Chapter 6
Coffee Guy takes the lead and twirls me around the small dance floor. I don’t dance often, but I’ve been to enough parties where sometimes I’ve had to join in. I’m not fantastic, but I can hold my own. He, on the other hand, can really move. And of course he’s not shy about strutting his stuff. We maneuver carefully around the tables that are packed close to the stage. The song ends and Buddy slows things down once more. I’m about to head back to our table but Coffee Guy pulls me in close. We dance cheek-to-cheek. Well, almost. I’m five seven but with my heels closer to five nine. He’s definitely got a few inches on me. I close my eyes and can’t deny this connection between us. When I’m in his arms, it’s as if we’re two pieces that were meant to come together. But I know he’s only mine for tonight, so I don’t want to make this more than it is. Instead I focus on the music. This tune is sad and melancholy, and I understand what Coffee Guy meant about the instrument being their voice. It’s like he’s telling a story through his music. And it touches my soul. My eyes water and I blink rapidly to hold the tears at bay. Fortunately the song ends and the room breaks out into applause.
We sit back down and I wipe away the wetness that’s managed to escape from the corner of my eye. Coffee Guy is watching me closely. “So, what do you think?”
I let out a deep sigh. “I love music, but I’ve never been moved by it before. It was expressive and soulful and very touching.”
“You seem surprised.”
“I am. Even though you prepared me, I didn’t think it would affect me this way.”
He nods. We sit in comfortable silence through the next few sets. He orders another drink. This time a whiskey, neat. I opt for water.
He takes an appetizer then passes the plate to me. “Have the last one.”
“No, thanks. You eat it. Otherwise I will.”
“OK. You know, usually when people order appetizers that’s the point. To eat them?”
He says this last sentence like a question. I feel like I should clarify.
“I’m a compulsive person. If something’s there that I like I have a hard time avoiding it.”
“Ahh. We’re back to temptation again.”
I smile. “As you may have noticed, I don’t like giving into temptation. I’m the kind of person who likes to be in control. And I mean that more in the emotional sense, but it applies to other things, like food.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because when I give in I can’t stop myself. Like when I was younger my mom had Oreos in the house. She’d give me one or two for dessert. But knowing they were there, I’d eat more. Even if I wasn’t hungry, I’d think about them and suddenly I’m eating ten. I made my mom hide them. I’ve worked really hard on building up my willpower.”
“Bad example. When was that? Like fifteen years ago?”
“OK. Here’s a recent one. I work with a food vendor, Simply Sinful. They make the most delectable cupcakes. Amazing flavors like butterscotch, red velvet and crème brûlée. My absolute favorite is their peanut butter surprise, which has a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup baked into the center. They knew how much I loved their cupcakes, so they’d always save a box for me. And I ate every last one within a day or two. I told them they had to stop or I’d need a new wardrobe. So that’s my strategy—avoidance.”
“And it works?”
“Yes.”
“So as long as you avoid temptation you’re in control.”
I nod. “Even when the temptation is right in front of me, I’ve gotten pretty good at finding ways to deal with it.”
“I bet I can make you lose control. Right here, right now.”
“Try me.”
He looks at me through narrowed eyes as though deep in thought. Then he smiles and lifts the starched white tablecloth, placing it over our laps. I raise an eyebrow at him in question. He places his hand on my knee in response and lets it linger there for a few minutes. Just as I relax his fingers slowly travel up my thigh. Oh, no. Why did I wear a dress tonight? His dark eyes lock with mine in a battle of wills. His hand reaches my panties and he begins caressing the fabric. He wouldn’t dare. Would he? I take a sharp intake of breath as he slips his fingers inside. “Please, not here,” I whisper, looking around. But the other patrons seem oblivious to what’s going on.
He leans in and kisses my neck. I tilt my head back and his tongue works his way up until his breath is hot in my ear. “I’ll stop anytime you want. Just say the word.” He nips my earlobe as he pushes my panties aside, giving him full access. I close my eyes, trying to block out the heat that’s building between my legs. He presses his thumb against me in a circular motion, over and over again. I instinctively buck up against him. He continues his exploration, inserting two and then three fingers inside me while his thumb strokes my most sensitive parts.
“God, you’re so wet,” he groans.
I can’t believe how turned on I am or that I’m allowing him to do this to me in public. I wouldn’t kiss him before on a relatively quiet sidewalk, yet here I am with his fingers inside me while I’m surrounded by people. But I don’t care. I want more of what he’s giving me. His touch sets my body on fire and I’m not ready to extinguish the flames. No other man has ever made me feel this way. I didn’t realize what I was missing, but now that I’ve gotten a glimpse I crave more of what he’s offering. And I’ll go to whatever lengths it takes to get it.
“Should I stop?” he whispers in my ear.
I shake my head. I’m heady with lust and it clouds my judgment, but I’m content letting my body take over.
“What’s that?”
I know he’s toying with me. “No.” I open my eyes and look at him. “No, I don’t want you to stop. But you’d better finish what you started.”
He cups my chin with his free hand and says, “Gladly.” Then he leans in and kisses me, long and hard. He tastes like apples and whiskey with a hint of mint. He’s intoxicating. I’ve always believed a kiss is just a kiss—until now. His tongue seeks out mine, matching the strokes of his fingers. He moves faster, applying more pressure. A rich, delicious tightness coils in belly. Oh my God, I’m so close. I pull away from him as I hover on the edge. He strokes me in just the right spot and the tension unleashes. I begin trembling followed by a rush of pulsating heat between my legs. I let out a satisfied moan, then his lips are on mine again, swallowing my further sounds of passion with a kiss. I return his in earnest, attempting to let him know just how much I enjoyed his challenge. Though, I think it’s pretty obvious.
He pulls away, leaving me breathless from his heated kiss. He runs his thumb across my lip as his mouth curves into a satisfied grin. He knows he’s won. Technically both of us have. It take me a few minutes to compose myself, and I’m grateful he gives me that time rather than some smug remark. He’s watching me with a thoughtful expression while absently running his hand over his jaw.
“Thanks for giving me a minute there. I guess I need to work on my willpower,” I manage.
He laughs, a deep laugh. “You needed a minute? I need a cold shower.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. But it’s quickly replaced by a frown.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just don’t want you to get the wrong impression of me. I’ve never done something like that before. Or rather, I’ve never done something like that before so publicly.”
“No one saw. The only impression I have of you is that you’re smart and sexy. And very different from the other women I’ve been with. In a good way.”
I lift my gaze to his and blush.
“Damn. When you look at me like that it makes me want to do very bad things. To you. With you.”
“So let’s go do them.”
Who am I? I have no clue where shy and reserved Lucy went. She’s apparently still at the bar with Trish. Because that Lucy would never have agreed to sleep with a stranger and let him do inappropriate things to her in public—very inappropriate things. And she wouldn’t have enjoyed it. Definitely not. So I’ll take this Lucy for the weekend. She’s kind of fun. And I need her sense of recklessness to do what I think Coffee Guy has in store for me. I like the new Lucy.
Apparently he does too. Because the look on his face is priceless. I’ve managed to shock him. “You ready to go?” I ask, all innocence.
He looks down at his lap. “Give me another minute or so.”
I smile at the bulge in his pants. A warm glow spreads through my belly, knowing I’ve excited him even though I got all the pleasure. “Maybe we should talk about something boring,” I suggest. “Like baseball.”
“No. Not baseball. It makes me think of first base, second base, home runs. You get where I’m going.”
“I do. How about golf. Are you a golf fan?”
“Yes. Generally all sports are good.” He takes a long swallow of his drink.
“So what bores you?”
He looks away in thought. “Fishing.”
“I don’t know a thing about fishing. But it doesn’t sound appealing. The worms, sitting out there for hours waiting for a fish to swim by. Excited by the tug on the line only to discover it’s an old shoe, or something like that. And I’ve heard once you actually catch one you throw it right back in the water. What’s the point of that? Doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose?”
He stands up abruptly. “OK. I’m good now.”
“Oh. Let’s go then.”
“I’m gonna wash my hands on the way out. Meet me by the door.” He plants a kiss on my lips and then he’s gone.
I take another minute to compose myself. I do a quick check of my messages and there’s one from Melanie wanting to see how things are going. I text back a thumbs up and I’ll call her with details this weekend. My nerves are still on overdrive, so I swallow a long drink of water. Then I gather my bag and head toward the door.
He’s already waiting. He places his hand on my back as he pushes the door open for me. “You sure about this?” he asks as we step outside, giving me one last out.
“Yes, I’m sure.” My voice is strong and confident. But inside I’m trying to hold it together. I’m nervous and excited and just so damn anxious. If his appetizer was any indication, I’ve chosen the right partner. I think I’ll be fine once we get the first time out of the way. Then I’ll know what to expect. After that I can relax and enjoy it, maybe even figure out what turns him on. I stop walking and accidentally yank his arm back. He turns around so I shake my head and indicate we can keep going. I was just struck by the realization that I’m expecting there to be many times. That wasn’t something I would’ve considered at the beginning of the night. And that wasn’t part of Trish’s terms either. But I’ll be damned if I don’t make my own amendments.
Yes, I like the new Lucy.