Delicious Satisfaction (Delicious Desires)

by Sabrina Sol

  She looked over and gave him her best death-ray glare. He reached over and pulled the knife out of the chicken. “I’ll just take this for now.”

  The ridiculousness of the moment finally got to her, and she released her smile. Relief crossed Gabriel’s face. However, he still kept her knife in his hand.

  “You can give it back to me. I promise I won’t use it to hurt any more poultry dishes.”

  “Oh, I’m not worried about the poultry. I’m just worried about your brother or your lawyer.”

  She stilled. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because you were perfectly fine before. But then I saw you walk into the dining room and talk to them for a bit, and when you came back here you started assaulting the chickens. I figured one of them must have said something to piss you off.”

  Gabriel really was a quick learner.

  Brandon had asked her to come out to the dining room when she had a chance because he wanted her to look at some artist renderings for the new Miami restaurant. She hadn’t expected to see Dante there.

  It had been two days since he made her come in his office.

  Part of her had been worried he’d call or text asking to see her. As it turned out, she had nothing to worry about. He hadn’t bothered.

  In fact, he’d barely acknowledged her presence the entire time she’d sat with them looking over the drawings. He’d been preoccupied with his phone, then his laptop and then his phone again. She couldn’t believe it. Obviously, she hadn’t expected him to kiss or touch her. But he could’ve done something or said something to let her know that he hadn’t forgotten he’d had his tongue inside her barely forty-eight hours ago.

  And it irritated her that she was so irritated by it.

  So she’d muttered something about needing to cut up more chickens and stalked back to the kitchen.

  “I promise they’re safe,” she finally told Gabriel. Her assistant looked at her with raised eyebrows but grudgingly gave her back the knife.

  Annoyed or not, she had a lot of work to do, and she couldn’t do it if she was thinking about Dante. So she took a deep breath and went back to breaking down the chicken with less angry cutting.

  A few hours later, the irritation had fully subsided and was replaced with exhaustion. It had been another busy night, and she’d busted her ass to get out of the restaurant at a decent hour. She made it home by midnight.

  As soon as she walked through her front door, her cell phone dinged with a text.

  It was Dante.

  I’m coming over.

  She threw her purse on her kitchen counter and then texted him back.

  I’m not home yet.

  The message came back quickly.

  Yes, you are.

  Alexa paused before replying. How did he know that?

  Did you follow me or something?

  A few seconds passed before his response came in.

  Or something.

  Go back to your emails, Dante. I’m tired.

  Let me in and you won’t be tired for long.

  No.

  Wait. Are you mad at me?

  She didn’t answer. The irritation from before came storming back, and she threw her phone on the couch. There was no way she going to justify that ridiculous question with a reply. But just as she was about to walk up the stairs to her bedroom, a pounding on the front door made her stop in her tracks.

  “I know you’re in there, Alexa,” Dante said, his voice loud but muffled by the door.

  She debated going upstairs and leaving him outside, knocking on the door all night. But then she thought of her neighbors and figured they probably wouldn’t appreciate the ruckus. And no way did she want to risk any of them calling the police. So she took a deep breath and headed back to unlock the front door.

  “What the hell do you think—”

  The rest of her sentence was swallowed up by Dante’s mouth. She instinctively kissed him back, then remembered that she was pissed and pushed him off her.

  “I’m not in the mood to play games, Alexa,” he rasped and tried to kiss her again.

  “Seems to me like you’re the one playing them, Dante. Ignoring me won’t get you in my bed any faster.”

  He stopped and finally looked into her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Tonight at the restaurant. I get that Brandon doesn’t need to know what we’re doing, but even before this thing, you at least talked to me in front of him.”

  “Jesus, Alexa. I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I was trying not to put my hands all over you. It’s been a long two days and when I saw you…well, let’s just say that napkin was covering more than just my lap. I’m sorry if it seemed like I didn’t care you were there. Because I did. Very much so.”

  It did something to her to know he’d been thinking of her. “That’s good to know.”

  Had she just really admitted that?

  “Come here, Alexa,” he said.

  Her mind told her body not to obey. She was still kind of irritated. How dare he think he could show up on her doorstep in the middle of the night and expect her to be ready to spread her legs when he said so? It took less than a minute for her feet to betray her. Once she was closer, her arms—the traitors—curled around his neck. Finally her mouth—which never had any real willpower anyway—gave in to his kiss.

  She pulled away after a few seconds to look him in the eyes. “This doesn’t change anything. We’re still keeping things casual.”

  “Of course. This is me being casual,” he whispered as his hands moved behind her and fisted her hair. He tugged down hard, and she gasped. Desire pooled between her legs as he licked her neck, just under left ear, and then lavished kisses down to her collarbone.

  “What I’m saying…is that you just can’t…God…show up and…oh, my…think I’m going to have…yes, like that…sex with you.”

  “I won’t think that. At all.” His words might have sounded more convincing if he wasn’t pulling her T-shirt off.

  “I just want to be clear!” She didn’t mean to yell, but he’d yanked down her bra and latched onto one engorged nipple.

  He stopped sucking only long enough to ask, “We’re clear, okay? Now, do you want to keep talking or do you want to get to fucking?”

  If he expected her to answer, he wasn’t very patient about it. Dante cupped her ass and hoisted her up his body. She curled her legs around his waist, purposefully grinding herself against the hardness already forming underneath his pants. Their lips slammed together, and nothing else mattered more than feeling his naked body against hers. She pulled at his shirt like a crazy woman while he walked them both to her stairs.

  “God, Alexa. I don’t think I’m going to last another minute,” he groaned, digging his fingers into her ass.

  She felt the same way. He flipped a switch every time he touched her, and it drove her absolutely wild with desire. She licked his tongue one more time before pulling away. “Then put me down.”

  He nodded in understanding and let her gently slide off his body until her feet touched the floor. With an intense gaze that heated her blood, he watched as she slowly unhooked her bra. No more words were needed. Dante pulled his own shirt off and then went to work on his belt and pants, never once breaking eye contact. Her own fingers trembled in anticipation when she unbuckled her capri jeans and then hastily shimmied out of them and her panties.

  Finally, they stood before each other at the bottom of her stairs. Naked. Exposed. Instinct made her want to cover herself with her hands, but she knew he wouldn’t let her. So she squared her shoulders and readied herself for whatever came next.

  He stroked his cock as his eyes raked over her body. Pulses of desire radiated straight to her clit, and she licked her lips. Although she’d only had the opportunity to see his dick the other night, she had already decided it was spectacular. It was just the right proportion for his body. Not too large, not too small. Her pussy clenched on its own at the memory of being filled by it.

/>   She was so turned on that she worried she’d come on the spot. Since when did Dante become the man who could give her an orgasm just by looking at her?

  Sensing her growing impatience, he tore open the condom packet he’d been holding in one hand. He’d fished it out of a pocket after dropping his pants and boxer briefs. After sheathing himself, he walked a few steps to one of the pillars in her foyer and commanded, “Get over here, now.”

  She went to him like an obedient girl and her reward was a deep, openmouthed kiss. He bent his stance just long enough to hook his arm under her right knee and then straightened back up. It spread her wide enough for him to thrust inside, and she grabbed the edge of the pillar for balance.

  “Yes,” she moaned as he pumped furiously in and out. It was a sweet and sinful fullness—it made her feel so satisfied and so desperate all at that same time. Why had she denied herself such pleasure for so long?

  “See what you do to me? I can’t stop. I won’t stop,” he murmured against her neck.

  She didn’t want him to. Not when she was on the verge of unraveling.

  “I need…” she moaned.

  “You need what?”

  “I need to come now.”

  “Look at me, Alexa.”

  Through half-closed eyes, she tried to focus on his determined jaw and dark eyes.

  “Now tell me again,” he ordered after one hard thrust.

  “Make me come,” she begged. Her words and his torrid gaze triggered a pulsing deep in her core. So when he slid one finger between them and found her clit, it only took seconds before she screamed his name and surrendered to the orgasm.

  “My turn,” he roared and pumped one more time until his own tremors vibrated against her body.

  When they had both stilled, he released her leg and then wrapped her in his arms. His skin was hot and slick, but she didn’t mind. She let herself enjoy being held so intimately. Their ragged breaths eventually slowed, and their heartbeats returned to normal. Fingers from one hand combed through her hair, while another hand drifted to her back, making lazy circles just above her ass.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered into his chest.

  “For what?”

  “For being upset that you were giving me space just like I asked you to. I don’t mean to be so confusing.”

  “Stop. If anything, I didn’t help the situation. You asked me to be direct with you about what I want. And the truth was, I wanted to be with you as soon as you walked out my office door that day. But I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t in control of this.”

  The pounding of her heart sped up at his frankness. Not from fear. But she wasn’t exactly sure where it was coming from.

  His fingers trailed over the cleft of her ass, and the pounding intensified. And she knew exactly where it was coming from.

  He’d been inside her less than five minutes ago, and she was already craving him again. “Keep doing that and I’m going to be the one losing control,” she said and heard the desire in her own voice.

  “That’s kind of the point,” he countered.

  He moved his hand underneath her chin and lifted it up so he could meet her lips. They kissed long and languidly, enjoying the taste of each other.

  “Come upstairs,” she said when they finally broke free.

  Dante smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Chapter Eight

  Alexa walked through the crowd of Duke’s Lounge, looking for her friends among the dozens of drinking and dancing bodies that bumped into her from every direction. The place was packed, which was unusual for a Monday, but then she remembered there was a visiting deejay in the house.

  She looked over her shoulder and saw that Dante was still close behind. He caught her eye and smiled. If he felt out of place, he was trying hard not to show it.

  She still couldn’t believe she’d actually invited him to come out with her and her friends. They’d been together the past three nights in a row, and she had to admit, she was addicted. God, the man knew exactly what she needed and when she needed it. So when he’d shown up in the middle of dinner service the night before and promptly taken her over her office desk, all she could think about was doing it all over again. That’s when she’d remembered she’d promised Natalie and Clarissa that she’d come out with them and their boyfriends to their favorite rockabilly bar in Pico Rivera. Natalie had been pressing Alexa hard to let her bring her trainer so they could make it a triple date. Inviting Dante instead had saved her from a potential setup and pretty much guaranteed she’d get laid again for the fourth night in a row.

  Just past the dance floor, she spotted Natalie and her boyfriend, Jonathan, and Clarissa and her boyfriend, Donny, already seated in a booth. She waved when they recognized her, and she grabbed Dante by the hand, pulling him with her.

  After introductions were made, they scooted inside the booth with her friends.

  “I can’t believe it’s so crowded tonight,” she yelled over to Natalie.

  Her friend nodded. “I know. But the music is cool. I’m glad you both were able to come.” The teasing tone didn’t slip by Alexa. She knew Natalie was going crazy under that disinterested demeanor. When Alexa had texted her friend earlier to tell her that she was bringing someone, relentless questions followed. Alexa had ignored all of them, not ready or able to answer most. So once she’d introduced Dante by name, her friend’s eyes lit up like a jukebox.

  A harried waitress walked by their table without so much as a glance. Donny yelled over, “If you guys want drinks, you’ll probably have better luck if you go to the bar.”

  Dante leaned over and said he’d get them something. Then he asked the rest of the group if they wanted anything. Jonathan and Donny offered to go with him, and then they left. That’s when her girls pounced.

  “Oh my God. Dante? Your lawyer?”

  “I thought you were on a relationship hiatus?”

  “Have you slept together yet?”

  “Does Brandon know?”

  Alexa took a deep breath before explaining that they were just hanging out. She was met with skeptical stares. “What? It’s true. We’re just having fun.”

  Luckily, the conversation turned to the lawsuit by the time the guys returned.

  She realized she hadn’t told Dante what she wanted, yet he showed up with her favorite beer anyway. It made her smile.

  “Dante, are we going to need to testify, too, because of Nick’s lawsuit?” Natalie asked after he took his first swig of beer.

  He nodded. “Yes. Both of you are probably going to be our star witnesses, since you were there and saw everything.”

  “Hey, wait a sec,” Donny interrupted. “Are you Dante Perez from the L.A. Defense Foundation?”

  Alexa stopped drinking and turned to look at Dante. His eyes widened before nodding.

  “I thought you were a partner in some corporate firm downtown?” Natalie asked the question Alexa was about to.

  “I do some pro bono work for the foundation on the side,” he answered before looking at Donny. “Have we met before?”

  Clarissa’s boyfriend shook his head. “Not in person. I’m a photographer with the Times and we did a story on the foundation a few months ago. I didn’t shoot you, but you did get interviewed by my buddy Hector. I just remembered your name from his article.”

  The admission that Dante volunteered for a nonprofit legal foundation floored her. When had this happened?

  As if reading her mind, Clarissa dug for intel on her behalf. “I read that article, too. That foundation does such important work for so many immigrants. How did you get involved with it?”

  “A good friend of mine volunteered for years as a social worker for them. She always bugged me to help out, but I never seemed to have the time. When she passed away, I figured it would be a good way to honor her memory.”

  There was a hint of sadness in his voice. Without thinking, Alexa reached over and grabbed Dante’s hand. He smiled at her, and her skin warmed. A fe
w days ago, she would’ve blamed it on the beer. But she knew better now.

  “Are you working on any interesting cases?” Donny asked.

  Dante nodded. “We’re trying to keep a couple from being deported back to El Salvador. They have two teenagers who were born here and can’t go with them. So we’re really fighting to keep this family together.”

  This time it was Alexa who spoke up. “Do you think you’ll win?”

  His face fell, and she regretted asking the question. “We’ve pretty much exhausted all of our options. My boss thinks there’s one more thing we can try, so we’re going to go to court in a few weeks and file an injunction with the judge.”

  “And if that doesn’t work?” Clarissa asked.

  He sighed and visibly slumped. “Then the parents go back to El Salvador and the kids go into foster care.”

  “Man, that’s rough,” Jonathan said.

  They all nodded, even though his choice of words was so inadequate. Perhaps sensing the group was headed for a downward spiral, Dante smoothly changed the subject by asking Jonathan what he did for a living. She’d already told him in the car that he was a music producer, so Dante’s question was purely out of the need to lighten the conversation.

  As her friends laughed and joked with Dante, Alexa was still reeling from the discovery that he had a side job. And by the sound of it, this job not only didn’t pay him for his time but obviously took its toll as well. She wondered about the friend he’d mentioned who had inspired him to give back. She must have been someone very important to him. And for a wisp of second, she wondered what the woman had meant to Dante and why he never talked about her.

  After two more beers, Alexa was finally feeling relaxed enough to stop worrying about it. And when he put his arm around her waist, she stopped thinking altogether.

  Who knew that she’d enjoy being with Dante this much?

  They’d slipped back into a comfortable friendship, even as the sex grew hotter and hotter. She was rediscovering him and getting to know him all at the same time.