All In

by Greene, Brook

  Immediately I feel a pang of guilt for calling me him mean so I try to rectify the comment, ‘not so much mean,’ I reach and touch his forearm he has propped up on the table, ‘more oh I don’t know, straight forward.” Smiling I look at him and watch as his demeanor changes back to a version of what it had been before.

  We sit in silence, my eyes dart around the small rustic Italian restaurant. From its candle lit sconces adorning the brick walls, to the red and white checkered table clothes covering the small round tables. The several tables dotting the limited floor space are occupied by couples just like Leo and me but they are having hushed private conversations, as we sit silent unable to meet each other’s eyes. I readjust my position and wonder if the men are having their way with their partners under the tables just as Leo had done with me. The thought brings my skin to a light simmer, to push the thought out of my head I tuck a stray hair behind my ear and clear my throat. None of the couples are any more aware of the others, lost in their own little worlds just as Leo and I had been moments before.

  The silence is killing me and the fact Leo has not looked in my direction for the past five minutes has seemed to become his own version of torture for me, ‘so,’ changing the subject, ‘since you were so straight forward today and barged into my house then eavesdropped on my conversation,’ I pause giving him time to stop me but he doesn’t, ‘why are you a control freak?”

  “Straight to the point, uh Avery?” He shifts uncomfortably again under the scrutiny of my gaze, the man is fascinating. I sit back and watch him chew his words choosing each one carefully. The uncertainty that masks his face is bizarre even though he has let his guard down for me tonight his confidence is never very far from the surface. So to see him unsure of the details he is willing to give up to me about his private life is remarkable, ‘talk about being forward.”

  I immediately regret the question, ‘it's okay Leo you don’t have to tell me anything, I understand that is not the nature of this relationship, I remember what you said about expectations.” The waitress returns with our drinks and sets them on the table.

  “Are you ready to order?” She pulls out her tablet and sifts from one foot to the other, she glances over at me then back to Leo.

  “Uh no give us another minute please?’ He sits up and takes a drag of his bourbon. The waitress retreats to her station and watches us intently as Leo is still stalling, ‘so how long have you been in nursing?”

  Nice subject change from him to me, ‘how did you know I was a nurse?” I can guess how he knows he probably did the same thing that I did, call my best friend and pump her for information.

  “I have my ways, I also know you work at the prison,’ the steal gaze of his coal black eyes lands heavily on me, ‘I don’t like it Avery.”

  “I really don’t care if you do or not Leo.” My retort is quick, I looked for a month for a job and this is the first place who offered me a position on a salary I could live on. I adjust myself a little farther away from feeling the uncomfortable weight of his inspecting eyes.

  “Did you try the local hospital first?” He drinks again.

  “No the prison was my first choice, yes I tried,’ I take a deep breath, ‘I got the distinct feeling the local hospital doesn’t hire out of towners.” I gulp the rest of my drink.

  “I still don’t like it Avery, maybe you should try the hospital again.” His face is masked.

  I giggle, yep the drink has gone right to my head, ‘what are you afraid of, I will run into some of your old friends or something?”

  “No, some of my enemies,’ he pauses to let me soak up this bit of information, then he continues, ‘they find out you are with me and there are some who would use it to their advantage to get to me.” What kind of people does he associate with?

  I clear my throat as the drink has taken my breath right along with the seriousness of his answer. I clear my throat again and move on, I will deal with what he has just told me later, ‘how long have you been a mechanic?” So I start slow and all but whisper the words.

  “Around twenty years,’ he takes another drink, ‘started my shop around fifteen years ago.” His eyes are a deep coal, the candle flames flickers in them as they travel up my torso and land, making contact with mine.

  I shift nervously under his gaze diverting my eyes back to my own drink, ‘Piper told me you went to high school with Roman, Cowboy and Dalton, played football with them too.” I glance back up at him as a smile crosses his face.

  “I did, that was a long time ago,’ he laughs, ‘of all the things she could have told you she tells you about the football.”

  “What position did you play?” The waitress brings me another drink as well and I am starting to feel the effects of the strong liquor.

  “I was quarterback. Blew my knee out in the last game of my senior year, had to find a different profession afterwards.” He watches me as I down my drink, ‘slow down on the drink Avery.” He warns giving me a slight stern look.

  I sit back pushing my drink away from me and take in the snippets of information he is giving, turning to him I see the twinkle in his eye as he talks about the sport from his youth, ‘you must have loved it, playing football I mean.” I vocalize my observations of his expressions.

  “What makes you say that?” His black eyes land on me making me immediately self-conscious, I begin to twirl the loose tendrils of hair with my finger.

  “You had this look just now, that’s all.” I look anywhere but in his eyes, they make my clothes want to fall off.

  He leans in for the second time since we have set down turning his shoulders into me, reaching he pulls me to him closing the calming distance I had put between us. His left hand begins to travel up my right thigh, ‘because I am sitting here with you, not for some sport I played twenty years ago.” The heat from his palm on me is lighting my body on fire. The pulsating throb has started between my legs again and is growing with every inch his hand travels.

  My hand instinctively takes his wrist, ‘Leo we are in public and people can see us.” My eyes dart around the room to see if there are any spectators. Thankful for the table and the cover our corner booth is giving us.

  His lips never travel far from my neck or ear as he continues, ‘I don’t care.” The heat from his breath tickles my skin; I fight the tremble threatening to wrack my body with every glance of his lips on my skin. His finger is at my panties and is tracing a circle around the thin lace, ‘Avery you are so wet.” His tongue flips my earlobe.

  “Um hum.” I can only mumble unable to form a sentence due to his erotic touch. I have known this man for no more than forty eight hours and I am already putty in his hands. He straightens up and pulls my skirt down, I whimper.

  “We need to eat. There will be time for this later I promise.” He motions for the waitress who was still watching us with a blush on her face now. I on the other hand was nowhere near embarrassed, Leo just had his hand up my skirt and promised me more later, I am excited. I mull over the if’s and but’s in my head, so what if we have only just met, I am a grown woman with needs he is willing to satiate for me. Looking over at him he smiles at me, tilting my head I see something in him and know I will do my best to give him a chance to prove to me he isn’t the bad guy he acts to be.

  Dinner was wonderful the conversation ended up being light banter about our jobs, even though he was still adamant about me finding another one I toss the thought aside and enjoy our date. He laughed a lot, making his face light up and I took all of him in. He did have a light side and he was giving it all to me now, I am hesitant at the motive for this but all the same I enjoyed the time spent.

  ****

  Leo

  I excuse myself to the restroom, leaving her regrettably alone at the table, ‘I will only be gone a minute.”

  Her smile is wide and her pupils dilated from the drink, ‘okay I will be fine Leo, I promise.” She waves me off, I hesitate only slightly before proceeding to the men’s room so I can check my stupi
d ass phone. Since we have been seated at the table it has buzzed non-stop. Locking the single bathroom door behind me, I fish the phone from my pocket.

  “Christ.” I exhale at the dozen or so messages. I flip through the texts blindly. I will have to go through them better later. I also have several voice mails, saving them for later as well. I turn to the mirror to wash my hands absent mindedly for no reason, I didn’t use them to hold anything. Glancing up I see my reflection and curse it. Sighing I lean my head down and swallow the fact of Roman being right, she is a good girl and if she spends any kind of time with me I will turn her inside out.

  “Damn it!” I punch the wall to my left in frustration, ‘I am such an asshole.” I silently berate myself, but I am already too far gone to let her go now. I will just have to figure out a way I can keep her and my fucked up life from mixing.

  Once again my phone starts buzzing, jerking it to my ear, ‘what?”

  “Date not going so well big man?” Cowboy’s southern drawl rakes across my last nerve.

  “It would be if you fucktards would leave me alone, was there something pressing you needed, obviously since you have called four hundred times.” I bite out the words lacing them with frustration.

  “Nope,’ he laughs, ‘Roman, Dalton and me are just doing a round robin, fucking with ya.” I can hear the sounds of laughter in the back ground.

  I flip my phone closed turning it off for good measure this time, what I have planned for the rest of the night will require my full and undivided attention. A knock on the door hurries me back to the table.

  ****

  Avery

  Two and half hours later we are driving back to my house, pulling up I see no lights on in the apartment windows, ‘Piper must either be completely worn out and fallen asleep early or she simply hasn’t made it back yet.” I fish through my pocket book looking for the door keys.

  Leo follows me up the path to the door without even being asked, my hips do a little shimmy of excitement and I hope he didn’t see it.

  “Knowing Dalton and the hard on he has for her she will be gone until next week sometime.” He takes the keys from my hand and enters the apartment before I do, reaching to flip on the light switch. He steps to the side so I can enter, tossing my purse on the small foyer table to the right and turn to him.

  “So Leo-“ He kicks the door shut turning to me he pins me with his eyes, closing the distance between us walking me back into the wall.

  “Stop talking.” He mummers against my neck as he trails kisses up to my ear, ‘this, this is what I have thought about all night.” He grinds his hips into me and I feel how much he enjoyed the thoughts.

  I run my hands through his hair and feel the thickness filter through my fingers. He turns me knocking over the table breaking the cheap vase, ‘sorry I’ll get you another one.”

  Taking my lips from him, ‘don’t bother, now you stop talking.” I take my hands on either side of his face directing his eyes back to me. I bit his lower lip making him growl deep in his throat, um I love the erotic sound.

  “Wrap your legs around me.” He demands in a deep raspy voice, I do as I am told and then I am carried down the hall to my bedroom. He lays me back on the bed holding himself up on his elbow. He stops kissing me to look at me in the eyes, ‘Avery do you want this?” I do but if I stop and rationalize it out I will end up talking myself out of it.

  Hesitantly I answer, ‘yes.” is all I need to say and Leo is back to kissing my neck. His hand glides up my thigh pushing my skirt with it until he gets to my panties, ripping the thin material from me with a snap he flings them back over his shoulder. Getting up on his knees he hauls me up with him pulling my dress over my head exposing my bra that matched my now mangled panties.

  “My god Avery,’ he pants as he lays me back down taking my mouth with such passion it hurts. He grinds his hips down as I rock up. His lips leave mine and begin the exquisite journey down my body stopping only to force the cups of my bra down and take my harden nipples in his mouth, given them each equal attention, sucking them up into his mouth and nipping the bud with his teeth.

  “Oh Leo.” I arch my back up into the space between us. He uses his free hand to force me back down onto the bed. His callused palms spread my knees and his tongue slicks up my inner thigh. His mouth settles on my sweet spot as he pushes in two fingers.

  “Damn baby you are so wet for me. I am going to get you to the edge and let my dick take you over.” He guides my pulsating body through a pleasure mind field, his tongue strokes me soft at first then as they become more aggressive, he has achieved to turn my blood into lava. I entangle my fingers into his hair, knotting them up as his head bobs up and down twisting my body up into an erotic top with no sign of release.

  The rubber band is starting to wrap up tight and I am on the verge of snapping when he withdraws his fingers and removes his tongue from me, ‘open your eyes Avery and look at me.” His gruff voice breaks through my haze. Forcing them opening I am met with the most erotic sight. A bare chested Leo is on his knees between my spread legs. His dress pants have been half unzipped and the light dusting of dark hair trails down disappearing below the waistband of his Joe Boxers making my mouth water.

  I reach for him and continue the zipper down, I tug at the waist band trying to get to the prize, this only makes him grab my wrists. He looks down at me with pure unadulterated lust. I freeze as he pulls my fingers from the elastic dropping my hands. He begins to make his way to the side of the bed to stand. Looking at me, his eyes devour my body with every sweep up then back down, his tongue licks out moistening from his lips. The gesture makes my self-deprecation kick into high gear, I move to cover my exposed skin by pulling the loose sheet over me.

  Taking the cotton barrier in his hand he pulls it from me and the bed throwing it to the floor, ‘why are you covering up?’

  Like a deer in the head lights I shrug and open my mouth to defend my actions but nothing comes out. I watch as he takes his hands, smoothing them down his tight thighs gathering his dress pants and boxers as they make a torturous journey down. I swallow hard the knot of lust strangling my ability to speak. Still no words are found with the action. He stands back up at full height and I gasp. He remains stock still giving me the opportunity to make him eye candy as he has done many times to me.

  “Avery,’ he takes a step closer to the bed reaching to run a finger under the strap holding up my D-cup, ‘I have told you this before, you are beautiful.”

  Standing back up and removing his hands from me, ‘take off your bra.” He orders as he kicks his slacks over to the large pile of removed clothing. I sit up and remove my last under garment, slinging it to the floor, I get one last look of his body and the wonderful art covering the ridged canvas before he gives my shoulders a gentle push back.

  I free fall into the abyss, my body softly bounces then settles. Without a prompt I place my feet flat on the mattress letting my knees fall open inviting him in. He stalks to me naked and glorious with purpose. The bed shifts under his weight, his hand goes back to between my legs, pushing two fingers back into me. I reach my hands above my head searching for a counter point, an anchor, to keep me from floating away.

  “You are ready for me aren’t you baby?” His raspy voice asks before he withdraws. Placing both hands on either side of my head he looks down at me, ‘you on birth control Avery cause I want to feel you bare?” I nod and then feel the pressure of him at my opening. I gasp as the head of his hard cock breaches me, he pauses and lets my body adjust to his size.

  “Shit!” He mumbles into my neck, ‘Avery.” He slides in slowly, the white spots appear behind my lids explode with rapid fire as my body jumps and jerks from the pleasure he is demanding from me. I wrap my legs around his hips urging him to move faster. I swallow trying to fight the feeling of knowing I will never be able to get enough of this man. Leo stops as he glides all the way in.

  He lies still for a moment as my body screams for him to move, I rock my
hips up into him only getting a gruff, ‘don’t move,’ from the near comatose man on top of me. His breath is hot on my neck making the small beads of the sweat chill my skin.

  I begin to kiss his neck and feel the vibration of his groan rumble up his throat, ‘god baby you are so tight.” He slowly begins to move in me and then drifts out, but just as quickly is back in me. The pleasure through pain feeling is the most beautiful feeling I have ever known. I have been with a few men but never anyone like Leo or any that felt like him for that matter.

  His hand drags my left knee up to his side and making it so he can go deeper into me, ‘Ohh,’ I exclaim as he buries himself all the way into my soul. I feel the top begin to spin in my belly and the tingles roll down my legs. The loud bang as the head board slapping against the wall with his every hard thrust only accentuates the raw emotion emanating from the both of us.

  I paw at his body, his back, his arms. Holding his shoulders for a center. His thrusts have become more urgent and my hips have begun to roll in time with his, ‘Leo.” I moan his name into his ear. The muscles in my legs tighten around him and my heels spur him on, ‘Leo I am so-,’ the words are lost in the movement as I gasp for the next sustaining breath.

  “Look at me Avery, I want your eyes on me.” I open them to see him staring down at me, a tiny droplet of sweat runs down his temple, I reach and tangle my hands him his long hair again. His shoulders jar up with each thrust as he drives into me with an urgency equaled only by the growing need I have for him. The skin of our hips slide against each other slick with the same sweat, I lock my heels behind him and hold on for the rapturous finish as I am struck with a slight twinge of fear will be my undoing.

  I begin to come unraveled under him, ’Oh shit Leo!” I paw at his back with my nails and then I grab his fine ass and grind up into him prolonging the sweet torture of the pleasure.

  I thrust my hips up and throw my head back, ‘Eyes Avery!” He demands of me, I struggle but finally get my lids to cooperate. His coal black eyes have never left my face and it is plastered with a smile, ‘how did that feel baby?”