by Nona Raines
Mr. Miłosc lifted his glass. “Na zdrowie. To your health.”
Blaise returned the sentiment in English and took a sip. The rich, sweet flavor of honey rolled over her tongue. She gave Mr. Miłosc a questioning look.
“Krupnik,” he explained. “A very old Polish recipe.”
Blaise licked her lips. “Delicious.”
“Enjoy.” Mr. Miłosc smiled and returned to the front of the store.
She and Guy enjoyed the sweet liqueur in silence, taking small sips, letting the flavor roll around their mouths and fill their senses. Though the portions were small, Blaise began to feel a pleasant buzz. Whether from the krupnik or her companion’s powerful presence, she didn’t know.
When their glasses were empty, Guy placed them both on the floor. With a smile, he touched the book resting on Blaise’s lap. “Shall we continue?”
His hand so close to her intimate parts sent a charge through her. Before she had a chance to speak, the lights at the front of the bookstore flicked off, then on, signaling the shop was about to close.
Blaise blinked in surprise. Guy gave her a rueful smile. “I think we’re being asked to leave.”
“Ah.” She stood reluctantly, gathering her purse and Little Women, her heart heavy with disappointment. She didn’t want to go, didn’t want to say goodbye to Guy. As he followed her through the narrow stacks, the lights flicked off above and behind them.
His touch was feather light on her shoulder. She hesitated, then found herself being turned as Guy’s strong arms slipped around her. In the darkness of the narrow space between the shelves, he pulled her close. They were breast to chest as he lowered his mouth to hers. Blaise savored the heat of his breath, the softness of his lips, and sweet residue of the krupnik.
She slid her free hand up his back, feeling his strength even through his suit coat, opening her mouth to the gentle insistence of his tongue. He crushed her to him, their tongues caressing and playing, their breaths mingling. Her breasts ached, her nipples puckered, and her pussy warmed and softened. Blaise would have happily remained in his arms for hours, kissing him.
But time was against them. Guy’s shoulders were stiff, his arms tense as he pulled away, as though he too was reluctant to break their contact. Trembling, Blaise slumped against the tall shelf for support, her legs rubbery. Her head whirled.
Guy touched her shoulder again, gently nudging her, urging her to move. What for? Oh. Yes. Time to leave. Time to go home.
In silence, they made their way to Mr. Miłosc’s desk. Guy held out the copy of Cupid’s Delight. “If it’s not too late, I’d like to purchase this.”
The shop owner nodded. “Very well.”
Blaise watched the transaction, her hopes deflating. Guy had purchased the book they’d shared. Who will he be sharing it with next?
She felt ridiculous lingering by the door, waiting for him. Waiting for what? There’d been a spark, and if they’d had more time, who knew what might have happened? But their moment was gone now. She should just go home.
Normally, the thought of her comfy little apartment at the end of a long day gave her the warm fuzzies. But tonight she dreaded the thought of sitting alone with only the TV for company.
She opened the door, and he was right behind her. “Blaise.”
They were on the street now. She turned to him, vaguely aware of Mr. Miłosc still inside, locking the door and turning the OPEN sign to CLOSED.
Guy’s eyes held a question. He indicated the book in his hand. “We haven’t finished the chapter.”
A cool wave of relief flooded her. It wasn’t goodbye. “No, we haven’t. I hate stopping in the middle of a chapter.”
He smiled. “So where can we go…to read?”
She marshaled her scattered thoughts. “A block from here. There’s a cocktail lounge at the Hempstead Hotel.”
He offered his arm. “What are we waiting for?”
The Hempstead was an old hotel that dated back to the days when elevators had operators and businessmen could smoke while drinking Manhattans at the bar. The lounge was no meat market with pop music blaring. It was a dimly lit, quiet place where people could stop after work to enjoy conversation with friends or simply unwind with a drink and not be disturbed.
They slipped into a corner booth. Guy laid Cupid’s Delight, with its bright red cover, on the table. Reminding them of why they were here. Keeping the magic connection between them.
A waitress appeared at their table. “What can I get you?”
“Do you have any krupnik?” Blaise asked.
The young server’s brow crinkled. “I don’t…”
“It’s a honey flavored drink,” Guy told her.
She shook her head. “I don’t think we have that.” Then a smile stole across her face. “But maybe I can come up with something.”
She left, and the two of them sat without speaking. The silence was a comfortable cocoon enveloping them, connecting them. There was no need for speech.
A bit later, the waitress returned with two rocks glasses half-filled with an amber liquid. “Honey flavored Kentucky bourbon,” she explained as she served them.
Guy paid the woman, then lifted his glass in a toast.
Blaise followed suit. “What shall we toast?”
“To happy accidents,” he proposed.
“That works for me.” They clinked their glasses, and Blaise took a sip. Though unusually sweet, the drink had the familiar burn of whiskey. Heat spread down her throat to her belly and below.
He touched the book. “Shall we continue?”
She nodded, and Guy opened to the page and began to read. People around them chatted and laughed, going about their business, but she and Guy were in a bubble. No one looked their way. No one paid them any mind. They were in a tiny universe all their own.
Blaise sipped her drink, sliding closer to him in the circular booth. He was so big, so warm. Just being near him made her body heat rise. Perspiration bloomed, and her blouse clung to her skin. Her nipples, hard and achy, poked against her bra. A few words penetrated the haze—something about the Hummingbird’s Kiss—but it wasn’t the story line or the whiskey making her woozy. She was getting drunk on the low, sensual timbre of Guy’s voice.
Soon the words blurred into an incomprehensible buzz in her ears. Her breath slowed as she watched his lips move. She pictured herself kissing them, licking the sweetness from them. Lowering her gaze to his hands, she imagined them touching her. He’d skim the pads of his fingers along her torso, fasten those succulent lips of his on her nipple and pull…
Her pussy responded to the fantasy with an answering pull. She shifted slightly to ease the throb between her thighs. Her movement must have distracted him. His gaze flickered from the page to light on her face and his voice trailed off.
Guy nodded to her empty glass. “Another?”
She’d finished it? When had that happened? “No.” Her tongue felt thick.
“Would you like something else, then?” he asked.
Yes. She knew what exactly she wanted. The question was, did she have the guts to ask?
It’s your last chance. Your last adventure before you become the boring old mother of the bride. Take it. Take it!
Gathering her courage, she took the leap. “Yes.” She placed her hand on his thigh. Underneath her fingers, his muscles tensed. His eyebrows lowered, and his gaze sharpened.
“Yes.” She squeezed his thigh. “I want to get a room. Let’s go upstairs.”
Chapter Three
She waited near the elevator while he got them a room at the front desk. Blaise trembled as they rode up together to the fourth floor. She hadn’t felt this excited and nervous since she was a teenager. Part of her wanted to grab Guy and take him right in the elevator. The other part stood back, shaking her head in confusion. Am I really doing this?
Yes, I am. Now was not the time to lose her nerve.
As though he guessed her thoughts, Guy grasped her hand and squeezed it as he
watched the numbers rise on the indicator panel. His touch steadied her even as electric tingles shot through her. This was right. Tonight she’d give herself this gift. She wouldn’t be the bus passenger or the teacher’s aide or the mother of the bride. She’d be Blaise, the woman with sexual needs and desires.
The perfect gentleman, Guy gestured for her to precede him out the elevator. They walked side by side down the hall.
“We’re room four-thirty-nine,” he murmured.
He unlocked the door with the keycard and again allowed her to go first. As she placed her purchase from the Tattered Page on top of a low dresser, she took in the utilitarian furnishings in the small room. The bed, the upholstered side chair, the old-fashioned armoire, all contributed to the retro atmosphere of the Hempstead.
When Guy closed the door behind him, he tossed Cupid’s Delight onto the seat of the chair. She turned to him, and they moved toward each other as though synchronized.
They kissed. His mouth caressed hers gently, patiently, warming her up. Exquisite foreplay. Guy’s lips were the softest, most delicious she’d ever tasted, and she wanted more. In the bookstore, she’d been taken unawares, but now that they had time, she wanted to savor him the way a gourmet would savor a five-star restaurant meal. One tiny bite at a time.
As his tongue brushed hers, Blaise’s control broke. She slid her arms around his neck and boldly pursued his tongue with her own, searching the hot interior of his mouth. Her purse fell to the floor, and this time she didn’t care at all if it spilled. His hands moved to the small of her back, pulling her close.
His cock was hard, prodding her belly, pushing against the fly of his tailored slacks. The sweet spot between her thighs flooded with moisture and quivered, anticipating him. Her nipples were hard, too. Could he feel them through his suit coat, boring against his chest?
They slowly pulled away, though their lips clung. Light-headed, she sucked air into her lungs, unable to break his gaze.
He smiled, then turned serious. “I should tell you, I donated blood not long ago. I’m clean, so you have nothing to worry about on that score.”
“Oh.” The safe sex talk. Though her head was still muzzy, she was grateful he’d raised the subject. “Me, too. I mean, I’m safe, too.” Suddenly, her sense of humor kicked in and she began to laugh. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
His eyebrows flew up and he paused in unfastening his tie. “You haven’t before?”
“Not in years. I’ve become very boring.” Inwardly, she grimaced. That’s right, Blaise. Tell him how boring you are. That’ll really turn him on.
But if her confession troubled him, he didn’t show it. He backed her to the bed as he loosened his tie. A flurry of panic overtook her, and she gestured to the chair where the erotic book lay. “Should we…”
“No.” His intense gaze sent a shimmer of heat through her. “We won’t need it.”
Her nerves melted away. No. They didn’t need any more inspiration. If she was any more inspired, she might come before he even laid a finger on her.
Guy tore off his tie and tossed it on the floor with her purse, as though throwing down the gauntlet. So it was like that. All right. She’d show that she could give as good as she got.
It’s just a hookup.
She unbuttoned her multicolored blouse. No silks or satin in her wardrobe, everything needed to be wash and wear. No way could she dress in anything fancy, working with kids. His suit looked expensive. Whatever his profession, he didn’t have to worry about getting messy during the workday. Was he accustomed to being with women who wore designer fashions and expensive perfumes? Her only perfume came from the soap she showered with every day.
Her blouse fluttered to the floor. Just a hookup. She’d had a few over the years, when the stresses of being a single mother and juggling several jobs had gotten to her. When she’d been able to leave her daughter with someone trustworthy, she’d gone out just to find someone to hold, as the songs went. Someone to help her feel a little less lonely. Short-term partners, brief affairs. She’d been too busy for anything more. Too worried about bringing anyone around her young daughter—wary of predatory men who befriended lonely single moms to gain access to their children.
But those hookups were different. The guys she’d been with then had only wanted to get laid. Any warm, willing body would have sufficed. Guy wanted her. And she wanted him, more than she could remember wanting any man.
She toed off her shoes, then unzipped and pushed down her pants, shimmying out of them. His eyes glinted at the movement, and she threw in an extra little wiggle. She didn’t care that her underwear was unsexy white cotton, didn’t worry about holding in her stomach. Guy looked at her as though she were a goddess.
And he was a god. He was shirtless now, and her hands itched to smooth the bulky muscles of his chest and shoulders, down to his flat stomach. Oh, God. She had no idea what he did for a living, but if he had a desk job, he must spend some time working out. Now, she wanted to suck in her stomach.
But he pulled her close before she had a chance, kissed her again with those magic lips, and reached behind her to unhook her bra.
When the garment came off, Guy gently palmed her breast. Blaise pressed his hand to her. She wanted harder, wanted more, wanted everything. When she clutched the back of his head, their kiss turned ravenous. They possessed each other’s mouths hungrily, licking and nipping, teasing and sucking. Heat surged through her, a line of fire racing down her spine. Her core contracted as he held her even tighter.
She pulled away, drawing in a mouthful of air. She laughed. “No fair. I’m almost naked, but you still have all your clothes on.”
He undid the top button of his shirt. “Well, let’s even things out, then.”
Guy removed his watch and cell phone and placed them on the dresser. With a little grin, he pulled his wallet out of his pocket and extracted several square packets from within. After tossing the wallet on the dresser, he ambled back to the bed.
Blaise, now seated on the bed, plucked the condoms from his hand and laid them on the nightstand. As Guy unbuttoned his shirt, she tore open his belt, unzipped his slacks, and shoved them down his legs, leaving just his shorts. Greedy girl.
He kicked off his shoes and socks, and between the two of them, they managed to get his pants off. They sank back onto the bedspread, kissing once again. Guy trailed his lips down her throat to her collarbone and lower. Blaise hissed and her core clenched as he nuzzled, then kissed her breast, catching her nipple in his mouth, sucking. Need pulsed through her, zipping right to her pussy. She squirmed, running her hands through his hair, over his shoulders.
As he kissed down her stomach, she opened her legs. God, she needed him there. When he pulled back and skimmed his fingers over the panel of her panties, sparks danced through her. Oh, God, it had been so long, and she was so close.
As he played, Guy watched her face, and for some reason that gaze was as intimate as his touch. A wave of heat shimmered through her. She had to close her eyes. A moment later, his fingers brushed her distended clit, and she stiffened, biting her lip. Her back arched, her legs trembled, and her toes curled as the delicious contractions of orgasm pulsed through her.
As the spasms subsided, leaving her loose and relaxed, she gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Didn’t know I’d go off so quick. Sorry about that.”
He tugged at her panties, and she lifted her hips a bit to allow him to slide them down her legs and off. “Don’t be sorry. I’m flattered.” He kissed the crease of her thigh. “Besides, we’re nowhere near finished. We just got started.”
She sighed as Guy dropped soft kisses down her leg to her knee, then moved to her other knee and worked his way up. He smiled as he reached the juncture of her thighs and teased her there. “I’m finding our novel very inspiring. The hero, what’s his name again?”
“He never says, just refers to himself as I.” Blaise shifted and opened her thighs in response to his playful fingers. Tingles sh
ivered through her.
“That’s right. That scene in the harem, though. When he’s with the sultan’s favorite. She teaches him something that I’m just dying to try out.”
When he lowered his mouth and flicked his tongue against her, she went still. The Heart of the Rose.
He taunted her, teased and played as she writhed on the bed, trying to move away and get closer all at once. His touch was too much, yet not nearly enough. Suddenly, she stopped fighting it and clutched his head, her fingers tangling in the coarse strands. “Oh. Please.” The pressure grew and grew until she thought she’d explode.
When he sucked her clit between his lips, her entire body tensed, and she combusted. White lights sparkled behind her eyes as her body stiffened and quivers of delight rolled through her.
Her eyes were still closed when he moved up and kissed her. She tasted her own tangy flavor on his lips. “Wow.” She sighed. “Just…wow.”
He laughed quietly beside her. “You’re good for a man’s ego. It’s not often I leave a woman speechless.”
She cracked an eyelid. “I find that hard to believe.”
Something else was hard. His rigid cock distended the front of his shorts. Black shorts. Mmm, sexy. How did she get so lucky?
It’s your time, Blaise. Grab all the gusto you can.
She didn’t want to be a selfish lover and do no more than take. She wanted to give. Guy had already given her two mind-blowing orgasms. Blaise wanted to return the favor, not only from a sense of fairness, but because this time with him would always be a special memory. She needed to know it would be special for him, too.
She turned toward him and stroked him through the cotton shorts. His cock butted her hand like a cat who demands to be petted. “You’re not the only one who’s been inspired.”
Together they peeled off his shorts, and she grasped the stalk of his impressive arousal, enjoying the weight and girth of him. She smoothed her thumb up the vein along the side of his cock, then swirled it around the shiny purple-red tip. “I’d like to try something I learned from the book. Something else the hero learned about in the harem scene…” She lowered her head to trail her tongue down his stiff shaft. “The Butterfly Kiss…”