by Jaci Burton
"Yeah. Do you have any idea how hot it is watching a woman touch herself?" As he increased the movements of his hand over his shaft, sweat beaded in the small of his back and around his temples. He could so easily come, could already envision jettisoning a stream over her belly. Now, that was a porn fantasy. He wanted to be buried inside of her, to feel her hot walls quivering and squeezing him when he came. But this--watching her as she moaned, her eyes closing as she lost herself in what she was doing--this was worth jacking off to.
Her lids lifted and the lazy, sensual look she gave him nearly undid him.
"Tell me when you're ready," she said, her voice soft and filled with desire.
"I'm ready when you are. Trust me, babe, when you come, so will I."
She reached up to tease her breast with the tip of her finger. "Here? On me?"
"Is that what you want?"
"Yes. I want to watch come spurt from your cock. All over me."
Christ, she was driving him crazy. "Scoot to the edge of the bed."
She adjusted her body accordingly. It was positioned perfectly and his desire soared. "Oh. Yes. I'm ready. And I need to see you come."
Her fingers moved faster in and out of her pussy and she used her thumb to tease the crest of her clit.
"That's it, baby. Make yourself come. Make me come." He was sweating now, and doing whatever it took to hold back. Because he was drawn up so damn tight his legs were shaking.
"I'm coming, Flynn. I'm coming."
She cried out, and it was the sweetest sound and the hottest thing he'd ever seen, watching her thrash around on the mattress with her orgasm. He couldn't hold back as a stream of come spurted forth from his cock and onto her breasts. He jerked uncontrollably as his orgasm jettisoned from him and onto her sweet creamy flesh. And when she slid her fingers into his come and rubbed it over her nipples, he felt light-headed and more turned on than he could remember being in a long damn time.
Out of breath, he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, then deepened the kiss, wishing they had all damn day to play together.
"Mmm," she finally said. "I wish we had more time."
"My thoughts exactly."
"But now I need to clean up--again."
He grinned down at her. "Sorry about that."
"Don't be sorry. That was amazing."
He moved aside, then held out his hand and helped her up off the bed. They went into the bathroom together and washed up. He left Amelia alone to get ready while he dressed and went to the kitchen to find something cold to drink. He poured both of them a glass of ice water.
"I could definitely use that," she said, accepting the glass of water from him after she came out of the bedroom. "You made me thirsty."
"You make me horny. Like all the damn time, Amelia."
She laughed, wound her hair up in a bun and stuck a couple of hairpins into it. "You ready?"
"For more sex? Hell yeah. Let's do it."
She laughed. "No. To go to work. Though I like your idea better."
He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, lingering a bit as she met him and kissed him back. His cock twitched and came to life again. "I am the owner, ya know. You could call in sick with no repercussions."
Unfortunately, she pulled back and drank more water. "Ha. That's not my style. Plus, I love my job."
"Fine, then. I'm ready to leave. As soon as my hard-on goes away."
She looked down at him, then smiled. "I'll keep that in mind for after work."
"Yeah, you do that."
He grabbed his coat and let Amelia walk out the door, then shut it behind him. He followed her to Ninety-Two and parked near her, a couple of blocks down the street from the restaurant. He met her at her car, then took her hand.
She looked down where their hands were clasped. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Holding hands? Always a good idea."
"No. Your employees seeing us holding hands."
"You got a problem with holding my hand?"
"I don't have a problem with it, but some of your employees might see favoritism in this. And that could be an issue for me."
He wanted to argue about it, but the logical side of him saw her point, so when they got closer to the restaurant he let go of her hand.
She turned to face him. "Thank you for understanding and for not making a big deal out of it."
"Hey, the last thing you need are disgruntled cooks."
She laughed. "So true."
"You go on inside. I think I'll head to the market and buy the ingredients I'll need to cook tonight."
She wrinkled her brows. "You're just giving me a head start so no one sees us walking in together."
"Would I do that?"
"You would, and I'd kiss you for that except we're too close to the restaurant and someone might see us. So imagine me kissing you."
"If I think about you kissing me right now, my imagination will go a little crazy and then my dick will get hard and then I'll have to go sit in my car."
She laughed. "I'll see you inside."
She walked through the door and he went down the street where there was a great fish market. He already had an idea of what he wanted to make, so he purchased some sea bass and lobster, then headed back to the restaurant. When he entered, he greeted Clifford, the manager on duty, since Ken was still out on leave.
"Hey, boss," Clifford said. "Didn't expect to see you here tonight."
"It was a spur of the moment thing. I'm going to be in the kitchen if someone needs me."
Clifford didn't even blink or ask questions about why the owner was going to the kitchen. Which suited him just fine because explaining it might be awkward. "Sure thing."
Flynn stopped in the kitchen long enough to put his purchases in the refrigerator, then washed his hands and headed back onto the main floor to say hello to some of the regular guests. That took about a half hour. When he was satisfied he'd done his PR job, he returned to the kitchen to see that Amelia had things well under way.
"Mind if I step in?"
Amelia did a fine job of acting as if this was the first time she'd seen him today. She smiled at him. "Oh, hello, Flynn. You're more than welcome to come in. Would you like to see what's on the menu for tonight?"
"Sure." He walked around and greeted everyone, tasted a few things then went back to Amelia.
"I was thinking of trying out a dish. I actually stopped at the market to buy some things. Mind if I cook in here tonight?"
"Not at all. What would you like to fix?"
"Pan-seared sea bass with lobster risotto. And maybe snap peas."
She grinned and nodded. "That sounds amazing. Do you need some help?"
"No, I think I know what I'm doing, but you'll be the first person I yell to for help if I screw it up."
She laughed. "Sure. You can work over on the left side burners near where I cook."
"So you can keep an eye on me and make sure I don't burn your kitchen down?"
She fought a smile. "Something like that."
"Thanks."
Flynn washed up and got started with the risotto. It wasn't long before he got into a rhythm. He'd had the dish in his head for the past week. Now he just had to put it all together.
Amelia was busy, so she didn't stop by to check on him until he had the entire meal plated. Only then did she come over and lean in to inspect it. He could tell she was giving it her critical chef's eye, which was what he expected from her. It had to pass not only the taste test but the visual one as well. A dish had to look appetizing before the guests would want to eat it.
"Visually, it's stunning," she said as she waited for his approval. When he nodded at her, she reached for a fork and slid it into the fish, taking a small bite. He'd made extra so he could taste everything while he was cooking. He knew it was good. The question was--would Amelia think so, too?
He realized as he waited while she sampled the sea bass, the risotto and the snap peas that he was actually nervous. He knew w
hat he was doing on the football field. No question there. Here, he was a novice, so there was a chance he could screw up.
Amelia chewed thoughtfully, but hadn't said anything.
"Stefanie, come over here, please."
Well, hell. Now she was asking for a second opinion. Maybe she hated it but she wanted someone else to back her up.
Her assistant chef came over. "Yes, boss."
"Taste this, please. It's pan-seared sea bass with lobster risotto and snap peas."
She handed the plate to Stefanie, who did the same thing. She slid her fork gingerly into the fish, then tasted the rice and the peas.
Stefanie nodded at Amelia. "It's outstanding. Did you make this?"
"I did not," Amelia said with a smile. "Our owner did."
"No shit. I mean, no kidding. Mr. Cassidy, this is amazing."
Flynn finally expelled the breath he'd been holding. "So, you both like it?"
Amelia laid her hand on his biceps. "Flynn, it's really good. Like, really good."
Amelia turned to Stefanie. "Flynn has wanted to make a signature dish for the restaurant. Something he can put his name on."
"I'd eat it. Like every day," Stefanie said. "The sea bass is moist and flaky, the risotto is filled with flavor. The lobster is tender and the peas are crisp. Perfectly balanced. I think our clients will go crazy for it."
"I agree," Amelia said. "Thank you, Stefanie."
Stefanie nodded and went back to her station. Amelia turned to Flynn and finally grinned. "It really is outstanding. I think we can safely put the Cassidy dish on our menu."
Flynn sighed. "I'm really glad. I'd been pondering this idea for a while, and I thought it tasted good when I sampled everything. But man, it was nerve-racking watching both of you taste it."
She nodded. "It's always hard introducing new dishes. And I don't always succeed with them. But I want you to know that Stefanie is extremely tough. If she doesn't like something, she is brutally honest about it. She takes her job very seriously and she will not let anything leave this kitchen unless it's perfect. So I trust her judgment implicitly."
"Good to know. And thanks for letting me cook here. It really did make a difference. I don't know that I would have worked as hard on it if I'd done this at home."
"Of course you wouldn't have because you wouldn't have had the added pressure of Stefanie and me to judge you."
He laughed. "Well, thanks for that. I think I'll get out of your way now so you can get back to work."
"Yes. Get out of my kitchen, please."
He leaned in close so only she could hear. "I'll see you later."
"Yes, you'll see a lot of me later."
With that vision in his head, he headed out of the restaurant with a giant grin on his face.
So far, it had been a really great night.
TWENTY-THREE
Flynn was always at ease with people. One of the reasons he liked having the restaurant was that he was comfortable around strangers. Meeting his restaurant guests and talking to them? No problem. Doing interviews with the media after games? Never an issue, even if the Sabers lost. Nerves never came into play. He was a rock.
Until tonight. Tonight he was meeting Amelia's best friend, Laura, and Laura's husband, Jon. After he'd cooked at the restaurant yesterday, Amelia had told him that Laura was dying to meet him, so they'd planned a very informal dinner at Laura and Jon's house for tonight.
After practice, he ran errands, went home, did laundry and took care of work calls. Then he showered and stared at his closet, trying to figure out what to wear. After five minutes he realized he was still staring into his closet, undecided.
What the fuck? He was a dude. Guys didn't do this. He pulled out a long-sleeved button-down shirt and put it on, then grabbed a pair of jeans and finished getting dressed.
He had no idea why he was nervous. But as he walked down the stairs and buttoned the cuffs of his shirt, he knew the answer.
Because it was Amelia's best friend. Best friends held all the power. If Laura didn't like him, it could affect his relationship with Amelia.
He should buy a nice bottle of wine for them. Maybe some flowers, too. He had plenty of time before he had to pick up Amelia, so he stopped at the flower shop and picked up a nice bouquet, then drove to the liquor store and searched out a bottle of pinot grigio, and on second glance, pulled a good cabernet as well. Hopefully Laura would like both.
He drove to Amelia's house and went up to ring the bell. She came to the door and he inhaled her fragrance. Not perfume, but something citrusy that smelled fresh and made him want to shut and lock the door and bury his face in her neck. He wished they had time for some getting naked and fooling around, but they didn't, so he pulled her against him and kissed her instead, letting her know how much he really wanted her.
When she drew back, she planted her hands on his chest. "You're affectionate tonight."
"I'm insulted by that statement. I'm affectionate with you all the time."
"I stand corrected. Yes, you are. Did I mention how much I like that?"
"No, you haven't. Care to show me?"
She laughed. "I'll show you later. Otherwise, we'll be late. Or no-shows."
She was right and he knew it. If he started touching her or kissing her he'd never stop. "Let's go."
She took a glance at the backseat as she climbed into his SUV. "Aww, you got her flowers. She'll love that."
"I got wine, too," he said as he backed out of the driveway. "Two bottles."
"She'll love that even more."
It didn't take long to drive to Laura's place since she lived just down the street from Amelia. They could have walked, but an uncharacteristic rain was threatening tonight, so he wanted to make sure they had a vehicle just in case. He parked and he grabbed the wine and flowers from the backseat.
"I warned you that Laura isn't a great housekeeper," Amelia said. "And she's really nervous about having you here, so be kind."
"I am always kind, and shouldn't I be the one who's nervous?"
They stood on the sidewalk and Amelia turned to face him. "You're nervous?"
"Well, yeah."
"Why?"
"Because Laura is your best friend. She gets veto power."
Amelia's lips curved. "Veto power."
Flynn nodded. "If she hates me, we're over."
Amelia laughed. "She's not going to hate you."
"She might."
"Just tell her you love clutter and you have as many subscriptions to magazines as she does. Trust me, she'll love you."
"Done. And you should have seen my room when I was growing up. I love clutter."
She gave him a warm smile as they walked up the steps and onto the porch. Amelia rang the bell and they waited.
The door was opened and a nice-looking guy with short dark hair and a goatee answered.
He grinned. "Hey, you must be Flynn. I'm Jon Perry."
Flynn shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Jon."
"Come on inside. Oh, and hi, Amelia."
Amelia gave Jon a grin. "I was wondering if you were going to notice I was here."
Jon laughed. "Sorry, I'm kind of a fan."
Jon and Amelia hugged after they came inside. "Laura's giving herself a nervous breakdown in the kitchen," Jon said. "Something about meatballs."
Amelia laid her bag down on the chair next to the front door and shrugged out of her sweater. "Uh-oh. I think I'd better go help her."
"Would you mind taking these in to her?" Flynn asked, handing Amelia the wine and the flowers. "I don't know if those will help."
"They will."
"Come on into the living room," Jon said. "She made me clean."
"You really didn't need to do that."
"Oh, I really did. Laura likes her clutter, and normally doesn't care even when we have company over. Apparently, you're something special."
Flynn smiled. "I like my own share of clutter, so I wouldn't have minded."
"If only I'd known tha
t before I shoved the entire contents of our living room into the closet. Just don't open the closets, okay?"
Flynn laughed. "Definitely won't do that."
Amelia came down the hall bearing two glasses of wine, a beautiful brunette following behind her with two more glasses.
"Amelia made me leave the kitchen."
The woman handed a glass of wine off to Jon, then turned to Flynn. "I'm Laura."
"Nice to meet you, Laura. I'm Flynn Cassidy."
She shook Flynn's hand. "Oh, I know who you are, Flynn. I knew everything about you even before you started to date my best friend."
Jon put his arm around Laura. "She's sort of into football."
"More than sort of. I'm kind of a stats whiz, so if you'd like to know your tackles, assists, sacks or interceptions, I can quote any of those statistics for you for any year you've played."
Flynn arched a brow. "Really."
"Yeah, really," Jon said. "She's really annoying about it."
Laura looked over at her husband. "Really brilliant, you mean."
Jon nodded, then slid a glance at Flynn. "Yes, brilliant. That's what I meant."
Flynn grinned. He could see the connection between these two. It was cute.
"So I've attempted to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner," Laura said. "I will say up front that I am not a cook, and by not a cook I mean not anything close to the cuisine you're used to from Amelia. I mean I make basic stuff."
"I like basic stuff," Flynn said. "And thank you for inviting me over for dinner."
"She also lies," Amelia said, smiling at her friend. "She's a very good cook."
Laura shrugged. "If you like home-style food. Or the stuff that comes from cans."
Jon rubbed her back. "But you can give us CPR if one of us collapses. Or first aid if we fall down the stairs."
"Amelia told me you're a nurse," Flynn said, "which is so much more important than spaghetti and meatballs. Now I know who to call next time I get an ankle sprain."
Laura let out a snort. "I believe you already have a highly skilled and likely overpaid medical team to take care of those things for you."
"Then they monitor me and I can't play. Wouldn't it be easier for you to ice it and wrap it for me so I can sneak an injury past the team docs?"
Laura laid her hand on her chest and feigned shock. "What? You'd lie to your medical team in order to get game time?"
"In a heartbeat."
Laura turned to her husband. "I'm sorry, Jon, but I'm leaving you for Flynn. You know how I feel about football."