Fixing her, p.10
Fixing Her, page 10
“Told you already, friends who kiss.”
“Yeah, about that,” I start but before I can explain why we need to pause on the kissing, a peck on the top of my head stops me short.
He grabs my hand and encases it in his own. It feels so right and normal, but I know it’s not. It’s a thought that saddens me to my core. Instead of going into the deli like I thought the plan was, he leans down and grabs a couple of to-go bags sitting by his feet and starts to lead me up the street.
We turn the corner on Grove Street and I figure he’s taking me to the lake. In the middle of our town is a pond that’s surrounded by gazebos, picnic tables, and on one end a small playground. We come here often to feed the ducks and play at the park. But I doubt he’s taking me to go down the slide or throw bread at overfed ducklings.
Without a word, and without letting go of my small hand, he leads me to a picnic table by the water’s edge.
“I hope this is okay.” His voice is laced with apprehension. “It’s a beautiful day and I figured the atmosphere here was much better than with the busybody old men who sit at the deli all day.”
“Yeah, this is great. But how did you have time to get everything ahead of time? Don’t you have work today?”
“I took the afternoon off. One of the perks of being the boss. I hope you don’t mind, but I called Leigh to find out what you like to eat. I wanted to surprise you, but also wanted to make sure lunch was something you would like.”
“Wow.” I’m stunned. “That’s sweet. And thoughtful.”
He pulls out two subs with a Diet Coke for me and a regular Coke for himself. Instead of getting potato chips on the side he got a container of fresh fruit. Something I always prefer because I just don’t love chips enough to waste the calories on them.
But the best part, what I wasn’t expecting at all, was a small box of cupcakes from my absolute favorite bakery. Now those are worth each and every calorie in them. He would’ve had to go to the other side of town to get them.
I can’t believe the effort he put into lunch. I couldn’t have planned a better picnic myself, and I’m feeling guilty for selfishly letting him go through all the trouble.
“Wow, this is all so amazing,” I tell him, attempting to make small talk.
“You’re worth it,” he simply responds while taking a bite of his own sandwich.
I continue to eat my meal, unsure of where to take the conversation. I know I need to explain to him all the complexities of why we need to just stay friends. I know allowing myself to have this one date with him knowing I can’t commit to more makes me a selfish person. But damn it, I really, really want to be a bit selfish. Just this once.
Just for today, I’m gonna keep my demons to myself. Just for today, I’m going to pretend to be the girl who gets to date the one guy she’s always wanted. I’ll bury the sadness deep down, knowing that tomorrow everything changes.
I need be the mature mom who tells this amazing man we can’t see each other anymore, but I can’t do it. I want to feel what it’s like to be his, even if it’s just for one day. It’s selfish and I know it, but I can only resist so much. I’m taking today for me. One day I might regret this, but I can’t stop myself.
“I’m impressed. You pulled out all the stops.” I flirt with the man I’ve always wanted to be brave enough to flirt with.
“Tempie.” His voice is dripping with sex. “You deserve to have everything and so much more. This is nothing.” He takes a bite of a strawberry before looking back at me. “You’ll see.”
A cough escapes me as I take a sip. I feel awkward hearing him talk this way to me and about me, but I push my insecurities aside and let myself enjoy this one meal. One date. That’s all I need so I can relive it in my dreams nightly.
“What do you do for fun, Mr. Workaholic?”
“Haha, you got me there. Mostly I just work. Sometimes I let Sam and the guys drag me to Pete’s, though it’s fun. It’s nice connecting with old friends more than I could have anticipated,” he explains while looking into my eyes. I have a feeling he’s talking about more than just Sam and the guys.
We finish lunch in casual conversation. I haven’t been this relaxed and happy in a long time. I allow myself to just enjoy it. Sometime between comparing favorite movies and talking more in depth about what we each studied in college, I pick up a cupcake and take a bite out of it.
GOD, it’s amazing.
I must have been pretty focused on finishing the cupcake because when I look up, he’s setting his dessert back into the container and walking to my side of the table.
“What?” I ask as he sits on the bench next to me.
“You missed a bit,” he says as he takes one finger and runs it over my bottom lip.
“Thanks,” I breathe, eagerly anticipating his next move.
“Yeah.” We’re both unable to say more than one word as the tension between us grows thick.
He’s staring into my eyes, asking for permission. When I don’t make a move to get away he takes his frosting covered finger and holds it in front of my mouth. I don’t think. I don’t fight this urge I have. Instead, I lean forward and in the middle of the day in this very public park, my lips close around his calloused finger and suck.
His eyes close as I take my tongue and make sure I don’t miss a bit of icing. Heat rushes through my body and I can’t deny how incredibly turned on I am. This is possibly the most erotic moment of my entire life, and I’m on a bench surrounded by strangers.
“We need to go.” He abruptly gets up and moves from me. He throws the trash from lunch away.
“Sorry, you’re right. That was wrong. We should head out. You probably have some work to catch up on.” Self-doubt creeps back in. I don’t have a lot of practice with these sort of situations. I’m sure what I thought was sexy was probably foolish.
He starts while pulling me up to stand. “We gotta go because there are at least six people staring at us right now, and I’d prefer not to do what I want to do to you with an audience.”
“Yeah, that’s right, it’s wrong what we’re doing.” My response is short but gives me the chance to put a little distance between us.
“No. This isn’t done.”
He grabs my hand and starts to lead me in the opposite direction of the deli. I know I shouldn’t, but I’m helpless not to follow him. We walk in relative silence for several minutes until we stop in front of the only apartment complex in town.
“Where are we?” I ask, already preparing myself for his response.
“My place. You good with that?” His tone is filled with hope and a dash of lust.
“Yeah.” My voice might sound breathy and confident, but I’m a complete bundle of nerves. My brain is telling me to run away. But my heart? It’s already inside his apartment.
I let him lead me up the stairs one level and into his apartment. I don’t know what to say. What to do. I’m in no way prepared for this. I walk over the threshold and look around.
His place is mostly what I expected; well designed with clean lines, in various shades of gray. It’s the complete opposite of my house. Normally, I’d start to get in my head and feel insecure. But at the moment all I can think about is the incredibly sexy and sweet man in front of me and the fact his arm is currently around my waist and he’s pulling me tight against his body.
“Hi there.” I smile up at him.
“Well, hello,” he responds before lowering his head and taking a taste of my lips.
No, this isn’t a kiss, this is a full-on mouth invasion. There’s no build-up. These are not slow exploratory kisses. The tension we had at the park hasn’t dissipated. Instead, on the walk over here, it’s only grown.
The two of us are completely lost in each other. I have no clue how much time has passed, but somehow, we’ve made our way through the entryway and into his living room. Miraculously, we never break contact.
Needing to stay somewhat level-headed, I pull back. I’m out of breath and he isn’t much better.
“I need to get Ellie,” I tell him, dreading leaving. Knowing once I’m out that door, I can’t come back. Once this date ends, so does any disillusions I have of a relationship with him.
“No, you don’t.”
“I wish I didn’t, but I really do. They charge you by the minute if you’re late picking up,” I explain. “Learned that lesson the hard way.”
“No.” He smiles wickedly at me. “When I called Leigh to ask what you like to eat she also happened to offer her services for picking up Peanut. Something about taking her out for pizza and ice cream followed by a Moana movie night.” His smile is devious. “Sounds like you’re mine for a while longer.”
God, how I want to be his. I want nothing more than for that to be true. The smart thing to do would be to walk away and be happy with the memories I have.
But I can’t get myself to do the smart thing. I told myself I’d have this date and since the date doesn’t end until I leave, I do what any other hot-blooded woman would do . . . I give him a gentle shove onto the couch and climb atop his hard body.
“Fuck,” he grunts out when his hardening length makes contact with my barely covered heat.
Right now, I’m very grateful I decided to wear leggings instead of jeans today. The thin, soft cotton allows me to feel all of him. And damn, I was right last time; there is a lot of him.
I suck in a breath when he pushes slightly upward, causing his pant covered cock to rub against that very sensitive spot that hasn’t been touched by someone other than me in years.
Just that little bit of friction turns me into a woman possessed. He’s igniting a fire inside of me that I’m helpless to control. Before I can overthink any of this, I start shamelessly rubbing myself against his hard length as our tongues battle for dominance.
All it takes is his large hand sliding under my loose blouse for me to relinquish any illusion of control I might have been foolish enough to think I have.
“Yesss.” I should be ashamed at how desperate I sound. Should is the key word. The last time a man touched me like this the country had a different president.
In an effort to even the playing fields, I start unbuttoning his shirt. I’ve wanted to see this chiseled chest I’ve felt under my palms since we first reconnected.
Back in school, he was fit, but the man he is now, he’s a sight to behold. Every part of him is firm and defined. He’s beautiful.
My boldness takes him by surprise, and I barely have the top three buttons of his shirt undone before he’s pushing my hands aside and yanking the shirt over his head.
I stare in awe. It’s so much better than I could have ever prepared myself for. I can’t move. I’m frozen, staring at his chest. More time has passed than I realize when he emits a small chuckle, pulling me out of my shirtless Asher trance.
“Wow, so you like the gym, I take it?” I’m rubbing my hand over his bare skin. I swear I drool a little when I feel it all hot and hard under my palm.
“You’re adorable.” He leans over, kissing my neck in that spot that makes all conscious thought impossible.
I want his mouth on more of my skin. I want so much more than I deserve. But I can’t help myself. I’m a wanton woman, and I couldn’t stop myself tonight if I tried.
I gasp as his head leans down and he places wet kisses along the top of my chest that’s exposed by my V-neck shirt.
He works his way back up my neck, stopping to give that sensitive spot just above my collarbone a little extra attention. I moan. Every touch, every kiss sets my skin on fire.
When he kisses me there, I become a puddle for him. I’ve never been this bold before. I want things I’ve never really desired with anyone. I’m eager and hungry and so damn impatient for him.
“God, you taste amazing.” His lips descend back onto mine.
“Don’t stop,” I plead as he pulls my shirt over my head, leaving me in my white, cotton bra.
“Fuck no.” His voice is husky, dripping with desire. “I have no intentions of stopping anytime soon.”
I don’t have time to be embarrassed about my body not being as toned as it was just a few years ago or worry if he’s seeing the stretch marks pregnancy scattered across my hips. Before I can overthink any of my insecurities, he’s taking one of my pert nipples into his mouth through the thin cotton of my bra.
The feel of his hot mouth on such a sensitive part of me has me pushing down on his erection even more. I’m close to coming and we’ve just barely made it to second base.
“Greedy girl.” He surprises me by pushing down my bra, so my breasts are flowing over the top. A growl escapes his mouth as he lowers his head and takes one nipple into his mouth, giving it a hard suck then letting it go with a pop.
“You’re gorgeous,” I accidentally say out loud when he looks up at me.
His eyes connect with mine, asking for permission to continue, and I’m more than happy to let him. My hands that haven’t left his impeccable torso since he lost his shirt start to wander lower. I have no control over them anymore. I can’t find the willpower to stop myself.
In no time, I have his pants unbuttoned and his black boxer briefs pulled just under his massive erection. There’s no talking sense into me now; I’m too far gone. If I just have today, then I want to let go and be present for every exciting and intense moment.
He leans back just a bit, looking down as my small pale hand wraps around a cock more impressive than I could imagine even in my wildest dreams.
The handful of times I’ve had sex in the past have been quickies in a dark room. I’ve never taken my time learning a man. I’ve only ever experienced rushed fumbling in a dorm room and a drunken one-night stand I don’t even remember.
I can’t look away. I squeeze the base of his cock and gently tug upward. His whole body tenses and a light sheen of sweat covers his skin.
I did that to him.
Me.
“Tempie,” he grunts out, his eyes squeezed shut.
“I just wanna see it,” I plead and hope he knows I desperately want to watch until the end. When I think back on this special night, I want to remember what his face looks like as I make him come. I need to know what his voice sounds like as he nears the edge. So that for the rest of my life I can replay the moment I heard my name on his lips as he breaks.
With a firm tug, his eyes jerk open. He grabs the hem of my leggings, his fingers skimming the waist of them. Looking into my eyes, he raises an eyebrow to ask permission. Without hesitation, I instantly lift my hips.
Who am I? This isn’t me, but I’m powerless to stop. I’ve gone too far, and I don’t have enough self-control to stop now.
The tension in the air is so thick I can hardly breathe. Not content to allow me to control, he leans forward and finally takes my other pebbled nipple into his mouth, nipping at it, causing the best stinging sensation imaginable. The shock of the sensation has me gripping him tighter, tugging him harder.
“Fuuccckk, just like that.” His words egg me on, my hands gliding up and down his steel rod.
He finally slides his hand over my soft stomach and into my matching white cotton panties. A squeal of surprise escapes my mouth and I pause my current exploration of his rock-hard length, lost to his brazen exploration.
“Don’t stop. Fucking make me come,” he begs as his fingers bypass my soaked panties to touch the heat of me. God, I love hearing him begging for me.
“Oh my God, you’re touching me,” I squeal while continuing to stroke him. “I’ve dreamed this, but it’s actually happening.” Could I be more embarrassing?
He lets out a laugh that stops immediately when I run my thumb over the tip of him. I only get a small reprieve from the building tension before he continues his torturous journey.
“Yeah, babe. I am. And I have no intentions of stopping anytime soon.”
His thumb is rubbing slow circles around my clit and it’s driving me insane, but still, I don’t stop touching him, wanting his climax. I’m a determined woman and despite the need to get lost in his touch, I become more focused on bringing him the same pleasure he’s giving me.
Each stroke getting rougher, each tug with more urgency. He’s getting close. I can feel the difference in him as he nears the edge. I’ve never been so worked up before. His movements become more sporadic as his orgasm nears, and each frantic circle over my nub has me close to coming as well.
I’m a hair’s breadth away, when he takes two of his fingers and runs them through my wetness and pushes them deep inside of me.
“You’re so tight, so fucking wet.” His rough whisper in my ear has me close to coming embarrassingly soon. I tighten around his fingers, crying out my release as his body freezes and his come coats my hand.
We stay frozen, our heavy breathing filling the air. Time passes insanely slow for what feels like several minutes but is probably just seconds until he finally pulls his hand out of my pants.
Instantly, I miss the connection. He leans over me to grab his discarded shirt and makes use of it by cleaning my hand before tossing it aside and giving me a gentle kiss on the lips.
“Wow,” I finally speak, still unable to articulate what just happened as I right my clothes. I look up to find him zipping his pants. When he sees me staring, he leans down over me again to give me yet another kiss.
“That was . . .” He pauses, and I’m instantly filled with doubt, that he somehow could tell I don’t have a ton of experience. “Amazing.”
He finally finishes getting redressed, and I’m relieved he feels the same way I do. More than ten years of anticipation built to this, and it was so much more than I could ever imagine. Only, I know we can’t do this again, and it hurts like a bitch.
IT’S BEEN THREE DAYS SINCE Temperance Price blew my mind before rushing out of my place. Three fucking days of her ignoring my texts and calls. I can’t even get Leigh to call me back, and I have no clue what I did wrong. Last night I went to Pete’s, a desperate move, I know, but after moping at the bar for an hour I finally asked Eric if she was there.
“Sorry, man, she got Roxanne to cover her shift tonight,” he explained to me as he nodded to the blonde in the corner, who was passing drinks out to a table.
