Sweet Chemistry (11 page)

She almost told him about her meeting yesterday. Almost. She was so comfortable in his arms, but at the last second, she lost her nerve and asked if she could use his shower. Maybe one day she would share her plan with him.

Having a shower alone was marvelous, but what was even better was how considerate he was. He put out a towel, folded her clothes, and gave her privacy. She was a little nervous about walking out of the room naked. Yes, they had just had sex, but she still wasn’t accustomed to parading around naked in front of him…yet.

* * * *

Halloween didn’t hold the same appeal it did when Kate was little. When she was ten, Halloween was a day of costumes, candy, and fun. Now, it was just a Wednesday.

As Kate got ready for her morning classes, she parted her hair and tied a pair of horns to her head. She bought them at a craft fair last year. The horns were burgundy and scaly-looking. The cord was black and when her hair fell back in place, it was hidden.

She had slept in James’ shirt, and before she left, she tucked it under her pillow. She wanted her bed to smell like him.

Tim laughed when she came into class. “They look natural. Especially with that satisfied look on your face.”

Kate held her finger to her lips and shook her head. “Shh.”

“Coffee?”

“Fine.”

James seemed to appreciate her horns too. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. It was safer that way. After all, they agreed to be professional at school. She didn’t linger after class, but she flashed James her phone.

Kate was going to call him as soon as she and Tim were done having coffee.

“What happened?” Tim lifted his eyebrow and took a sip from his iced coffee.

“What do you mean?” Kate batted her eyelashes at him.

“First of all, you never responded to my text a week and a half ago, and when I tried to talk to you about it, you were completely distracted. Second, it doesn’t take a genius to see you’re happy. You’re glowing. Dr. Baker have anything to do with that?”

Kate sighed. “Look. I was pissed you blew me off for Mark, okay? That’s why I didn’t respond to your text.”

“And…”

Kate picked her words carefully. “And then Dr. Baker thought you and I were dating.”

Tim snorted. “You’re gorgeous, don’t get me wrong. You’re just not my type.”

“I know, I know.” She smiled at him and pushed on. “So then I was mad at him because he thought I was cheating on you when he and I were together the first time.”

“What!” Tim’s shout got the attention of the students talking at the next table. He leaned forward and repeated himself in a lower tone. “What?”

“Yep. So…that sucked. And then I saw him at the Halloween party at Addiction.”

Tim looked at his cup. “Yeah, about that. Sorry I didn’t come.”

Kate waved his guilt away. “Don’t worry about it. If you want to waste your time with Mark you go right ahead.”

“I’m not wasting my time with him.” Tim crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

“Anyway, he and I talked last weekend, and everything is all right.”

“And that ridiculous smile you have plastered on your face?”

Kate blushed. “What? I’m happy. I’m allowed to be happy.”

“Mm hmm. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

Kate pressed her lips together, which muffled her giggle.

“Fine. Keep your secrets.”

“I will. And you need to keep them too.”

Kate texted James as she rode the shuttle to the dorms, asking if she could come over later.

“Yes please. Any time after 5,” James texted back.

Kate worked on her business plan while she waited. The meeting on Monday was very informative. The head chef for the campus kitchens answered all her questions and offered information she didn’t even know to ask about. He was more than willing to talk business with her, which was more than she could say for the chefs in the restaurants she had worked in all summer. By the time they were done, Kate had a thorough list of equipment she would need and a restaurant supply place in Los Angeles he frequented.

Kate ran into Meg as she was leaving the building. This time, Meg was wearing a kid-friendly costume. “Going trick-or-treating with your little sister?”

Meg nodded. “Emily looks forward to it every year. Oh to be twelve again.” She laughed. “Where are you headed?”

Kate gripped the straps of her backpack. “Library.” James had a collection of books on shelves. It was pretty much the same as the library.

Luckily, Meg didn’t press her. “Thrilling. See you later!”

Kate walked through the parking lot as if she were going to go back to campus, and then ducked over to James’ apartment complex. She was out of breath when she reached his door. She leaned against the doorframe and panted as she waited for him to open the door.

“I ran into Meg, so I had to be sneaky and then I ran the rest of the way here.” Her words came out between pants.

James nodded and pulled her inside. He handed her a glass of water.

She swallowed it in two gulps. “Thanks. I—”

James pinned her against the door and kissed her. His tongue was impatient and hot, and when he pulled away, she was breathless all over again.

“I love your horns.” James tapped the tip of one.

“Thanks. Where are yours?”

“I’m a different kind of horny.” James lifted an eyebrow and kissed her again, slow and sweet.

Her body melted against his. “I can tell.” She rubbed against his straining cock, and a shiver of pleasure worked its way through her body at the promise of what was to come.

She pushed away from the door and into his arms. Kate backed him into his bedroom and once he was against the bed, she quickly divested him of his shirt and unbuckled his pants. His shoes hit the wall with a thud as he kicked them off. She touched his chest and he fell backward onto the bed, his long muscular legs hanging off the end. Her hands worked at getting his socks off along with his pants. His boxers were covered with ghosts.

“Do they glow in the dark?” She traced the outline of a particularly large ghost. It moved under her fingers.

“Gah.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

He made no attempt to answer. He lifted his hips so she could undress him.

“I don’t have festive underwear. See?” Kate lifted her shirt over her head, carefully avoiding the dark red horns. Her bra was the same color.

James moaned softly.

She opened her jeans slowly, enjoying the wild look in his eyes and the way his tongue darted out of his mouth. She peeled the material away from her skin, revealing matching panties. Her panties and bra joined the pile of clothes on the floor.

Kate crawled up his body and retrieved a condom out of his nightstand. Her breasts brushed against his face.

James held her in place and sucked one of her hard nipples into his mouth. He flicked her sensitive skin with his tongue and then devoured her flesh again.

She tilted her hips and ground her clit against his hard, muscular body. She groaned in frustration when she couldn’t get enough contact to satisfy her needs.

James reached between their bodies and rubbed her clit, his hungry mouth moved to her other breast, and as his tongue moved, his finger pushed between her wet folds.

Kate rocked her body against his hand and screamed as she came. Her arms shook as she waited to catch her breath. James pulled his finger out of her, and sucked it into his mouth, sending a new wave of desire washing over her. She slid down his body and sat upright on his legs.

With the condom package wedged between her teeth, and her eyes locked on James, she pushed her hand between her legs, coating her fingers with a layer of slippery cum. James’ eyes followed the movement of her hand, and his hips jerked. His dick glistened and jutted between their bodies. Their fluids joined on her hand as she stroked him with long, firm movements. James squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips together. He gripped the sheets.

His words came out in fragments. “Gonna come if you keep doing that.”

“What do you want?”

“You. Need to be in you.”

Kate didn’t waste any time. She ripped the package open and rolled it down his shaft with one fluid movement. The muscles on the inside of her thighs strained as she lifted her body and positioned the head of his cock at her slick opening. She exhaled slowly as she sank down, crushing her clit against his pelvis.

James shuddered and gripped her hips. He thrust up as she slammed into him, their bodies meeting hard and fast.

She dug her fingernails into his chest and clenched every muscle in her body. A low moan escaped her lips as pleasure pulsed through her body. James continued to thrust into her, only drawing out the intensity of her orgasm.

Kate’s body pitched forward as she fell onto his chest. James lifted his lower body, pushing her breasts closer to his mouth. His possessive grip on her hips held her in place while he fucked her and sucked on her nipples. Kate was panting again and each brutal thrust brought her closer to another orgasm. His moan was muffled by her flesh as his cock swelled inside her, sending her over the edge again.

She collapsed on top of him and took long slow breaths. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” James stroked the side of her face.

“How do you know my body so well?” She was struggling to articulate exactly how amazing the sex was.

James shrugged. “I could say the same for you. No one has ever touched me the way you do.”

“Yes.” Kate pushed away from his chest and looked down at his face. “It’s like we were made for each other. Our bodies fit.”

“Like an enzyme and a substrate.”

Perfect analogy. She kissed him. “What’s our product?”

“Pleasure.” This time, he kissed her.

They froze, mid-kiss, when the doorbell rang. Their faces turned toward the door at the same moment.

“Are you expecting someone?” Kate whispered as she lifted off him. Her legs wobbled. Had someone seen her? She had been so careful.

James shook his head and sat up. The person at the door knocked. James pulled his pants and shirt on as Kate rushed to the bathroom. She watched from the bathroom as he made his way through the trail of her clothes to the door. She was about to dart out and grab them, but then he was reaching for the door. She watched him with one eye through a crack in the bathroom door.

“Trick or treat!” three little voices screamed in unison.

James’ shoulders relaxed and he laughed. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and dropped a dollar bill into each of their bags.

“Thank you!” they said as he closed the door.

Kate got dressed while James locked the deadbolt.

“I left the light on for you.” He flipped the switch. “I didn’t even think about trick-or-treaters.”

Kate sighed. “Me either. I am literally shaking. I can’t believe how fast you got dressed.”

“I didn’t get dressed
well
. My shirt’s on backward and I’m still wearing a condom.” He laughed and made a trip to the bathroom.

“Do you like pizza?”

Kate was sitting on the edge of his disheveled bed, still trying to get her hands to steady. “Sure.”

“So you’ll stay for a while?” His eyebrows rose.

“I’d love to.” Warmth crept through her body as he smiled at her.

James nodded and picked up his phone.

Kate tugged the sheets and blanket into place, smiling as she noticed her pink T-shirt still tucked under his pillow.

“James Baker. Yep. Okay. Thanks.” James ended the call and sat on the edge of the bed. “Pizza will be here in twenty minutes.”

“You just ordered pizza with five words?”

“I order a lot of pizza.” He gave her a sheepish smile.

“I guess so.”

“I also got movies.” James pulled Kate into the living room.

Kate picked a black-and-white B-movie filmed in the fifties featuring an infestation of giant insects. She and James snuggled on the couch and ate pizza. It was the most fun she had ever had on Halloween.

Kate was resting between his legs, with her back against his chest. She turned her face up to look at him as the credits rolled. “Do you need to be working?”

James shook his head and smoothed her hair behind her ear. “Not tonight.”

“Thanks for letting me come over. I couldn’t wait to see you again.”

His fingers caressed her cheek.

“How are we going to do this?” Kate furrowed her brow. “I’m worried someone is going to catch us.” If Tim noticed, surely someone else would too.

“Especially if you keep smiling at me during lecture. It’s distracting.”

Kate sat up and turned to face him, wedging her body between his legs again. “Oh sure, blame me. You’re the one talking the whole time, moving those pretty lips.” Her fingertips brushed against his lips, and then her mouth replaced her fingers. “They’re hard to resist.”

James laughed. “My pretty lips are nothing compared to your cleavage. You’ve got to stop wearing tank tops to class, makes me want to rip them off.”

Kate scoffed. “And you need to stop wearing tight pants, makes me want to rub up against you and grab your ass.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”

She nodded. “I’ve been fighting it for weeks now. You should also definitely not dress as a pirate again. Apparently I have a weakness for men who call me a saucy wench.”

James rubbed his hands together. “Now I know your soft spot.” He touched her horns. “You shouldn’t wear these to class again.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?”

“Because I’ll think of you riding me and the way your face flushes when you come.” He stroked her back.

“Oh.” Her breath caught as his fingers pushed her shirt up. “We should get–”

“My back pocket.”

Kate wrapped her hands around his body and dug her hands into his back pocket, retrieving a condom. “How convenient.”

“Can never be too prepared, right?”

She nodded and then their mouths got too busy to talk.

James had been busy with Michael in the research lab during the week, so he wasn’t surprised when Sam knocked on his office door on Thursday.

“Well? How did it go?” Sam was smiling. “You know, about meeting someone?”