Cherished by You

by Steph Nuss

  I smiled up at him and glanced over at Mitzi. “I also plan events on the side. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing, and I like to think I’m pretty organized.”

  “Mitzi is the exact opposite of organized,” Burg teased.

  The three of us laughed as Mitzi shrugged and tossed back the rest of her champagne. “Unfortunately, he’s right. Our fiftieth wedding anniversary is coming up, and I’ve been thinking of ways to celebrate. Do we throw a party? Do we go on a vacation? Or do we just go on pretending like we haven’t been with the same person for the last fifty years? I don’t know!”

  More laughter ensued, and then Justin spoke up and gave his opinion. “Fifty years is a milestone to celebrate. You should throw a party. Hire Tessa here to help you plan everything. She’s planned a wedding for one of our friends as well as a baby shower, and she’s now in the process of planning a gender reveal party. An anniversary party would be right up her alley.”

  “Yeah?” Mitzi asked, smiling at me. “Would you want to plan an old people’s party?”

  I laughed again and nodded. “I would be honored.”

  “Okay then!” she exclaimed, cheerfully. “You’re just too pretty to disagree with, Justin, so if your girl is as good as you say she is, I’m in.”

  “Great!” he proclaimed, patting Burg on the shoulder. “I’ll give Burg her information on Monday.”

  “Perfect!” Mitzi said, setting her glass on the bar top. She pulled lipstick out of her purse and proceeded to reapply it effortlessly. “Now, Burg, finish your whiskey. It’s about time for us to go in.”

  Burg leaned into Justin so his wife couldn’t hear him. “I’ll be dead by the time you celebrate your fiftieth wedding anniversary, but don’t think I won’t come back and haunt you for this very moment, son.”

  Justin and I tried our best to smother our laughter as Burg knocked back the rest of his drink.

  “It was very nice to meet you, Tessa,” Mitzi offered. “I look forward to working with you.”

  “Likewise,” I said with a nod.

  “Justin,” she stated maternally, patting him on the cheek. “As always, it was nice to see you too, and I’m so thrilled you finally found yourself a woman! It’s about time you settled down.”

  “Thank you, Mitzi,” he said, smiling down at me. “I’m pretty thrilled about her myself.”

  She grabbed Burg’s glass from his hand and set it on the bar, linking her arm through his. They started to walk off together, but before they got too far, Mitzi waved back at us. “Have a good evening, kids!”

  “You, too!” I cheered, leaning into Justin. “I like them.”

  “They’re fun.” He took our empty drink glasses and set them aside. Holding his arm out to me, I weaved my arm around his. He threaded our fingers together and led us toward our seats. “Can you imagine being together for fifty years? Isn’t that amazing?”

  “It really is.” Then it hit me. That I just landed another party to plan. “Did I just get my first event client?”

  He laughed. “I believe you did, Miss Wilder.”

  I stopped in my tracks and covered his lips with mine. “Thanks for pimping me out.”

  “Anytime, panion.”

  “Panion?” I asked, amused by the pet name I’d never heard before. “Where did that come from?”

  “You’re mine,” he explained. “My companion—panion for short. Is that okay?”

  The smile on my face widened as I leaned in and kissed him again. “It’s perfect.”

  We continued into the auditorium, and again, the beauty of the room swept me away as the usher led us to our row. The bright lights made the plush red seats pop against the gold trim of the ceiling and leveled rings. A gold curtain hid the stage and as we sat down, the lights fell, darkening the room; I tightened my grip on Justin’s hand in anticipation of the opening act as the orchestra started playing.

  ***

  I sauntered into the apartment with so much energy, it felt like I was riding on a magic carpet and never wanted to get off of it. After watching the performance, I was energized, abuzz with excitement over what I’d just seen. The smile hadn’t left my face since we gave the performers the standing ovation they deserved, and I spent most of the elevator ride up to our place twirling in Justin’s arms, completely in awe of how the dancers moved. They had such discipline to dance on the tips of their toes. The ballet was amazing, and I hadn’t shut up about it since we left the theater.

  “So, I take it you enjoyed it?” Justin laughed.

  “Hell yes, I enjoyed it!” I replied, latching onto his lapels. “Don’t you just love the way they move so flawlessly to the music? The story they told was just so entertaining, and I loved the music more than I thought I would.”

  “It’s not as good as The Sleeping Beauty’s music,” he said with a shrug. “But I knew there would be parts of it that you’d recognize.”

  “Like the one toward the end? What’d you call it?” I spun around in his arms and laughed as I tried to hike my leg back up into what Justin called an arabesque. He knew so much about the ballet, specifically the music and the orchestra and even some of the dancers’ moves, that he spent most of the intermission and the whole way home teaching me all the technical terms.

  “The ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’?” he laughed. “The one you thought was the theme from the movie, Home Alone.”

  “Yes, that one!” I quipped, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I could never be a dancer; I like ice cream too much.”

  “I like that you like ice cream,” he replied, his tone turning more serious as his mouth hovered over mine. He reached for the belt on my coat and started to untie it as he walked us back into the hall. The material easily fell from my shoulders, so I pushed his blazer off and let it accompany my coat on the floor. We stopped in front of my bedroom, and I leaned back against the door, pulling him close with my hands on his waist.

  “Thank you for tonight,” I said earnestly, smiling up at him. “Did you have a good time?”

  “I did,” he answered, his eyes studying my lips.

  Reaching back, I turned the knob and pushed the door open. I stepped back into my room, the smile on my face instantly growing mischievous as I pulled him in by the waistband of his pants. “You know what would make this night even more perfect?”

  “What’s that?” he asked, his deep voice a stabbing, sensual exhilaration to the nerves situated between my legs.

  “If you lost all these clothes, helped me out of my dress, and gave me the best goodnight kiss ever.” I untucked his dress shirt and began unbuttoning it, thinking back on all the times I imagined doing this with him. I wasn’t as insecure now as I had been in my daydreams. He empowered me to take what I wanted without hesitation, to be open with him and trust him. I felt comfortable with him, like I could be myself and not have to worry about being perceived a certain way. We’d only been dating a few days, but years of friendship had brought us to this moment, and I knew he would be well worth the wait.

  A wild amusement danced in his eyes as he grazed his hands down over my ass and grabbed the hem of my dress. With his mouth right next to my ear, his breath warm and sensual against my flesh, he asked, “And where exactly would you like me to kiss you? On the lips?”

  Before I could answer, he tugged my dress up over my hips, and I reflexively lifted my arms for him to pull it all the way off. He tossed the garment to the floor, and his gaze immediately zeroed in on my chest. His hands slowly skimmed up my sides and around to the back clasp of my bra, where the lacy material fell from my body, leaving me completely bare to him.

  He cupped my small breasts in his warm hands and began kneading them as a wicked smile spread across his lips. “Maybe you’d like me to kiss you here?”

  I nodded silently, totally speechless right now. I’d never heard Justin speak so erotically. His words mixed with his touch sent me into a mindless stupor where all I could do was watch and listen.

  His hands left
my chest and trailed down my stomach where they toyed with the waistband of my thong. Then he wrapped his fingers around the material and the muscles in his arms bulged as he pulled hard, tearing the small piece of cloth away from my body, tossing it on the floor with the rest of my clothes.

  Sweet mother of sex, he just tore my panties off!

  “Or maybe you’d like my mouth here?” He reached in between my thighs and cupped my lady box, immediately sending a piercing shudder through me as I imagined him kissing me everywhere. With his other hand, he tilted my chin up so I was looking at him. His eyes were dark now. The erection in his pants was remarkably noticeable. He was just as worked up over his actions as I was. “Your lips, boobs, or pussy?”

  “All of the above,” I answered, hastily undoing his belt. I led him over to my bed, but before I could further help him out of his clothes, he tossed me on the bed with such swift force that I squealed as I landed on top of the duvet.

  I started to move toward the edge of the bed so I could continue undressing him, but he grabbed one of my heels and shook his head. “Lie back and relax.”

  Doing as I was told, I rested back on my elbows and watched as he shrugged out of his dress shirt. With his abs on full display, I couldn’t help but lick my lips at the thought of getting my mouth on his hard stomach. Justin was leaner than the other guys in our group of friends, but good God, he had the most beautiful muscles I’d ever seen. No tattoos. Just smooth, tan skin and a body he maintained very well. His pectorals stood out against his lean chest. His forearms flexed and exposed veins, begging for my tongue to trace them. But his dimples, etched into his adorable face whenever he smiled, were my complete undoing.

  He kicked off his loafers and socks, and then shucked his pants, showing off thick thighs of a runner and hips that directed my eyes right down to his groin. He crawled onto the bed still wearing his navy boxer briefs, and I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven just admiring his taut, sun-kissed body. He removed my heels and kissed his way up the inside of my stocking-clad legs until he got to the top of the hosiery. Dragging his fingers under the black material, he began pulling them down my legs. “I saw a peek of these when you crossed your legs in the car, and it took everything in me not to put my hand up your dress.”

  “You could’ve,” I offered, relaxing back into the mattress. “I would’ve let you.”

  “I know,” he said, wearing a deliberate smile. “But then I probably would’ve had to have you naked.”

  “I’m naked now,” I quipped, running my hands down his exquisite stomach and into the band of his boxers. “And you’re not. Take these off or let me take them off for you.”

  He removed his shorts and crawled back over me and smiled. “Now, what would you like me to do?”

  “I believe we were talking about kissing,” I said, linking my hands behind his neck. I drew him down and covered his lips with mine. The kiss started out sweet and innocent, just two consenting adults showering one another with affection, but it quickly turned hot. Tongues twisted and sucked. Legs tangled and hands grabbed. Need flourished between us as our breathing escalated and our bodies melted together.

  His lips broke away first, and began trailing a line of kisses down my chest as he spoke. “I need you; I need all of you. Tell me you need me, too.”

  Running my fingers over his ponytail, I tugged on it and arched my body into his mouth as his lips wrapped around my nipple. “I need—oh God,” I cried out. “I need you.” His teeth grazed my tender flesh and bit at it lovingly, causing a moan to escape from my throat while my hands held his head to my chest.

  He switched over to the other side, and I threw my head back and stifled an even louder moan when he started tweaking one nipple with his fingers and sucking on the other. His mouth was lethal, but I’d let it kill me if it meant dying such a pleasurable death.

  His mouth tore away from my breast and he flashed me that grin of his I loved so much. “Two down, one to go.”

  “Yes,” I begged breathlessly, smiling down at him weakly as he settled in between my thighs. I was on the brink of an orgasm from his mouth alone, and he looked like a kid in a candy store, eager to devour it all.

  “I’m not going to stop until you come,” he warned, pressing a kiss to the inside of my thigh. “I want to feel these legs wrapped tight around my shoulders, squeezing me so hard as you come. What do you think?”

  “I want that, too,” I cried, writhing beneath him.

  His chuckle vibrated against my skin, sending a tingle down my spine as he placed another kiss above my pubis. “You are so sexy, Tessa. So wet and ready for me. I knew you would be, but reality just doesn’t do my imagination justice.”

  “Y-yeah?” I asked, barely able to form words. “You’ve … thought about me … like this?”

  “Of course, I have,” he muttered, dragging a knuckle through my wetness. “Since the day I saw you naked, I’ve thought about all the ways I could cherish this body of yours.”

  Then he kissed me there, and I groaned at the brush of his tongue gliding through my wetness and devouring it as he pushed deeper. Soon, I was rocking my hips against his face, winding up tighter and tighter with each stroke of his tongue and fingers.

  When his thumb found my clit and started massaging, I came undone. My legs tightened around his neck as the orgasm rolled through me like a fallen ball of yarn unraveling into a mess on the floor. My body trembled. My vision blurred for a few seconds. My lungs tensed from the inability to catch my breath.

  By the time it was over, I felt free and satisfied, with a smile covering my lips and sweat dotting my forehead.

  “That was …” I shook my head, unable to find the right word.

  “Unbelievable?” Justin finished, laying a kiss on my lips.

  “Best. Kiss. Ever,” I said, reaching for his dick. He’d already sheathed himself with a condom, so I took him in my hand, dragged the tip through my wetness and began stroking his rigid length. I already knew he had a gorgeous dick, but the way he felt was new to me. The weight of him against my palm as he thrust his hips spurred the need for him all over again.

  He gazed down at my hands stroking him and smiled back up at me. “You feel so good, but …” Grabbing my hand, he stopped my motions and threaded his fingers through my hands, pressing them in the mattress as he hovered over me. “I’d rather be inside you when I come.”

  I curled my legs around his waist and urged him in with the heels of my feet. “Me too.”

  He positioned himself at my opening, and then he pushed inside, nuzzling my neck and showering me with kisses as he went. “God, Tessa.”

  “I know,” I sighed, completely infatuated with every sensational inch of him. Once he was fully seated inside of me, he gave me a moment to adjust to his size.

  “Tell me how you want me,” he said, pulling out slightly. “Hard and fast?”

  He thrust back in harder to emphasize his words, eliciting a playful yelp of approval from me as I flushed with need.

  “Or slow and sweet?” he asked, retreating in such a slow motion that I whined in frustration.

  “Just take me!” I begged, digging my nails into his hands. “However you want, just take me.”

  His lips crushed against mine, and his hips went off like a gun, firing his length into me with such hard precision, he hit the bullseye immediately.

  “Oh … my God, Justin.” He felt so good. I tightened my legs around him and matched each one of his drives with the same amount of vigor he possessed.

  “You feel incredible,” he grunted, hiking my legs up higher around his body. “But I want more. I want to go deeper.”

  “Yes!” I cheered, tossing my head back. “Deeper!”

  “Don’t hold back.”

  When he plunged back in, he struck deeper, causing his body to stimulate my clit as he rocked in and out of me, bringing forth the first beautiful hit of my impending release. He massaged my flesh, unable to keep his hands off me, and ran his lips over my
collarbone, muttering succulent words as he worshipped me.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he groaned, sucking on the tender skin of my neck. “So flushed and turned on for me. I want to feel you come around me.”

  Once again, his words and his actions were my undoing. I’d never had a lover speak so carnally during sex, but oh my God, was it hot. For someone who hardly spoke outside of the bedroom, Justin was surprisingly chatty during sex, and I cherished it. I relished in his sinful words, got off on them and handed myself over to him like I was the last supper and he was starved.

  “Keep talking to me like that,” I roused.

  “You like that, huh?” he teased, nipping my earlobe with his teeth. “There are so many things I want to do with you, Tessa. I want to watch you lose control. I want to give you all the control. I want to bury myself so deep inside of you that you’ll never want me to leave. I want you every way I can get you, in every position you’ll try. I want your lips on mine. Your hands clawing at my body. Your mouth sucking me off. I want you on your knees, ass up in the air, so I can watch myself move in and out of you as I fuck the orgasm out of you.”

  “Justin!” I cried, clenching hard around him. The more he talked, the harder he thrust, punctuating each phrase with his hips, quickly causing me to erupt. I praised his name again as the orgasm blew through me, and just as I entered the universe again and my vision cleared, he tensed above me, grunted my name along with some expletives, and came with a final jolt of his hips.

  We broke through our releases like a couple of sprinters crossing the finish line after a race: winded, proud and eager for more, despite our tired limbs and the soreness I’d surely feel tomorrow morning.

  “That … that was amazing,” he said, tumbling against my body.

  “Yes, it was,” I cooed, running my fingers along the hard planes of his back. “Best. Kiss. Ever.”

  He laughed and pulled himself up on his elbows, satisfaction splashed across his handsome face. Brushing a few pieces of damp hair off my face, he leaned in and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”