Spice

by Seressia Glass

  Christ, that was a stupid thing to say too. He pushed a hand through his hair. “I suppose I’ve just trashed any chance to make a good first impression.”

  “I think we can give you the benefit of the doubt,” Nicholas said as he closed and locked the door. “For now.”

  “Way to make him feel welcome, Dad,” Nadia hissed. She turned back to Kane, plastering on a smile. “It’s good to see you.”

  Somehow he doubted it. “Something smells good. What are you having?”

  “My version of turkey tetrazzini,” Victor said, heading back across the open living room to the kitchen. “It’s the bomb.”

  “Or Chinese from Uncle Foo’s,” Nadia said, then turned to Kane. “Victor has a habit of taking his food experiments to the extreme. Sometimes his meals are literal gastric bombs.”

  “How bad can it be, if you learned to cook from him?”

  “Brownie points to the boyfriend!” Victor called, just before turning on a blender.

  Kane caught Nadia’s wide-eyed expression, and wondered if she was on the verge of bolting from her own home.

  Nicholas Spiceland chose that moment to step between them. “Wine, Sullivan?”

  “Some of that red would be nice. Thank you, sir.”

  Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “Manners and compliments. How refreshing.” He headed for the kitchen.

  “I’m sorry,” Kane said as he turned to Nadia. She wore jeans and a clingy green top that deepened her eyes, and had her hair pulled up in a clip. She could have passed for one of his students. “I should have called—”

  “You wouldn’t have reached me anyway. I apparently was so addled last night that I forgot to charge my phone when I got in.” She blew out a breath then gave him a true smile. “It really is okay. I just wasn’t ready for this. We’d just gotten to the point in the surprise visit where the dads were pumping me for information about my dating life, and I happened to mention that I had one. So fair warning—the longer you stay, the more they’ll grill you. They’ve always been overprotective since I’m the only girl, but after my . . . troubles, they kicked it up a notch. I think they still view me as a six-year-old in pigtails and ratty jeans.”

  He touched her shoulder, having to satisfy himself with that when he really wanted to hold her hand, kiss her, wrap her in his arms—everything he wouldn’t dare do with her parents surreptitiously watching from the kitchen. “I just came over to see how you were doing and to apologize for the way I left things in the parking deck. I was thrown off-balance.”

  “You like being in control. I like you being in control too.” She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “I also like when you lose it. I still have the imprint of your fingers on my ass.”

  “Nadia.” Fuck. He was not going to get hard in front of her parents. “Maybe I should leave while the scales are still in my favor.”

  “No.” She glanced toward the kitchen, then back to him. Very deliberately she reached up to cover his hand, her fingers tightening around his. Her syrupy-brown eyes gleamed with worry and what he hoped was genuine welcome for him. “I like having you here. I’m glad you get to meet my dads, who are the most awesome men I know. Meeting my parents and my friends in the same twenty-four-hour span—even I know that’s way too early in the relationship game. I’m just, I’m just apologizing in advance.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize about. We’re not even a week into this. I haven’t mentioned us to my parents either. Speaking of parents, it sounds like Victor is debating the culinary merits of hot dogs. Is that the secret ingredient of his tetrazzini?”

  “Turkey hot dogs,” she admitted. “Processed in a blender with pearl onions.”

  “Oh.” Kane’s stomach involuntarily clenched. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to improve my first impression by attempting to eat that.”

  Nadia laughed. “Yeah. Dinner was always an adventure growing up. I developed my cast-iron stomach early, and learned to cook in self-defense. Nicholas ordered a bunch of stuff from Uncle Foo’s, and it should be here any time now. If it gets here before Victor finishes, it means we win, and Victor will forget all about his main course experiment.”

  The doorbell rang. “Looks like we’re saved,” Nicholas said dryly, handing Kane a glass of wine as he headed to the door. “Why don’t you kids set the table?”

  Victor accepted his defeat with grace, helping to arrange the food family style on the table. Nicholas grabbed another bottle of wine, and they gathered around the table to dig into the meal.

  Or rather, dig into Kane.

  “So, Sullivan,” Victor said, as he dropped a spring roll onto his plate. “You said you met Nadia in the café. Are you one of her vendors?”

  “No. I’m actually a professor of human sexuality at Herscher.”

  “What does that entail exactly?”

  “A lot of discussion and reading through atrocious term papers, mostly,” Kane said, taking a sip of his wine. “But our department offers a variety of courses that can lead to professions such as counseling, sexual therapy, social work, and public policy work, among other things.”

  “Sounds like admirable work,” Nicholas replied. “But that’s not all that you do, is it, Professor?”

  “Dad.” Nadia rolled her eyes in a perfect imitation of a sixteen-year-old that utterly captivated Kane. “If you’re going to interrogate the man, can we at least let him get to the bottom of a glass of wine first? Or would you rather he leave now so you can be saved the trouble of running him off later?”

  Victor hid a smile behind a spoonful of hot and sour soup. Nicholas frowned at Nadia. “I think it’s a very valid observation.”

  “Of course it is.” Kane held Nicholas Spiceland’s gaze, knowing he was the one who would be more difficult to win over. “In addition to teaching, I’ve written a couple of books. I’ve also assisted law enforcement in profiling sexual predators.”

  Cool brown eyes swept over him. “You made a name for yourself with that Red Light Rapist case.”

  Nadia stiffened beside him. “I wouldn’t call it making a name for myself so much as capitalizing on the unwanted media attention to publicize the necessity of a better understanding of what is and isn’t deviant sexual behavior. The publicity benefitted the program at Herscher, and for that I’m glad.”

  Nicholas regarded him over the rim of his wineglass. “Do you know what Nadia went through?”

  “Dad!” Nadia blushed to the roots of her hair. “Seriously, you just met him—and I’m not a teenager headed to prom with the bad boy!”

  “It’s okay, Nadia.” Kane gave her a brief smile before turning back to Nicholas Spiceland. “Nadia told me about her drug addiction and rehab on our first date. All I knew up to that point was that she made the most amazing desserts and had a smile for everyone who came into her café. She remembers her regulars, and has an amazing ability to match a pastry to the person. She and her partner have made their café a must-stop destination and I’ve never seen anyone leave angry or unsatisfied. She’s pure magic.”

  “Kane.” Nadia leaned over and kissed him. “That was wonderful. Thank you.”

  Tension slipped away as he stared down at her. “It’s the truth.”

  Victor raised his glass. “I’d say a good first impression has been achieved.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Nadia said, lifting her glass. “Now that the interview is over, can we get to the lighter topics of the conversation, like politics and religion?”

  TWELVE

  “It’s your turn to draw.”

  Nadia held the bag out to Kane, anticipation tightening inside her. Two weeks into Sexapalooza and it was still as intense and satisfying as the first few days. Kane had arrived early with a rustic pizza and a twinkle in his eye that had kept her aware of him on some kind of energy sublevel.

  Watching him interact with her fathers the w
eekend before had been a nerve-wracking but surprisingly pleasant experience. He’d handled their questions with far more grace and calm than she would have been capable of had the situation been reversed. Victor had given her a thumbs-up before they’d finished dinner, while Nicholas had waited until breakfast the following morning to deliver a gruff “He’ll do.”

  And Kane did. Very well, in fact. So well that Nadia’s body readied itself for his skillful mastery as soon as she saw him. She was having the best sex of her life and learning more about herself, and her wants and desires in the process. All she had to do was keep things light and fun. Kane was as deep into her life as she could allow him to go, and as long as he didn’t ask for more than she could give, they would be okay.

  Kane reached into the bag and pulled out one of the folded index cards. A smile spread like sunrise across his face. “I think I’m going to hold this one in reserve for the weekend. Why don’t you pick instead?”

  “What did you draw?” she asked, reaching for the card.

  “Not going to tell you,” he retorted, holding the card out of reach. “It’s a surprise.”

  She folded her arms with an almost-mock pout. “I’m not all that keen on surprises or being made to wait.”

  “Too bad.” He slapped her lightly on the ass. “Good things come to those who wait. I promise the surprise will be in keeping with everything you’ve asked for, and I’m more than happy to oblige.”

  Nadia licked her lips and barely refrained from rubbing her stinging buttocks. The slap had startled and stung, but she didn’t mind. As aroused as she was, it only amplified her need. She was sure she’d soaked her panties and her shorts sometime during dinner, just as she was sure her arousal was obvious to Kane. Yet he’d made no move to provide relief, and though it left her frustrated, she didn’t dare attempt to ease the ache herself. She’d sworn her orgasms to him and he’d already proven expert at making them worth the wait.

  She liked ceding control to him. Every other aspect of her life she kept tightly leashed—running the café, planning and creating her pastries, staying clean. Controlling those areas was necessary and beneficial. Exercising that control kept her life orderly, showed her parents that she was capable, and telegraphed a big fuck you to all the naysayers she’d left behind in Hollywood.

  “Nadia.” Another stinging slap redirected her focus. He ran his palm over her butt cheek, soothing the burn into something far more pleasant. “You’re not paying attention. Does that mean we’re done for the night?”

  “No!” End the night without sex? No way in hell was she letting him leave without coming once or twice. “I’m sorry.”

  “Are you?” He reached out to cup her mound, his middle finger pressing the fabric of her shorts and panties against her slit. “It doesn’t feel like you’re sorry. Far from it.”

  “I can’t help it,” she groused as she pressed against his hand. “You made me this way.”

  “Me?” A devilish twinkle lit the depths of his eyes. “All I did was feed you.”

  “I had to keep my hands behind my back,” she reminded him. “While sitting on your lap. And you kept kissing the tomato sauce from my mouth after every bite.”

  “Yet you didn’t complain once.” Kane moved his hand from between her thighs. She couldn’t suppress a whimper of disappointment. “I enjoyed you enjoying your food. Almost as much as I enjoyed watching your nipples get hard while I fed you. And this.”

  He pulled her shorts and panties down before cupping her again. “I really enjoyed this, knowing I made you like this.”

  “Kane . . .” His name was part plea, part curse as he pushed two fingers inside her. She gripped his shoulders, her eyes sliding closed as waves of sensation washed over her, flooding her with desire, with need for this man.

  “We’re going to have to arrange some mirrors,” he murmured, the tenor of his voice hypnotic as he stroked into her core. “You need to see how beautifully flushed you get when you’re aroused. Your eyes get misty, your lips plump up. As the sheik said, ‘If you desire coition, place the woman on the ground, cling closely to her bosom, with her lips close to yours; then clasp her to you, suck her breath, bite her; kiss her breasts, her stomach, her flanks, press her close in your arms, so as to make her faint with pleasure.’ That is what I intend with you, Nadia. Are you faint with pleasure yet?”

  “Not yet.” Nadia gritted her teeth as he stroked her. “Maybe . . . maybe I need you to get with the licking and biting and kissing.”

  He pulled his hand away again. She uttered a short, pithy curse in Russian as he brought his fingers to his lips to lap up her taste. His answering laughter sent frustrated desire zipping through her sex. “It might be good to mention at this point that I understand some Russian, even if I don’t speak it. It would take some doing, but I could do what you just suggested. I thought you wanted me to bite you though.”

  She almost cursed again, but swallowed it down. Of course Kane would know the Russian equivalent of go fuck yourself. He probably could say it in every language known to man, including Klingon. He—

  Her thoughts scattered as he dipped his head and nipped her just below her navel. Her knees unhinged, and he guided her down until she straddled his thighs. She settled onto his lap then placed her hands on his shoulders. Though she was naked from the waist down, Kane was not. She was almost close enough to feel the ridge of his erection against the fly of his jeans. Maybe if she shifted just a little, she could get close enough to ease the pressure. . . .

  She yelped when Kane pinched her ass. “Don’t even think about it,” he reprimanded her. “Your orgasms belong to me, remember?”

  She growled. What the hell had made her agree to that? A moment of insanity fueled by lust and curiosity. Oh yeah—and the mind-blowing, body-tingling orgasms he delivered. “I remember,” she managed to answer, lust thick in her throat. “I just need—”

  “We’re following the sheik’s rules,” he told her, his voice hard, as if he needed the reminder as much as she did. “A thorough exploration, complete with bites and kisses, until you’re begging to be fucked.”

  She gasped. “I don’t think he put it quite like that.”

  “That’s my interpretation.” He raised one perfect eyebrow as he stared at her. “Do you disagree? I can always stop.”

  She remained silent, though her hands fisted on his shoulders. His low chuckle vibrated along her senses as he gathered her hands, kissing her knuckles. “Let’s get you out of this top.”

  She obligingly lifted her arms as he skated his hands up her sides, pulling her tank top up and off. Knowing he was coming over tonight, she hadn’t bothered with a bra after her shower. The fabric of the tank top and Kane’s heated glances and sensual touches had kept her nipples at attention most of the night. There was something supremely carnal about sitting on his lap like this, completely bared to his gaze while he remained fully clothed.

  “I can see your thoughts in your eyes,” Kane said softly, his hands low on her waist, almost cupping her buttocks. “Care to share?”

  “I was just thinking how decadent this is, straddling you like this.” She ran her hands down the front of his shirt. “Like I’m some sort of harem girl at your service.”

  He grabbed her wrists, stopping her foray toward his zipper. “Hands on my shoulders,” he ordered, suiting action to words. “You move them, I stop. Understood?”

  She dipped her head to hide her smile. Kane was obviously nearly as worked up as she was, and the thought gave her pleasure and evened their play. “Understood, sir.”

  He sucked in a breath. “You like the idea of that, don’t you? Being my harem girl?” His fingers dug into her skin, lightly parting her buttocks. “You don’t have to answer. You’re so aroused your clit’s standing at attention.”

  He blew a cool breath down the front of her, causing her to gasp as the flow of air tightened her
nipples almost to the point of pain. “Kane! I’m going to ruin your jeans.”

  “I don’t care.” How could he sound so collected when she was ready to shatter? “It’s proof that you want me, that you want what I can do to you and for you. It pleases me. You please me.”

  The praise warmed her insides. She held on to him, certain she’d slide into a puddle of need on the floor if not for his hold. “Thank you.”

  “Look at that,” he murmured, his breath warm against her breasts. He reached up, his fingertips tracing around her areolas, making her nipples pucker even more. “Your nipples are begging to be kissed. Is that what you want, Nadia? Do you want me to kiss you here?”

  “Y-yes, please.” Tremors swept through her as she vibrated with pent-up lust, desperate for an outlet. Lips, tongue, teeth—at that moment she didn’t care. Anything he did short of stopping would ease the ache. She braced herself for the sensation of his mouth on her skin.

  He drew the moment out, closing the distance between them a millimeter at a time. Her breath caught in her lungs, her heart stopped, the world disappeared as she focused on the parting of his lips, the peek of his tongue, and finally, finally, the touch of the tip to her nipple.

  She gasped at the electric contact, then cried out as he set his teeth to her. Pleasure-pain spiked through her, arching her back, robbing her of air. Once started he didn’t stop, drawing the nipple deep into his mouth as he rolled the other between thumb and forefinger, then switching his attentions. The dual sensations ricocheted through her like lightning strikes, the pull of his mouth and the pinch of his fingers creating a direct connection between her breasts and her womb, fueling her hunger, building the pressure, stoking her need.

  “Please, Kane.” She clutched at his shoulders, fighting against the urge to grind against him. “I need to be fucked. I need you to fuck me.”