“Yeah, I got that.”
Chapter 15
They headed over to Anabelle’s apartment, polishing off their hot dogs as they walked. Giorgio decided to leave his car parked where it was to avoid getting ketchup anywhere else.
“So, I finally get to see your place,” Giorgio said.
She nodded. She felt more at ease with him now. “It’s not much,” she said, “but it’s home. You can meet my cat Jasper. He likes people.”
“Good to know. I wouldn’t want to get my eyes scratched out by a kitty who thinks I’m his competition for your affection.”
Anabelle laughed and elbowed him. “I make no promises. He sees himself as the main man in my life.”
“Uh oh, I’ll have to tread carefully.”
“You got that right, mister.”
They reached her apartment. It was on the third floor in a five-floor building and had a tiny balcony. It was a modest apartment, but Anabelle had it decorated nicely with a Moroccan feel, lots of rich colors, rugs, tapestries and cushions, making it seem a little higher end and cozy than it would have otherwise.
“Nice place you have here, Ms. Parker,” he said, then he heard Jasper meow. He looked down and the short-haired grey kitty with the green eyes came over to greet them. Giorgio smiled and knelt down. “Well hello there, you must be the man of the house.” He petted him. “May I have permission to come in and visit with your mommy?”
Jasper nuzzled in close.
“I think he smells the ketchup,” Anabelle said.
“Yup,” Giorgio nodded as the cat pushed his nose in close to his shirt. He stood up and Anabelle took his coat and hung it up. At least something of his had escaped the ketchup assault.
“Alright,” she said, assessing the damage, “you need to get out of those clothes.”
He gave her a sly grin. “Is this part of the punishment you had in mind for me?”
“Oh, you’ll find out,” she replied, winking at him.
“Uh oh,” he said.
“Mmmhmm.” She nodded her head and then pointed at him. “Strip! You can use the bathroom.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
“Toss your clothes out. I’ll throw them in the wash with some stain remover.”
“If it doesn’t come out, it’s really no big deal,” he said.
“Maybe not to you, but I don’t like to wreck or waste things.”
“Just one more thing…” he started to say.
“What?”
“Umm, I will be rather…undressed.”
“Oh, right,” she said, blushing.
He smiled. “Is this also part of your plan to punish me? You’re going to make me vacuum and dust your place in the buff or something?”
“Great idea, I like it,” she said with a wicked grin.
He gave a long, dramatic sigh. “I’m going to be a nude, unpaid house servant.”
“That’s right, they won’t find you for a long time either. Your car is parked a ways away.”
“Right,” he said, then he looked at her with a puppy dog expression. “Do I get bonus points if I go a good job?”
“Nope, but you’ll get more punishment if you don’t.”
He whistled.
“Okay, time to strip mister! Before those stains become permanent.” She thought for a moment, assessing his tall, broad frame. “What can I get you to wear in the meantime? I don’t really have anything that will fit you. How about a robe or a blanket or a towel?”
“You know, maybe I should jump in the shower. I think I smell like ketchup, it leaked through my shirt and possibly my pants. Towels will do just fine for now.”
“Deal,” she said, going to grab him some towels. She found the biggest bath sheets she had, and handed him three. “The bathroom’s through there.”
“Thanks,” he said.
Anabelle threw all of his clothes in the wash and proceeded to turn on some music. She fed Jasper, boiled some hot water to make tea, brought out a plate of cookies, then sat down on the sofa and grabbed a travel magazine to read while she waited.
Fifteen minutes later, Giorgio emerged from the steam-filled bathroom. His dark hair was wet and wavy and he had a towel draped around his waist.
Anabelle’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw him. She hadn’t seen so much of him yet. And he was an Adonis. He had broad shoulders and his chest was muscled with dark hair across his pecs and down the center of his stomach. His biceps were large, but not overly huge. His warm tan-colored skin and dark features were striking against the white towel. His stomach was nearly flat, and his legs were long, with lean, cut muscles. He was the definition of sexy. All manner of X-rated images flashed through her head.
He casually walked towards her smiling. “That feels better,” he said.
She was speechless as she watched him saunter over to her. It was like watching a commercial for men’s cologne; he looked like something out of a magazine or movie. He was all man.
He sat down next to her on the sofa, his solid weight nearly displacing her.
She blushed as she looked at his damp wavy hair, then down the long length of his body.
He saw her eyeing him. He grinned. He leaned back, his legs parted. “Thanks for letting me shower,” he said, his head turned towards her.
“Thank you,” she said without thinking.
He laughed, then ran his fingers through his wet hair, showcasing his broad chest, still slightly damp from the shower.
She was sure he knew what he was doing and he wasn’t playing fair. “Um,” she said, feeling her temperature rise, “would you like some tea or water or soda? There are cookies here, too.”
“Great,” he said, looking at the plate on the coffee table. “I’ll have whatever you’re drinking.”
“I was making some tea. Earl grey?” she asked.
“Perfect,” he said, sitting up and grabbing a cookie.
She got up and went to the aisle kitchen to brew the tea, trying to clear her head. He was having a powerful effect on her.
While she was doing that, he got up to have a look around. The place was about 650 square feet, but the way Anabelle had it arranged and decorated gave it depth and texture. He admired her use of space. There was a bookshelf in the living room next to the TV, and it was filled with historical and contemporary romance novels, along with some books on travel, history, and fashion.
He noticed her bedroom, gave it a quick glance inside, then walked over to the area that served as the dining room. On the way between that and the kitchen was a large corkboard that was hung on the wall. It was covered in pictures and postcards. “Are these places you’ve traveled to?” Giorgio asked.
Anabelle looked up from preparing the tea. “I wish. No, they’re places I’d like to visit someday. That’s my dream board.”
“Dream board?”
“Yeah, you know, visualizing things you want.”
He grinned at her. “Am I on it?”
She set the teapot down. She looked at him standing there in the towel, all tall and masculine and exquisitely shaped, with a face that could get away with anything. “You should be.”
He tilted his head. “Good answer. I thank you for that.” He winked at her and turned his attention back to the corkboard. There were pictures from all around the world, ancient historic sites, islands, major European cities, sailboats, yachts, cruise ships, spa retreats, the works. All luxury places. He spotted one in particular.
Anabelle came out with the tea and set it down on the coffee table.
“I see Greece is on your dream board,” he said, walking over to her.
She blushed. “Yes, it’s beautiful, so scenic. I’d love to go there. The beaches, the history, the architecture, the food…all just amazing.”
He stepped closer to her, towering over her. He raised an eyebrow.
She looked at his bare chest, then up into his dark lash-rimmed blue eyes. “The people…”
He grinned at her. “Will I d
o for now?” he asked, as he gently tipped her chin up.
She nodded. “Oh yes.”
He smiled. “Another good answer,” he whispered, then bent down to kiss her.
Her body felt like it was on fire. She ran her fingers across his chest, touching his skin, feeling his strength, how solid his body felt. His size made her feel incredibly feminine. She loved the sensation. She could get lost in him.
She paused for a moment, still staring at his chest. “You know, part of me wondered if you had pulled away because I had…you know…put the brakes on things the night of our first date.”
He regarded her with amusement. “I’m not that shallow and self-involved, in spite of what you might think.” He ran his fingers through her hair and gazed intently at her. His blue eyes were penetrating. “Do you feel more at ease now?”
She nodded.
“Good,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.
She moved to circle her arms around his waist, but her fingers caught the edge of his towel, nearly dropping it. She gasped as she grabbed it before it fell off completely, but not before exposing his right buttock. She felt her feminine desire flare up at the sight of his well-rounded, muscled body.
Giorgio had managed to grab the towel in front, keeping himself covered where it counted.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” she started to say.
He laughed, securing it around his waist again. “You know, you just have to ask if you’d prefer me nude. You keep spilling things on my clothes and now you’re trying to accidentally disrobe me. It’s okay, I won’t mind. You don’t need excuses.” He tilted his head, giving her a sexy, playful grin. “Punish away.”
She blushed furiously. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“I think that you like me,” he said with a sly smile as he placed her hands around his waist, pressing her palms against the thick muscles of his back. He shifted, his muscles undulating under her touch. He bent down to kiss her, more heatedly this time. His tongue pushed into her mouth, seeking to get closer to her, as his hands gripped her waist.
“Mmmhmm,” she responded. Her body was aroused. It was craving his touch, his body. She wanted to slide her hands under that towel. To feel him, to see him. She moaned as she pressed her hips into him and ran her fingers seductively over his strong back.
His hands slid with a feather touch, up her sides, holding her, his thumbs barely touching the sides of her breasts. He waited for a moment to see if she would push him away, but she didn’t.
She took a deep breath and arched her back towards him, her breasts now touching his chest through her sweater. “Is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?” she asked.
“It’s not just you.” He pulled her sweater off, leaving her wearing the black tank top. He noticed she hadn’t worn a bra. He smiled. He knew the signs. He moved his hands to the top of her tank top straps, then slowly slid his palms down over her breasts, feeling her erect nipples beneath the thin fabric. He looked down as he cupped her breasts. He could see the outline of her nipples showing through her top.
“You are so beautiful, Anabelle,” he said as he stared at her chest. “So shapely. So womanly. You drive me wild.”
She took another deep breath and pressed his hands firmly to her breasts. “Me, too,” she said, her voice breathless, seductive.
He bent down and pulled her right strap down across her shoulder. He kissed her just below her collarbone. His tongue exploring her bare skin.
She moaned and brought her hand to the back of his head, lacing her fingers through his damp hair, letting him know she wanted his touch.
His hand moved up to cup her breast again, while he kissed the upper swell of it.
She writhed against him, feeling him shudder.
Suddenly, he picked her up in his arms, as though she weighed next to nothing. He looked at her, his eyes filled with desire, and carried her into her bedroom.
Her heart pounded as he carefully laid her down on the bed.
He laid himself down beside her.
“Giorgio,” she said, “I’m still not sure if I’m ready to…”
“Shhh,” he said, stroking her bare shoulder, “it’s okay, we can just cuddle. I just want to be close to you.”
“But, I don’t want to tease you again…I just…”
“Let’s just be together, however you want.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” he whispered in her ear. “You can be in the driver’s seat. Sex can wait.”
“Really?” she asked, genuinely surprised. “How very un-man-like of you,” she teased.
“Oh, I can give you man-like if you want,” he said in a deep, throaty voice as he shifted to move his body on top of her.
She giggled and held her arm out to stop him. “No!”
He leaned back down next to her, propped up on an elbow facing her, grinning like a naughty schoolboy. “Ah, the mixed signals of the feminine gender, always so confusing for men.”
She playfully punched him. “Deal with it!”
He looked her, thinking of how cute her challenging gaze was. “You know, I don’t think you’re actually attracted to me after all. I think you just wanted me naked to be sure. Now you realize that you find me hideous.” He turned his face away in a pretend pout.
He looked so adorable to her with his damp, dark waves framing his chiseled features. He turned back to her as she reached out and stroked his pecs with her hand, running her fingers through the dark hair. She brushed his nipples, then let her hand slide down the center of his stomach, tracing the trail of dark hair that led further down.
His full pillowy lips were wet and parted as his eyes continued to follow her hand’s path along his body.
“Yes, you’re absolutely hideous,” she whispered in his ear. “Almost too much to bear.”
“Sad, I should hide myself,” he said as he made to turn away from her.
“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” she said as she pushed him back down on the bed and leaned over him. Her lips brushed his, then she kissed him deeply, exploring his mouth with her tongue, pushing it more open.
He moaned as her arm moved down his chest, then fell across his hips. She gripped his hip, her arm falling against his lower body, suggestive in its placement. His towel was clinging precariously to his waist. She felt his masculine form underneath the towel. She could tell he was very well-endowed. She hungered for his body as she shifted over on top of him. Slyly, she writhed her hips, loosening the towel even further. He was barely covered. She slid her thigh between his legs, parting them, and then held her thigh firm, pinning his legs open.
“Anabelle,” he said, his voice low and gravelly, “what are you planning on doing to me?” He felt his body begin to harden.
She didn’t answer as she felt his hardness. She smiled, then lifted herself a little to look down over his body. His bare chest was muscled, his stomach taut. She admired the way his dark hair accentuated his masculine lines, how it thickened in a narrow band down from his belly button, disappearing below the towel, the obvious signs of his arousal. He looked like a delicious gift she wanted to unwrap. She grabbed his wrists and pinned them with one hand above his head.
He exhaled, his lips red and swollen. “You have me in a vulnerable place,” he said, his eyes lowering to her lips. He groaned as she shifted her leg against his, placing a bit more pressure keep his legs open. The towel draped down between his legs, showing his intimate male form even more. There was no way he could hold back what was happening to his body.
She gave a sly smile as he shifted his hips. “Yes, I do, don’t I?” She was extremely aroused by the submissive role he was playing. The juxtaposition of that with his 6’3”, 195-pound frame was like a sexual narcotic, triggering pleasure centers in her brain. If this was a ploy to draw her in sexually through reverse-psychology, it was working extremely well.
“Now I know you purposely shot that ketchup at me,” he said. “To get my clothes off and get
me into your bed.”
“So what if I did?” she said as she tightened her grip on his wrists. Her other hand drew a line down his chest, around his nipple, then again down the center of his stomach. She felt him quiver as her light touch continued down towards the edge of the towel, which had now slipped on one side, exposing his bare hip, the rest of the towel barely covering him. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Whatever you make me do,” he whispered. He looked at her, his eyes half-lidded, his lips swollen and parted.
She felt her body ache with desire. “I love the sounds of that…”
He smiled. “That first day I met you,” he said, licking his lips and looking down at where the towel had exposed part of him, “the coffee was really about undressing me, wasn’t it?”
She shook her head. “Not just undressing you…” She bent down and kissed his lower lip. As she let her tongue caress his lips, her fingers explored the edge of the towel, giving him a teasing touch along the smooth skin of his exposed hip. She felt him flinch at the touch. She liked the sense of power over him. It was a huge turn on that he let himself be dominated this way. She looked at his body, it was big, muscular, and prone on her bed. Oh, the things she wanted to do to his body right now.
He saw the look on her face. He wanted her badly. His body now completely betraying any doubt where he was headed. “Anabelle…”
“Giorgio,” she purred, admiring the large bulge between his legs, as her fingers traced a line down his bare thigh, curving inwards.
His body shook. He let out a low moan and closed his eyes. He inhaled sharply as her fingers danced along his inner thigh, moving slowly higher beneath the towel. “What…do…you…want to do?” he asked between breaths. “I’m going to lose my hold…” He opened his eyes. His blue eyes searching hers in earnest.
She was even more turned on by his restraint. “I’m thinking,” she said. Her body ached, her hips started to move forward and back as she hovered only a couple of inches above his. She looked down at the towel, which now slipped dangerously lower due to her movement. He was barely covered, and beginning to pump his hips beneath her. Her gaze looked up his body to his lips, which looked even fuller now, with more color, the blood pumping through his body. His lips quivered. She could see the desire surging, evident on his face, his reddening cheeks, his erect nipples, then down to the large bulge showing beneath the towel. “You are such an Adonis,” she said. “Perfection…”
Love in the City, an erotic romance novel Page 12