Nightie Night: The Lingerie Series (Stir Sticks & Stilettos) (3 page)

Following suit, he packed his up and
placed it and the bread back in the large to go bag it had come in. The only
thing remaining was wine and our mugs.

“There sounds like a story there…”
Still leaning forward with his elbows balanced on his knees he held his wine
and gazed at me.

Seeing the curiosity in his eyes, I
took a breath and then a drink, not truly wanting to reminisce on that year.

“If it’s too painful you don’t have
to share it.” His thumb was stroking the side of his mug.

I remembered those fingers touching
mine when he had opened up. Deciding it was only fair, I began. “I don’t know
if you’ve ever been foolish in love, but I can at times jump without looking
where I’m going to land.”

Nodding, he confessed. “I’ve been
down that same path before.”

“Well, in a nutshell. I fell hard
for a guy that I thought wanted the same things out of a relationship, but
after almost two years, I realized it wasn’t true. Some people have a way of
being cruel without raising a hand or their voice.”

“He abused you?” He growled, moving
forward slightly in his seat as if he were going to get up as his hand tightened
around the ceramic mug. I was concerned by the tension I could see in his body
that the cup would shatter in his hand.  

“No, I abused myself. Trying to be
someone I wasn’t.” I drank liberally trying to remove the sour memories from my
mind.

“You’re such a brilliant, successful
woman. Hell, you exude confidence in everything you do. I’m finding it hard to
believe that some asshole could cause you to be different than that.”

I was flattered by his words.
“Truthfully, I thank him for that. I was working in a job I wasn’t happy with.
In a relationship I was killing myself to keep. When I finally woke up, I was
in the hospital from dehydration and close to malnutrition.” A sharp laugh
broke from my lips. “Never thought that was possible for a full-figured girl.”

“Malnutrition has more to do with
your body lacking vitamins and nutrients than it does with weight. And you are
beautiful just as you are, Kalan.” He raised his mug as if toasting me before
he drank.

Smiling, I acknowledged it and
sipped my own wine. Lowering the cup, I said, “Thank you. I
now
feel the
same way. My family was there at the hospital for the three days I spent there.
When my ex came in, I thought my cousin Chase was going to strangle him.
However, I let my family know it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I let Marvin,
my ex, know that it was over. Chase and my best friend Oriana, who are
currently engaged, packed Marvin out of my apartment before I left the
hospital. Two weeks later, I quit my job, and lived off my saving for three
months until I landed something I knew I’d be happy doing. I’ve been here ever
since.”

“I must say that happiness looks
damn good on you.”

I tossed my head back and laughed,
loudly. I didn’t care if I sounded like a Mad Hatter, I felt free now that I’d
shared the story with someone. My family and close friend already knew what had
happened so there had been no need to talk about it. “You’re very good for my
ego, Mr. Reston.”

“Happy to help, Ms. Henderson.”

Leaning forward, I set my cup down
on the table. Truly I had tarried long enough. Dinner was now over and there
wasn’t really any reason for me to stay. Pushing the cork back in the bottle of
wine, I handed it to him to place in his bag. When he didn’t take it, I glanced
at his face and noticed he was looking at me.

Correction. He was staring at my
mouth. The heat in his gaze made my lips tingle and all I wanted to do was lick
my lips or kiss his.

Taking the bottle from my hand,
without lowering his eyes, he set it down beside the bag. “I’m assuming the
lasagna must have been very much to your liking?” he asked.

I frowned, not understanding his
question because he’d heard my throated moan I’d made after the first bite.
“Um, really good. I can see why you like Gino’s Italiana.”

The side smile on his mouth was the
sexiest. “Kalan, you have a little sauce…”

“Oh!” Now I felt like a damn fool.
Reaching up, I swiped at one corner of my mouth and then my chin and looked at
my hands, not seeing anything. “Did I get it?”

“No.” He rose.

I looked around for the napkin and
recalled they were already packed up.
Shit
. I couldn’t believe I’d sat
here all this time spilling the woes of my horrid relationship with a glob of
sauce on my chin like a two year old. Forgetting the napkin, I decided to just
go to the bathroom.

Before I could rise, Aaren sat
beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Hold on a moment. It’s just a
small droplet. I’ll get it for you.”

“Thanks.” I sat still and waited.

His hand cupped my face. It was warm
and strong, but his touch was gentle as his thumb brushed over my chin.

“Did you get it?”

“Not yet.”

I wondered what he was waiting on.
Prepared to question him, I turned my head and looked at him. His eyes struck
me speechless. The only thing I could think of to describe the green color was
dark and mysterious as the enchanted forest. I was captivated by them. The heat
and passion that I’d witnessed a time or two through the night was back but at
a more powerful level.

It sucked me in and drew my own
desire to a point of boiling. My lips parted as I let out a sigh, like a
pressure cooker needing to release a little of the built up steam. Just like
the pot, I felt close to exploding from too much heat gathering for too
long—past the point of being done, ready.

The urge to warn him about my
feelings toward him, let him know that he was either going to need to do
something about the lust between us or let me go. “Aaren—”

“Kalan.” His whisper of my name came
out at the same time before he leaned in and slid his tongue over my bottom
lip. The glide was smooth, slow and torturous, moving from corner to corner.

I gasped. Shocked and thrilled by
his action.

“Mm, even better eaten off you than
I imagined.”

What? He’d thought about licking the
thick, savory sauce from my body?
That
was the most erotic thing a man had ever said to me. Knowing that Aaren hadn’t
been so controlled while we’d sat eating and talking gave me joy.  That joy
elevated my desire for him. “Kiss me.”

With no further pretty words or
erotic notions, he claimed my mouth. Slipping his hand from my face to behind
my head to hold me to him.

I parted my lips, wanting him inside
of me. My tongue was there to meet his when he entered my mouth. I’d never had
a man exhibit so much passion in a kiss. This man wanted me just as much as I
desired him.

The heat seemed to erupt between us.
Even though he was only kissing me and holding my head, I felt taken and
consumed. I needed to touch him. Feel those bulging, flexing muscles that had
tempted me with for the last six weeks while I’d worked beside him, watched him
move with controlled grace.

In this kiss, I knew his control had
been a fallacy. A lie.
Oh, yes.

Gripping his shoulders, I squeezed
and rubbed along the thick muscles and followed them down his arms. The
strength I felt caused cream to flood my panties. I moaned.

As if responding to my pleasure, his
other arm circled my waist and pulled me closer to him as he fisted the hand in
my hair, taking control, kiss deepening. He pressed his tongue into my mouth,
pushing over mine and stroking the roof of my mouth.

We feasted on each other, panting
and groaning. I couldn’t get enough. Tightening my lips around him, I sucked
hard on his tongue as he thrust it in and out of my mouth. I wanted to taste
all of the man from his taut thighs to his succulent mouth and then feel his
cock inside me.

Pulling away, he moved down the side
of my neck and his tongue drew a sensual design along my skin. I tilted my head
and gave him more access.

He dragged his hand from my back
around to my breasts and palmed one. Using the span of his large hand, he
squeezed the bountiful weight.

I pressed deeper into his hand,
needing more contact. There were too many damn layers of clothing keeping me
from his touch.

“Kalan, if you plan to stop me from
fucking you here and now then I suggest you get your things and leave.” He was
staring at me, one hand still tangled in my hair and the other holding my
breast.

Shit, did he really expect me to
think with him surrounding me in such a way?
Not that I needed my thoughts at the moment. I had fully
given charge of my body to my loins when he held my hand. I searched his gaze,
beyond the passion of the night that was evident, but looked for something
else. Did I want to hold out for a deeper emotion or question him about his
intentions toward me?

His arms went slack and he began to
slide away from me. “I don’t want to pressure you to do something—”

“Kiss me again, Aaren.”

Lifting an eyebrow, he stared at me
for a brief moment then pulled me into his arms. This time his kiss wasn’t
fierce and overflowing with unreleased passion, but gentle. He seemed to
cherish me with his mouth. The kiss reminded me of what I had hoped my first
kiss would be—light with soft brushes of the guy's tongue over mine. He nibbled
along the edge of my lip so tenderly it caused me to shiver. The hot bubbling
heat that had been roaring in my stomach had become an intense warmth that
seeped into my blood stream and made me feel alive, treasured. Men had wanted
me before. They and I had felt high levels of lust that caused us to throw
caution to the wind and be reckless, but none of them had made me feel
precious.

When he pulled away and looked at
me, he asked, “How was that? You get the answer that you were looking for?”

Smiling, I nodded. “And then some.
To answer your question, I’m not going anywhere.”

His chuckle filled the room. “That’s
good to know.” With his lips on my mouth, he pulled me against him, flattening
my breasts against his chest.

My nipples tightened to hard points
beneath my corset and my sex ached.

Tingling sensations of pleasure
raced between my legs when I felt his hand on my thigh. He caressed my skin,
rubbing the tops softly as he traveled under my skirt, pushing the material
higher.

I wanted to feel his touch on my
pulsing sex, but we were both constrained by the snug line of the pencil skirt.

Frustrated, I gripped the side and
dragged the skirt up.

“Garters and thigh-highs…oh, blue
eyes. You’re such a naughty girl.”

“What can I say…? I’m addicted to
sexy things.” I caressed his chin with a finger.

“Aren’t I glad.” He kissed the tip
of my finger.

Leaning back, I said, “Touch me.”

“I love a woman who can tell me what
she wants.” His eyes were bright, a compliment to his wicked smile.

“I want you, Aaren Reston. Is that
clear enough?” Tilting my head at a sassy angle and arching a brow at him.

“Hell, yeah.” Grabbing my hips, he
pulled me into his lap. “Come here, beautiful. You’re too far away.”

I giggled, feeling exhilarated. Men
didn’t usually move me around as if I didn’t weigh but a few pounds. Aaren had
the ability to make me feel delicate and prized in his hands.

Straddling his legs, I pressed my
knees wide into the cushion on the couch and forced my skirt up to my hips.
There was a slight tearing sound, but I didn’t care when I felt his warm palm
glide up the inside of my thighs.

Lowering his head, he kissed and
nipped from my neck to the rise of my breasts over my lingerie. Between the
feel of his mouth on my skin and his hand playing at the edge of my panties, I
was lost.

“Oh.” I moaned.

Then his finger breached the satin
barrier and slipped along my wet, bare folds.

“Ah.” I thrust against him.

“Fuck, sweetheart, you’re so damn
wet.” He groaned.

Cupping his face, I looked into his
fascinating eyes. “I can’t help what being around you does to me.”

“Kalan, I don’t even want to know if
you’ve been like this over these last six weeks.” He brushed over my clit.

My hips bucked.
Longer
.

However, I wasn’t ready to confess
just how long I’d been hot for him, instead I said, “See how much time we’ve wasted.”

“Not another minute.” He placed his
lips on mine as his hand moved further along my sex and a finger slipped in my
pussy.

Giving in to the kiss and fondling,
I buried my hands in his thick brown hair as I rotated my hips, pressing him
deeper inside me.

Taking his cue from me, he palmed
one of my ass cheeks as he worked his finger in and out of my pussy. Still he
assaulted my mouth with his demanding kiss. This man was consuming me.

My core ached with the budding
orgasm that was pushing me close to the edge. I ground my pelvis down, needing
more of him in me as I pressed against his hard cock. I needed him to free my
mouth so I could tell him I wanted that stiff shaft filling me.