by Eve Vaughn
“Why isn’t it?”
Her lids dropped and she clenched her hands together in her lap. “I may not be good at it. Cordell said—”
“Don’t ever bring up his name again. I’m not him. He may not have realized the prize he had in you, but I do. When we kiss, no other woman can make me feel the way you do. I didn’t know what real desire was until you touched me.” He put his hand on her thigh and moved it back and forth. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Do you mean you want to do it tonight?”
“No. I want our first time to be special. Tonight, I just want to hold you.”
“I can’t stay out that late. Rae is keeping an eye on CJ for me but I told her I’d be home by eleven.”
“That gives us plenty of time.” He took out his wallet and threw some bills on the table. Slipping out of the booth, he held his hand out to her. “Come with me, Gloria.”
She hesitated for the briefest of moments.
“Do you trust me?”
Gloria nodded before placing her hand in his.
Chapter Nine
“What are we doing back here? I don’t think I can take another workout tonight,” she groaned when Landon parked his car in the gym’s parking lot.
Landon chuckled. “That isn’t why I brought you back. I thought we’d have a little privacy in my office. It’s not too far from your house, so you can be home in plenty of time to relieve your roommate of her babysitting duties. And there aren’t too many patrons at this gym around this time of night, so we won’t be disturbed. I can make us some coffee and we can talk some more.”
Somehow, she didn’t think he had talking on his mind, but she wasn’t about to argue the point. Maybe she was crazy to go along with him. She could be setting herself up for disappointment and heartache, but being with Landon was like an addictive drug. She simply couldn’t walk away. Perhaps later on she’d come to her senses, but for now she’d enjoy what was happening between them.
Once they were in his office behind a locked door, Gloria took a seat on his couch.
“Would you like something to drink? I have some juice in my mini-fridge or I could make us a couple cups of coffee. Unfortunately, it’s the instant kind, but it’s not that bad.”
She shook her head. “None for me, thanks. The caffeine would probably keep me up long past my bedtime.”
A smile split his face as he stalked toward her with slow graceful motions, reminding her of a large jungle cat stalking its prey. “In that case, I think I’ll join you.” He sat down, close enough that their thighs were pressing against each other.
Gloria resisted the urge to scoot away from him, but managed to remain in her seat. This man had the power to wreak havoc on her equilibrium without trying.
Landon held his arms out to her. “Come here.”
She paused. Gloria pondered whether she should make things so easy for him. The last impression she wanted to give him was that she was overeager. His muscular arms and tight body looked so welcoming, but she didn’t wonder for long.
Leaning over, she snuggled against his warmth.
He dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Now see? Was that so bad?”
She shook her head, feeling a little at ease. What now? Did she give in to her carnal cravings and throw her arms around him and beg Landon to fuck her? It was one thing when they were in the restaurant surrounded by people. But alone in his office, she felt so awkward. Gloria hadn’t felt this unsure around a man since the first time she started dating her ex.
“What are you thinking?”
Gloria blurted the first thing that popped into her head. “I’m glad we didn’t just finish working out, otherwise there would have been a whole lot of funk happening right now.”
Landon released a loud belly laugh, throwing his head back in his merriment. “You’re adorable, do you know that?”
When she realized how weird and out of place that comment sounded, she joined his laugher. As icebreakers went, it could have been a whole lot worse. Gloria wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with a giggle. “I have a bad habit of doing that. When I’m nervous I always wind up saying something crazy. I remember when I had to teach for the very first time, I was literally shaking. I remember going on an interview for my first teaching position. The principal was very a nice lady, but she had a humongous mole on the side of her face—you know, the kind with the hair sticking out of it?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Well, her name was Mrs. Coleman, but I called her Moleman, not once, but three times. I was so mortified. I was sure I wouldn’t get the job, but fortunately, she wasn’t one to hold grudges.”
Landon chuckled. “You were a great teacher. I certainly didn’t mind learning when you tutored me.” His voice carried a wealth of meaning and heat surged through her body. Awareness of his nearness had her heart beating a tattoo against her breast.
“Th-thank you.”
“Do I make you nervous, Gloria?”
She moistened suddenly dry lips. “Yes.”
Landon froze. “Do that again,” he whispered.
“What?”
“Run your tongue across your lips again.”
She stared at him open-mouthed, wondering what his request could mean.
“Please,” he said gruffly.
Slowly, she dragged the tip of her tongue around her lips as he requested. Landon’s eyes followed the movement hungrily. “I didn’t want to come on too strong, but I’m having a hard time resisting you.” With a low growl, he covered her mouth with a passionate, seeking kiss.
Gloria sighed beneath the forceful press of his lips. This time there was no hesitancy on her part. She’d deal with the consequences of this night later, but for now all she wanted to do was surrender to the unadulterated lust pulsing through her veins. Normally, she was level-headed and weighed her options before taking action, but Gloria threw caution to the wind this time around.
Her pussy pulsated to life. She pressed her thighs together to temper the burning heat. Good Lord, she was horny. She could think of nothing she’d rather do than be here like this with this gorgeous man. Nothing else mattered. He wasn’t her former student. She wasn’t his client. Gloria wasn’t older and Landon wasn’t younger. They were simply a man and a woman coming together to share their mutual passion for one another.
Landon planted kisses along her jawline and neck and trailed his lips along her pressure points. Cupping her breasts in his palms, he squeezed and rubbed them until her nipples pushed painfully against the material of her bra.
Gloria believed she’d burst into flames right then and there. Raking her hands up and down the length of his sinewy back, she reveled in his hardness. He was all man and she could hardly believe this was happening.
“Oh God, Landon, what are you doing to me?” she moaned.
“Making you feel good, baby.”
He pushed her shoulders against the couch and slid between her thighs. Landon raised her blouse to plant a kiss on her stomach.
Gloria stiffened. She wasn’t comfortable enough in her skin for him to see her without clothes, but Landon seemed to have other ideas. “It does feel good. Very good,” she moaned.
Landon’s green gaze locked with hers. “I think I’ll go crazy if I can’t taste you properly. Please, Gloria. Let me.” His hands were already on the waistband of her pants. “Help me. Lift up your hips.”
She nibbled her bottom lip in her uncertainty. Did she dare? What if he was disgusted by what he saw?
“Please.”
There was no way she could ignore his raw plea of desire. How was it he was able to ease past her inhibitions? Maybe she was crazy to give in when her mind said no. On the other hand, her body screamed yes. She found herself raising her hips and helping him pull down her pants.
Landon removed her shoes and yanked her pants completely off. Gloria felt naked under his intense stare, and before she could cover herself again, Landon pushed her thighs apart.
Her
face burned with embarrassment of what he must be thinking of her, but the bout of insecurities slowly melted away when he pushed the crotch of her panties aside and brushed her damp slit with his fingertip. “You’re already wet,” he said, his voice full of wonder. He raised his head again. “Do you know what I want to do you, Gloria?”
“Yes.” Was that her voice? The high-pitched squeak?
“Good, because your scent is intoxicating. And, I bet your pussy will be delicious.” Gently parting her wet folds, he dipped his head between her thighs and captured her clit between his teeth, giving it a light nip.
Gloria’s breath caught in her throat. Sensations like she’d never experienced shot through her core like a tidal wave. She clasped his shoulders and wiggled her hips, silently urging him to do it again.
Landon captured her hot little nubbin between his lips and sucked it fully into his mouth. He suckled, nibbled and whirled his tongue around it until Gloria thought she’d expire with pleasure. Her ex was selfish in the oral sex department. Cordell had loved receiving blow jobs but when it was time for him to reciprocate, he always had an excuse for why he couldn’t do it. And the few times she convinced him to go down on her, he acted like it was such a chore that Gloria got no pleasure from it. So, she stopped asking for it.
Landon was different. In fact, the way he was devouring her cunt, she could tell that he loved eating pussy and he seemed to have made it his mission to please her. If that was the case, he was certainly doing a good job of it.
Just when she didn’t think she could take any more of his erotic ministrations, Landon eased two fingers inside her pussy, sliding them deep.
“Landon,” she gasped, her breath coming out in short bursts. “Oh my God.” Her grip tightened on his shoulders. Gloria had thought what had happened earlier was extraordinary, but this was earth-shattering.
What made this so pleasurable for her was that he seemed to actually enjoy what he was doing and was taking pleasure in getting her off. Whenever her ex performed oral sex on her, he acted as if it were a chore which made the entire experience frustrating for Gloria. But with Landon, it was different.
He seemed to relish it. In fact, Landon worked her pussy like a man who’d gone hungry for far too long. Keeping his lips wrapped around her clit, he fingered her with slow deliberate strokes, pushing Gloria to the edge of sanity.
She was so close to coming, her nails dug into his shoulders. Gloria bit into her bottom lip so hard the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth, but she was beyond caring. She couldn’t remember the last time when she’d felt this good or so alive.
Pulling his fingers out of her soaking wet sheath, Landon released her clit and lapped her pussy up and down, sending her spiraling to a shattering climax. Gloria’s thighs clasped over his head, holding him captive, but Landon didn’t seem to mind. He continued to lick and lave her sensitive flesh, not seeming to be in a hurry to pull away.
A wave of trembles worked their way through her body, leaving Gloria limp, weak and unable to believe what had just occurred between the two of them.
When Landon finally raised his head, he smiled at her. “How was that?”
“That was… Wow,” she sighed breathlessly. Gloria was tempted to pinch herself to see if she’d awake from this dream but didn’t dare.
He grinned, apparently pleased. “I’m glad.” Landon moved her panties back in place and joined her on the couch. He pressed his lips against hers.
The taste of her still lingered on his lips and her pussy tingled all over again. If they kept this up, there was no way she’d get out of here with her sanity intact. Gloria turned her head away. “I can’t believe that just happened.”
“Neither can I. I promised myself I’d go slowly with you, but I couldn’t help it. You turn me on in ways no other woman has and I can’t keep my hands off of you.”
She lowered her lids. “If you keep saying that, I might start believing you.”
“I hope you do, because it’s true. Look at me.” He spoke softly, but the underlying command was there nonetheless.
Gloria met his gaze.
“I’ve always pictured us dating for a while before we went this far, because it’s your right to be wooed properly.”
She burst out laughing. “Wooed? You sound like an old man using a word like that.”
He raised a dark blond brow. “Yeah. Wooed. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Who still says that?”
Landon offered her a lopsided grin. “Yeah, I guess that word is a bit outdated, but wooing aside—”
Gloria couldn’t stifle her snicker.
“Okay you, if you don’t behave, I’m going to bend you over my knee and give you that paddling you’ve practically been begging for.”
Considering everything that had happened tonight, Gloria didn’t doubt it. “Okay, I’ll be good.”
“Shame. I was actually looking forward to giving you a spanking.”
She gave him a playful push. “Be serious.”
“What I was trying to say is, you deserve to be wined and dined. Don’t get me wrong, I want us to make love properly, but I want to do things right. I don’t want there to be any doubt in your mind about the sincerity of my feelings for you. Tell me you will give us a chance.”
Did they even stand a chance? They were so different, yet when she was with Landon, it felt right. “I…”
He caught her hands in his. “Just say yes, Gloria.”
“Okay. Yes.”
Chapter Ten
Gloria was just finishing up the dishes while CJ was in his room. Rae had gone out that night for drinks with her co-workers. Landon was supposed to call her when he left the gym. She looked forward to talking to him. He’d called every night and they spoke on the phone with each other for hours. She felt like a teenager all over again. Landon wasn’t kidding when he said that he wanted to embroil her in a grand old-fashion romance. So far, they’d had a picnic in the park, a day trip to the shore where they strolled on the boardwalk and a trip to a drive-in movie where they talked and made out the entire time. To this day, she wouldn’t have been able to give details to that movie.
Landon was everything she’d dreamed of in a man. He was sweet, attentive, a great conversationalist and genuinely seemed to care about other people. A lot of people would have used the type of upbringing Landon had as an excuse to be complacent but Landon had ambition to not only make his gym global but to also start up a non-profit company that would help tutor disadvantaged students who were falling behind in school for free.
She hummed to herself as thought about their upcoming date to a wine-tasting event. Things were going so well, she was thinking it might be time to introduce Landon to CJ. After all, if she wanted their relationship to progress she had to see how they got along. Landon claimed that he liked children so she supposed it was time to put that to the test soon enough.
As she put the last dish away, her phone rang. Gloria dried off her hands and reached for the cell. When she saw who the caller was, however, she frowned. Part of her wanted to press the ignore button but this wasn’t about her.
“Hello, Cordell,” she answered, not bothering to hide her lack of enthusiasm.
“Gloria. I trust you’re doing well.”
“I’m fantastic. I guess, you’re calling to speak with CJ.”
“I’m certainly not calling to speak with you.”
Gloria rolled her eyes. “Of course not.” Not too long ago, a comment like that coming from him would have hurt her because he was clearly implying that she wasn’t even worth some cordial conversation. “I’ll get CJ.”
“He isn’t still doing those little science experiments, is he?”
“You can ask him that yourself.”
“It’s just a simple question, Gloria. That’s your problem, Gloria you always have to make something a bigger deal than it has to be.”
“Well, I won’t burden you with anymore of my conversation.” She took the phone away fr
om her ear and headed to CJ’s room. He was writing something in his notebook.
“CJ, sweetie. Your father is on the phone.”
The little boy stiffened. “I don’t want to talk to him,” he said without turning around.”
She didn’t want to force her son to have a conversation with his dad but she didn’t want CJ to live with the regret of ‘what if’. “Sweetie, you haven’t talked to him in a while. Just talk to him okay?”
The child sighed heavily. “Fine.” He turned around and held his hand out to take the phone.
“I’ll be in the living room so that you can have some privacy.” She handed him the device before heading out the door.
Gloria plopped on the couch and flipped on the television even though she wasn’t paying attention to what was on the screen. She was always so tense whenever Cordell called because after every conversation, CJ seemed to withdraw into himself. but he’d tell Gloria that everything was all right.
She didn’t have to wait long before CJ entered the living room. He handed her the phone. “He said he wants to speak with you.”
Gloria frowned. Cordell never wanted to talk to her. What could he possibly want now? “Thanks, baby.”
CJ nodded before heading back to his room.
“Yes?”
“What have you been telling my son?” Cordell demanded without preamble.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know what the fuck I’m talking about.”
Gloria paused for a moment. Toward the end of their marriage, Cordell talked to her so disrespectfully that she barely noticed anymore. But now she was free from him, independent, taking care of their son and dating someone who encouraged her to value herself, Gloria wasn’t going to let Cordell get away with it again. “First of all, you need to watch your tone. Your wife might let you talk to her any way you want, but I won’t.”
