by Kim Shaw
“Well, my little worrywart, there’s only one way to find out the answers to all of your questions,” Lisette said, chugging the remnants of her glass back dramatically.
“And what’s that?”
“Just jump in and let the currents take you where they might.”
Torie allowed Lisette’s advice to settle between them as she silently sipped her drink. Torie didn’t know how to adequately express her feelings about Monte and his children to Lisette without coming off sounding selfish. She wanted Monte, there was no doubt about that. Despite her well-laid plans to focus on her career and take a break from men, she found herself longing for his touch, his taste and his presence. He’d stirred her soul like a master chef and that was not something she could just walk away from. However, Monte was a package deal. He came with two little human beings attached to his hips, and that was an unexpected twist to an otherwise enticing road.
Chapter 9
Hesitant Heart
Torie had reviewed the contract with Knight Productions to shoot the pilot and six episodes of Higher Learning earlier in the day and she was in the mood to celebrate. She could think of no one else she wanted to celebrate her success with other than Monte. She was relieved when he accepted her offer of a candlelight dinner for two at her apartment. She spent the afternoon shopping for ingredients for a fresh vegetable salad, a turkey lasagna that was to die for and a key lime pie that would blow his socks off.
When the doorbell rang at seven o’clock sharp, Torie had just put the finishing touches on dinner. She checked her hair in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door, smoothed the form-fitting dress she wore and took a deep breath in an effort to calm the excitement that had her feeling buzzed. She greeted Monte at the door with a warm kiss and a tight hug.
“Whoa, girl, I almost forgot how good you look,” Monte said.
Once inside the apartment, he pulled her back into his arms and squeezed her body against his. His mouth found hers, and it was obvious from the heat of his kiss that he’d missed her just as much as she’d missed him.
“You’re wearing my favorite tie,” Torie remarked when they came up for air.
She smoothed the red tie around Monte’s neck; it was the same tie he’d been wearing the first time she’d ever laid eyes on him.
“And you’re wearing my favorite smile, beautiful,” Monte said.
“Come in and have a seat,” Torie said.
She took Monte by the hand and led him into the living room. Monte removed his suit jacket and sat down on the overstuffed sofa. He glanced around the room, immediately taken by the coziness of it. This room was the perfect reflection of Torie’s personality—it was tasteful, not overdone and full of interesting little fixtures. There were small African sculptures and crystal figurines on the frosted-glass shelves that hung from one wall. There was a deep oak entertainment center against another wall that housed a stereo system and dozens of books. The coffee table in the center of the room was made of wood and glass and in its center rested a colorful centerpiece of silk flowers and votive candles. The room smelled of a mixture of vanilla and sandalwood. Monte felt immediately relaxed. It had been a grueling day at the office, filled with contract negotiations and marathon phone calls. Two minutes of being in Torie’s home, seated in its soothing embrace, was enough to erase the tension from his body. That was something he’d come to miss—coming into a home run by a woman. An image of Shawna hanging curtains in their living room when they first bought their home flashed through his mind suddenly. Although he had not changed anything significant since she’d passed away, the house no longer held the aura of a woman and, as such, had lost some of its powers to soothe.
Torie entered the living room, carrying two glasses of white wine.
“Here you go,” she said handing one of the glasses to him. “Or would you prefer a beer? I’ve got Coors Light,” she offered.
“No, this is just fine,” he said.
Monte realized that it was more than just her home that made him feel so relaxed. It was Torie herself—her sexiness and her peaceful nature—that made him feel at ease.
“Long day?” she asked.
“Is it that obvious?”
“A little bit,” Torie conceded.
“Yeah, I had a lot going on today. But I don’t want to talk about that. How’ve you been?” Monte asked.
“Everything’s great. Monica just finished reviewing the contracts. She made a few minor changes, which they’ve agreed to, and she wants me to come in to the office on Monday to go over everything and sign. After that, I’ll get the scripts and rehearsals will get under way before long.”
“Sounds like things are moving along just fine. But how are you?” Monte asked.
Torie smiled, once again caught off guard but at the same time pleased by Monte’s innate habit of cutting through the surface issues and getting to the core of the person. This was one of Monte’s most endearing qualities.
“I’m fine. I’ve got to admit, though, that I’m a little nervous. All this happiness feels like a little too much for one girl to hold,” Torie said.
Monte placed a finger beneath her chin, raising her face slightly. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
“Nonsense. You deserve all the happiness in the world and then some,” he said.
Their kiss was full of promise. For his part, Monte felt the pieces of himself coming together in that kiss. He had been waiting for weeks to feel her mouth against his again, to taste her juices and hold her in his arms. It had been too long, an agonizing accumulation of days and nights in which he actually felt a physical ache for her. It was ironic to him that he had gone years without a touching a woman, and now that he’d experienced the sensation again, he felt as though he could not do without it.
Torie relaxed against Monte as she felt fireworks explode inside her heart. She’d been craving his kiss, dreaming about it and reliving the moments they’d spent together at his lake house. She wanted to feel his body up against hers again and it was all she could do not to pull him down to the carpeted floor and beg him to take her right now. But she held back. She wanted tonight to be perfect. She was determined to let the night unfold at its own pace, slowly and deliciously, so that she could relish every moment of it.
The silence of the room as they kissed was interrupted by a low growl from Monte’s stomach.
“Are you hungry?” Torie laughed.
Monte laughed with her, rubbing his midsection.
“You heard that? Well, I guess there’s no point in me trying to pretend I’m not starving. I didn’t eat lunch today,” he admitted.
“Well, that will just not do. Come with me, Mr. Lewis. Let’s get you fed and satisfied,” Torie said, standing and grabbing Monte by the hand.
“Baby, you don’t have to feed me food to satisfy me,” Monte said as he stood.
He pulled Torie into his arms and began kissing her neck hungrily.
“There’s plenty of time for that later. Right now, we need to get your stamina up. You’re going to need it,” Torie teased.
She led the way through the living room and into the small dining room. The room was illuminated by four tapered candles in the center of the glass-and-wrought-iron table. There were two place settings on opposite sides of the table for four. Monte took a seat as instructed while Torie stepped into the kitchen. She returned moments later with two glass bowls of salad. She disappeared three more times, each time returning with another dish or accompaniment that made Monte’s mouth water. When she finally took a seat across from him, Monte reached out, took her hand and offered a short grace in which he blessed the food and the beautiful hands that had prepared it.
There was not much conversation between them during the meal as Monte devoured the food. He had two hefty servings of lasagna and then finished what Torie had left on her plate. Torie suggested they take dessert and coffee into the living room.
“Girl, I don’t think I can get up
from here,” Monte said, rubbing his full belly. “As a matter of fact, I know I can’t. I’m just going to sit right here, stuffed in this chair, for the rest of the night.” He chuckled.
“Suit yourself, but your dessert’s going to be waiting in the living room,” Torie said seductively.
Monte turned to watch her walk out of the room. The tight roundness of her ample behind swaying in the fitted dress she was wearing caused an immediate constriction of his blood vessels. It didn’t take but a second for him to pull himself out of the chair to follow. He didn’t really care what she was carrying in the dish in her hands. He wanted something else for dessert.
Torie turned the radio on to a smooth jazz station while they sipped coffee with dessert. There was a comfortable silence between them while they nibbled, their hunger building by the second. It wasn’t long before Monte felt as if he was going to literally crawl out of his skin if he didn’t touch Torie again. He dipped a finger into the whipped cream she’d doled on top of his slice of pie. As he moved toward her face, she opened her mouth in anticipation. When the cool cream touched her tongue, she closed her mouth around Monte’s finger and sucked. Monte replaced his finger with his tongue, pulling Torie on top of him. His hands found their way to the treasure he’d been eyeing all evening, cupping the firm mounds of her backside and squeezing.
“Torie,” he sighed as she began tonguing his earlobe and neck. “Torie…I’ve been waiting for this.”
“Me, too, baby,” she breathed back.
“I want to see you,” Monte demanded. “Take off your clothes.”
Torie looked at him for a moment, before raising her body off of him and standing on her feet. Monte sat up, his eyes full of eager anticipation. Torie reached behind her and undid the zipper at the back of her dress. She used her right hand to pull the material away from her left shoulder. When she’d freed the right shoulder, the dress began to slip down her body. She placed both hands on her hips and slipped the dress down to her legs.
“Damn,” Monte breathed heavily.
The sight of Torie’s body was mind-blowing. The skimpy white lace bra and thong she wore served as an accent to glowing skin and sexy curves. Fully clothed, Torie was a beautiful woman, but looking at her bare essence from head to toe was more appealing than Monte could have imagined. He crawled from the couch to the floor on his knees, stopping before her. Cupping her bare behind, he pushed her forward, his face meeting the warmth of her center with zest. He inhaled deeply, the womanly scent of her tantalizing his senses. The strip of material was barely enough to cover her womanhood, which was unadorned by hair. He moved the fabric aside with his finger, exposing a tantalizing jewel.
The bursts of air that escaped him as he breathed caused a pleasurable shiver to run through Torie and she grabbed the back of his head, arching her body into him. Her desire to be tasted was the only thing she could focus on and Monte had what she needed in answer to that.
Monte nuzzled her with his nose, kissed her pert point gently at first. He introduced a hot tongue, bathing the outer lips with a tender stroke while squeezing her rear firmly. Torie’s moans grew deeper, her gasps losing all delicacy as they escaped her throat. The sensuous music she made spurred Monte on and he dove in with a passion that surprised even him. While he sucked her tight bud he used two fingers to stir her inside, his tongue and fingers meeting and separating in a delicious rhythm.
“Ooh, right…right there,” she breathed.
“There? Is this what you want, baby?” Monte asked.
“Mmm-hmm, yes…Monte!”
Torie’s legs began to shake, threatening to give out beneath her. Reluctant to stop but determined not to let anything interfere with his efforts to please her until she begged for him to stop, Monte rose, scooping Torie off her feet and into his arms. He carried her into the bedroom and spread her scorching body onto cool cotton sheets. Torie watched as Monte removed his clothing slowly. Despite the eager anticipation on both parts, neither of them wanted to rush the experience. Joining their bodies was but a symbolic representation of how their souls had already been linked, and Monte aimed to show Torie just how much she had come to mean to him.
When Monte tossed a twelve-pack of condoms on the bed next to Torie, she laughed out loud.
“Humph, you don’t think you’re going to last that long, do you?” she said as she reached up for him.
Torie closed her fingers around Monte’s neck, pulling his face down to hers. She tasted herself on his lips, smelled her scent mingling with his and wanted to scream with pleasure. His first touch, as he glided his hands up the length of her thighs, sent a shiver through Torie’s body. Torie reached between them, seeking and finding proof of his desire. She massaged him slowly, her hand moving up and down his rod with agility.
“I want to take you in my mouth,” she breathed heavily.
“No,” Monte refused her, knowing that he would not be able to hold out for more than a few seconds of being loved by her beautiful lips and tongue. “I’m still hungry,” he said.
Monte slid farther down on the bed, positioning his face between Torie’s toned thighs. From this vantage point, her vulnerable exposure to him was tormenting and provocative. His tongue found home again and, this time, she was free to thrash and thrust as much as she wanted to on the safety of the mattress. Monte became a man on a mission, his one-track mind focused on loving her body with all he had inside of him.
“Monte,” Torie breathed heavily. “Please…oh, Monte, please stop,” she cried out.
It was the cue he was waiting for. She pulled at him, grasping his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh. She wanted more and he had so much more to give her. He moved on top of her, his mouth finding hers again. He settled in between her legs, which were parted to receive him. The wetness that greeted his hardness was a mixture of her moisture and his saliva, and it was a very warm and wonderful welcome. He moved against her, careful not to penetrate as he wanted to savor every moment for as long as possible. Torie pressed herself up against him, crying out at the luscious sensations that rippled through her body as their sexes made contact, while Monte bit his tongue to stop his own cries of pleasure.
Their foreplay carried on for what seemed like ages and until finally neither Monte nor Torie could wait another moment for completion. Monte quickly tore into a condom package and slid it onto his throbbing pole. Separated by nothing but a thin piece of latex, Monte penetrated Torie and, together, they rode wave after wave of pleasure.
“Torie, baby, you’re so beautiful,” Monte said as he stared into her eyes.
His release came sooner than he’d hoped, in an explosive rupture, and Torie held on to him tightly for the ride. When he was still, Torie slipped from beneath him and stumbled into the bathroom. Monte struggled to control his breathing as he heard her moving around. His eyes were closed when she returned to the bed and he fought to regain his strength. Torie rolled him onto his back and straddled his thighs. Monte’s eyes jerked open when she covered his semistiffness with a warm washcloth. She wiped him down lovingly, before tossing the cloth aside and continuing to massage him with her hands. He responded to her touch, growing thicker with each passing second. This time, Torie did the honors of putting the protection in place, and when she was done, she slid down onto him, moving until he rested snugly within her walls.
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” Monte asked in a growl.
“Do you want me to stop?” Torie teased.
“Never. I want you to do me until I pass out,” Monte answered.
Torie rocked her hips slowly, moving back and forth, up and down like a snake. Monte’s thrusts beneath her and his hands cupping her breasts made her feel more desired than she had ever felt in her life. The fine mist that had formed on their bodies turned into a sheen of sweat, a result of the physical workout they were putting each other through. When Torie increased the pace, bucking on top of Monte like a horse that needed to be broken, Monte grabbed her
hips and held her in place so that she could feel every inch of him. Her climax was a like a dam breaking down, and she showered down on him, triggering his own release.
Torie collapsed against Monte, and he enveloped her in the crook of his arm. She rested her head against his chest. They lay in the coolness of the room for a long while in silence, allowing their elevated body heat to wane.
“Baby, I think it’s time for you to meet my boys,” Monte said softly.
He stroked the side of Torie’s shoulder. She didn’t respond right away, but continued to lay listening to the rhythm of his breathing. Her leg was thrown across his as they lay naked, the sheets and blankets nowhere to be found. It didn’t matter because the heat they had just generated was enough to keep them warm in a blizzard.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea just yet,” Torie said cautiously.
“What do you mean?” Monte asked.
“I don’t know, Monte. I just think that maybe we should hold off on that for a while longer,” Torie answered.
She knew this conversation was coming even before he brought the subject up. He had already made statements about how much she was going to love his boys and how he couldn’t wait for them to meet her. It was just a matter of time before he came right out and asked her. She had practiced in her mind what she would say when the moment arose, but nothing she had come up with sounded right.
“Wait for what? Look, baby, I know you might be somewhat nervous about meeting them—boys can be a little rough and tumble sometimes—but I promise you, they’re good kids.”
“I’m sure they’re great kids.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Monte said.