“Thank you, Brandon. That was a really nice thing to say.”
“May I ask you a question?” His gaze held hers.
She was taken aback by his sudden serious tone. “Yes?”
“Why did we lose contact after school?”
She often wondered the same thing herself, but didn’t expect him to bring it up.
“We were both guilty of pursuing our dream careers and forgetting everything and everyone else. Diving into my career head first has kept me really busy. I didn’t keep in contact with nearly anyone we went to school with and I really think that is what happened with you.” Everything that just spilled out of her mouth sounded fake and oddly rehearsed. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him.
“Everything you just said to me is a bunch of bull shit.”
She gasped, leaving her mouth open in a perfect ‘O.’ He can see right through you, girl! Who are you trying to fool?
The waitress came over with their bottle of champagne and took their food orders.
He waited until the woman walked away before he continued. “Cami,” he began. “I called you, I emailed you, and I tried to reach out on social media. You changed your number and your email address. And God knows what happened to you on Facebook.” He called her bluff. He was absolutely right. She’d changed everything to start fresh and leave college and her feelings behind.
“A lot was going on with this job opportunity, it happened so fast. I just didn’t have time…” She ran out of excuses. The real reason she didn’t return his calls was because she was in love with him for four years. That was long enough not to have those feelings returned. She was tired of being hurt by him. A friendship with nothing else in return was just not enough anymore. The realization of not having him in her life, at all, hurt deep for about a year after school was over, but she had to do it.
“Cambria?”
“Hmm?”
He sighed and reached across the table to pick up her hand. She looked down at their joined fingers. “Let’s start from here. We won’t talk about what we should have done or what we didn’t do while we were in college. I want to get to know Cambria now, the smart, sexy professional.” He rubbed his thumb over her fingers. She watched it as he kept talking to her softly.
Their entire meal was more of the same. Brandon took extra effort to know as much about her and what went on in her life after they lost touch. He filled in the blanks about himself as well. When he smiled, she smiled just because his personality was so infectious.
“How was your food?” he asked, putting down his fork.
“Wonderful. I am so full,” she replied, taking the last sip of her champagne. Her belly was full, and she was feeling buzzed from the glasses of bubbly and the martinis, a combination that often made her horny. The man sitting across from her didn’t help the situation at all, especially with how he was looking at her right now.
“What are you thinking Cami?”
Oh Lord, he would ask that question.
“I’m thinking… I don’t know how I’m going to roll myself down the street tonight after I ate and drank the way I did.”
What I’m really thinking is, walk me home, Brandon, and come up for a night cap. Then take me against a wall, strip me bare and fuck me senseless. She smirked, and then ducked her head so he wouldn’t catch it.
Brandon pulled his credit card out of his wallet.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said.
He looked up at her. “You are more than welcome, Cambria.”
CHAPTER 10
She waited in the lobby while he retrieved their coats from the coat attendant. She allowed him to help her put it on. He took her hand and led her outside. “Oh, look, it’s snowing,” he said as a nice layer of snow fell on the sidewalks. She wrapped her scarf around her neck a little more snuggly. “How far do you live from here?” he asked.
“My town home is a few blocks down the street.”
“Let me walk you.” He looped her arm around his.
“Wait, don’t you live in the opposite direction?” she protested.
“Yes, but I can take a cab from your place.”
She didn’t argue with him when he led her down the street. They didn’t say anything to each other as they walked; the air was abrasive, but refreshing. Snow started to fall heavily. The heat from him kept her toasty. She fought the urge to lay her head on his arm as they walked. The romantic lull of the winter wonderland, mixed with the alcohol and the comfort of their silence warmed her heart. She missed this with him, and wouldn’t want to spend the moment with anyone else. When they neared her building she slowed her pace. “This is me.” She pointed to the building.
“Very nice,” he commented.
“Yea, I really enjoy it.” She knew he was waiting for the invitation as she fumbled with her keys. When she opened the door, he reached his hand out for hers. She turned to look at him. Snow was collecting on his dark blond hair. A stray flake landed on his cheek. She couldn’t help herself as she reached to wipe it away. His gaze dropped to her lips and back to her eyes. “Cami,” he said in a husky voice. “Invite me in.”
She gulped in the cold air and blinked as snow fell in her eyes. “It’s getting bad out here, Brandon. Are you sure a cab will come out for you now?”
“I’ll walk.”
“Don’t be crazy.”
“I can leave, if you want.”
“I didn’t say that.” So what if I invite him in, it doesn’t mean anything has to happen…does it?
“It sounded like you are trying to find me a ride home.”
“I just want you to be safe.”
“I just want to be here with you.” He wasn’t smiling. This was not a joke.
“Brandon—” His name barely made it passed her lips before his mouth closed over hers. He backed her into her town home and shut the door behind them. He snaked a hand around her back, supporting her. She clung to his arms for dear life, already feeling her knees weakening. A moan formed in the pit of her belly and roamed up through her, ending in a purr at the back of her throat. You have to be more rational with him. He is so smooth. He just eased his way into your house. Stop him now. You’ve seen this song and dance with him before with other women! “Wait.” She placed her hand to his hard chest. They stood in her foyer, only lit by a small table lamp she left on by the door. The rest of her place lay in shadows from the street lights.
He looked around the foyer. “Nice place, Cam,” he said, rubbing a hand down his face and over his lips.
She stepped away from him, needing to get some space. Every time he kissed her, she lost her mind. “Thank you,” she said, also rubbing her fingertips over her kiss-swollen lips. She unbuttoned her coat, laid her purse on the table in the foyer, and slid out of her shoes, her feet sore from the walk. Not her best choice. She winced. He immediately noticed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just rethinking my choice of shoes.” She laughed. He smiled at her. It was too dangerous standing here with him, in the shadows. She turned on the lights and her place suddenly became bathed in light making her feel a little safer. “May I take your coat?”
He stared at her while unzipping his leather coat. He handed it to her along with his scarf. “I can take off my shoes if you would like. I don’t want to mess up your hardwood floors with the melted snow.”
“Oh that would be fine. Thank you.”
She hung his coat in the front hall closet then turned back to him and found him leaning against the doorway watching her. The sight of him could have knocked her over with a feather. He looked so sexy standing there in black socks and his hair dampened from the snow. His green eyes slowly scanned over her. Her body responded, nipples hardened and mouth went dry.
She resisted the urge to gulp. “Can I get you something, anything?”
“What are you offering?” he asked.
She looked away from him. The question was loaded, she knew. She wanted to offer him so much, but she wa
s referring to refreshment. At least that is what she told herself. “I can go check my liquor cabinet, but I know I have beer.”
“A beer would be fine.” He followed her into the kitchen, leaning against her island and watching her bend into her fridge. She handed him the longneck bottle and opened one for herself. They stared at each other through a long sip. “So,” he began.
She waited for it. So? So what? What’s he going to say? Had they made a mistake having dinner and making out, not once, but twice? Two mind blowing times. If he was like that in the kissing department, how would he rock her world in the bedroom? The thought of him in her bed made her cheeks warm. Her body kept betraying her, getting so turned on by simple words, stares and kisses by a man she once considered a friend. Though now, something was different about him. He was looking at her and speaking like a man that wanted a woman, or was he just feeding her the lines he thought she wanted to hear? She didn’t know what to think.
Her mind grasped at sanity, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Her lips still tingled from their kiss. Her breasts grew sensitive, wanting to be caressed. She almost gave herself away with a moan but bit her bottom lip to hide the sound instead. He continued staring at her. He asked a question and she, like an idiot, stood there in fantasy land and hadn’t answered. “So…what?” she asked draining the beer.
He raised a brow. “Are we going to talk about the purple elephant in the room or are we just going to dance around it?”
“I’m sorry…I don’t—”
He stopped her before she could make another lame excuse. “Can you tell me what is up with the conversations between us? We are talking like we are strangers. We were best friends in college. We always talked, and we had no problem communicating. This conversation is like pulling teeth.”
She looked at him and laughed.
“You’re laughing because you know I’m right.”
“I think the problem is,” she opined, “that we never had the ‘purple elephant’ between us.”
“Oh, it was there, Cambria, we just never did anything about it.”
“I—”
“No.” He stopped her. “We were attracted to each other. Hell, we still are. We just never did anything about it. And I’ll be damned if I don’t do something about it now.”
Silence fell on their conversation as she didn’t respond to his confession. He walked closer, cornering her against the kitchen counter. Both of his hands planted on either side of her, she couldn’t walk away from him. “Four years have passed, I see you again, and I feel the exact same way I did when I saw you last.”
She looked at him, his green-eyed gaze piercing her. “I’ve always wanted you. I still want you, Cambria.” His arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her to him, his thick cock twitched between them. He lowered his head and began slowly kissing her neck.
“Mmm…I want you, too.” She gave in to his tempting touch.
“I don’t want to mess up your kitchen. Tell me where your bedroom is.”
“Upstairs; second door on the left.” At some point in the haze of passion he lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms automatically folded around his neck, fingers lacing through the hair at his nape. He pressed his mouth to hers, then broke away long enough to move them up the stairs.
She couldn’t think straight and didn’t want to think about the “whys” and the “why nots” right now. How many times had she fantasized about something just like this with him? She would enjoy the reality of him now, here, like this.
He lowered her to her stocking feet on her bedroom floor. They stood inside her large master bedroom looking at the bed and then at each other. She turned on the bedside lamp. It did little to light the room, but helped for ambiance. She wanted to initiate this and came to him, taking his hands and leading him to her bed. He stood waiting for her direction.
“Brandon, I never told you I wanted you because I didn’t know you would be interested.”
He cocked his head. “You are the most beautiful person I have ever met, Cambria. How could I not be interested?”
She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He met her halfway.
Brandon ran his hand down her back, fingers connecting with the zipper of her black dress. Cambria shuddered when he unzipped it. He stopped when it reached her butt. She watched as he ran his hands up her arms and over her shoulders, slowly letting the fabric fall down her arms. He turned her so her backside pressed against his engorged dick. Her head fell back on his shoulder and both his hands worked to pull her dress over her breasts and down her hips. He kissed at her neck and she swayed seductively against him. He took in the sight of her cleavage held up by a dark red bra.
“If your panties match that bra, you are going to drive me insane,” he growled in her ear. She sucked in a breath when he pulled her dress lower and it fell around her ankles. “Mmm, Cami,” he said against her neck. “You have no idea what seeing you in red does to me.”
She smiled seductively when he turned her around. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Your skin is so creamy. The red just pops against you. You look good enough to eat, Cambria.” He drank in the sight of her. Her breast swelled, molding to the lace and he caught sight of dark shadows behind the fabric.
“Brandon.”
“Hmmm?”
“Why am I the only one with my clothes on the floor?”
His gaze met hers. She wasted no time busying her hands at his waist, pulling at his belt and the button and zipper of his pants. “If you get to enjoy undressing me, I should be able to have fun, too.”
He didn’t argue with her. One, he knew better and two, he wanted to feel her warm, soft hands undress him. She lifted his black sweater over his head and then ran her fingertips over the contours of his chests and abs.
“Someone has been working out.”
“You noticed?”
“I noticed when you hugged me at that party.”
“I was tired of being lanky, I guess.” He grinned.
“You’ve always been sexy, regardless.” She breathed the words on a sigh, laying her hand against his chest and gently pushing him to her bed. The back of his legs hit the side and he fell backward onto the bed. She followed him. He groaned when her mouth opened over his nipple. Her hands found his belt buckle and worked it free. He watched her, as if he were mesmerized by the way she moved against him. Her hand nudged against his hardness and he stiffened even more. He grabbed for her hand. She stopped and looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Not a damn thing, sweetheart,” he growled. “But if you keep bumping up against me like that, I can’t be held responsible for what I’ll do next.” He sat up and finished unzipping his pants. He slid from the bed and she crawled to the middle, watching him like a child at Christmas, ready to unwrap the long awaited gift.
“Okay, so now we are both stripped down,” he said, standing in front of her in boxer briefs. He watched her stare at his package. He joined her on the bed, loving the way her hands felt as they moved up his body. She leaned in for his kiss. He couldn’t wait to feel her lips on his again.
He wanted to caress her everywhere, but she had to give him the green light. He would only take what she wanted to give.
“Brandon,” she said ripping her lips from his.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
She lay back on her pillows. “Come here. I’ve waited long enough to be with you.”
Without hesitation, he lowered his body onto hers, nuzzling her neck, causing a moan to escape her lips. He lowered his hand to her breast and her erect nipple pebbled beneath the bra. His mouth replaced his hands as he licked through the lacy material. He lowered the lace for a thorough tongue lashing across her taut peaks. She bucked against him, urging him to continue his pleasurable assault. He continued the journey of her body, running a hand down her stomach and over her wet panties. She opened her thighs to give him access and he took the invitation, shifting his body between her legs. He lowered his head
, focusing on her breasts, again licking and sucking. He hesitated when she sat up, not taking her eyes off of him, then she unhooked her bra letting it fall and exposing her full breasts. He grabbed the bra with his teeth and dropped it out of his way. She snickered when he sucked in a breath and hesitated at the sight of her naked breasts.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
“I’m speechless,” he said, taking an ample breast into his hand.
“Then why are we talking?” she whispered.
He gazed at her as she ran her hands down his back, pressing her body closer into his. “Don’t tease me, Cami.”
“I could tell you the same thing,” she replied, looking down at the hand on her breast. He flicked a thumb over her nipple. “Brandon!” She moaned, falling back on the pillow.
“Shh,” he said, lowering his mouth to her nipple. He could feel her wetness against his thigh. He rubbed two fingers up through her wet heat and her head writhed against the pillow.
“God, you’re killing me.” She groaned and sat up. “Brandon,” she said, both hands on his shoulders. “Listen to me. If you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to scream.”
He lowered his boxer briefs to the floor and stood before her. She took in the site of him, admiring his sculpted body and thick, hard cock. He was much larger than she imagined in her wet dreams. She remained silent, staring like a stunned moron.
“Come on, baby, don’t slow down on me now.” He kissed at her lips, lowering his granite body to hers.
She sighed when the rounded head of his cock pressed against her slick opening, and he slowly entered her with one fluid thrust. He pulled back, only briefly, and then lowered himself again, this time deeper inside of her. She arched her pelvis to receive him. He kissed a trail along her skin as he repeated his strokes in and out of her. Lifting her hands above her head, he used them as leverage to move them both to the verge of a blissful rapture. He body quaked beneath him. “I’m going to cum.” She moaned in his ear.
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