by Marilyn
* * *
Although within the Philadelphia city limits, Carter lived in a sprawling complex nestled among several acres of well-manicured trees and shrubs. He parked in front of a two-story townhouse within one of several gated sections of the development.
He turned to look at her. “The clubhouse restaurant is less than a quarter mile down the path to the right. Will you walk with me or would you prefer to ride?”
It was a lovely night and chances were he’d hold her hand while they walked. Her choice was a no-brainer. “A walk sounds like a good idea.”
He got out of the car and walked around to open the passenger door for her. Immediately after helping her out, he released her hand.
Great. Clearly he wasn’t as lustful as she was.
They made the fifteen-minute walk in silence and the damned man kept his hands to himself. Whenever she glanced at him, she found him looking straight ahead. If he didn’t want to hold her hand and he had no conversation, why the hell had he asked her out?
She had a feeling she was going to regret agreeing to have dinner with him. Maybe he regretted asking her out too.
Chapter Five
“Why did you ask me out?” Kira asked the moment the waiter walked away from the table after taking their orders.
Carter arched a brow. He thought she was joking until he looked in her eyes. She was serious and clearly expected an answer. What the hell kind of question was that? So much for women’s intuition. “Excuse me?”
“Why did you ask me out?”
Why did a man generally ask a woman out? “I asked you out because I wanted to see you.”
To his surprise, she sighed. “I see.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. What the hell was going on in that charming head of hers? “There’s really nothing to see beyond the fact that I wanted to see you. So I asked you out. Thankfully, you said yes and here we are.”
“You don’t seem to have anything to say to me.”
So that was it. She wanted him to talk to her. He could do that—as soon as he decided what to say to her. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never had a problem talking to a woman but found himself feeling as if he needed to choose each word carefully with her. “Tell me—”
“Are you married?” she asked.
This was a fine time to ask. He shook his head. “I’ve been divorced for five years and there’s no special woman in my life at the moment.”
“Why not?”
Why did a woman always probe a man’s past as if digging for gold? There was no way in hell that he was going to admit that he’d been in a relationship the night he slept with her—at least not at this stage. “My last relationship didn’t work out.”
As she was about to part her lips to probe even deeper, he decided to head her off at the pass. “We weren’t compatible.” For God’s sake don’t ask me any more questions. It was time he turned the tables to ensure she didn’t. “What about you, Kira? Why aren’t you in a relationship?”
“My last relationship ended eight months earlier.”
The tone of her voice indicated that it had not been her choice so he decided to tread carefully. “Were you married to him?”
“No.”
“Did you two live together?”
“Oh no,” she said quickly.
“Oh no?”
“Living with a man isn’t something I’d be comfortable doing.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’d feel as if he wanted all the perks of marriage without any of the commitments that should go with it.”
“Some women view living together as a sort of commitment.”
“You’re probably right, but I’m not one of them.”
Too bad. “So what happened with your last relationship?”
“I thought we were in an in exclusive relationship heading towards marriage, but he had other ideas.”
“He was seeing other women?”
She nodded, her lips compressed.
So he had cheated on her. Not mentioning Jill in any detail had been a good move on his part. “Have you ever been married?”
“Yes but, like you, I’m now divorced.”
“Any kids? I have two sons. Eighteen and twenty. Both are away at school at the moment.”
She shook her head. “Unfortunately, we weren’t blessed with any children.”
He was certain he heard regret in her voice. Before he could decide whether to pursue the subject of children, the waiter brought their entrées. “Did you love him?” he asked when they were alone again.
She looked at him, a slight frown marring her face. “Did I love who? My ex-husband?”
“No. The man after him.”
She glanced down at her plate. “I thought I did, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Why not? What’s made you unsure?”
She shook her head, her gaze still on her plate.
Her refusal to answer made him determined to hear the truth. “What’s made you unsure, Kira?”
“Meeting you.” Sighing softly, she raised her eyelids and looked at him. “If I had been in love with him, surely I wouldn’t have slept with you.”
Women. When would they admit that sex very often had little to do with love and that a large majority of men preferred it that way? “I’m flattered.”
“I don’t know what to make of you,” she said, placing her fork by her untouched food.
“I’m not that hard to understand. You intrigue me and I want to get to know you. Where’s the mystery?”
“Do you really want to get to know me?”
He sighed. “I know we didn’t meet under ideal circumstances, but I want to get to know you. I’m not sure how much clearer I can make it than that.”
“I’d like that,” she said softly.
Damn, he hoped that meant the interrogation was over. He reached across the table to touch her hand. “So would I – naturally enough.”
She smiled and seemed to relax.
Even though he was dying to fuck her again and was fairly certain that he could talk his way into her bed that night, he decided he wouldn’t test his theory. He would romance her a little before they tumbled into bed again. At least that was the plan. He glanced at her mouth— unless she kept smiling at him and arousing him until he lost control. Then all bets were off and he’d take the first opportunity to slide his cock into her sweet pussy.
* * *
Reassured by their conversation, Kira slowly relaxed. During the course of the meal, she was delighted to find his gaze centered on her. Although he didn’t talk much, he still managed to give the impression that she had his complete attention.
As they left the restaurant, he reached for her hand linking his fingers through hers.
Yes! They walked back to his car in a comfortable silence.
Stopping by the passenger door, he glanced up at the starlit sky before looking at her.
“It’s a beautiful night,” she said.
He nodded. “The quality of the beauty of a night is all in the company.”
She smiled.
“Would you like to go for a drive?”
She wanted to be fucked but if she expected him to treat her with a modicum of respect, she’d have to stop thinking with her pussy. “I’d love to.”
After a forty-minute drive, he parked in a section of Fairmount Park she’d never been in before. She found studying the stars in silence so tranquil her lids drooped. The next thing she knew he had his arm around her, gently shaking her awake.
She sat up, blinking in surprise. They were in her apartment complex parking lot. She turned to look at him. “What are we doing here?”
“I drove here.”
“When?”
“We’ve been here for fifteen minutes.”
How long had she slept? “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”
He arched a brow. “I don’t know if my ego can stand the beating you just gave it by falling asleep the moment we were alone a
gain.”
She bit her lip and then laughed.
“Damn, woman. You fall asleep on me and then you laugh in my face. If your plan is to bruise my ego, you’re right on target.”
She shook her head, her lips quivering as she tried to suppress laughter. “I didn’t sleep well last night,” she said. “My plan for tonight included a light meal, a warm bath, and then reading in bed until I fell asleep.”
He brushed the back of his hand against the side of her neck. “And?”
“And…so you’ll have to forgive me.”
“Will I?”
“Yes. You will.”
He leaned close enough to kiss her ear. “I’ll think about it,” he said, and slipped out of the car.
At least he didn’t sound angry.
Opening the passenger door, he helped her alight. He guided her towards the entrance with a hand in her back. “I’ll see you inside.”
“I’d like that.”
At her apartment door, he tipped up her chin.
She met his gaze. Take me to bed and spend the night with me.
He pressed a warm, sweet kiss against her lips.
She leaned against him, parting her lips and welcoming his tongue into her mouth. Lord she loved the feel and taste of his tongue and lips.
Cupping her ass in his palms he drew her closer.
The warmth of his palms seemed to burn through her clothes, quickly arousing her passions. Ready to surrender completely to him, she slipped her arms around his neck. Fuck me. Please.
Even though he must have known how much she wanted him, after a sweet but brief interlude, he lifted his head and stepped away from her.
Hell. What did a woman have to do to get him back in bed?
He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. “Even though you’ve done your best to give me an inferiority complex, I’ll call you,” he said.
Forget the calling shit and spend the night with me. “Please do,” she said in a voice she hoped concealed her frustration.
He stroked his free hand down her back to cup her ass again. “Trust me. I will.”
Please spend the night with me.
He bent to kiss her again, gently caressing her ass as he did.
She trembled, clenching her fists at her sides to keep from wrapping her arms around his neck again. He clearly didn’t intend to stay.
He lifted his head, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. “Good night, sweet.”
Remember men don’t like clingy women. Taking his hand in hers, she brushed her lips against his fingers. “Good night,” she whispered and walked inside her apartment before she surrendered to the urge to beg him to stay.
Closing her eyes, she leaned against the door. Perhaps the evening would have ended differently had she not fallen asleep on him. That would not happen again. She pushed herself away from the entrance door.
He filled her thoughts as she undressed and prepared for bed. After rereading the same paragraph of her e-book over and over on her tablet, she decided it was time to go to sleep. As she drifted off, her phone rang. Yawning and stretching, she reached for her cell phone lying on the nightstand. She glanced at the screen. C. Dean.
Smiling, she touched the speakerphone button on her smart phone screen. “Hello?”
“Hi. I know it’s late, but I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Not quite.”
“Good. I wanted to ask you to spend tomorrow afternoon and evening with me.”
“What did you have in mind?” Not that it mattered. It would take an act of God to keep her from agreeing to see him again.
“I thought we could have a late lunch, spend a few hours doing whatever you’d like to do, and then have dinner together—unless you’d rather do something else.”
“Something else? Such as?”
“I’m sure you can guess what I’d like to do but its ladies’ choice.”
She was too delighted to hear from him so soon to even consider playing hard to get. “I’d love to spend the afternoon and evening with you.”
“That’s music to my ears.”
She smiled. He sounded sincere. “Then we’re on the same page.”
“Great. I know you’re tired so I won’t keep you any longer. I’ll see you around 11:30 tomorrow.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Sweet dreams, Kira.”
“And to you, Carter.”
Still smiling, she put her phone down, turned off the light, and lay thinking about him until she fell asleep.
* * *
“About tonight,” Carter said.
“What about tonight?” Dan asked as they walked into his kitchen after their weekend morning run. He opened the refrigerator and tossed a cold bottle of water at Carter. “Let me guess. You’ve made other plans for tonight that don’t include coming to my party.”
Carter opened the bottle and drank half of the contents before responding. “Exactly.”
“Your date last night went that well?” He straddled one of the kitchen chairs.
Carter hesitated before deciding not to mention the effect having Kira kiss his hand the previous night had had on him. “It didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.”
Dan grinned. “She sent you home with your tail between your legs instead of letting you spend the night with her?”
He shrugged. “I went home by mutual agreement, but we ended the evening on a positive note.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You can bring her with you tonight, you know.”
He nodded. “I know, but I’d rather not.”
Dan gave him a long look. “I’m guessing that means you want her all to yourself.”
“You guess right.”
“Hmm. You expect to score tonight?”
For some reason the question annoyed the hell out of Carter. “No I am not expecting to score and you know what? I’ll thank you to stop talking about her as if you think she’s easy.”
Dan stared at him for several moments before responding. “You’re far too touchy where she’s concerned to continue to pretend that she’s not under your damned skin, old son.”
He finished his water and tossed the empty bottle at Dan, who batted it away and into the trashcan. “Why don’t you get a life and stay the hell out of my business?”
“As long as we’re best friends, your business is my business—just as mine is yours. Why don’t you bring her tonight? Just stay long enough to let her know you’re interested enough to introduce her to your friends.”
“Who says I’m that interested?”
“I do. I’m eager to meet the woman who’s had such a huge effect on you. So bring her.”
“Maybe I will—if she wants to come.”
Dan rose and walked over to the range. “Steak and eggs?”
He nodded. “Sounds good.”
“You want to talk about her?”
He stared at Dan’s back. “Are you serious?”
Dan turned to face him. “Damn right I’m serious.”
“We’re not teenagers anymore.”
“You don’t have to be a teenager to want to discuss a woman who rocks your world to your best friend.”
He decided it was no point in disagreeing with the obvious. “You’re right.”
“So? Let’s talk about her.”
“Fine. What do you want to know about her? I’ll tell you the little that I know.”
Dan grinned. “Everything you know.”
After a breakfast washed down with a cold beer and a conversation centered almost exclusively around Kira, Carter left Dan’s apartment to go home to shower and change. Then, instead of doing something productive, he sat on his patio and thought about Kira. His eagerness to see her made the hours before he was due at her apartment seem endless.
No matter how much he admonished himself to get a grip on his emotions, the thought of seeing her again in a few hours left him feeling like a teenager caught up in the emotion and power of a first lustful crush.
He recalled her warm smile. Then his thoughts turned more carnal as he fantasized about slowly undressing her until every inch of her dark warm flesh was on display. Once she was nude, he’d feast his gaze on her large, natural breasts, her surprisingly sexy stomach, her big legs, and of course her exquisite pussy.
Damn but he wanted to fuck her so badly he ached. But even if it killed him, he would be patient. He knew that she didn’t want to be treated like an easy lay. And he wouldn’t treat her like one. He would not try to sleep with her tonight.
Chapter Six
Finally, it was time to pick her up. On the way to her apartment he stopped at a florist shop to pick up flowers and candy. When she opened the door and smiled at him, he longed to snatch her into his arms and smother her lips with endless, greedy kisses before pushing her against the nearest wall for a quick fuck.
Instead, he smiled at her. “Hi. These are for you.”
“Oh, Carter. The flowers are beautiful and you’ve brought candy too.”
“Hopefully the candy is half as sweet as you are,” he said and resisted the urge to lean down to kiss her lush lips. He turned his attentions to her apparel. She wore a blue dress that fell just below her knees. It didn’t particularly highlight any of her physical attributes, but it suited her. “You look lovely.” He said.
“Thank you.” She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “Come in and I’ll put the flowers in water and the candy away.”
He followed her inside, his gaze locked on her ass. Thoughts of holding her bare cheeks in his palms again just before spanking them aroused him. Calm down, Carter. She wants to be romanced and you’re not adverse to romancing her. So no sex tonight. Just romance.
In the living room, she gestured to her sofa. “Have a seat.” On her way out the door she looked over her shoulder at him. “Where are my manners? Would you like a drink?”
He shook his head. “No. Thanks.”
“I’ll be right back.”
He nodded and walked across the room to look out her living room window. She had a view of an adjacent apartment building. He stood staring down into the street until she returned to the room ten minutes later.
“I’m ready.”
He turned to face her, smiling. “Great. There’s a nice park setting adjacent to my apartment complex. I thought we could have a picnic there. What do you think? Are you in the mood for a picnic?”