Thomas knew just how to get to Cheri, and that was through that bike of his. Everything else about him was intoxicating, but the Harley was what really did it for her. Cheri found riding on the back of it, hugging his body so tightly with the wind ripping through her braid, to be the most magical of experiences, absolutely addictive.
It was a different experience altogether straddling the motorcycle after such intense pleasure, like her own sweet, private hell. The vibration of the bike tortured her all the way home. It was tough to focus, so she held on a little more tightly than usual.
The mild weather that made their two-wheeled tour of Great Falls so spectacular didn’t hold out, and by the evening hours the pressure of humidity mounted and promised to deliver more intense, heat- and/or power-packing thunderstorms.
Despite their resolution that they would give dating a try, Cheri let Thomas walk her to the door but not beyond it.
“You’re not gonna invite me in?” he asked, perplexed.
“I would love nothing more than to spend more time with you,” she said in her sweetest tone, “but I don’t want to ruin anything. We already kind of abandoned taking it slow, but I do have a lot to think about. Slow is real, Thomas. Goodnight.”
“Wait,” he said. “What about the work on your house?”
“I think I should give the other guy a chance. He got high marks on the Yelp reviews. Plus, he kept talking about Bible stories. I’m sure he’s not a bad guy.”
“Yelp and Bible stories?” he said, scrunching up his face. “Wow, Cheri. Just…wow.”
“Thomas,” she said, frustrated. “Please don’t try to change my mind. I just… I need tonight on my own. I’m sorry.”
“Okay, but I will be calling you,” he said, as if it was a threat.
“I would expect nothing less.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him, then closed the door and spied on him through the sheers in her front room.
Thomas stomped to his bike like a boy throwing a tantrum, which drew a girlish giggle from Cheri inside her house. He swung his long, powerful leg over his bike and motored away, and she knew he’d be dying to call her soon.
***
Cheri no longer had to decide whether she would walk or take the metro to work, because she had door-to-door service from her hunky, gorgeous suitor. The other contractor had arrived and was in her back yard, so she quickly scurried to the truck before the two men had a chance to run into each other.
Knowing Thomas was coming to get her, since he had very adorably asked her if he could before her head hit her pillow that night, Cheri wore a sweet suit with a skirt that was borderline too short, along with a pair of classically elegant high heels.
The price she paid for wearing the sexy pencil skirt was that she had to be lifted into her seat with his assistance. There was no graceful way to get into his vehicle in her sexy business attire, but she didn’t mind his hands on her as he hoisted her and sat her on her rump.
She turned to him, taking his face in her hands. He was the perfect height from there, and she let her skirt hitch up, pressing a knee on either side. She kissed him without a care about anyone looking on.
Thomas pressed one large hand against the curve of her buttocks and the other against her back, pinning her to absorb the full impact of his kiss. “We’d better get a move-on, or I’ll take you right here,” he threatened.
“Mmm…” she purred. “Is that a promise or a threat?”
“Both,” he said with a wink. “Brought you coffee.”
“Can’t wait,” she murmured against his lips.
“You sure are easy to please.” He smiled.
“You’re just so darn thoughtful,” she said, practically begging him for a kiss with her eyes.
“I know I am.”
“Conceited much?” she teased.
“No, just convinced.”
She sighed, righted her skirt, and sat straight against the seat of the truck. She fastened her seatbelt just as a second Titus Construction van pulled up. “Your boss is already here,” she said through the lowered window. “He’s in the back. He has my number if anything comes up.”
Thomas bristled. “You’re letting strange men have free run of your house? You don’t even know them.”
“Thomas,” she scolded with amusement, “don’t you go into people’s houses without really knowing them?”
“Yes, but—”
“Well, okay then,” she said, cutting his protest short. She leaned over and kissed his ear. “Please take me to work now,” she whispered. “I need to get the work day out of the way so I can come home and see you.”
“Will you come to my place tonight?” he asked, his face in hers. “Dinner?”
“I’d love that,” she replied.
Thomas placed his hand on her knee possessively as he pulled out into traffic.
Cheri sipped the coffee he made for her; it was warm and creamy, with just the right amount of sugar. She didn’t usually add sweetener to her morning mug, but the coffee he prepared for her was always as scrumptious and worth the indulging as he was. She felt a high again, just from being near him and having all his attention, and that dulled the awareness that he was making dibs on all of her time, first convincing her to play hooky, then commandeering her commute to work, and now planning dinner at his place.
“What are we going to have for dinner?” she asked.
He rubbed her thigh. “I make a pretty mean pork chop,” he said, with a hint of pride in his voice.
“Well, I am sure you know what to do with your meat,” she teased.
“Very funny,” he said, shifting in his seat.
“It does sound good, though. Can I make the salad?” she asked. “I make a wicked vinaigrette.”
“You’re on,” he said. “There’s a bread place right by your office. I’m gonna pick up a loaf. We’ll have chops, mashed potatoes, salad, and bread with soft butter—the works.”
“Are you trying to fatten me up?”
“Trust me, you’ll need the calories, my dear,” he said with a wicked grin of his own.
Cheri already had plans to spend her lunch hour shopping for something special to wear. She already had quite a wardrobe, but she wanted to go to a very exclusive lingerie shop in Georgetown so he would see her in something brand new, something he’d never seen her in before. “I’ll hold you to that.”
He pulled up in front of her office building. Their very nearness had them so aroused that they could have easily ditched work all over again and spent the whole day in bed. She snaked her arms around his big, strong neck and kissed him thoroughly before getting out of the truck. As she moved her hand to the door handle, he unfastened his seatbelt, ready to walk around and open the door for her like the gentleman he was.
“Let me,” she said softly, putting a hand on his leg to stop him. “You’ll tie up traffic.”
Without even thinking, he mumbled, “I’d like to tie you up instead.”
Cheri stared at him, blinking with wide eyes as his face turned beet-red.
“I, uh… I didn’t, um…” he stuttered.
“We can talk about it,” she whispered, then slid out of the truck. In the process, the hem of her skirt was pushed all the way up to her hips. She caught her reflection in the glass front of her office and realized she was in serious peril of being exposed, but she was quick to use his big truck door to shield herself and pull things back into place before anyone caught more than a peek.
“You okay there?” he asked.
“I guess I should have let you help me,” she said.
“Lesson learned,” he said with a smile.
Cheri grinned back at him, blew him a subtle kiss, then strutted into her building.