Richard

What was happening? One moment he was freefalling into bliss, the next she was backing away from him as though he’d suggested they go have a gangbang in a local orphanage. Had he come on to her too fast? No that couldn’t be it. She had definitely come on to him. She was the one that had initiated the kiss and the movement of her body towards his had been undeniable so what had happened to make her look that way at him?

“I’m sorry,” he echoed back at her although he wasn’t sure exactly what he was apologising for.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what happened.”

His cock began to deflate as he realised what had happened. She had expected them to move slowly. Some girls liked to leave the sex until after the second date. Not many around here but some. She was embarrassed. He quite liked the thought that he was so irresistible to her that she’d thrown caution to the wind before gathering control of herself.

“Maybe you should come in for coffee after all,” he couldn’t help but grin at her discomfort. “Don’t worry, coffee, means just coffee.”

This woman was going to kill him but if she wanted to play it slow, he’d hold out until the end of the second date. That would be in a few hours right?

She stepped over the threshold, full of uncertainty.

“I can’t believe you didn’t throw me out,” she said five minutes later as he handed her a freshly brewed cup of espresso. “Under the circumstances.”

“Circumstances?”

“I kissed you.”

He saw the colour return to her cheeks. She really was shy. It was cute but alien in a city where virgins just didn’t exist.

“I know.” And it was amazing!

She looked at the floor, the counter top, anything not to look him in the eye. What was the big deal with kissing?

He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head until she had no choice but to look at him. Her eyes locked on his and he swore she looked like she was going to cry.

“I enjoyed it. I’ve thought about nothing but kissing you since I first laid eyes on you.”

If he thought that would allay any fears she had, he was wrong. If anything she looked even more upset at his words. Maybe he’d read the whole situation wrong. She was probably married with five kids and a boring husband and thought she could have an affair and kissing him made her realise what a mistake she’d made.

“I enjoyed it too. I just thought, with...”

She stopped, leaving the sentence hanging like he was supposed to understand what she means, but he didn’t.

“With?”

Her hands fly up to cover her face. Whatever this is, whatever secret she had, he knew it was about to come out and he almost don’t want to hear it in case it’s something bad like the punch line to some terrible joke of Tony’s.

“With us being unable to have sex,” she mumbled under her hands.

“You are going to have to take your hands away from your face because I can’t hear you properly. It sounded like you just said that we can’t have sex.”

She pulled her hands down and gazed right into his soul. Then, like a dagger stabbing at it, she nodded her head.

“Yes, because we can’t have sex.” She repeated it but it still didn’t make any sense.

“Now?”

“Well, no, not now but not ever. Please don’t tell me that you don’t know about this?”

Suddenly it all became clear. Fucking Tony. Rick hoped his acting career took him out of town because if he saw him again he was going to rip his fucking throat out. The look of horror on her face was real as if she had revealed her most intimate secret to him, which she probably had. He just didn’t understand it.

“Are you telling me you don’t want to have sex with me ever because after that kiss, you sure are sending me mixed messages.” He laughed to break the tension even though it was the last thing he felt like doing.

“I can’t have sex. Sacha told me that you were looking for a non-sexual relationship too. I should have known it was too good to be true. Men like you don’t want a platonic girlfriend.” She jumped down from the barstool she was sitting on and slammed her coffee cup down on the breakfast bar counter, slopping hot coffee everywhere. “Sorry!” she said again before marching right past him towards the door.

“Wait!” he said, still confused about the whole thing. One thing was clear. A big huge thing, but he still didn’t want her to leave. Not in the state she was in. She was obviously upset and he had caused it, if only by accident. “Please sit down. I don’t want you to go.” He mopped up the spilt coffee and poured some more from the coffee pot.

“You don’t?” She looked both hopeful and afraid, both the feelings he was currently battling himself. He knew that if she walked out that door, he’d never see her again and that would be terrible but at the same time she’d just told him she couldn’t have a physical relationship with him. Both options were intolerable but only one was something he was able to consider, or work with at the very least.

She took the coffee gratefully and sipped at it while he tried to wrap his head around the situation.

“Who’s Sacha?” He asked. He’d never heard the name and he wasn’t sure why she’d be telling people he was looking for a non sexual relationship. He might have been out of action for the last few years but he was still a hot blooded man with needs.

“She runs the dating agency. Surely you met her when you went for your interview?”

“Fucking Tony!”

She eyed him quizzically and he knew he was going to have to tell her his own secret.

“I didn’t set this date up,” he admitted. “My friend did.”

“Your friend, Fucking Tony?” she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“That’s the one. He thinks he’s funny. You know, when he told me about this date I thought he had set me up with a man or goodness knows what but when I saw you, I thought that for once he wasn’t playing a joke on me. I wanted to kiss him.”

“But now you don’t,” she replied sadly.

“Not as much as I want to kiss you right now. I’ve thought of nothing but you for the past week. I even had to leave work early because I couldn’t concentrate.”

“I should go,” she said, stepping down from the stool for a second time.

“I don’t want you to,” he replied honestly.

“I don’t want to either but I don’t see how this can work between us.”

“You are attracted to me. I see it in your eyes and I felt it when you kissed me.”

She gazed at him in a way that he knew his words were true. He could feel the electricity between them but she didn’t say a word. Walking around the side of the counter, he stood right in front of her and, moving slowly, kissed her lightly on the lips. It was not the greedy passion with which he had kissed her in the hallway but something much slower. At first, she didn’t move, but then after a second he could feel her lips working with his. Desire raced through him but he kept it in check. He didn’t want to scare her. He practically had to hold his hands behind his back to stop himself touching her but oh, when he responded, her tongue finding his, he could barely control himself. He let her take control, and she kissed him back with such passion that he could barely breathe with the intensity of it. The kiss became desperate no matter how hard he’d tried to keep it in check, and he felt her hands running down his neck until she got to the top of his shirt where she slipped a hand inside. The touch of her hand on his skin was like lightning and if she went any lower he knew he was not going to be able to stop himself. She pushed her body onto his and he knew there was no way he was going to be able to hide how hard he was. He pulled back to catch his breath and when he did, she grinned like a cat that had got the cream. She wanted this as much as he did. Her pupils were dilated and her breathing was as heavy as his. There was no hesitancy at all so what was with the no sex thing?

He grabbed his coat, and her hand and pulled her out of the front door, slamming his hand on the elevator call button.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her breathing still ragged and beautiful from their kiss.

“We are going to your favourite restaurant. It’s our second date remember?”