Chapter Nine

 

May

 

Dante breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled up to a parking space just one door down from Cara’s place. Parking spots in this tired looking residential neighborhood had been at a premium each of the previous times he’d picked her up or dropped her off here, and he had worried a bit about the safety of his car each time. Of course, every one of his vehicles was equipped with both a state of the art alarm, and also a sophisticated tracking system in case the car was stolen. But given how obsessive and protective he was about his collection of automobiles, he didn’t like taking any chances.

When he had been visiting his family last Sunday, in fact, he’d half-seriously considered temporarily trading one of his cars for his cousin Eddie’s somewhat battered pickup truck. But not only would such a move have entailed an admission that he was dating again - something that he just wasn’t ready to share with any of his family or friends - but he had shuddered at the thought of actually driving such a vehicle. The truck, which wasn’t even very old, had several dents and scratches, was covered with splotches of dried mud, and the interior was littered with papers, food containers, and a pair of Eddie’s work boots. Dante prided himself on taking excellent care of his cars - all twelve of them - inside and out, and was admittedly too much of a snob to slum it in a ride like his cousin’s.

He made sure to securely lock the BMW sedan he was driving tonight and engage the alarm system before walking the short distance to Cara’s. His arms were loaded with a bottle of a very expensive Cabernet, a bouquet of assorted spring flowers, and a bakery box containing a variety of lavishly decorated cupcakes. This was his contribution to the dinner Cara had insisted on cooking for him.

She’d made the offer last night after they had dined at an English pub on greasy but delicious fish and chips, declaring that since he had treated her to dinner several times already this was the very least she could do to return the favor. He had resisted the idea at first, insisting that she didn’t need to feel obligated, and that he was well aware of how hard she worked between her job, school, and homework. He hadn’t dared to admit that the real reasons for his reluctance were twofold - one, he knew how little money she had, even if she had never once complained about her financial situation, and he didn’t want her to tax her already lean budget by cooking him dinner; and second, despite her claims of being a good cook, he remained skeptical on the matter. Dante honestly couldn’t think of one other woman he’d ever dated who had offered to cook for him, figuring there was a reason why – they were simply incapable of doing so.

But there was no way he was going to hurt Cara’s feelings, either by acknowledging her lack of funds or by expressing doubt about her culinary skills.

‘At least you know the dessert is edible,’ he joked to himself as he knocked on her door. ‘Cupcakes and wine could probably hold you over until you get home.’

Cara’s cheeks were flushed becomingly as she opened the door, her hair pulled back into an untidy braid, and her face bare of makeup. But the smile that lit up her face was really all she needed to make her look beautiful, and he couldn’t resist leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lush lips.

“Hi,” she greeted breathlessly. “Sorry, I’m a little scattered right now. I miscalculated how long it would take for the sauce to finish cooking, so I’m a few minutes behind.”

He shook his head, following her inside and firmly locking the door behind them. “I’m actually five minutes early. I wanted to make sure I got a decent parking space. Anything I can help with?”

“No, no. Honestly, it’s almost done, I just need to let it simmer a few more minutes. Here, let me take those from you. What beautiful flowers, Dante! I think I have a vase stashed away somewhere, something that belonged to my grandmother. Ah, here it is!”

Dante had realized early on that Cara tended to babble when she was either nervous, excited, or uncertain about something, and apparently this was one of those times. She was on her hands and knees, the upper half of her body practically hidden inside a kitchen cabinet as she searched for the elusive vase. She emerged with it clutched triumphantly in her hands a moment later, then quickly filled it with water before arranging the bouquet inside it. She dashed over to the cooktop where two pots were bubbling, one with what he assumed was some sort of pasta while the other emitted an incredibly delicious aroma of tomatoes, garlic, and spices.

“I know it’s practically passé to cook pasta for an Italian boy, especially one whose family owns a restaurant, but I think you’ll like the sauce,” she told him anxiously, stirring the contents of first one and then the other pot. “It’s just a basic tomato sauce with sausage and peppers but it’s got a little kick to it. When you told me you like things on the spicy side, I figured you might enjoy this.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders, suddenly realizing she was barefoot and thus even shorter than usual. “I’m sure I’m going to love it,” he assured her, taking a deep, appreciative sniff. “Can I have a taste?”

“Sure.”

Cara held the wooden spoon up to his lips as he swallowed the surprisingly tasty pasta sauce.

“Mmm. Delizioso,” he pronounced, smacking his lips. “As good as anything I’ve ever tasted from my grandmother’s kitchen. Though I’d never dare to tell her so.”

She laughed, returning the spoon to the pot and giving it a few more stirs. “It should be ready in five more minutes. I just need to toss the salad and slice the bread, and..”

“And relax and take a deep breath and have a glass of this cabernet first,” declared Dante. “Not to mention give me a real hello kiss, not just that little peck.”

“Oh. Oh, gosh, sorry.” Cara hastily wiped her hands on a dish towel before sliding her hands up his chest. She had to rise up on her toes in order to reach his neck. “Um, hello.”

The laughter rumbled up in his chest even as she pressed her lips against his, but then faded just as swiftly as she deepened the kiss. He groaned, his hands sliding to her denim covered ass and lifting her a couple of inches off the ground. He wondered vaguely if he would ever stop being surprised at her passionate responses to him, at how spontaneous and affectionate she was. Or how quickly he could become aroused by this young, guileless girl.

Dante set her on her feet, then took a step or two back. “Much better,” he teased, pinching her playfully on the chin. “But if we keep that up much longer, all of your hard work making dinner will be for nothing. Pasta tends to get mushy pretty fast if you let it simmer too long.”

“Uh, huh.” She stared up at him, a dreamy expression on her face, her full lips looking more bee-stung than usual. “I, um, guess I’d better drain it then.”

He gave her a pat on the butt as she turned her attention back to their dinner, and began searching for wine glasses. He found a couple tucked in the back of a cabinet, and assumed these were the only ones she owned. A quick rummage through one of the two drawers unearthed a somewhat suspect cork puller, but he managed to open the cabernet after a few attempts. Dante made a mental note to bring her a better corkscrew the next time he was over, given that he probably owned half a dozen of them. A few extra wine glasses wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

“Here you go. You told me that cabernet was your favorite, so I think you’ll like this. It won some sort of wine competition last year.”

Cara took a slow sip of the wine, as though savoring its taste on her tongue, then moaned in pleasure. “Oh, God! This is without a doubt the best wine I’ve ever had! Though considering I usually drink stuff with a twist off top, or Two-Buck Chuck - which now costs three dollars, by the way - most anything would be an improvement.”

He nearly choked on the sip of wine he’d begun to swallow. “I would hope so,” he replied with a hoarse cough. “This cost a hell of a lot more than three bucks. It’s Silver Oak, honey, one of the top Napa Valley cabs around. Instead of a single digit price tag it’s more like three.”

She gaped at him in disbelief. “Please tell me you did not drop a hundred dollars on a single bottle of wine! Omigod, Dante, I’m trying to pay you back a little by cooking you dinner, and here you are bringing me flowers and a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine, and - oh, no! Please tell me those aren’t cupcakes in that box. Because I’ve peeked in the window of that bakery and kept right on walking since each cupcake costs something ridiculous like..”

Dante placed a hand firmly over her mouth. “Shh. You’re talking too much. And I already told you, Cara - you do not have to pay me back for anything, all right? I happen to enjoy your company very much, and it’s been nothing but my pleasure to take you out to dinner these past few weeks. So rather than argue with me about the wine and flowers and a few little cupcakes, just smile and say thank you. Okay?”

She nodded and took another sip of her wine. “Okay. Thank you. Very, very much. And even though a hundred dollars is an insane amount to spend on a bottle of wine, it’s worth it. This is - orgasmic.”

“Ah, none of that!” he scolded playfully. He bent and gave her earlobe the tiniest of nips. “I’m the only one allowed to give you orgasms, no matter how good the wine might be.”

She laughed along with him, though he didn’t miss the hungry look in her big eyes at the mention of the “O” word. She was, he thought with a deep sense of carnal satisfaction, really turning out to be a very, very pleasant surprise with her depth of sensuality, and how eagerly she responded to him. What she lacked in experience she more than made up for in enthusiasm and unabashed passion.

And the surprises continued as they ate dinner at the scuffed, rickety little table. Rather than be barely edible as he’d feared, the food was delicious, one of the best home-cooked meals he could ever recall having. In addition to the perfectly cooked penne pasta with its spicy sausage and pepper sauce, Cara had made a simple green salad with a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and set out a loaf of crunchy sourdough bread. It was exactly the sort of meal he had enjoyed at his mother’s or grandmother’s house hundreds of times over the years, and every bit as delicious as one they might have cooked.

“How’d you get to be such a good cook?” he asked after finishing off a second helping of everything. “Most girls your age can barely figure out how to fix a Cup of Noodles.”

Cara gave him a scolding look. “Women who have reached the ripe old age of twenty-two should no longer be referred to as girls,” she corrected. “As for the cooking, my mom enrolled me in a couple of summer classes at our local Park and Rec when I was in middle school. I always teased her that she had ulterior motives in doing that, though, because she hated to cook and secretly hoped I’d take over that chore.”

He slathered butter on his third piece of the bread. “And did you?”

She shrugged. “More or less, though it was a joint effort most nights. My father, of course, was completely useless in the kitchen, as he was in just about everything else.”

“What about when your mother got sick? I would hope he was supportive during such a difficult time.”

Cara shook her head. “You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you? I mean, he did some stuff, mostly ran errands to pick up prescriptions or groceries, but nowhere near as much as he should have done. My mom’s friends pitched in, though, and gave me a lot of help.”

Dante frowned. “So you were your mother’s primary caregiver? Weren’t you still in school back then?”

“When the hospice nurses told us that Mom needed pretty much round the clock care, I had initially planned to do a home study program so that I take care of her. The cost of hiring home health care wasn’t something my father thought we could afford. Fortunately, a friend of the family who was a retired nurse volunteered to stay with her during the day so I was able to keep going to classes.”

He read between the lines and figured out that Cara must have looked after her mother the rest of the time - after school, nights, weekends - a hell of a lot to ask of a high school senior. His poor opinion of her father sank even deeper at this revelation, and he muttered a few choice curse words in Italian beneath his breath.

“More pasta? Or salad? There’s some of each left.”

Dante groaned, shaking his head and patting his stomach. “Thanks, but I couldn’t manage another bite right now. Those cupcakes will need to wait awhile. Here, I’ll help you clear the table and then we can finish off the wine. And don’t argue,” he added sternly as she began to protest. “I might own a dozen cars and live in a penthouse now, but my first job in high school was being a busboy in the family restaurant. Believe me, I cleared more dirty dishes off the table than you’d ever want to imagine.”

“Okay,” agreed Cara reluctantly. “Though this isn’t turning out to be much of a thank you dinner, you know. First you bring wine and flowers and dessert, and now you’re helping to clear the table.”

He leaned over the table and dropped an affectionate kiss on her forehead. “And I already told you that there’s no need to thank me, honey. The pleasure of your company is all the thanks I need.”

She beamed at him. “That’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.”

Dante furrowed his brow at her in a mock-ferocious scowl. “Word of advice, okay? Do not tell a guy that he’s sweet. It totally ruins the big, tough macho man image we all work so hard to keep up.”

Cara walked the short distance to his side of the table and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a loud smooch on the cheek. “It was still a really, really sweet thing to say,” she murmured. “Even coming from a big, tough macho man like you.”

She squealed in surprise as he pulled her onto his lap, and then held onto his neck for dear life. At the feel of her soft buttocks rubbing against his crotch, he was instantly hard.

“Does that feel sweet to you?” he growled, intentionally grinding his erection against the cleft of her ass.

Cara shook her head, wiggling around until she was straddling him. “I, ah, wouldn’t use that particular word to describe that part of your anatomy, no.”

His hands ran up and down her denim covered thighs before starting on the buttons of her white cotton shirt. “Yeah? What words would you use then?”

She whimpered as he dispensed of first the blouse then her bra in mere seconds before cupping her opulent breasts in his palms. “Oh, ohh. Um, I - I guess I would describe it as - oh, God - hard and - and huge and, well, how about talented?”

Dante snickered, even as he bent his head to lick each of her nipples in turn. “I’ll take talented over sweet any day. And speaking of sweet, let’s get these clothes off of you so I can have my first dessert of the evening.”

He surged to his feet, the unexpected movement causing Cara to quickly wrap her legs around his waist as he carried her the short distance to the futon - which had thankfully been folded out into a bed. He deposited her rather clumsily onto the mattress while he made short work of his own clothes, watching her all the while as she tugged her jeans and underwear off.

But as he began to spread her thighs apart, intent on his stated goal, she surprised him by placing a hand on his bare chest and shaking her head.

“My turn,” was all she said, but it was more than enough to get his pulse racing double time.

In the few weeks that they’d been seeing each other, Dante had been more than content to take charge of their sexual relationship. He preferred it that way most of the time, if he was being completely honest, though every so often he didn’t mind at all if the woman decided to take charge. Since losing his virginity more than twenty years ago to a girl several years his senior, there wasn’t a whole lot he hadn’t done sexually - within limits, of course. He’d done a little experimenting with some light bondage, a bit of spanking, and the occasional use of sex toys, but hard on kink was definitely not his style. He’d had two women at the same time, but drew the line at sharing his lovers with another man.

And when it had been very obvious that Cara was both inexperienced and unsure of herself between the sheets, he’d happily assumed the role of teacher, showing her different positions, encouraging her to let her emotions run wild, and taking pleasure from her pleasure.

But he had also taken care with her, had been exceptionally gentle and patient, even during those times when he was crazy with lust and all he could think about was fucking her into oblivion. Thus far she hadn’t attempted to give him head, but from the looks of things his petite temptress was intent on remedying that situation right here and now.

She wriggled around until she was straddling his thighs, her small hand reaching out to clasp his throbbing cock. His breath hissed out between tightly clenched teeth as he struggled for control at the touch of her warm, soft hand on his hot, hard flesh. He always insisted on using condoms, no matter how reliable a woman’s birth control might be, and therefore relished this rare opportunity to have his bare cock stroked. Even when she’d touched him like this Cara had been a little awkward and uncertain, causing him to guide her hand over his erection, showing her the exact way he liked to be touched. It had been one of the most sensual and exciting sexual experiences of his life.

She kissed her way from his throat down his chest and past his navel, her hand continuing to pump his penis with the long, slow strokes he liked best. Once she reached his crotch, however, she paused, lifting her head to gaze up at him worriedly.

“I’m, uh, not very - well, good at this, I’m afraid,” she confessed. “Blow jobs, I mean. At least that’s what I’ve been told. I mean, obviously I have no idea of what it feels like, or if the guy who said it was just too stoned to know what he was talking about, but I thought I should warn you in case you…”

He clamped a hand over her mouth. “You’re doing it again,” he warned her. “And babbling right before you take a guy’s dick in your mouth is a really, really bad idea. Now, come here for a minute or two, hmm?”

Dante pulled her against his side, stroking her long hair soothingly. “Now. What drunken, dimwitted moron told you that - no pun intended here - you sucked at giving blow jobs?”

Cara shrieked with laughter. “Omigod, I don’t care if it’s a really, really bad pun but that’s hilarious!”

He grinned. “It’s not bad, huh? But seriously, honey. Sucking a guy’s cock isn’t brain surgery, you know? And even if it had been the very first time you tried doing it, I can’t imagine that it still didn’t feel good to the asshole who had the balls - again, no pun intended - to complain about your so-called technique.” He threaded a hand in her hair, holding it still so he could kiss her. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know. But I want to, honestly,” she assured him. “You’re always such a generous lover, always making sure you take care of me. And I can’t help feeling that I’m not doing my fair share here, that I’m not returning…”

“The favor?” he finished, shaking his head. “That’s not what this is about, Cara. I’ve told you before - your pleasure is my pleasure. I happen to like eating pussy, especially when it’s as sweet and juicy as yours. So believe me when I say that when I go down on you it’s as much for me as it is for you.”

Her cheeks grew pink at his very frank words. “That - that’s good to know,” she stammered shyly. “But maybe I feel the same way. About giving you pleasure, that is. Will you, well, tell me if I’m doing it right?”

He cupped her flushed cheek in his hand. “Like I said,” he replied huskily, “it ain’t brain surgery, honey. And I’m not exactly fussy when a beautiful woman has my cock in her mouth. So you aren’t going to hear any complaints from me, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Cara slithered down his body again, her breasts brushing against his bare skin, causing him to grit his teeth in reaction as he struggled to maintain control. But doing so was damned near impossible when she took his cock in her hand, resuming the slow, sensual strokes that she knew he enjoyed, before running her tongue along its length, from tip to root, and then back again.

“Jesus! Fuck!” he yelped, his lower body bucking off the futon in reaction. He dug his heels deeper into the mattress for leverage as her tentative but incredibly arousing licks continued.

She drew him inside her mouth then - that lush, full-lipped mouth he’d fantasized about fucking countless times - and it was so much better than any of his dirty daydreams that he nearly shot his load off on the spot. The fact that she was both inexperienced and uncertain about what she was doing only made her actions that much more arousing. It pleased him that she hadn’t done this dozens or even hundreds of times before, that she wasn’t blowing him like she was a semi-pro at oral sex, and that she cared enough about his needs to ask what he liked best.

Cara was gazing up at him with a rather glazed look in her eyes as she murmured that last question, and he could tell this was turning her on as much as it was him.

“Just about anything,” he croaked. “That mouth of yours is dynamite, honey - so sweet and hot. Try this, hmm? Put just the head between your lips and suck hard - yeah, just like that! Fucking hell, that’s so good!”

Dante had no idea how he was able to exert so much control over his body as he continued to rasp out instructions to her, especially when she followed his directives to the letter - fluttering her tongue up and down the length of his cock, reaching her hand back to lightly squeeze the heavy swell of his testicles, learning to relax her throat a bit at a time so that she could gradually take more of his thick, heavy length inside her mouth. Instructing her in the “fine art” of administering a blow job was easily the most erotic thing he’d ever done, as was propping himself up on his elbows to watch her head bob up and down, those plush lips swallowing up his dick inch by inch until he was almost fully sheathed inside her eager mouth.

Dante prided himself on his stamina in the bedroom, and on the amount of control he could exert in order to prolong the pleasure for both himself and his lovers. But hearing the little moans Cara made deep in her throat as she sucked him off, and watching her through half-lidded eyes as she continued to lavish attention on him, brought him to the breaking point all too quickly.

“Christ, honey, you’re going to make me come any second now if you keep that up,” he muttered roughly. “Let me put a condom on so I can come inside you.”

But she shook her head stubbornly, refusing to budge, and only sucked him harder and deeper, her hand sliding back to cup his balls one more time.

That was all he needed to find his release, the pleasure pouring through his body from head to toe and every nerve and muscle in between. As he came, the thick, hot bursts of semen filling Cara’s mouth faster than she could swallow, his arms and legs thrashed wildly, his hips pistoning at a furious pace. The noise that came out of his mouth was part bellow, part scream, and maybe even a little part unmanly whimper.

He was dazed and drained afterwards, his limbs splaying out limply, as though he’d just run an ultramarathon or played soccer nonstop for twenty four hours. He was barely aware of Cara cuddling up against him, the long, damp strands of her hair trailing across his chest. Several minutes passed before he could summon up the strength to drop a kiss on the top of her head, his hand sliding down her bare back to squeeze her ass.

“Hey,” he told her half-jokingly, his voice threatening to crack, “I’m guessing whoever that dim-witted college punk was who said you weren’t any good at giving head also flunked out of his classes. Because only a real idiot would ever think something like that, much less say it out loud. That was - spectacular, for lack of a better word.”

Her hand was making slow, caressing motions over his abs and chest, and astonishingly Dante could feel himself growing hard again.

“I give you most of the credit,” joked Cara. “I’m just good at following directions is all.”

He laughed, and this time his voice did crack. “Yeah, that might be part of it. But you’re a very, very sexy young woman, Cara mia, and most of it was your natural instincts taking over. And I enjoyed those instincts very, very much.” He cupped one of her breasts, pleased to find the nipple fully erect, then slid his palm down between her thighs, hissing when he realized how wet she was.

“And it sure feels that you enjoyed it nearly as much as I did,” he whispered, his fingers slipping inside the slick opening to her body.

Cara gasped as he bent his head to draw one of her nipples into his mouth, his fingers continuing to pleasure her at the same time. “I - oh, God! I did, yes,” she panted. “Your - your pleasure is my pleasure.”

He laughed softly. “That’s my line,” he teased, his thumb rubbing over her clit. “But,” he added huskily, sliding down her body so that he could replace his fingers with his tongue, “I don’t mind in the least if you borrow it.”