Out of the Ashes (2 page)

I run my tongue over my suddenly dry lips as our eyes meet.  I cannot see anyone else in the room even the man I
’m dancing with, only this god in front of me.  Surprisingly he holds my gaze while I dance with Mark.  His seductive eyes are deep blue and stare hungrily into mine.  With nothing but his eyes, he undresses me and I stand naked in front of him.  I feel as if he can see into the depths of my soul.  I go to pull away from Mark to make my way over to him and Mark’s grip on my waist tightens.  Unable to look away from the man across the room, I see his jaw tighten in response and he shakes his head.  I’m not sure if the gesture is for himself or me.  But soon don’t care.  I want to be near him, to feel his arms around me instead of Mark’s.

I turn to face Mark.  “Will you excuse me for a moment?  I need to find the restroom.”  

“Okay, I’ll meet you back at the table but don’t be too long.  I have plans for us this evening.”  The desire in Mark’s eyes along with other parts of his anatomy is unmistakable.  

Sorry Mark, but I think those plans have changed or at least I
’m going to do my best to change them.  I turn and leave the dance floor trying to find the man that held me captive as I danced with Mark but he’s nowhere to be found.  Well, perhaps I should just find the bathroom and make my way back to the table.  After all I’m not sure who he is and for all I know, he could be dangerous and I don’t mean just to my heart, as I am fairly certain from the looks we shared that in that instance he would be very dangerous.

While waiting
in line for the bathroom, I feel a hand on my shoulder.  “Excuse me. What do you…” I say as turn and fall into sapphire orbs of light.  I’m hypnotized, mesmerized by this man.  I feel the familiar pull but try to tamp it down.  I want him.  There’s no doubt about that but now that I’m face to face with him, I see there’s definitely more danger here than just to my heart.  He holds his hand out in silent invitation.  Good thing I didn’t really need to use the restroom. 

“I have a private box,” h
e whispers.  “Join me?”  I nod and follow him through the club, to his box.

When we arrive, he gestures for me to sit on the plush sofa and goes
to pour a drink.  “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”  I say finally finding my voice. 

He gives me an inquisitive look before he asks,
“Have we met before?”

“Oh
, um, no.”   I blurt a little too quickly and hope he will play it off as nervousness; after all I am nervous to be standing here with him.  My mouth and lips are dry and I frantically try to wet them.  Truth is I’m surprised that I didn’t recognize him when I saw him across the dance floor.  This man captivated my heart before I even realized it; in fact, he’s one of the main reasons I’m here in New York.  But I know in that moment that he has no memory of me.  Seeing the confused look on his face, I decide I had better continue.  “At least I don’t think so.  I think I would definitely remember meeting you.”  Feeling bold, I stand and walk over to him.  Running my hand up his bicep to caress his cheek, I feel his light stubble from not having shaved since the morning.  “This is not a face I’m likely to forget.”

I would love to blame my actions on the liquor but since I
’d only had a glass of champagne before leaving the apartment, I have no excuse except that I had wanted this man before I even knew what wanting a man truly was. Now that I had him, I was not about to let him go easily.  My hands move up his cheek into that glorious hair I’d been longing to touch.  My mind is screaming at me to stop, that this is wrong on so many levels.  He could be married by now, I’m here with another man, sort of, and really we are complete strangers to one another.  I can see the desire pooling in his eyes and know that mine reflect the same.  As my fingers find their destination, his lips crush mine.  One of his hands spans the small of my back pressing me against him while the other cups my ass.  The kiss deepens and I part my lips to allow him entrance.  His tongue is warm and tastes of the cognac he poured a few minutes before.   I tighten my grip on his hair unwilling to break our kiss, knowing if I never come up for air again I will die perfectly happy in this moment.

He pulls
back some breaking the kiss and putting a little space between our bodies.  He brushes my lower lip with the pad of his thumb.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t know what came over me.  I normally would never…” His eyes are still hungry and his apology is unnecessary.  I want him just as much as he clearly wants me.  Rather than let him continue, I stand on my toes and bring my lips to his.  This kiss is gentler but no less hungry than the one we shared a moment ago.

Acting on
my newfound boldness, I grasp his hand.  “Maybe we should dance? Or perhaps you would rather come back to my apartment for a couple drinks?”  I whisper tentatively.  This is far too bold but my memories of the past are colliding with my present and I’m not willing to relinquish what will surely be a night I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.  One I’ll never have again.  Consequences be damned.

Witho
ut a word in response, he plucks his phone from his pocket and holds it to his ear.  “Connor, pull the car around front.” Then he drops it back in his pocket and walks toward the couch to retrieve the suit jacket and tie that I knew were missing. 

Gra
sping his proffered hand, we make our way to the exit.  “Oh, wait.  I need to let the rest of my group know I’m leaving.” 

His face darkens
and he looks slightly annoyed. “Would that include the man I saw you with earlier?”

“He’s a friend of my roommate.  Please this
’ll only take a minute.  I’ll meet you out front in less than 5.” 

Reluctantly he releases my hand and whispers
, “Please hurry” as his lips brush against my cheek.

I fi
nd Gavin still at the table with Stacia, both giggling drunk already.  “Gav, I’m heading home.”  I tell him, trying not to spill the whole story in front of all his friends. 

“Darling, we just got here.”

“Can I speak with you over here for a minute?”  I pull him a few feet from the table for a little privacy.

“What’s with all the cloak and dagger?  OMG you’re taking him home!”  At that moment
, Mark appears back at the table.  With an inquisitive look from Mark to me, Gavin raises his eyebrows.  “Wait, who are you taking home?”  

Mark slides up next to Gavin just catching the end of his question.  “You’re leaving?”

“Yes, I’m tired and I have a long day tomorrow so I think I’ll head home.”

“Bullshit, Celeste.  I just heard Gavin say you were leaving with someone.
”  He’s clearly pissed now and barely containing his rage.  “And it’s obviously not me.”  Then he turns and walks back to the table.

Gavin gi
ves me an apologetic look.  “I’ll talk to him.  Go and have fun.”

“Gav, I’m sorry about Mark.  I really am.  But, well, can I explain tomorrow?  He’s waiting outside.”

“That’s fine, gorgeous. But I want to make sure you’re safe.  So text me when you get to the apartment.  I don’t want to have to worry that you’ve taken some serial killer home for the night.”  He says, placing a kiss in my hair.  “Oh and don’t worry about Mark.  He’ll be fine. He’s just not used to his ego taking this kind of blow.  Have a good night.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Wait, you’re not coming home tonight?”
  A sudden jolt of fear runs through me.  What if
he
isn’t the man I remember?  What if
he
is like the man from the past?  And what if Gavin doesn’t come home and something happens?  I’m paralyzed by my fear. 

Sensing the change in my mood, Gavin gives me a hug.  “How about I plan to be home later and then you let me know if my presence is no longer needed.”  He grins at me, knowing I will definitely be texting him later to tell him not to come home.

“Enjoy yourself with whoever this mystery man is.  You’ve earned it.  But tomorrow you will tell me the entire story with all the dirty details.”  He gives me a wink and a smile then makes his way back to the table to do a shot with the rest of the group.  Ignoring Mark’s dirty looks, I walk out the door.

Stepping o
ut onto the sidewalk, he wraps me in his arms and lifts me off the ground.  “I was beginning to worry that you were having second thoughts.”  He nibbles on my earlobe as he whispers in my ear. 

“Never” is my only reply as he opens the door and helps
me into the car.  I give him the address and he relays it to the driver before closing the panel between the front seat and us.

“Are
you sure we haven’t met before?”  He tips my chin up to look into my eyes. 

“No, I don’t think so.  But everything about you does seem familiar like déjà vu or something.
”  I run my hands up his thigh to cup his growing erection. 

“Well, sweetheart,” he says
leaving a trail of kisses down my neck, “when I see something I want, I tend to take it.”  His lips set fire to my skin.  “But perhaps introductions are in order before we arrive at your apartment?” 

“
If you don’t mind, I’d rather just keep it anonymous.  I’ve been so wrapped up in life for the last few years that I need a night to let go.”  To forget, I think to myself.  “Please.  For tonight?”

“For tonight?  Sure, but I can
pretty much guarantee I’m going to want to see you again so after tonight, we’ll have to talk.  There’s no way I’ll be able to get the taste of your sweet skin out of my head.”

As much as I wish that this could be more than one night,
there’s no way it’ll be any more than this.  I would’ve thought it would make me feel cheap to give myself to a man I hardly knew because despite the past, I barely know him. Being with him though, I’m overcome with a sense of peace.  A sense that, at least for tonight, I’ll be in arms that will protect me from all the evil, which constantly threatens to catch up with me.  As we near the building, I find myself longing for that protection and security more and more.

This is dangerous ground to
tread on.  Bringing my past way too close to my present but I have to have him.  I just need to keep reminding my head and my heart that after tonight we’ll just be nameless strangers to one another.  And I have to be okay with that if I’m going to go through with this.  There’s no doubt in my mind that one night with him will break my heart but the memory of tonight will sustain me for a long time to come, probably the rest of my life.  So I settle into his lap to enjoy the rest of our brief ride to my apartment.

Entering the
elevator, the sexual tension is thick between us.  He pulls me close as his hands find the pins holding my hair. He releases them allowing my hair to flow over my shoulders and down my back.  His fingers run through the loose curls causing my scalp to tingle.  The tingle shoots all the way from my scalp down my body to settle between my legs, where it became a constant throb.

Th
e ding of the elevator, signaling our arrival to our destination, is the only thing that keeps me from ripping his clothes off right then and there.  I can’t believe how brazen I am this evening.  This isn’t me at all but then again isn’t that why I came to New York in the first place? To get as far away from the old me as possible?  I unlock the door and usher him through into the living room.  “Can I take your jacket?”  I ask as he drapes it over the back of the sofa. 

“Is this alright?”  He asks
indicating his jacket.  I can only nod as the electricity builds between us. 

Wetting my lips again, I ask, “Would you
like a drink?  I believe we have some cognac here.”  Letting him know that I noticed his drink of choice earlier.  “Or we have some champagne.”  His gaze drifts to the counter separating the living room from the kitchen and rests on the champagne in the ice bucket and two glasses.  “Oh sorry, my roommate and I had a couple glasses before we left for the club.  Tonight was sort of a celebration for me.”  I shrug as if to say it was no big deal.  “But there’s still plenty left and I have another bottle in the wine fridge if you’d like some.”

“Champagne would be wonderful.  So what were you celebrating?  I feel a little guilty pulling you away from your friends knowing that you
were out celebrating.”  In a few long strides, he stands in front of me.  “But I won’t say I regret it.”  His lips once again find mine; the champagne and questions are all but forgotten.  My hands tangle in his hair and his grip on my waist tightens like it’s his only lifeline.  Not wanting to break our kiss, I gently guide us down the hallway to my bedroom.  He moves us through the door and in a swift move kicks the door shut with his foot.  Once the door closed the need engulfing, my body grows exponentially.  I reach for the buttons on his shirt wanting to remove all barriers between us.  My clumsiness and inexperience are definitely noticeable but he doesn’t say anything, just helps guide my fingers from one button to the next until the shirt lies in a pool at our feet.

I reach
up the side of my dress and find the zip.  Pulling it down with the dress, it soon joins his shirt on the floor and I stand before him in a lacy bra, thong and my heels.  His breathe catches in his throat and I can tell he definitely enjoys the view.  “My god, you are so beautiful.”  He pulls me to him and takes my mouth once more then begins his exploration down my body.  Trailing kisses from my neck down to the tops of my breasts and then over my stomach until he is kneeling before me.  He looks up at me silently asking permission.  I fist my hands in his hair and throw my head back in answer.  If I thought his intention was just to remove the thong, I was very wrong.  With a slight tug, there’s a ripping sound as the small piece of fabric falls away from my body.  He holds it in his fist for a moment just staring at my naked pussy before he lowers his lip to my clit and sucks hard.  The sensation almost causes me to fall over.  Sensing my weak knees, he pushes me back against the bed until I’m sitting as he continues working me over with his tongue.  “Ah god, that feels incredible.”