Page 56 of Blade
“I’m sorry. Next week is Christmas. Will you come by and spend the day with me? I can make dinner.”
“Of course. Don’t I always?”
“Yes.” Her mom reached across the table and rested her hand on top of Amber’s. “Maybe this time next year, football won’t take both of our men away for the holidays and the four of us will sit down to a nice family Christmas dinner.”
Amber envisioned the scenario her mother painted in her mind’s eye. It soothed her soul because a happy family sharing a holiday dinner is exactly what she always craved. But she wasn’t sure if that’s something that would ever play out in this household.
Spending the holidays without Robert left a hole in Amber’s heart, and she was glad they were over. She couldn’t believe he was gone on both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. At least they got to spend New Year’s Eve together and opted to stay home alone rather than spending their first big holiday together surrounded by a room full of people. But, a few days later, he was off again, and her nights were clouded with loneliness.
Growing up as an only child, she was used to the quietude. Loud music or the white noise of the television playing in the background bothered her rather than soothed her. She had plenty of things to keep her busy, like her studies, which she should be concentrating on right now, but her priorities had shifted slightly since she had a steady boyfriend who occupied her thoughts and her heart. Loneliness, something she never felt before, gnawed at her for the first time.
For a while, even before she met Robert, she’d been contemplating adding a companion to her life, and she was finally ready to commit. But now that she had a man, she wanted him to be part of it. So, when Robert returned from Pittsburgh, the moment she opened the door she blurted out, “I want to get a cat.”
An amused smile spread across his face at her outburst. “Hi, Robert,” he teased, mimicking what he thought she should say in greeting. “I missed you. I’m so glad you’re home. How was your flight? Gimme a kiss.”
She swatted his arm. “I’m just so excited.” She leaned up to give him a quick peck, ready to elaborate on her plans to add a pet to her household, but nothing about Robert was quick. His kiss was slow and demanding and consumed with heat. A tingle ignited a spark deep inside her core and it ran through her body like a wildfire. It made her forget a world existed outside of this moment, and she fell into a daze. When he pulled back and their lips separated, she felt lightheaded and in a dreamy state of bliss. “I missed you so much. I can’t believe it’s only been a few days since you were gone.”
“I know. I’ve never felt this way before.”
“Me either.”
Their eyes locked on one another, and it was as if a magnetic force pulled them together. Their lips met with a heated kiss while their bodies collided. Her hands were in his hair, then running across the back of his shoulders, while his strong palms held her captive as they roamed her body.
In seconds, they were naked and on top of the bed. His mouth delighted her neck with its forceful kisses, making her succumb to this tender yet dominant man. Hot lips trailed their way down her body while she quivered from the sheer adrenaline that rushed through her veins. It was as if her blood had been replaced by gasoline, fueling the fire inside her. When he sucked a nipple into his mouth, her heart beat faster and endorphins made her spirits soar. Her back arched involuntarily while she continued to grab at his short hair. There was no need to guide his lips and tongue. They knew exactly where to touch her.
His mouth moved lower, licking a hot trail between her legs. He purposely skipped over the most sensitive spot, making her whimper, and she felt him smile against her inner thigh.
“You’re such a tease,” she moaned.
He answered with a nip, and she sucked in a breath and held it while he peppered her leg with soft kisses. Sitting back on his heels, he brought her ankle to his shoulder and rested it there with his lips against the lowest point on her leg. Barely touching her, he started with the bend behind her knee. His middle finger gently ran across the crease and then ghosted over the back of her calf all the way down to her heel, making her body tingle.
His lips traveled back up her leg, and, this time, they landed exactly where she wanted them. Hungrily, he lapped at her flesh while his hands caressed her lower belly. Her body pulsed and her flesh shimmered from the rippling throb between her legs. Unable to take the overwhelming mounting pleasure, she tugged at his wrists. His mouth went to her neck in an instant, and his body covered hers with his ample frame. With a deep exhale, he pushed inside her. She moaned and breathed heavily as he rocked into her, savoring every piece of this magnificent man. She loved the way his shoulders flexed under her hands and the feel of his muscles tightening with each deliberate movement. He had the strength to break her but treated her with care and finesse, as if she were a porcelain doll. He was the perfect combination of masculinity and tenderness.
He made love to her softly, almost delicately, until she begged for more. Words weren’t necessary. Her moans, the way her fingers dug into his biceps, and the way her body bucked underneath him, all conveyed what her voice couldn’t, because, at this point, she was unable to form words.
His thrusts quickened, sending shockwaves deep inside her. Her mind filled with a heady fog, her eyelids fluttered, and her breath came in short, quick gasps until a shudder wracked her body with sensations that reverberated seemingly without end.
Moments later, he let out a long moan and slowly stilled. With his stealthy forearms supporting his weight, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. His breath heated her already-burning flesh, but she relished the closeness they shared and wouldn’t move for the world.
“I love you,” he whispered in a breathy voice.
Her lips curled into a satiated smile and her eyes closed blissfully. “I love you too.”
They stayed like that, lost in a dreamy Shangri-la, for several long minutes before either of them moved. In truth, she could have stayed like that, in his arms riding a post-orgasmic high, for the rest of her life, but he rolled off her and stared up at the ceiling and sighed. Neither said anything, content to share the same space. Eventually, she slipped on a tank and her panties and headed to the bathroom to wash up while he stayed in bed and snuggled her pillow against his chest.
As she was washing her hands, Robert called from the bed, “Did you say you wanted to get a cat?”
She realized that she never finished telling Robert about her plans to adopt a cat and got so excited that she ran out of the bathroom before drying her hands, dripping water along the way. “I totally forgot. One kiss from you and all thoughts evaporated,” she joked. Only it was no joke. That’s exactly what had happened. “Yes. I want to get a cat.” In her enthusiasm, she flung her arms outward as she spoke, and droplets of water hit Robert across the face.
He wiped his cheeks. “Did you run out of towels or something?”
“Sorry. I’m just so excited. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and finally gave in. Do you like cats? You’re not allergic, are you?”
“No.”
Her happy face fell. “No, you don’t like cats, or, no, you’re not allergic?”
He stood up, smiling his beautiful smile, put his hands on her shoulders, and guided her onto the bed. “Sit down and breathe. I like cats, and I’m not allergic. Tell me more about this cat.”
