by K. J. Dahlen
He winked at her. “You drive me crazy,” he confessed. “But with you, I have this overwhelming urge to be a gentleman. So I’m going to make sure you’re safe and hit the road while I’m able.”
“Understood,” she said in a sulky voice. Her body, just seconds ago titillated with a pure erotic rush, was now slammed by intense frustration. She was more than disappointed, even though he was completely worth waiting for and he was more than right. It was crazy to jump into the sack with a guy she had the hots for but didn’t really know.
But she was going to at least get a little more from him. Once they were inside, she offered him a drink.
“I know you can’t stay stay,” she said sweetly. “But can I get you a nightcap?”
Cody veered from his inspection of the bottom floor to charge toward her, and kissed her passionately. He clutched her face with his fingers and wrapped his tongue around hers.
Mariah responded, turning her face this way and that, trying to taste him every way she could. She pressed her soft body against his cut from stone. Finally, he broke the kiss, looking her directly in the eye.
“You know I would love to stay stay,” he said lightly, teasing her sweetly. “I would love to stay for a drink and for other stuff. But I’m at my personal limit to drive. What I want to do is take you to dinner tomorrow, if you’re not playing anywhere.”
Mariah could hardly think with this mammoth gorgeous biker’s face to close to hers. His lashes were longer than hers, and if he were any closer he could tickle her with them. “Yes,” she barely managed.
“Yes, you are working tomorrow?” he said with a smile.
“No,” she amended. “I’m not playing anywhere. Yes, I’d love to go to dinner.”
He kissed her tenderly; his fingers dropped to her breast and found her nipple. He gave it a mild tweak, sending an erotic pulse throughout her. “Okay, now let me check the rest of the house. This place has a basement, correct?” he asked in a whisper.
Mariah was so doped from making out with him she didn’t answer straight. “I think so,” she said with a nod.
He winked, and flashed even, white teeth. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll figure it out.”
As soon as Cody left the room, Mariah did a little end-zone dance. She didn’t even care if the rooms he checked were in perfect order. She was ridiculously happy that he was there.
When he returned, he pulled out his cell phone. “Call me right now,” he said softly, standing closer than he actually had to.
He recited the number and she dutifully dialed.
“Good,” he praised. “Now add me to your contacts.”
She did as he said; the thought of his voice commanding her sent thrills through her body. Would he be this… this dominant during sex?
He winked, smiled, and leaned into her to kiss her. It was so wonderful to be kissed by him. She let herself be lost in the feeling, his touch shooting tendrils of desire everywhere throughout her body.
Another bad night ended as a good one, all thanks to Cody Dallas.
4
Waking up on Sunday, it was such an awesome feeling to know Nelson Primeaux was in jail. Mariah had gotten used to the fear that he could show up at any moment. So much so, that she wasn’t really aware of the tension he had caused.
With him being locked safely away, she felt like a ten-ton weight had been lifted from her. She threw open her bedroom curtains and let the sunlight in. It was going to be a gorgeous day. She headed to the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee.
While waiting for it to brew, she checked her phone. The first message was from Cody.
Good morning beautiful.
Alone, with no one to see her, she jumped up and down, excited the gorgeous biker was even thinking of her. She carried her phone and freshly-poured coffee to the living room and curled up on her overstuffed sofa – her favorite second-hand find. She knew she was grinning like a fool. She didn’t care. Cody’s hello made her insides curl with desire.
She kept an image of him in her head as she texted to him. He had the perfect hair for what she thought was the biker look. It was longish, his haircut months outgrown. It was shiny, and richly dark, and had just the right amount of body. It was the perfect blend of shaggy and tousled and kempt.
He always seemed to have some stage of a smile on his face, showing as much in his eyes as it did on his lips. So hot, so damn alluring. Mariah sipped her coffee, experiencing the warmth as it spread down deep inside her. The texture of the comfy couch and the coffee and her arousal for him had become incredibly erotic.
Mariah imagined the two of them enjoying the spectacular weather on the bike, his body against hers as they tooled around the Inner Harbor. Her hand ran over her panties, pressing against the wet, hot center before realizing she needed to reply to his text.
Yes, handsome, it is a beautiful morning. She sent back, grinning from ear to ear.
And just like that he called.
Mariah’s voice was inordinately high-pitched, which is what happened when she was turned on. “Hi,” she answered breathily. She cringed, hoping she didn’t sound ridiculously infantile, like a five-year-old. She made a conscious effort not to lisp, but the crush she had on him overpowered her. She couldn’t help it. Damn, she wanted to screw him!
“Hi there,” he said, his voice low and intoxicating. “I like texting for some things. It’s great on the fly, but I’d much rather hear your sexy voice.”
She agreed. He had a smooth voice without trying to put it on. As a singer, Mariah knew something about voices. His made her melt. And heat up. And whimper. And—stop it, Mariah! “I like hearing you too,” she said.
“If you’re up for dinner, I was thinking we could go to the art museum. They’ve got a great menu. It’s like having dinner and a show. How does that sound?”
“It sounds lovely. I’ve never eaten at the art museum,” she murmured.
“Cool. I like original. If you don’t have anything else going on, we can do an early dinner. Like four? I could come by and pick you up; shouldn’t take too long to get there.”
Mariah imagined what they would do after dinner. Maybe come back here to this couch, or she could sit on the couch and he might be on his knees on the floor. She shifted, her body responding to the images in her head. She realized a second later that she hadn’t responded to him.
“Mariah?” Cody asked. “I know I planned the whole thing. We don’t have to go there; I just thought—”
Mariah laughed, glad he couldn’t see her. “I love the idea. Tell you what; if it all goes well, I’ll plan the next outing.” Then she added, in what she hoped sounded like a sexy tease, “Or what we do after dinner…”
His low chuckle set her body tingling. “I’ll see you in a few hours then.”
The day ran painstakingly slowly. She took the opportunity to enjoy a hot bath, do her toenails, and pamper herself. She did her hair, styling it to perfection.
Expecting the bike, she decided to dress accordingly. She dug through her clothes and pulled out the dressiest, but tightest-fitting, jeans she had so she would look like what she thought was a biker’s date. Even though she would be wearing a helmet, she teased her hair again, fully expecting the volume to revive once she got to the restaurant.
She knew the Baltimore Museum of Art was a pretty high-end place, but given that it was appended to the museum which welcomed the general public, and there had to be a lot of impromptu diners, she didn’t think jeans, especially the ones she chose, would be inappropriate. She finished the outfit off with spike-heeled boots and her strategically ripped jean jacket.
Even though it was mid-summer, she had already experienced how chilly the ride could be. The coat was fine. Beneath it she wore a form-fitting ivory-colored spandex camisole. She thought the color was dressy and took her clothing choice up a notch. She could not wait to be on the back of Cody’s bike.
When he showed up in a Dodge Caliber station wagon right on time, Mariah was majorly disa
ppointed. There was nothing wrong with the car. It looked clean, and probably ran fine, but she had imagined her night on the motorcycle. She hoped nothing was wrong with his bike. Her breath caught. What if Nelson had Cody’s bike tires slashed?
Cody emerged from the mini-station wagon in a suit and tie. Mariah had read the whole evening wrong. She was dressed completely inappropriately. Shit! Do I have time to change? Cody knocked on the door.
“Wait!’ she called out. “You can’t come in!”
“Why not?” he laughed. “You okay?”
“Yes, I just—I’ll be a minute!” She ran down the hall and then ran back and unlocked the door. “Come on in. Just wait in the living room. I’ll be out in a sec.” She scampered to her bedroom closet and stared in dismay. She had nothing to wear. It was awful. She began sweating. It was gross. She had to shed the jean jacket, and quickly. Her bare arms, even in only the camisole, dripped. Her deodorant had worn off. The date was becoming a disaster with each passing moment.
“Wait, wow,” he said. “Let me see.”
Mariah reluctantly moved from behind the door and revealed her outfit.
A slow, warm smile spread over his face. He stepped inside. “Were we going with a biker motif?” he teased.
Mariah was not in a laughing mood. She felt foolish and the heat rising on her neck to her cheeks told her she was showing him her embarrassment. “I thought…” She sighed. “I don’t have anything appropriate to wear.”
“Hey,” he said, taking hold of her arm. “It’s dinner, not an interview. What you have on is fine. How about if I do this?” He loosened his tie and took off his jacket. He unbuttoned the top button of his crisp white shirt.
She caught a glimpse of chest, and kind of wished he’d unbutton another.
“There,” he said. “Casual. We’re fine. Please don’t change. You look gorgeous. Next time I promise, unless otherwise asked, I’ll always bring the Harley. I didn’t know how comfortable you were on the bike and I didn’t want to mess up your hair.” He shrugged, looking all sexy and cute at the same time. “I don’t know.”
Mariah wanted to kick herself. “I’m so sorry. I just assumed… I guess I overthought this too much. I just really wanted to make a nice,” she preferred the word sexy, but wasn’t going to say that right now, “impression.”
He gently reached around to the small of her back. “Seems you’re looking forward to this as much as I am,” he said softly, leaning forward. “Let’s go and have a good time.” His lips pressed against hers in a slow, sensual embrace. “I promise to check with you next time,” he whispered.
“Me too,” she mumbled, with no idea what she was agreeing to or if her words even made sense. Cody Dallas made her insides hum. She was so hot for him. She had half a mind to seduce him and take him to her bed that second, except that he went to such trouble to dress up. She smiled slyly. She would find a way to make it up to him.
She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as they were just about to step outside.
“Wait! I have an idea!” She tossed the jacket and dashed across the room to her dresser. In her jewelry box was a big bead necklace the color of the camisole. “Turn around.”
He did as she instructed.
She slipped on a pencil skirt and spike-heeled sandals. She linked her arm through his and pulled him back down the stairs to the living room.
“A quick-change artist,” he remarked. “With legs. Mm, mm, mm.”
“You inspired me.” She tossed a wink behind her as she looked back at him. “Now we match.”
Cody hooked his powerful arm around her slender waist and pressed her against his lusciously hard body. “Do you feel better?”
“I don’t know; why don’t you feel me?” she said without thinking and then put her fingertips to her gasping mouth. “I mean—” She tried to retract but he was already taking her up on it.
“Don’t have to ask me twice. Let me check,” he said seductively. He kissed her with deep passion, backing her up to the front door and pressing her up against it. She was trapped between the hard surface of the door and the hard surface of his unbelievable body. His strong hands roamed over her hips and up her rib cage before they lifted her breasts. A look of hunger crossed his face and he ran his tongue over his lips, as if trying to taste what her nipples would be like inside his mouth.
Mariah’s hips pressed forward as her back arched, trying to press his hands tighter against her mounds. She was dying to know how his hand would feel under her skirt.
“We better get while the getting is good,” he warned after a frustrated groan. “I’m liable to not let you have dinner.”
She almost said she wouldn’t mind, but now she wanted a sweet romantic dinner with him. Wine, candles. And then more wine and candles when they returned home. Mariah hoped he’d forget to take his coat and tie with him so he would have to come back to get them.
It was so hot being dressed up together, his fingertips at the small of her back as he escorted her to the car. He held the door opened for her. Inside, the car was spotless. She wondered if he always kept it that way or if he had worked hard to clean it. Either way, she was impressed.
He donned a pair of chrome aviators. “Not that I don’t want to be seen with you,” he teased. “But the car, man.”
She laughed. “Did you borrow it?” she asked. “The car, I mean.”
“Yes, I did,” he smiled guiltily. “I didn’t think you would like to ride to dinner in my F250 so I begged this off my friend’s mom.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” She kissed him again just behind his ear. “I don’t mind a truck either. I’m not fussy.”
He caressed her bare leg with his hand.
She closed her eyes and shivered. Maybe no dinner wasn’t a bad idea.
“No, thank you,” he chuckled. “I loved the jeans. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw you in them, but this is just as nice too.” He let his finger slip just a little bit underneath the hem of her skirt, obviously toying with a sensual idea. “More than nice…” They locked eyes. Mariah saw the longing in his face that she felt. They kissed once more before finally pulling out of the driveway.
It was a new experience riding with Cody and not having her body wrapped around his while doing so. She got to see his beautiful face while they talked.
Inside the museum, she really liked holding his hand as they pretended to be interested in the Inner Harbor and the art. However, they both felt the same impatience. It was crazy. Mariah had never wanted anyone so badly in her life.
And then there was the menu. Mariah was a Baltimore native and it was practically sacrilege, but she didn’t like crab. Everything seemed to be crab this and crab that. Or loaded with garlic. They settled on steak and some vegetarian something or other and shared.
The elegance of the surroundings did nothing for them because all they wanted was each other. They craved each other. She could see it in his eyes. She could feel it in the heat between them. They leaned toward each other, across the small table, just a breath apart.
They split an appetizer. He spiked a bite with his fork and held it to her lips. Mariah opened her mouth and let him feed her.
“That’s pretty good,” she said, gazing at him dreamily. It wasn’t what she wanted, but it would have to do till they finished. Here he was, taking her on this beautiful date, and all she wanted was him between her legs. Talk about classy. Not!
The waiter brought them each a glass of Chardonnay. It was sharp and bold. She longed to taste it on his tongue. He obliged. It seemed that was his first thought too. As soon as he sipped, he closed the distance between them and kissed her lazily. He dragged his tongue across hers. Though she had wine herself, she could detect the fragrant flavor on him. It tasted better on his tongue than from the glass.
He finished the kiss by touching his lips to the tip of her nose. Their main course arrived. She looked at him, her teeth grazing her lower lip. His gaze dro
pped to her mouth.
He swallowed hard. “Should we just box this shit up?”
The dinner was over before it started.
“Is something wrong?” asked the waiter. He seemed very confused as to why they were ditching their beautiful meal.
“I can’t fuck my girl on the restaurant table,” Cody stood and tossed a wad of cash onto the table. They rushed out of Gertrude’s, down to the mini-station wagon. Cody lunged towards her as he sat in the driver seat. He cupped her head and drew her to him. His tongue sliced into her mouth, gliding predatorily, seeking.
“Can we go to my house for a drink?” she asked. If he said no, she’d be fine with the station wagon. She had class, but, somehow, with Cody, it had flown out the window.
“Yes,” he said, brushing the tip of her nose with his fingertip. “We can.”
They hardly said two words on the way to Mariah’s row house. They swam in the thick erotic current that flowed between them and all around them.
Cody’s gaze smoldered as he cut to hers every so often. He reached for her. Never had Mariah gotten so sexually worked up simply by holding someone’s hand.
Her breaths rose like waves. Her blood pumped like mad through her veins, her heartbeat drummed in her ears. Her body was out of control in its need for him. She felt almost foolish because she couldn’t contain herself. She writhed in the passenger seat.
Cody’s hand trailed down to her thighs, revealed from the slight hike in her pencil skirt just from sitting down. She wasn’t wearing stockings in the summer warmth. The tender inside of her thigh felt so soft to her in contrast to the roughness of his callused fingertips. But his fingers felt wonderful all the same. So masculine and strong. And powerful.
It felt already as though she was his, even though they were so new. A couple of encounters did not qualify as a ‘thing’. And yet Mariah somehow knew he was claiming her, simply by the touch of his hand to the delicate, private area beneath her skirt.
