Four Reasons to Come

by Sarah J. Brooks

  The quick movement had me feeling dizzy, and I would have fallen back to the table if he hadn’t of had his arm wrapped around my waste. The gentlemanly nature of Merrick had been apparent since I first talked to him on the phone. Not as a solicitor for my charity, but as a woman who he intended to ask out. He was either really good at making a woman feel comfortable, or he liked me. I tended to think it was the latter, but then when he looked at me, I couldn’t imagine he had ever been as into any woman as he was with me.

  “Oh, wow, that was fast. I think we should move a little slowly.”

  “Yeah, didn’t you say two vodkas were all you could drink?”

  “Yes, that’s all I had,” I said as I looked at the table where eight empty glasses sat. “Did I have all of those?”

  “No, I had half, but I think my blood is already half vodka, so I’m not feeling it so much. I think we should get you out for a walk.”

  “Yes, walk. I like that idea.”

  I still had all my faculties about me, but I could certainly feel the alcohol rushing through my blood. There was happiness about having Merrick next to me and thinking about me as we walked out of the lounge. He could have decided I was drunk, and it was the perfect time to bring me home, but he must have been taking Patty’s promise to heart, and that made me relax a little; of course, the four shots of vodka also had me feeling pretty relaxed.

  “Should we head down to China Town? I haven’t been down there in a long time.”

  “Um, yeah, where is that?” I asked as I looked around the buildings and didn’t recognize any of them. “I should know where we are, but I have no idea.”

  The dark buildings stood high over us and my senses were dulled by the vodka. I looked at the street signs and couldn’t seem to remember where we were in terms of the city grid. Luckily, I felt comfortable with Merrick and confident he knew where we were going.

  “Don’t worry; I promise I won’t get lost.”

  Merrick kept his hand around my waist as we walked, and it was exactly what I needed. The brisk air kept me feeling light and full of energy instead of sulking into sleepiness like alcohol often made me do, or starting to act wild and crazy like I did when Beth and I went out.

  I couldn’t wait to tell Beth all about this date. It had already been something out of a fantasy. Every moment was filled with sexual tension; every touch of his electrified me and made me lust after him more and more. But it didn’t seem one sided at all; Merrick looked at me like he wanted to devour me, and that was a huge turn-on.

  We were silent as we walked, but it was a comfortable silence like we had had in the car on our way to having drinks. Although Merrick made me very nervous, I could tell he liked me, and it seemed very genuine, so that helped put me at ease a little bit. Not totally at ease, though since my hands had started trembling again.

  It was funny how my emotions worked. Just knowing that he found me attractive was enough to put me at ease, but there was more to it. Men often flirted with me, yet it seemed contrived, or like they said the same things to every woman they met. Merrick might have just been more practiced than others, but I did enjoy his compliments as sincere.

  “So have you lived in New York long?” I asked.

  It had taken all the willpower I could muster not to Google him and read all the stories. I found out the basics and then closed my phone. Half of what was online wasn’t going to be true anyways, so I didn’t want to get those ideas in my head. Merrick deserved the opportunity to come into this fresh without too many preconceived notions about him.

  “I’ve been here for longer than I like to admit. My father actually started this investment firm, and I took over operations a few years ago when he got sick. I went to school in Washington D.C. though and really enjoyed it down there. But not much investment action in the political capital.”

  “I’m not a big fan of politics, although I know how to use it to my advantage in my work.”

  “Oh, really? How so?”

  I realized the alcohol had me talking more about my work than I wanted to. I wasn’t ready to expose myself or my bid to get his donations the other day. I fumbled as I tried to think of another way out of this conversation that I had just opened up.

  “You know. Politicians want their press opportunities, and we can provide a pretty charity face for them sometimes. I’m not opposed to putting together a photo shoot for a celebrity, business, or politician if they have given a donation and want the world to know about it. It’s not the way I give donations to charities, but I’m happy to oblige them if that is what they want.”

  “I never understood all that. You’re either a good person, or you’re not. A picture of you doing good things shouldn’t change how much you do them.”

  My heart swooned at his answer. I had often thought the same thing, although I did understand that politicians wanted to make sure the people who were voting for them got to see all the good things so they would vote again. But in general, it seemed like a silly thing to send a press release out when someone gave a big donation, I was always willing to do it, though; because to us, the money was important, and the publicity never hurt.

  The night was getting cooler as we walked through China Town and the street lights turned on. Many buildings had lights strung from one to the other decorating the small streets and giving the feel that we had just transformed into a different world. The smell of the noodle restaurants filled the air, and small vendors were closing up their street side stores.

  I wrapped my arm through Merrick’s as we both looked in one of the stores at the ornate items they advertised in the window. The ornaments, jewelry and scarves in the window were so beautiful that I couldn’t pull my eyes away from them. Often when I used to visit this neighborhood, it was with my girlfriends as we hurried to one of the noodle shops and ignored all the ambiance of the small sub-section of New York. On this night, I felt like I was actually in China with this man that I hardly knew but felt deeply connected to.

  “Do you mind if we go in? I’d love to get this for my secretary.”

  “Wendy?”

  “Yes, how did you know?” he asked in surprise.

  For a second, I had to search my fuzzy brain to remember if I was supposed to know her name or not. Had I talked to her when I called to get him added to our newsletter? No, he had mentioned something, but I couldn’t remember what it was.

  “Didn’t you say something about …”

  “Oh, yes. She told me to pick you up at your apartment door. Sorry, I forgot about that.”

  “Yeah, you should get her a present. I only agreed because she said so.” I laughed. “And because she threatened to quit, although I think you might have been exaggerating a little bit.”

  “I try to get her little things when I travel. Her husband passed away, and I know it makes her really happy. They aren’t expensive gifts, just things I think she might like. She had change all over her purse the other day and was grumbling about needing a change wallet; I think this one will do nicely.”

  Merrick picked out an emerald green wallet and brought it to the counter to pay for it. But I had stopped to admire some silk scarves that were on display. The fabric slid through my fingers and enticed my nerves. I really should have been going into these shops before, and now I’d make sure to visit them again the next time I was in the area.

  “The blue one,” Merrick said as he stood behind me and grabbed the scarf off the hook. “I think this is your color.”

  He gently wrapped the scarf around my neck and turned me to face him as he looped it into a knot. My eyes watched him intently. He smelled like a man who took care of himself. I couldn’t put my finger on the mix of scents, but they were delightful and soft. Everything about Merrick was soft, yet he was so masculine. It was an odd combination for me to be around. Usually, a masculine man didn’t know how to master the gentle touch of a silk scarf, but this one did.

  “I don’t think you’re supposed to put these on if you haven’t pai
d for them,” I whispered.

  “I did pay for it.” He winked at me.

  “You did?”

  “Yes, I saw it as I walked by and wanted to get it for you. It was just an added bonus that you had stopped to admire them as well.”

  “You’re good.” I laughed. “Wow, do you do this with all of your girls.”

  The statement didn’t come out how I wanted it to. I meant to tease and joke with him, but instead, I sounded like a jealous girl. That wasn’t how I wanted to sound. That wasn’t the kind of woman I was. So I quickly leaned in and kissed him in hopes that he would be too distracted to think at all about what I had just said.

  My arms wrapped around his neck, and I tasted his sweet lips against mine. My body pressed tight into his arms, and I forgot all about the fact that we were standing in the middle of a shop. His mouth urged me for more, and I opened up to let him explore. I wanted him so desperately. I wanted to feel more from him.

  “Go out with me on Tuesday,” he demanded as he pulled away for a second.

  His eyes searched mine as I tried to get my mouth to speak my answer. I really did want to see him again.

  “Okay.”

  “And next Saturday.”

  I laughed at his asking me out for two dates before the first one was even over. I think I knew what he was getting at, and I had been thinking the exact same thing. I would have agreed to a whole list of dates if he had asked me.

  “So three dates means we are in a committed thing, right?” I giggled.

  “I think it qualifies.”

  “I think so too, and yes, I’d love to see you on Tuesday and Saturday.”

  Merrick grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the store. He whipped his phone out and ordered a Uber to come get us. We were both excited. I couldn’t keep my hands away from him, and he couldn’t keep his hands off of me. We were going to have one hell of a night together. I had never been with a guy I was so sexually attracted to. Sure, I’d been with some handsome men, but there was something so much deeper going on between Merrick and me.

  Chapter 7

  Merrick

  The feeling of her glorious legs wrapped around me was all I could think of as we hurried out of the Uber and up toward my apartment. Her crystal green eyes glistened with desire, and that body would put a Victoria’s Secret model to shame. I was literally the luckiest guy in the world at that moment. I didn’t know if Patty took bonuses, but I was going to be sure to give her a great big thank you.

  The conversation was smooth between us; the connection strong, and the genuine emotion was there when we talked. If I could have carved out the perfect woman for me, this would have been her. I had feared I wasn’t ready for someone like her yet, but now I knew I had to have her. Ready or not, she was going to be mine, and I was perfectly fine with keeping her around for a committed thing too. In fact, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

  “I need your lips on mine,” Kristina said as we walked into my condo and stood in the hallway.

  There was no waiting, no pretending like she wanted me to show her around the condo. I loved that about her. Especially because she seemed so nervous around me, it caught me a little off-guard at how she had asked for exactly what she wanted. My body instantly started to throb with a desire I had to release.

  I did as I was told and devoured her as our hands moved to each other’s clothing. Slowly, I reached around and unzipped her dress. I had been thinking about her dress all night long. I had wondered where the zipper was and how easily I was going to be able to get her out of the dress if things went well enough that I brought her home. While we were in China Town, I even let my hand slide up her back as I assessed where the zipper started and how complex an operation it would be to undress her.

  Her delicious body didn’t disappoint me at all as I slid her dress down to the ground and exposed her delicate black lace lingerie. I had to fight off my urge to rip the remaining clothing off of her and take her right there. Instead, I let my hands delicately explore her body as our lips continued to play with one another.

  The throbbing desire wasn’t something I could ignore, and I needed to feel myself inside of her. I made quick work of removing her clothing, and she reached out to help me with mine. Within seconds, we were both standing there totally naked. Exposed to each other in a way that I didn’t normally allow.

  We stood there for a few minutes longer as our hands slid around each other’s bodies. Each inch bringing with it more and more warmth. My throbbing body could hardly take another moment when her hand slid down and wrapped around me.

  “Bedroom … this way …” I said as we continued to kiss and make our way down the hallway toward my room.

  We were like teenagers furiously trying to make love before someone caught us. Her hands played with my body as we stumbled into the bed. I quickly grabbed a condom and wrapped it around my body before pressing her legs apart. I wanted to slide right inside of her; I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t slow down the excitement.

  With other women, I’d been able to control myself, to tease them. No matter how hard I wanted to stop, my body wasn’t going to let me. I had to be inside of her. I had to feel her body tightly around mine as I pressed into her. There was no way this was going to be a slow love-making session. I pressed into her and reveled in the moan she gave me.

  The glorious moans she made just drove me to thrust harder as our bodies moved in perfect timing. Her fingers clawed at my back, and she arched her body, begging for me to give her more. It was like a dream having her there, having her beg me for more; I couldn’t get enough.

  Our chemistry mixed together like two people who had been making love for years, not like a couple who had only just met. I anticipated her next move as she pressed her legs around me and urged my thrusts deeper into her.

  “We have to tell Patty we are in a committed relationship,” Kristina moaned.

  “You want to talk about this now?”

  “No, keep going. Don’t stop,” she said as she pulled me tight against her.

  The sweet and salty taste of her skin was driving me wild, and I couldn’t get enough of her. The more I kissed her neck, the more I wanted to explore the rest of her body. It was too late for all of that, though. We had skipped right past the romance and were in full on thrusting mode. I would just have to kiss her body another time.

  The pain from her fingernails tingled into my back, and I could tell she was getting closer to exploding than I was. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the pleasure I was getting. I felt the throbbing as it pulsed through my body, the need to have myself deeper and deeper inside of her. I imagined this connection was something I’d find someday, but never could I have imagined I would have it with someone I’d met through a blind date. I certainly couldn’t have imagined that a dating service could deliver such a beautiful person right into my lap.

  “Oh, yes!” she screamed as her muscles tightened around me, and I felt my body give in to the pleasure of her touch.

  In one swift thrust, we both screamed out with pleasure as our bodies released in total ecstasy. My arms shook from exhaustion, and I had to lower myself next to her as my breathing continued to be labored. I hadn’t delivered a long drawn out session of lovemaking, but what we had just finished was better than any pretend lovemaking could have ever been.

  Kristina looked up at me with desire still, and I felt a rush of warmth fill my body. I liked this girl. I really cared about what happened next between the two of us, and that was new territory for me.

  “We did set up two other dates,” I said in reference to Patty and the commitment issue.

  “So do I have to call you my boyfriend.” Kristina laughed. “I’m not sure I’m ready for all of that.”

  “No, no, I think people are committed without those kinds of labels. Right? Oh, man I wouldn’t know. I’m really bad at commitment.”

  “Now you tell me,” she playfully said as she slapped my arm.

  “You can
be my test subject. So far, I think I’m doing pretty good.”

  “Well, so far we’ve only been on one date and defied all the rules of the matchmaker. I’m not sure I would call that doing good.”

  “Shhh, we didn’t break any rules. We set up two dates.”

  Kristina moved in closer to me and cuddled up as the sweat from our bodies gave us both the shivers. She was tired; I could see it in her eyes, and so was I. It would be nice to have her in bed with me that night.

  “I’m shaking,” Kristina said as she held up her hand and showed it to me.

  I wrapped my arms tight around her and pulled the covers up to keep us warm. Both of our breathing calmed, and I closed my eyes with her as we started to drift in and out of sleep. The comfort level between us was much more like I felt when I’d been with a woman a couple of weeks. We weren’t just on our first date; in my mind, I had known her for a much longer period.

  Maybe it was because I had dreamed about her that entire week. Or perhaps talking to her for a few days before going on our date had been helpful? No matter what the reasons were, it was nice to have a woman in my bed that I wanted to get to know.

  Genuinely, I couldn’t stop thinking about questions and things that I could ask Kristina about herself. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to know about her parents, siblings, and where she grew up. There was a curiosity I had toward Kristina that was new and exciting to me. I didn’t just want to know these things so I could make her feel comfortable; I wanted to know more about her because I liked her.

  The uncharted territory I was in had started to feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t my norm, but it wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be. I welcomed the uncomfortable feeling as an exploration of something new and exciting. I was in this for the long haul. Whatever happened next, there was going to be no doubt about how much effort I committed to getting to know this girl.

  “This was a good date,” I whispered as we drifted off to sleep. “The best I’ve ever had.”