Returning to the table with a tall, clear mug of coffee, Hunter smiled at me.
“So I gotta be honest. This is kinda strange for me.”
You have no idea. “This date?”
“Yeah. I’ve never really done any type of online dating before.”
I agreed with a slow nod, thinking that if I’d met Hunter in the “wild,” there was no way I’d have mistaken her for a man and agreed to go on a date with her. But here I was, sitting across from a woman who thought I was a lesbian—or at least bisexual.
“It definitely takes some getting used to.”
She gave me a smile, and some of the tension I’d noticed when we’d first met seemed to evaporate with it. “So how long have you been doing this?”
Dating women I mistake for men? Not long. “I’m pretty new to this too, actually. My little sister set me up on the dating site because apparently she’s worried I’ll end up a spinster surrounded by sixteen cats.”
“Not a fan of felines?” she joked.
Her question made me laugh. “Not particularly. The fact that they walk on furniture after going in their litter box is too gross to get past.”
“I actually never thought of that. I’ll add it to the list.” She laughed too. “I’m glad we’re on the same page with the cats. My ex had three.”
The mention of her ex reminded me that simply by sitting here, I was leading Hunter on, and I felt too bad about that not to say something.
“Hunter,” I said with a disappointed sigh. “I should be honest.”
She looked at me, seemingly waiting for me to continue, and for a moment, I saw the appeal in a woman. They actually listened when people spoke.
“I’m not a lesbian,” I admitted, my eyelids dropping closed for a few seconds. But not wanting to look like a coward as well as an idiot, I forced them open so I could make eye contact with her.
“I’m confused. So you’re bi…or just curious or something?”
It came out as a question, but I answered, “Neither of those?”
She took a sip of her coffee before settling her back against the chair again. She looked more relaxed than I’d expected.
“So then why did you want to go out?”
“I thought you were a guy.” My whole body tensed like I was preparing for a blow to the stomach. Not that I thought Hunter was going to punch me—though I really couldn’t have blamed her if she had. The admission made me uncomfortable, defensive. “I mean your name is one that is typically male, no offense, and you don’t dress like a woman.” I had to refrain from saying “No offense” again because, ironically, that seemed more offensive somehow.
Thankfully, she laughed and said, “No offense taken.” I really didn’t deserve this woman. We stared silently at each other before she inhaled deeply and let out a sigh. “You sure you don’t wanna try the lesbian thing just once?” she said, probably only half joking. “Maybe you’ll have better luck.”
I couldn’t help but laugh too. “I’m sure I would. The male population is a letdown.” Well, most of it, anyway. “But I’m honestly so straight. Ridiculously straight. Like an arrow. Or…one of those metal things you use to draw lines.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh. I don’t know what they’re called. They have a right angle.” I drew one in the air to emphasize it. “I had to use one in my mechanical drawing class in middle school, and I think construction workers use them sometimes to draw lines on the boards—”
“It really doesn’t matter.” She smiled, and I smiled too before we both laughed again. “I guess I’ll head out, then.” She went to stand.
“No, stay. Really. You came all this way. Might as well finish your coffee.”
Nodding, she sat back down, and we ended up talking for another hour. Why couldn’t Hunter have been a guy?
GRAYSON
Once Hunter left, I grabbed my things and headed over to where Isla remained seated. I slid the cartoon I’d drawn across the table.
“Well, it turns out it’s more difficult than you’d think to illustrate an androgynous person.”
Isla kept her eyes on the drawing for a few more moments before lifting them to me. A slow smile crept over her face, and gradually, it turned into a laugh.
I couldn’t help but join in.
“You should make her chest bigger. She looks too masculine here.”
I laughed again. “She was masculine.”
Her head fell into her hands. “This might be the most ridiculous thing I’ve done in…well, ever.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Guess a threesome’s off the table then,” I teased.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t get your hopes up. If Patrick and Chase weren’t happening, I doubt Hunter has a chance. Though I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t the best date I’ve been on.”
I widened my eyes and felt the skin around them crinkle with my smile. “Seriously? That’s… Well, now that I think about it, that’s actually not that surprising considering her competition.”
“She was pretty normal. We actually had a lot in common.”
“Do you have a passion for oversized flannels also?”
She balled up a piece of a napkin and threw it across the table at me. The gesture was so cute, I didn’t even bother to dodge it. If I were being honest, Isla looked cute all the time—the way she pressed her lips together as she thought of what to say next, how her freckled cheeks flushed for seemingly no reason, the way the neck of her shirt slid just over her shoulder to reveal her pale-pink bra strap. It made me wonder if her panties matched.
“If you must know, I do own several flannels. They’re great to pair with scarves and boots in colder weather.”
“So that’s a no on the threesome, then? Just want to make sure.”
She smiled more sweetly than the question should’ve called for. Cute. “That’s a no on the threesome,” she echoed. “I think we should focus on the twosome first.”
“Oh, you do, do you?”
Nodding, she said, “Mm-hmm,” slowly. Then she reached across the table toward my face, but she didn’t touch it. Instead, she grabbed my collar and adjusted it. “Just fixing you.”
“That might prove a more difficult task than you think,” I joked. But there was more sincerity to the words than my tone let on. I was broken, and I didn’t think anyone was capable of putting me back together.
“Your collar,” she said, though there wasn’t actually a need for her to clarify. “It was sticking up in the back.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “But I wasn’t too worried about it since I was planning to have you take it off me later anyway.”
“Oh, were you now?” she practically sang. “Tell me more about that.”
My chest expanded with anticipation before I spoke. “I liked watching you last time. With the vibrator.” I kept my voice down, but I still noticed her cheeks redden. She looked beside us, most likely wondering if anyone had heard me. I didn’t care if they had.
She licked her lips, swallowing hard afterward, and I wanted my fucking dick in her mouth like yesterday—wanted to feel her swallowing me instead.
“I liked watching you too,” she said, and I remembered how good it felt to come all over her, to mark her with the evidence of my release. I remembered how she’d asked for it—which had only turned me on more—and I’d been more than happy to comply.
“Should we take this someplace more private, then?” I suggested.
Giving me a small smile, she nodded slowly. “How about that corner table?”
And just like that I was hard.
Chapter Twelve
ISLA
A few seconds later, we were situated at a table near the back, both of us on the booth side, like a new couple who can’t stand to be separated by any amount of physical distance. Gray took out his computer and turned it on before excusing himself to get something to drink.
“You want anything?” he asked, and I wondered why his computer wa
s on.
“Nothing you can buy up there.” I did my best to give him a seductive smile, but I had no idea if it came across that way. Guess this was why I needed the practice.
He smiled back at me, and when he returned, he placed a cup of ice water on the table and settled himself back into the booth. My body had bolts of electricity running through it at the thought of what Gray was going to do to me here—what we were going to do.
Even though I’d been the one to suggest it, I’d never done anything sexual in public before, other than the occasional kiss that always made me feel a bit self-conscious. But I’d become hyperfocused and more than willing to participate in whatever Gray had planned. No one was seated directly next to us, thank God, but someone could sit down at any moment. Though I hoped like hell they didn’t.
He took a long sip of water, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed. After setting it down, he leaned down to give me a kiss that was much too chaste for my liking. Though I understood why he didn’t want to draw attention to us.
Neither of us spoke as Gray logged into his computer and pulled up a browser. A minute or so later, I was looking at a porn site. Inhaling sharply, I had to resist the urge to shut it closed.
“It’s okay,” he said. “No one can see it. Why don’t you choose something?”
“Here?” I whispered. “In a coffeehouse?”
His lip quirked up into a smile. “You picked the location.”
There wasn’t much I could say in response, because if I was willing to fool around in a coffee shop, I should certainly be willing to watch other people fool around. Hesitating, I brought my hand up to the computer and moved my fingers over the touchpad so I could control the mouse. Some of the videos had names that didn’t interest me at all, but the visuals looked enticing.
Gray plugged headphones into the computer as I scrolled through the site. “This is for you,” he said. “So choose something that turns you on.” Then he placed the headphones over my ears and turned to face me. Apparently while I was watching porn, he’d be watching me.
Gray leaned his elbow against the top of the booth and rested his head in it while his other hand grazed over my thigh and under the hem of my dress. Already I was prepared, my body responding in a way that had me lubricating myself in anticipation of what was about to happen.
I thought back to when Gray hovered over me, his pulsing cock in his hand as he stroked himself, and I realized I wanted more of that. Masturbation had never been something that turned me on before then, but suddenly I had the need to see it again.
I was slightly insecure about searching for it, but since Gray’s attention was entirely focused on me, I decided to go ahead and search for “male masturbation.” I realized quickly I didn’t want to see the guy’s face. I wanted, rather, to watch a man touch himself and be able to pretend it was Grayson.
He dipped his fingers into the ice water and removed a cube, holding it between his fingers. Then he brought his hand to my thigh, running the ice along the sensitive skin to my thong. I shivered, the sensation already too much, and it made me eager for him to go further.
“Higher,” I huffed out. And he complied, pulling the lace fabric over so he could access the area where I wanted him most.
Trying not to react when he entered me was nearly impossible—especially since his hand was ice cold. I managed to at least suppress the moan that would’ve come out had we been alone.
Finding a video that had a man who resembled Gray’s body type, I pushed Play.
Gray’s fingers slipped inside me so slowly, the ache in my core seemed to grow with each stroke. I wasn’t even sure he could get me there like this and wondered if he was going to bring me to the edge and then leave me unsatisfied.
The video was shot from the man’s point of view as he gripped himself. I could hear the lube moving over his cock as he jerked himself, and I wondered if Gray could hear how wet I was right now. I scanned our surroundings, but no one seemed to notice us. We probably just appeared to be a couple cuddling in a booth.
I watched the video, appreciating how the man pleasured himself. His groans were low and measured, and every now and then he would speed up to pull harder before choking out a few short breaths and releasing his hand.
As his cock jerked freely, I felt what I imagined he felt—a gradual build until the need to come was so great, it was nearly impossible not to. I knew Gray could feel it too because he’d slowed down until his fingers almost stopped moving completely.
“Don’t stop,” I said quietly enough that I hoped no one except Gray heard, though it was hard to tell with the headphones. I felt dirty watching this, having Gray touch me like this so publicly, but I needed him to keep going.
Now I understood why people got off on public sex. The thrill of getting caught only added to the physical intensity. There was a rush to the finish, but that urgency couldn’t be reflected in our movements. Well, Gray’s movements. I tried not to grind against his hand, but it was proving more difficult with every passing second.
It also reminded me that I hadn’t touched him yet, and that realization only added to my arousal. With that thought, I brought my hand under the table and over his jeans to the bulge inside them. I wished I could see how thick he was and what it looked like with my hand wrapped around it.
I focused on the video again, enjoying how the man moved his thumb over the slick slit on his head and then brought his hand back down to the base.
He ground against my touch, and I increased the pressure to his cock as I rubbed it. Soon our need got the better of us, and I did a quick glance around to see who was watching. Everyone seemed wrapped up in their own world—one person talking on the phone, another typing on a laptop, a third chatting across the table from her. None of them seemed at all interested in us.
It gave me more confidence than I had previously, and the need to come built more quickly as we both picked up our pace, careful not to draw attention to ourselves.
Gray toyed with my clit gently, but it was enough to make me explode around him. I drew in a quick breath and shut my eyes as my orgasm spread through my whole body, making my core pulse and waves of pleasure run up my spine. It was as if the inability to make a sound made the feeling inside more intense, like the pleasure was trapped in me because I couldn’t express it. Once Gray was no longer touching me, I pulled the headphones down and fixed my clothes.
My body felt like goo, like Gray could take me in his hands and mold me into whatever he wanted me to be. A few seconds passed before I realized it was my turn to make him feel as good as I did. So caught up in my own orgasm, I’d almost forgotten to focus on his. His cock still rock-hard on my palm reminded me that my attention was needed there.
“Do you wanna finish?” I whispered.
It sounded like he choked on a laugh because he couldn’t quite get it to the surface. “I’d be very disappointed if I didn’t.”
“I meant here. In your pants,” I said, though I was sure the clarification wasn’t needed.
A low groan released when he cleared his throat. “You keep doing that and I don’t know that I’ll have much of a choice.”
I paused but not for long.
“Don’t stop,” he said against my ear as he burrowed his face under my hair. “I’m gonna come.”
And with that, I felt his hips twitch, and I was sure if we were anywhere else, the movement would’ve been full thrusts in my hand instead of the shallow jerks under my palm. I wished I could see him empty himself, but the discreetness of this made the encounter equally as hot as our last.
I followed Gray’s lead, waiting for his hips to settle and his cock to become less firm before I removed my hand and slid out of the booth so he could go to the restroom.
As I closed the laptop, I wondered if anyone in the coffee shop had any indication that we’d just gotten each other off while they were sipping their lattes. And for the first time since we’d settled into the booth, I hoped th
ey did.
Chapter Thirteen
ISLA
Wandering down the aisles of the grocery store, I wondered what kind of shopper I wanted to be today. Without needing to feed Liv anymore, I sometimes let my stomach do the shopping instead of my brain. And my brain was telling me to get to the cookies stat.
It had been a long week with a difficult case of a mother who was fighting with her mother for custody of a sweet three-year-old boy who’d been living with his grandmother since birth. His mother had gotten her shit together, though, and was ready to be a mother, even if her mother had her doubts.
To be honest, I had my doubts too. Not because the woman didn’t come across as a soundly good person who wanted the best for her son—I wouldn’t have taken the case if the woman’s love for her son hadn’t been apparent—but because there were no certainties in life. What if I fought for this woman to get custody back and she ended up not being who she appeared to be? The what-ifs made me tense and anxious and craving comfort food.
Maybe I should call Gray and see what he was up to. He could fuck the will to think right out of me. But as quickly as the thought entered my mind, I dismissed it. I didn’t want to use him for sex. Well, I was using him for sex, but not in this way.
What we were doing was about exploration and fun, not therapy. To use sex that way seemed like an unhealthy coping mechanism and a slippery slope that could easily devolve into a disaster. And I was enough of a disaster all on my own, thank you very much.
So instead of calling, I grabbed a package of OREOs and kept it moving. Scanning the items in the aisle, I rounded the corner until my cart suddenly jerked to a stop, causing me to walk into it. I snapped my gaze up to see a man who had likely at one time or another starred in an Abercrombie & Fitch ad campaign standing in front of me. Rubbing his hip. Because I’d just run into him with my cart.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I said as I walked around the metal assassin I was pushing. And then, because I’m supremely awkward, I reached out and brushed my hand down his side before realizing what I was doing and snatched it back. “Sorry,” I repeated.
Misadventures with a Sexpert Page 9
