Calli reached for his jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping them until they fell to the floor and he sprang free again. She took him into her hand and stroked the shaft, long and slow, causing him to groan. He rolled his neck, then reached for the open package and slid the condom into place.
Reaching under the front of her skirt and finding her bare, he slipped a finger between her very wet folds and grinned. “This is much better.”
Now Calli groaned under the friction of his finger against her clit. But it wasn’t there for long, soon replaced with the tip of his cock. Calli mewled and slid forward slightly on the stool to gain more access as he entered her slowly, his mouth forming an O and eyes rolling back in his head. Calli breathed deeply, exhaled as they both adjusted. He held there in place for what seemed like an eternity, then reached down and squared the stool legs, wrapped one arm around Calli’s back under her arms, and braced his other against the bar.
He slid out and back in, painfully slowly, then repeated the motion, watching her intently.
Calli’s breath hitched. “Oh, yesss . . . ”
He stopped at full hilt and kissed her again, their tongues stroking one another, plunging and retreating . . . a precursor to their bodies taking over. But before he moved, he pulled away to look at her. “I’m so happy you gave me a second chance to do this properly.”
Calli whined. He pulled out and pushed forward again, excruciatingly slowly, but even without urgent friction, her body started to bear down and she felt her orgasm building. “This is . . . ” Out again. “So . . . ” In again, long and leisurely. “A-a-amazing . . . ”
Dom bit his lip, smiled, then said, “You’re so ready. I can feel your body responding to mine. You feel so wonderful wrapped around me like this.”
He retreated and returned, hard this time.
Calli squealed, then laughed.
“I love the feeling of you laughing with me inside.”
“Oh God, I’m going to come,” she said desperately.
“Faster?” he asked.
“Yes, oh yes.”
As he took up a steady rhythm, Calli felt the chair tilt backward on two legs, felt him holding her weight, balancing the stool, holding her, and letting her take all of his strength. She needed this, and as his tempo picked up and his breathing deepened, she lost sight as to whether it was her body’s need or her soul’s. Calli’s whole body seized, and she cried out over and over. In the throes of her own passion, she didn’t hear his voice do the same. By the time she came back to herself, he had nearly collapsed onto her with the bar at her back, his head resting on her shoulder. He shuddered in her arms.
She laughed, he laughed, and she held him inside her as he softened.
Dom
Dom reluctantly released her and moved behind the bar to find a bag for disposal. He’d make sure the trash was emptied after she left. That was the hottest, most gratifying experience he’d had in a very, very long time. They’d been doing the courtship thing during these so-called meetings, and he was overjoyed that today’s had ended this way, though he was less certain how she felt. He moved back around and stepped back into his pants, socks, and shoes. As she straightened her clothes, she kept glancing up, and when their eyes met, they both smiled. Her body had responded but he still felt he needed to win over her mind.
“Well,” said Calli. “That was a first.”
“Yes, for me too. A good one.” He leaned over and kissed her under her jawline in that one little crease.
She lifted her head in acceptance. “Not how I expected to end a client meeting.”
Dom cleared his throat. “It was a better ending than I’d hoped.”
“We can’t do this every time.” Her look was dead serious.
Dom only nodded.
She continued, “If we’re going to try this, there must be ground rules.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips. Rules were made to be broken but he’d hear her out. After all, he’d been trying to woo her since she’d put up the roadblocks that Monday after their first date. He wasn’t going to object if she was actually accepting that they’d try. “Yeah, go ahead.”
“We sh—”
“Wait. Let’s eat while we talk. I’m starving after that!” Smiling lasciviously, he grabbed her hand. Calli hesitated toward her coat and purse. “Leave it. We’ll get it after.”
~ ~ ~
Dom made two sandwiches from yesterday’s roasted chicken and sourdough bread, garnished them with butterhead lettuce and heirloom tomatoes and spread on some garlic aioli, then handed one to Calli and sank his teeth into the other.
She played with the lettuce hanging out one end. “You know . . . I couldn’t make a bologna sandwich if you paid me, much less something this delightful.”
After he finished chewing, he said, “I don’t know why on earth you’d want to make a bologna sandwich.” Dom wrinkled his nose at the idea.
“Funny. I mean I can’t cook . . . at all.”
“Well, that’s not a worry for me, now is it?” He quirked a brow.
She covered her mouth as she chewed, and when finished, she said, “Work hours have to be left out of this trying thing.”
Dom swallowed. “Understood, but you’ll see me after hours now, right?”
The smile she gave him stole any conscious thoughts he had remaining. “Yeah, I will. But.” She held up a finger.
His heart sank, and he waited.
“But we need to start slow.”
“I thought I took it pretty slow in there.”
Calli backhanded him on the arm but they both giggled. “Again, I meant the trying thing.”
Dom shrugged. “I knew what you meant, but funny, right?”
She gave a small laugh—music to his ears. And her brown eyes glowed when she laughed. He had to make her do that more.
She chewed the inside of her lip, twisting her mouth to one side, then said, “Maybe we should try one date a week to start.”
“Formal, don’t you think?”
She swallowed, her throat working, then turned to him with peaked brows. “Dom, I haven’t dated in a very long time. This is new to me, and I’m kind of set in my ways.”
“I see. And you believe it’s old hat for me?” he asked, dropping his eyes and toying with the little of his sandwich remaining on the plate.
“I didn’t say that, but I do have some issues with trust—thanks to a less than thoughtful ex.” She smiled weakly.
“All right. I understand. We’ll take it slow.” He took their empty plates to the sinks and returned, clasping his hands. “So, since this wasn’t really a date, when can we have our first week’s date?”
Chapter 27
Calli
Christmas was three days away, and Calli stared at the sad little tree in the family’s den with no presents underneath; they’d all been opened and already put away. She’d helped Jax and Kent pack for Greece, made sure that they each had their money belts and passports secured, driven them to the airport, and as she hugged them goodbye, told them to have a good time. That part was true enough . . . she wanted her boys to enjoy any experience they could. She’d fought a lump in her throat as Bennett strolled over with his young and yellow-haired Zoe in tow. He’d looked like a predator who’d just conquered his prey. Calli had begged him to please look after Jax and Kent—especially Kent as he was forgetful and aloof at times—and left without saying a word to Zoe.