Off the Cuff

by K. I. Lynn

  I loved hearing her sighs of ecstasy and her cries when she spasmed in my arms as her orgasm rocked through her.

  I tried to be a good boy, but I could only take so much.

  Finally, the weekend arrived and I was ecstatic that we could have a proper first date. Nothing against all the other times we’d spent together, but I wanted to do things right because I wanted her to trust me. The haphazard way we came together just wasn’t good enough.

  Thankfully Roe’s mom was able to watch Kinsey on Saturday for the entire night, allowing us to go out to dinner without her having to worry about getting back by a certain time.

  “Where are we going?” I asked. We were walking down First Avenue, my car still parked at my building.

  Like I’d promised weeks ago, Roe chose where we were going to dinner. What I didn’t count on was her refusing to tell me where we were going or what kind of food it was. She simply said to lose the suit jacket.

  It was hard to keep my eyes on the sidewalk in front of me. I’d expected her to open the door in some sleek dress that hugged her skin. Something similar to her work attire, and probably black.

  Then again, if I really thought about it, many of her blouses had a ruffled edge. The peasant top she wore to the zoo should have also clued me in to her casual wardrobe. It gave me insight into Roe outside of work and pre-Mom.

  She surprised me when she walked out in a flowy floral peach dress with ruffles and a high waist. There were tiny strings that made up the shoulder straps that were tied in bows at the top, and I could imagine one small tug and the dress would fall to the ground.

  More than just a vision, it was a plan. I was going to see that dress slip from her shoulders, exposing every succulent inch of the skin she was taunting me with.

  It was already bad enough that I could see down the top and tell she wasn’t wearing a strapless bra. Which was where my inability to focus on the sidewalk came in—I was unable to tear my eyes away from her breasts. With each step in her wedge heels they gave a jiggle, and it made me wonder if her nipples were hard from the friction of the fabric.

  “Not far.”

  I cleared my throat in an effort to focus on our surroundings. “Considering we are walking, I figured as much.”

  “Trust me, you’re going to want to work up an appetite.” I grinned down at her, and she rolled her eyes. “For the food.”

  “And for later activities.”

  She rolled her eyes. “So sure of yourself.”

  I was damn sure. In fact, I was pretty certain I wasn’t going to make it through dinner without slipping my hand up her dress to find out if she was devoid of all undergarments.

  “How do you know I’ve never been where we’re going?”

  “Have you ever been to Le Relais de l’Entrecôte?”

  My brain scrambled, trying to figure out what she said. Languages were not my strong suit, but I was pretty sure it was French.

  “Bless you?” I said to cover my inadequacy. Her giggle told me I was spot on.

  “It’s French,” she confirmed. She reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. Half a dozen bangle bracelets slid down her arm, then back to her wrist when she lowered her arm. There must have been more than were in her jewelry box.

  I wasn’t used to seeing her with her hair down and styled, and I was completely blown away. Long brunette waves cascaded halfway down her back and perfectly framed her face.

  All I could think about was running my hands through it, twisting it, grabbing it.

  It’d been weeks since we’d had sex on my desk, and she had me completely wrapped around her finger. I’d practically begged her to go out with me, but I was struck with my desire to stay in with her.

  One I had to push down. I was not going to mess this up.

  After a few blocks we arrived at a red awning and Roe pulled at my hand, unfortunately separating us as we moved through the spinning door.

  It was quite a tight establishment with not a lot of room between tables, but that didn’t seem to bother anyone. Luckily, we were able to get the end of a long booth-like bench so there was only the table next to us, which was empty.

  The hostess set a menu down and when I picked it up, my brow scrunched. Listed on one side was only one item, then on the other were desserts. The wine menu was ten times the size.

  “Wait, so there’s only one thing on the menu?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  It wasn’t the type of steakhouse I was used to. There was no picking of a cut of beef, elaborate sides, or alterations.

  Salad. Steak. Fries. Sauce.

  That was it.

  Roe reached out and took my hand in hers. “Trust me.”

  “I do, but this is weird.”

  “I’ve been getting your lunch for a month.”

  “And?”

  “You’re going to love this.”

  It seemed the only thing I was able to pick was the wine, and decided to just go with the flow, allowing the waitress to pick her favorite.

  “If I haven’t said it yet, you look beautiful. I like this look on you.”

  “You did say ‘Wow’ when I opened the door, and your eyes nearly fell out of your head. And good, because regular Roe has a lot of things like this in her wardrobe.”

  That didn’t surprise me. While it wasn’t a normal look that would have attracted me, I loved it on her. She had a hippie, free vibe to her.

  “Does she? I can’t wait to see more.”

  “Me too.”

  “You don’t know what’s in your closet?”

  She let out a cute little giggle. “I meant on you. The zoo trip was the only time I’ve ever seen you in anything that wasn’t a suit. Though, even in jeans and a T-shirt, you looked like you just walked out of a boardroom. You scream money and power with just a glance.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  She shrugged. “No, but I’m not sure you noticed that even when you’re casual, you are commanding.”

  “Was that why your ex seemed intimidated?”

  “That, and you really are too sexy for your own good.”

  I grinned at her and brought her hand to my lips. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that before.”

  She leaned back. “Uh-oh, I just blew your ego up. Your head might not make it through the door.”

  I nipped at her knuckle. “I like hearing that you find me irresistible.”

  She shook her head and pursed her lips. “I didn’t say that.”

  “You did.” I leaned in. “I’m pretty sure I can get you wet with just a look.”

  She blinked at me, pink spreading across her cheeks.

  “You get me hard with just a look. I find you more irresistible than you find me, I guarantee it.”

  “Guarantee, huh?”

  “And I plan to show you how much more all night long.”

  She swallowed hard, the pink in her cheeks deepening. “All night? I don’t know if you’ve got the stamina to keep up.”

  Even being playful, she kept it up with the hits. I think the score was Roe—25 to Thane—6.

  And I planned to prove to her all night long just how wrong she was, and to make true the lie we told her ex.

  “After tonight, you’re going to wish you said yes to me a month ago.”

  “There’s that ego again.”

  When Roe said I would love the food, I was dubious. The place wasn’t posh or modern, and the menu was the most limited I’d seen. However, it seemed very popular as people flowed in constantly. Our food took hardly any time to arrive, and one bite in I almost proposed.

  There was this weird green sauce that the sirloin was sitting in and at first I didn’t know what to think about it, but then I couldn’t stop eating it or dipping the perfectly crisp fries in it.

  “How did you get to become the President of Acquisitions?” she asked when I was about halfway through stuffing my face.

  “James.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, yes, I gathered that
much.”

  A chuckle left me. “I worked with him in a different role, but then he needed a person who could handle the acquisitions because it was taking too much of his time. He wanted to focus on other aspects of the business, so I was named President and I have been growing the company ever since.”

  “Is that when you bought your condo?” she asked.

  “I’d been renting in the East Village and when I got the promotion, my lease was also ending and it was the perfect time to buy myself a place.”

  “How long did you live there?”

  “About six years. So it was a stretch when I first started working, but wasn’t by the time I left.”

  We polished off a second bottle of wine, and I finished a second plate of steak and fries before paying the check. I patted my stomach as we headed back toward home.

  Time to eat my dessert.

  I had never taken a woman back to my place. Not since the days of my ex-girlfriend, Liv. Knowing that it would never be more than a night or two, I didn’t see the point. They would never be part of my life.

  Roe was different. I wanted her to be part of my life.

  “Fuck, I am full.”

  “So, I did good?” she asked.

  I stopped and turned to her, pulling her arm up until I could place a light kiss against the inside of her wrist.

  “You did unbelievably good, baby.”

  “Baby, huh?”

  I nodded. “Work for you?”

  She stepped away, pulling me with her. “Baby could work.”

  “Still playing hard to get?”

  She turned back and shot me that sexy minx smile that drove me crazy. “Maybe.”

  “Now I need to go work off all this food. I wonder how I can do that?” I grinned down at her.

  “I might know of something.”

  The walk from the restaurant to my place only took a few minutes, and we passed her apartment on the way. She tried to play that she was going in, but I kept a firm grip on her as I continued on.

  “Nope, I’ve been to your place. Now you’re going to see mine.”

  When we arrived at my building, her eyes widened. “Very posh.”

  “You’re the first woman I’ve brought here,” I said as I held the door open.

  “In the last month?”

  “Ever.”

  She blinked up at me. “Ever?”

  I nodded. “Though technically, there has been one woman, but she’s my mom so she doesn’t count.”

  “Making a girl feel special over here.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “Evening, Mr. Carthwright,” Adriane, the concierge, said as we headed toward the elevators.

  I gave her a wave before stepping onto one of the waiting elevators.

  “What floor again?”

  I moved my wallet in front of the sensor and hit the button. “Twenty-ninth.”

  “Wow.”

  My stomach clenched and my heart was beating faster than normal. Why was I nervous?

  When we entered, she took a second to slip off her shoes, but once she was passed the entryway her eyes popped wide. “Holy shit.” She stepped forward, passing the library that was empty of any objects, then the kitchen, and then living room and dining room.

  Her lips were parted as she turned back to me. “Half this space is the size of my entire apartment. How big is this place?”

  “Too big,” I admitted. With the money came the need to have actual space in New York City, which was expensive. Instead of the two bedroom that was about fourteen hundred square feet, I doubled down for twice the size. It left me with lots of empty space.

  I was lost in thought when the click of a door caught my attention, and I watched the skirt of Roe’s dress fly up from the breeze as she stepped out onto the terrace.

  “Holy shit,” I heard her whisper again as I stepped out behind her. “Even your terrace is bigger than my apartment!”

  I looked around as I thought about it. “Damn, I think you’re right.” She stood at the edge looking out at the twinkling lights that blanketed the skyline. I stepped up behind her and placed my hands next to hers, caging her against the railing. “What do you think?”

  She turned in my arms. “Is this the show condo?”

  “What?”

  “It’s just kind of… cold. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice if you like modern.”

  My lip twitched. “Don’t pull any punches.”

  “No warmth. Zero. Zilch.”

  I grabbed hold of her hips and tugged her against me. “You want warmth? I’ll fucking show you warmth.”

  “Promises, promises,” she said with a grin before twisting out of my grip and continuing her perusal. She stopped at the door before going back in and stared out. “This view is worth every penny.”

  I swallowed hard as I stared at her. Four years, and only Jace and James and my family had seen my home. I’d never noticed the cold she spoke of until the space was filled with her light and warmth.

  “The most beautiful view ever,” I said as I stared at her.

  Her gaze met mine. “You aren’t even looking.”

  “I’m looking at what matters.” I stepped forward and pushed her through the door before pulling her close and getting lost in her beautiful eyes. Leaning down, I pressed my lips to hers.

  All night I’d held off on doing that because I knew once we kissed, I would need my lips on every inch of her. It was soft, sensual, and unlike our previous encounters. I couldn’t stop the moan from leaving me or my arms from pulling her closer. Her lips parted, and I caressed her tongue with my own.

  She shook in my arms, and I pulled back. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m just overwhelmed.”

  I stroked down her neck and across her collarbone. “What overwhelms you?” We’d already had sex, so I didn’t believe that was the issue.

  “The anticipation,” she said, her gaze trained on my chest. “This terrifies me because I’ve never felt this depth of intimacy with anyone before. Never.”

  A low chuckle left me, and I brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “It’s the same for me. I’ve never felt this way before, and I’m afraid of fucking something up because you aren’t some casual fuck or a conquest.”

  “What am I?”

  I was locked with her beautiful hazel eyes, my thumb brushing against her jaw. “You’re everything I’ve been waiting for.”

  That seemed to be the correct answer, and she threw her arms around my shoulders and pulled my lips to hers.

  The hunger coming off her was intoxicating, and I found myself drowning in her. I held her close, one hand on her ass, the other near her shoulder, keeping our bodies completely connected.

  “You are so unbelievably beautiful.”

  “You’re just saying that to get in my panties.”

  “Doesn’t make it any less true.” I leaned back and admired the way her dress accentuated her chest and the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. “Are you even wearing panties?”

  She smiled and bit down on her lower lip. “Only one way to find out.”

  I tugged at the string, releasing the tie that held the strap together. The fabric fell, revealing one perfect, pert breast. My mouth watered as a groan left me, finally viewing the piercing I’d felt over and over through her clothes.

  “Oops.” I cupped her breast, my thumb brushing over her nipple and the balls of her piercing. She drew in a sharp breath, her body bowing into mine.

  “Wow,” she said with an uneven breath.

  “Wow, what?”

  She shook her head. “It’s just that nobody has played with them since I got them.”

  “Nobody? Not even your ex?”

  She shook her head. “They were healing, and then he just liked to look.”

  I bent down and took her nipple between my lips, my tongue lapping at the hardening flesh. A high-pitched moan hit my ears, and her grip on my arm tightened.

  “Nobody’s ever done that?”
<
br />   “N-no.”

  “Good.” There was a lot of things I planned to do to her that nobody had done before, and making her come as many times as possible was number one on my list.

  A groan left me at the feel of her small hand cupping my hard cock. “What do you have there, little girl?”

  She moved her hand slowly up to my belt and used both hands to unfasten it. “I’m bringing your friend to the party.”

  “Oh, he’s been here since you opened your door.”

  “But you kept him locked away,” she said. A groan left me at the feel of her fingers on my cock as she pulled me free.

  When she began to lean over, I stopped her. “What happened to no blow jobs?”

  She squeezed down on me, making me hiss.

  “Is my mouth on your cock?” she asked. The way she accentuated the word cock had my grip on her waist tightening.

  “No.” I’d fucking know if it was.

  “What part of my body is on your cock?” She did it again, and I leaned in and pressed my teeth into her shoulder.

  “It’s a fucking hand job, and you’re a fucking tease.” I was going out of my mind with want. She was driving me mad with each slow tug on my cock.

  She took her bottom lip between her teeth again and smiled up at me. “Good things come—”

  “If you fucking finish that with ‘to those who wait,’ I’m going to throw you onto that couch and pound you into the cushions.” My cock was so hard I could barely hold myself back any longer.

  Without warning, I slid my hand between her thighs, making her cry out as I slipped a finger under the edge of her thong and inside her wet warmth. Part of me was sad she wasn’t bare under her dress, but part of me was happy because I didn’t want even the slightest possibility of some fucker accidentally viewing what was mine.

  “So you better stop because I have a promise to keep.”

  “What promise is that?”

  “That I’ll have your tit and your pussy in my mouth, and I won’t fucking stop until your thighs are so tight they try to pry my head off.”