Page 26 of Just Like This
Chapter Ten
Garrett
“Exactly what kind of pastrychef were you?” I asked, spinning around Cami’s Seattle condo. It was small but seriously impressive. Her unit was in a tall, modern high-rise in the middle of downtown Seattle. It was sparsely furnished, probably because she hadn’t lived here in a while, but it still felt like her.
“The really good kind,” she said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “But I’m hungry, so we need to order some food.”
There were moments when she was shy around me, but the kitchen seemed to be the one place where she was most confident. I could tell by the twinkle that appeared in her eyes the moment we walked into her condo that she was proud of her accomplishments as a pastry chef. She started moving around the open concept kitchen, opening drawers and pulling out takeout menus. She laid them on the gleaming granite kitchen island and told me to take my pick. When I started to point at one and saw her scrunch her nose, I immediately gave up and asked her to choose.
We were seated next to each other at the island, sharing a delicious spread of Mediterranean food when Cami asked, “Are you scared to go back again?” She couldn’t have known she’d asked such a loaded question.
“I’m terrified,” I answered honestly.
“Are you always scared when you get deployed?” There was genuine interest in her expression, and it compelled me not to hold back. The truth tumbled out easily.
I shook my head. “Not really. Maybe when I was fresh out of boot camp but not recently.”
“So what’s different about this time?”
“I have a reason to come home now.”
Cami tilted her head to the side. “You didn’t before?”
I exhaled and rotated my stool to stare out the windows overlooking Seattle. It was sunny, and the buildings sparkled in the sun’s rays. Just beyond the buildings, I spied the water and the gentle, glistening waves. “I love my dad and my brothers, but they weren’t enough to make me want to stay. I spent a really long time in the Army searching for a reason come back home.”
“And you found a reason to not re-enlist this time?”
I nodded and turned back to her. She fiddled nervously with a napkin, avoiding eye contact. “But we just met,” she said shyly.
“You think you’re my reason?”
She looked up with wide eyes and a red face. I’d embarrassed her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to assume,” she stammered.
I chuckled and placed a finger under her chin. “You’re part of my reason. The rest of it is that I know what I want now.” My eyes followed her as she stood and started cleaning up the remnants of our lunch. Standing behind her, I placed my hands on top of her shoulders and slid them down her arms until they rested on top of her hands. I pressed against her back and leaned my head forward to inhale her sweet jasmine scent. “I didn’t know what I could have until I met you,” I breathed out.
“Garrett,” she murmured, tilting her head to the side and exposing the delicate curve of her neck. I trailed light kisses all the way down to her shoulder where she shivered from the contact. My hands traveled back up her arms and down to her waist. I held her firmly and spun her so we were nose to nose.
“I don’t want to leave this condo until I’ve memorized every square inch of your body, until I can’t get the taste of you out of my mouth.”
With my hands firmly around her waist, I lifted her onto the counter. My hands traveled down her thighs, parting them slightly. I stepped forward into the space and leaned toward her to place a gentle kiss just under her jaw. Her hands rested on my shoulders while I continued my path of soft kisses down the column of her throat to the exposed skin of her chest.
“Garrett,” Cami breathed out, letting her hands drop from my shoulders to hold her weight as she leaned against the countertop, opening more of herself to me. Her thin tank top rode up, exposing her stomach. I dipped my head and swirled my tongue in her navel, which elicited a delightful squeal. She smelled exquisite; the barest hint of jasmine combined with the fresh scent of soap was a heady combination that sent me exploring her body for more.
I nipped and nibbled my way along her stomach, stopping just above the waistband of her shorts until she squirmed with impatience. I felt the same way. I was eager to rip the shorts from her body and devour her. My dick strained uncomfortably against the stiff fabric of my jeans, and I reached down to adjust myself.
“Are you ready?” I asked her, my voice hoarse.
“For what?”
“Me.” I flicked the button on her shorts open and tugged them down her thighs until the only thing that separated her from my mouth was a flimsy pair of panties. My mouth watered at the sight of her, and at the entirely new scent that flooded my senses: jasmine mingled with the sweet muskiness of her arousal. I couldn’t wait another second. Hungrily, I placed my mouth over her center, still covered by the lace of her panties and sucked her sharply into my mouth. Cami gasped, and her hands delved into my hair as she squirmed, pushing herself against my mouth.
With a smile of satisfaction, I peered up at her. Her closed eyes sprung open when she realized I had stopped, and she released her grip on my hair to run her hands through her own tangled tresses.
“Do you want me to stop?” I purred.
“No,” she whispered.
That was all the encouragement I needed to hook my fingers around the waistband of her panties and drag them down her thighs. Her legs fell open, and I used my hands to spread them even farther, exposing her saturated core. I licked my lips eagerly in anticipation of my first real taste. I inched forward until my nose was completely full of her mouth-watering scent. My tongue darted out for that first sample, and immediately, I went back for more. She rocked her hips against the countertop, and her hands found their way back to my hair, pulling and grabbing at the strands as I circled her sensitive clit with my tongue.
