The Sweet Road to Love

by Jacki Kelly

  “I guess if you give me some tips or pointers, that couldn’t hurt. If Simeon doesn’t object, you’ve got yourself a deal.” She stuck out her hand.

  He gripped it and held on. “Deal.”

  They were still chatting as the guests began to leave. The soiled dishes had been picked up hours before. Now the only things on the table were their wine glasses.

  “I better go. It’s getting late.” Dakota stood and ran her hand down the front of her dress.

  Bishop jumped up. “Let me walk you to your car.”

  Her eyes widened, but she smiled. “Okay, let me say goodnight to Asa and Simeon.”

  Together they walked inside. After shaking Simeon’s hand, Bishop waited while Dakota found her purse. With his hands buried deep in his pockets, he rehearsed a speech in his head to spend more time with her.

  “Okay, I’m ready.” She breezed past him and out the front door.

  He closed the door and caught up to her. “I was serious when I asked you to dinner. So if I ask you again what will you say?”

  She stopped and stared at him. “You mean you weren’t asking me out because you felt sorry for me?”

  “Why would I feel sorry for you?”

  She bit her lip without replying.

  “How about I take you for a drink tonight?”

  “It’s late.” She looked at her watch. He reached for her hand.

  “I want to spend more time with you.”

  She looked up at the night sky and then returned her gaze to him

  “Follow me.” She released his hand and hurried down the path.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To my place.”

  Chapter Seven

  Dakota slid behind the steering wheel and buckled her seatbelt before exhaling. Her heart thumped so fast her hands shook as she started the car. Mim said loneliness made strange bedfellows, but just for one night, that was exactly what she wanted. She eased the car down the lane and onto the main street. Bishop was tall, lean, and more than capable of filling the empty spot in her heart for a few hours. She didn’t want a commitment or promises for tomorrow. All she wanted was one glorious night to pretend she was worth having.

  She checked the rearview mirror. He was still behind her. He hadn’t changed his mind and taken the ramp to the interstate.

  Her palms began to sweat as she gripped the steering wheel. “Calm down, Dakota. It’s only sex. Like riding a bike, you didn’t forget how.” She checked the mirror again, half expecting him not to be there, but relieved that he was.

  She pulled in front of her house and turned off the car. After a deep breath, she ran her clammy hands on her bare legs to keep from smearing perspiration on her silk dress.

  The knock on the driver-side window startled her. She opened the door.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you. You are getting out of the car, aren’t you?” He stood so close to her she could smell his cologne.

  “Yes, of course.” She grabbed her backpack and headed up the stairs.

  Inside, she turned on the lights in the entryway before dropping her bag on the table.

  “I know this might seem forward, but I can’t wait another minute.” He placed his hand behind her neck. The heat from his touch radiated throughout her body, waking every dormant cell. Calling her to life. He pulled her forward. His mouth covered hers. The warmth of his tongue enveloped her whole body. Their dueling tongues started slow, with such tenderness she melted against his rock-hard chest. Encircling his waist with her arms, she held on to him as if he were the only thing keeping her feet on the floor.

  Like a sleeping giant, her body roared awake as his tongue slid deeper. Everything about Bishop was as good as she imagined.

  His smell.

  His taste.

  His touch.

  Him.

  Blood rushed to her loins, heating her like nothing ever had before. She couldn’t pull away from him if an earthquake struck Delaware and shook the house from its foundation.

  He removed his jacket it landed at her feet without making a sound. After untying the sash at her waist, he pushed the dress away from her breasts. He kissed her neck. His short beard scratched her skin, arousing desire buried under layers of loneliness. He placed his mouth over her nipple and pulled it gently. A moan traveled from the pit of her stomach, up to her chest. She released it in one long sound that she thought would never end.

  With the skill of a master craftsman, he helped her out of the dress and captured her other breast in a strong hand. She arched her back making it easier for him. Part of what she was feeling was only pent-up desire from a year of longing and wanting. But a bigger part of the emotion surging through her was all about Bishop. For tonight she wanted to pretend this was more than lust. She unzipped his pants and found his hardened shaft. She trailed her finger along his fullness in the tight confines of his boxers. Another moan filled the room. This time it was Bishop’s. Two consulting adults could certainly enjoy each other without reprimand.

  She pushed the thought away when he placed his finger inside her thong and drew the garment down her legs. She kicked off her heels and stepped out of her panties. He pressed her against the wall and kneeled to bury his head between her thighs, running his tongue along her nub. His precision made her body stiffen. Nothing had ever felt so exquisite in her life. If she never had sex again, this moment would be burned in her memory forever.

  He lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs. At the top of the landing, she pointed to her bedroom.

  From the edge of the bed, she reached for the light on the nightstand. “Time for you to come out of these clothes. I have a no-clothes rules in here.” She unbuttoned his shirt.

  “We think alike.” He kicked off his shoes.

  She pushed his pants and boxers down his thick, strong legs and he stepped out of his clothing.

  He lowered her down on the bed and planted kisses in the cleft of her breasts, across her stomach, and between her legs. His tongue slipped into her wet folds again, stroking her to life. When she invited him back to her place this was exactly what she wanted. She couldn’t have imagined he would be so adept in satisfying her. He breathed life into places that had been asleep for a year. His tender touch almost brought her to tears.

  The pressure in her core surged like a tsunami gathering strength to come on shore. She closed her eyes and surrendered to the power of each wave washing over her, first lifting her up off the bed, then pulling her back with such force she cried out his name.

  For a full minute, she tried to catch her breath, refusing to open her eyes and allowing the ecstasy to vanish.

  “Are you still with me?” His voice was soft against her ear.

  “Just barely.”

  “I can do that again if you like.”

  She opened her eyes to look at him. In the dim light, his dark eyes were intense and penetrating.

  “No. This time I do you.” She pushed up.

  “I don’t have any condoms.” She sat all the way up. “No condoms? How can a playboy not have a wallet full of protection?”

  “Well, first of all I was going to dinner at the home of my business partner. I had no idea the night would end in a sex-fest.” He cupped her breasts in the palms of his hands. “But I’m glad it did.”

  “Aren’t you always prepared?” She positioned herself in front of him on her knees.

  “Not well enough I see.”

  She sucked her teeth and climbed out of bed.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ve got to have one or two around here somewhere.” She pulled open the drawer on the nightstand and pushed aside the papers and books. She slammed the drawer shut. “Nothing there.”

  He reached for her as she climbed across him and out of the bed. In the bathroom, she flipped on the light and opened the medicine cabinet, scanned it, then closed the door. In the bottom drawer of the vanity, she found two condoms stashed in the corner.

  She caught a glim
pse of her image in the mirror before leaving. She’d done exactly what she intended. She’d actually invited a man to her place and had her way with him. Until tonight the things Bishop had done to her body were only a fairytale. What a way to liberate herself from all that old baggage.

  She took a deep breath and steadied her excitement. As soon as she got this need to liberate herself out of her system, she could return to real life, where dreams didn’t always come true, she got her feeling hurt and good girls didn’t chase men—no matter how good-looking.

  The thought of Bishop as she crawled over him a moment ago made her smile. Maybe she’d send him flowers for being such a willing participant in her fantasy weekend. She turned off the light, but remained in the darkened room for a moment. The sensible side of her brain warned her to stay in the safety of the bathroom. The lonely side of her brain screamed to be held and loved, even if only for one night.

  She walked back into the bedroom to find him positioned on his elbow staring in her direction.

  “If they aren’t dried out, this should last us a while.” She held them up by the tips.

  He removed the foil-wrapped condoms from her hand and pulled her down on top of him. With her in the cradle of his arm, he ripped one package open with his teeth. She helped him roll the sheath into place over his erection. He inched his hand along her thigh. The heat from his hand sent a spark of electricity through her body.

  “I want you, Bishop.” Her voice sounded strained. She spread her legs as he inserted his finger deep inside her.

  “You’ve had me all night.”

  “I want all of you.”

  “How’s this?” The pad of his index finger found that sensitive spot and rubbed with an expertise that lifted her hips off the bed. She reached for his manhood, pulling him forward.

  “Now, Bishop. Now.”

  He climbed between her legs. With his head buried in the curve of her neck, he slid inside of her. Her body expanded to accept him. Dakota clamped her arms around him. She rotated her hips, allowing him to drive deeper. One-night-stand guilt should have dampened her pleasure, but tonight the opposite was true. Each thrust sent an explosion of pleasure through her body that erased a year of lonely nights. She wrapped her legs around Bishop’s back to draw him deeper. Together, they reached a perfect rhythm. The sensation started where the tip of his rod touched her and radiated through her body slow and steady. She felt like she wanted to sing and cry all at once as her body shook. Every muscle constricted at once. A sound rose in her throat but was lost before she could vocalize it. Instead she hung onto Bishop and squeezed him with every ounce of strength she could muster.

  §§§

  The drive back to Philly in the predawn hours had passed in a blur as Bishop relived every perfect detail of their weekend. Spending two full days with Dakota had been pure bliss. They only got out of bed long enough to buy more condoms and takeout food. Her passion seemed insatiable, but before the sky lightened the bedroom on Monday morning she was sprawled across the bed like a rag doll.

  The passionate goodbye kiss she had given him before he left still lingered on his lips. The hammer in his head warned him to slow down. Dakota should have been out of his head the minute he hit the interstate. But that was hours ago, now he was home and she was still stomping through his thoughts. Instead of selecting a shirt from his massive collection, he wanted another dose of Dakota. He pulled the Brioni striped dress shirt from the hanger along with a solid blue tie. A quick look in the mirror and he nodded approval.

  He promised Dakota he’d be at her bookstore by ten and he was running late. Never before had it mattered what someone thought of him. If they didn’t like him, then he moved on. But this time, he felt different. What Dakota thought, mattered. Traffic was thick, but he managed to find a parking space close enough to get to the store on time. As he opened the door, a bell chimed his arrival.

  He expected to be greeted by a vivacious Dakota smile. Instead, an older woman stood behind the register. She was preoccupied with breaking open a roll of pennies. After several whacks, the paper tore, releasing the coins with a jingle.

  “Hi, I have an appointment with Dakota this morning. Is she here?

  She looked at home over the reading glasses nesting on the tip of her nose and huffed. “Let me get her for you, she’s in the back.”

  “No, let me walk back and find her. I can look around and get some design ideas as I go. Is that okay?”

  She shrugged. “Fine with me. This isn’t my store. I just work here. She don’t tell me nothing.” She waved him away. “You can’t miss her.”

  He’d have plenty of time to get ideas on any changes, so he walked straight to her office. As he’d dashed out of her door this morning, all he thought about was seeing her again. Thinking about anything other than Dakota was impossible.

  Adjusting his gait, he slowed his approach. Hidden by the tall shelf, he watched her twirl a lock of thick hair around a finger. She studied the book in front of her. He didn’t know how to categorize his feelings for her and for now, he didn’t want to. Maybe not knowing. That way, nothing was required of him.

  She put the book on the desk and leaned over a box full of more books. Her tight jeans hugged her round butt. The bright red top she wore rode up her narrow waist and exposed the smooth skin on her back. He tried to look away, but couldn’t.

  He shook his left leg until his arousal abated, then he cleared his throat.

  “Oh, hey, Bishop. You’re right on time.” She stood up and yanked her top down with one hand while placing more books on her cluttered desk.

  He kissed her on the mouth, claiming her tongue with the familiarity of a lover. He wanted more, but tried to be appropriate.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close enough, him to smell her fresh clean scent. After a moment, she fingered his suit jacket.

  He looked down, expecting to see his fly open. “What? What is it?”

  “Take off your jacket. It’s too much for the store. I would make you take off those slacks too, but I guess that wouldn’t be nice of me in my place of business.”

  “I’ll shuck mine if you shuck yours.”

  “Mmm, maybe later.”

  He laughed. “Is that a promise?”

  She pretended to think about it. “It could be if you play your cards right. We’ll see.”

  “Do you want to discuss this weekend? I’m still weak in the knees.”

  She placed her hand flat against his chest and pecked his cheek. “I think I heard you leave this morning. I guess I ought to thank you. You were exactly what I needed.” She looked into his eyes for a moment as if she was trying to convey a message.

  “Evidently, I needed you too.” He kissed her again.

  “Now let me show you around. We’ll start in the front and work our way back here. I think I want to change what the customer sees when they walk in.”

  “You’re right. I’m here on official business. I’ll follow you.” He stepped out of her way hoping to get another glimpse of her butt as she walked by him.

  He watched her swish her hips through the aisles.

  “When customers walk in, I want them to feel like they’ve entered a more modern bookstore. There needs to be more light in here. And I want books to welcome people the moment they come in. Maybe we can find something more contemporary to display them on too. I don’t like the way the books are just shoved on the shelves now. Also, I think the bookshelves should run this way, not that way.” She motioned with her hand, indicating shifting the shelves in the opposite direction. Her animation made her one of a kind. Very different from any of the other women he dated who took themselves too seriously.

  “Whoa, Dakota. I’m trying to keep up with you here.” He jotted notes onto his electronic pad.

  She crossed her arms. “I’m sorry. Let me slow down. You can see I’m really excited about these changes. This morning when I walked in, it was as if I saw the bookstore for the first time. I don’
t know how I let the store get in this state. I must have gone through a period of time with blinders on.”

  He glanced around. “It’s not that bad. You’ve got some good ideas.”

  They spent an hour going over the details. Bishop had to scribble quickly to keep up with her list of wants. His mind kept drifting back to the weekend, to the enjoyment they’d shared and the pleasure they’d taken in each other’s bodies.

  “Can we stop for a minute and get some coffee? I saw a pot in the back.” He used his head to nod to the back of the shop.

  “Sure. I’m sorry if I’m overwhelming you. Once I set my mind on something, I usually plow straight ahead. I’ll try to slow down.”

  “I like your go-get em attitude. But even the best of us need a rest sometimes.”

  “Are we still talking about the store or have you slipped into a memory?”

  “What do you think?” He tickled her under her chin.

  He closed the cover on the tablet and followed her with a smile. She poured coffee into Styrofoam cups.

  “Sugar and cream?” she asked.

  “Black.” He took the cup from her hand and watched as she poured cream and several heaping teaspoons of sugar into her coffee.

  “You like your brew really sweet, don’t you?”

  “The sweeter the better.” She held the cup between her palms.

  “You look happier today.”

  “I am. I feel like I’ve been checking the mail every day waiting on a letter and finally getting a good report. And as you know, I had a marvelous weekend.”

  “I did too, even though I’m paying for all that activity now. I didn’t have the stamina to work out this morning, and I’d do everything—and I mean everything all over again.”

  She put her cup to her lips and immediately took it away. “Me too.”

  “I’m not sure I know the real Dakota Conroy. The woman from this weekend and the woman in the coffee shop don’t jive.”

  “I’m a mixture of both. I’m working through some stuff. As soon as I’m done, I’ll return to normal, the girl who doesn’t invite men back to her home for a wild weekend.”