by K. C. Crowne
Lola’s eyes narrowed in thought, and I she thought the same way nearly every woman I’d been involved with thought when I told them about my lifestyle – a mix of curiosity and wondering how it would fit into hers.
“It’s so strange,” she mused. “I couldn’t imagine not having a place to call my own.”
“Now, don’t get me wrong,” I said. “I’m not sayin’ there’s anything wrong with doin’ the normal person thing of puttin’ down roots. Just that it’s never been for me. And it’s somethin’ I’ve known since I was a kid – just like you not eatin’ meat.”
“So,” she said, leaning across the table and speaking through an inviting smile. “Let me see what you’ve got.”
“What I’ve got?”
“Your photos. If you’re some big-time photographer, I want to see what you’ve done.”
I grinned. “More than happy to oblige.”
I slipped my phone out of my pocket and navigated to my webpage. From there, we spent the next half-hour or so swiping through my albums. I went through quite a few of them since Lola was eager to hear the stories behind the shots.
The food arrived as we talked, and we picked at the delicious meals. As I showed her my pictures, our bodies moved closer and closer, and it soon became clear that we had more on our minds than dinner.
“Wait,” she said, placing her fingertip on my phone screen. “This was you?”
On the screen was one of my most famous shots – a pair of penguins in Antarctica standing alone on a vast, white plain of snow. The sun was setting in the background, the colors above wild with the sorts of brilliant oranges and pinks and reds you could only find that close to the south pole.
The sunset hadn’t made the picture so famous – the two penguins stood face-to-face, their beak-tips touching and their flippers holding one another’s. I still didn’t know exactly what they’d been doing, but it looked a hell of a lot like they were kissing.
“This picture went viral,” she exclaimed happily. “Adorably affectionate penguins – it was a meme and everything.”
“One of my big mainstream successes,” I acknowledged. “Had to admit, I knew I’d gotten something special when I snapped it.”
“It’s so freaking cute,” she gushed. “And it was everywhere. It’s right up there with that monkey selfie picture.”
“I froze my butt off for weeks on some science ship so I could get to Antarctica and take some pics. But it was worth it, yeah? Shot like this is enough to make your name in the business.”
She glanced at me, something like respect in her eyes. “I don’t think I could ever live like this. But I have to be honest – it’s pretty cool that you do.”
“It has its ups and downs,” I confessed. “Wanna know one of the big ups?”
“Sure.”
“When you have a chance encounter with someone amazing, someone you never expected to meet.”
She smiled brilliantly. There was heat in the air between us, thick tension I couldn’t wait to break.
“How about we take the rest of this stuff to-go?”
“Hell of an idea.”
I waved to the bartender and gestured to the food, then made the universal sign of “check please.” He fetched the bill, along with a couple of boxes. Before he could place the bill on the bar, I had my card out and in his hands.
“Wait,” Lola said, reaching into her purse. “You’re not paying for the whole meal – I can chip in half.”
“No way. Consider it my way of saying thanks for takin’ a chance on a strange Irishman who was crazy enough to ask you out in between glaucoma test puffs.”
She smiled softly, taking her hand out of her purse. “Alright. But I’ll get you back.”
“As long as that means we’ll be seein’ each other again.”
Lola said nothing, her eyes lingering on me in a way that drove me wild. No doubt her mind was in the same place as mine – later in the evening, when we finally got a chance to be alone together.
“I suppose you’ll have to wait to find out.”
I winked at her, taking the bag of to-go food off the bar and slipping my card back into my wallet. We both got up, and as we made our way out of the restaurant, I felt excited in a way I hadn’t in as long as could remember. There was something about this woman that drove me wild and intrigued me and made me think about nothing but her.
As I held the door open for her, I realized she hadn’t said much about herself at all as we’d spoken. She’d mentioned her reasons for being a vegetarian, but other than that, it was almost as if she’d made a conscious effort not to be the center of attention or the subject of conversation.
She was a bit of a mystery and intrigued me. Between that and the way she looked in those jeans, there was no doubt why I couldn’t stop thinking about her – not to mention thinking about what I wanted to do with her under the covers.
We stepped in silence into the cool evening, the sun long set, sparse snowflakes dancing on the low wind.
“That’s me over there,” she said, nodding toward her car, a sensible Toyota.
“And I’m over here,” I said, nodding to my own car a few dozen feet away from hers. “Bein’ the perfect Irish gentleman, I’d be remiss if I didn’t walk you to your car.”
She smiled without a word. We headed to her car, and when we reached the door, she turned and faced me.
“This was an unexpectedly nice night,” she said.
“I can’t help but agree.”
I couldn’t resist her any longer. I moved in for the kiss. I watched her close her eyes and prepare for it, and the moment my lips touched hers, I knew there was something amazing between us. The kiss was unlike any kiss I’d ever known before. My eyes opened in confusion, as if I were totally perplexed about what was happening.
I pushed all that aside, focusing on the taste of her lips, the softness of her kiss. I placed my hands on her hips, though it was a bit hard to get a sense of her body through her thick coat.
Damn winter.
What I wanted to do to her, however, would most certainly get her nice and warm.
I unzipped her coat, exposing the blouse she wore underneath. I placed my hands on her sides, my mouth opening, my tongue probing for hers. The tips touched as I moved my palms over the hard bottom of her bra, then to her breasts. Something came over me as I kissed her. It was as if I were out of control, like I would take her in the parking lot if she would’ve let me.
Lola, sensing the direction we were going, grabbed my wrists and gently removed my hands from her body.
“Is the fun over?” I asked with a smirk.
“Whatever this is,” she said. “Fun or no – I don’t think this is the best spot for it.”
I came to my senses, glancing around and remembering we were in the middle of a shopping center. No doubt more than a few people were looking at us through the windows of their shops.
“Good call,” I said. “Let’s—”
“My place,” she interrupted, taking out her phone and shooting me a text.
“I’m right behind you.”
She smiled, her cheeks tinged red from the cold outside and the heat of our kiss.
With one more glance, she opened her car and stepped inside.
The evening was just getting started.
I couldn’t wait.
Chapter 6
LOLA
What the hell am I thinking?
I knew the answer to that. As I drove, all I could think about was his lips on mine, his hands on my body. We’d been in full view of everyone, but I’d been so caught up in how he made me feel that it didn’t matter – I’d almost wanted him to shove his hands down my pants right there in the parking lot.
Not to mention the little fact that my panties were absolutely soaked. Seriously – it was hard to even focus on driving because I was so aroused. I was all kinds of glad that my apartment wasn’t too far from the restaurant. But even the few minutes it’d take to get there seemed l
ike an eternity.
Was I really going to hook up with a man I barely knew, some vagabond photographer who’d dropped into my life? Granted, he was hot as hell, and that Irish brogue was so damn sexy it had been hard to focus on conversation.
Still, was I really going to have a one-night thing?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn’t a bad idea. I’d been so crazy-busy with work over the last few months – hell, the last few years – that I’d barely given myself a chance to date. And dating was hardly one of my favorite pastimes. In fact, it could be downright torturous. What could be worse than swiping through Bumble or Tinder in hopes of sitting at a bar with some guy I could only hope wasn’t a total weirdo or a self-obsessed asshole who wanted to tell me how amazing he was. With Patrick, however, it had been different. Our conversation had flowed so effortlessly, no work at all. And he didn’t pry for information about me, seeming to sense I wasn’t too keen on talking about myself.
None of that mattered. What mattered was that he was handsome and fun and would be the perfect guy to get into bed with for one night. I’d scratch the itch, and in the morning my head would be nice and clear and ready for work.
We reached my condo, and as we pulled into the parking lot, I stuck my hand out of the window and into the cool night air, gesturing for him to follow me into the parking garage. The garage gate opened as I approached, and Patrick followed me. I pulled into my spot and he parked next to me. I killed the engine and hopped out.
“Nice place,” he commented, stepping around to meet me at my door.
I didn’t say a word as he stopped in front of me. Conversation was the last thing on my mind. What I wanted must’ve been written all over my face. He grinned, his sexy-as-hell smirk showing off the dimples in his stubbled cheeks. It was almost startling how attractive he was. My thoughts went wild with ideas of what he might look like with his shirt off – more than his shirt off.
He closed the distance between us and leaned close to kiss me again, ready to take full advantage of the fact that we were alone in the parking garage. He wrapped his big arm around my waist, pulling me close so quickly and firmly that I let out a gasp.
Once my body was pressed against his, I could feel his hardness. His cock, stiff as steel, pressed against me through his jeans. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, swallowing hard in anticipation.
Patrick placed his lips on my collarbone, covering it in kisses, then moving up along the slope of my neck. My skin broke out into goosebumps, and I slipped my hands under the warm fabric of his parka, along the broad V of his upper back.
His hands started at my shoulders and traveled down to my breasts. He squeezed them firmly, teasing my nipples and causing them to harden with arousal. His hand smoothed over my stomach, coming to a stop at the button and zipper of my pants.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he opened the button and slowly dragged down the zipper.
“Bein’ adventurous.”
Part of me wanted to protest, to tell him that if we were to get busted in the parking lot, it would most definitely not be good. But the greater part of me didn’t give a damn. This feeling was so unlike me that I couldn’t believe it.
He didn’t give me a chance to think too much. He slipped his hand into my jeans, under the waistband of my panties, and over the patch of neatly trimmed hair above my pussy, traveling slowly. Between that and the smirk on his face, I realized he was letting me stew in the tension. I grabbed his wrist and tried to shove his hand between my thighs, but he froze, not letting me do it.
“Good things come to those who wait, love.” Patrick spoke into my ear from just a few inches away, his accent and the warmth of his breath driving me wild.
I let go of his wrist and he kept moving down, sliding his middle finger between my soaked lips, the tip stopping over my clit.
“You’ve been looking forward to this, haven’t you?” he murmured. “I can feel it.”
Patrick had me right where he wanted me. I was so aroused that all I could do was nod in hopes that he would give me what I so desperately craved. He smirked and slid his fingertip over my clit; hot waves of pleasure flowed through my body, my knees going weak and forcing me to lean back against the car for support. His lips still on my neck, he made slow, tight circles around my most sensitive part.
“Oh my God.” The words poured out of my mouth in a low moan, the sensation so intense that I managed to forget the little fact that I was in a parking garage.
Patrick slid his middle finger down further. Then he glided into me, my walls gripping his finger as he penetrated. I felt him curl his finger in a come-hither motion, the curve allowing him to hit my G-spot just right as his thumb teased my clit.
I ground myself into his hand, wringing out the maximum amount of pleasure possible. It felt so damn good, so fucking incredible. Patrick knew exactly what he was doing. The curl of his finger inside me and the slow circles of his thumb over my clit were timed precisely, working in perfect synchronization. His left hand stayed on the small of my back, holding me upright as he brought me closer and closer to orgasm.
My hands reached under his parka, coming to a stop on his broad, round shoulders. Even through his shirt I could feel that he was built powerfully, his muscles solid as stone.
“You gonna come for me?” he asked hoarsely, sensing I was right on the verge. “Do it – now.”
Part of me wanted to resist him, to not give in so easily to Patrick’s command. But it was impossible. The pleasure was so intense that holding back even for a moment seemed ridiculous. The orgasm broke, and my juices flowed over his hand as every muscle in my body tightened. Sharp gasps flew out of my mouth.
The orgasm rose and peaked, holding for several delicious moments of unparalleled delight before fading. I sucked in one deep breath and then another, my knees shaking underneath me.
“That was intense.” I ran my hand through my hair, wiping the beads of sweat off my forehead.
“It was nothin’ compared to what else I want to do to you,” he teased, not missing a beat.
His words and his gaze and the hard length of his cock against my thigh was enough to get me good and ready for whatever was next. I zipped and buttoned as I looked around to make sure the coast was clear.
Patrick took my hand as we hurried across the parking garage, our footsteps echoing through the vast, mostly empty space. We reached the elevator, and as soon as the doors were closed, we were all over each other.
I couldn’t resist him – the effect was almost scary. We kissed like mad as the elevator carried us up to the eighth floor. And when the doors opened with a ding, I grabbed his hand and led him down the hall. My condo was at the far end of the hallway, and I couldn’t get the lock open fast enough.
“Nice pad,” he said as he stepped into my place.
“Thanks.”
I owned a two-bedroom condo in one of the newer buildings in downtown Denver. The interior was sleek, if not a little sterile, and the view looking out over the city was spectacular, the mountains in the distance. Of course, it wasn’t as if I had time to enjoy it. Between the office and my volunteer work and visiting Mom, my place was nothing more than a recharge zone on the weekend where I slept in and ate takeout food and mentally prepared for another week.
The daily grind was the last thing on my mind when Patrick put his lips on mine. I moaned through the kiss, the door shutting with a thunk behind us. We pulled one another’s clothing off as I led him to the bedroom, and when we stepped over the threshold, we were in nothing but our underwear. My panties were completely soaked, and his looked about to rip from the strain of his enormous cock against the fabric.
Patrick turned to me once we were at the foot to the bed, wrapping his arm around my hips and pulling me so close so quickly that he nearly took me off my feet. I gasped at the suddenness of the move, my eyes widening at how easily he was able to move me.
Then he kissed me hard, reaching into my panties and cuppi
ng my pussy, the rough warmth of his hand nearly enough to make me come again. I wasn’t content to simply stand there and let him tease me. I gripped his length through his black boxer-briefs, teasing the ridge of his head with my thumb as I dragged my fingernails gently over his shaft.
He growled in pleasure; the sound so damn sexy. Then he took his hand out of my panties and placed them both on my ass, scooping me off the ground and dropping me onto the bed. He loomed over me, and I drank in the sight of his powerful, toned body. His muscles were shredded, his pecs chiseled, his abs toned. His shoulders were broad, his hips narrowed. And here and there on his otherwise flawless body I saw small scars – no doubt earned through his global adventures.
Patrick, a grin on his face, slid over me, my legs wrapping around him instinctively. The suspense was overwhelming – I hooked my thumbs under the waistband of his boxer-briefs and yanked them down, his massive cock springing out to greet me. My eyes flashed in surprise at what he was packing. He had the confidence of a man with a big dick, but seeing it confirmed was something else.
I shimmied out of my panties as he reached around and unhooked my bra, my breasts pouring out into his hands. He rubbed and teased me, the head of his cock grazing my entrance. I wasn’t in the mood for more teasing. I knew what I wanted, and I was ready to take it. I reached down and wrapped my fingers around his length, preparing to guide him inside.
He held still for a moment and looked down at me with a question in his eyes.
“I’m on the pill,” I assured him, and it was all he needed to hear.
The sensation of his cock pushing past my lips and inside me obliterated any thoughts. I watched his incredible length vanish into me, inch by perfect inch. And when he was buried to the root, I placed my hands on his ass, squeezing the muscular flesh.
“How’s that feel, gorgeous?”
“S—So good. But it’d be better if you stopped talking and did it again.”
He grinned. “Happy to oblige, lass.”
He pulled back and shoved into me again, stretching me around his thickness. The sensation of his girth pushing inside me was like nothing I’d ever known before. Patrick had only been inside me for a few moments, but I knew I’d never felt like that with a man before.