Page 21 of Last First Time
He shakes his head at me. “That’s not true and you know it. I don’t own that gown. It’s a gift for you. I promised you the most beautiful party dress I could find.” He stands and moves toward me as slowly as I’ve ever seen him move. “The reason I want you to say yes to me right now is all about us. Because I get to decide when your clothes come off whenever we’re together like this, don’t I?”
My mouth is suddenly dry, and my breath catches in my throat. Holy hot mayor, we are definitely going to do it immediately. I nod stupidly, unable to form words.
“Say it,” he growls at me.
“You get to decide,” I breathe out the words. “You get to decide when my clothes come off, sir.”
His hands frame my face, making me feel so small and delicate beneath his touch. His lips ghost along my hairline, then fall to my ear.
“Good girl,” he rasps, and picks up the ribbon.
Reed
The night of the gala arrives, and I feel as nervous as I was on my first date so, so many years ago with Jenny Rutherford. My hands are sweating exactly like they were way back then, but hopefully I’m not going to end up throwing up on anyone tonight. Poor Jenny. She never talked to me again after I ruined her favorite shoes.
I ordered a town car for the evening. I wanted to go full on limousine, but I figure if I did that Kar would probably make a giant fuss and the entire evening would be super awkward plus. If it were up to her, we’d probably be taking her rust bucket truck.
Instead, we’re going in a town car. That means I still look appropriately formal when arriving, and someone else gets to do all the driving so I can find any possible excuse to slide my hands underneath the skirt of Karisma’s formal gown.
And now I have an embarrassing and unnecessary erection. She’s not even in the car and I’m already hard as a rock. I’m certainly channeling my inner fourteen-year-old today. I’m already preoccupied with thoughts of fingerbanging my date in the car’s backseat, just like during my awkward teenage days.
Because tonight is a real date. We are officially out of the friends-with-benefits zone after tonight. And if this is going to be the only night that Karisma is going to let me date her, I want the entire thing to be perfect. If only I could get that message to my crazy overdrive hormones and somehow settle down and act like an adult.
And with that tall order in mind, I climb out of the town car clutching a large bundle of multi-colored zinnias. Kar is not the usual roses and orchids type of girl. She’s as varied as the different colors in the bouquet I’m bringing her, and I am smitten with all of her different ways. K.T., Karisma, and Kar.
She pulls open the door as I raise my hand to knock, and I know then that she feels it too. Her anticipation, her waiting for me, means that she’s also nervous about tonight, and that she can feel the change between us.
“Hi,” she says shyly. Her cheeks are flushed, and her gorgeous, lush mane of hair is loose around her shoulders. I want to wrap it around my hand immediately, but again, pocket boner, so I push that thought down forcefully and start reciting the periodic table of elements in order to calm down. What were all those noble gases again?
“Hi,” I finally manage. I’m sure I look like an idiot grinning at her, but this is definitely the perfect dress for her. Karisma looks like my teenage fantasies come to life, but all wrapped up in silk and leather like my adult fantasies too.
I hand her the bouquet of zinnias. “These are for you, Kar.” Her face tips down toward the flowers, and I briefly curse myself for not getting something with a fragrance. Zinnias are varied and beautiful, but why didn’t I pick orchids or roses after all? This is what I get for thinking I understood what Kar really wants.
“Kade, these are perfect. You know how much I hate strong scents, and I love all these bright colors.” Her eyes flick up and hold onto mine, sparkling with something that looks suspiciously like happiness.
With that, all the tension leaves my body and I finally relax. “I’m so glad you like them. I really want you to like everything about tonight.”
She catches her bottom lip between her teeth, and I try to remind myself to take this slowly. I’ve waited this long to date her, so I can wait a little bit longer for her to catch up to wanting to date me too. She’s worth the wait, and every little bit of her trust that I’ve earned over the years was worth waiting for.
“Are you ready?”
She nods, and I offer her my elbow.
“Thank you for agreeing to be my date to this fundraiser, Karisma.”
She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, taking my arm and letting me lead her to the town car without any fuss for a change. “We’re going to have fun together, right?”
We aren’t though, not really. As soon as we get to the function, we have to walk through a long column of press. The flashbulbs are blinding, and Kar actually flinches when one of the reporters asks if she’s the new flavor of the week.
“K.T. is my best friend and she’s graciously agreed to be my companion this evening. I’m so grateful to have her with me supporting one of the best causes in Valentine.”
Maryanne told me earlier that my poll numbers were up. Apparently taking the high road during the evil senator photo bomb and having a few fake-candid pictures taken with K.T. has been good for my campaign image. Thank fuck.
Once inside, K.T. and I parade around from one set of donors to the next. All night long, the men keep chortling at me and one another and not subtly trying to look down Kar’s cleavage. It’s all I can do to not start a fight in the ballroom.
And the other women circle the room like a colorful group of piranhas. They give each other the secret handshake and gather together, giving Kar the side eye and passive aggressively comparing jewelry. Thank goodness I’m not female. I would never have survived.
After what feels like weeks of inane commentary from the local rich white guys, I feel Kar finally beginning to wilt against me, so after two entire hours of bullshit, I manage to ease us away from the crowd and out to one of the side patios. “Thank God we got out of there,” I mutter and press her into the darkness, sliding my mouth against hers.
