Finding Love for a Cynic

by Tarbox, Deneice

  “Kind of hard to do when one doesn’t know what that entails,” she retorted. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her chin in defiance. She could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to meet his gaze.

  Koen stared at her, looking dumbfounded, while the others continued their silent back and forth inquiry. “I think we’re done here,” he finally said.

  “I agree,” Delona added.

  *

  Delona was out of the room in a flash with Cara hot on her heels. Koen took a moment longer as he had to gather his notes and briefcase before departing. Myron and Danny remained seated, their jaws touching the table in disbelief as they watched the others depart.

  “What the fuck just happened?” Myron asked, at a complete loss.

  “Um, I think that might be exactly what happened.”

  The two men slowly shifted their attention to Renee, who had just volunteered this information. Wrapped up in the heat of the conversation, they had forgotten about the elderly woman and her ultra-keen insight. They gazed at her as though waiting to hear more. Instead of elaborating, the old woman simply shrugged and continued doing whatever it was she was doing on her smartphone.

  Chapter 15

  Delona entered her small apartment with Cara still hot on her heels. She stomped around the bar into the kitchen, trying her best to contain her anger and put some distance between herself and the woman she currently wanted to murder. Cara had caught up with her in her office, apologizing profusely and begging her not to call a cab. Although Delona had found it difficult to take her seriously, especially since that impish smile kept sliding across Cara’s face the entire time she was “apologizing,” she had relented and allowed Cara to drive her home. She was perturbed with Cara for the discomfort she had caused her in front of Koen and had punished her with the silent treatment all the way home. Now, Delona leaned against the counter, fist supporting her chin, glaring at her roommate.

  Cara appeared to be unfazed by her disposition. She walked into the apartment, slowly removing her pumps and suit jacket. She took the time to place her jacket on the couch and neatly prop her shoes up under the coffee table before taking a seat in one of the bar stools facing Delona.

  Delona could tell as she watched her that Cara was trying unsuccessfully to keep those rose-colored lips from twisting up into a smirk. They had been here numerous times before in their friendship, and Cara obviously wasn’t too concerned about being here again.

  Just as Delona was about to lay into her, her cell phone began to ring. It was Myron. “Hello,” she answered none-too-sweetly.

  “Is everything okay? You didn’t seem like yourself today,” Myron stated.

  “I just… I just need to take care of something right now.”

  “Did you and Koen sleep together? Do I need to fire him or, better yet, put my foot up his ass?”

  “Yes… I mean no! No, Myron. No one’s foot needs to go up anyone’s ass. Look, I can’t talk about this right now,” Delona responded, feeling flustered while Cara sat in front of her, hand over mouth, trying to conceal the sound of her laughter.

  “I’m coming over.”

  “Please don’t,” she implored, resting her forehead in her hand. Embarrassment and shame filled her as she started to wonder how many of the others had figured out her disgraceful deed. No wonder they had all kept looking at her so strangely throughout the day. She was sure to be the topic of office gossip for the next decade. Cara’s amusement wasn’t making her feel any better.

  “What do you mean don’t? If that kangaroo-humping bastard hurt my sister—”

  “He didn’t hurt me, okay? And don’t talk about him like that. Just leave it, Myron, sheese!”

  “I’ll let it go for now. But you’d better be ready to explain what’s going on tomorrow morning. I’ll be over bright and early.”

  “Whatever. Bye.” She ended the call and turned to glare at her roommate, who was still laughing uncontrollably. “You really do think your ass is funny, don’t you?” she stated, narrowing her eyes on her friend.

  “Actually, I prefer to think of my ass as cute,” Cara cajoled. “I’m sorry,” she said, still failing to control her mirth.

  Delona shot upright, slamming her fist on the counter. “This isn’t funny, Cara!” she cried.

  Cara sobered when moisture gathered in Delona’s eyes. “Hey. I didn’t mean to make light of the situation, okay? But, Dee… You’ve got to stop fighting this. I’m sorry, but you two belong together. Nothing you can say right now is going to make me change my mind about that. What happened today anyway?”

  “I don’t know. He came to talk to me at lunch. I just felt like he didn’t give a damn about what had happened. He just stood in the doorway… asking me about my lunch plans. I gave myself to him, and he’s asking me about my lunch plans?” She closed her eyes, trying hard to conceal her pain.

  “I can’t say why he did that or what was going through his mind. Maybe he’s just as scared as you are. Did you try to broach the subject with him?” Cara inquired gently.

  “Kind of. Roger showed up in the middle of our conversation. But I managed to let him off the hook by acknowledging that the whole thing had been a mistake before Roger interrupted us.”

  Cara stared at her, all traces of humor gone from her features. “Please tell me you didn’t actually say that to him.”

  “Yes, of course. I have no desire to be with someone who doesn’t really want me,” Delona said defensively. “How many times do I have to tell you he prefers blondes? Hello…brunette here from head to toe,” she said, gesturing from the top of her head downward in true Vanna White style.

  Cara shook her head. She continued staring at her, her lips drawn into a tight line. Delona knew her meddling roommate and was waiting for some great words of wisdom to fall from her mouth.

  “Interesting,” was all Cara said. Whatever else she had planned to say was rudely interrupted by a not-so-subtle knock at the door. “I got it.” Cara rose from the barstool and padded over to the door, leaving Delona to wonder who it could be this late in the evening. She watched Cara as she peeped out the peephole and then turned back to face her with that Cheshire cat grin on her face again. “It’s for you,” she cried before gathering her belongings and padding off in the direction of her bedroom.

  Delona frowned at her roommate’s retreating back. Another knock sounded, prompting her to make her way over to the door. A curse directed at the idiot who had placed the peephole just a tad too high for her to see out of was on the tip of her tongue as she was forced to crack the door open. She inhaled a sharp breath, surprised to see a not-so-happy Koen peering down at her from the other side of the door.

  They stood in silence, staring at one another. Koen gestured to speak but was cut off when the door swung all the way open, catching both of them off guard. Cara poked her head from behind it to address him.

  “Are you going to stand out there all night?” Cara inquired in an authoritative tone. “My roommate doesn’t seem to remember who pays the electric bill around here.” She winked at Delona.

  Koen stepped into the small apartment. “Pardon my manners, Cara.” Delona noticed immediately that he had abandoned his suit jacket and tie and un-tucked his shirt, making him look much more comfortable than the last time he had been there. He had even gone as far as to undo the first few buttons of his light blue shirt. Quickly, he closed the door behind him and turned to face her while Cara retreated to the bedroom.

  Delona couldn’t move. Perhaps it was his semi-casual look or the fact that she now knew what lay under the rest of those buttons. He had never looked so sexy, and to her dismay, she couldn’t stop her traitorous body from responding to him.

  Koen’s green eyes darkened lustfully as though sensing her reaction. Her eyes traveled downward, looking for any indication he might be having the same problem she was. Even through his dress pants, she could see that his large endowment had developed a mind of its own. It captured her attention
, making it more difficult to ignore her own biological reaction. She met his lust-filled gaze once again, concluding they both were having trouble with coherent thought at the moment.

  “Excuse me, you’re blocking the door,” Cara said from behind Koen, tapping him on the shoulder to gain his attention. Her touch seemed to break the spell held over the both of them. She had changed into a yellow sundress and low-heeled casual sandals.

  “Where are you going?” Delona inquired breathlessly after finally finding her voice. The thought of being left alone with Koen suddenly made her nervous.

  “I… have a date,” Cara answered, matter-of-factly. She rocked to and fro on the balls and heels of her feet as though she were a giddy little schoolgirl.

  Delona noticed that smirk was back on her face, stirring her annoyance all over again. “With whom?” she demanded. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  “You’ll know soon enough,” Cara sang as she opened the door. “Don’t wait up for me.” She looked back at the couple, beaming. Then she cast them a beauty-queen wave and left the apartment.

  Oh, she thinks she’s sooo slick. Delona continued to stare at the closed door her friend had just walked out of until it occurred to her that she was indeed alone with Koen now. The realization made her quickly shift her gaze to him, staring at him as though he had just materialized from thin air. The way he stared back at her told her that he was on a mission, and he meant business. Uh-oh!

  Chapter 16

  “Look,” Koen started, stepping closer to her, “you had your say this morning. Now I’m going to have mine. I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen. Understand?” Koen spoke in a manner that brooked no argument.

  Delona could only nod in response. His eclectic accent was more pronounced than ever, and his closeness reminded her of just how wonderful a specimen he truly was. Either the combination of the two or the strain of having to look up so high was making her weak in the knees. Staring into those intense green eyes brought her one step closer to falling under the same spell he had used to control her last Friday night.

  Maintaining eye contact with her, he placed his large hands on each of her shoulders, instantly heating her core. He gently guided her backwards until she stood just in front of the breakfast bar. She shuddered when he seductively moved his hot hands to her waist and effortlessly lifted her up onto one of the barstools. Slowly, he lifted his hands to rest on either side of her, effectively blocking her in. Their heavy breathing blended as their faces were now mere inches apart.

  “What we did the other night was no mistake,” he stated sternly. He allowed his penetrating gaze to do a once-over of her face. “Nothing that beautiful could ever be wrong, love.” His index finger gently pressed against her lips when she started to protest. “My turn, remember?” he reminded her. “The only mistakes made were on my part. I shouldn’t have fallen off the wagon. But when I saw how you were responding to Roger…” His voice and gaze faltered.

  Delona placed her hand on his cheek and instantly felt the electricity flow through her. She affectionately realigned his face with hers. Her heart began to fill with song in anticipation of what this truly meant for them. But she needed to fully understand what he was saying before she allowed it to dance. “I don’t understand. You’ve been beside me, helping me look for that special someone for over a month now. Why would things change when Roger entered the picture?”

  “Because of the way you responded to him. Don’t you see? At first, I was just doing my job. Subconsciously, I didn’t have to worry about those other guys because you never seemed interested in them. I knew right off the bat that Roger was different.” Moisture gathered in his eyes.

  Delona saw his pain. She began to rub his cheek in an attempt to rub that ache away while, at the same time, using it to gain the courage she needed to say her next words. “Koen, the only reason I agreed to keep seeing any of those guys was because I didn’t think you were interested in me.” She watched as the hurt in his eyes turned to shock. “After you told me about your wife, I didn’t think I had a chance with you. You were so in love with her, and I knew I couldn’t be her.” Her eyes searched his for some reaction.

  “Did you honestly think my wife was on my mind when I made love to you?” His voice had become husky.

  Delona nodded. “I wished like heck that wasn’t the case, but I had no way of knowing.”

  His eyes did a sensual perusal from her stare to her lips and back. She felt her core start to tingle. She desperately wanted him to kiss her but knew he needed to finish what he had to say first. He shook his head slowly. “It wasn’t the case, love. I’ll always love Heather, but I’ve also acknowledged I need to move on. I’m not perfect, Delona. I’ve done some things I’m not very proud of, that might shame you to be with someone like me.”

  “I don’t care about your past,” she interjected breathlessly. “No one’s perfect.”

  “But my past almost caused me to make my biggest mistake of all.”

  “What was that?”

  “Not telling you I’m in love with you, that I believe I’d die without you in my life.”

  He crushed his lips to hers, forgoing any chance of a response from her. She eagerly returned his kiss, moving her hands behind his head to pull him closer. His warm velvety tongue probed at her lips for entry, and she opened them for him, allowing him to dive in and peruse her mouth thoroughly. A groan escaped him, instantly causing a flood of warmth to gather in her thong. She had never been wetter in her life. At that moment, she didn’t care what those at the office thought of her or what Cara had to say. She wanted him, and there was no turning back now. Being with him did something to her, and she was no longer willing to ignore that fact.

  His full lips moved to her neck, effectively causing a shiver of pure pleasure to run down her body. The feeling was heightened when he removed his hands from the bar and began to unbutton her shirt. After undoing the last button, he gently moved the material aside, exposing her vibrant-green lace bra. His large fingers began to lightly tease an already taut nipple through the fabric.

  Delona gasped when he moved his head down and swiftly captured the other nipple in his mouth. His hot breath stimulated it, driving her to the precipice of madness. She arched into him, bringing her breast closer to his feasting mouth. Just when she thought she would explode, she felt the light touch of his other hand on her thigh. He moved it slowly upward until it settled at the base of her womanhood. With his whole palm, he grasped her mound, eliciting a groan from her. He began to massage her lips through the thin lace fabric of her thong.

  *

  Once Koen realized what she was wearing under her casual business skirt, his mind went into overdrive. He quickly moved the tiny seat of her underwear to the side and started to thumb her clit. Moisture instantly flooded his hand, making his manhood harder. Her heady aroma wafted up to his nostrils, making his mouth water. He had to taste her.

  He heard her moan in protest when he pulled away from her, despite the fact that he stood only inches away. He gauged her expression as he carefully lifted his hand from between her legs to his mouth and began to lick it. Her mouth parted seductively, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. The increase in the rise and fall of her gorgeous breasts almost made him climax as the scent of her response hit him again.

  In one swift move, he stood her up on her high-heeled feet and made fast work of gathering her light blue skirt up around her waist and pulling her vibrant-green thong down to her ankles. He lifted her back onto the barstool, allowing the flimsy garment to fall to the floor. With the stealth of a jungle cat, he went down on his knees, maintaining eye contact with her the whole time. He parted her legs and gently lifted one over each shoulder, scooting her toward him until his face was aligned with her sex. He kissed her lips, allowing his tongue to delve deep into the recess of her core while his nose traveled back and forth across her button.

  *

  Delona threw her arms back on the bar to brace her
self. Her hips started to gyrate in response to his expert ministrations. She opened her eyes briefly and found him staring back at her. The look in his eyes was so tender it brought tears to her own. She cried out when he moved his mouth to her clit and began to suck on it and flick it with his tongue. She felt her walls clamp down on his finger when he inserted it into her womanhood and began to tickle her from the inside. It wasn’t much longer before a wave hit her hard.

  In a flash, Koen had his pants around his ankles and was putting on a condom. He quickly moved in between her thighs and inserted his hard, thick member into her core, the contact sending stars across her eyes. He braced the bar behind her, not moving at first. She could feel his head pulsing within her, sending bursts of pleasure throughout her entire body. Then he began to move in and out of her slowly. Each sensual thrust made her moan and caused him to feel harder within her. She hardly recognized her own voice as it emphatically encouraged him to go faster and harder. Her legs and arms clung to him for leverage as he started to oblige, making the barstool rhythmically slam against the counter from the force of his powerful thrust. She got lost in his words as he verbally claimed her as his, grunting how good she felt wrapped around his dick.

  She clenched down tighter on him, her nails digging into the back of his shirt during her phenomenal release. He wrapped his arms around her, practically lifting her off the bar stool as he pumped harder into her, her climax egging him on. Soon, his own release followed. He buried his head in the crevice of her neck as he shot into her, professing his eternal love for her during his final few thrusts. She had never felt so warm.

  They held on to each other, Delona running her hands over his back, attempting to soothe any discomfort she might have caused him. He lifted his head from her shoulder, their lips meeting for one long, sweet kiss before he rested his forehead on hers. Their eyes locked as smiles of satisfaction crossed both their faces.