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Of Lust and Pleasure
Anna
I could have called it a truce.
Yeah, a truce for leaving me hanging that night I first met him.
When he appeared on my doorstep promptly at 8, a limousine parked in the space in front of the door, Wendy muttered in surprise, "Wow, on time, polite, and driving in style. He might truly be the man of your dreams, Anna."
I pushed her away and hushed her before I opened the door to let him in, mostly because Carson didn't know my real name yet. I had never told him. He still called me Raven. Usually, the name pissed me off because I had only taken it to keep my nightlife separate from my real life, but something about the way Carson said it made my knees go weak and my heart lurch in my chest.
Raven
He always lowered his voice on the last syllable, so it felt like sin dripping off his tongue.
Speaking of tongue, I wanted to taste him again. I was dying of need, and I hated myself for being the difficult one. I had never had difficulty when it came to men before, but Bullet had really messed with my head, creating a new version of me that was overly cautious of a man's true intentions. Had I never dated Bullet, I would never have let Carson walk away from me on that first night.
"You look lovely, Raven." There it was! The voice dropping on the "Ven". I almost shook with need.
I had spent extra time making sure I looked lovely tonight. I had chosen a short blue wrap dress that hit about mid mid-thigh, exposing the tattoo with my name when I sat down. My hair was in a loose bun, and Wendy had added a little makeup to my face.
I marched down the stairs in nude pumps and held the matching clutch close to my side. I was hoping he wouldn't notice the heady feeling he gave me as he watched me so intensely.
When I was beside him, he swung around and kissed me softly on the cheek. Then we waved to Wendy as we made our way to his limo.
We went to a restaurant in Santa Monica that a friend of his had recommended. He had reserved a cozy spot for us in the corner of the restaurant by the full-length window that looked out over the beach. I could see lights twinkling in the distance and I watch the waves crashing on the shore.
He sipped on a glass of whisky while I poked at my salmon.
"You don't like the meal? Surely we can go some—"
"The meal is fine, Carson." I laughed and took a large bite of the potato.
We ate mostly in silence. He had said he wanted to get to know me, but our conversation still seemed to focus on those easy topics, the weather, coding, although he did tell me a little about his family and what it was like to be a Rodericks.
He was probably taking it easy on me, choosing to play it safe, not wanting to ruin the evening by poking my thoughts too much.
We finished dinner and then got in the limo and headed back toward my apartment. When we arrived, he got out of the car and walked around to help me out.
"Wanna take a walk?" he asked, pulling his coat off to drape it around my shoulders. I was immediately surrounded by his scent.
My eyes flew to the driver in the front seat of the limo waiting for his final orders.
Do I wish to keep playing it safe or is it worth giving us a chance?
Carson had been a gentleman all evening. He had been a gentleman all day...Hell, even all through the weeks I had worked for him. I decided to take a chance. I needed to let go of all the worry and live in the moment.
"The stars are beautiful." I smiled.
His face danced with delight. That was the confirmation he needed before he waved the driver away, grasped my hand, and led me down the walkway.
***
Raven and I held hands as we strolled down the well-lit streets. The moon was full, and the stars twinkled. Raven's fragrance permeated my nostrils as the chilly night wind whipped against my face. The night felt perfect. I suddenly felt like a college freshman falling in love again.
“You’ve been quiet?” Raven nudged me gently.
“Busy thinking about the goddess beside me.”
