right side of his mouth twists up into a devilish little smirk, and a tremor of anticipation shoots down my spine, settling right where his hand was only moments before.

  Chapter 18

  This has to be the most nervous I’ve ever been in my entire life. I feel more like a twelve-year-old girl about to talk to her big crush, and less like a twenty-year-old woman going on her first date with a guy she’s known for a few weeks. This has the potential to go toe-up in the worst way, but that’s probably just my pessimism kicking in.

  When my last class of the day finally lets out, I rush from the building, already telling Daphne that I wouldn’t have time to look for her. She was very understanding once she sensed my growing anxiety about the date tonight.

  Greyston is parked in the same spot as the day before, just stepping out of his car as I walk briskly toward him. It’s like he times his arrival to the second, and I smile brightly when he greets me. “Hey, gorgeous,” he says, meeting me halfway and pulling me into his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he lifts me off the ground slightly. “How was your day?”