When we arrive at the restaurant, he finds parking along the busy street and leads me inside. The interior is dim, with mood lighting that makes the space feel much more intimate. The tables are covered in white linen cloths with a single tea light candle in the center of each. The host leads us to a small table in the back of the restaurant, but when he begins to pull out my chair, Kenton stops him, taking the chair and holding it for me until I take a seat. He then takes his own seat across from me.
“Would you like to see the wine list?” the waitress asks when she arrives at our table.
I look up at her and see that her eyes are glued to Kenton. I know that, if we’re going to try and build something lasting between us, I need to get a hold on the jealousy I feel when other women admire him, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“Would you like a glass of wine, baby?”
My eyes travel from the waitress to Kenton, and I shake my head. I don’t want anything tainting tonight.
His eyes darken with approval and never leave mine as he answers the waitress. “Just water for now.”
She nods and leaves us to look over the menus.
“Do you know what you’re going to have?” he asks after a few minutes.
“I don’t know. Everything looks so good,” I tell him, my mouth watering in anticipation.
“Everything here is delicious. My parents used to bring me and Toni here when we were growing up.”
My throat clogs at the happy memory of him and his family. A wave of sadness hits me over the fact that I have none to share with him.
“Stay with me, baby. We’re here together.” He takes my hand in his, some of his strength seeping into me through our connection.
I look into his eyes and nod as he brings my fingers to his mouth, pressing a kiss to them. “I’m okay,” I say after a few seconds.
He nods but doesn’t release my hand. Even when the waitress comes back to the table to take our order, he still holds on to me but changes the subject. We talk about my job and the request I put in to change shifts; we also talk about Justin and how he started working for him.
He keeps the conversation away from family and anything else he thinks might have me retreating. I know what he’s doing, and I appreciate it more than he knows. During dinner, I realize that he has a way of reading me that no one else ever had. That in itself tells me everything I need to know about being with him.
“Are you ready for dessert?” the waitress asks when she arrives back at our table after clearing our empty dishes.
I squirm, remembering what he said to me in the kitchen about being dessert when we got home. His eyes flare and his tongue comes out, running along his bottom lip.
“Yes,” Kenton replies, his eyes on mine. “You ready for dessert, baby?”
I know his question isn’t about food, and I squeeze my legs together and nod.
“We’ll take a piece of tiramisu to go, please.” He pulls out his wallet, handing her his card.
After he gets his card back along with a dessert box, we get back into his car, and the lust is so thick that I swear I can taste it as he pulls out into traffic. His hand goes to my knee then travels up my thigh and under the hem of my dress. When I feel his finger slide over my core, I gasp.
“Fuck, you sat across from me the whole time like that?” he growls, his finger running down my bare center again.
“Kenton,” I cry when his finger circles my clit.
“Jesus, baby.” His fingers circle my entrance then travel up to run around my clit, keeping me on the edge of the orgasm I feel building, torturing me. I grab his wrist, trying to pull it away. His arm flexes and his hand cups me over my pussy. “This is mine. I get to play with it any time I want, any way I want to.”
His words have me panting. I turn my head to look at his profile and his eyes come to me. The want and determination I see has me removing my hands from his wrist, sitting back, and spreading my legs slightly.
“Good girl.” He keeps up the same pace and movements, and this time when I feel the orgasm building again, I expect him to pull away like he’s been doing. Instead, two fingers swiftly enter me and I lift my hips higher, meeting his hand. His fingers curve and I come; my head rolls against the headrest and my legs squeeze his hand, which is lodged between my legs.
I wonder how he’s able to drive while controlling my body. I look back over at him once I come back down from the high of my orgasm. I have no idea what happened to my inhibitions, but he makes me want to give myself to him, makes me want to please him. I watch as his fingers leave me and he slowly puts them in his mouth. His eyes close like I’m the best thing he’s ever tasted before coming to me for a second then going back to the road again.
“Yes. That pussy is mine.”
I press my legs together and pray that we make it to the house without me climbing into his lap and causing an accident. When we pull onto the dirt road that leads to the house, I sigh in relief and hear him hiss out a breath when I lean over and wrap my hand around his cock, feeling it throb against my palm.
“So is this mine then?” I ask teasingly.
The car comes to a stop, and he looks at me. “I’m yours. All of me is yours.”
His words hit my chest and the look in his eyes makes the last of the barricades around my heart crumble into dust. I swallow and lick my bottom lip, never breaking eye contact.
“And I’m yours,” I tell him.
His eyes close and his forehead touches mine. “That makes me a very happy man.” His hand moves to the underside of my jaw, tilting my head to the side, and his mouth slants over mine, taking it in a deep kiss before tearing away. “Inside. Now.”
His door opens and I fumble with my seatbelt, getting it unhooked right as my door is opened. I’m out of the car in a heartbeat, and we rush up the stairs. My mouth goes to his neck as he fumbles with the keys, trying to get the door open. Once inside, he shoves me against the wall, his hands going to the tie on my dress. I expect him to rip it apart. Instead, he drops to his knees, his eyes locking on mine as he slowly pulls the ribbon, causing the dress to fall open, exposing one side of my body.
His fingers move to the small button on the inside of the dress, undoing it quickly, making the dress open completely. He looks me over then pulls the dress off my arms, letting it drop to the floor, leaving me in nothing but my sheer bra and heels.
“Best gift I’ve ever unwrapped,” he mumbles, running his hands along my sides then to my ass, pulling my hips forward to kiss me above my pubic bone.
I start to pant as I watch his tongue come out and lick up my center. My head falls back as his hand lifts my leg over his shoulder. My hands go to his head for leverage as he shoves his face between my legs, his mouth sucking my clit before releasing and licking it in fast strokes.
“Oh God,” I breathe as two fingers enter me and my body starts to shake. My one heel on solid ground makes me teeter. “Wait,” I cry, feeling myself start to fall.
His mouth never leaves me as he quickly maneuvers my other thigh onto his other shoulder, my back and him the only things keeping me from hitting the floor. His mouth takes me hard, sucking and licking until I explode. My hands fist into his hair, holding on for dear life as I fly into the abyss of a mind-shattering orgasm.
When I come to, we’re heading up the stairs. My head is on his shoulder and his hands are under my ass, holding me to him. He opens the door to my room and lays me on the bed. I quickly take off my shoes before lying back on the bed so, just like earlier today, I can watch him undress. The only difference is that, this time when he gets to his pants and unbuttons them, he pulls them and his boxers down at the same time. I hold my breath when I see his size. He’s long and wide, and there’s no way it’s going to fit inside me.
“It’ll be tight, but we’ll make it work.” The familiar words and the smile on his face cause me to smile and my body to relax.
My eyes roam from his eyes down his body, watching as he strokes himse
lf. He walks slowly to me, his muscles flexing with each step. I scoot back up the bed as he crawls to me, his legs spreading my hips wide.
“You’re so gorgeous, baby.”
His body covers mine, his hands going behind my back, where I feel him unhook my bra then drag it down my shoulders. Once my breasts are free, he lowers his head and pulls first one nipple into his mouth and then the other. I writhe under him, running my hands down his back to his ass, trying to pull him closer. I can feel more wetness surge between my legs as he torments my breasts. I grab his hair in my hands and pull his mouth away.
“I need you,” I breathe.
His eyes grow even darker and his fingers slip between my legs again. His hand leaves me, but then I feel the head of him at my entrance as he slowly starts to enter me, Then he stops, his body suddenly going still.
“What’s wrong?” I gasp, adjusting to his width.
“Condom… We need a condom.”
His words sound pained, and I search his face before deciding what to say. “I’m on the pill. I’ve been on the pill since I was seventeen.”
“Fuck,” he clips, making me jump and wonder if I said something wrong. “I’m clean, baby, but I want to make sure you’re really okay with this.” Both of his hands go to my hair, pushing it away from my face, his eyes looking me over.
“I want this.”
“Jesus,” he groans.
One of his hands goes to the underside of my thigh, lifting it up higher around his waist while slowly sinking into me. I breathe out against the slight pain, trying instead to concentrate on how good it feels. He starts to move in slow, steady strokes, his lips never leaving mine. I lift my hips higher, wrapping myself completely around him, needing to be as close as possible.
“So perfect. Your pussy is so fucking perfect,” he says as he slides out only to slide back in, making me moan. Our skin starts to slicken with sweat, causing his body to slide smoothly against mine. “I’m not gonna be able to hold off,” he says, pulling his mouth from mine and pressing his forehead into my collarbone.
I feel right on the edge as his fingers roll over my clit. I want to come, but I’m so consumed by every other emotion I’m feeling that I can’t let go. Instead, I concentrate on the way my body’s feeling. I hold him closer, just enjoying the closeness of the moment and how connected I feel to him. His hips jerk, and I feel him grow even bigger before he groans, his mouth latching on to my neck.
“You didn’t come,” he breathes against my skin after a few moments.
“It’s okay,” I say softly, running a hand down his back. “It was great.”
“‘Great’?” He chuckles, pulling his face out of my neck. When he looks down at me, he shakes his head. “That’s not gonna work for me.”
I don’t even get a chance to ask him what he’s talking about before he picks me up out of bed and walks us to his room, straight into his bathroom, where he starts up the shower, pushing me inside before following me in. He pulls me under the water, tilting my face back. His fingers work through my hair. When his hands leave me, I open my eyes, watching as he grabs a large sponge off the shelf. Then he pours some body wash onto it, lathering it up, causing the room to smell like him.
He gently washes me, paying close attention between my legs, where I can still feel him. When he’s done, he washes himself before tossing the sponge to the shower floor. I think he’s going to get out, but instead, he moves us under the rain coming from the showerhead on the ceiling so that hot, steamy water falls down on us. Then he pulls me to him, my back to his front.
His hands start at my shoulders, rubbing in slow circles, then travel down my arms to my hands, where he pulls them up and behind his head. His fingers run down the inside of my arms, over the tips of my breasts, down my stomach, and over my hips. One hand moves to my center, rolling over my clit, and the other slides back up to my breasts, alternately toying with my nipples. My whole body relaxes into him, just enjoying his touch.
“I love touching you,” he whispers.
The word ‘love’ makes my stomach flutter. I know I’m on the edge of love with him, and it won’t take much to push me over.
“Feel what you do to me?” He licks my neck, his hips shift, and his cock slides between my legs from behind.
I lower my hand to where his is playing with me, and I feel the head of his cock near my clit. He pulls his hips back and forth again, and I feel him in my hand every time he moves forward.
“I need to be inside you, baby.” His words sound pained as his hand moves mine out of the way, and on the next thrust forward, he enters me.
“Yes,” I breathe.
“This time, you’re gonna come with me inside you.” He runs his chin up my neck, the scruff on his jaw causing goose bumps to break out on my skin.
One hand cups my breast, first softly. Then it pinches and pulls my nipple as his other hand slowly moves between my legs. My pussy tightens when his fingers tug my nipple hard.
“Fuck. You like that?” He does it again, getting the same reaction.
It doesn’t take long to feel the knot in my lower stomach start to unravel. I lean forward, putting my hands on the tile wall in front of me. One of his hands slides around my waist, hitting my clit, and the other goes to my nipple, pinching it. My orgasm is sudden and all consuming. His name leaves my mouth on a cry, and in the distance, I hear mine roared as I float away into euphoria. When I come back to myself, I’m sitting in his lap in the middle of the shower, my face in the crook of his neck.
I lift my head and look up into his eyes, giving him a tired smile. “That was amazing.” I run my fingers along his jaw then up and around his lips.
“That’s what I like to hear.” His tone is soft, along with his eyes, and I shake my head at his smugness.
“I’m in like with you,” I tell him, getting lost in his eyes.
“Yeah?” His eyebrow rises and he kisses my forehead. “I’m in a whole lotta like with you too, baby,” he says softly, pulling my head back down to his chest.
We sit there for a few more minutes before he stands us up, quickly rinses us off before turning off the shower, and then pulls a large towel out of the cabinet to wrap around me, getting one for himself off the hook on the back of the door. I watch as he dries his body, my mouth going dry as a tingle begins stirring in my core again.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
I jump and quickly look away at his words, feeling my cheeks pinken as I start to dry myself off. Hearing him laugh, I turn my head, looking over my shoulder.
His eyes drop to my ass and he shakes his head. “It’s gonna be a long night,” he mumbles.
I look down at his hard-on before lifting my eyes to his again.
He wasn’t wrong; it was a very long night.
Chapter 8
It’s Not Past Tense
I wake up when I feel lips touch my shoulder, a hand slide around my waist, and warmth hit my back. I smile into my pillow then roll over to face Kenton.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” He pulls me up his body so I’m lying on his chest.
“Yes, you did.” I laugh, cuddling into him while breathing in his scent.
It’s been three weeks of us being an ‘us.’ At first, it was difficult living together plus being in a new relationship, but things have seem to have fallen into place. He’s still an ass every now and then, but he’s my ass.
The day after our first date, Kenton woke me up early, dragging me out of the bed and into the shower, where he proceeded to make love to me before telling me to get dressed because we had to go shopping. I got dressed in a pair of shorts and a light T-shirt before meeting him downstairs. I was exhausted, a little sore from being kept up the night before, and in no mood to go shopping, but he seemed so excited about it that I couldn’t exactly tell him that I hated shopping and to go alone.
When we got in his car, we headed to Nashville. I’d expected him to take us to the mall, but instead, he took us to a large
furniture store.
“Why are we here?” I asked, looking at the store in front of us then over at him.
“I need a new bed,” he said, hopping out of the car.
My heart fell into my stomach. We had just had sex for the first time yesterday, and he was buying a new bed to leave mine already? I waited until he opened the door for me to get out. I wanted to claw his eyes out of his head for being such an ass, but instead, I swallowed down the hurt I was feeling, determined to find some other way to get back at him.
He took my hand in his, leading me inside the furniture store. A man in his mid-thirties with a bad comb-over and an even worse suit greeted us as soon as we entered the store. I looked around, trying to clear my head as Kenton and the guy spoke quietly.
When Kenton grabbed my hand, twining his fingers with mine, I was admiring a king-size bed with a canopy top. The set also came with beautiful side tables that were round in the middle with thin legs that curved out and a dresser and armoire that were similar. All the wood was dark with notches in it, making it look like it had just been chopped down in the forest. I could imagine a princess sleeping in that bed amongst the furniture.
“Do you like this one?” he asked.
I looked over at him then back at the bed. I could see him in it as well. The ruggedness of the wood was manly enough that the whimsical element to the design was toned down.
“It’s really nice,” I said softly, not knowing how I felt about picking out a bed that would basically guarantee that he wouldn’t be sleeping with me anymore.
“Is it something you would buy for your own room?”
“Yes,” I told him truthfully.
“Ralph, we’ll take this one.”
Ralph nodded and we followed him to the register, where he rang up the order. The whole set was over six thousand dollars, and Kenton pulled out his wallet, pulling out a shiny black card and handing it over to Ralph without even an ounce of regret on his face. When we were done, Ralph told us that he would have it delivered this afternoon.