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Ican’t believe this is happening, but neither of us seems to be pulling back from it. For the first time in what feels like forever, I have a sense of certainty, the anticipation too big and too bright for me to ignore it. Once Callie confirms by text that she’s okay to sleep over and look after Elliot until the morning, I feel like I can finally relax and unwind. It’s perfect timing, really, because I’ve had a few glasses of wine, and now I’m melting in the passenger seat of Todd’s car.
We’re headed back to his place.
“I have some more of that wine you liked,” he says, one hand casually resting on the steering wheel as he drives through the midnight traffic. All I see is burning taillights ahead and neon signs fluttering past us, the streetlights glowing amber as the night progresses ever so slowly. “Li has a case of it delivered to my place whenever he orders for the restaurant.”
“That’s kind of him.”
“Yeah, well, I send a lot of good customers his way,” he says, eyes on the road.
Occasionally, he steals glances at me but I’m too shy and end up looking away, only to look again when his focus shifts to the traffic. My heart is racing a million miles an hour, but I know there is no turning back now. Well, technically, there is. I could stop it. I could just pull the plug and that will be it. No harm, no foul. But I cannot do it. I won’t do it. I want him, more than I thought I could, and he seems to want me, too, otherwise why are we driving over to his place?
His place.
My pulse starts racing as I think about this moment and the moments to follow. It’s me and him tonight. The two of us dissolving into the night, tucked away from the rest of the world while we let go and do whatever our hearts have been desiring for quite a while now.
“I’m nervous,” he says out of the blue, echoing my own thoughts. “How about you?”
“I’d say I’m pooping my pants, but that’s not a very sexy thing to share in a moment like this, is it?”
He laughs, throwing his head back, and I love that sound that comes out from his throat. It’s pure and unadulterated joy, the sweetest kind there is. I love the dimples in his cheeks whenever he laughs or smiles; they make him look like a mischievous little kid who’s never up to any good. “Yeah, that’s a total turn-on, right there,” he manages between guffaws.
When we reach his penthouse, I slip out of my shoes and take a moment to admire his place.
“Oh, wow…” I mumble, my eyes as wide and round as saucers.
It’s not a typical bachelor pad, that’s for sure. A lot of care and attention to detail has gone into the design. The walls are a cool off-white. The flooring has retained the original herringbone wood pattern that is typical of these heritage buildings, but it carries a sleek and modern sheen that darkens the original shade by a bit.
Simplicity reigns supreme, but there’s a homey feel to the place as well. I can tell that the shag carpet by the fireplace cost a fortune and that the silver-brushed candelabra would fetch a pretty penny. Nothing in here came cheap, but good taste rarely does. I’m guessing he’s got a maid coming in to keep the place neat, but there are still bits and pieces of controlled chaos that belong to him—including the Murano glass bowl that he has turned into a catchall in the foyer. There’s pretty much everything in it, from keys to chewing gum and tiny elastic bands, loose change and dead batteries. Remnants of a human in an artful home.
“Do you like it?” he asks, coming closer. His breath tickles the side of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. “I bought the place about a year ago and had it refurbished. I haven’t had many guests since…”
“It’s beautiful. Whoever you hired to do the interior design is enormously talented.”
“Thank you. Please… go in. I’ll just fetch the wine and glasses from the kitchen and join you.”
“No, wait…” I manage and turn around to face him, surprised that I had this much courage burning up inside of me. “We can… we can have the wine later, don’t you think?”
He smiles as he inches closer. It’s a different kind of smile, now. It’s darker. Seductive. His gaze becomes the scene of a thundering storm as he lowers his head. “Are you sure about this, Becky?”
“Aren’t you?”
“More than I’ve ever been about anything else in my life.”
Consequences be damned, it’s enough to make me throw my arms around his neck and spring for a kiss. The moment our lips meet, it’s game over. My senses ignite and my body takes over. Lust ripples through me in devastating heatwaves as our tongues clash. It’s an instant act of destruction, the last of our barriers crumbling.
His arms come around and squeeze me tight, the air leaving my lungs as I exhale deeply and surrender to his deepening kiss. My heart is on a galloping rampage, my hands feeling his muscular shoulders—fingers digging in as I marvel at his strength. His hands wander down my back, then lower and lower as he registers every curve of my body.
“You taste like sunshine,” he whispers in between ragged breaths, his tongue flicking over my lower lip before he devours me again.
I’m helpless, my knees weak as he finally finds the bottom hem of my dress and proceeds to roll it upwards. I’m not even sure when my blazer fell to the floor, but I did just hear the jingling of my belt as it joined the poor thing in forgotten anonymity. The dress becomes a third victim, and I’m left in nothing but my black lace lingerie as Todd takes a moment to simply… look at me.
There is raw hunger in his eyes, the kind that would obliterate us both if we’re not careful. I reach out and undo his tie. He doesn’t move.
Holding my breath, I come closer again. His gaze drops on the narrow valley between my breasts, and his fingers come up, ever so slowly, trembling as they feel the lace stretching over my skin. I hear his broken breath as I help him out of his jacket and then his shirt.
“You’ve been on my mind for quite a while,” I tell him.
“I’ve not been indifferent to you,” he replies. “On the contrary, I’ve been trying to keep everything at a tempered level…”
