Adele felt as though she were on fire…in a good way. A totally brilliant, blissful, orgasmic way. She was almost orgasmic too. The man, the situation, the touch of his fingers and mouth upon her, they sent her arousal spiraling high, higher, until a spring coiled tighter within her abdomen, tighter still, until she was grasping at the bedcovers and moaning Oliver’s name, over and over.
“Oh God, oh God, I’m going to…come!”
Oliver didn’t react. He was clearly smart, as he kept doing exactly what he was doing, curving his fingers up to press on her G-spot and stimulating her clit for all he was worth. It was her undoing.
Seconds later, Adele’s climax ripped through her like a tornado, tossing her about, engulfing her, leaving her gasping and totally wrung out. She felt boneless, as though she would melt and sink right into the mattress, never to be seen again.
She snapped back to reality just as Oliver crawled between her legs and positioned his once-again erect cock against her entrance. Throughout her vivid and incredibly graphic daydream, her fingers had been playing busily with her pussy, and she gripped the tiled windowsill to steady herself as a very real, totally blissful orgasm crashed through her body.
She didn’t realize until afterward that she’d been calling his name that time, too.
Chapter Six
When Oliver’s alarm went off at 5:30 a.m., he woke up and practically bounded out of bed like an excitable child on Christmas morning. Just as he’d been dozing off the previous night, his phone had beeped with a text. He’d been going to roll over and ignore it until it occurred to him that just hours earlier he’d given Adele his phone number. It could be her texting him. That thought had made him put his hand out to grab his phone, almost knocking his lamp over in the process. Eventually he’d located the phone and pressed the button to illuminate the screen. It was her! He’d grinned as he read the message, then made the decision not to reply right away. His sleepiness and eagerness might have made him say something silly.
So he’d sensibly put his phone back down and resolved to reply first thing in the morning.
Now, though, he didn’t know where his energy was coming from. He’d woken several times in the night, itching to tap out a reply to Adele’s message, but had reminded himself that if she, too, never put her phone on silent when she went to sleep, she wouldn’t be very happy with him if he woke her up. And the only time he really wanted to wake her up was when he was lying in bed beside her, his cock ready and raring to go for another round.
A glance down at his tented boxers told him that his dick was sharing the same sentiment as his brain, and he let out a sigh. He didn’t have time for this—he barely had time in his morning schedule to reply to Adele’s message, never mind toss off while thinking about her. So figuring that taking himself one step closer to an actual relationship instead of one based only in daydreams and smutty dreams was a better option, he pulled up her message and hit reply. He hoped she was either an early riser or a heavy sleeper, otherwise he could end up in trouble.
Hi Adele,
Good to hear from you. Glad you got my note. I’m working til 1pm today. Are you free this afternoon?
Oliver x
He sent the message, then stored her number in his phone. Then he set about getting ready for work. Coffee, first and foremost, then breakfast, then a shower. Pulling on a T-shirt, he went into the kitchen.
The kettle hadn’t even finished boiling when his phone beeped. Snatching it up from the kitchen table, he beamed as he read the reply, then heaved a sigh of relief that she was up and about already. He doubted her message would have been as nice or as prompt if he’d woken her.
I can be. Meet you at 1.30 in the leisure center cafe? Or 2? Does that give you enough time?
A xx
He noted the addition of another kiss. Pleased, he said that 1:30 would be fine, adding two kisses of his own. Hell, he could be off his lifeguard’s chair, into his civvies and in the café by ten past one if necessary. But he figured that she maybe had things to do too. The fact she’d suggested meeting in the leisure center café hinted that she was probably heading there anyway, so he’d likely be seeing her in her swimsuit again, very soon. His cock twitched in response to that thought and he ignored it once more. The last thing he wanted now was to be late for work. If he was, he’d have to make the time up—his boss was a total ball-buster—and that meant he’d be cutting it fine to meet Adele. Even though he could pop out and let her know if that was the case, he didn’t want to. He wanted to show her that he was punctual, trustworthy and keen.
This could be the beginning of something great and he wanted to get off on the right foot. Especially considering how he’d already screwed up once.
He was bang on time for work and he walked into the staffroom whistling merrily. Two of his colleagues looked at him curiously and he wished them a hearty good morning, getting murmurs in reply. Just then, his boss walked in and he said the same to her. After stashing his bag in his locker, he headed out to the pool and to his station. The center hadn’t even opened yet, so there was no one in the water to watch over, but really he just wanted a few moments of peace and quiet in which to think. Naturally, he could think pretty much right through his shift—people hardly ever got into trouble in the water, thankfully—but deeper thought required silence and no interruptions.
By the time the center opened, he’d resolved to stop stressing so much about what he was going to say to Adele, how he was going to be. Crazy thoughts had skittered around his mind like mice on speed until a sensible part of his brain had overruled them. Of course he just had to be himself. Anything else would be false, not to mention stupid. He wanted to have a relationship with Adele based on trust and honesty, and that wouldn’t be the case if he was being somebody he wasn’t. And if she didn’t like him exactly how he was, then things wouldn’t be right anyway.
No, he’d just go in as calmly as possible and hope he didn’t say something stupid. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if he did, though. Alex had hinted that Adele had been single for a while, so she’d probably be nervous, too. They’d just muddle through together. And if it went well he’d ask her out again. And if that went well he’d request a third date. Baby steps, that was the best way forward. No point stressing about things that might or might not happen.
Several hours crawled by. At one point he actually thought time had stopped. Then things suddenly jolted from a snail’s pace to warp speed when he saw Adele walk out of the ladies’ changing rooms. Fortunately, the three bitches who always slagged her off weren’t around, so she was free to walk around and go about her business without being bothered by them.
He fidgeted in his chair as she grew closer. He sat up straighter.
“Hi,” she said as she drew level with his chair, tilting her head to look up at him, “you all right?”
“Hi,” he replied, grinning. “I’m good, thanks, you? Do you always get up so early? I didn’t wake you, did I?”
He suddenly hoped like hell that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation because it kind of sounded as if they’d spent the night together. Not that he’d have done anything wrong if that were the case, but he didn’t think his boss would approve of him discussing his love and sex life while he was on the clock.
“No, I’m an early riser. Which is ridiculous, really, given how late it often is when I get to bed after work. A lie-in for me is 7:30! Fortunately I seem to function okay even though I don’t always get my recommended eight hours.”
“Well you look fine to me. It’s obviously not doing you any harm.”
A slight pinkness spread across Adele’s cheeks. She looked both gorgeous and adorable and he suddenly wished he weren’t at work so he could take her in his arms and kiss her until the pinkness grew red and she gasped and whispered his name.
She cleared her throat. “Well I’d better get my swim in. I’ve got a hot date later.”
“Have you, indeed?” he replied with a wink. “Well I
hope you have a good time, and that he’s good enough for you.”
“Thanks. I reckon he is, but I’ll let you know.” She winked back, then turned and headed to the deep end of the pool. Glancing at the clock, she executed a perfect dive—even he couldn’t have done it any better—and started to cut through the water at her usual breakneck speed. He watched as subtly as possible—using mostly his peripheral vision—as she did all thirty laps in one go, then reached the end of the pool and pulled herself out with barely a break.
Passing him once more, she said, “I’m going to the gym and the sauna now. I’ll see you in the café later, okay?”
“Looking forward to it.”
She grinned, blushing again, and walked away. It was then he noticed that he too, had heat in his cheeks. God, but that woman had gotten under his skin! Hopefully it was a good sign, and at this time tomorrow he’d have a good idea about where things were going with them—if anywhere.
Finally one o’clock arrived. He tried not to look too eager to get away as Linda turned up for her shift. They exchanged a few polite words and he sauntered away as casually as possible. As soon as he was through the staffroom door and out of sight, he dashed to his locker, retrieved his bag and hit the staff changing room. Removing his work clothes, he grabbed his deodorant and cologne and put a little on. Not too much, though—he knew that too much smelly stuff could be just as bad as body odor. Then he put on his best jeans and a smart-casual shirt. He was just dressed up enough to show he’d made the effort, but not so much that he’d look out of place in a café.
After wetting his hair and running a little gel through it, he washed his hands, grabbed his bag and headed out into the corridor. It was twenty-five past one, so by the time he got to the café on the next floor, he’d only be a minute or two early. Perfect.
Reluctant to even wait for the lift, he jogged up the stairs, only to catch up with Adele a few steps from the top.
“Oh, hey,” he said, falling into step beside her. “You didn’t want to wait for the lift, either, huh?”
“Not exactly. I have a bit of a pact with myself. If I’m going up five floors or less, I use the stairs. Unless I’m carrying a load of stuff, of course. I’m not masochistic.”
“That’s a pretty good rule. I might steal it, if you don’t mind. Though I agree, when you’re carrying something, especially if it’s heavy, using the lift is fine. And if you’re late.”
“Agreed. And I don’t mind you stealing my rule. Especially if you keep meeting me in all the stairwells!”
“I can’t promise but I’ll do my best.” They reached the landing and Oliver opened the door to the café, ushering Adele through. “After you.”
“Thank you.”
They passed into the din of the café, which was almost full of people on mobile phones, harassed mothers with screaming children and a group of early teens with a couple of teachers.
“Quick,” Oliver said, pointing to the farthest corner. “There’s a free table. Go and grab it. What are you having?”
“White coffee, no sugar, please.”
“Something to eat?”
“Maybe in a little while. I’ll grab the table first, then come back and have a look what’s on offer.”
“Okay.”
Adele dashed off to secure the table and Oliver joined the end of the queue. He checked out the selection of cakes and biscuits on display as he waited, figuring he’d have something when Adele did. He didn’t want to turn up with something to eat if she didn’t have anything yet. Plus if they ate at the same time, that would ultimately leave more time for talking. And that, in his opinion, was essential. He wanted to get to know as much about her as he could. It might give him some ideas about where they could go on future dates, if she agreed to keep seeing him.
He could only hope.
Chapter Seven
Adele watched Oliver as he stood in the queue, bending slightly to peer at what was on display in the glass cabinets. Seeing the dreamy expression on his face, and remembering how he’d lavished compliments upon her after eating the meal she’d made him at the Wagon and Horses, she figured he was quite the food fan. The adage “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” would definitely apply to him, then. It was just as well she was a bloody good chef.
Grinning, she turned her attention to the room. She didn’t want him to catch her staring, so she set to people-watching. Immediately she felt sorry for the mother whose child wouldn’t stop screaming. She was holding it—a little girl, she suspected from the pink clothes the baby was wearing, though you never could tell these days—bouncing it up and down on her knee and making soothing noises. Nothing seemed to work. After a few minutes, the baby girl had clearly worn herself out, as her cries grew quieter and quieter and she eventually curled up in her mother’s arms and went to sleep.
Adele was just about to turn her attention to someone else when Oliver came up to the table. He shot her a wry grin as he put down the tray, on which were two mugs. “Sorry for the wait. It’s manic in here, isn’t it?”
She smiled back. “It’s okay, I’m in no hurry. I don’t have work today.”
“Really? Cool. So I have you all to myself for a while then, do I?”
Adele couldn’t help it—she blushed. “Y-yes. If you want to, that is.”
“Oh, most definitely.” He removed the two drinks from the tray and placed them on the table. Propping the tray up against the table leg, he slid Adele’s beverage toward her before grabbing his own. “Cheers.”
Adele clinked her mug against his. “Cheers.” They both laughed.
“So,” she said, going to take a sip of her coffee then deciding against it as it was still way too hot, “have you decided what you’re having to eat yet? I saw you admiring the selection.”
“I have no idea. It all looks delicious.”
“Well how about you let me know what you don’t like, then I’ll go up and get something for us? I’ll surprise you.”
“What, by getting me the thing I don’t like?”
She swiped at him playfully. “Any more smart-arse remarks like that and I will! But no, I was planning on getting you something you do like.”
“Well you’re in luck, because I like everything.”
“Excellent. I’m going now, while the queue is short. See you in a mo.”
She stood and moved around the table in the direction of the counter. She noticed Oliver reaching into his pocket, so she bent and grabbed the tray and dashed off before he had a chance to offer her any money.
Once she reached the counter, she peered at the selection of cakes, cookies and biscuits, and found herself in much the same mind as Oliver—it all looked delicious. She quickly ruled out a biscuit—this was her lunch, so a single biscuit wasn’t going to cut it, especially after all those lengths in the pool. So that left cake. She teetered between Victoria sponge and chocolate cake for a few seconds before deciding on the former. She ordered that and a slice of chocolate cake, then paid, thanked the member of staff and went back to their table.
“Hey,” she said as she passed Oliver and slid the tray onto the table. “I decided on Victoria sponge and you have chocolate cake. If you like we can cut some off each and try a bit of each other’s.”
“I like the sound of that,” he said, his gaze flicking down her body briefly, before shifting back up to her face.
Adele felt herself coloring again and tried hard to think of something witty to say in response. Her brain was casting about for inspiration and had almost latched on to something when she was distracted by a movement at the door.
“Fuck,” she said, quietly but loud enough for Oliver to hear. She slid quickly into her chair and slumped a little, desperate not to attract attention to herself.
“What’s the matter?” Oliver started to turn around but Adele stopped him.
“No, don’t look. It’s my hate club. Your fan club. I don’t want them to know we’re here.”
“I don’t t
hink we’re going to be able to avoid them, unfortunately.”
“Bollocks, I think you’re right. They’re coming this way.” She picked up her mug and took a sip, happy to find that the temperature of the liquid was just right now. Taking several more gulps—at the same time hiding part of her face behind the mug—she watched as the three witches made a beeline for them.
“There’s a free table behind me, isn’t there?” she said.
“I’m afraid so. Is that where they’re going?”
“It looks like it.”
“Damn. Well hopefully they won’t be any trouble. We’ll see.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
They fell silent and Adele suddenly became very interested in the surface of the table as the three women walked past to get to the free table. Just as Adele thought they weren’t going to take any notice, one of them stopped next to her, then turned to look at Oliver. It was the brunette.
“Oh. Hi, Oliver,” she said, twirling her hair around her finger and talking in a sickly-sweet voice that made Adele want to vomit. “What are you up to?”
A flare of anger rushed through Adele. Surely it was fucking obvious what he was doing—he was having a coffee with someone! But the bitch seemed to have conveniently not noticed that Adele was even there. She wished that the spiteful cow would get struck by lightning or swallowed into the ground.
Oliver kept his cool, however, and replied, “I’m kinda busy, actually. I’m having coffee with Adele.”
The dark-haired woman dropped her hand and looked down at Adele with an expression that was distaste and dislike rolled into one.
“Oh,” she said, shifting her gaze back to Oliver. “Well I suppose I’ll leave you to it, then. Bye.” She beamed at Oliver, shot daggers at Adele, then sat down at the table where her friends were waiting for her.