I ran my hand along the back of each chair as I walked slowly up the sloped path. Stopping about half way up I turned and started to shuffle into the center of the row. Finding the perfect angle to view the stage at, I slowly lowered myself into the seat of my choosing. I turned toward Reighn who was close at my heels and patted the seat of the chair next to me. When the overhead lights went down, and the stage lit up, there was no typical settling of murmuring voices to contend with, the music just started, and figures danced across the stage. I stared straight ahead, mesmerized by the way they moved.
As we sat and watched, I felt Reighn’s hand land softly on top of mine. It lingered there for several seconds, the nervous energy exchanging between us where our hands touched. Looking over at him, I noticed that instead of watching the show, his attention was trained solely on me. His dark eyes traveled across my face, taking in every feature. I smiled at him, no words could express the joy that I was feeling at that moment. Somehow, I had reached down inside the crass young man that ran into me in the hallway months ago and pulled something beautiful from within. He had divulged his secrets in me and trusted me with information I was sure that no one else knew and I had assumed it was for his own benefit. In some ways, it was, but ultimately, as his dark eyes looked at me, I saw a new softness to him that I had not seen there before. At least I had not noticed it.
Caricatures depicting wild animals pranced and spun across the stage as the music played. I had barely noticed that the scene had changed along with the music as I was carried away to my own fantasy world with Reighn Abrams at the helm of the ship. His eyes locked on to mine and would not relent. They burned into me with a fire I had never seen before. It was deeper, not superficial like I had seen the night of the banquet, but sincere. A desire so deep that he was driven to please me in any way he could, and not necessarily so that he could just get into my pants and move on. It was a welcome change, especially for him. Reighn tilted his head slightly, reached up and cupped the side of my face with his hand and leaned slowly toward me as I held my breath and waited for what would happen next.
Chapter 14
Reighn
The look on her face was priceless and exactly what I wanted to see. When we pulled up to the theatre and it looked practically abandoned, she looked slightly curious, registering for a brief moment that no one lese was moving about, trying to gain entry into the Pantages. She had still not made the connection as we walked through the lobby, abandoned just like the outside of the establishment, except for a handful of staff that scurried about, preparing for the show to start. Finally, when we entered the main theatre and it was completely empty, I heard her hold her breath, another curious look made its way quickly across her face. It wasn’t until I told her exactly what was going on that she realized what I had done. The whole place, all to our heads, and she would have her pick of any seat in the house. That look, that was the one I wished I had snapped a quick picture of to save for later.
Jessica Goldstein was very pleased with me, I could see it on her face and that made me feel on top of the world. As she stared happily at the stage, watching the performers gracefully twirl across the surface, I stared at her. Drinking in her every feature and basking in the warm glow of positive energy that emanated from her. I could not tear my eyes from her, not even for a second. When she finally looked over at me, I desperately wanted to kiss her, to feel her soft, plump lips on mine. I wanted to taste her soul and swim in her lifeforce. That was something altogether different for me and for the first time in my life, it was a welcome feeling that I allowed to carry me toward the ultimate goal, her.
When I reached up and cupped her soft face in my hand and leaned in for a kiss, I knew I was taking a chance. Rejection was not my strong suit for sure and I was apprehensive to even try to kiss her, but I had to try. She looked over at me and I seized the opportunity. Pulling her in close, I locked my eyes onto hers and slowly ran my thumb down her jawline as I continued to ease her into my embrace. By the time my lips met hers, I was burning with desire just to touch her. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side actually allowing me to take what I wanted so badly. I was beside myself with ecstatic energy when she yielded to my kiss.
I kissed her slowly, an unfamiliar feeling of desire beyond what I had ever felt building slowly inside me, spreading from my belly throughout my body. Under normal circumstances, I would have had her naked and in my lap already, but I wanted to hold onto that moment, to that feeling, for as long as I could. My tongue traced her lips slowly and she opened up to me, parting her lips timidly and allowing me to ease into her warm mouth. She tasted like heaven and my soul sang out in triumph as my tongue met hers and slid down and around its length before withdrawing slightly and diving in again. I felt her breaths coming quickly as she softly moaned into my open mouth driving my desire farther. As I continued to explore her mouth, my hand wandered down from the side of her face, finding the curves of her body as I caressed her gently. Squeezing her hip with my hand I leaned in farther. Jessica responded by tilting her head back father, allowing me to deepen my kiss.
When the curtains fell, and the performance was over, Jessica and I barely noticed. If it weren’t for the usher coming down the aisle and tearing us free of our intimate moment, we wouldn’t have even known. We were so wrapped up in our intimate embrace, the world had fallen away completely. Inside my mind, we were alone in the universe, no one else exited except for her. I was a little disappointed that he had interrupted us because as soon as he made his presence known, Jessica’s face flushed and turned a bright, crimson color. She cast her eyes to the ground quickly as we both stood and hastily shuffled out of the seats and toward the exit. I turned long enough to thank the usher for the show before we exited the theatre.
My limousine waited patiently for us to emerge, still parked in the circular drive-through that was intended to channel drivers in to drop of their passengers before exiting and finding somewhere nearby to wait. Since I had purchased every single ticked available for the evening, there were no others to contend with, so my driver did not have to go find parking elsewhere. When he saw us emerge, he jumped quickly from his place behind the steering wheel and rushed around the car to the other side of the vehicle. He opened the door and allowed us to slide safely inside before shutting us in and taking his place once again. As we left, I instructed him to drive us both to my condo, to which he responded by raising his eyebrows higher. Even he knew it was against my usual routine to elongate a date. By the look on his face that I caught a glimpse of before I closed the privacy glass window between us, he had assumed that I had assuredly sealed the deal by then.
“Well, what did you think?” I was anticipating what she had to say, hoping that she was as pleased with me as I felt she was, “did I deliver or what?” I laughed a little in attempt to distract her from the embarrassment she clearly still felt when we had been caught making out in the middle of a public theatre. It was nothing serious, just a kiss, but she still wore the mask of someone who had been engaging in straight up intercourse when the butler happened upon us. Wait, strike that, reverse it. It was much more than just a kiss. In my mind, it was the expression of how much she had grown on me over the last several weeks. Our conversations deep into the night about my life, my past and what I planned to do with my future bringing us closer together and culminating in one of the most awesome kisses I have ever had. I still felt her lips on mine, her energy lingering there as a tingling sensation. It was definitely my intention to have more but I also wanted to make sure that was what she wanted. Another first for me.
“I don’t know what to say, Reighn,” her voice wavered slightly as she started to speak. It felt like there was something more beneath the surface of her words, but I had no intention on pushing her too fast. I sat back, reclining low in my seat and simply looked on, patiently waiting for her to continue. “I have never had anyone do anything like that for me. It was a beautiful gesture, Reighn, truly it w
as.” Her words had me smiling so big my face was starting to ache. I was pleased and was busy doing an inner happy dance when my driver pulled up in front of my building. Smiling back at me, her eyes regarding me with nervous energy, I pulled on the handle and pushed the door open.
Jessica followed me out of the vehicle, the same anxious look on her face that I saw when the usher intruded in on our personal moment. I probably could have guessed what she was thinking, and I wanted to assure her that it wasn’t at all what she assumed but instead, I bit my tongue and just escorted her slowly toward the entrance to the high-rise in front of us. To avoid my big mouth from saying something that would have her running screaming down the block, I kept it sealed tight, resolved to not utter a peep until we were safely inside my condo. Contrary to what was likely on her mind, it was different with her. Instead of just seeking out a simple ball and bail like I was accustomed to, I was actually after so much more. If I had my way, Jessica Goldstein would remain in my life long after that evening and I was trying my best not to ruin things.
The elevator felt hot and was incredibly stuffy. It was probably because I was nervous and aroused all at once, but I had to loosen my top button to keep myself from choking on my own saliva. Shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I tapped my toe on the ground and looked up toward the ceiling. Jessica stood next to me, her shy nature when it came to the opposite sex readily apparent as the elevator lurched and carried us up to our final destination. When the car came to a stop and the doors slid open, I slipped past her, taking her hand in mine as I exited and pulling her in close. She continued to follow me as we picked our way down the corridor to where it dead-ended at my door.
I had left the lights low, one single lamp powered on in the middle of the living area, which caused me to have to pause in the entry to allow Jessica’s eyes a moment to adjust. Since it was my condo, I could have found my way around in the pitch black, but my guest had never been there before and I was being as considerate as I could in attempt to offer her comfort and reassurance. In the past, I would have devoured whoever it was as soon as we crossed the threshold but she had me thinking on a whole new level, my old ways cast aside in hopes that she would afford me the opportunity to prove that I was not the big asshole she had met all those months ago in the hallway at Threads.
Jessica looked around my condo, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Her eyes moved slowly across the lavish furnishing of the living room area to the breathtaking, panoramic view of the city lights. She gasped when she saw how beautiful Los Angeles looked from far away. I beamed in her direction as she continued to drink in her surroundings. Giving her plenty of time before excavating her from her thoughts, I finally cleared my throat to gain her full attention again. She looked at me, her eyes full of wonder as I crossed the floor toward her.
When I reached where she stood, I stopped in front of her. Her eyes darted around the room nervously as I wrapped my hand around her waist and pulled her into my arms. She stiffened at first before yielding to my touch and sinking into my embrace. As I leaned my head down, I used two fingers to ease her chin upward to face me. Before I kissed her, I looked deep into her eyes, exploring her spirit behind them. Jessica returned my gaze as she held her breath, waiting for me to make my next move. I wanted to take my sweet time with her; to enjoy every square inch of her body; to drink in her essence until I was completely full. For once, I pushed aside my carnal nature and moved as slowly as I could. In the back of my mind, I hoped that moment would never end.
My lips found hers again, only this time I had her all to myself with no prying eyes to suddenly appear and distract her. She opened her mouth to me as I slowly licked her bottom lip with my tongue. I eased into her mouth gently as I heard her moan softly and press harder against me. That’s my girl. My mind said almost too loud. I stuffed the thought back down into the recesses of my mind, it was definitely not time to get cocky. If I screwed things up with her again, it would be the end of me, which meant I needed to keep myself in check. Smart mouth included. I closed my eyes and ran my hand down the curve of her spine, past her waist and cautiously took her firm buttocks into my hand. Jessica stiffened at first, before allowing herself to relax and leaned harder against me. I took that as my cue.
I slowly explored the curves of her body with my hands, running them gently along her hips, up her sides and along the outside of her breasts. She did not protest or pull away when I inched my right hand around and grasped one in my hand. In fact, as I did so, she leaned her head back and opened her mouth wider, encouraging me to deepen our kiss, to which I obliged without haste. I desperately wanted to see her beautiful body, glorious and naked in front of me, but decided to test the waters first. Instead of just pulling her dress over her head roughly like I wanted to, I fought my standard urges and slipped my hand down her hip and around to her thigh. Our tongues continued their dance as I decided to make my move.
Agonizingly slowly, I slid my hand up her inner thigh and closer to her core. She allowed me to continue until I was almost home before reaching her hand down and stopping my progress. Disappointment settled into my stomach when she broke our kiss at that point and pushed back a little. I could see in her face that she was experiencing a slew of mixed emotions, what exactly, I had no idea, but she suddenly looked like a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car. Letting out a deep breath as quietly as I could so she did not hear me, I did my best to keep calm. There had to be a reason she had stopped me, and I knew by the look on her face that she was struggling with what to say. I waited patiently, not saying a word in hopes that she would clue me in to her sudden mood change.
“I’m sorry, Reighn,” her voice was low, almost a whisper when she finally spoke, “it’s just, it has been a long time since…” Jessica’s voice trailed off as it dawned on me what she had started to tell me. I had not realized, nor had my selfish ass bothered to ask, that she had lacked the intimate touch of a man in her life for a long time. Inside my mind, I registered a conversation we had a few weeks back in which she had told me. Jessica had not been with anyone since her first year of college, when she had a steady boyfriend. He was her boyfriend from High School and naturally, had convinced her to sleep with him. That man had his way with her for about a year and a half and in their second semester of school, he dropped her like a hot potato.
“It’s ok, my sweet Jessica,” I moved closer to her, my hand resting on her forearm before reaching around and pulling her back into my arms, “I won’t hurt you, I will take care of everything, you just relax and enjoy yourself.” She seemed to soften a bit, allowing me to press my lips to hers again. I planted soft, passionate kisses on her lips, sucking in her bottom lip a little and raking my teeth across the surface lightly. Turning her around, I started to encourage her to step backwards as I guided her toward the other side of the room where my bedroom waited. Instead of taking her right there in the living room, I decided that she deserved something more intimate and I quickly came to the conclusion that the couch or love seat would never do. Jessica deserved much more than that for the sympathetic ear she had lent me, for the words of encouragement over the last few months. For everything that she had become to me.
I maneuvered into my room, taking care to maintain a steady, slow pace as I continued soothing her with soft strokes of my hand down her back. She stiffened a little when I pulled her closer, finding her mouth with mine, doing my best to distract her from her apparent apprehension. Finally, she yielded to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, a clear sign that she had made her decision to allow me to continue. Smiling inside, I worked my way around to her neck and trailed a series of kisses down to her collarbone. I felt her take in a deep breath and let it out slowly as my left hand ran the length of her body and settled on her hip. Kissing her deeply once more, I encouraged her to lower herself onto the bed. She obliged and as my eyes found hers, I could almost feel the intense heat in her stare.
Jessica sat on the edge of the bed, her ey
es never left mine, as I pulled her dress up and over her head. At the same time, she slipped her shoes off using her toes and kicked them off to the side. She was beautiful. I knew there was something wonderful underneath all those clothes she covered herself with and was now staring at what had become my ultimate desire over the last several months. Her breasts were still hidden beneath the black, lace bra she wore and her matching panties hugged her hips perfectly. She was fit, an obvious sign she at least watched what she ate, and her hair fell in cascades around her shoulders. Since she usually wore her hair up or back in a ponytail, I had never seen her like that. It definitely did her justice.
Reaching around behind her with one hand, I released the clasp of her bra. It fell onto her lap and she tossed it to the side like she had her shoes. I held my breath and drank her in. Her skin was soft to the touch as I ran my hands down her arms and around to her chest. When she did not shrink away, I let out the lung full of air I had been holding slowly out of my nose so she did not hear. Taking her breasts into my hands, I leaned forward and took one of her tight nipples into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the hardened center before switching to the other side. I heard soft moans escape her lips when I reached up and paid equal attention to the side that I was not busy devouring. Deciding to take a chance, I pinched her nipple between my thumb and forefinger, eliciting a sharp hiss from her before she settled and allowed me to continue. When her breaths were coming erratically, I pulled back and looked her square in the eye as I lowered myself to my knees in front of her.
Make it Reighn (A Threads Inc. Saga Book 1) Page 17