Page 18 of Last First Time
She tugs free of my grip. “Reed, no. I told you I don’t have time for relationships. Besides, what will everyone think after today’s photo disaster?”
I take her hand again, gently wrapping my fingers between hers. “They’ll think you felt sorry for me after that giant flaming Hindenburg of a disaster and that you’re my pity date.” I clear my throat nervously. “It’s not that far from true. Plus, if you think back, this was actually your idea.”
“What?” Her voice squawks out like a parrot. It’s cute, but everything about her is cute to me.
“You told me to get photographed with the same woman more than once for a change. That’s actually a great idea. It would help build my image back up as being a stable, respectable type of leader.” I am definitely using my speech voice, but hopefully she won’t call me out on it.
I want her to date me. Not only for campaign optics, but because she’s Karisma Troudeau, the girl I’ve been in love with for so long there isn’t room for anyone else in my heart ever again.
“You’re full of great big ideas tonight, idiot face. Maybe I should switch to bourbon and write the next great American novel or something.” At least she isn’t pulling away. And is that her thumb running across the back of my hand? Yes, please. I know we’ve done much more carnal things with one another, but her gentle touch is going to be my undoing.
“There’s a gala this weekend that’s a fund raiser for the hospital. Come with me and let me show you how it could be. With us, I mean.” I pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her.
“I don’t have a fancy party dress, Reed. I’d probably have to come in leather and boots, and then get drunk and belly dance during one of the slow songs. I’d be embarrassed and embarrassing, and I’d ruin your entire night.”
It probably shouldn’t sound sexy, but heaven help me, it really does. I lean forward to murmur in her ear, “Don’t tease me like that, Kar. I haven’t stopped thinking about that night with you dancing so sexy on the bar top. You’re driving me crazy.”
“Reed,” she hisses as I bite the lobe of her ear. “You promised no seduction stuff.”
I kiss her neck, the gentle sand-colored curve of it under the heavy fall of her hair. “I never promised that, but I do respect you enough to leave you in peace tonight if that’s what you really want.”
“What I really want is for you to win re-election against Baron von Evil and for me to keep running Riddles in Valentine forever. But…” Her voice trails off as I put my tongue to work on her neck, deepening the kisses and leaving a trail of goosebumps in my wake. She shivers against me, her back against my front.
“Say yes to me, Kar. Be my date this weekend.” It’s underhanded to use my body to persuade her, but I am out to win this battle. I want every single part of her, and I mean to get her to say yes by whatever means necessary.
She moans, a deep plaintive sound that only makes me harder. I want her so badly I can practically taste her, but I am going to wait until she says yes. I sink my teeth into the edge of where her neck meets her shoulder, and she gasps.
“Reed, yes. Whatever you want. Please.” Her head presses into my chest as my hands reach up from her waist, one stopping on her breast to toy with a hard, pointed nipple and the other reaching up to encircle her throat. I feel her swallow, feel her breathing, feel her pulse racing beneath my touch.
“I’m going to buy you the most beautiful party dress ever, and you’re going to like it.” She writhes against me, rubbing that beautiful ass against my aching cock. “And after that fancy party with the bad hors d’oeuvres, I’m going to take you home with me and strip that fancy dress off you and we’ll do every dirty thing you’ve ever thought of.
“Oh yes, we’ll do anything you want.”
“And tomorrow you’re going to fill out the business loan paperwork and buy that whole damn building.” My tongue flicks against her earlobe, sharp and fast, the same way I want to work over her sweet clit. I know she recognizes the tempo because she’s shifting back against me, rubbing her thighs together in time to my tongue’s movements.
She shimmies against me, the flashing movements of her hips driving me crazy. “I love it when you talk dirty to me about commerce.” She lets out a husky laugh, and I drink it all in as I tug at her nipple, worrying it between my thumb and first finger. “Oh,” she sighs, melting against me.
“We can talk dirty any time, Kar.” I let go of her body, staring so intently at her that I’m sure she has to feel it. “But for now, let’s talk about you and me in my bedroom. We have some campaign business to review. Civilized, but naked.”
She opens her eyes, her lust drunk gaze snagging against mine. “Yes. So much yes, Kade.”
“That’s right, Karisma. Now come upstairs and let me hear you say those words again, but louder, and with your thighs wrapped around my face.”
We race upstairs, shedding our clothing along the stairwell. It’s fun, and it’s playful, and it’s exactly how I want things to stay with us always. Even with the campaign and the money issues hanging over our heads, Kar and I will always be each other’s safe people.
She can put her worries away when she’s with me, and I can do the same. We’ve both been through enough that we know how valuable this is. A wave of joy bubbles up through me. I feel like with her agreeing to go on a date with me at last, we are one step closer to where I want us to be.
Really, truly happy. Just the two of us. Maybe it could really be this easy. After all this time, we’ve more than earned it.
K.T.
Ilost the battle of wills with my vagina again. Stupid Kade and his stupid magic penis powers. I had just about made peace with having to start over far away, and somehow he talked me out of my clothes and my common sense. And today, even with all his clothes on, he still talked me into filling out this mammoth mountain of paperwork to obtain a commercial real estate loan. What a jerk.
I can feel my hair turning gray strand by strand as I work on the five thousand pages of the application. Whenever he shows up again later today, he is going to owe me for this. Big time. Heh, big.
I snort. Even my thoughts are at the level of a ten-year-old boy. All the sexy times with Reed are definitely rotting my brains away.
Out of spite, I decide to close Riddles for the rest of the day. Either I finish this loan application packet, or I’m going to drink until I pass out. Neither of those scenarios needs a paying audience. I write a quick note advising that we are closed for the day and tape it to the locked front door. Whatever money I would have made today wasn’t going to make any difference, not really.
