Sway (9 page)

weekends usually. They know my

favorites.” She shrugged.

“You know a lot of people.”

She laughed and popped one of the

nigiri into her mouth, pausing to

enjoy it. “I do. I imagine you do as

well.” Only she doubted they were

servers at restaurants and dance

instructors. “I promise to answer any

of your questions totally honestly, if

you answer some of mine. Really it’s

quid pro quo.”

A half smile touched his lips and,

man
, she wanted to see him naked.

“Why did you decide to be an

artist?”

“I grew up not really knowing it

was so unusual to be an artist. My

grandmother has been a painter for as

long as I can remember. I watched

her do it. Make it work. Have a

career in art. So I never had those oh-

it-can’t-happen moments. They had

lean years of course. But she kept on.

So when I started making papier-

mâché she got excited about it and

they—she and my grandfather—

displayed my little boxes in the

gallery. And they sold.” She laughed

at the memory. “Anyway, I like to

create. I’m an artist because I like

making things.”

He

sipped

his

beer

before

speaking. “I decided to be a lawyer

because my father is one. I saw him

argue a case. I must have been eleven

or so. I remember seeing him in a

totally different light after that. He

was so self-assured and clever. I

wanted to be that. Wanted to change

things with my brain and words. Two

of my brothers are architects, but I

hate math. Don’t tell my mother that.”

He smiled and she relaxed. His

demeanor warmed as he opened up to

her. “After that day I made a plan and

I stuck to it.”

She bet. The man sitting across

from her wasn’t one who let life

happen
to
him in any way. “Of course

you did. I like that. You’re very

ambitious. And this is your family

business? The law firm?”

He nodded. “Me, my father, my

older brother and my uncle and a few

cousins.”

“It’s sort of fun working in the

family shop.”

He laughed. “Yes, I suppose we

both are, aren’t we?”

What she really wanted to know is

how he was forty and unmarried. But

she didn’t want to ask right then.

He’d probably think she was looking

for a marriage proposal, though she

just wanted to know him a little

better.

So they ate and chatted about silly

stuff until they were finished and it

got suddenly a lot more serious at the

car.

“Would you like to come over?

Have a drink?”

She took a deep breath and

nodded.

It wasn’t as if he’d never brought a

woman back to his place, but this

one, well, this one made him a little

nervous.

She fit against his side perfectly as

he walked with her up the stairs from

the garage into the house and then she

paused, sucking in a breath.

“This

is

breathtaking,”

she

murmured

and

broke

away,

wandering toward the wall of

windows he so loved to stand and

stare out.

She looked remarkably right there,

the night silhouetted around her

curves like a lover. The heels she

wore were very high. Her back

arched, showcasing her ass and legs

that were surprisingly long for such a

petite woman.

“You do realize your body is

ridiculously beautiful, don’t you?”

He took her coat and noted the

pleasure

on

her

face

at

the

compliment.

He stepped away and hung her

things before he turned music on,

needing the buffer because with her it

always felt so raw.

“I could play coy and pretend I

don’t.” She shrugged a shoulder and

turned to face him and then walking

to where he stood, mesmerized by

her. She slid her hands up his chest.

“I’m not very good at coy though.”

She tiptoed up to kiss his neck, just at

the place below his ear. “I know

what I want. I know who I am.”

“Good.” He hated coy. Hated

women who danced around what they

wanted.

His arm encircled her waist as he

caught her hand in his on the other

side and they began to sway. She

leaned in, her cheek against his chest

and melted against his body.

Here in the dark, in the private of

his home, the lush sensuality of her

body sharpened his hunger.

It was slow between them, not

quite careful.

He buried his face at her neck,

breathing her in, the softness of her

hair against his cheek.

“It’s been some time since I slow

danced. I’d forgotten how delicious it

was,” he murmured as he kissed her

jaw, over her closed eyes, her nose

and then to her glorious mouth.

Desire beat at him. Urgent.

Greedy. And he let it take over with a

tug on her bottom lip between his

teeth until she made a sound, low and

deep. That response arced through

him like electricity.

He gripped her upper arms firmly

and it made her mindless. Shivers

broke over her and her knees went

rubbery.

She swallowed hard as his lips

slid down her throat, licking and

nipping the skin until she nearly

shouted at him to do more.

“Are you with me?” He pulled

away from her body enough to look

into her face.

She nodded because words had

escaped her.

“Thank God.” He bumped her,

walking her backward until she hit a

wall. He pressed his weight against

her to hold her in place.

The way he handled her made her

mindless to anything but him. His

hands at her upper arms, his body

against hers to keep her where he

wanted. Whatever he did, it was so

raw and delicious.

Before she’d even registered it,

her dress was slipping from her

shoulders and he’d bent his head to

kiss over her collarbone. Her hands

on his shoulders held him to her, but

she also felt the fine tension there.

“Don’t hold back,” she whispered.

“I’m not sure I could even if I

tried.”

“Oh now, that’s not true.” She

licked her lips and watched the dress

pool at her waist as his hands went to

her bra, peeling the cups back with a

groan.

He pinched her nipples, tugging

and twisting the bar in each until her

hips jutted forward all on their own.

She was pretty sure she’d never been

wetter or more ready for sex. Ever.

She may have said something; she

sort of went away for a moment as he

palmed her breasts and squeezed.

Not hard enough to hurt, but hard

enough to bring that edge of pain.

Hard enough to remind her he was

there and he wanted her.

The edge of his teeth slid over her

shoulder and she stuttered a breath

and it seemed as if a warm weight

settled over her system. It was so

good, so right, all sorts of chemicals

flying through her, rendering her

slightly stoned.

Could it be so very easy for him to

push her into sub space? The

temptation to explore that with her

was so overwhelming he had to close

his eyes against it.

He’d told her he wasn’t sure he

could hold back. But he could. And

he had been for a long time. But he

hadn’t exaggerated how much of a

temptation she was.

“I want to see you in the light.”

Her gaze cleared and she nodded

as he led her up the stairs and toward

his bedroom. Her dress was still on

halfway, exposing breasts that made

him want to fall to his knees and

praise.

Both nipples pierced. He exhaled

at that memory.

“I’d like you to take your clothes

off and sit on the bed, please.”

He’d been about to soften that once

he got past his surprise that he’d said

it. But she shivered and he realized

she was totally on board with it. And

then he couldn’t fight it anymore.

He leaned against the doorjamb

and watched as she reached behind

her body and unhooked her bra.

“When they’re covered by a bra

and a dress they’re amazing. When

they’re free they’re magnificent.”

And holy shit they were. High and

full, a metal bar in each nipple. His

mouth watered to taste.

She smiled, not shy at all. And then

she unzipped the rest of the dress and

stepped from it.

Stockings.

Garter belt.

High heels.

Teeny panties.

The last time he’d seen a twenty-

four-year-old naked, he’d been

twenty-six or so. The experience was

not overrated.

“On second thought,” he said as he

pushed to stand and stalked toward

her, “leave the stockings and heels

on. Those panties…well, I’ll take

care of them.”

“Should I sit?” Her usual saucy

demeanor

had

softened,

gone

obedient.

Again he had to close his eyes a

moment to get himself straight. It had

been a very, very long time since

he’d opened this part of himself to

anyone else. “Yes.” He opened his

eyes and settled his gaze on her. On

the lush curves she sported.

She sat, as he’d told her to, and he

got to his knees, spreading her thighs

wide. Her skin was as soft as he’d

imagined it to be. Her scent teased as

he leaned in close, breathing over her

cunt through her panties. The material

was whisper thin; he could see the

darkness of her labia, knew just

beyond was a slick, hot world he

planned to explore for as long as

possible.

She

whimpered,

her

fingers

digging into the bedspread and when

he pressed a kiss against her pussy

she jumped a moment and then

squirmed. Turning his head, he

breathed a kiss over her inner thigh

and then slid the panties down and

off. She’d worn them over the belt

like a smart girl.

“Are you going to get naked?

Because I’d really, really like to see

that.”

He kissed her thigh one last time

and then spread her pussy open to his

mouth. He took a long lick and

sucked her clit between his lips,

tickling the underside with the tip of

his tongue.

“Yes.”

He drew circles around her gate

with a fingertip, sliding it down to

her asshole here and there, enough to

keep her whimpering and gasping.

Enough that he was glad he was still

in his clothing because all he wanted

was to get inside her cunt and fuck

her.

But that could wait. He needed her

orgasm first. Wanted her to know

who gave it to her, who she was

there with. Then he could think

straight and fuck her the way she

deserved. He hoped.

“Your cunt tastes salty sweet.” He

swirled his tongue through all that

soft, wet flesh as she trembled.

He opened his eyes and found her

looking down her body at him, her

lids half mast, her eyes glossy, lips

parted. There was no hesitation there,

nothing but pleasure.

He continued to flick his tongue

over her clit as he turned his wrist

and slid two fingers deep.

Tight. Hot.

He knew he found the right place

when she jumped and then rained

honey all over his hand. He stroked

that sweet spot and ate her cunt like it

was meant to be eaten.

She must have let go of the bed

because her fingers slid through his

hair and then she tugged, pulling him

closer, rocking her hips. Taking what

she wanted. His cock throbbed

angrily, approving mightily.

He hummed and she made another

sound, a weeping sort of moan, and

then she came, her back arched,