He grinned at me and slid his fingers out. I instantly felt relief, but only seconds later, he slid back inside me and started pumping again. His rhythm picked up, pumping even harder this time. I was there again, ready to piss myself, and I was not pissing myself in front of him. Just as I was about to tell him to stop, he slid his fingers out again and slowly massaged around my clit. My body relaxed for just a few seconds.
I gasped when he thrust his fingers back in. Oh god, he wasn’t going to stop this. It was like torture, over and over again, he pumped inside me. Every time, he moved harder and faster until I was panting and feeling the urge to pee. Then he would back off and massage me again.
“You’re ready, baby,” he whispered, shoving his fingers back inside me. I cried out as he ruthlessly pumped two fingers inside me. My heart raced out of control and then something crazy happened. I didn’t know what it was or how it happened, but liquid was shooting out of me. The pleasure was so intense that I clenched hard onto his shoulders and squeezed until I felt like I was going to pass out. His thumb moved across my clit and an orgasm raced through me, forcing me to clench down on his fingers. I cried out as my body shook with an intensity that made me think I was literally on the verge of passing out.
He pumped his fingers slowly in and out of me, massaging my inner walls from the abuse they just withstood. Then his lips were on mine and he was sliding his tongue into my mouth. It was so erotic. He slowly kissed down my stomach until his lips were just over my clit. He gently kissed and licked at my opening, and only then did I realize what happened. Or might have happened? Did I just pee? Was that something else? I didn’t know what he did, but now he was licking at me, tasting all of me, and it felt so damn good. His lips moved to my thighs, slowly kissing circles like he was trying to soothe me.
My body slowly relaxed until I was a boneless heap on the bed. I felt the dampness of the sheets all around me. I had no idea how long he had teased me, but I was sweaty and I could feel the area around my ass was damp. I needed a shower and we definitely needed clean sheets. But my body was too exhausted right now. My eyes slid closed, slowly opening and closing as I watched him moving around the room and eventually settled on the bed beside me. He pulled me into his arms and kissed my cheek and then I was out.
When I woke, it felt like it was hours later. It was six o’clock, but the sun had already set, which was normal for this time of year. The bed was empty beside me, and as much as I wanted to lay in bed and let my aching body rest, I needed to shower. I got out of bed and opened the adjoining bathroom door and turned on the shower. The steam from the hot water quickly filled the bathroom. I stepped under the water and relaxed against the wall. God, I was so sore. Whatever that was, it was exhausting, but the most incredible thing I had ever experienced.
Arms wrapped around me and lips kissed at my neck. I smiled and slipped my hand around his arm that came to rest around my waist.
“Hey, sleepyhead. I thought you were going to sleep the whole night through.”
“I feel like I could. You wore me out.”
He chuckled against my neck, his smile evident. “That was the point. I wanted to drive you crazy.”
“Where did you learn something like that?”
“Honestly? I took a class.”
I turned in his arms, completely shocked. “You…like you attended an actual class?”
“No,” he laughed. “You’re gonna laugh at me.”
“I’m already laughing at you. I had no idea there were classes that taught men how to do that.”
“It’s a special school, but it’s not like it’s well-known. I found it online and I was curious.”
A pang of jealousy hit me. “And how many women have you tested this out on?”
He kissed me on the lips. “Just one, baby. The instructor said it would change my life, and he was right. That was the most amazing thing ever.”
“But…I didn’t do anything to you.”
“Part of the fun is knowing that I can give you that much pleasure. You…liked it right?” I paused, biting my lip to see him squirm. His eyes widened in panic. “Oh shit, I didn’t do it right. Did I hurt you?”
“It was…life changing,” I finally said, putting him out of his misery.
His shoulders sagged and then he attacked, wrapping his hands under my ass and lifting me in the air until I was pinned against the wall. “You’re evil. I thought for sure that you hated it. Why would you do that to me?”
“Because you scared me,” I laughed. “You said you were going to make me squirt and I had visions of all sorts of things happening. You can’t pull stuff like that on a girl.”
“I’m sure your other boyfriends tried to do adventurous stuff with you,” he said, skimming his nose against mine.
And that was the point that this all became awkward. “I uh…I haven’t been with anyone in a while.”
He pulled back slightly. “How long is a while?”
“A few years ago, but before that…you.”
He stared at me in shock, his mouth hanging open. “Are you serious?”
I nodded.
He practically dropped me, stepping back and running his hand through his hair. Oh God, I had screwed up. He didn’t want to know that. Now he was freaking out.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would be a big deal,” I stuttered.
“Are you kidding me? Of course it’s a big deal.” I stumbled back like I’d been slapped, but he quickly grabbed me and pulled me against him. “Jesus, I fucked you hard last night. I could have hurt you. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I just…I didn’t want it to be a big deal. It’s just sex,” I said lamely.
“It’s not just sex. Never between us. It’s always been so much more and you know it.”
“No, this is just-“
“Don’t,” he said harshly. “Don’t go there. You can tell me to take this slow and you can tell me you’re not ready for more, but you can’t deny what we have between us.”
“And what about what you’ve had with your other women?” I asked accusingly.
“They were nothing. They were stand-ins for the woman I always wanted.”
I scoffed. “The woman you always wanted but walked away from.”
He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. “Look, I’m not denying the mistakes I made. I know there were a lot of them, but this weekend was supposed to be about us getting to know each other again.”
He was right. I couldn’t keep throwing the past back in his face. I wasn’t sure what would happen after this weekend, but if I kept thinking of what had happened before now, this weekend would be pointless.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.”
He shook his head slowly and walked up to me, pulling me closer. “I just want this chance to start over with you.”
“I know. I swear, you won’t hear anything about it again.”
He kissed me lightly, sighing as he rested his forehead against mine. “We should finish that shower. I have plans for us tonight.”
“Yeah? Does it include pizza and a movie?”
He chuckled. “No, I’m taking you out to dinner and then we’re going dancing.”
“Dancing?” I asked slightly panicked. “But I only packed jeans and t-shirts.”
“I know,” he said with a wicked glint in his eye. “I have you covered.”
I was terrified to know what that meant. I quickly showered and dried my hair. By the time I stepped into the room, Robert had a small rack of dresses with matching shoes, along with expensive lingerie. He looked so pleased with himself, but I just felt nauseous. How much had he spent on all this stuff? And why would he think this was something I would ever want? It wasn’t like I dressed in jeans and t-shirts because I couldn’t afford other clothes. I just didn’t like this kind of stuff. Even at Thanksgiving I was uncomfortable in that damn dress, but I wore it because it was a nice dinner. And that was fine occasionally, but was
this what he wanted?
“So, I picked a little of everything. You can wear whatever you want.”
I laughed humorlessly. “Do you happen to have any jeans in there?”
He smiled and kissed me. “I just wanted to spoil you tonight. We’re going to dinner and then The Drake Hotel. They have this amazing band that plays every weekend. You’re going to love it. Our dinner reservations are in an hour, so hurry up.”
He smacked my ass and walked out, but I just stood there. I didn’t know what to say. Was this what he thought women dreamed about? Maybe some women, but certainly not me. It was like he remembered nothing about the person I used to be, and frankly, she hadn’t changed that much. I didn’t take shit from people anymore, but fundamentally, I was still the same girl that snuck out with him at night to stare up at the stars.
I took a deep breath and started digging through the dresses. It was fine. It was one night. Maybe this was just a one time thing. It was very possible that he just wanted a night out and thought this would be fun. Deciding that was probably it, I picked out an A-line dress that was fun and cute, but not really sexy. I looked through all the shoes for a pair of flats, but all he had were high heeled shoes. My feet were going to be killing me. I just needed to put on a good face and enjoy the night. This was meant to be fun after all.
Forty-five minutes later, I was walking down the hall to his kitchen, tottering in my heels and praying that I didn’t break my ankle. He walked around the kitchen island and grinned at me.
“You look beautiful.”
“You’re going to have to hold my arm all night. I think these shoes might take me down.”
He laughed. “You’ll get used to them and walk like a pro in no time. Come on, let’s head out.”
He led me over to the front hall closet where I expected him to pull out my coat, but instead he pulled out some kind of fur wrap. I stared at it for a moment, sure that was meant to be a rug for the floor or something. Did people even wear fur anymore? He wrapped it around my shoulders and handed me a small clutch that I would probably only be able to fit lipstick and my phone in. Not that I was wearing lipstick. It was a vile accessory that had me constantly worrying I had smears on my face or teeth.
He held open the door and waited for me to walk out. Okay, so he was being a gentleman. I couldn’t knock him for that, but this version of him was nothing like the man I used to know. When he hit the button for the ground floor, I looked at him in confusion.
“Aren’t we going to the parking garage?”
“I rented a car for tonight.”
“But you own a car. Why would you rent one?”
“It’s a limo, so we can have fun tonight.”
“Oh.”
We stepped out and walked toward the limo, which was actually more like a town car. At least I wouldn’t feel so damn awkward. But when we pulled up to the restaurant, I started to worry that I really was not prepared for what he had in store for me tonight.
The restaurant was brightly lit, with all the decadence and beauty that belonged to rich people. Was Robert rich? I thought he had money, but maybe this was worse than I thought. A beautiful woman led us to our table, handing us our tiny little menus that probably had ten items on it. I looked at the back side, but there was nothing there.
“Is this the menu?” I whispered.
He chuckled. “That’s the starters.”
“Starters of what?”
“The appetizers,” he clarified. “This is a five course meal.”
Shit, I was going to have to be here for hours on end, waiting for food. I was nervous and my palms were sweating, but Robert looked so at ease.
“Maybe we should just go grab a pizza,” I suggested.
He chuckled and grabbed my hand. “It’s one meal, Anna. I just wanted to take you out for something nice.”
Well, when he put it like that, he made me sound so ungrateful. I smiled as he ordered a bottle of wine, and pretended like I belonged here. It wasn’t that I felt I wasn’t good enough for a place like this. It was that it wasn’t at all my style. I hated dresses and I hated shoes. And more than that, I hated to pretend to be something I wasn’t. But Robert was trying to show me a good time here, so I had to at least try for him.
“So, how is work going?” I asked.
“Well, working as a divorce lawyer can get rather annoying. The hours suck and the clients can be even worse, but I accomplished what I wanted.”
Funny, I didn’t remember him ever telling me that his goals were to be rich and do a job he hated for the rest of his life.
“How are you liking working with my brother? Is it too boring for you?”
“No, it’s actually great. I mean, we had a rough start, but I really enjoy my job. And the babka he brings me on occasion makes it all worth it,” I smiled.
“Maybe I should get you to come be my secretary.”
I shuddered. The thought of working in the city, constantly surrounded by thousands of people was my nightmare. I liked that I didn’t deal with a lot of people. I liked living in a small town and going home to my house, even if it was a piece of shit. There were no neighbors for miles around and nobody to bother me. And I liked knowing everyone in town. It was comforting. I couldn’t imagine ever truly knowing anyone here.
“I can’t imagine ever leaving Eric. He’s a great boss.”
“Well, I’m sure I could find him a good replacement. I could be a great boss, and then I could see you all the time.”
I pulled my hand away and shook my head. “I’m pretty sure that would be a relationship killer.”
“Maybe,” he said with a grin.
We steered clear of talking about his work or mine for the rest of dinner. There were so many courses that came out, each of them more exotic than the last. But when the actual dinner plate came out, I stared at it suspiciously.
“What?” Robert asked.
“Where’s the rest of it?” I whispered-hissed.
I stared down at the food on my plate that could only be the size of half my palm. There was no way that would fill me up. And after the last course of snails, which I didn’t eat, I desperately needed something filling.
“Do you think they could make me a steak or some pasta?” I whispered.
He chuckled slightly. “Anna, this isn’t the place to order pasta.”
“Not even in tiny portions? I could order seven or eight portions and then maybe I wouldn’t be hungry.”
His face fell and he tossed his napkin on the table. “I’m sorry. I just thought this would be a new experience.”
God, I felt like a bitch. “No, I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting this.” I picked up my fork and knife and cut the portion in half, taking one of the two bites into my mouth. I chewed slowly, trying to understand the texture of this particular food. It was weird and I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“I think you’ll like this one,” he said, taking a bite of his own. “This is actual meat.”
“What is it?”
“Beef tongue.”
I stopped chewing and felt the bile rise in my throat. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Beef tongue.”
I shuffled the food around in my mouth and shook my head, sure I had still heard him wrong. “Not like…and actual tongue, though, right?”
He laughed. “Yes, like cow tongue.”
I gagged, just barely grabbing my napkin before I spit it out. “Why would you let me eat that?” I whisper-hissed, trying not to draw more attention to us.
“Anna, life is about experiencing new things.”
“Steak, yes. Apple fritters and cream cheese, definitely. Cow tongue? Are you kidding me?”
He sighed and held his hand up for the check. “Look, I’m sorry. I thought it would be something fun we could try together. Let’s just go dancing.”
“Am I going to have to try some ancient Indian dance?” I asked sarcastically.
“Maybe we should just go home. I just wanted a nice
night with you. I’m sorry.”
I sighed. “Is it normal dancing?”
“Of course it is.”
I laughed slightly. “Okay, but there’d better be alcohol.”
“I promise.”
Robert
Well, that was a bust. Honestly, I had never been to the restaurant before, but I thought it would be something to explore together. I imagined us trying out the different foods and laughing, but that hadn’t happened. Anna had been acting strange ever since she got out of the shower today. I didn’t know what the hell I had done wrong. Everything seemed to be going fine. I mean, I knew I was coming on a little strong for her, but I had her back and I didn’t want to lose her.
I wanted Anna to be mine. I wanted to spoil her and show her how good our life together could be. I wanted her to have all the things I had promised her, and so much more. Every damn time I saw that trailer, I saw all of my failures flashing before my eyes. I had done that to her. I had walked away when she needed me, and she suffered for it.
Deep down, I knew that I deserved everything I had. I worked my ass off to get where I was, but that didn’t stop me from feeling like I had stepped on her to get here.
I helped her get her wrap on and then led her to the door where our car was waiting. Hopefully the dancing would go better for us. I laced her fingers with mine as we made the short drive to The Drake Hotel. When we walked inside, the music was already swinging and the dance floor was full. I glanced over at Anna, hoping I had gotten something right. A huge smile was on her face, one that brightened the room immensely.
“Are you ready?”
“Yeah, this looks like fun.”
I took her up the stairs to the ballroom and got a table for us. After ordering drinks, we sat and listened to the music. When she finished her first drink, I took her out to the dance floor.
“Who are they?” she asked over the loud trumpet.
“The Flat Cats. They always play here.” I swung her out of the way as a pair of professional-looking dancers flew past us, swinging each other around. Anna laughed as we watched them, and then I started pulling out some moves of my own. I wasn’t great by any means, but the way she laughed made it all worth it.
Collateral Damage: A Small Town Romance Page 11