CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“I still can’t believe it worked! I’ve been miserable for so long—and it was so simple to fix!”
“Easy, you’re about to bounce into traffic. Besides,” Tony added, “that’s hindsight. I think you had to go through all that disguise nonsense to find out what you wanted to do. Not what you thought you wanted to do. Why go into a contract meeting unless you know exactly what you want? Since you and I knew what we wanted, knew what to ask for, it was easy. If you’d tried it a month ago, maybe not so much.”
“I guess. Thanks for walking me here. Unnecessary, yet touching.”
“Well, since I’m now your agent, I have a vested interest in making sure you don’t get creamed by the number sixty-seven bus on your way home. Is this where you live?”
“No. An old friend lives here. I’m staying with him while my apartment’s being re-painted.” His face fell, and she was startled at his expression. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” he said shortly. “I’ll talk to you later. I’d better—”
Like that, it hit her. “It’s Joe’s apartment! But you didn’t know that. You thought I was staying with a boyfriend.”
“Did not.”
She smiled, a giddy grin full of hope and promise. “Did too. Did I mention my friend Joe—”
“Repeatedly.”
“—is about as interested in me carnally as I am in him?”
“What does that mean?”
“He’s got this funny idea. About me. And my head being up my ass. But I’m better now. I’m not into crying for the moon anymore.”
“No.”
“What?”
“No, you hadn’t mentioned it.”
“Pity. Why don’t you come inside, and we can talk about it over...I don’t know, what do you have?”
“Pop Tarts.”
“Pop Tarts! Lead on.” He laughed, and followed her inside.
*****
“Oh, Christ!”
“Yup.”
“Holy God.”
“Uh-huh.”
She was still out of breath, and they’d finished ages ago. “Seriously, do you take vitamins or something?”
He laughed and pulled her on top of him for a hug. “No. But I’d better start. You’re going to wear me out, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Be resigned.”
He squeezed her to him and kissed the hollow of her throat, and she closed her eyes and gloried in the sensation of being held, being cherished.
It had been like flying. It had been heaven, it had been every cliché ever coined. It had—she couldn’t think of the exact word, she, who always had a quote or an adjective for every occasion. Who used other people’s words to hide from her own.
Tony had been hungry, he’d been skilled, he’d been phenomenal. His mouth had been everywhere, his hands, his fingers, his tongue. He’d made her laugh and come in the same breath.
Then he’d made himself at home between her legs and licked and sucked and nibbled until she was screaming at the ceiling. When he’d surged into her, her vision actually went dark around the edges as her orgasm bloomed within her like a black orchid.
She’d begged, she’d screamed, she’d shuddered around him, she’d left tracks on his shoulders...and he had asked for more, demanded more.
Ummmmmm...I think he might have killed some brain cells.
“I think you’ve ruined me for life,” she said, stroking his hair.
“Ruined you for sex with gay men at least.”
“Well, that, too.”
She felt two of his fingers slide up inside her and shuddered as he quickly worked her to another orgasm. “Oh, jeez, you’ve got to let me get my breath back.”
“Why?”
“So I can return some of those amazing favors you’ve bestowed upon me.”
“But you’re so slick and slippery,” he teased, and oh God, she was, his fingers were still sliding around and she squirmed against his hand, “I can’t stay away.”
“Well, I never said—said I wanted you—you to stay away—oh, God—”
“If you don’t mind,” he said into her mouth, “I really need to fuck you again.”
“Mind?”
He slid inside her with a laugh, and she wrapped her legs around his hips and thrust back at him. “Look what I’ve been missing,” she gasped.
“Well, I didn’t want to rub it in,” he teased, though she was gratified to hear he was out of breath, too. His breathing started to hitch and he buried his face in the hollow of her throat, nipping lightly as she clenched around him, as she felt a new wave of heat race down her limbs, through her stomach, through her cunt...
“Oh God!”
He groaned something in response and then shuddered above her.
“Oh God,” she said again, because good sex obliterated her vocabulary.
“I must be crushing you,” he moaned, but didn’t move.
“You’re all right. Stay right there.”
“Forever,” he groaned again.
“Adorable, if not practical.”
She laughed, and kissed the top of his head.