Chapter Two
The flames licking inside her were too much to take, along with his roaming hand. She leaned forward and grasped the chilled wine goblet as a lifeline. When he nudged her lips to take a second taste, she pressed them together, holding her finger up and then laughing because he couldn’t see it in the dark. She took a long cool sip, more from Jonah’s effect on her than the food. She licked her lips then tucked herself against him, momentarily satisfied.
“Better?
“Mmm.” Cam sighed. “When’s it your turn? I’m having all the fun.”
“I’m having a good time feeding you.”
“You’re not hungry?” In the dark, his heart pounded against her cheek. “I’m hungry, all right. Ravenous, even.” Jonah caressed her thigh. Cam had no doubt his eyes would scorch her to her very soul. His lazy trail along her skin left her smoldering in need. She let him ply her with another skewer to distract from the throb at the apex of her thighs. She sucked a piece of pineapple he held between his fingers. Juices trickled down her chin. He mopped the stream of liquid with the pad of his thumb and nosily sucked it off. Holy bananas, she wanted a taste of him now. Her mind kept rewinding to the feel of his finger parting her lips.
“I uh…need to use the ladies’ room.” Cam pressed the button on the table for assistance and slid off of Jonah’s lap and into her seat. Seconds later, her guide assisted her out of her chair and slid it back in.
“Here we go, Ms. Knox.”
She stepped awkwardly away from the table. Along the way, she heard soft sighs and giggles. Definitely some hard-core kissing action. The idea of giving in to the dark side and making out in public heightened her ardor. A loud bang startled her. She jumped, almost losing Cesaire’s grasp.
“Don’t worry Ms. Knox. Almost there.” A few more steps and he ushered her into a space where dim lighting burned her dilated pupils for a moment before her eyes adjusted. He sat on a lounge chair between two doors marked Men and Women. The dim glow brought her normal self-conscious thoughts raging forward. In the dark Jonah couldn’t see her physical flaws. Would that change once he saw the real her?
“Take your time. I’ll be here waiting when you’re finished.” Cesaire pulled her from her thoughts.
“This area is gorgeous.” Her gaze traveled over etched cherry wood paneling, dark leather chairs and low, occasional sitting tables. Leaving him behind, she slipped into the bathroom. At the far end, a woman dressed in a white blouse and black skirt sat at a table scattered with mints, perfume, small sample lipsticks, and revitalizing spray. “When you’re finished, let me know if you’d like a spritz.”
“Thank you for the offer. I think I’ll just use the facilities and rejoin my date.” Finished, she tucked her clutch under her arm and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. A flushed face surrounded by mussed hair stared back at her from the mirror. After a few deep breaths to bring her raging hormones under control, she unpinned her chignon, collected all the flyaway wisps and hurriedly worked her hairstyle back in place, slipping in the pins to secure it. Her mind flashed back to the rumble of Jonah’s voice, the erotic murmurs of other guests. Heat raged within her. She took one final look and exited the restroom, no more relieved than when she’d entered.
She’d fled to avoid planting a kiss on Jonah. She couldn’t place his nationality or ethnicity. The touch of his full lips had her envisioning a Greek god like Apollo, a Latin lover type, or a sweet bit of chocolate. Not the one-dimensional type she normally dated. She was sick of men who cared only about how a liaison with her could advance their political careers. For once it would be nice to have someone like her for who she was, not for her family’s status.
“Ready?”
“Oh. Yes. I’m sorry.” Cesaire tucked her arm into his, and it was safe to be on the move again into the obsidian interior.
“You should be proud of yourself.” His sweet words brought a smile to her face. Gone was the not-gonna-admit-to-being-frightened woman. The experience was too exhilarating to dissect. Groans of pleasure pulsated around her. They must be passing the lovers making out again. Cesaire chuckled as he whisked them to her table in record time.
“I have a message for you.” Cesaire helped her into her seat and passed her a folded card.
She opened it and laughed. “We’re in the dark. How am I supposed to see this?” She ran her fingers over the intricate raised dots on the sheet of heavy paper.
“It’s in Braille.” How cool, only I don’t know how to read it.
“Yes, it is. I wanted you to experience it for yourself. Now let me tell you what the message says.” Cesaire lifted the page from her grasp. “Hmmm. ‘Mr. Dawson, Ms. Knox, I hope by now you are having a delightful evening. There are times when people get in their own way on a quest for happiness and completion. Do not clutter up a beautiful start to a perfect night with oversharing. Enjoy the sweetness of life and let the chips fall where they may.’” Cesaire wrapped her fingers around the note, and she slipped it into her pocket—a cryptic memento. “And with that, I will leave you to sample your pleasures.”
A clink of china heralded the arrival of the next course, and a slender stick was pressed into her hand. “Dragon fruit, to cleanse your taste buds,” Yet another server. Does every male working here possess a tone meant to seduce? Cam sighed, eating the exotic treat. Refreshing.
“I love the sounds you make while eating.” Jonah linked his fingers with hers and drew her out of her seat. “Why don’t we pick up where we left off?”
“With me hogging all the food again?”
“No, with you eating out of my hand.” His tone moved from husky to comedic and she covered her mouth to suppress her involuntary bark of laughter. He tugged her onto his lap, the controlled jerk of her body to his eliciting a gasp of air from her lungs. His raw power and magnetizing presence left her a bit loopy. “Oh,” she managed to half-ass respond. Being locked in the dark with a sexy stranger was the stuff of fantasies. Except she was living it. “So how about that dessert?”
The sexy man responded by shifting her almost completely into him. She braced her palm on his chest, making sure she maintained distance from his cock.
“I think you’ll like this.”
“How do you know what you’re feeding me?”
“Shhh. I just do.”
“Now open up.” Familiar words. She expected a chocolate covered strawberry or some exotic, orgasm-inducing piece of candy. Instead, her tongue closed around crisp pastry filled with strawberries, pomegranate, and some unidentifiable exotic tangy fruit she couldn’t place, in a crème sauce to die for. Scrumptious. She chewed slowly, the flavors bursting in her mouth.
“Ready for more?”
“What I really want is a kiss.”
Firm lips closed over hers, persuaded her to give in to his demanding touch. He swept in, teasing her to distraction.
Cam pressed into him, tangled with his tongue, and fell into heaven as he kissed the hell out of her. She pulled back, breathless. “More.”
“You taste sweet, like the berries you just ate.” Jonah deliciously assaulted her for a second kiss, demanding entry. Her cunt pulsated in want, she groaned and ground her pelvis over him. He woke a somnolent need within her. One she hadn’t given freedom in a long time. She’d never wanted anyone so badly. Her skirt shoved up to her hips, she unbuckled his belt, not caring where they were.
He muttered some indiscernible phrase and stilled her hands. “Cam, when I take you, and I will, it will happen in a place where I can see every glorious inch of you, not here in the dark, like this.” He placed a kiss at her collar bone and tugged her skirt down.
“I’m s-sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” She mentally kicked herself for her brazen behavior. The rest of her apology fled and mortification kicked in.
“I believe you’ve had enough dessert. What say we move onto the next part of our date?”
“I’m pretty full.” She’d had one bite of the delicious pastry, yet she agreed. For once her appetite for food took a back seat to another, more erotic desire. She rejoiced he simply meant not here and wanted to continue things later, but her frenzied need clamored for satisfaction. Struggling for control, she murmured, “That sounds perfectly fine.” She clicked the button for assistance, then jumped when Jonah nuzzled her neck and lightly bit.
“I thought we were having a cool down moment?” What mixed signals. She clicked her teeth in agitation.
“Forgive me. You smell so damn good, I wanted another taste.” No man had ever said things like that to her. He had the power to break through her reserve to drive her to forget decorum. No, her mother wouldn’t be proud of that. But then, her mother wasn’t there.
She shivered as his lips reached the sensitive hollow of her throat and lingered. “I didn’t spill anything sweet there.”
“Trust me, you didn’t have to.”
“Yes, Ms. Knox?” Cesaire, answering her request for assistance. What timing.
Cam didn’t want to end their unique rendezvous, but she so badly wanted to discover Jonah by sight. She’d already mapped his torso with her fingertips while straddling his lap, an extremely sensual way to get to know someone. She also wondered what he’d think of her appearance. Would he be pleased or turned off?
“We’re ready to leave, Cesaire. Thank you for your excellent service.” Jonah slipped his fingers into hers, drawing her into his side. She held onto their host’s arm on the other side. As they navigated the maze, she squeezed Jonah’s hand. Soon, very soon they’d be face to face.
“Please stop for a moment,” Jonah said. “I can’t wait to see you, Camilla.” He released her and stepped back. “I have an idea. I will find you in fifteen minutes. Go on ahead.”
“How will you know me?”
“Trust me, I’ll find you.”
So sure of himself. If he wanted to play hunting games, she was up for it. “All right. I’ll be waiting.” Cam let Cesaire lead her away. “Oh, and Jonah?”
“Hmm?”
She tilted her head in the direction of his reply. “Don’t be late.”