Page 72 of For Butter or Worse
He didn’t care if they hooked up again, he just wanted to have another night with her.
Then she opened the door in a gray, silk robe that clung to her breasts, hips and thighs, showing off all of the round, full curves he’d seen the other night. Her hair was wet, fresh out of the shower, and her skin glowed pink from the hot water. He was suddenly very awake...everywhere.
“Can I be honest with you?” She planted a hand on her hip. “I’ve been on my feet all day. I’m exhausted.”
He’d been so busy admiring her that he hadn’t noticed that her eyes were a little heavy. Now he felt bad, because she’d had a long day at work, and here he was trying to stretch it out even longer.
“I can leave, no worries.” He placed his hands in his pockets to try and match her aloofness. He wished he could channel a more nonchalant look, but he’d been excited to spend time with her. Catching feelings was a problem he’d had in almost every relationship—apparently, even the fake ones.
“No, no, I’ll make us cappuccinos.” She yawned. “If I’m going to be selfie-ready, I should look awake.”
“Tom would probably suggest that, yes,” he said.
He was relieved to be invited inside. He’d never been to her house, but assumed it was meticulously curated, much like her restaurant—French, tasteful and chic.
So he was surprised to see that her entryway had a table stacked high with unopened mail. In the living room there were sweaters and shoes in messy clumps, and a coffee table covered with old dishes. Nina hadn’t known he was coming over, and maybe her cleaning person had the week off...?
He heard a machine hum to life in the kitchen as he stood in her living room. He rocked back and forth on his heels. He took in the space, which was midcentury modern, if you were able to see under the piles of...stuff. He didn’t love messiness. Just seeing the clutter gave him a ping of panic. And he’d have to do something about that.
He started by shoving all her clothes in one corner, then sorted the mail into bills, junk and personal. He then took a cloth and wiped down the coffee table.
The work kept him busy, for how long he wasn’t sure. But a low cough interrupted him. When he turned, Nina was there, carrying two cappuccinos.
He put down the cloth and tried to seem like less of a neat freak than he clearly was. “Think of me as one of those topless-maid services, but still wearing my top.”
She smirked. “I’ve never had a man clean my coffee table before.” She put down the cups.
“Just wait until you see what I can do with a Swiffer.” He took a long sip of the coffee. There was a hint of cinnamon, which reminded him of the smell of her hair.
She sat on the couch and sipped from her cup. He’d never been all that comfortable with silences, so he was surprised that he wasn’t trying to fill this one.
“Ugh, I just remembered we’ll need to take a photo.” She rubbed her temple with her free hand. “I’m going to have to put actual clothes on.”
“We can take the photo tomorrow morning, if you want.” He took another sip from his mug before looking up to see her reaction. She stared back at him, curious.
“Are you saying you’re not done cleaning?” she asked playfully.
He rubbed his lips to hide a smile. “I really want that five-star Yelp review,” he said. “I’ll do anything to get it.”
She shrugged her shoulder so the fabric of her robe slipped. He hadn’t known the power of an exposed shoulder until he saw hers.
He raised an eyebrow. “I love working overtime.”
“Is that so?” Nina stood and guided him to sit. She straddled his lap, her core directly above his arousal. “If you do a good job, I’ll post before-and-after photos.”
“Not sure that’s at all appropriate,” he said. He tucked a strand of damp, wavy hair off her face and behind her ear, exposing more of the long line of her neck. He dipped his head and skimmed across her still-warm-from-the-shower throat with his tongue.
“I’m giving you five stars,” she muttered. “Do you have a condom?”
“Nina, we don’t have to...” he began. Though it was impossible not to be excited at the idea of completely filling her until she peaked.
“Oh, I think he wants to.” She nodded at his cock, which strained against the fabric of his jeans.
He wasn’t going to let his first time inside her be on the couch. He needed a space where he could see all of her. Where he could stretch her out and watch the look on her face when he pushed all the way inside of her.
Picking her up wasn’t hard. He cradled her ass, made sure her legs wrapped tightly around him, and walked her into the kitchen. He saw a long, thick wood table, and he sat her on top of it.
Her legs stayed around his waist as he grabbed a condom out of his wallet. “If those Nina and Leo fanfic writers could see us now,” she said.
