by Kara Sparks
I look at the time, and notice that I’m running late too. “I’m supposed to be heading back as well. Look, I don’t suppose you—”
“Last night—forget it happened.” Her words are rushed and frantic. Lust traces her whisper while her eyes pour into mine. “I want to see you again. Come to my house?”
“No. Let me host you. It’s only fair. We’ll make an evening of it. I’ll message you my address?”
Her eyes light up once more. It’s a sight I don’t think I’ll ever tire of.
“Sounds great. See you later.”
With that, she’s gone, and I’m left standing on the sidewalk feeling like the luckiest guy in the world. I’ve got another chance with her, and I’m not going to blow it this time. My cock is still growling to have its chance, but I’m going to hold back tonight, I’ll be the perfect gentleman and give Holly a night of romance that she deserves.
I walk back across town to meet Hank, not forgetting Charlie’s sugar fix on the way back. I arrive at the pickup ten minutes later to find a rather glum Hank sitting behind the wheel. As I climb in he scowls.
“You’re late.”
“Got held up sorry. Long line at the cupcake shop.” I say while holding up Charlie’s goody bag. “Blame the boss.”
The drive back my mind is fixated only on the night ahead with Holly. It’s going to take everything I have to woo her, and I’m going to pull out all the stops. There are no half measures this time, I’m going to do it properly and I’m going to do it right. We’re halfway back to the site when I realize that I’ve never actually the done the whole romance thing before, and I’m filled with terror and angst. I have no problem with picking up a girl at a bar, but I couldn’t tell you how to romance someone if you paid me. We pull up, I climb out the truck and find Charlie to hand over his sugar fix.
“You’re looking cheerier.” He says. “Good lunch?”
He has no idea, but I’ve got bigger fish to fry now. I’ve got to become a bona fide Romeo in the next few hours or risk messing it up again with Holly.
Should be easy. Right?
*
After work, I rush home in my pickup, eager to get things ready for Holly’s arrival. The fatigue from this morning is a far and distant memory now, long replaced by the constant nagging feeling of angst that is coursing through my veins.
I’ve worked hard doing my house up, but my lifestyle can be predictably bachelor like sometimes. What can I say? I don’t have a lot of guests typically and I like to live messy. I run about, working up a sweat while making sure that everything is prim and proper. I remember Holly mentioned that she liked Italian food when we were at Salsa the other night, so I whip up a batch of my homemade bologna.
It’s funny, but as I’m rushing about getting the house, food and myself ready, I realize that I’ve never made this much effort for a girl before. Is it possible that Charlie and Nina are right about my feelings for Holly? The inner workings of my mind are a complete mystery to me more than anything else, and I can’t make any attempt to understand it. All I know is that I’m damned nervous, and I want Holly to have a great night. This is my one chance to redeem myself for last night.
I had the gall to try to win her over while acting like Notorious Nate. Holly isn’t some classless broad that hangs around bars waiting to get picked up. She’s a woman with ambition, smarts, and natural beauty. If I want a chance at winning her over, then I have to make an effort at showing her the kind of person that I want to be.
A quick spin in the shower undoes the sweat from my fretting. I’m barely out and dry when I hear the door downstairs. I throw on a shirt and run down stairs to meet her. I open the door and see her standing there, in a short black cocktail dress that hugs her body in the most amazing way. She’s pulled her hair up and left strands to fall down in perfect curls around her face. Her blue eyes practically glow. My head swirls momentarily, caught up in her sheer perfection.
“You look… amazing.” I say, trying my hardest to keep my jaw off the floor. “You’re gorgeous.”
Her cheeks tinge with pink, and a humble smile dances across her perfect plump lips. I usher her inside, take her coat and hang it. She’s wearing tall heels that really accentuate the length of her long slender legs.
“You look perfect too.” She seems a little nervous, and I’m relieved this is as big a deal for her. “Should we go upstairs?”
Eager. “The food’s almost ready. Did you want to eat?”
She looks a little confused. “Eat?—Oh.” The confusion dissipates into a different sort of realization, and I finally make sense of it. She came over here wanting a one time thing. She wanted Notorious. I tried to serve up something else, like the idiot that I am. My cheeks burn red.
“It’s nothing, just something that I threw together quickly. Let’s forget about it.” It’s obvious she’s only here for one thing, so let’s get to it. It’ll make the oak between my legs happy if nothing else.
“No, I’d love to eat. Something smells amazing. What did you cook?”
I lead her through to the kitchen and her eyes sparkle in wonder as she sees the kitchen table that I set. A nineteen-year-old kid on YouTube taught me how to make a drab kitchen look fancy for a date night. With the help of Mrs. Johnson next door I managed to pull together a dining cloth, some candles and fairy lights. Turns out those three things alone can make a room pretty romantic.
The main lights are off and the candlelight flickers across the room. Holly looks positively bewitching in the twilight. She turns to me, biting her bottom lip gently with her teeth.
“You’ve made quite the effort Mr. Rogers. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to romance me.”
I guide her to her seat, temporarily thankful that the lowlight is covering my red cheeks. Holly is obviously enjoying herself, so I don’t feel too stupid about making an effort. I plate up the food and bring it over to her. There’s the bologna sauce, homemade ravioli, a fresh bottle of red and some store bought garlic bread. Hey, I didn’t have time to do everything.
She eats feverishly, and I take it as a sign that she likes the food. Holly is halfway through her plate before she speaks, washing the food down with a mouthful of wine. “This might be the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten. Did you really cook this?”
“Sure did.” I nod. “It’s an old family recipe. Straight from the recipe book of Granny herself.”
“Is this the same Granny that did the salsa dancing?”
“The one and only.” I chuckle. “She was quite the lady, and she had a hell of a life.”
“Sure sounds like it. I’d love to hear more about her.”
“Oh man, I’ve got a dozen stories to tell. Maybe there’s inspiration in there somewhere for your next novel. I love that you write, I don’t know if I got a chance to explain today… but you’re a beautiful writer. You’re an artist Holly, and you should feel proud. You’re definitely going to get that book deal.”
“Normally I’d be modest about this, but you’re right. I did get the deal. I got a call just before I came over here.”
I push my chair back from the table and stand up. “You’re kidding?”
Her face swells with happiness. “Nope!”
I rush over to her and wrap her tight in my arms, pick her up from the floor and spin her around. When I set her down again, she’s giggling. I’m dizzy with excitement. I’ve only had one glass of wine and I feel drunk just being around her.
“They start the formal editing process as of next week, and the book will be on shelves before the end of the year. I got a pretty decent advance for a new author too. It’s probably enough that I can leave my job and focus on writing full time.”
My heart bursts with happiness for her. Just seeing her elation fills me with the same feeling. Silence breathes over us and we’re left standing there staring into each other’s eyes, holding each other’s hands.
We kiss. I grab her. She leans in and crushes her lips against min
e. Our mouths entwine in a fever of hungry passion. My hands wrap around her delicate waist. I lift her off the ground, my lips curling as I feel her legs wrap around my body.
My whole world is filled with her presence. The sweet honey aroma of her perfume lifts through the air and intoxicates me, mixed with the numb warmth from her body. There’s no tension in her body this time, and I know it’s right—she wants this just as much as I do.
I keep tight hold of her and navigate my way up stairs to the master bedroom on the third floor. There, I lay her down gently on the bed and fall on top of her. The room is dim, lit only by a streetlight outside. Its stray golden arches flicker through rocking tree branches, painting camouflaged silhouettes across the room and her body.
She opens her mouth around my tongue, and widens her legs against my body, pulling me down against her. Breathless moans of want escape her lips between kisses. I pull away for air, but she keeps bringing me back.
My hands find the zipper on her sleek back dress, and I tug it down, exposing her milk white flesh. She fumbles at my belt, and a moment later my trousers are dropping to the ground. We go back and forth, and in a minute we’re both naked, and I’m laying on top of her on the bed sheets, our naked bodies pressed together entirely.
“I want you Nate.” She gasps as I trace my lips down the hot flesh of her throat. “I want you bad.”
She grabs my cock tight in her hand and rolls her palm up and down its length. I’m so aroused by her I’m almost ready to burst. I try to steady my breathing to stop that from happening. I’ve never disappointed a girl before, and I’m not about to let that happen now. Not with Holly.
“I’ll be right back.”
I duck into the bathroom to find a condom, and a moment later I’m back and ready for her. My heart stops in my chest when I see her sprawled on the bed. She’s let her hair down, and it falls around her breasts like long curls of golden hay. I climb onto the bed and find her lips again quickly, reveling as her hands feel their way around my body.
She opens her legs and I feel the warmth of her wetness as it presses against the bottom of my shaft. Her scent lifts to meet me. Coupled with the sight of the perfection between her legs it puts me close to the edge of coming.
“You’re the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Please—” she says. “Don’t give me the lines. I just want you.”
“That is me. I’d never lie to you.”
Her eyes dull for a moment. “Come on, you say this stuff to every girl, just admit it.”
“Never.”
Fuck, I barely even talk to other girls. That would make sex something meaningful, and I’ve never wanted that. Up until now.
I brush a hand over her face and look into her eyes. “I’m serious. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
A smile flickers across her face, and the hardness in her eyes melts away. She seems to like that admission, which is strange, considering that she came here for a hookup. The thought crosses my mind that she might be into me too, but I push it down.
Don’t get hurt. Just try to enjoy this.
So I do.
I nestle the head of my cock against her folds and push in, watching her face as it rounds in pleasure at the sensation. Her eyes roll back and her mouth opens, trying to speak a silent cry of delight. She just about gasps my name as I finish pushing inside of her.
My fists are clenched to stop myself from coming. She clenches around me like a molten vice, and I have to breathe slow to control myself. She pulls me down and our mouths entwine once more. I pull my hips back to the tip and then I push back in again. She rocks with my thrust slightly, a tiny gasp of want slipping from her lips.
It doesn’t take long for us to find a rhythm, and the heat builds in the room, surrounding us both in a cocoon of sweat laced lust. She pulls her legs back and I angle myself above her so I can thrust deeper, watching her face all the while. Her eyes are flushed with black, her face is painted with abject pleasure. She tightens, she clenches, her flat stomach heaves and twitches.
I’m close, and I don’t want to come before she does, but it’s so hard.
She bellows my name, and I know she’s there.
“Nate! Nate!”
She clutches up palm fulls of bedding as the orgasm burns across her body, wrapping her hand around my neck and pulling me down close, pushing her lips against mine. A cry escapes my own lips as I explode, my whole body tensing as I fill her.
By the time we’re done, her legs are pushed so far back that her calves are resting against my chest. We collapse together in a breathless pile, sweating and heaving in the darkness on the bed. Her hands rest on her stomach, which is rising and falling fast. I roll over and brush the hair off her face, planting a kiss on her forehead.
She’s a vision of perfection more than ever, and my eyes refuse to look away. I rest my head against her cheek and listen to the sound of her breathing. Her hand lifts up and she places it gently on the back of my head, holding me there against her. Her cheeks curve into a smile, and I smile myself.
I’m in heaven.
10
HOLLY
It’s hard to believe that this is just some fling. As I lay there beside Nate, I realize that I’ve never felt more content in my life. He’s somehow made me feel like I’m the most important girl in the world. I’ve never been with someone like this before. His affection is gentle, and his passion is… out of this world. We drift off together. He wraps his arm around me and I nestle in against his body perfectly, almost like we’re designed for each other. The warm rush of his breath on my hair pulls me into a sleep that is deep and dreamless.
At some point in the night, I wake, realizing that he’s behind me and my butt is pressed up against his cock. He’s rock hard and from his breathing it sounds like he’s awake. I turn my head back toward him to let him know that I’m up too.
“Trouble sleeping?” I ask.
“Laying in this bed with you, yes. It’s very tempting laying next to you.”
Well, allow me to tempt you some more then. I roll my body over and climb on top of him, spreading my legs on either side of his muscled torso. I’ve never really believed in the term ‘making love’ before. Its never really meant anything to me. My short experiences with sex would never have led me to use that word, but with Nate—I almost feel like we did make love.
I’m probably crazy letting myself think like that. He’s probably the best actor in the world, but his affection felt so genuine. Whatever happened, I want more. I want to take control once before I go, I want to show him what he means to me. I take his cock in my hand and purse my lips over the tip. He’s harder than iron, and his warmth glows through my fingers, making my sex tingle.
He lets out a small gasp as I take him in my mouth, and he threads his hands through my hair.
“Holly… I—” He breaks off, his words interrupted by the pleasure. I roll my hand up and down his shaft fast, sucking hard against his tip, licking the sweet salty pre-cum from his slit.
I’m wet again with arousal. He reaches down and cups my breasts, rolling his hands over my hard nipples. I squeak around his cock as I feel it tighten. His breathing becomes fast and stilted. He’s there.
He bursts in my mouth as an explosion of heat. I clamp my lips tight around his shaft and keep myself held as steady as I can. I hold myself there until I’m sure he’s done, making sure to drink every last drop down. Nate pulls me up and pushes his lips against mine, kissing me hard, rolling his hands over my body.
“That was a nice night time surprise.” He says.
“I’m not finished.”
I pull away, and move back down his body, finding his cock in my hand again and rolling my palm up and down his length. He’s hard again in an instant. I hear the sound of foil ripping as he slips another condom on. I lift myself up and squat over his cock, lowering myself down on top of him.
Sinking down slowly, I steady my hands on his chest as he bottoms ou
t in me completely. He fills me in the most perfect way. It took some time getting used to his size the first time around, but I’m ready for him now. I roll my hips up and down, riding his cock and savoring every minute.
His eyes burn into mine with a ferocity which seems to evoke something more than just lust. I know this is just another notch in his bed post. I’m just another mark for Notorious, but I don’t care. Right now I can pretend that he’s all mine. Right now I can pretend he’s falling for me just as I am for him.
He curls his hand around the back of my neck and brings me down to kiss him. Our lips entwine softly as we fuck. He holds me still while thrusting up and down. Our eyes lock all the while, speaking the things that our mouths can’t.
I don’t want this to be a one time thing.
I must be going crazy because I swear I can see the same thing mirrored back in his eyes. We’re both approaching our crescendo, and I don’t want to look away from his beautiful face. His hands roll over my breasts and I drop my head back, moaning loud as I bounce up and down on top of him, crowing his name loudly.
I come hard, and the orgasm seizes my body until I’m left as a quivering wreck. His body tenses and a trickle of hot groans escapes from his lips as he comes inside of me. I fall asleep again in his arms, nestled against his chest. It feels so right. It feels so god damn perfect. I don’t want to leave.
But it’s probably best I do.
It’s still dark out when I slip out of bed. I dress quietly and tip toe out of the room, making sure not to disturb Nate. He looks like angelic perfection sleeping there in the bed, and it feels like I’m driving a dagger through my heart by walking out on him like this. Tonight has been the most perfect night, and I don’t want to ruin it when we reach the awkward part tomorrow morning. He acted like the perfect gentlemen, and that’s what I wanted. I know tomorrow he’ll be back to his old ways and wanting to move onto the next thing.
I don’t want to be there to see the rejection in his eyes when that happens. I’ll leave with this happy memory of perfection.