The more I thought about it, the harder it was for me to actually make a decision as to what I wanted. Kingsley sent me a message and told me that he was here so I left my room and that decision behind me. Maybe this date would help answer some questions for me.
I climbed into his SUV and he gave me a little peck on the cheek.
“You look beautiful,” Kingsley told me as he looked over my dark peacoat, burgundy dress, black tights, and black boots. I had wanted to look nice for him and it seemed I’d made the right decision. He looked like he’d stepped out of a catalog for men’s wear and I fought to keep from swooning. Under his stylish jacket, I could tell he was wearing a nice green button-down and black slacks. His hair was gelled in front and he was clean shaven. When he gave me a light kiss, I inhaled his cologne. The intense evergreen smell was intoxicating. But it was the expression of adoration in his eyes that really did me in. I’d never question whether or not he cared for me.
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure what to wear, so I just settled on this. Where are we going?”
“Well, I thought we could have a nice dinner and then a little something else.” Kingsley reached behind him and pulled out a box wrapped with a beautiful bow. “I got this for you, babe.”
“I told you, you didn’t have to get me anything,” I cooed while I quickly opened the present. As I lifted the lid, I blushed from head to toe, but I was really excited. A crimson pair of panties and matching bra were sitting in the box. It was almost the same set I had worn the other night.
“You told me your other set made you feel confident, and I said I’d buy you more. This is just the first of many to come, I hope.”
“But how did you know my size?” I asked after looking at the tags.
“I called Violet. She had a good idea, so I hope it fits. If it doesn’t, then we blame her.”
“No,” I said, and reached out to stroke his thigh. “This will make tonight perfect.” I bit my lip a little and felt the fabric between my fingers. It was silky smooth and I was kind of itching to put it on. I actually thought about climbing into the backseat like I did with Christie but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I could always change later. Or maybe I could just do it now.
Kingsley started the car, and was about to pull out of the parking lot but I stopped him. “I want to run back up to my room and put this on.” I reached to open the door, but he stopped me.
“Actually, now that you said it was the right size, I would like to get to the restaurant. You can just put it on for me later.” He drove out of the parking lot and that was that. I closed the lid on the box and placed it in the backseat.
“So, did you get called in yesterday?”
“Yeah, but luckily it was just a very minor thing. We finished quickly.”
“Oh, that’s great. What else did you do?”
“Well, when I left you, I went back to campus and hung out with Karen because we still had some things to do.”
“What were you guys doing? Should I be worried?” It felt a little ridiculous for me to feel jealous. Jason had just asked me to be with him, and here I was trying to act like that never happened and judge Kingsley for doing the same thing. “No, you don’t need to tell me. I understand that you and she had a lot to worry about with her cousin’s death. I trust you.”
“Aren’t you the mature one? I like you like this.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it. I smiled from ear to ear and listened to him continue to talk about how influential he was in stopping the fire last night.
When we got to the restaurant, Kingsley helped me out of the SUV and we walked inside hand in hand. It looked fancy, really fancy. The kind of fancy that made you want to stand up a little straighter, check your teeth for lipstick, and be on your best behavior. I had never been to a place this elegant before and tried to make a mental note to hold my pinky up when I drank.
“Mr. Kingsley, it is so nice to see you again,” the maître d’ exalted when we walked in.
“Thank you, Peter. This is my girlfriend, Annabelle.”
He took my hand and made a show of kissing my knuckles.
“Nice to meet you,” I replied delicately.
“Your table is ready, and the chef has already started your order.” Peter took us to a dramatic booth with red plush seats, a strong oak table, and crystal glasses. The cloth napkins weren’t wrapped around silverware, they were in a dramatic fold design that looked nothing like a cheesy swan and everything like an elaborate flower. The several pieces of silverware were placed around the plate and I felt a little like Vivian in Pretty Woman, but I didn’t even know which one was the salad fork. I was completely impressed and slightly uncomfortable.
We took our seats and Peter filled our water cups before leaving.
“I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for us. I just love this one dish and I’d hate for you to miss out on it,” Kingsley insisted, practically bouncing with excitement.
“How does everyone know you here?”
“My dad worked as their lawyer when there was a huge scandal here. After that, my family stops by every now and then. They always treat us like royalty since we kept the owner out of jail.”
“Well, who doesn’t like being treated like a princess?” I grabbed my water glass and took a sip. To be honest, all of this special treatment made me feel a little sleazy. Why was the owner almost in jail? Was this restaurant a mob front? It seemed awfully nice to be catering to two college kids. But I was probably just trying to displace my agitation. This was definitely something I hoped I could get used to when I wasn’t so frazzled.
“So, this dinner, we’re going to have the most tender steak you’ve ever tasted, with some delicious steamed vegetables, a baked potato, and this amazing sauce. I don’t even know what’s in it, but seriously, it will change your world.”
“I am not the biggest steak fan, in all honesty. I think I mentioned it on our first date.” I felt terrible but it was the truth.
“I know, but you haven’t had this steak. When you said that, I knew I had to take you here and prove to you that you actually do like steak.”
Forcing a smile, I took a big sip of water and tried to bite back my retort. How could I change my tastes? That just didn’t seem to make sense. But for Kingsley, I could at least try it. Besides, I didn’t want to waste the food.
We talked a bit more about classes until dinner came. I was nervous as I tried the steak. It was awful and crazy chewy. I took a few more bites but I just couldn’t stomach it anymore. Instead, I switched to the vegetables, which were a little mushy. I did manage to get those down. The saving grace was the baked potato—it was amazing. As I inhaled it, Kingsley seemed to notice the giant piece of steak sitting alone on my plate.
“Seriously, you’ve barely touched it. How can you even tell that you don’t like it if you don’t give it a chance?”
“I gave it a chance. I had, like, three bites and it’s just too chewy. I can’t take the consistency. Really, I can’t eat it.”
“That’s such a waste.”
“I know, but I told you I didn’t like it,” I insisted.
“I don’t want to fight with you. Let’s just take it with us and maybe you can try it again later.”
I sighed and let it go. We ordered some dessert, but the table was pretty quiet. I wasn’t fond of how he was kind of ignoring my opinion but I didn’t want to make a big deal about it and ruin the night. Instead, I forced a smile and looked over at him.
“Babe, I don’t want to fight anymore. We’re just not going to get into this now. I have more of a surprise for you. Would you like to hear about our night?”
“Sure,” I replied, trying not to be so nervous.
“How does a hotel suite with a hot tub bath, a fluffy bedspread, and pillows that make you feel as if you were sleeping on a cloud sound?”
“That sounds amazing. I feel like I can put the gift in the car to good use.”
He smiled at me and gave me a little wink. “Then let
’s get the check and head out.”
Chapter 15
I was standing in the hotel bathroom, in my new underwear, practically shaking. I wanted to go out there and seduce him, but something just didn’t feel right. The more I thought about what it could be, the more my nerves took over.
It must have been a while, because Kingsley knocked on the door.
“Are you doing okay in there, babe?”
“Yeah, I’m just…” I looked around and grabbed my toothbrush out of my toiletry kit. “Just brushing my teeth.” I turned the water on and then grabbed my toothpaste.
The door opened and Kingsley walked in, wearing only his boxers. His taut muscles captured my attention and I missed my mouth with the toothbrush and smeared toothpaste on my cheek. He walked to me and wiped his finger across my face to take care of the mess.
Kingsley took my toothbrush out of my hand and tossed it into my toiletry bag. “I don’t think I can wait anymore. Not seeing how amazing you look in that.” He threaded his fingers through mine and pulled my arms out to keep me from trying to cover up myself.
“It feels amazing on me.” I stood up a little straighter, trying to get that confidence I felt in the other set back.
“I bet. It feels even better on my end.” He let go of my hands and pulled me into a kiss. It was long and filled with passion and the promise of more. “Last time we were together like this, it didn’t go well. I thought it might be time to give it another try. Maybe with me taking the reins since I’m more experienced.”
I nodded and wrapped my hands around his neck. Kingsley picked me up and placed me on top of the counter. He pulled me in for another kiss and gave my hair a little yank. I moaned into him and wrapped my legs around his waist.
He slid his hand up my thigh and tilted my torso forward so my head was up against the mirror. I dug my nails into his back, not too hard that I’d leave marks, but hard enough to get his attention.
“You’re getting feisty, I like this.” He bit my neck and started to suckle at my collarbone. He slid his palm up my stomach and onto the lacy fabric of my new bra. He stroked and groped as I practically panted in excitement. I finally couldn’t take the teasing and reached behind myself to unhook the bra. Then I chucked it behind him and thrust my chest into his hands.
Kingsley placed one hand on my lower back and pushed my boob even further into his palm. He grabbed my nipple and started to twist it gently. The noise that burst from my mouth could only be described as animalistic. I gripped my legs tighter around his waist, trying to ease the throbbing sensation I felt there.
“Now, now, calm down. We’ve only just started.”
I grabbed Kingsley by the hair and pulled his head up from my chest so that we had direct eye contact. “No, none of this ‘just started’ shit, I need it now. Grab a condom and take me to the bedroom.” The sexual tension I’d been feeling over the last couple days was pouring out of me and I felt like I’d explode if it wasn’t eased. I ignored the feeling in my gut and decided to go through with it. I wanted it to feel like the first time but I wanted to play a bigger part. Since he was already hard, maybe I could get it together and please him too.
“I brought one in my shower bag, why move?” He unwrapped my legs from his waist and went to move to his bag, but I stopped him. “What’s wrong?”
Blushing, I looked up into his eyes. “Before you get that, maybe I could try something else first? I don’t want to take control from you, but I want to make this work.” I hopped off the counter and grabbed his hips. Pushing him against the wall next to us, I went to my knees and slipped a finger in the waistband of his boxers. I pulled them down and took hold of him, grasping tightly.
He growled and his head fell back against the wall. Unlike last time, he was firm before I took him into my mouth. I heard a deep intake of breath from Kingsley, and it encouraged me to take him deeper. I tried to imagine my throat opening as wide as I could possibly make it, and I forced myself to go as far as I could. Then I slid back and repeated the process, slowly at first and then with gathering speed. I sucked hard as I got to his tip and flicked my tongue across it.
He raked his fingers into my hair and forced me a little too deep. I had a moment of panic as I struggled to breathe. But tonight was about pleasing Kingsley, so I took several deep breaths through my nose and continued until his breathing was almost as labored as mine. I took him in deep again and as I was sliding up, Kingsley removed himself from my mouth and picked me up, laying me on the counter again. He grabbed the condom and had it on in a ridiculously long second. Then he reached for my panties, yanking them off, and was inside me, awakening the sex goddess I longed to be.
Grabbing ahold of my shoulders, Kingsley began to bang out a fast and rough pace that left me practically shaking at the sensations flowing through me. A moan escaped my lips as I felt an orgasm building up inside me. Then it hit me, hard and fast, and I shuddered underneath him. My hands pulled at his hair while I tried to hold on to the last of the aftershocks.
Kingsley grabbed my hips and pulled them closer to him, increasing his already rampant pace. I tried to look into his eyes as pleasure overtook him, but they were closed tight. Breathing as if he’d run a marathon, Kingsley pulled out of me and quickly dealt with the condom. Then grabbed his boxers off the floor and started towards the door.
“I’ll let you clean up, or whatever it is girls need to do.”
The door closed and I was left feeling a little empty. I didn’t know what I was expecting, it wasn’t like we could cuddle in the bathtub or anything like that. I brushed the feeling aside, realizing it was ridiculous, and also realizing that I didn’t think to grab pajamas.
I opened the door in my underwear, trying to cover any lumps I was ashamed of, and smiled at Kingsley lying in the bed.
“Sorry, I forgot pajamas. Maybe I could borrow your shirt or something?” I wanted to die of embarrassment.
“Why? You have that beautiful underwear set, why would you cover it up?”
“Um, I’m not really comfortable with that.”
“Listen, Annabelle, you’re beautiful. I wouldn’t be with you if you weren’t, and I don’t want you to feel like you need to cover yourself up and hide. In there,” he pointed to the bathroom, “I saw all of you and it was amazing. Why would you take that beautiful view away from me? Frankly, I think it’s a little selfish,” he teased with a smirk.
Biting my lip to keep the huge smile off my face, I crawled under the covers with him and laid my head on his shoulder.
“See, this is nice. Actually, it’s more than nice. It gets me excited for round two.” Kingsley started to stroke the top of my breast where the lace of the bra met my skin.
I brushed his hand away and fluffed my hair a bit. “If you’re lucky,” I told him, and gave him a little nudge.
“So, what were you up to yesterday? You mentioned that things were a little crazy.”
“Things with Violet took a weird turn when the guy who attacked her tried to threaten her so we were trying to make sure she was okay.”
“Did everything turn out okay?”
“Yeah, no need to worry about it. She went to the cops and they are looking into it. We were just really worried about her. I guess it’s just a little terrifying to think of anyone trying to hurt her.”
“Right…” Kingsley pulled his arm out from underneath me and turned to look at me, and it was menacing. “I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt that you had misspoken, but you just said ‘we’ twice. I’m only going to ask you this once. Who was ‘we’?”
“Well, it was Jason and me. Listen, he and Violet are best friends and she needed us both. We were only alone for maybe half an hour. While we were trying to figure—”
“No,” Kingsley screamed, and climbed out of bed. “I told you I didn’t want you alone with him. Why would you deliberately do that? Where was Christie? Why couldn’t she go off with Jason? Why did it have to be you?”
I climbed out of th
e covers and crawled over to him, stopping just before where he was standing. “Christie lives off campus and wasn’t there. Some creep left Violet dead flowers and threatened her, we had to handle it right away. What did you want me to do?” I begged him.
“You could have called me. If someone is threatening Violet and you’re with her all the time, did it ever cross your mind that just maybe you might get stuck in the crosshairs? I could have called out of work and stayed with you so this wouldn’t happen.” He reached out and held my face between his hands.
“You’re right. I should have come to you, but I didn’t. But I’m here now. Let’s not ruin the night.” I touched his arms and gently stroked him.
“What happened when you were alone together?”
“I can’t tell you the particulars, since it involves Violet’s case.” I looked down, wishing I could tell him about Finn, and Berneli, and how Jason had shown me the pictures, but I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t my secret to tell.
He dropped his hands from my face and I watched the anger return. “I think there may be another reason you won’t tell me. I see it in your eyes, Annabelle.” Kingsley stalked away from me and leaned against the window frame.
Quickly, I slid off the bed and rushed over to him. I was terrified of losing him and all of a sudden felt panic building up inside of me. I couldn’t not tell him, but he was going to freak out when he heard. Maybe if I did tell him, he’d trust me. This was what I wanted, or at least what I decided I wanted two seconds ago.
“Kingsley, listen, something did happen. Jason was acting weird and he kissed me, but I pushed him away. I told him that I was with you and I wanted to be with you.”
Second Snowfall (Elton Hall Chronicles Book 2) Page 20