Stronger

by Janet Nissenson

  “Hey, knock it off, okay?” Dante scolded her. “You do not need to starve yourself. Or lose anywhere near twenty pounds. I think you look great just the way you are. Especially in that dress. It, ah, shows off all your best assets.”

  She blushed profusely at his very pointed comment, especially when his eyes dropped to her breasts. Her tits really were spectacular, he thought as he took a slow sip of champagne - full and high and temptingly round. He wondered if her skin was that same pale olive tone all over, and if her breasts and belly and ass felt as soft as her hand had done when clasped in his a few minutes ago.

  It was the arrival of the appetizer course - beef tartare for him and smoked salmon for her - that put an abrupt halt to Dante’s lecherous imaginings. And reminded him that he was absolutely not supposed to have such thoughts about the young woman seated across from him. This was strictly a friendly, casual dinner, and not to be construed in any way, shape, or form as an official date. They would enjoy a nice meal, finish off the bottle of champagne, and then he would bring her home and that would be the end of it. After tonight Cara would simply be one of the assistants who worked for his friend Nick and his girlfriend/business partner Angela. He would see her once or twice a month when he stopped by the office to see Nick, they would exchange pleasantries, and there would be no more dates that weren’t really dates. He’d start hitting up the clubs and bars and other hangouts where single, beautiful, and willing women were plentiful, and he would not have inappropriately lecherous thoughts about the female he’d always thought of as a young, innocent girl until this evening.

  He kept the conversation light and somewhat impersonal after that, asking about her classes and the sort of career path she had in mind after getting her degree. He was both surprised and delighted to discover she was incredibly bright, highly intelligent, and had a keen financial mind. Most of the women he’d dated in the past had little to no idea about what it was he did for a living, and even less desire to discuss the stock market or financial futures over dinner.

  And when the champagne loosened her tongue a little, he discovered that the reason she’d had to stop attending school full time and take night classes instead was because her asshole of a father had reneged on the promise he’d made to his late wife – on her deathbed no less. Dante, who came from the sort of family who always looked out for each other, was silently appalled that a father could treat his own daughter so callously, all to please his new and no doubt trampy young wife.

  But, once more, he could tell that the subject matter was making Cara sad, so he quickly ordered coffee and dessert before she could offer up a protest about how many more calories she was going to have to work off to compensate.

  “Mmm. Oh, God, this is sooo good!” moaned Cara in near-bliss as she swallowed a bite of the apple tart she’d selected for dessert. She licked her fork slowly, savoring each crumb, and Dante was instantly aroused yet again. The women he’d dated in the past had typically pushed their food around in their plate, taking a few slow, reluctant bites. None of them had ever made the simple act of eating quite so – well, erotic.

  To distract himself from the uncomfortable budge at his crotch, Dante poured what remained of the champagne into Cara’s flute. He’d actually had very little to drink this evening, mindful that he was driving, and she had consumed more than half of the bottle. She was a bit tipsy as a result, giggling frequently and chattering away even more than she usually did, but he found her talkativeness oddly endearing. Cara was spontaneous, honest, and amusing, and her down-to-earth manner was a refreshing change of pace.

  The extra alcohol, however, also made her slightly unsteady as they walked out to his car, and he was obliged to slide an arm around her waist to keep her from wobbling. He forced himself not to stiffen in reaction - in any part of his anatomy - when Cara wrapped her own arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder with an almost easy air of intimacy. He cursed himself now for re-filling her glass so frequently, and gingerly eased her onto the passenger seat of the Vanquish.

  After giving him her address, she closed her eyes and appeared to doze lightly during the drive. Dante was grateful for the sophisticated navigation system built into the Aston Martin, since the neighborhoods it directed him through were largely unfamiliar to him. He frowned as the houses began to look a bit more rundown, the residents appeared a little rougher, the sidewalks more littered with trash.

  Fortunately, the house he pulled up to looked in reasonably good condition, even if there were metal bars on the windows and no visible landscaping. The in-law unit where Cara lived was accessed via a side entrance, one that didn’t have any sort of outdoor lighting.

  “Watch your head,” she cautioned as she unlocked the door and flicked on a light switch inside the unit. “The doorway’s a little low.”

  That, thought Dante as he stepped across the threshold, was far from the only downside of the apartment that was technically just a room. It had a faint but still discernible musty odor, carpeting that had to be close to fifty years old, and was so small that he couldn’t believe anyone actually lived here. He noticed that she didn’t have much furniture, and that the few pieces she did own were well worn and mismatched. The paint was peeling off the walls in several places, and even in the dim light he could see the water spots on the ceiling.

  Cara seemed well aware of how small and shabby the place was, but tried to make light of the situation, her arm making a sweeping motion to encompass the room.

  “Well, this is it,” she declared in a falsely bright voice. “Home sweet home. It’s not much, I’ll admit, but the rent is affordable and the bus stop is only two blocks away. Would you like a cup of coffee? Or tea?”

  Dante glanced at the rickety chairs that flanked a small, round table, and wondered if they would be able to support his solidly muscled hundred and eighty pound frame.

  “I’ll pass, thanks. And I should head out, let you get some rest. You did mention having to do homework this weekend.”

  Cara groaned. “God, don’t remind me! This has been the toughest semester ever. If I can just get through the next two months, I think anything after that will seem easy.”

  “You’re going to do fine,” he assured her. “I swear you know way more about finance and investing than I did at this point in my life. Angela had better be careful that I don’t try and hire you away from her.”

  She giggled, swaying a little on her three-inch heels as she did so, and placed a hand against his chest to steady herself. His own hands drifted to her waist to hold her in place.

  “Easy there, honey,” he cautioned. “Maybe you should make yourself that coffee you just offered me.”

  Cara shook her head. “I’m not drunk. Just a little tipsy. But only because it’s my birthday.”

  He chucked her playfully on the chin. “Well, you deserved to enjoy your birthday. At least, I hope you enjoyed it.”

  “Oh, yes!” she exclaimed happily, her hands now sliding to his shoulders. “I had a wonderful time! Thank you for dinner, it was delicious. Even if I gain another pound or two as a result.”

  And then she took him by complete surprise by leaning in and placing a soft, sweet kiss on his cheek. Her breasts brushed against his chest, and he had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to stifle a groan as he felt the hard points of her nipples graze the fabric of his shirt. Somehow or other her arms were now clasped around his neck, and she was gazing up at him with a sultry promise in those big eyes, her full lips parted as she breathed a bit unevenly.

  “Cara,” he began to protest, the warning bells in his head cautioning him to move away – now - before things got carried away.

  But as she touched her mouth to his - tentatively, almost shyly - Dante growled deep in his throat and yanked her close. And as the kiss deepened, and quickly, very quickly, became something else entirely, he forgot all of the good intentions he’d begun this evening with, and instead wondered wildly how quickly he could peel
her out of the sexy red dress.

  Chapter Seven

  Cara whimpered beneath the fierce pressure of Dante’s hot, firm mouth upon hers, his tongue parting her lips smoothly and invading the inside of her mouth. He pressed her up against the narrow wall that separated the bathroom and the closet, his tall, muscular body trapping her in place. Not, of course, that she had any intention of trying to escape his arms – especially since this was exactly where she’d dreamed of being for months now.

  She had wanted this, craved this, since the very first time she’d seen the gorgeous, dark-haired man stroll casually past her desk on his way to visit Nick. She’d daydreamed about him taking her out on a date much like tonight’s, had fantasized about him kissing and caressing her just like he was doing now, had tried to imagine what it would feel like to be naked in bed with him, their limbs closely entwined, and his cock buried inside of her all-too-willing body. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, pulling him in closer, and she felt surrounded by him – his big, hard body pressing her against the wall, his hands roaming freely over her body. His skin was hot to the touch, and his scent – a combination of soap, a light cologne, and his own unique essence – was the most deliciously arousing fragrance she’d ever smelled.

  “Ah, God,” she gasped as one of his hands cupped her swollen, achy breast, his thumb brushing over the ultra-sensitive nipple. “Yes, please, please!”

  The sound that escaped Dante’s throat sounded a lot like a growl, and he responded to her breathless pleas by squeezing her breast more aggressively. He captured her lips in another hungry kiss, even as he began to rock his hips against the notch of her thighs, letting her feel the hard, huge bulge of his erection. Cara was lightheaded, dizzy even, from his demanding kisses, and she realized faintly that this was the first time in her life that she’d been kissed by a man. The high school and college boys whom she had kissed had all been rank amateurs when compared to Dante’s finesse, which had undoubtedly been honed from years and years of experience.

  “Let me see you,” he rasped in her ear, his hands deftly lowering the zipper of her dress.

  The top half of the dress spilled from her shoulders and was caught up just below the hips, baring her upper body to his hot gaze. Cara gasped as he deliberately trailed a finger along the exposed curves of her breast, and she offered up a silent prayer of thanks that she’d followed Mirai’s advice and bought new undies.

  “God, your tits are gorgeous,” whispered Dante, just before bending his dark head to press a kiss to the top of her cleavage. “And I love a woman in black lace. Though not quite as much as I enjoy taking it off of her.”

  He made quick work of the sexy black lace bra, unhooking it before tossing it aside, and then cupping both of her full, round breasts in his big hands. Cara’s head fell back limply against the wall, and her breathing grew even more erratic as his tongue flicked over one of her nipples. As if of their own volition, her hands slid into his hair, holding his head to her breasts as he sucked first one and then the other nipple between his lips. With one hand he pushed her dress down past her hips to pool at her feet, revealing the lower half of her body now as well.

  She was too aroused, too dazed by his kisses and caresses, to be self-conscious about her less than flat belly, or slightly chubby thighs, or all of the other figure flaws she normally fretted about. It was obvious that he was really, really good at this, that he knew exactly how and where to touch her, and how to bring her right to the edge without much effort on his part. But when his hand slid down to cup her vulva through her panties, he seemed startled.

  “Jesus, you’re so wet, honey,” he murmured in her ear, sliding his hand inside the black lace undies that matched the already discarded bra. “So sweet. I’ll bet you’re nice and tight, too, aren’t you?”

  “Ohhh.” Cara’s pelvis bucked up against his body as he slid his index and middle fingers inside of her drenched slit. She couldn’t remember ever being this aroused, this wet, and she grasped his muscular forearms for support as he began to thrust his fingers in and out of her vagina.

  “Tight as a fist,” Dante purred. “Just like I thought. I can’t wait to see how this snug little pussy is going to feel clamped around my cock. But since it’s your birthday, let me make you feel good first, hmm?”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to confess that he’d been already been making her feel very, very good. But when his thumb brushed knowingly over the hard nub of her clitoris, the only sound that escaped her lips was a long, low moan, followed by a startled gasp as the orgasm took over her body. He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her up as her legs shook in reaction, and then pressed a kiss to her flushed cheek.

  “Easy, honey,” he soothed, shaking his head as if in disbelief. “Man, you’re a hot little thing, aren’t you? I barely touched you and you just went off. Wait until I have you in bed. Where is it, by the way?”

  “Huh?” Cara wondered dazedly if she looked as out of it as she felt. It had been a really long time since she’d had any sort of orgasm – much less a really, really good one like she’d just experienced. “Where’s what?”

  Dante chuckled. “Your bed, honey. This wall isn’t exactly wide enough – or strong enough – for the way I’m planning to fuck you. We need to get horizontal – and quickly. It’s been awhile since I’ve been with anyone, and, well, you can feel for yourself how much I need to be inside of you.”

  He grabbed her hand and brought it to his crotch, where his erection was visibly straining against the fabric of his suit pants. Awestruck by the sheer size of him, Cara ran her palm up and down the thick length of his cock, pleased to hear the indrawn hiss of his breath as she gave him a little squeeze.

  “Temptress,” he growled, clamping his fingers around her wrist and stilling the motion. “Enough of that or I’ll take you right here against the wall. So I strongly suggest we head to your bedroom pronto.”

  “Um, about that.” She glanced to her left uncertainly. “There – there isn’t a bedroom. Or a bed. At least, not a real bed. I mean, it’s a bed, but more like a futon.”

  “A futon.” Dante closed his eyes a moment and shook his head. “For God’s sake. Seriously?”

  “I’m sorry,” replied Cara meekly. “But it’s actually really comfy. And it will just take me a minute or two to open it up.”

  Before he could protest, she hurried over to the aforementioned futon, so intent on her task that she completely forgot she was more or less naked save for the lacy panties and her high heeled sandals. She converted the futon from sofa to bed in record time before stretching out on top of the fabric covered mattress and patting the space beside her.

  “There. All done,” she announced cheerfully. “Told you it would only take a minute.”

  But Dante didn’t reply, merely raked his hot gaze over her prone body, seeming to linger on the heavy swell of her breasts. She gulped when their eyes met, almost recoiling at the lustful expression on his sinfully handsome face. He continued to hold her gaze captive as he undressed, his movements swift but unhurried at the same time, and Cara’s mouth watered as more and more of his bare flesh was revealed.

  His male body was beautiful – a true work of art, she thought dazedly as he peeled off his suit jacket, tie, and shirt in quick succession. His chest, shoulders, and arms were heavily muscled and well defined, visible evidence that he worked out frequently. His abs were rock hard, and looked like they’d been chiseled from a slab of marble. His skin was the same dark olive tone as his face, his body hair as black as that on top of his head.

  He made quick work of the rest of his clothing, until he was clad only in a pair of gray cotton briefs. As he picked up his suit jacket to retrieve something from the inside pocket, Cara’s eyes were glued to the massive swell of his penis where it strained to be free of the tight, confining underwear. She couldn’t suppress the little whimper that escaped her lips when he discarded his final article of clothing, baring his ma
gnificent body entirely to her hungry gaze, and especially that rather intimidating cock.

  Dante eased himself onto the mattress gingerly, as though to test the sturdiness of the futon, before pulling her into his embrace and re-claiming her lips. She instantly forgot any uncertainty she might otherwise have felt at her relative inexperience with sex, and for once didn’t think to feel embarrassed about her less than ideal body. Especially not when the hot, hunky guy beside her on the mattress didn’t seem to give a hoot that her butt was on the generous side, or that she had a definite Buddha belly.

  Dante’s hands were roaming all over her body – cupping her breasts, squeezing her ass, tunneling into her hair to hold her head still for his kiss. Their legs were entwined, her boobs all but crushed against his chest, as she somewhat timidly began to touch him in return. His skin was so hot that she nearly jerked her hand away in reaction, but Cara found it impossible to resist caressing the broad expanse of his upper back, those beautifully defined biceps, or those sculpted abs that could have belonged to a Greek god – or, in his case, a Roman one.

  He eased her onto her back, rising above her almost intimidatingly as he spread her thighs apart. The veins in his fully erect penis were visibly throbbing by now, his need for her more than obvious. Cara licked her lips, wondering briefly how he would feel in her mouth, or just how deep she could take him. Her skills at performing oral sex weren’t exactly top notch, at least according to one of the guys she’d unwisely hooked up with after a drunken college party, but she sensed that Dante wouldn’t give a damn about how experienced she was. Once again she was reminded that he was a man, not a boy, and not just any man. He was handsome, well built, charming, sexy, considerate, and a really, really amazing kisser. And as he rolled a condom with practiced ease onto his cock, Cara shivered in anticipation of what a fantastic lover he was sure to be.