by Wild, Cassie
“Not what I meant,” I said. But I had to laugh. “Besides, it’s not like anything’s going to happen. We both know he’s only taking me out because he wants to handle my case.”
“Mmmhmm. Always the optimist,” Ava said sarcastically.
Kris told me he’d pick me up at seven, and I made a point of telling him to stay in the car. I wasn’t ashamed of Ava’s apartment, but it was hers, not mine. I already felt like I was intruding. She waited with me on the sidewalk in front of the building, and at exactly five minutes to seven, a pristine silver Lexus pulled up to the curb. I heard a low whistle come from my friend.
“Whoa,” she whispered. “Hot car.”
“Well, he’s a lawyer, so…” I managed to murmur before Kris got out. I heard Ava gasp this time, but ignored her even though I agreed with her reaction. He was absolutely gasp-worthy. I hadn’t focused on how tall he was when we met at the office. He was at least a foot taller than me and I was wearing heels. At least six-five. His face was model perfect, his powder blue eyes striking against his cocoa-brown hair.
“Hi,” he beamed, leaning down to brush a kiss across my cheek. He held out his hand to shake Ava’s. “I’m Kris.” She shook with a wide grin on her face. “You must be Ava,” he continued. She nodded, at a loss for words. I got the impression that she was dumbstruck, and I had a feeling that didn’t happen often.
He turned to me. “How about Italian?” he asked. It sounded good to me. I patted Ava on the shoulder – she still hadn’t said a word – and we left.
The car was warm and luxurious. I sank into the plush leather seat and I felt as though it molded itself around me. “Beautiful car,” I commented. Then I realized that every girl he ever had in this car probably said the same thing. He was a lawyer, a successful one at that, and likely knew a lot of women much more sophisticated than I was.
“Thank you.” He was polite, even if he had heard it a million times before.
We let a comfortable silence fall between us as he made his way through the relatively light traffic.
“This is one of my favorite restaurants,” he told me as we pulled in along the sidewalk in front of a small, nondescript looking building.
A valet attendant opened my door, and we walked together into a bustling little dining room. I immediately felt at ease. It seemed warm and casual, but smelled absolutely incredible. My stomach rumbled. Rich red booths topped with linen table cloths and tall wine glasses lined the walls. The room glowed with the soft ambiance of candle light and minimal overhead lighting.
“If I could eat here every day, I would,” Kris said once we were seated. “I mean, yeah, I have to run an extra mile or three after, but it’s always worth it. I practically have the menu memorized.”
“I’m pretty sure I like Italian food,” I offered with a grin. He stared at me for a moment, and then burst out laughing. I joined him, glad that we didn’t have to be awkward about the forgetful elephant in the room.
“That’s just awful. I’m sorry I laughed,” he said as soon as he caught his breath.
I shook my head. “Believe me, it’s weird as hell not to remember anything,” I replied, “but I have to laugh about it too, or else I’ll go crazy.”
“You’re wise beyond your years,” he said.
I frowned. “And you’re so much older and wiser?” I teased.
“I’m twenty-five,” he told me. “And you’re…nineteen, you said?”
I nodded. He was a good deal older than me, then. If I’d been the one in my mid-twenties and he’d been in his early thirties, it might not have seemed like such a big deal. But I was sure that if he hadn’t been trying to woo me into letting him handle my case, he’d never have actually taken me to dinner, or anywhere else for that matter.
I fumbled with my menu, trying not to feel disappointed at the confirmation of what I’d been telling Ava. This wasn’t a real date. But at least I could get some good food out of it.
I couldn’t decide. Kris made suggestions based on what I told him piqued my interest – it seemed like he had nothing but rave reviews for just about everything on the menu, making me believe that he really had eaten here a million times.
We decided on an order of swordfish meatballs over polenta, fried Brussels sprouts, whipped goat milk ricotta, and two small pasta dishes. My head spun at the idea of all of that food, but Kris told me that everything was meant to be shared. Good thing too, because I wanted to try it all. I’d decided that an upside to my condition was that I’d at least get to discover favorite things all over again.
He sipped his red wine thoughtfully, scanning my body in a way that sent tingles from the tips of my fingers down to my toes. The heat in his eyes didn’t exactly look business-like.
“You look even better than you did earlier this week.”
I blushed. I hadn’t realized that he’d checked me out then, much less liked what he saw.
“I’ve been doing a lot of walking, trying to get my strength and energy back,” I told him. “I’m still stiff, and I get tired easily, but it’s getting much better.”
“You have color in your cheeks,” he observed. “I’m glad. You were pretty wan when I met you.”
“Real nice, Kris. I was in a coma for four months with zero sunlight, and you tell me I looked a little pale?” I deadpanned, doing my best to appear furious.
“Preslee, I…I didn’t mean…that’s not…” He stumbled for the right words.
“Gotcha,” I grinned at him.
He laughed as he shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re actually making jokes about what happened.”
I shrugged. “Physically, things are good. And…” I trailed off, telling myself that he probably didn’t want to hear my sob story, but he made a gesture for me to continue. “The doctor told me that getting my blood flowing might help me, memory-wise. I’ve been doing a lot of Sudoku and other puzzles. Trying to get my brain to catch up.”
He looked sympathetic. “I’m sorry,” he said. He reached across the table and grasped my hand. “You have no idea how strong you are. You really don’t. I can’t tell you how much I respect you. Some people, if they faced a challenge like the one you’re facing, would become bitter or they’d just give up, but you keep pushing forward.”
“It’s all new for me,” I pointed out. “Maybe after a few months or so, yeah, I’ll get tired of waiting for things to come back. Maybe I’ll just become a new person or something.”
“I hope not,” he said softly. “You’re pretty great the way you are.”
He certainly knew how to make me blush.
Then our food came and there was no time for talking. The swordfish meatballs were tender and moist, paired perfectly with the polenta and its browned butter. The sprouts were crispy and salty with a little bit of a lemony tang that woke up my senses. The ricotta literally made my eyes roll back in my head. It was so creamy and rich that I spread some on a thick piece of grilled bread and groaned when I took a bite.
Kris shifted in his seat, eyes on my mouth. “See what I mean?”
I nodded with a blissful smile. And things just got better from there.
“Are you a foodie?” I asked him over a mouthful of pasta.
He appeared to think this over and then shrugged. “I appreciate a good meal, a good bottle of wine. I’m adventurous too. I’ll try just about anything once.”
I wasn’t sure if he’d meant to be suggestive, but I felt myself get warm all over anyway. I was sure that my raw attraction to him was coloring the way I interpreted his words. And I was definitely attracted to him – I’d have to be dead or in a coma not to be, and I sure as hell wasn’t in a coma anymore.
Over a shared dessert of an unbearably delicious homemade waffle with chocolate truffle sauce and house-made semifreddo, he told me more about himself.
“I’m just a regular guy,” he said. “Ninety-five percent of my music collection is circa 1990 or earlier – like fifties and sixties earlier. I run, and I play basketball wi
th friends a couple nights a week. I read a lot.”
“Ava packed up all of my books for me, and there are a lot of them,” I added. “So I guess I’m a reader too. All of my movies and music were classic as well. I guess we have lots in common. Not that I remember any of them.” I shrugged and he chuckled.
“I guess we do,” he smiled.
The way his mouth curled up at one corner, combined with the flickering candlelight on his face, made my stomach do a slow flip-flop. I was definitely entertaining some unprofessional thoughts here. When he paid for the meal, I couldn’t stop myself from peeking at the slip and saw he left a generous tip. Another point for him.
I shivered as I stepped outside. It had gotten colder while we ate dinner. Kris immediately unwound his scarf.
“Here,” he said.
I turned to him, letting him wrap it around my neck. I smiled, abashed, caught between embarrassment and being overwhelmed by his sweetness. The musky scent of his cologne cloaked me as a I snuggled into the scarf, the soft wool still warm from his body. I glanced up, surprised at how close we’d gotten. His gaze darted down to my mouth and he leaned a little closer. I could see the question in his eyes and I nodded. Then he was kissing me, his lips soft at first, then growing harder as he slid his arms around my waist.
The car arrived, and we parted. I was breathless and a little dizzy.
My first kiss.
Kind of.
“My place?” he whispered raggedly, and I nodded before I even thought twice. I’d have said yes to just about anything after being kissed like that.
When we got to his apartment, I had a moment to notice that it was in an upscale neighborhood, definitely a step above just ‘nice.’ But I didn’t take any time to dwell on it because as soon as we were inside, he was reaching for me and I was letting him.
His arms went around me, lifting me up like I weighed nothing. He brought my face to his, and I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist. When his mouth came down on mine again, I curled my hands into his hair, loving the feeling of the soft strands between my fingers.
He nipped at my lips, growling as he cupped my ass and carried me into the bedroom. Or at least I assumed it was the bedroom. I was too busy trying to memorize the way it felt when the tip of his tongue slid along the seam of my mouth, the feel of his muscles bunching and moving under his shirt.
As he lowered me to the bed, I gave myself over gladly to his skilled hands and tongue. Somehow, he managed to get his clothes off, and my hands greedily explored his solid body. Then it was my turn. As he undressed me, he slowly traced every inch of my body with his fingertips, glancing up at my face every so often to gauge my every reaction. And there were a lot of them. I was pretty sure I wasn’t a virgin – at least I sure as hell hoped I wasn’t, or tonight was going to end badly – but I had no memory of anyone touching me like this before.
I moaned as he began to draw slow, sensual figure eights on my nipples with his tongue. I knew I was being loud, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was that he didn’t stop touching me.
“I need you,” he murmured against my skin. He raised his head, his eyes darkening to a deep, royal blue.
God, he was sexy. I traced a path down his rock hard stomach until I could wrap my fingers around him. Some sort of muscle or sense memory told me that I’d done something like this before, but it was nothing compared to the reality of his soft skin against my palm. I stroked him once, twice.
“Condom?”
He nodded as he pushed himself up on his knees, letting me see him fully for the first time. Damn, he was gorgeous. All hard lines and cut muscles. His cock was perfect too. Long and thick, I knew it was going to be a tight fit, no matter how wet I was.
He tore open the condom packet and rolled the latex over his erection. I expected him to just push right into me, but I should’ve known better. Kris was clearly the sort of man who wasn’t just out for his own pleasure.
While one hand slid over my hip to settle on my stomach, his other moved between my legs. I gasped as his fingers brushed against my sensitive skin, and a smile curved his lips. His thumb ran over my clit and my hips jerked. Or at least they tried to, but he held me down.
“Yessss,” I hissed out as he slid a finger inside me.
His thumb kept up steady circles while his finger pumped in and out. My eyelids fluttered as I felt the warmth of an impending orgasm coil in my belly. I swore as he added a second finger, twisting them inside me until his knuckles hit something that made me keen.
“Come for me, baby.” His voice was rough, commanding.
I opened my mouth to tell him that I couldn’t come just because he said to, but then he leaned down and took my nipple in his mouth. The second his teeth closed around it, his thumb pressed down on my clit and my climax hit me. I started to scream, but his mouth covered mine, swallowing the sound.
His fingers kept moving in and out of me, drawing out the pleasure until I was writhing against his hand. When he pulled them out, I whimpered, feeling the loss deeply. But then I felt his cock pressing against me and I shifted my hips, eager to feel him filling me.
Except he paused and looked down at me, his eyes meeting mine.
“Are you sure?”
“Please,” I whispered. I reached down as far as I could to grasp his hips. “Please.”
He moved with excruciating patience, letting my body adjust to his size. Still, my muscles were trembling by the time he made it all the way inside. Not a virgin, then, but there was no way I could’ve had anyone this big before. I’d still be feeling it.
I could feel the strain as he held himself still until I started to shift beneath him. Taking his cue from me, he began to rock back and forth. We took it slow at first, getting used to each other, the way we moved together. But as the friction and heat between us grew, the faster we moved, our breath coming in harsh pants. I felt myself getting closer and I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck, using the leverage to pull myself up against him, driving him deeper and deeper until he couldn’t go any further.
My back arched, nipples rubbing against his chest, and he rolled his hips, putting the right amount of pressure on my clit to send me over the edge. I clenched around him as I came and he swore. His rhythm stuttered and he slammed down into me, making me cry out as a burst of near-painful pleasure went through me. And then he was coming, pulsing inside me.
He dropped down to his elbows, holding his body off of mine, protecting me from his weight even as he rode out his own orgasm.
Only after I came down from the bliss of my climax did I wonder whether this was even in character for me. Sleeping with a stranger, and my maybe attorney at that? But some instinct told me to trust him, and later, after we’d cleaned up, when he held his arms out to me, I crawled into them and fell asleep with my head on his shoulder.
Chapter 8
Kris
I woke to sunlight streaming through my bedroom window. For a moment, I forgot all about the night before, but the warmth of the girl in my arms rekindled every bit of sensation from our explosive sex last night. She was unexpected, a fireball of sensuality and need that I was only too eager to satisfy.
I looked down at her, so small, and so fragile looking. At only a little over five feet tall and not even twenty years old, she was barely an adult, but flashbacks from last night reminded me otherwise. I smirked, recalling the lusty way she bit her lip just before she’d climaxed, her eyes growing into gorgeous pools of near-purple, as if surprised at how much pleasure she was experiencing. She was a trooper, even vulnerable and afraid, she was a lot stronger than she appeared.
I hadn’t intended for last night to turn out the way it had. I’d told myself never to get carried away again. I had to be smarter, more in control of myself. What’d happened with Samantha was proof, a painful reminder of what would happen if I didn’t use my head more than my heart. Or at least more than my dick.
But she was so beautiful, and her tinkling laught
er was like music I wanted to play on repeat. When she’d shivered in the cold, I barely knew what I was doing before I unraveled my scarf and wrapped it around her shoulders. I needed to protect her. She’d looked up at me and I’d been lost. Kissing her felt natural and inevitable, compelled to taste her, to hold her.
Now here we were. She was still sound asleep and snoring softly. I had never felt so protective of anyone, and I’d never been more attracted to a woman. She turned me on tucking a curl behind her ear, laughing. Hell, she turned me on just being in my general vicinity.
Quaid’s jibe at me a week earlier still rang in my ears. He’d made a crack about how popular I’d always been with women. He wasn’t wrong. When I knew a woman wanted me, I took advantage. Not of the women, but of the fact that they liked me. Mutual pleasure and not much else. I was okay with that. If I was being honest, I didn’t have time for romance and roses.
But this girl…she was something else. She wasn’t like any of the others. Even with only a week’s worth of memories to her name, she had more depth and intelligence than all of the other women I’d dated put together. And oh so mouthwateringly sexy, how could I resist her?
Because you have to, a voice in my head chided. This is wrong. You’ve gone too far.
The thought of kicking her out of bed and never seeing her again sent pangs through my chest. A sharp, physical ache that could only be quenched with a detailed exploration of her body. I’d have to find some other way around our situation, because forgetting her wasn’t a possibility.
She stirred in my arms, like my thoughts were distressing to her. I kissed the top of her head, then her forehead, then her cheek. She smiled and flipped towards me.
“Mmmm, good morning,” she mumbled sleepily. Her short curls were sticking up in all directions and she looked adorable.
“Good morning,” I replied. “How was your night?”
“Well, it was better than sleeping on Ava’s sofa,” she joked. Then she looked at me. I was only covered up to the waist with a sheet. “Yes,” she said as her eyes traveled along my chest and up to my face. “Much better than the sofa.”
