Page 11 of The Blowout

I realize then that I’ve beat her home. She hasn’t been inside prepping for our date like I had imagined while I was in the car. What a fool I am. Taking all of her in, I see that she’s still wearing the purple T-shirt and ripped jeans from earlier. She still looks stunning, but the day has taken its toll. Both items have unknown stains on them and specks of hair. Kim’s eyes are bright and excited as she grins up at me, but I can see the exhaustion. I know that feeling intimately.

Twisting within the circle of my arms, Kim turns to her door and fishes out her key. My hands stray to the waistline of her jeans, hooking into the belt loops. I feel her shudder as I press into her back. The click of the lock brings me back to the moment and I gently encourage her through the door.

“I just need, like, twenty minutes to get ready. I have to shower off all this hair and change. I should be quick. Could you make me a cup of coffee?”

I grab her hand before she can skip away. Pulling her back into my arms, I twist her hair up in one hand and dip my lips down to meet hers. The kiss is gentle at first. A simple tasting, refreshing my memory. Kim’s lips are soft and plump as they open for me, urging me to explore deeper. When her body is flush with mine, her hands come up to rake through my hair and the kiss turns hungry. Our tongues collide, twisting and dancing as we both try to take more, more, more. A moan escapes her lips, vibrating through the apartment, driving my hunger. I want her. I need her more than my next breath.

But not yet. Not like this.

Peppering kisses along her chin and cheeks, I put a pause on our makeout. Her eyes lazily open, a confused expression on her pink flushed face.

“You’re exhausted,” I state. “Why don’t we have a date night in? I’ll order pizza and we can watch a movie or something.” Her brows scrunch as she tries to determine if I’m joking. “I’m serious, sunshine. Go shower. Take your time.”

“You’re sure? I don’t mind going out.” She says the words but I can hear the fatigue in her voice.

“I’m very sure. I just want to spend time with you. Whether that’s out on a date or here on your couch.”

Licking her lips, she stares at me for another moment before rising on her toes and giving me a quick kiss. “That sounds wonderful. Honestly, the bridal consultation I had this afternoon almost ruined me.” On a laugh, she spins out of my arms, never letting go of my hand. Tugging me forward, we crash on the couch. She leans over so that half of her body is draped over me. A laugh bursts out of me, surprising us both. A look of pure elation shines from her. I can’t help myself, I kiss her again, needing to capture some of her light.

“I need to shower,” she says against my lips.

I want to so badly tell her I’ll join her. She temps me beyond reason. Yet I know I need to slow down. A makeout and teasing touches are all I want to focus on tonight. I want to build something with Kim, not just make it about sex. Even though I’m eager for that part too. Time, I need to give her more time. Take this at her pace.

“Go shower,” I reply back to her, taking one more long kiss. She tries to follow my lips as I lean back. Chuckling, I steady her. “Go shower. I’ll order the pizza and wait for you.”

She bobs her head slowly, agreeing with me but not fully convinced. When I give her one more gentle nudge, she finally relents.

“I’ll be quick,” she calls over her shoulder as she enters what I believe is her room. She hasn’t been out of my sight for more than a second before I hear her curse.

“You okay?” I call, ready to spring up at a moment’s notice.

Sighing, she tells me yes. “I didn’t realize I’d gotten bleach on my jeans. Drat. These are almost new too.”

So that was the stain on her clothes. Bleach. Interesting. I’ll have to get used to things like that now that I was dating—and hopefully spending my life with—a stylist. I was intrigued to know more about her work. The shower turns on, prompting me to snap out of my thoughts. Reaching for my phone in my back pocket, I quickly shoot off a text to my driver, letting him know about the change of plans. With that done, I stand to take off my suit jacket and tie. Laying the garments over one of her kitchen chairs, I take in the small but homey space. Kim has put her unique touches on this place. There’s not much more than an open-concept living area and kitchen, but it’s bright with colorful knickknacks tastefully placed. I could imagine what improvements Kim would make to my cold and empty condo.

Half an hour later, Kim walks out of the bathroom, a trail of steam following her. I pause in my task of arranging her coffee table with our food and drink at the sight of her. She’s wrapped in a towel with droplets of water cascading down her shoulders and legs, and I’m stunned by her beauty. Even wet, her hair is thick and luxurious, calling for my fingers to get lost in their strands.

She looks just as stunned as I do, seeing the table. The gourmet pizzas that I instructed my diver pick up, along with a bottle of wine and dessert, are laid out on the table.

“How did you…” She trails off, her confusion turning to laughter.

Shrugging, I tell her the truth. “I know people.”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course you do. I was expecting a greasy fast food pizza.”

“Expect the unexpected with me,” I simply say. My fingers are tingling with the need to touch her. “Now, go get dressed before I lose all my self-control.”

Kim skips away, but not before throwing me a saucy look over her shoulder. Her bedroom door closes and I have to take a deep breath to gain control. When she dances back into the room wearing tight yoga pants and a crop top that shows off far too much skin for my sanity, I growl. Her eyes flare with delight at the animalistic sound.

“This looks delicious. Thank you.” We start to fill our plates, both suddenly quiet. It’s…comforting. Being with her like this, relaxing after a long day. I could get used to it.

“So, tell me, why was today so hectic? Or is the salon usually like that on the weekends?”

Nodding, she chews her slice of pizza. “It’s usually busy on weekends but I had a bridal party trail run today that didn’t go exactly as planned. The bride changed her mindagain, this is the fourth time, about what she wanted.”

“Are they allowed to do that?”

“Well, yes. But the wedding is coming up quickly and I’ve only practiced the look she wants once on her and her bridesmaids. I swear, if she changes her mind the day of, I’m taking advantage of the open bar. No one is going to stop me.”

---