by Mia Monroe
“This is a nice place.”
Felix nods. “Recommended by Genesis.”
“Ah.” I decide on the pasta carbonara, then close the menu and lean back against the booth. “What is this about, Felix?”
“What do you mean, Apollo? We are having dinner, no?”
“It feels like a date.”
“It is a date. A friendship date.”
He won’t look at me, and his pink cheeks are a giveaway that he’s nervous.
“Felix? Look at me.”
“Yes, Apollo?”
“Tell me what you’re up to.”
He exhales. “You are not very good at just going with the tide.”
“Going with the flow?”
“Whatever. I am showing you that it is easy to date a man. You said you wanted help. I give help.”
“Sweet. So it is a date?”
Does that mean it ends with kissing? In my bed? Naked? And breakfast eight hours later.
“Why are you looking at me like that again?”
I shrug. “I’ll go with the flow, Felix.”
He looks pleased. “Good.”
Dinner is nice, and like the first two times we’ve been out the conversation flows, and I learn more about Felix.
“What about museums when you were in France?” I ask. “Did you go to them often?”
His nose scrunches as he sets his wine glass down. “Museums? Euh, no, not often. I went to the Louvre of course, because I think it is required if you step in the country. I went to Versailles to see the palace.” He smiles. “I always wanted to see it with my own eyes. I love history.”
“Was that cool?”
“Oh, yes, it was very nice.”
“So, no museums for fun. What did you do there then to relax?”
“Sleep.” He laughs softly. “I worked so much. I enjoyed more just to walk slowly, unhurried to sit in a park and eat a croissant or gaze up at the clouds.”
“What about at night? Do they have a big club scene there?”
“Oh yes. I went sometimes with friends.”
I watch him eat for a minute. I like his gestures, how he moves as if he’s gliding in water, smooth and untethered by gravity. He’s still talking as he cuts his steak, about France and parks and old historical buildings. He waves his hand holding the knife, pausing to stare ahead as if remembering then returning to his meal. Merely watching Felix speak is like watching my favorite movie. I can’t take my eyes off him.
After dinner, he drives me back to my house, but the feeling of longing, of somehow making this night last longer, grows in my chest. When we arrive, he stops the car and climbs out of his side, making me smile as he comes to my side to open my door.
“You are a true gentleman, Felix.”
“My father will be pleased to hear he taught me well.”
Felix and I walk to my door.
“Thank you for tonight, Felix. It was fun. I always have fun with you.”
His smile grows. “I enjoyed my time with you as well.”
“Would you like to come in for a drink?”
“I would very much, but I have to get up at three in the morning.”
“Oh, right.”
He puts his hand on my arm, his smile morphing from happiness to something seductive. “This is the part where if the date went well, you would kiss goodnight.”
I swallow hard. “Are you offering me a kiss, Felix?”
“I am. If you want it.”
No brainer. “I want it.”
“Bien.” He tilts his head up, pressing me back against the door as our bodies make contact. His lips brush over mine, softly, briefly before he pulls back, searching my eyes.
I am stunned. It was one of the most innocent kisses I’ve ever received, yet somehow the most impactful.
Felix looks astounded. Before I can say anything, he moves in again but this time his tentative touch is gone. His hand moves behind my neck, pulling my mouth to his. Our lips meet, the contact between us quickly becoming frenzied. His kiss is firm, his heart beating against my chest. When my lips part, he dives in, exploring my mouth as if searching for treasure.
I let my hands roam down his back then up again to tangle in his hair. A contented murmur leaves him, vibrating on my lips and sending shockwaves through my body. My dick swells, leaking precum, and I’m positive he can feel it pressed against him. I hold him closer as his hand moves to my ass, squeezing gently. Every sense of mine is held captive by Felix, his scent, soft and faintly floral, his textures and contrasts—soft, hard, smooth, rough, patience and demand—all wrapped up in this sexy man. His taste, if there are words for it I can’t find them, is beyond anything I would have imagined. It is just simply Felix.
“Come inside,” I whisper, still tasting his lips.
“I cannot.” He exhales, breaking the kiss. As he gazes up at me, a smile pulls at my lips. His pupils are blown, his lips puffy and damp from my kiss, and when my eyes wander down, his dick bulges against the zipper of his pants. “One step at a time, Apollo.”
I nod, dragging my fingers through my hair and trying to keep the tidal wave of desire at bay.
“That was incredible.”
Felix nods. “You had a bad kiss before. I wanted to be a good kiss.”
“You set the bar very high.” I cup his face. “Too high. I only want to kiss you now.”
Felix smiles. “Apollo…” He shakes his head. “Oh, the things I could tell you.”
“Are you happy we kissed?”
“Happy is not a good enough word. Thank you for allowing it.”
“Allowing it? Felix, I wanted it.”
He searches my eyes, nodding when he seems to find what he was looking for.
“I will leave you now. Perhaps we can do this again.”
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“I guess I’m confused. You said it was a friendship date, but we just kissed. I’ve never kissed any of my friends before.”
“That is not a question, Apollo.”
I laugh softly. “You’re right. It’s not. I guess I’m trying to figure out if we just moved beyond friends, and if we did, what does that look like for us.”
“Go with the flow, no? Can you do that?”
His evasive answer feels both exciting and frustrating. We have a lot of obstacles. Well, one actually. His name is Lucien.
“I’ll try.”
“Can you do something else for me?”
“Anything, Felix.”
“Trust me.” His hand moves to my waist, resting there. “I know what I am doing. You wanted a leader, someone to guide you, no?”
“Yep.”
“If you let me, I will lead you places you never imagined you would go. If you trust me…” He pauses, searching my eyes with that glimmer in his. “I will unlock all the secrets for you. I will show you what you have been missing.”
I nod. “I want that.”
“With me?”
“Absolutely.”
A flash of insecurity touches his face before he blinks it away. “You find me attractive?”
“I find you far more than attractive. I am…enraptured.”
A smile splits his lips. “I am flattered. I will tell you sometime what I think of you.”
“Why not now?”
“Because I will not tell you with words. I will show you with my touch.”
“Fuck,” I whisper. “You are so sexy.”
“I was your understudy.”
I shake my head. “Thank you for tonight, Felix. All of it. I’ve never been the one…” I chuckle. “I guess I was gonna say I’ve never been on the receiving end of the date. It was really nice.”
“It was my absolute pleasure.” He lifts my hand and kisses the back of it. “I understand there are plans for Saturday night, to go to the club. Are you going?”
“Oh, I’m glad you reminded me. I planned to ask you if you wanted to go.”
“I think it will be fun.”
<
br /> “Me too. I’ll come pick you up?”
“Perfect.” He moves slightly closer. “A kiss before I go?”
“Yeah.”
Our lips collide again, hungry, desperate, but this kiss is slower, lingering as if Felix is cataloguing the details in his mind. I sure the fuck am. It’s over too quickly, and when he slides away, I swear part of me goes with him.
“I wondered if we would have chemistry,” he says, his eyes roaming over my face. “Question answered.”
“Definitely. Text when you get home?”
“Okay. Bonsoir, Apollo.”
“Goodnight, Felix.”
I watch him drive away, my heart straining in my chest as if trying to jump out and chase after him. Tonight was a game-changer, and as much as I should probably be thinking about what it means for us, I have a more pressing concern.
Inside the house, I tear off my clothes, fall in my bed, and reach inside the nightstand for the lube. Within seconds, I’m stroking my cock, replaying the heat of that kiss, the pressure of his body against mine, imagining what his dick would feel like sliding down my throat. Sliding inside of me.
I moan his name, lost in the fantasy of Felix dominating me. In my head, his sweet, accented voice is raspy and demanding as he uses my body for his pleasure. I lift my legs for him, offering myself to a man for the first time. He praises me with beautiful words of French, his gorgeous eyes steeped in lust for me as he pushes his way inside. I relax to let him in, drowning in him as he fills me, takes me, fucking owns me.
That’s all it takes for me to reach the edge. My orgasm rips through me, making me feel as though I’m made of fabric and being torn apart, but it isn’t painful. It’s next level, one of the strongest I’ve ever had. As my cum flows from my cock, splattering so high it hits my chin, I sink into my mattress.
His text comes through while I’m cleaning up. I read it three times, mostly because of the three hearts he added.
I don’t know what I’m doing, but whatever it is, I’m doing it with Felix.
Felix
After a restless night, I pull myself from bed for a shower before work. How could I sleep when the feeling of his lips burned on mine all night? I was agitated beyond what a solo jerk off session could handle. No. This is a fire I cannot put out alone. I’ve spent half my life dreaming of kissing Apollo, and last night it happened.
I step in the shower, praying the water will revive me and push thoughts of my Greek god far enough away to focus on work for the day. I wanted to go inside his house last night, peel his clothes off, and show him the desire I’ve held inside all these years. I was bold, kissing him, but it was worth whatever happens next.
Hours later, I finish the cake I’ve been working on since four, but I have one thing I wanted to add. I'm planning to surprise Briar, so I wait until he leaves with Jude for lunch before busting out the materials I need.
Once I’m alone, I start making my sugar mixture, stirring until it’s at the right temperature. With my rubber gloves on, I pour it out onto the marble surface so it will cool enough for me to handle, adding color drops to get the right shade. As I work, stirring the melted sugar around the tabletop, I fall into my happy place where nothing ever bothers me, and I can be alone in my thoughts. When I’m deep in my sugar or chocolate work, the outside world falls away, but this time, Apollo is here with me, tasting my lips, holding me close.
It doesn’t take long for the shape I’m working on to form. The birthday cake has a mermaid theme, and I spent the morning perfecting the mermaid scales sliding down one side of the cake. Now, the tail is coming to life. I pinch the edges, working quickly before it cools too much, then smooth it out, curling the tail so it will appear to wrap around the base of the cake as if the mermaid herself is swimming into the cake. When it’s done, I put it in place and step back to admire it. It’s perfect. I only hope Briar appreciates it.
“He’s in back,” I hear Tate say from the hallway.
I look up to see Apollo sauntering toward me, and my stomach does a double somersault.
“Bonjour, Apollo.”
“Hey. You busy?”
I point to the cake. “Just finished. What do you think?”
He steps closer, gazing down at it. “It’s gorgeous. Where did you get that tail?”
“I made it.”
“You made that?” He leans closer. “By hand?”
“Yes. It is sugar. The teal color came out nice I think.”
“It’s amazing. You’re so talented.”
“Merci. How are you today?”
He bounces his shoulder. “Anxious.”
“Why?”
“I needed to see you again.”
“Here I am.” I put the cake in the fridge and then twist around. “How do you feel about last night?”
“Loaded question.”
“Good or bad?”
“Good. Definitely good. You?”
My jumbled stomach calms at his answer. “Very good as well.”
He searches my eyes, stepping closer until we’re nearly pressed together. My heart races, and if I weren’t afraid of being fired from a brand-new job, I would bend him over the metal table behind us, right now.
“I like how you’re looking at me, Felix. Like you want to eat me alive.”
“It is true.”
“I didn’t sleep very well. All I could think about was your kiss.”
“I share your affliction.” I smile, wrapping my fists in the hem of his shirt and pulling him closer. “I would like to do it again sometime.”
“You will get the chance.”
“Tomorrow perhaps? We are going out, no?”
“Yeah, we are. What are you gonna wear?”
“I do not know yet, but prepare yourself.”
“I don’t know if I can. You blow me away every time we hang out.”
“I have only just started. Did you eat lunch?”
“Grabbed a quick bite. Mostly coffee. Had a lot to do today. We’re getting a new electronic payroll system installed.”
“You should eat to keep your energy up.”
“I know. All I need is coffee though. I’ll eat a big dinner tonight, take a shower, and get some sleep so I’m ready for you tomorrow.”
“I will look forward to it.”
He leans in and steals a quick kiss. Just in time too, as Genesis and Cairo come in from lunch. We separate, but my smile lingers.
“I’ll see you later, Felix.”
“Yes, have a good rest of your day.”
“I think I will now.”
He winks and then he’s gone.
Briar comes in a few minutes later, and I pull the cake out to show him and Gen.
“I took the liberty to add some decoration. Normally, it would likely be an extra charge, but I could not resist. If you don’t like it, I can take it off.”
Briar studies the cake, gazing up at me then down at the cake again. “You made that tail while I was at lunch?”
“Yes. It is small enough.” I bite my bottom lip. “Do you not like it?”
“Felix.” He looks up at me. “This is fucking amazing. Are you kidding me? You just knocked that out?”
“It is not hard, Briar. This one is simple.”
“I love it. The client is going to love it. I bet they post it on social media, and suddenly, more sugar work than we can handle.”
I relax. “So, this is good?”
“Very good. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“Briar,” Gen says, leaning on the counter. “Remember we talked about doing the chocolate samples before you hired Felix? We could put them in the other shop. We have him now.”
Briar nods, twisting his lips in thought. “Can you make truffles?”
“In my sleep.”
Briar smiles. “We get requests all the time, usually around holidays, but for a lot of special events too. What would you think about making a few small batches to put out as samples?”
&nbs
p; “Easy. I have a chocolate ganache that is always popular. Hazelnut is good too, but, oh, my creme brûlée truffle is to kill for.”
Genesis cocks his head. “To die for?”
“No. You would kill someone for these.” I laugh. “Yes, to die for. You must teach me more, boo. Can I call you boo?”
Genesis laughs. “Yes. Your accent is to die for.”
“Thank you. I used to hate it so much when we moved here. The kids at school made fun of me and called me Frenchie. I tried so hard to make it go away. It was much more subtle, and then what do I do? I move to France for a decade, like an idiot.”
Briar and Gen laugh.
“Living in France doesn’t sound so bad to me," Briar says.
“It had its good moments.” But it didn’t have Apollo. “I am happy to be home though. I am especially grateful to be here with you.”
“Dude, we’re the lucky ones,” Briar says.
“He’s right,” Gen agrees. “We needed you.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re coming out on Saturday, right?” Genesis asks.
“Absolutely. I’m ready to get back into the nightlife.”
“And the dating scene?” he asks.
“I don’t know yet. I’m...what did you say, seeing how it goes with Apollo.”
“Nice. Good luck.”
“Appreciated.” I clap my hands. “What is next on the to be baked list?”
As we start working again, I have to force myself to focus on the tasks. Waiting for tomorrow is going to be difficult, but at least I know I will see Apollo again.
And when I am done with him, he will have no doubt of my intentions.
Apollo
I pull into the driveway to pick up Felix, filled almost to my limit of anticipation. I haven’t stopped thinking about Thursday night and the way he took my kiss. Even though I want to just let go and dive in, I find myself holding back, and I know exactly why. Lucien. He’s going to kill me if he finds out I got involved with Felix. But how can I resist? He tempts me with every flirty look, every sweet pout of his lips, every soft giggle, every accented murmur. In fact, I’ve never been so wrapped up in a person as I am in Felix.
Turning the car off, I rub my forehead. I need to think calmly about this and figure out what I want with him. We seem to click as far as compatibility, and fuck knows we have physical chemistry, but what about after that? Do we have enough to make this a relationship? I think that’s the only way I could get the courage to face Lucien and tell him I’m dating Felix. He asked me to help him get settled, not fuck him.