by Hawk, CJ
"Amber? It's Mason. I've got your laundry. I saw you come in with someone while I was working on Mr. Cather's door hinge. Hey, Mrs. Hatley had an issue with you monopolizing the laundry room..."
He didn't have time to finish. I swung my door open so fast, the air behind it got sliced in half. "Hey!" No lack of excitement on my part. Then I noticed it. My laundry basket with my three loads of laundry. Washed, dried and oh my garsh... did he fold it too?
"Can I come in?" He asked in a way as if I could never say no. He produced a sex-laden appeal that even got a smile out of Marion.
I stepped aside and let him in as I watched him walk over and set my laundry on the very hard window bench from which I first caught sight of him. When he turned to look at me, he gave my body a quick grazing that sent a nice warm happy feeling to the core of my, well you know. Then he looked at Marion with his inquisitive sexy mysterious eyes and smiled.
I stumbled on the first part with laughter. "Mason." I pointed to Marion. "Marion meet Mason." Then I pointed to Mason. Out of my silliness, I just introduced the wrong name to the wrong person. Marion bailed me out fast.
"Hi Mason. I'm Marion. Amber's best friend. I heard she put on quite a show for you." She laughed, and I glared. She should not have reminded him. Then she smiled at me with raised eyebrows to say 'what?' and all was forgiven. I could never stay mad at her or think her intentions were ill wished.
He stepped forward and shook her hand hello, and then he turned back to me. "Sorry. Mrs. Hatley apparently does not like your Monday morning laundry routine as she called it. And since I am new here, and she seems to think I give a dang about who monopolizes the laundry room, not saying that you are; I figured it would just be easier to take your things out of the dryers."
"So?" I stood there looking at my perfectly folded clothes wondering if all my lacy things like bras were at the bottom or did he fold those too? "It wasn't Mrs. Hatley that folded them?"
He laughed and looked at me straight in the face. "No. That would be me."
The room grew suddenly quiet and in less than two seconds, Marion was out the door hollering, she will call me later. She has never left without a hug good bye. I think she felt the same storm brewing that I did, and it wasn't the kind that you cursed at; it was the kind where you hunker down with a naked sexy man and do things to pass the time. When a man folds laundry for a woman - that is like porn for women. Gulp.
I finally got the nerve to look up into his eyes. Those gorgeous bluish greenish eyes that captivated me with their mere brightness and invitation to just jump right on in and take a swim. His eyes were smiling but they were also singing Latin love songs to my heart. He finally broke the trance and walked over and closed my apartment door, all while turning his ringer on his phone to mute. When he turned to me, I wanted to melt into the floorboards.
He started off with 'it's no big deal'. I laughed lightly. Then he continued on explaining. "I have three sisters and don't think that I didn't have to deal with their laundry a time or two. I just felt it was easier and perhaps nicer being it's your birthday and all, so I folded them for you."
I stumbled out. "Actually Wednesday is my birthday."
"I know that. But someone as special as you should celebrate all week long." He said it like his tongue just ran up and down my body giving me the shivers, or perhaps; I just imagined that.
I let my hands slowly stroke up his arm, and over his shoulder until my wrist draped over it, and my hips moved in close to him within inches. I tilted my head while looking up at him with bedroom eyes and realized that I was not in control of my body. My body was in control of my mind, which I was feeling completely out of control. I had such a sexual desire standing next to this man. The man who just folded my laundry and brought it up to me. Not only was he incredibly sexy naked, although I only got to see it from a separation of an alley way, guessing twenty thirty feet between buildings, give or take a few feet. I was drawn in by his eyes. It was as if they could look at me and undress me with a sensual stroke. I could look into his eyes and declare that I found euphoria. "I don't normally do this kind of thing."
His voice stroked my skin when he replied with something so very unexpected. "Well I guess that just makes me a very lucky man."
I didn't have to finish with my seduction that I was planning in my head. Mr. sexy super, Mason soon to be CEO Montahue, naked or dressed, slowly lowered his lips to mine as his strong hands wrapped themselves up onto places on my body that had me reeling for more. I felt his right hand slip behind my head, touching my neck and entangling his fingers into my hair. I felt his other hand glide onto my hip and to the lower of my back pulling me in closer to him. I let my lips open just a bit as his pursued mine that held a tingling sensation to them. I had never felt that vibe with another man before, not in the way his lips were pressing against mine. Just as his hot tongue dipped into my mouth a loud easy moan exited as I felt my body press itself hard against his, almost pushing him backward. If it wasn't for his strength of his body, I was pretty sure I could have knocked him back onto the couch with my passionate bravado. I was feeling pretty dang passionate right now, all this from just this kiss. This kiss, which far surpassed the little surprise he dropped on me earlier right before he left me reeling in the laundry room.
When his lips pulled back, his hand on my lower back started stroking my back, as his hand on the back of my head pulled my head back a bit so he could look down into my eyes, he spoke while I felt like a melting mess right there on my hardwood floors.
"Amber Jones. You are one sweet surprise I was not expecting with this job." He let out a light flirty laughter that made me realize that this attraction had just taken two to tango.
I wanted to find my voice and talk, yet for once, I could not babble. I could not interject my goofy sense of humor that could talk its way out of a crowded room. I could not speak, nor could I move. My body was humming from toenails to hair follicles on the tip of my head. I was a humming strumming neon sign that was flashing the word 'GO'. There was no word that remotely meant stop that was going to exit my mouth, nor was I going to do anything that might be interpreted in the least bit as 'not tonight dear'. I just stood there with my lips slightly parted, wet from our kiss, my breath hitched and my eyes staring into his wondering if this was one wicked wet dream I would wake up from and kick myself for not following through. Then his voice held question as if he needed a go ahead.
"Amber?" I felt his fingers stroke my face as he repeated my name in question, just as I felt the distance between us may have only increased by inches but felt like a mile. I wanted to be wrapped back up in his arms.
I had been mentally undressing and seducing my neighbor slash hot super all while, he stood in my front room telling me a story about something that had to do with his sister's laundry or was it, he asked me if it bothered me. Either way, I did not remember.
"Uh. Sorry." It was the only answer I could supply. My body was an internal molten mess from my own internal visioning that I had no words to describe my lack of interest in his conversation. I glanced at my laundry basket, and back to him while spurting out a comment. "Hey thanks by the way. In case, I didn't say it earlier. You didn't need to fold my stuff. Maybe next time I leave one washer and dryer open." I let the last part come out in laughter as he took a step closer, back within the parameters that had put us in that last memorable sensual kiss.
"You could or we could put a maintenance sign on the door and do our laundry together. I'm sure we could think of something to do while the wash and spin cycle complete."
Oh my garsh. Did he just insinuate where my mind had just been? I guess my raised eyebrows caused him some caution on the 'you took it too far Latin lover' level.
"I'm just kidding with you." He let his hand stroke my arm as he took that final step closer. This put him within my 'this is going to go somewhere naked' space. The space that is only reserved for lovers. Then before I could say a word, I watched his hand come up and softly st
roke the side of my face as his fingers weaved into my hair and found themselves on the back of my neck. He took the last and final step it takes for a man to get ready to kiss a woman. His thumb tilted my chin up and his other hand landed on my back as our mouths met. This was sensual kiss number two, all in less than five minutes. I had to wonder, who was pursuing who, Latin lover?
The feel of his lips was suburb. He had a sexy manly mouth that took my mouth and made it feel safe, secure and about to - oh my. He's leaning into my body, and if I am not mistaken as my hands have made their way to any part of his body I can touch and pull him closer; he's very happy to have folded my laundry.
When he pulled back just a step, not that I wanted him to, I let out a deep 'ah' sound. I wanted to jump up acrobatically, wrap my legs around his body and proceed to take this kiss to an entirely different level.
"Amber?" His voice was in question and there was no stroke of the fingers this time. His voice was real time; not imaginary play date time. "Amber, I guess I wanted to stop by and see if this attraction I'm feeling is somewhat real. I guess since we barely know each other."
I don't know if I could agree with that. He was the super, and had access to the management records. He could probably find out that my first year renting, I was late three times. Not so long ago I lapsed in the required renter's insurance out of sheer inability to remember to pay the bill. Now that I am on auto pay, grouped on the same policy as my car insurance, so there will be no lapsing now as I was learning to grow up in the bill-paying department. He knew my name, first and last. Well, I guess we both did now. However, most importantly, he knew what I looked like naked and in a roundabout fair play sort of way, he let me see him naked too. We were just a level higher than mere acquaintances; we could easily be friends with benefits. However, something in me knocked on my brain. 'You want more now, don't you?' And that, I was sure, that I did.
"Mason?" I said it while trying to look into his eyes that just made me want to shut up and let him kiss me again.
"Look. My day is done. I've pulled a full shift and then some, well, considering all I had to deal with last night." He laughed lightly with a teasing note to his sentence. "How bout we go get an early bite to eat? Get to know each other a bit?"
I didn't have to think about it, but I wanted to put on something sexy. Do a little makeup and hair touch up and make sure my push-up bra was causing an after dinner enticement that Mason could not refuse.
"Give me an hour. You know. To put my laundry away." I looked at him with a bite of my lip and pleading eyes that made his sexy smile widen on his face.
He stepped forward, let his hand pull my chin up and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I'll give you all the time you need. Something tells me you are worth the wait."
Hot tamales. Did they have a Latin lover class somewhere, because if they did, I can assure you that boy passed with all A pluses on his report card.
One hour later, precisely, he was at my door, with a nice pair of jeans, leather loafers, a well-pressed blue shirt slightly open and sleeves rolled up and the smell of cologne that made me want to breathe in deep. I let him inside, with myself dressed in my bar jeans, black tank top and black push-up bra to give the girls a view. I made sure the matching black thong did not feel left behind. I was down to deciding on which shoes to wear. The shoe decision might have been delayed with the smoky eye makeup and few extra curls in my hair.
He let out a low appreciation whistle while his eyes undressed the very outfit that took too long to decide on wearing. Well not the bra and thong. That was a quick decision.
"Wow. Amber. If I didn't know better, you get more gorgeous by the minute."
Ok. Ladies. Here is where I want to break out in song and dance, and no, I am not drunk. I am listening to my heart pound in my ears, my chest restricting, my toes curl, and my lovely lady spot vibrating. Then before I could say a word, he kissed me again. This time, we had to work together to close the door behind him as we fell against it moaning and kissing.
I pulled away first. I could have easily pulled another reckless love moment, but a little notion told me he wanted to know more, establish a friendship and so did I. It was either that, or cupid just shot me with the 'stop being stupid' arrow.
He spoke up first. "I could easily devour you here and not leave your place until morning. However, I have not eaten a bite all day, and I need to suffice my appetite with food. Then I can suffice my other appetite, if you decide to invite me back for a night cap."
I had work in the morning and a huge lack of proper sleep from the previous night. But did I say no? No, I did not. Who needs a good night's sleep two nights in a row when I have got my whole life ahead of me. I reached up, gave him a quick peck, and told him I needed to grab my shoes and purse. I decided on the easy slip off kind. I didn't want any delays when we got back.
Chapter Five
The pub he selected to take me to was one of my favorites and was only five blocks away from our building. Living in the city had its advantages, in many ways. Getting tipsy at the local pub and needing to walk home was one of them.
Just as we walked out of the apartment building and into the warm evening air, I felt his hand go to my back as we stepped out on the street. With only five or six click clacks of my three-inch slip on kitten heels in red leather, with white stitching, they are very cute, trust me; I felt his hand reach for mine. I looked down just as I let his fingers intertwine with mine, and then I looked up to his sultry colored eyes as he was already looking at me with a smile that said what I felt. This is nice.
The five block walk to the pub was taken in slow easy steps. It was as if we were in no hurry to get there. I knew he mentioned he was hungry but at the pace we were walking, and his slow easy conversation telling me about his day with the tenants in both buildings, I could have walked a mile and never stopped. It was a great feeling to hold his hand and walk down the street in a casual pace, one that I could see us replaying this scenario many nights to come.
It was then that it hit me as he held the door open for me to the pub, and we walked in with his hand to my lower back that I realized I needed to not muck this one up, take it slow, make it a real relationship, not a fly by night passionate thing. That was my smart mature brain talking; however, my whohaw was thinking something totally different should be happening at the end of this evening. The race between the two was on. I had my bets placed on the mature relationship date, while some of the people in the pub that could not seem to take their eyes off us made me think the other would be the winner. I caught a reflection in a mirror as we sat at a two-person bar height table and saw the romantic couple we were portraying to the world. It was the type of love and affection couples showed each other that seemed real, not first date nervous, not I have to be here to get laid, but a sign that two people clicked. Mason and I clicked, and with that thought, so did my neither region; it was clicking a mile a minute. This was going to be a tough call at the end of this evening.
I decided to do what I do best when flustering feelings of fantasy take place in an inappropriate place; I babbled a few questions out. "So, Mason, tell me what it is like doing maintenance on the two buildings? I mean you have told me a few interesting stories about the tenants, but I could easily see how two buildings could be a bit much for one man."
He looked me straight in the eye and made a sexual suggestion that was more of a statement of his manhood than how he handles the building maintenance. "I can handle a lot. I'm very good with my hands."
I cleared my throat as I thought of all the ways he was good with his hands. Then I decided to ask him about working for his dad. "So, how big of a corporation is Montahue Properties and how do you like working for your dad?"
Just then, the waitress came up and asked us for our order. Mason looked at me and smiled, while keeping his eyes on me, he spoke to the waitress. Two long necks, house special, and two glasses of water; can we have some menus please." The waitress walked off with a 'sure' and
most likely didn't think twice that Mason was staring at me while talking to her, but I did, and I liked it; however, I needed to make sure of something to calm my date jitter nerves "Is there some lipstick on my teeth or some eyelashes stuck together because you have a funny smile on your face?"
He reached over, put his hand behind my head and pulled me in close to him for a quick kiss. When he pulled back, I was silent as I let out a huge breath of air in pure happiness. That is what his kisses did to me; they made me tingle, smile and sing in places on my body that liked singing during moments like this. When he spoke up, his voice flirted with me. "I just felt like kissing you, just as that waitress walked up. It took all I had in me not to kiss you without telling her our order."
I laughed, because I was queen of the distraction ploy and thought perhaps that was what he was doing. "It was either that or you didn't want to talk about Montahue Properties or your dad."
He laughed and reached for my hand and held it on the table. "It could be that or I'd rather not talk so much shop about me. Kissing you seemed like a heck of a better idea. So what's your favorite thing to eat here, I am guessing you like to eat here as you have a glass vase full of matches from this place. Do people still collect those things?"
I laughed. "Just me. It started when I was a kid and wanted to know where my dad was at on a Friday or Saturday night. I would tell him in my stubborn nine-year-old voice that he needed to prove it to me. He knew I liked to wait up silently in my room until his shift ended, and he was safely home, so he reassured me by bringing home matches from the bar he used to get a drink at after work. My dad's a retired cop, and he used to tell me that Friday and Saturday nights were the worst. Brought out the weirdos in his district, and he just needed some down time before he came home around midnight. So I started saving all the ones he remembered to bring home and when he didn't bring home I figured he forgot. As I got older, I got wiser. It wasn't just the bar he was having a drink at, but a lady friend or two. I guess that is how my match collecting started."