The tone in his voice was suggestive. I understood it all too well and as much as I wanted him to take me home and fuck my brains out, I wasn’t that guy. Could I be, though? For a first date, I’d felt fairly comfortable with him. I was sure the moment I got naked, my anxiety would build and ruin the moment.
“I uh… I don’t know. It’s getting late, like you said. I should probably head home.”
His expression dropped. “Yeah, it is.”
Cursing myself, I knew I should quickly retreat to the safety of my apartment. It was the safest option. But I’d been doing that for years. It hadn’t gotten me anywhere and it never would. I needed to join the world, and man up.You don’t want to be alone for the rest of your life, do you?
“I–I did have a great time. And I want to go home with you. But I need to go slow with this if that’s what you want. I’m not good with…regular people things. I’m not good with anything, really.”
He considered me for a long moment, his hazel eyes catching the light of a lamppost. He smiled softly and stepped closer until I was against the restaurant building. “So, you do want a second date?”
Grinning ear to ear, I nodded.
“Phew. I thought I blew it.” The relief on his face was strange. I had never known him to be anything other than confident. Then again, we didn’t know each other at all. But I was hoping we would get to. “Okay. Slow. I can do that.”
A weight was lifted from my heart. “Thank you.”
“But,” he said and came closer until I had nowhere to go. Every feature of his perfect, perfect face became clear as heleaned in, from the dimples creasing his cheeks to the angles of his nose.
My breath caught in my throat as he planted a kiss on my cheek. His lips were so warm, even in the cold weather and were smooth as satin.
“I can at least do that,” he whispered, his breath gentle against my skin.
Sweet arousal shot through me.Ask me again. Ask me to come home with you again.I was sure I wouldn’t turn him down now. He stepped away, his face creased with a smile.
“Can I walk you home, or something?”
“I take the bus… I’m good.” Biting my lip, I weakly play-punched him in the arm. It was the bravest thing I’d done yet. “Are you going to ask me for my number or what?”
The grin that split his face was amazing and I knew I was in trouble.
CHAPTER SIX
GABRIEL
I leaned back in my office chair and closed my eyes. I imagined sliding my lips across Jake’s cheek then to his waiting mouth. The kiss would be slow at first, just to see how soft and inviting his lips were. It would quickly become heated, desperate, as our tongues finally met and tangled. Maybe he’d grab onto me, claw at me in unbridled need as he begged sweetly for more.
That little peck on his cheek last night hadn’t been enough. I’d known it the moment my lips touched his cool skin. But I wanted him to open for me, to need my kiss with desperation. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him or aggravate his anxiety.
Clean soap.That was what Jake had smelled like. Nothing fancy, just straight male. I was willing to give him the time he needed. I liked him, I really did. Besides, sex just got in the way more often than not. I wasn’t looking for a fuck-buddy, I wanted a boyfriend; a future husband; someone I could spend the rest of my life with. It didn’t matter that he was sixteen years my junior. He seemed mature and wanting to take things slow was a good thing.
Still, I couldn’t help fantasizing about what he might look like naked. I wanted to know what his skin tasted like, and how he sounded in the throes of an orgasm. I wanted to see his bed-head after he awoke from a long night of exploring each other’s bodies, then talk about simple, stupid things while we enjoyed breakfast together. After that, a little afternoon quickie was in order. I was experiencing the initial lust phase and denying myself would take over my thoughts.
“Hey!” Dad growled. “I said your 10:30 arrived early.”
“What? Sorry.” I jerked awake and straightened my tie down my chest, praying I didn’t have a boner.
Dad frowned and closed the door behind him. He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of me. A big smile spread under that bushy white mustache. “Okay. Tell me about him.”
I rolled my eyes at having been caught daydreaming about Jake. “It was just one date.”
“I know that look. I was young once, remember?”
“I know the feeling,” I teased. Jake taking an interest in me was great for my confidence.
“The fluttering in my stomach when I met your mother… Countless hours thinking about things I shouldn’t be. It has a look. Spill the beans, son.”
Chuckling, I pushed my hair back. “The date was fine. It was good. We had a nice time. Food and conversation. There isn’t much to tell.”
