by King, Imani
“Well, until today, I worked at the Washington Foundation for Internships. Forming tomorrow’s leaders and all that.”
“I know them. They do good work. And I bet they love you.”
“Oh yeah? How do you figure?”
“Well, I already like you, and you just sat down next to me. I can tell. You’re smart. Probably work too hard for too little money. And you probably have too much education to even consider doing the job you do. Am I close?” I looked into my drink. Dead on.
“What are you, a psychologist or something?”
“I’m good at reading people. Now, what’s your name? I guess we should have done that first, but here we are.”
“Here we are,” I echoed. I paused for a moment. “Desiree. I’m Desiree.”
“John.” He held out a hand and gripped mine, sending a pulse through my body. My skin turned to gooseflesh, like a lightning storm was on its way through. That electricity... it was something I hadn’t felt in years, maybe ever. Now, if some of my dates from Match had that kind of thing going for them, I might not have taken my romantic life so lightly.
“Just John?”
“Yeah, for tonight. Just John. For a beautiful lady that I’m sure I’ll never see again.”
“Well now, how do you know that?”
“Just a hunch,” he said. “I’m heading back to my hometown to get my new business venture started after this week, and I probably won’t be around to take you out on a date like I ought to. Or, well, if you have a boyfriend...” I laughed, a hot flush rising to my cheeks. This dude was laying it on thick.
“No boyfriend. But what makes you think I’d go on a date with you?”
“Something about the way you’re looking at me, even something about the way you kept glancing at me when you first walked in. Yes, I saw.” The chatter inside Rye had moved into a roar.
I hear that Reynolds has his campaign team already assembled, and they’re...
Janice Howell is furious because...
John rolled his eyes, smiling that crooked smile at me again. I nearly melted in the spot where I was sitting.
It’s only this once, I thought. It’s only tonight, and tomorrow my whole career begins anew. He’s right. We’ll never see each other again, and maybe a little flirtation is just what I need. Or... even something more.
“Say, it’s getting a little bit crowded in here, Desiree. I’m staying up at the Four Seasons. We can go to the bar there, and I’ll buy you a drink. Or an expensive appetizer. Nothing untoward. I promise. I just want to spend time with a lovely, interesting woman the night before my whole life changes.” My breath hitched in my throat. Had he really just asked me to go back to his hotel with him?
“Oh, I don’t think I can. I mean, you’re great. And very handsome. Very.” I picked up my drink, trying my best to look sexy, but some of it jumped out of the glass and spilled onto my hand. “Oh shit. I just don’t do this kind of thing very well.”
“There’s no ‘this kind of thing’ at all. Just a man asking a beautiful woman to chat with him for the evening. And then I can walk you home, or help you grab a taxi. No expectations.” He held his hands up as a gesture of honesty. Again, he caught my eye, and I found myself wishing for certain expectations. I had a brief flash of his body, what it might look like. Older than my 28 years on this earth, but cut as hell I would bet. And that broad, firm body. I gasped. I hadn’t thought about any man like this in years. What would it hurt to go along with him for just a moment? A few minutes in time...
“Yeah okay.”
“Is that a ‘Yeah, okay, buddy, nice try?’ or an ‘Okay, let’s ditch this joint and head back to a quieter, classier place?’”
“The latter, I guess. I mean, we can’t go wrong with just one drink, can we?” He shook his head.
“Of course not. We’re well-behaved adults. Very attractive, very well-behaved adults.” I slid off of the bar stool, and John followed, taking my arm in his and leading me out of the bar. Kelly’s back was turned to us as we walked to the door. John walked ahead of me, already out through the doors as I waved to get Kelly’s attention. She rushed over to me and pulled me into a hug.
“Are you leaving... with a guy? How very chic of you! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do my darling.” I laughed.
“That doesn’t leave much out, Kelly. Text me the address of headquarters, and I’ll be there with you tomorrow morning. I promise I won’t be out too late tonight.”
“I know you won’t be, my responsible darling. But if this guy is cute, you should bag him. The campaign trail isn’t fantastic for romantic relationships, you know. Doomed for failure and all that. I encourage one-night stands with handsome strangers as a sweet little remedy before each campaign begins.”
“Sure, Kell. I’ll take your words of wisdom into consideration.” She drew me into another hug and kissed me on the cheek. I walked out of Rye and back onto the arm of the handsomest man I’d seen in years. I leaned into him, taking in his rich, clean scent of expensive cologne. Again, that jolt rang to my core.
“Let’s walk. There’s a hint of autumn in the air, and autumn always makes me feel like new beginnings,” John said, putting his arm around my waist. I sighed, leaning against this gorgeous man.
“Then let’s walk. We’ll be two strangers, having a drink in a bar. And we’ll never see each other again.”
“Exactly,” he said, leading me down the street to the Four Seasons. If I’d paused to think for a moment, I might have realized that this was all a terrible idea.
But I had no idea what I was getting myself into. And let’s be honest—neither did he.
CHAPTER TWO
When we walked into the bar at the Four Seasons, it was blissfully empty, unlike the political bustle of Rye. We sat down, and the bartender came up to us, placing two glasses of sparkling water in front of us.
“Classy. Just like you.”
“We’ll have two GNTs. That’s what you were drinking, right? Doesn’t much suit my taste, but I guess it works for the late summer in the city. Doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, and another one will have me falling all over you,” I blurted. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I say that out loud? I don’t normally drink and flirt. It leads to dangerous situations since I have no idea what I’m doing.” I laughed, and John smiled. It was nice to see the sadness leaving his eyes, if only for a moment. And even nicer to feel that I was the reason for his momentary happiness.
“That’s the plan. Bartender, hurry up with those drinks.” The bartender looked at us, clearly not as amused as we were. But he cracked several pieces of ice and poured Tanqueray into each glass, swirling each drink with tonic and lime. Under the bar, John reached out and pulled my hand into his, tentatively at first, but then more firmly. He traced circles into my palm with his long, strong fingers, sending vibrations of desire through each cell in my body. I moaned gently. Even just this touch from him had my head swimming with need, an aching, primal longing that I’d long ignored. If it were any other man, well, I wouldn’t be here. And if it were any other day, I wouldn’t have even met him. But this was George Clooney with midnight blue eyes, and a look that told me he knew exactly what he was doing bringing me here. The bartender placed the GNTs in front of us, and I sipped mine again, my bravery and recklessness increasing with each sip. I kept my hand under the bar as John’s skilled fingers moved in my hand.
“No expectations, huh?” I turned to him, watching as his bright blue eyes wandered over my body.
“None at all. Hopes, not expectations. A woman like you is probably far too intelligent to fall for this old bachelor’s tricks. So, no tricks. I’d like to sit next to you in this bar and finish this drink. And then I’d like to take you upstairs.” His voice dropped to a hushed whisper at the last sentence.
“And do what, exactly?” I fluttered my eyelashes.
“Well, I think we’d find out when we get there. But first, I’d like to see more of your beautiful skin. See if there’s anyt
hing I need to check out. I have a theory that it’s probably all perfectly flawless. But I should check to make sure.”
“How would you check?” I gulped, and he gripped my hand tighter.
“First with my hands, and then with my lips. And after that,” he whispered, “I’d check to see if you taste as delicious as you look. But two proper adults... well we wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“We wouldn’t, of course,” I said, sipping my drink again. “Would you believe me if I said I never do anything like this?”
“Yes. That’s precisely why I want you. Because I can see how much you want me. And just looking at you, well, I can tell that’s a pretty special thing. For you to want someone.”
“I see how it is. You’re using your best lines on me, aren’t you?”
“Well of course.” He sipped his gin and tonic, holding my hand tight in his. “Is it working?” I laughed.
“I think so,” I said. “You’re not some kind of psycho, right? I’m feeling a very normal vibe. Tell me I’m not wrong.”
“You’re not wrong.” He traced his fingers over my palm again, sending a jolt of desire to my sex. As the bartender looked away, John leaned into me, pressing his lips briefly to mine. He tasted of mint and lime, and all the promises of late summer and campaign season. He pulled me off of my chair and into his arms, twirling me around and leading me to the elevators.
“Room 405. Put it on my tab,” he shouted at the bartender. The man looked at us in confusion and then rolled his eyes again, turning away to keep cleaning the glasses he was working on. John ran towards the elevators, pressing the up button and pulling me inside of the doors when they opened. Pushing me against the wall, he crushed his lips to mine, strong, firm, and searching. I moaned and arched my back, meeting his desire with my own. He grabbed me by the waist and kissed me hard, fueling the flames that already burned in my body as we rose the few floors to his room. The flush over my body grew, my nipples growing hard and a slickness starting in my sex. We tumbled out of the elevator doors, running down the hall like two naughty children and falling into his room as he tapped his key card against the door.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” he asked as the door rang shut behind us. “You’re sure—”
“Mmm,” I sighed, interrupting his question with a kiss and pulling his hands back to my body. I shrugged my way out of the summer suit jacket, letting it fall in a soft heap on the floor. Immediately, John’s hands moved to my shirt, his fingers deftly unhooking the buttons. He struggled with the very last one, and growling, he tugged at my shirt. The button popped off and skittered across the floor, and I laughed.
“No one sees that last button. Doesn’t matter anyway.”
“A souvenir of our time together.” I let the shirt fall behind me into another puddle of fabric and reached back to unzip my skirt, stepping out of it and the sensible flats I’d worn that day. I watched John’s eyes on my body, taking me in, and even in my conservative black bra and panties, I felt sexy. Like there was something worth wanting about me, like he’d seen some core inside of me that made me more beautiful than any woman he’d ever known. I reached up to his tie and loosened it more. That one sexy look had drawn me in—the tie he wore casually to the side, undone at the end of a long day. He pulled it off the rest of the way as I undid his buttons, my fingers far more patient than his had been. As I reached down to his trousers, the back of my hand brushed against the bulge of his cock, already straining against the fabric of the pants.
“Fucking hell,” he groaned. I turned my hand and pressed my palm against his cock—it was hard and hot, straining against his pants. Slowly, I unbuckled him and then moved my hands to his zipper, my fingers brushing over his cock again. His pants fell to the floor, revealing a muscular ass and legs. His cock strained against the fabric of his gray boxer briefs. Slipping my fingers inside of his waistband, I gripped his cock and stroked him, ever so gently. John groaned, pushing me against the wall. “I guess you are pretty sure you want—”
“I’m always sure of what I want. And this, this I want.” The gin had made me brave. Normally, I was the quiet, sweet girl who faded into the background and handled the paperwork. But today, I’d quit my job, had too much to drink, and now I had a thick, hard cock in my hand. None of it seemed like me. I laughed at the thought of it, throwing my head back. The man I barely knew brought one hand to my hair, tangling his fingers in the thick dark curls and pulling ever so slightly, sending a prickle of heat through my body. My sex grew slicker in response, and a moan escaped my lips. I gripped his cock and stroked it, moving my thumb over its head. John traced his fingers over the back of my neck and back, unhooking my bra in one swift motion. My nipples stiffened as my breasts hit the air, and I gasped. He sighed, his eyes locked on my body and pulled my hand away from his stiff cock.
“What? I—”
“I just want to look at you,” he said, stepping back. “I just want to look at how beautiful you are.” A hot red flush rose over me. Here I stood, exposed before this man. Another rush of wetness hit my pussy, seeping into my panties. I sighed and brought my hands to my breasts. Never had I been this bold... this sensual. I ran my hands down over my body and pulled down my panties, then stepped out of them, kicking them aside. I sighed as the air hit me where I hadn’t been touched in so long. John slipped off his briefs, staying silent, his eyes glued to mine. I brought my hands down to my pussy, running my fingers over my clit and shuddering as this man—this stranger—watched me. I slipped one finger inside, crying out with a need I’d neglected for so long. A need that I felt only this man could fill. Slowly, John moved to his knees before me and gripped my ass, moving his face close to my sex and taking in my scent. His hot breath hit my clit, sending vibrations of need to the deepest part of my being.
“Spread your legs for me, Desiree,” he said. Desiree. That’s not my name. This isn’t me. But I obeyed, moving my legs wide and leaning against his strong hands for support. John leaned in and kissed the tops of my thighs, his thick, dark hair brushing against my skin. He inhaled deeply, taking in my scent, and I blushed. How had this man gotten me to this point? How had my body changed from something I owned... to something filled with such carnal lust? The aching need built inside, and he seemed to sense it, drawing his lips closer and closer to my nub.
I arched my back, pushing my body toward him. His tongue darted out, circling my clit once, and then twice. I groaned, an alien sound coming from deep within me. I looked down and tentatively ran my fingers through John’s hair, pulling him in closer. He gripped my hips hard and pushed his tongue inside of me for one moment before pulling away and encircling my clit with his lips. Sucking on it with aching, gentle slowness, his mouth seared hot against my flesh making me moan again, my hands clutching at his hair. The world faded out, my thoughts going blank as the climax swept through me, my legs trembling and nearly giving way beneath me. But John held me still, licking me with strong, tender strokes until I shook again, bucking hard against his face. At the last moment, he bit down very gently, sending another shockwave of pleasure to my center. John pulled away, panting, and stood. He took me into his arms and kissed me, my taste on his lips.
“You taste good,” he murmured in my ear, his voice husky.
“Seemed like you thought so.”
“Do you want—”
“Stop asking me what I want, and fuck me.” I’m not sure I’d said the last two words in my life—not in a context like this. But now, I pronounced each syllable, leaning into John’s ear and throwing my arms around his neck. My body prickled with heat, even as I said the words. I knew it was what I wanted, and God help me, in that moment I wanted it more than anything. Damn the consequences. John growled and lifted me, pulling my legs around his waist. The tip of his cock rested against my cleft, and I cried out. John reached into a suitcase and pulled out a condom, ripping it open with his teeth and sliding it onto his cock.