Release (17 page)

“Champagne? 
Are you planning on getting me tipsy before dinner, so you can have your dirty
way with me?”

He leaned
forward until he was only inches from her face.  “I don’t need to get you
tipsy to have my dirty way with you, Ryann.”

She could feel
herself blushing, because he was
so
right.  But she cleared her
throat, trying to keep the upper hand.  “Once again, Mr.
McCallister.  Very presumptuous.”

“Not
presumptuous.  Confident.”  He was still close to her face, looking
at her lips, then back up to her eyes, that handsome face slipping into another
lazy grin.

“I like seeing
you like this,” she said cocking her head to the side looking at him.

“Like
what?”  He matched her look.

“Like someone,”
she began, searching for the right word or phrase, “who’s on the
edge.”   She looked at him boldly, and the electric current in the
car shifted.

“I won’t be on
the edge for long, Ryann,” he said with promise in his voice.  “Keep
teasing, woman.  You’ll see what happens.”  He said with a glint in
his eye, and a warning smirk on his lips.

She couldn’t
wait.

He leaned
farther forward, and she thought he was going to kiss her, when instead he
grabbed the champagne, and poured her a glass.  She didn’t hide the
disappointment very well, because he gave her a cocky grin, and tapped his
glass to hers.  “Here’s to ‘taking the edge off’… very soon.”

She swallowed
her champagne nervously.  How had she lost the upper hand in this? 
He had shifted their positions so seamlessly.

He put his
champagne in the cup holder then reached down and grabbed her feet, putting
them in his lap, causing her skirt to rise several inches above her
knees.   His heated stare snagged hers, and he began to take her high
heeled sandals off one at time.  “I love your footwear,” he said with a
grin.  “They’re just screaming for me to fuck you, and they make your legs
look fantastic.  I hope to see more of them…they play a huge part in my
dreams, as you already know.  Maybe we’ll enact one of them tonight,” he
whispered.

Ryann began to
squirm, trying to find a comfortable position to relieve the throbbing between
her legs, as Jeremy leaned back to the side console to get, what looked
like...baby wipes? 

She raised her
eyebrow at him in inquiry.

“They help with
the city grit...among other things.”  He took one foot and used the cool
wet cloth to soothe her feet. 

It was such an
intimate gesture, that at first Ryann was stunned.  Then when he discarded
the cloth, he began kneading the instep.   His rough calloused hands
felt wonderful.  She’d have to ask him where he got those calluses from…
but not now.  Now, she allowed herself to float on the sensation.  He
continued to watch her, and she could feel her eyes roll back into her
head.  

Foot rubs were
equal to orgasms in her book.  She could feel herself sinking, and gasped
when he pressed just below the ball of her foot.

A moan escaped,
and she closed her eyes, nearly dropping her glass.  Jeremy rescued it,
and put it in the cup holder.  His hand went to her calf, stroking
lightly, tickling just behind her knee.  With her skirt on, and one leg
lifted slightly in the air, she was sure he had a quite a view. 
Occasionally, his eyes would drift to between her legs, and she knew he could
see her panties.  Her very.  Wet.  Panties.

“This is a tasty
appetizer before dinner...doing exactly what an appetizer is supposed to
do...whet my appetite for more,” he murmured, then paused  “How about you,
Ry?  Is your appetite wet yet?”

She couldn’t
answer, because as he talked he continued to rub her foot, and she was so
aroused at that moment, she couldn’t put a coherent thought together.

“Maybe I should
see for myself,” he said in a whisper.  His hand began its climb up her
leg, from her inner calf, to the side of her knee, then the inside of her
thigh.  When he reached the crease at the top of her thigh, he stopped,
his beautiful green eyes burning into her own hazel ones.

“I think I’ll
wait a while longer,” retrieving his hand from beneath her skirt, and softly
kissing her instep.

He lowered her
foot back to his lap, then proceeded to give the same attention to the other
one.

“So, tell me
about your day,” he said.

“It was
great.  Paul is wonderful,” she said, her eyes taking on a slumberous
quality from the relaxing massage.

“He is. 
He’s usually the mentor for most of the interns in the program.”

“Did you know he
used to be a hypnotherapist?”

Jeremy
chuckled.  “Yeah.  It makes his interpretations of art very
insightful.”  He gave her a pointed look.  “Which is why his opinions
on Jennifer should be listened to.”

She
sighed.  “I just don’t want you to become involved with it.  I really
can take care of the situation.”

“No doubt, but
nonetheless, it brings out the caveman in me, I must confess.”

She was blushing
furiously, but didn’t seem to care, as she sizzled having his hands on her
feet.  Every time he pressed, she whimpered.

“I love watching
how responsive you are,” he said huskily.  “Your eyes glaze over, and take
on a sleepy look, you get a gorgeous flush to your cheeks… and your
scent.”  His eyes drifted to the view of her panties, and he continued to
look there while inhaling deeply through his nose.  He rubbed at her pinky
toe, looked her dead in the eye, and began to slowly lick his lips.

Putting her foot
back down in his lap, he allowed his hands to lightly skate up her thighs under
her dress, raising it higher and higher, coming close to her thong.  Then
back down again to her knees.  He did this several times, while watching
her.  She felt like a quivering mass of sensations, on the verge of
climaxing.

She looked at
him, and repeated his question from earlier in a whisper, “God, Jeremy, what
are you doing to me?”

A powerful look
settled in his gaze, “I’ve already told you.  Making you addicted.”

“More often than
not, the things you become addicted to are bad for you.”  She finished
with a whisper, “Are you bad for me, Jeremy?”

This time he
leaned forward and cupped her face, stroking his thumb over her mouth. 
“No, baby.”  His look made her feel so warm.  “I promise you. 
I’m going to be nothing but good for you.  So good, baby.”  He leaned
down and kissed her, just as the car began to slow to a stop.  He released
her lips.

“Where are we?”

“Dinner,” he
said with a smile.

Ryann wasn’t
sure if she could stand and make it out of the car without help.  She was
so completely overwhelmed at the moment, and she needed a sec before she could
be seen in public. 

Thankfully, she
got that moment when Jeremy took a little time to put her shoes back on her
feet, just as Manny opened the door.  Jeremy got out, then reached back to
help her.

“Thank you,
Manny.  We’ll see you after dinner,” she said flashing him a smile.

Manny smiled
back.  “Enjoy your meal.”

Jeremy led her
into the well known Three Michelin star French restaurant, located on the West
Side in Midtown and was immediately met by the maitre'd, who came forward to
lead them to their seats.  He  continued to walk until he reached a
private alcove by the fireplace.  The table for two felt secluded in the
earthy room, decorated with wood, marble, and granite, with rough copper
flooring. 

Jeremy directed
Ryann to sit in the back corner, and Jeremy sat next to her, nearer to the main
dining area.  After they sat, Jeremy ordered some wine for them both, then
sat back and looked at her.

“What are you in
the mood for tonight, Ms. Thornton?” he asked with a teasing smirk. 

You, was her
first thought.  He must have read her mind, because he said with a gleam
in his eye, “From the menu, that is.” 

She smirked
back.  “Well, I love French food, so I know I’ll love everything. 
Ayanna and I have talked about this place often.”

“It looks like I
chose well, then.”

“You did,” she
smiled.  “Why don’t you order for both of us.”

“Will do,” he said
then leaned back to call over the waiter.

Jeremy ordered
the Chef’s tasting menu along with the different wines that came with it. 
Once the food was ordered, the wine was brought over.  A few moments
later, Jeremy raised his glass and sat forward, closer to her.  “To
tonight.  And many more like it, I hope.”

It would be so
easy to fall for this man, she thought.

They
drank.  Then it was her turn to sit back and look at him.

“Uh, oh. 
I’m not sure what that look means.” 

She
sighed.  “This is...nice.”

He looked up in
surprise.  “I wasn’t expecting that.”  He took her hand in his, and
began playing with her fingers.  “You’re right.  This
is
nice.  But why do I feel like you were going to say something else?”

She looked at
him, and paused.  “I guess since Friday, I’ve been wondering why you find
me so...interesting.  I can’t believe that someone like you wants me so
much.”

“What do you
mean someone like me?” he asked, curious.

“Someone
so...worldly.  I mean I’m just a school teacher from New Jersey, Jeremy. 
I’m not saying you’re better and I’m less, and it’s not an insecurity
thing.  I guess I’m just curious what it is about me.”

He looked at
her.  “First of all, there is nothing ‘just’ about you.  And second
of all, I need you to define ‘worldly.’”

“I know we’ve
gone over this already.”  She paused, because she felt like such a
ninny.  Eventually, she said, “Just trust me when I tell you, you have a
ton more experience than I do.”  She added in a whisper.  “I don’t
want to disappoint you... and I’m afraid that I’m going to come up woefully
short of your expectations.”

“Are we talking
about sex here, Ryann?”

She looked
around to see if anyone heard him, then nodded.

“You need to
really hear me when I say this.  There is
nothing
that you can do
that will disappoint me.  I promise you.  When I make love to you
tonight,” he took her hand, and cupped it to his face, “it’s going to be
perfect.  I don’t want you to be nervous.  I want you to be
excited.  And I want you to let me make you feel good, baby.”  He
kissed her fingers and thought for another moment, then said, “You asked me
what it was about you.  If I was going to analyze it, I would say...you
have a charm about you that draws me to you.  A sexy innocence.  It
makes me want to claim you and protect you at the same time.”  He nibbled
on the pad of her finger.

She melted a
little. 

“And you don’t
take my shit,” he smirked.  “You’re a brilliant compassionate woman, a
talented artist.  You make me laugh.”  Then he continued with his
earlier musings.  “Sometimes it’s just chemistry.  We both feel it
when we’re around each other.”  He began to kiss her fingers.  “When
you’re drawn to someone and you can’t explain it.  You just
feel
it.”

He paused, then
thought some more. “And I find that I can’t seem to...not want you.” 
Pause.  “That might not be the explanation you wanted, but it’s the only
explanation I have for you.”

God, she wanted
this man. 

There was
something else that she’d been wanting to ask him since the morning. 
Thankfully, she had a moment to compose herself because the tasting had
begun. 

He threw her off
when he turned the table on her and asked her the same question she had asked
him not moments earlier.

“Why do you find
me
interesting?” he asked.

She
laughed.  “Well, if you really need to know, first, I thought you were the
most gorgeous man I’d seen in a long while, which I’m sure you hear all the
time,” she said waving her hand.  “I’d already given you a nickname,” she
said, letting that comment hang, while she ate her food.

He raised an
eyebrow.  “Which was?”

She
smiled.  “Hot Limo Man.”

He chuckled,
then reached for her hand.  “What else do you find interesting about me?”

She examined his
face for a moment or two.  “You’re incredibly sexy.  You’re
funny.  You’re smart. You come from a great family. We have a lot of the
same interests.”  She paused.  “You’re tenacious, and don’t take no
for an answer, which I’m not sure I like just yet,” she said in a wry tone.

 “You
will,” he said with a glint in his eye.

And then before
she could think, she blurted out, “You make me feel safe.” 

As if realizing
she said too much, she cleared her throat, and said, “But I shouldn’t have to
answer what I find interesting about you anyway... you’re the one who started
pursuing
me
.  So it was natural for
me
to ask the
question.  I wasn’t even interested in you at the showing, in case you
need me to remind you,” she teased, then grabbed her wine with the hand that
wasn’t trapped in his, and took a huge gulp.

He looked like
he was still processing her earlier admission about him making her feel safe,
and she felt like smacking herself upside the head for her unguarded comment.

He played with
her fingers, then squeezed so she looked at him.  “You have no idea how
happy it makes me, to know that I make you feel safe,” he said quietly. 

Then he added
with a teasing smile, “And I remember the art showing differently.  I
think you were
very
interested.  I think that my sparkling
personality, the fact that I pissed you off, along with me being Hot Limo Man,
made you realize what a great catch I was.  It just took a little
convincing.  And I think I was able to do that when I had you up against
your foyer wall...and your front door,” he purred.

She coughed a
little and averted her eyes, blushing furiously.  She removed her hand,
and gave him an exasperated look.  “Yes, because I
love
being
pissed off.”

“Being pissed
off can lead to some pretty sweet make up sex,” he winked.

She shook her
head and rolled her eyes.

They spent the
next several minutes enjoying the delights, and talking about the restaurant,
and its “Farm to Table” philosophy, which Ryann loved.  She told him that
she and Ayanna had always wanted to eat at the restaurant, but it was so
difficult to get a reservation.  Ayanna was going to be so jealous.

Jeremy asked her
about her family, and Ryann talked about how her mother moved from Scotland to
New Jersey when she’d met a handsome young artist from America who had been
studying abroad.  They’d married, moved to the States, and Ryann was born
shortly after, but her father had discovered early on that he wasn’t interested
in being a family man.  He’d left when she was about a year old.

“That must have
been hard for you guys.”

“It was. 
But my mom is a tough Scottish woman.  She worked two jobs, and eventually
became a paralegal.  That’s where she met Tony, her second husband. 
He’s a great guy, and I’m glad they found each other.”  She hesitated,
then said quietly.  “Your mom mentioned that you lost your father when you
were still a teenager.  I’m sorry.”

He looked up
sharply.  “When did she tell you this?”

She was
beginning to wonder if she should have mentioned it.  “After the showing,
when you were getting the paperwork for her to sign.”  Pause.  “I’m
sorry.  I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

He nodded. 
“No, that’s ok, I was just surprised.  I’m not sure why she told you.”

She didn’t want
to mention the fact that Tabitha was trying to help her see that maybe she
could find love again, like Tabitha did.  He might think she was implying
something about their relationship, and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

But thinking
about him as someone who could potentially be another love for her caused her
to blush again, and she began to fidget.  He didn’t elaborate on his
father, so she let the subject drop.  But this led her thoughts to the
question she had been wanting to ask him earlier when the food had first
arrived.

“What’s going
through your mind right now?” he asked, looking at her intensely.

She looked up,
and cleared her throat once more.  “I was just curious...what Jennifer
Edwards is to you.  She said your families knew each other.”

He put his fork
down, took her hand again, and waited until he had her complete
attention.  “Jennifer Edwards is nothing to me, Ryann.” 

“Did you
ever...were you ever in a relation - ...did you ever...” she stuttered.

“Did I ever fuck
her?”

She looked up at
him, resigned to hear the answer she didn’t want to hear, and sighed. 
“It’s none of my business.”

“No.”

“I
know.
 
I’m sorry, it really
isn’t
any of my business.”

“No, that’s not
what I meant.  I meant no, Jennifer and I never had a
relationship
. 
Our families have known each other for years.  We travel in the same
social circles, and full disclosure, we kissed a couple of times a few years
back, but I learned early on that she wasn’t a woman I wanted to enter into a
relationship with.  She’s certainly made it known over the years that
she’s interested, but that interest hasn’t been returned.”

She continued
looking at him and took a deep breath, hating the fact that they even shared a
kiss.  “When a beautiful woman throws herself at a man, most of the time
the man wouldn’t care if he liked the woman or not.”

“I’m not most
men.  And I’ve told you before.  I’m not indiscriminate when it comes
to choosing who I sleep with.”

“Ok.” 
Pause.  “It really is none of my business.”  She whispered, and
looked away from his gaze.

He leaned
forward and took her hand.  “Ryann, in less than an hour, I’m going to
have you naked on my bed licking every inch of your body.  So, I think you
have the right to ask anything you want to. I have nothing to hide.”

God, could her
face get any redder than it was?  She looked past their private alcove to
make sure no one heard him. 

He smirked, and
said, “So, say it with me: ‘Jennifer Edwards means nothing to Jeremy.’”

She smirked
back.  “Alright, you’ve made your point.”

Then he cocked
his head, and examined her...deep in thought. “My turn.”

Because he was
sitting so closely to her, he was able to reach under the table to casually put
his hand on her thigh.  He stroked it lightly with his fingers, as if to
calm her before even asking his questions.  However, if it was meant to
calm her, it was having the opposite effect.  She felt electrically
charged.

She looked at
him, stalling.  “What, you want to know what Jennifer Edwards is to
me
? 
Absolutely nothing. 
Less
than nothing.”

He gave her a
look that said, ha ha.  Then he waited.

“What do you
want to know?  There isn’t much to tell, I can promise you that,” she
laughed lightly.

“That’s what I
want to know.”  He skated his fingers down to the hem of dress, then began
stroking his way back up her thigh again, this time under her dress.  “How
many men have you been with, Ryann?” he asked quietly.

She didn’t know
why she was embarrassed to answer the question, but she was.  Adding that
to what his fingers were doing, she could barely get the word out.  She
cleared her throat, and croaked out, “One.”

His face was
expressionless, and he nodded his head, but his fingers were still dancing on
her thigh.  The tablecloth, and the darkness of the corner hid what he was
doing from any eyes in the restaurant.  “Your late husband was the only
one?” he whispered, his eyes fixed on her.

She nodded, her
face heating again, and her breath coming out in shallow spurts.

He swallowed
audibly, then he leaned forward to put his nose to her neck, where he
inhaled.  At the same time, he let his fingers graze over her mound
through her panties.  She nearly jumped out of her skin, but he held her
in place while he whispered in her ear, “Good.”  Pause.  “You have no
idea how much I want you right this second.  If we weren’t in a public
place, I would have you up against this wall fucking your brains out right
now,” he said huskily.

She was
momentarily stunned by his words.  His fingers stopped their stroking and
rested at the seam of her panties.  It took her a moment to process, then
with a breathy reply, she said, “Wow...all because I’ve only been with one
man?”