Like usual, I lay down beside her while she caught her breath. Her hands slid over the slickness on her chest. She loved the feel, the salty taste, and the texture. Who was I to argue? She paid me a lot of money for a teaspoon of ejaculate.
“Thanks, Luca. I know this would be weird for most, but you’ve always given me what I needed without question.” She wiped her chest off with her T-shirt. When she turned on her side, I pulled her into my arms.
“We all have our things.” The truth was, I was a vanilla guy on my own. I’d experienced enough kink to last a lifetime. I didn’t need whips, toys, or bondage to get me off. All I wanted was to feel love when I made love.
Chapter 7
It was just shy of nine o’clock when I called Mim. “What are you doing?” I asked when she answered on the first ring.
“Grading papers for Saunders. Are you on a break?” There was a crinkling noise in the background.
I leaned against the black iron railing of her front steps. “I’m off for the night, and I’m on your porch.” I’d stepped on the subway with every intention of going home, but I’d found myself on the line that led to her place. “I thought about getting ice cream. Would you care to join me?”
“Is that even a question? Anything to save me from grading papers. I’ll be right down.”
When the door flew open, she ran into my arms. “And I thought I was just a distraction from grading papers.” I ran my fingers through her hair and pulled her to me. When I pressed my lips against hers, all thoughts of Rocky Road left my mind. I could be satisfied standing here consuming the sweetness of her mouth.
Her hands roamed my chest. She pushed her body into mine, forcing my hardening length to press against her hip. If we didn’t get moving, I’d break the rule I had about public sex and take her right here on the front stoop.
It took every bit of strength to break away. Everything about her drew me in. She was the yin to my yang. The light to my darkness. She smelled like lilacs and tasted like honey. I felt like a hungry bee around her.
I entered ice cream into my phone, and we followed the directions to Dixon's. It was two doors down from Geno’s. Mim ordered a banana split, while I went with my old standby of Rocky Road.
She ate her banana split one flavor at a time, starting with the chocolate. “I’m glad you got off early.”
Sometimes her wording held double meaning for me. How close she came to the truth scared me. “I only had one thing to take care of, and it was quick and easy. I bet you haven’t spent many Friday nights alone.”
“If you want to know about my past dating life, ask. I’m an open book, Luca. I value honesty above all else.” She moved on to the vanilla scoop.
I was screwed. I could love her. I could respect her, and I could give her everything but complete honesty. “When was your last relationship, and why did it end?”
“It was with a guy named Mike, and it ended because he couldn’t handle the strength of my personality. We broke up about six months ago. I decided against dating until I found someone special. That guy was you.”
“I like your strength, but I’m Italian, and most Italian women are ball busters, so you feel like home to me.” Of course, that called for a kiss, and in the process, I dumped my cone on the ground.
“Let’s go back to my place. We can watch a movie or talk.” She didn’t wait for my response; she turned toward her house and marched up the street with purpose.
I’d follow her anywhere, but her house was the least appealing place for me to be. One floor down, her father would be judging me.
When we entered the brownstone, I eyed the main level looking for her dad until she led me upstairs into her apartment. Decorated in warm, earthy tones, it was inviting and comfortable. With a living room, a kitchen, and a small dining area, it was spacious. I assumed there would be a bedroom and a bathroom down the narrow hallway, but I didn’t ask, and she didn’t offer to show it to me. When she went to the kitchen to make tea, I walked around her place and looked at the pictures that lined her bookshelves. There were photos of her in front of a pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the Taj Mahal. She’d been all over the world. She lived a life most people would dream about. She could have her pick of anyone, and yet here I was in her apartment, getting ready to watch a movie and drink tea.
Why me?
I picked up a picture of Mim standing in front of a cherry blossom tree. Her father smiled in the photo, but his eyes appeared to bore into me. I put the picture down and walked away. When I turned around, his knowing blue eyes seemed to follow me. No matter where I stood, he stared.
“What are you doing?” Mim walked toward me with a tray containing a teapot, two cups, honey, and cream.
I looked back at the photo. “I’m trying to find a place where I can stand and your dad isn’t staring at me with a look that says get out of my daughter’s house.” I took the tray from her hands and set it on the coffee table in front of us.
“I know, weird, right? The light hit his eyes in just a way that they seem to follow you around.” She walked to the shelf and lowered the picture face down. “You don’t have to worry about my dad. Once he gets to know you, he’ll like and respect you.”
Fat chance of that. The man knew who I was, and he’d already warned me off his daughter once. The problem was, I couldn’t stay away from her. I felt something for Mim I hadn’t felt for anyone in years. I’d boxed up and buried my emotions long ago, but Mim with her quick wit and sass tore into my once impenetrable shield.
“What are we watching?” I asked.
Mim poured tea and doctored it with honey and milk before she slid next to me on the couch. She curled her legs up and leaned into my body. It felt natural to put my arm around her and pull her close.
“Comedy, drama, thriller, or love story?” She pulled up the on-demand menu and waited for my answer.
“I love scary movies, but I’ll watch anything with you.” I sipped the tea she’d prepared. It was the perfect mix of creamy and sweet.
“Scary it is, then.” She scrolled through the menu and chose the movie Sinister. “Have you seen this movie?” She pressed play and snuggled in closer.
Somewhere deep inside, I hoped she scared easily. I’d be happy to have her jump in my lap during an intense scene.
It didn’t take long for the movie to turn dark. When Ellison found the Super 8 videos in the attic, I knew I’d get my wish. By the fifteen-minute mark, Mim was sitting in my lap with a blanket pulled up to her nose, her eyes peeking above it.
Mim was a powerhouse, but deep inside she was just as vulnerable as the rest of us. Privilege didn’t make her stronger or braver. It just gave her different options.
When the credits rolled, I turned her on my lap and ran the backside of my fingers down her cheek. She was smooth and perfect. She reminded me of an airbrushed picture, without a blemish or freckle to mar her skin.
“You’re so beautiful. Why me, Mim?”
Her eyes held a thousand messages, all of them filled with kindness. She touched her lips to mine and spoke. “You had the courage to call me on my shit that first day. I like a man who isn’t afraid to be honest about who he is, and what he feels.”
She captured my mouth with hers and deepened the kiss. By the time I broke free, she was breathless and squirming in my lap. The motion of her bottom moving against my dick only increased the tension that grew in my jeans. Her words increased the tension that grew in my heart. I’d never lied to her, but I’d skated the truth several times. I wasn’t ready to confess my sins to anyone at this point, and I knew if I stayed any longer, I’d want to be skin to skin with this woman. To move forward, I’d have to go back and tell her everything from the beginning.
Not gonna' happen; tonight was too perfect to ruin.
“I gotta go.” I slipped out from under her and grabbed my jacket from the back of the couch.
“Don’t go.” She rose from the sofa and wrapped her hands around my waist.
&n
bsp; “I have to go, Mim. You’re too tempting, and I don’t want what’s happening between us to be a temporary thing. I want more.” I couldn’t believe I’d confessed my inner feelings to her. I wasn’t even aware of them myself until the words spilled from my mouth. “I’ll be here at nine.”
After another heart-stilting kiss at her door, I raced down the steps and out the front entrance, where I came to a dead stop after I bounced off her father. He was looking none too happy to see me.
“Mr. Knight.” I nodded my head at him.
“Luca, you have perfect timing. Stay there a moment.” He unlocked the front door for Mrs. Knight and saw her safely inside.
Mim got her good looks from her mother. She was a stunning woman—petite and feminine, with the same dark chocolate hair as Mim. The only difference was in the eyes; whereas her mother had emerald green eyes, Mim’s were as blue as the Caribbean Sea.
I was leaning against the wrought iron rail when Marcus Knight appeared.
“Let’s walk, Luca.” Marcus looked over his shoulder toward the door. I wondered what Mim would do if she knew her father was going to give me a tongue-lashing. “You’re in need of money, and I can help. What will it take to get rid of you?”
His words stung. This wasn’t how I’d envisioned my relationship with my girlfriend’s father. Girlfriend? My heart had made the decision before my mind could catch up.
“I know how you feel about me, but I’m not the man you assume I am.”
“Do you have sex for money, Luca?” The impact of each word felt like a dagger to my soul.
“Yes.” How could I deny the truth? I pleasured women for a living, but it wasn’t who I was.
“Are you having sex with my daughter?”
“No. I refuse to have sex with her until I’ve left the service.” Did I see relief in his expression? “I care about your daughter. She’s an amazing woman.”
“Yes, she is, and I want her to stay that way. I appreciate your honesty, Luca. I don’t know your story or what brought you to the point where you had to make the decisions you did, but you’re not right for Mim.”
“Don’t judge me on my past, let me prove my worth to you. I’m a good man, and I won’t hurt Mim.” I prayed I could keep that promise. I never wanted to hurt her. I wanted to make her happy, to be the reason behind her brilliant smile.
We had walked a block before he stopped. “You’ll hurt her by not being honest with her. You’ll hurt the both of you.” He buttoned up his jacket as the wind whipped around the corner. “I love my daughter, and I don’t want to see her hurt. Make the right decisions, Luca. Show me you’re a good man. I have a feeling you are. Prove me right.”
I jammed my hands into my jeans pockets. “Are you asking me to step away? If you are, I can’t do it. Mim makes me want to be a better man. I promise I’ll do right by her.”
“I’ll be keeping my eyes open, Luca.” He turned and started to walk away, but he stopped and said, “Get tested before you ever sleep with my daughter. You owe her that much.”
What Marcus didn’t know was I got tested every month. I practiced safe sex, but things, like Claire dropping to her knees and sucking my dick, happened on occasion.
When I reached my apartment, I felt defeated. How could I have a relationship with Mim when her father was dead set against it? Prove him wrong. The words echoed in my brain. I deserved good things, too, and I would prove myself worthy.
I tossed and turned the entire night. One question invaded my thoughts. Should I come clean with Mim before things became more serious? Was not telling her everything, lying? I decided if she asked for specifics, I’d give them to her. Otherwise, I’d keep those details to myself.
Chapter 8
At exactly nine o’clock, I stood on Mim’s porch with her favorite tea in my hand. I called her number and waited for her to answer.
“Hello, sexy. I’ll be right down.” She didn’t give me a chance to respond before she hung up, but she was out the front door within seconds.
Dressed in jeans and a purple cotton tee, she looked like a teenager. Her long hair was pulled back into a clip, and her face was free of makeup.
Many women needed the addition of makeup to enhance their looks, but Mim could never be described as plain. She had thick, dark eyelashes that fluttered against her cheeks when she closed her eyes. She flushed with a rosy glow, and her lips were a natural raspberry red, so succulent that I craved to feast on them all day.
“Good morning, beautiful.” I handed her the tea and snuck in a quick kiss before we walked down the steps. “You look pretty spry for nine o’clock on a Sunday.”
She shook her head. “My parents like seven o’clock Mass.” Her fingers traced the dark circles under my eyes. “What kept you up? You look tired.” She dropped her hand and laced her fingers with mine.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind, but mostly I was thinking about you, and how quickly I’m falling for you.”
Shit. What the hell was wrong with me? I had dysentery of the mouth. When I was with her, all of my real feelings seemed to find their way from my heart to my lips without stopping to check with my brain first.
She squeezed my hand. “I like that you’re falling for me. It’s such a shit show when you’re alone in an emotion like that.” She leaned her head on my arm, and we walked the four blocks to her favorite egg place, The Yellow Vase.
We sat at the counter in front of the window and watched people pass by as she ate her corned beef hash and eggs and I devoured a western omelet.
“‘Mim’ is an unusual name. I heard your dad call you Miriam at the fundraiser. Is that your real name?” The city was bustling with life. Even on Sunday, nothing slowed down.
“Miriam is my grandmother on my mum’s side. It was too grown up of a name when I was little, so my parents called me Mim, and it stuck.” She sipped at the fresh tea she ordered. “Miriam is way too regal for me. I’m more Mim than Miriam. Maybe someday I’ll grow into it.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“I like Mim; it’s unique like you. I also love the way you say ‘mum’. It’s so sweet, but how in the heck did you manage to mix an English accent with the Jersey Shore?” I knew she’d want to reach out and slug me, and she did, right in the muscle of my right arm. “Ouch.”
“Jersey Shore? I do not sound like I’m from Jersey. I’m a hybrid New Yorker, with a lot of East Coast influence. I probably picked up a bit more than I should have from one of the nuns at my school, but I loved her, and I copied her speech patterns and mannerisms. If you don’t like my diction, you’ll have to speak to Sister Roberta West.”
“Catholic school?”
“Yes. You?”
I placed two twenties on the table and walked Mim out of the restaurant. “I don’t think there’s a Gregorio around who hasn’t been Catholic school educated. My parents would have it no other way. There are five of us boys, and I’m sure Saint Mary’s will be happy when the last of us graduates next year.”
“Are all of your brothers as cute as you?”
“Are you looking for a new Italian boyfriend?” We walked hand in hand down the street. “I have four brothers who would fall helplessly in love with you in an instant, but then I’d have to kill them. I’m not great at sharing.”
“I’m not good at sharing either.” She ran her hand up my arm and hugged it tightly. “Are you my boyfriend, Luca?”
“I’d like to be.” Her father wouldn’t be happy, but knowing she was mine would help get me through the next couple months, and during that time I would make her feel like the most cherished and loved of all girlfriends.
“I’d like that, too. Now take me to your apartment. I want to see where my boyfriend lives.”
“It’s going to be a disappointment compared to your place.” What would she think when she saw my little apartment? “I’ll take you there, but you can’t judge me, okay? I’m a poor college student.” At least it was clean.
We jumped on the subway and exited about twenty
minutes later. I lived near Soho, which was a pretty hip place to live, but my apartment was blocks away from the best neighborhood. All in all, it was safe, convenient, and affordable by New York standards.
“Posh tile in the entry.” She looked at the travertine tile that had been recently installed. My landlord was doing some upgrades, and I hoped it wouldn’t raise my rent.
Posh? Her English side was showing itself again. “Yes, it’s new, but I liked the old tile. It felt like home, but I’m getting used to this tile. It’s pretty swanky.”
“Swanky? Who says that?”
“My dad.”
“I’d love to meet your parents someday.” She followed me up three flights of stairs. “It’s no wonder your legs are as solid as steel.” She used the handrail to drag herself up the last few steps.
“You noticed.” She’d been checking out my legs at the gym. “Between the stairs and the gym, I stay in decent shape.”
I slid my key into the lock and opened the door. I breathed deeply when we entered, praying my apartment didn’t smell like sweaty socks or some other kind of funk, but all I smelled was my cologne.
“It smells like you.” She walked into my home, and it immediately felt warm and cozy. “Your cologne has a hint of cinnamon that I love.” She pulled me down and buried her nose into the curve of my neck. “It’s Burberry, isn’t it?”
“You have a good nose.” I walked her deeper into my apartment and closed the door. “Can I get you something? I have regular tea, not Tetley or PG Tips, but I’ll get some for the future, along with honey and milk. Otherwise, I have diet soda, coffee, and water.”
“Nope, I don’t need anything. Just a tour.”
Without waiting for me, she wandered down the short hallway to my bedroom. It wasn’t anything fancy. It had a queen-sized bed and dresser. My clothes had been picked up from the corners, and my ties had been removed from the bed frame. It looked tidy, although a bit plain.
Honor Roll Page 7