Chapter 17

I’m there

 

The last few weeks, the Butcher case notwithstanding, have been nothing short of a miracle. Watching Meadow slowly come back to herself was a thing of beauty. Each time we’d gone out, her confidence grew. On our first lunch date, I saw the shock on her face when the hostess and waitress didn’t pay us any attention. I watched as she worked through her emotions, every thought played across her pretty face but I didn’t tell her I saw. Now, she seemed to take it in stride that no one treated us, or her, any differently when we went out in public. I’d tried to mask my surprise when we met at Sam’s this morning, and she had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Something so small was a huge step for her. Meadow always wore her hair down over her shoulder trying to use her shiny red locks to cover the scar on her face. Today? Today she wore it up, not trying to hide. I was so proud of her. So damn proud I couldn’t resist taking her in my arms in the middle of the coffee house and kissing the hell out of her.

Another thing that had changed was, our text messages had become increasingly X-rated. She was driving me crazy with her suggestive messages. She still couldn’t bring herself to flirt with me in person, but I kind of liked that she was sweet and shy in person and a sexy minx over text. The contrast drove me wild. She didn’t know that tonight after I dropped her off after our date I planned on speeding home and calling her. We were going to take the next step from text to phone sex. I was taking our physical relationship at a snail’s pace. I deserved a gold medal for rebuffing her advances. Kissing had turned into full-on make-out sessions on either my couch or hers. I’d limited touching to over our clothes, even when she tried to get sneaky and push her hand under the elastic of my track pants. I’d stopped her and kissed her silly. It was killing me, but I needed to know she was ready. I had to know without a doubt she no longer believed herself to be filler. I was falling in love with her, and it would crush me if she thought I was using her.

“Christ! You’re beautiful.” I looked up from the pile of mail on my table in time to watch her walk in the living room.

We’d spent the day with Sally at the dog park. The entire time we were there, Meadow was happy and playing with Sally. I still hadn’t told her that Gabe was ready, and Sally would be leaving the week after next. She was going to be crushed, she and Sally had grown close. Selfishly, I wished we could keep her. The dog did a world of good for Meadow.

An hour ago we’d come home to drop off Sally and get cleaned up for dinner. And holy shit did Meadow clean up well. She’d let her hair out of the confines of the band, and it fell in waves down her back, giving me an unobstructed view of her cleavage. Since I’d met her, she always dressed very conservatively, never wanting to draw attention to herself. The short black dress with a neckline that scooped down showing off her impressive breasts was not going to allow her to blend in. Men and women alike wouldn’t be able to help but notice her. If the dress wasn’t enough, the sky-high red heels were sure to turn heads. Fuck! I wasn’t going to be able to keep my hands off her.

“Too much?” she asked.

Her rosy cheeks and flaming red hair were too irresistible. I abandoned the mess on the table and moved to her.

“No. Never too much. You are a beautiful woman. It doesn’t matter what you wear, but this? Holy shit, Meadow, I’m reconsidering going out. There’s no way I’ll be able to control my hard-on.” She smiled and lowered her eyes. “Does that bother you? Knowing I’ll be sitting across from you all night rock hard because I’ll be imagining what you’re wearing under that dress?”

“No,” she whispered.

“Look at me.” I waited until she lifted her eyes to me. “I love that you’re so shy. Christ, you make my dick throb when you blush and turn away at the slightest hint of me having an erection or when I know you’re turned on by something I’ve said. But Red, I want to see your pupils dilate and your face flush. I want you to look at me when I tell you that I cannot wait to taste every inch of your body. I need you to see what you do to me. You drive me wild, Meadow. I’m looking forward to the day when I can watch you come apart in my arms. I don’t want you to hide from me, not anymore.”

She nodded and licked her lips before she replied. “I’m…umm…not used to feeling sexy. But you make me feel like I am. I promise it has nothing to do with…you know…even before I never thought of myself like that. I’m nervous because I want it to be good for you, but I’m scared I won’t be any good at the sex stuff. I want to be. Every time we kiss on the couch I want more, but you always stop.”

“I stop because I want to take this slow with you. I need you to be a hundred percent comfortable with what we’re doing and where we’re going. I want nothing more than to sink into you, baby, trust me. But it’s more than physical. I don’t just want you tonight and a few nights after. I want to go the distance. I’m in this for the long run. I won’t take you until I know you’re there with me.”

“I’m there, Nick,” she pouted.

So goddamned cute.

“Almost. We’re almost there, Red. Besides, think how good it’s going to be when we finally make our way to a bed. Anticipation.”

“Fine. But I want it on the record; I’m ready now. Will you kiss me before I put on my lipstick?” she asked, then raised her head fully to hold my gaze. “And just so you know; all night when you’re sitting across from me I won’t be able to stop thinking about your hard-on, and how it will feel in my hand and in my mouth when you finally lift the sex moratorium.”

Jesus H. I couldn’t believe my ears. I might’ve shaken my head a few times to knock the surprise of her words clear before I gave her the kiss she asked for.

Each time we’d kissed was no less exciting than the last. In fact, they got better and better. Meadow was more confident, bold, and trusting. Her tongue danced with mine, and when she bit my bottom lip, I nearly lost control. My hand tightened in her hair. Tugging, I tilted her head, giving me a better angle to fully control the kiss. Damn, she tasted like heaven, and in a moment of weakness I broke the kiss so I could finally taste her neck. Dipping lower, I ran my tongue across the exposed flesh of her cleavage. She had great tits, and the thought of sucking and biting her nipples until they were hard peaks had my dick throbbing and begging for relief. With a final peck on her lips, I pulled back and had to take several calming breaths before I could talk.

“We need to leave the house, now. While I still have enough self-control.”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she nodded and followed me to the door.

***

The restaurant was packed, leaving us to wait at the bar until our table was ready. I was a little surprised when Meadow ordered a beer; I took her for more of the wine type. When I told her so, she laughed and explained that wine made her sleepy, and if she was sleepy she’d start thinking of crawling into her bed, which would lead to thoughts of us getting into bed and me licking her all the places I’d promised. She wasn’t doing my dick any favors. It still hadn’t fully softened after our kiss, and after her whispered admission, I was rock hard again.

The well-being of my dick won out, and I pulled Meadow close. Taking her hand, I placed it over my erection. Keeping her hand under mine, I used it to adjust, relieving some of the pressure. Her body locked and her hand squeezed. Fuck, that felt good.

“Soon,” I whispered and brought our hands up to my mouth, kissing her fingers.

“I’m not above begging,” she said, low enough none of the other patrons could hear.

“There are a lot of things I’ll make you beg for. Touching me will never be one of them.”

“Hi, guys!”

Meadow nearly fell over the bar stool she was half sitting half leaning against when she heard the exuberant voice over her shoulder.

A shock of greenish blue hair and a huge smile greeted me when I looked from Meadow to the voice.

“Becky, right?” I asked.

“Hey, yeah. Weird seeing you outside of Sam’s,” she said.

Meadow relaxed and turned to the barista. “You changed the color of your hair. It looks great.”

“Oh, yeah, I was tired of the purple. Mom keeps telling me my hair is going to fall out if I keep bleaching it, but, you know. One day I’ll have to get a real job and do that adulting stuff. I won’t be able to have crazy hair anymore. Anyway, sorry to bother you, I just wanted to say hi.”

“No bother. It was nice seeing you too,” Meadow told her.

“Oh, one more thing. Not that it’s a big deal or anything, but my last day at the shop will be next week. I’m training the new person starting tomorrow. Make sure you come in. I want to introduce her to my regulars and teach her how you all like your coffee before I leave.”

“Oh no. You’re leaving? Why? My vanilla coffee will never taste the same,” Meadow teased.

“I graduated last June. Mom was happy to have me stay until I found a real job using my degree. I finally did. I start in two weeks,” Becky explained.

“Well, then, I guess I’ll learn to love my coffee even if it’s not as good as when you make it.” Meadow smiled at her.

“What kinda job?” I asked.

“I got a teaching job. I majored in early childhood development with an emphasis on delayed and learning disabilities. I’m so excited. It’s a great private school; I’ll be in a first-grade classroom.”

“That’s wonderful. What a great job.” Meadow’s smile faltered, but she quickly recovered, the same way she did anytime something to do with children was brought up.

“Good luck! We’ll be in to see you before you leave,” I told her.

Becky waved goodbye and took off to join a group of girls on the other side of the bar, right fucking next to where Beth was standing. Her eyes followed Becky with a look of pure hate. Well, it was good to know Beth was simply a bitch of epic proportions and didn’t only have it out for Meadow. I bet she was a lonely spiteful woman who wondered why she couldn’t get or keep a man. It was everyone else’s fault she was unhappy. A woman like Beth would never look in the mirror and admit their shortcoming. It was easier to blame others.

The pager the hostess gave me when I’d checked us in for our reservation vibrated in my pocket, alerting me that our table was ready. Just in time. The last thing I wanted was Beth’s presence throwing a wet blanket over Meadow’s happiness.

“Come on, Red. Let’s eat. The sooner we’re finished, the sooner we can get home.”

Meadow shivered just as I hoped she would. Tonight, I was going to walk my woman through the best orgasm she’s ever had. That was until I got my hands her. Then I’d see to it personally that tonight’s was blown out of the water.