A Kind of Romance (11 page)

“I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I thought she was….”

“Dead.” I finished his sentence when it was clear he wasn’t sure he should. “In a way, she is. The woman I visit looks like my mom, but she’s not. We look at each other like we’re looking for hints, clues that the other person is someone we know… and if we get one tiny spark, it’s the best fucking thing in the world. But it doesn’t happen often anymore. And my dad may be difficult for me to deal with at times, but he loves her so much it hurts. It’s probably what keeps me from hating him.”

“You don’t hate him,” he said firmly.

“No, I don’t. But he’s not as easy for me as he is for everyone else.”

“You need to forgive him. That’s when it will get easy. That’s when you’ll really be able to move on.”

I gave a half laugh and shook my head incredulously. “Who are you exactly?”

“I’m the guy your dad guilted you to date. You challenged me to bowling. Then you lost and decided to cut said loss by buying me a hundred-dollar dinner instead of handing over the hundred bucks.”

“Oversimplification at its finest. You’re sneaky. I gotta keep my eye on you. No more family stuff. Tell me something interesting… pajama bottoms, briefs, or boxers?” I asked in a bored tone.

“Nude,” he answered with a mischievous, lopsided grin. “Always nude.”

We stared at each other for a long moment. His offhand remark was purposefully suggestive. We were supposed to chuckle now and move away from difficult topics, but the undercurrent was stronger than ever. I felt drawn to him in a way I couldn’t begin to describe. I liked his nearness, his easy conversation and graceful presence. And I liked looking at him. He was striking. Pretty, yet tough. There wasn’t anything helpless about him, but I felt an uncanny surge of protectiveness toward him, and fuck, I wanted to touch him. No clothes. No barrier. Nude. That one stupid word now felt like an unintentional tease. Somehow, I could tell he felt it too.

By unspoken agreement we set aside family sorrow, married cheaters, and bad boyfriends to discuss lighter topics, like our favorite desserts and the merits of dark chocolate versus milk.

“Dark chocolate is for sophisticated palates. It must be your age. You’re too young to appreciate the nuances,” I taunted, picking up my fork and carving into the molten chocolate soufflé in the middle of the table.

Benny huffed good-naturedly and shoved my hand aside playfully before taking a giant spoonful of the rich chocolate center. “That must be it. Or maybe you’ve outgrown the magic of a Snickers bar. They say terrible things like that happen after you hit thirty.”

“It hasn’t happened yet, little guy. I still love Snickers.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“Whatcha gonna do? Hey, you’ve got choco—never mind. C’mere.” I leaned across the table and gestured for him to come closer.

“What is it?”

“There’s chocolate on your—” I reached over and rubbed my thumb at the corner of his mouth.

He went perfectly still. I took his stillness as an invitation and gently swiped my thumb across his lower lip. He stuck his tongue out and licked me, sending shivers up my spine. My breath caught in my chest. I was mesmerized. And for the life of me, I couldn’t pull away. It was Benny who finally raised his hand to signal we were ready for our check.

I CLIMBED
into the backseat next to Benny after he gave Hector his East Village address. The privacy screen was still in place. I considered removing it to defuse the intimate vibe of sharing cozy quarters after an unintentionally romantic dinner, but I didn’t. I was under a spell. I had to ride it out. Go with the flow. No doubt I’d be back to normal in no time.

The car was silent for a short time. Strains of classical music floated through the luxurious interior, adding a seductive layer I felt powerless to control. I had a feeling changing the music wouldn’t do much to quell my desire.

“It’s quiet on the streets tonight.” Benny looked out the window and then back at me with a smile. “You’re quiet now too. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m—when are you working at the store again?” Lame. It was the best I could do. I couldn’t just ask him out. But… I wanted to see him again.

Benny cocked his head. “Friday morning.”

“Maybe I’ll stop by.” I pursed my lips and made myself look away.

He smiled, then pointed out the window just as the car slowed in front of a nondescript brick building a couple of blocks away from Bowery Bagels. “This is my stop.”

“Oh. Right….”

He leaned forward to plant a chaste kiss on my cheek, then sat back and gave me a stunning ear-to-ear grin. My heart flipped in my chest. I felt tangled in the moment. I didn’t want him to go. I set my hand on his knee before crashing my mouth over his, weaving my fingers through his hair and around his neck to draw him closer.

Benny groaned in response and turned in his seat to fully face me. I softened the connection, thinking I should pull away and end this before I was in over my head, but the second I felt his tongue lick my bottom lip, there was no point in trying to think at all. I was lost in him… the way he smelled, the noises he made, and how he seemed to fit perfectly in my arms. He was everything I didn’t usually go for, but fuck, he felt amazing. Our tongues collided and twisted in a frenzy. I held his head steady and leaned back against my seat, taking him with me so he sat halfway in my lap. I reached for his leg and dragged him across me until he straddled my thighs, never breaking our connection as we sucked and licked at each other’s lips, jaws, and necks.

I plucked his shirt from his tight jeans. I sighed into his mouth at the first feel of his warm skin, then splayed my hands over his back and ran my fingers along his spine. Benny gasped for breath and wiggled his hips. His very evident erection took this spontaneous make-out session to a whole new level. I cupped his pert ass with both hands and lifted my hips to create friction. I was hard, horny, and desperate for whatever he’d give me now.

“Mmm. This isn’t a good idea. Your driver—”

“Is a professional. Don’t worry about him. The windows are tinted. Just… let me touch you,” I pleaded in a huskier than normal tone.

Benny nodded and began unbuttoning my shirt. He got through about three buttons before switching his focus to my belt buckle and zipper. He was nimble and quick. In less than thirty seconds, his hands were inside my briefs, reaching for my throbbing member.

“Fuck!” I croaked. I was still fumbling with his jeans. They were too snug to remove without assistance. I smacked his ass and kissed him hard on the mouth. “Get these off. I gotta feel you.”

He bit his swollen lip and shifted back on my knees to work on his own zipper and buttons. He lifted himself to remove the fabric and free his leaking cock from his briefs. My mouth watered as I reached for him. Fuck, he was perfect… long, sleek, and rigid with desire. He let out a keening sound when I pumped his heavy flesh with my right hand while I worked myself over with my left. Benny arched his back and supported his weight on my lap like a gymnast, fucking himself in my tight grip. He looked wanton and free. And very sexy.

“Feels good,” he murmured softly.

“Come here, baby. Touch me.”

Benny sat forward and gave me a lopsided grin before pushing my hand away and taking over. He made a production of licking his palm, then covering my cock and stroking my length with a twist of his wrist. I bit my lip and watched him through hooded eyes, feeling slightly light-headed.

“You’re big. So sexy,” he whispered, gliding his thumb over my slit before grabbing us both in a firm hold.

“Holy fuck,” I cried out, letting my head fall back against the lush upholstery.

We moaned in unison when I set my hands over his, stroking and pumping as we moved with carnal abandon. Gone was any lingering thought of propriety. This was hedonism at its finest. We could blame it on the wine, or we could claim these things just happened sometimes. That’s how it usually worked for me. Though this time, I wasn’t so sure. There was something in his sensual movement that warned me to pay attention. By his own admission, he wasn’t normal. He wasn’t ordinary. And nothing about him gyrating his lithe body against me felt like “just one of those things.” It felt really fucking incredible.

I released my hold and let him take over. I moved my hands to his ass, squeezing his flesh and pulling it apart. He wiggled back as though silently making a request. I swallowed hard and looked up. Benny’s shirt was pushed up his chest and his jeans were off one leg and halfway down the other, while his rigid member jutted proudly north. He was the picture of decadence.

“Do it, Zeke.”

“Do what?”

His mouth curled up enticingly on one side as he leaned forward. He bit my chin and licked my lips before whispering in my ear.

“Put your finger inside me.”

This was where my cockier side usually shined. This was where I’d make some arrogant remark to get the balance back in my favor. To let him know he might be on top now, but I was always in charge. Except I couldn’t say a word. I was too strung out, and fuck if I was going to be the first to come. So I did as he commanded. I spread his cheeks wide and tapped my middle finger against his hole.

Benny went crazy. He undulated his hips wildly as he tightened his grip on our swollen shafts. I teased his opening, rubbing the sensitive skin while he begged for more somewhere above me. When he swirled his tongue in the shell of my ear and bit it, I shivered and gently pushed my finger inside him. His reaction was instantaneous. Cum shot between us, covering his fingers and our shirts. The sexy mewling noise he made as his body tensed with pleasure sent me over the edge. My vision blurred, and a second later my release hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I held his hips while he milked me dry, stroking me until the last tremor subsided and the sounds of our fevered panting echoed around us.

Benny shifted off my lap and pulled his jeans on. I gave him a sideways glance and caught his amused expression. I smiled in response, as unsure of the joke as I was of how to proceed now. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t sorry in the slightest, but I didn’t know what came next.

“That was… delicious. Better than chocolate,” he said with a wicked grin.

I barked a quick laugh and pulled him against me, hugging him close. I kissed his forehead and then looked down at the mess on my shirt. “Even Snickers?”

“Yep. I don’t suppose you have any tissue or a rag in here?”

“Uh. There might be tissue. Let me—”

Benny gasped and yanked at my arm when I leaned forward. “Do not ask your driver for tissue or a cum rag! I will die of embarrassment.”

I tickled his side and pointed to a side compartment. “Check in there, wise guy.”

He lifted the glove box and shook his head. “Nope. That’s okay. Here.” He pulled his T-shirt over his head, revealing his smooth, toned torso. Then he swiped the fabric over the wet spot on my shirt.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for tonight. Bowling, dinner, hand job… I had fun.”

“Me too. Maybe I’ll see you Friday.”

“Okay.” Benny grinned and then leaned in to kiss my mouth as he reached for the door handle.

I watched his progress as he made his way bare chested to his building’s entrance carrying his cum-stained, lime-green tee. When he was safely inside, I tapped the window. I couldn’t control a silly smile from taking over as Hector pulled away from the curb. There was no use trying to make sense of the night. Just as there was no use denying I had a thing for the kid with pink hair.

THE FOLLOWING
morning I was at my desk early, nursing my third cup of coffee with my gaze trained on my monitor. I’d noted a slight uptick in European trade that could affect one of my biggest clients’ portfolio. It was tiny enough to be unimportant, but I was a master at catching market fluctuations and spotting patterns. Small blips occurred many times during the course of the day. They were rarely cause for celebration or alarm. The trick was learning how to read the bigger picture. That may not have been my specialty in my personal life, but I excelled at it in my work. Thank God.

I typed a quick message to one of my assistants and was about to pick up my phone when a shadow crossed my threshold. I didn’t look up at first. No one got past Gina, so I thought perhaps it was her reminding me of a meeting or to call my family or even eat something. She was my self-appointed “work wife,” and she took her role very seriously. When she didn’t give a perfunctory knock or sail into the room uninvited, I looked up.

What did we have here?

My mouth curled in an evil twist I couldn’t control. The sight of a very nervous-looking Clay Brenner cowering in my doorway was too tantalizing to ignore. Ever the professional, I finished typing my e-mail. I didn’t glance up again until I pushed Send. He’d moved a few steps into the spacious office but was obviously waiting for my direction. I straightened my navy tie and turned in my chair, crossing my right leg over my left in a deceptively laid-back manner.

“What can I do for you, Brenner?” I asked in a polite but distant tone.

He licked his lips and swallowed hard before stepping farther into the room. He rested his hand on the back of one of the modern-style leather chairs facing my enormous desk but remained silent.

“Take a seat,” I invited, picking up my coffee cup.

Clay nodded and did as instructed. We stared at each other for a long moment. I willed myself not to break eye contact and not to ask any probing questions. It was better to see what he had to say for himself.

“Last night… um… look, I—” He looked away, pursing his lips together so hard I thought they might bleed.

He was anxious. Perfect.

“It was nice meeting your family. Your wife. Your kids. Congrats on the newest. When is your wife due?”

“Late July. Look… this is—I never thought I’d have this conversation with anyone. Ever. But I have to ask you to—”

When he looked away, seemingly unable to form words to plead his case, I decided to take over.