by Unknown
“A black and tan! I haven’t had one of these in a long time. Not a good one, anyway.”
She admired the mixture and took a sip.
“My own personal blend of a pale ale that a local brewery created for the bar and a nice black stout. Be careful, it packs a little punch. One woman suggested we name it Weak in the Knees.”
She lifted the mug to her lips and drank as she tried to ignore the little stab of jealousy. No doubt that woman, whoever she was, wasn’t really talking about the beer.
Audra closed her eyes, taking in the flavors and the subtleties of the blend. She moved it around her mouth a little, enjoying the rich almost anise taste of the stout along with the crisp, apple notes of the pale ale before she swallowed. “Oh my, that is wonderful. You’ve managed to blend the bitter and the sweet perfectly, and there’s even a bit of chocolate in the finish. Or maybe that’s caramel, now that I think about it.”
Scott looked surprised. “Wow. You know your beer.”
She grinned. “I love beer. My father has tried to develop a craft brew, without much success, though.”
“I know the feeling. I gave up doing it myself and hired people who had real talent for it.”
“This is very special, Scott. I had no idea you were serving brews like this here.”
“You should visit more often,” he said with a smile, taking a sip from his own glass. “I actually have more specialty brews than not. I like finding northeast craft beers, local breweries, and featuring their products. We’ve even had a few tastings.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.”
“Maybe I’ll see you here more often now?”
“Could be. I don’t think I could ever resist one of these black and tans again.”
“Hopefully that’s not all you’ll find hard to resist.”
She took another long drink of her beer, looking at him over the top of the glass. Oh yes, not only were they on the same page, they were practically rolling around on it together.
They ate, sharing small talk that meant nothing, and Audra relaxed completely, though another tall beer certainly helped, as well. His beers might have had some aphrodisiac qualities based on the tingling sensation it left in particular areas of her body.
Audra told him some of her adventures in the antique business, which he seemed genuinely interested in. Scott amused her with stories from his hockey days—explaining as he went, since she didn’t follow the sport, or any sport—and she enjoyed the moment.
She was here with a very handsome man in front of a warm fire on a winter night. Normally at this time, she was home alone in her apartment, reading or sewing, which she enjoyed, but this was a very nice change indeed. In fact, she needed to do this more often.
“Why did you come over to the shop earlier?” she asked suddenly.
He seemed caught off-guard for a moment but then took a heavy breath, answering. “I needed to talk to you about the repairs mandated by the inspection last year. I’m making plans to get that moving, and I know it will impact your bottom line, so I wanted to—”
She stood, finding herself a little unsteady and not wanting to talk business. She knew this day would come, when they’d have to discuss the building repairs, which were extensive. It couldn’t be cheap to do, and she dreaded what it might mean for her business.
Scott slid his arm around her waist, steadying her.
“You okay?”
She laughed slightly. “Fine. You’re right though. Those drinks do go straight to the knees.” Or maybe it was the man, because she didn’t feel tipsy. “I just…I’d rather not talk about business at the moment, if that’s okay.”
“Perfectly okay. Tonight isn't about business, you're right. To be completely clear, I want you to stay, Audra.”
Audra felt herself lean into him a bit. She was warm, relaxed, and he smelled great.
“I want that too.”
Scott was a nice guy, and he seemed to really be attracted to her. They were alone in a storm, locked away together. This wasn’t everyday reality. It was a moment out of time. A fantasy come true. As long as she remembered what it was, she was all in.
Apparently, Scott didn’t need any more encouragement.
He made a noise somewhere between a growl and a groan, pulling her up close and sealing his lips over hers, chasing away any doubts about his being attracted to her. Audra slipped her arms around him and held on for dear life, kissing him back as if her life depended on it.
“I want you something fierce, Audra. I have for a while,” he broke the kiss to tell her.
“You have?”
“Ever since we met. You tease in those demure little skirts and blouses. When you took those stockings off tonight, I nearly dumped an entire bottle of very expensive scotch.”
“I wondered if you looked.”
“I couldn’t help it.”
“I hoped so.”
The revelation seemed to make him relax. His hands worked over her shoulders, her upper back until she felt like putty. Warm, sexy putty.
“Then why have you always said no when I asked you out?”
She shrugged. “For exactly the reasons I’ve told you. I’m a lot older, and we have a business relationship.”
“What’s different now?”
“The storm, this night, I guess. Being honest with myself about what I want.”
“Honesty is good. Do you know how hard it’s been to keep my hands off of you, watching you sit there with your knees crossed so politely? All I could think about was getting in between them and finding what you’re hiding there.”
Audra closed her eyes, desire rippling through her at his honesty.
She soaked up every second of his attention. After being rejected for years by a man who found every other woman in the world attractive, to have a man like Scott say these things to her was delectable.
“How, um, hard was it?” She peeked up at him through her lashes and added, “Very hard?”
He took her hand and moved it to the front of his pants—bold move.
“Oh.” She squeezed his length, and he sucked in a breath, pushed into her touch. “I see. Very hard.”
“Audra, tell me I’m not taking advantage. This isn’t the beer talking, is it? If you regret this tomorrow, I’d hate that more than anything.”
She could sense him holding himself back. That made her want him even more.
“You’re not taking advantage. It would take a lot more than two beers for that to happen. I’m very clear on what I want, and I wanted you before I had a drink. I’ve been resisting it, but I’m done playing games. I want you too. A lot.”
Given the green light, he pulled her in, hugged her tight to him, his hands smoothing over her back. The hug turned to something hotter as he nibbled at her ear, taking his time, making her insides turn liquid. Audra couldn’t remember a time in recent memory, or maybe not in her entire life, when she’d gotten this hot, this fast.
His big hands slipped from her back to cover her breasts through her sweater, rubbing hard nipples through the soft fabric. She gasped at the intense response she had to his ministrations, moaning into his mouth as he kissed her again.
The kiss got hotter and deeper as Scott ground himself into her hip, his need evident. Heat flooded between her legs, dampening her thighs. He slid a hand up inside her sweater, under her bra, closing his palm over her breast. Flesh to flesh. She arched into him, whispering his name, begging for more.
He was happy to oblige and never stopping touching her as he walked her to the far side of the bar, away from the door and the windows. Only the fireplace and some low ceiling lights illuminated the spot. He pushed her sweater up and over her head, her bra coming off with it almost faster than she realized.
He was obviously really good at this. Backed up against one of the tables, Audra writhed as Scott sucked the soft flesh of her breast into his mouth, lolling the nipple with his tongue until she was digging her hands into his shoulders. She found herself lifted up
onto the table, pushed back until she was sprawled out before him. Standing over her, he pulled the socks off, one at a time. He left kisses along her legs as he did, nibbling at her thighs and the backs of her knees until she could hardly see straight.
“You’re perfect. Gorgeous. I can’t believe you’re really here with me.”
His voice held such reverence that she thought she might be fantasizing again. He ran his hands back up her legs, pushing her wool skirt up around her waist, and she knew this was for real. Their eyes met as he slid a finger or two inside her panties and tugged.
The delicate fabric ripped away as if it was meant to do exactly that. Open to him, his fingers went their wicked ways.
“You’re so wet.” He breathed the words against her skin as he nibbled the inside of her knee.
“It’s been a very long time for me,” she panted, curling her fingers around the side of the table as he explored her with his hand.
“How long?”
“Very.” It was all she was willing to admit as she arched into his touch, needing more.
“We shouldn’t waste any more time, then.”
Audra agreed completely. She might be embarrassed in the light of day about how easily she opened her politely crossed knees and let him drape them over his shoulders, but right now she only wanted one thing.
Scott gave it to her, but very, very slowly.
Tracing kisses down the inside of her thigh, he made her wait, holding her still as she tried to get him where she needed him. His fingers toyed with the sensitive folds of her sex, teasing, making her want even more.
“Please, Scott…please,” she cried out.
“Okay, honey. Since you asked nicely.”
His mouth found her, sucking her swollen clit into his mouth as his fingers delved inside. Audra might have screamed at the sudden wash of pleasure, she wasn’t sure. She came fast and hard, sharp, aching waves of release making her arch off the surface of the table. She might have fallen if he wasn’t holding her.
The crashing orgasm throbbed on as he kept sucking, licking and fucking her with his hand. She locked her legs around him as she thrust against his mouth and fingers, feeling the tension winding tight again.
“Fuck, Audra. I have to get inside you,” he muttered, standing up as he grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and undid his jeans.
She couldn’t speak but nodded in agreement.
Scott’s face was ruddy, his jaw tense, his cheeks wet from her arousal. It all made her hotter. She pushed up on her elbows as he freed himself and tore the condom package open.
“Wow. You were right about the big-feet thing,” she said, lifting her eyebrows as she took in his prominent erection.
She couldn’t believe she’d made that joke, lying here on a table in a bar with her shirt off and her skirt pushed up around her waist. Scott chuckled in a sexy way, his eyes meeting hers.
“I have a feeling we’ll be a good fit.”
He stepped in again, closer, the tip of his cock nudging at her opening.
“Fast or slow, honey?”
“Slow. I’m ready, but like I said, it’s been a while.”
He reached for her hand and pulled her up to face him.
Audra half sat on the edge of the table, her legs wrapped around his hips as he kissed her. As his tongue stroked hers, and his hands made circles on her back, he eased inside. He paused when she caught her breath at the unfamiliar tightness, letting her body learn to accept his. They both exhaled as he filled her completely.
“Oh, wow, Scott.”
The words came out on a sigh as she laid her head on his shoulder, winding her arms around his neck. She was lifted out of herself and out of her normal life. Having Scott inside her was more exquisite than she could have imagined.
“I agree,” he whispered against her ear as he molded her to him even more deeply. The enormous pressure of him inside made her whimper into his neck.
“Make me come again, Scott. Please.”
She’d never been this frank with a man about what she needed. The reward for that brashness came as he closed his hands around her ass, grinding her against him, her clit rubbing on the root of his cock, making them both groan.
“Damn, Audra, I don’t know how long I’ll make it.”
She didn’t have time to respond as he captured her mouth in a demanding kiss and started to move. He anchored her hips with his hands as he thrust, slow, at first, then faster, heating up the friction between them. Finally, he lifted her off the table altogether, bracing her against the nearby wall, instead.
Audra had never been taken against a wall before—another fantasy checked off the list. It was so exciting that she clawed her nails into his shoulders as he started banging into her with focused intent. She dared to open her eyes and found him watching her back. His eyes were fierce, but also touched with tenderness that made her insides melt.
He changed the angle of his stance slightly and suddenly everything inside her clenched and then loosened, pleasure melting into her limbs. Audra yelled his name as she went slack. She would’ve fallen to the floor if he wasn’t pinning her tight against the wall.
“God, Audra. Fuck,” he growled. Any sense of finesse was lost as he hammered hard and fast, groaning through his own release moments later. As he finished, they clung to each other, plastered against the wall, half-naked and drenched in sweat and sex.
It was probably the very best moment of Audra’s life.
“That was so, so good,” she whispered against his ear, nipping the lobe. “Thank you.”
He turned to find her mouth and kissed her hard before tilting his forehead against hers.
“You’re very welcome, but we’re hardly done.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’ve waited five years for this, and believe me, I want a lot more of you.”
He punctuated the words with kisses along her jaw as he rubbed the back of his fingers over the points of her nipples, liking how she leaned toward him in response. Scott definitely wanted more. Down deep, he knew Audra was definitely something more.
She was also uncharted territory. A more mature woman with the expectations to match, which was probably why she didn’t think she could ever have anything serious with him. Why she thought they could only last for one night. He intended to show her differently.
Scott knew he had to raise the level of his game to convince her to be with him—and to show her that he was more than some lothario jock. He wanted to do that more than he could say.
“Want to go upstairs?”
“Absolutely.”
Scott didn’t hide his pleasure at her response and planned to prove to her that she’d made a very good choice.
Chapter Three
Audra wasn’t sure what she expected when she walked into Scott’s apartment. She wasn’t really thinking about it, and if he’d taken her directly to his bedroom and screwed her senseless for the rest of the night, it would have been okay with her. The sex in the bar had been outstanding. She never knew it could be that intense, and it made her wonder what she’d been missing out on all these years. One night stands rocked.
No doubt she was a novelty to him. An older woman who had said no to him numerous times. No matter. Audra had wanted to get laid, and she had. With any luck, she would again. Maybe a few times. Her blood stirred as she thought about getting him inside her again—he was good, and he made her feel good. That was all she wanted to focus on.
Still, as she walked in ahead of him and stood in his living room, taking in the surroundings and the winter storm raging outside, she was surprised. If she’d thought about it at all, she thought his place would be some kind of sports-oriented bachelor pad, but it was quite the opposite. A decent-sized front room was decorated in warm earth tones with sturdy wood furniture and a large stone fireplace at one end. Everything was neat and in its place, except for a sweater thrown over the back of one chair and some books and magazines littered on the mission-style cof
fee table.
Most amazingly, there was no television. Several bookcases—and they were full—but no TV. Maybe he got enough of that downstairs, where there must be a dozen of them. Or maybe it was in the bedroom.
“Let me give you the tour.” He took her by the elbow and walked over to the fireplace, a gas-insert, unlike the wood-burning one in the bar. There were various sports awards, trophies and framed pictures on the mantle and the wall around the fireplace. She recognized a few of the celebrities in the photos and was taken with what a large life he’d led.
“My wall of glory.” His tone was self-effacing, but it really was impressive.
“You’ve won so many awards. Are any of them more special to you?”
He picked up one older one and looked at it fondly.
“This was the first state championship that we won when I was eight. We were the underdogs by a big margin, a total fluke that we’d even made it into the finals. When we won the championship, I knew anything was possible. I knew this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”
He put the trophy back, and Audra was touched by the sincerity in his voice.
“Eight years old? That’s very young.”
“I started playing when I was three,” he said with a laugh.
“Three! How is that even possible? You couldn’t hold a stick.”
“My dad took me out, taught me to skate, taught me moves I needed later. And they make kid-sized sports equipment.”
“He played as well?”
“Strictly amateur leagues. He loves the game, but he never wanted to play professionally. He never pushed me to, either. Not like a lot of parents do. He just wanted to share something he loved with me, and I happened to be good at it.”
“He has to be very proud of what you accomplished.”
Scott nodded. “He was.”
Audra felt a pang in her chest at the sadness in his face.
“He’s gone now?”
“Year before last. Heart attack.”
“Oh, Scott, I’m sorry,” she said, and put a hand on his arm. She remembered a week when the bar had been closed. She knew he was out of town and figured he had some event to attend, but she hadn’t known about his father. Because she’d never asked. She’d kept their interactions strictly professional.