“You’ve got it all wrong, Liza,” he said, leaning in close to her. She shivered when he placed his arm around her shoulders.
He took her hand and she hitched in a gasp when he placed it squarely in the middle of his shorts. She’d been so busy feeling sorry for herself that she hadn’t noticed his erection.
“Does this look like I don’t want to see you anymore?”
She held her hand still and bit her lip, knowing what she wanted to do, not knowing if she dared.
Liza sucked in a breath, then slowly reached over and tentatively slid her hand beneath his shorts.
She bit her lip again.
He wore no underwear.
She touched the silky tip of his engorged penis, discovered a bead of moisture there, barely aware that he was bending his head toward her, closing the gap between them, until she felt his finger lift her chin.
Liza met his eyes briefly, and saw the heat of desire in them. This was a man who wanted her, not someone who wanted to throw away what was just beginning.
But she had to be sure.
He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, forcing her to look into his eyes.
“Well, does it?” he demanded softly.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. He was sexually attracted to her. That much was obvious, but she wanted more than just a brief fling with Anthony. What that meant, she didn’t know.
“No, it certainly doesn’t. But what does your heart say?”
Anthony didn’t say a word, but lifted her right hand and slowly kissed each and every knuckle.
“It says I want you. It says I need you.”
Does it say that you love me? she wanted to ask, but she didn’t dare. The tender moment would have broken, the answer perhaps not want she wanted to hear.
No, she decided to herself, this was better. The exquisite joy of discovery, the painful longing to be with him, the angst of waiting, would all be worth it in the end.
At least she hoped so.
His penis throbbed against her hand, so velvety and hot to the touch that she wanted to purr.
“Maybe our hearts are speaking the same language?” she whispered, as she gazed into his eyes. “What do you think, Doctor?”
Anthony kissed the side of her neck. “Only one way to find out.”
His lips brushed against hers, softly teasing her mouth open until her tongue darted out, curious and brazen.
Without breaking contact from her mouth, he placed his warm hands lightly on both sides of her head, fingers splayed into her hair.
Liza slid her hands around his waist, succumbing. Her mouth parted, her heart completely open to him.
Anthony kissed her deeply, lovingly, possessing her lips, inciting the dark spirit of her passion as they sank back onto the sofa.
She reached between them, trying to grab hold of his penis, trying to claim what was now hers. He grunted and stood up, and she stretched catlike, watching him disrobe.
There were no curtains and no blinds on the large windows of the great room. She felt herself moisten with the thought that someone might be watching them make sweet afternoon love.
She turned on her side and gasped as Anthony lay beside her, his warm body aligning with hers. She felt herself tremble when he gathered her in his arms.
“This sofa is so narrow,” she whispered as she slipped her hands around his waist and drew him closer. But really, it wasn’t narrow at all. She just preferred to be as close to him as possible, but felt too shy at the moment to tell him.
His erection thumped against her fully clothed belly, and she yearned to grab hold of it again, and feel it against her own skin and never let go.
She held back, and instead, her hands boldly rounded his bare, round buttocks, and his muscles tightened in response.
“Liza...” he groaned as he rolled on top of her.
She traced a finger slowly up his spine, drawing a series of short gasps from him, and she began to massage his right buttock with her other hand.
His eyes were closed, as if he was dreaming, and he seemed content to stroke his hand through her hair, keeping his lips hovering near hers.
The subtle heat made her cheeks flush, and not able to wait any longer, her hands left his back and buttocks, and she brought his face to fully meet hers.
Their kisses lengthened with every minute that passed, and her heart thudded in her chest so hard she was sure he could feel it.
Suddenly, he stopped and lifted his body up from hers. When he stood, she panicked momentarily.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, barely able to keep her eyes off his rock-hard abdomen.
“Nothing, I just want you right here.”
Liza bent towards his engorged flesh and opened her mouth, then cried out when he swiftly picked her up by the waist, and gave her another kiss.
She giggled and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist.
“Bad girl,” he teased, slapping her ass lightly.
She held on tight to his neck and kissed him back, enjoying the feel as his hands slipped under her dress and over her white cotton bikini. He slid one finger, then two along the waistband, as if asking permission to remove them.
Though Liza wiggled to help him, the position was awkward and she didn’t want to release her thighs from his waist. So he snuck his hands under her panties and he cupped her buttocks.
The pads of his fingers flexed and pressed into her bare skin, and she moaned with pleasure at the feel of his hands and the sound of fabric ripping.
But her sundress was caught between them, an unwanted barrier that frustrated her. So she wiggled again in his arms and finally he caught on, reaching one hand up her back.
She held on tight as he drew her zipper down while kissing her hard, driving his tongue into her mouth. Like a viper, it met with her own, hot and wet, sweeping and sinking deeper. She allowed him no constraints, stretching her limits, widening her passion.
She wanted more. So much more.
Liza moaned and clenched her thighs even tighter around his hips, as the low, decadent sound of a saxophone filtered through the room.
She broke away from him, raising her arms briefly, so he could remove her sundress. Anthony swiveled on his heels and hitched her up higher on his hips.
The wet crotch of her panties, hot and moist, slid against his long, hard flesh and she longed to be completely naked against him. Longed for him to be inside her, moving within, taking possession, like he had the night before.
She thought he would take her right there, in the open living room, but he suddenly turned on his bare feet.
“Hold on,” he murmured low into her ear.
She closed her eyes and did as he asked, anchoring her arms around his neck, tightening her legs around his hips, buffered by his large hands gripping the backs of her upper thighs.
Anthony laid her gently on his bed, and then slowly slipped off her underwear. He nuzzled her neck until she laughed aloud and begged him to stop, tears streaming out of her eyes.
His lips came next, planting tender new memories wherever they landed on her sensitive skin.
Suddenly, she surprised him with a long and lingering kiss that spoke the loving words she didn’t have the courage to say.
When she was done, he flopped back against the pillow and uttered a slow whistle.
“Whoa. That was some kiss. What was that about?”
She propped herself up on one elbow, and grinned at him.
“I’m the kind of woman who takes what she wants.”
He caressed the underside of one breast, watching her eyes. “What do you mean?”
Liza took a long look at the man lying before her. He was hard as a rock and ripe for straddling. She licked her lips, closed her palm at
the base of his thick flesh, and slowly positioned herself over his hips.
“Why don’t I just show you?” she said in a low, sexy tone, as she eased his shaft into her body.
She began to rock slowly back and forth, then up and down, varying the rhythm and the intensity.
He got up on both elbows and laved at the nipple of her left breast, then her right, drawing each into his mouth and lovingly sucking each one, as she arched her back, and begged for more.
Finally, still inside her, he settled back on the pillow and his hands rounded her ass. She held back a scream of pleasure as he thrust up into her with a loud grunt, piercing her.
“I’m giving you control, baby. I’m just gonna hold on.”
She steadied her hands on his shoulders and tightened her core. The freedom to do what she wanted made her move upon him even faster, gaining heat, gaining friction, until she suddenly cried out.
Together they shattered...and soared.
* * *
Liza woke up; her mind was in a complete fog. For a moment, she didn’t know if it was the same day or a different day. Then she felt a hand gently brushing a few strands of hair from her forehead, then a soft kiss.
She shivered with delight and remembered.
She was with Anthony Marbet, the man she loved.
And the thought scared her to death.
Liza turned over on her side, away from his embrace.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to look at you fully clothed the same way again,” she said, reaching down to pull the covers over her naked body.
“And that’s a bad thing?” He got up on one elbow, leaned over and kissed her shoulder. “Because to tell you the truth? I could get used to this.”
She ignored him, but kept on pulling, feeling her breasts jiggle with the effort.
Finally, she stopped, propped herself up by the elbows to have a look. Somehow the sheet had gotten wound around his right lower calf. And by the grin on his face, the man wasn’t letting go.
Liza gave up and flopped back against the pillow.
“What do you mean by ‘this’?” she asked.
He trailed a finger down the cleft between her breasts, and she felt her nipples stiffen.
“Seeing you. Naked in my bed. I love it.”
“I love it, too.”
He bent over and licked each hard tip, just once, in response.
But do you love me? she wanted to ask, as she held back a moan from the heat of his tongue.
She watched Anthony kick the sheets off his legs, and then looked into his eyes and held her breath. It seemed as though he were waiting for her to decide the next move.
But she didn’t want to think about the future, or even tomorrow.
And when he pulled her close to him, right where she wanted to be, she breathed again and felt complete.
* * *
In the third afterglow of their lovemaking, Liza stretched like a cat in Anthony’s arms, but she was by no means tired. Her knuckle brushed against the side of her jaw, grazing her scar, and her heart sank.
He hadn’t said a thing about her scar, not last night, not ever. But why?
Perhaps she should be glad that he didn’t, but on the other hand, it bothered her that he didn’t care enough to ask. She wanted to hear him say that her scar didn’t bother him, that he liked her, or better yet, loved her, in spite of her flaws.
Her mind would have swirled on, but Anthony’s voice reeled her back into reality.
“Oh crap, I have to be at the hospital in thirty minutes. Night shift.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and turned back to look at her. “See, baby, you are already messing with my schedule.”
He started to reach toward his phone on the night table, but she stopped him and frowned. “We always seem to get interrupted, don’t we?”
He cupped her cheek. “Listen, Liza, I can separate this pretty easily from everything else,” he said, matter-of-factly. “From my job, from the building project, from all the other bullcrap in my life.”
She listened to his words, and at the same time, tried to figure out the meaning behind them.
He tugged lightly at her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.
“This is my space, our space, to enjoy and pleasure each other with no limits and no commitment.”
No commitment.
The unexpected shock of those two words felt like a bucket of cold water dumped from behind. The one thing she feared, the realization that Anthony would not want a commitment, was happening.
Men are players—from the very beginning—get used to it.
The harsh words of her mother replayed in her mind, and once again, she struggled with discouraging thoughts.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the tears.
Anthony was a cosmetic surgeon, in the business of cultivating perfection. She would never be perfect, surely he realized that, and yet, it felt as if he were rejecting her. The sting of hurt was worse now that they’d made love, not once, but multiple times.
Liza had read in a book once that men could compartmentalize their feelings, which made her think of a row of safe-deposit boxes at a bank. All heavily guarded, locked down. Only able to be opened in a private room, with a key.
There was a treasure trove of pleasure to be had in Anthony’s bedroom, but what she really wanted was his heart.
“No commitment, huh?” she said, opening her eyes and forcing her voice to sound light and airy. “Can I consider our contract broken?”
“Only if you want to be sued by kisses.”
Liza couldn’t tell if he was serious or just playing along. But before she could ask, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “I’m headed for the shower.”
She trailed a finger down his chest. “Can I join you?”
He shook his head. “I wish, but I don’t want to be late. Can I get a rain check?”
Liza hid her disappointment behind a smile and watched as his fine, muscular body exited into the adjoining bathroom. The very image of seeing him wet and sexy in a towel made her suck in her breath.
Liza dressed quickly, long enough to hear Anthony humming in the shower, a song she recognized from the nineties. The male singer had died too soon, yet he’d left a legacy of music that had sparked many a love affair.
Maybe it was a sign, or maybe he just liked old-school jams.
You can’t measure a lifetime in one night, the singer crooned.
She laughed bitterly, realizing how true the lyrics were in her own situation, and tears filled her eyes.
Before leaving, she texted him a quick note.
Had fun. Going home to take a shower. TTYL?
She stared at the question mark in her text. It reflected how she felt about her and Anthony’s relationship at the moment.
Lots of questions and no easy answers.
Chapter 13
At 7 a.m. the next morning, Anthony returned home, fatigued and famished. All he wanted to do was grab a quick bowl of cereal, watch a bit of the morning news and then crash into bed.
He straggled into his condo and shut the door.
“It’s about time you got here,” Doc Z shouted. “I’ve been waiting up for you all night.”
“You really didn’t have to do that, Doc,” Anthony said. He tossed his keys onto the entrance hall table and glanced at his reflection in the mirror above.
I’m a big boy.
Liza had said as much last night, when they had made love. He grinned, remembering the sound of her teasing, sensual voice, which had quickly turned into moans when she’d taken him in her mouth.
Anthony remembered it all in vivid detail. The memories of making love to Liza had helped to keep him awake, and at the same time, w
ere the perfect fodder for the guilt that had plagued him all night long.
He’d hated leaving her last night, and the time before, but there was nothing he could do. He was a doctor and his patients were his first priority. Now he wondered just how long it would take Liza to get tired of him.
He knew his track record with women. Most couldn’t understand his ambition and his need to help people. But deep down, he knew that Liza was different. She was good for him, and that’s what scared him the most.
Anthony sighed, kicked off his shoes and walked into the great room.
“You’re in my chair,” he said in a half-joking tone.
Doc turned in his seat and used the remote to mute the television.
“What did I do?” he blurted out, as if offended. “I sat down, flipped up the recliner and fell asleep waiting for you.”
Anthony sank down into a second recliner, which was identical to “his” favorite chair, but didn’t have the same feel.
“You could have gone to bed.”
Doc laughed. “And miss the chance to bust your chops? No way!” He switched off the television. “Besides, I figure you owe me, after what I did for you last night.”
Anthony raised a brow. “By staying out of sight?”
“Yeah.” Doc took a sip out of his coffee cup. “Want some? It’s fresh and hot.”
He shook his head. “No. The plan is to go to sleep, not stay awake. But I appreciate the offer, and the time alone last night.”
“But I take it you weren’t alone for long,” Doc insinuated, with a slow grin.
“No, Liza stopped by,” Anthony responded, deliberately being vague.
“And?” Doc prompted.
He shrugged. “We talked.”
Anthony watched him get up, walk over to the mini-bar and pour himself another cup of coffee.
Doc turned. “You better do more than talk to keep a woman like Liza happy.”
He glanced over at his friend and mentor. “What do you mean by that?”
“All I’m saying is, don’t make the same mistakes I did,” Doc advised when he returned to his seat. “I had a great career and I’ve got a lot of material possessions to show for it. I only wish I had a woman to enjoy it all with.”
Winning the Doctor Page 14