Ultimate Love (9 page)

When Jared dropped some of the last un-melted raspberry sorbet onto her breast she gasped at the sudden cold sensation on her overheated skin. His mouth was quickly there, lapping up the sweet red sorbet and cleaning the mound and peak of her breast completely. Dinah watched in fascination and he smiled and spooned the last of the sorbet onto her other breast. Again, fire rocked through her as the cold was replaced by his warm mouth lapping the sorbet from her skin.

Jared traced a line of kisses down her belly and Dinah again let another groan escape her. The tension and heat in her belly was intensifying in her sex, and she knew her panties were wet with her arousal. As his mouth moved lower she squirmed and felt her breathing become short and shallow. The anticipation was suddenly increased as he lifted her hips and peeled her panties down her legs. Tossing them aside he then lifted a spoon of chocolate sauce to pool it over her mound. Dinah watched as he lowered his face and put his tongue out to lick the chocolate.

"You taste so good Dinah," Jared whispered. He moaned while lapping up all the chocolate from her sex. He spread it around as he did so, and she felt his tongue pressing against the hard nub of her arousal. Dinah cried out and found her hands running through his hair. She urged him to explore her more deeply, needing the fire inside her to find release.

Jared found her hardened nub of arousal with his tongue, and with one more spoon of chocolate sauce he coated her mound again and began to lick it up. Dinah felt herself tensing and becoming more aroused, the tension building to the point where she felt she would explode.

Suddenly he lifted his face from her and quickly removed his boxers.

"I can't wait anymore Dinah, I need you now! I want to feel you wrapped around me," he moaned.

"Oh yes! Now! Yes!" she responded and lifted her hips to meet him.

She reached out and held his hard length, encased in velvet. Stroking him firmly she guided him towards her heat.

With one long steady thrust Jared buried himself inside her. Dinah felt her muscles constrict around him, holding him inside her where he was meant to be. She began to breathe now more evenly, and gently began to rock with him.

With measured careful thrusts Jared bought her towards the edge of climax. Burying his face in her neck he moaned in her ear. The sounds of his arousal drove Dinah faster towards release. Her legs wrapped around his hips, pushing him deeper and keeping pace with his thrusting.

Suddenly he stiffened and Dinah felt him tense. With a long low groan she felt him shudder as his climax began to take hold of him. The sensation of him pulsing and throbbing deep within her took Dinah over the edge. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in his scent deeply as she felt her world explode inside her head, while the sunset outside lit up their bodies in red fire.

After what seemed like an age later, Jared rose from her supine form. Smiling down at her he lifted her in his strong arms and carried her across the room towards a door she had not noticed before.

Entering his bedroom Dinah looked about her. She noticed through the full height picture windows the sunset had faded into night. The room was sparsely furnished and what little furniture decorated the room was made of dark brown leather in masculine shades of brown. Her nostrils detected the mingling scents of raw masculinity, leather and spicy cologne.

He laid her carefully down underneath the duvet, as if she were made of spun glass. Dinah's heart swelled with emotion at the gentle consideration he showed her. Wordlessly he lay down beside her against her back and moulded her to his form. With one strong arm encircling her and the other as her pillow he kissed her neck and said. "Sleep Dinah. And when you awake stay here with me."

She slept.

The next day dawned another blue-sky day. Dinah awoke to the dawn chorus of Tui and Bellbirds outside the open window, their beautiful calls ringing in a new day and lifting her heart. She snuggled a little deeper in Jared's arms, listening to his breathing. From where she lay she could see out the window to the ocean and the sun beginning to rise up out of the Pacific. Offshore islands bathed in the sun's fiery glow while small musical birds flitted in the trees outside, going about their business. Dinah was mesmerised by the beauty that surrounded her.

Slowly, as she came fully awake, Jared's breathing changed and she knew he too was awake. The arm, which still encircled her, pulled her back in close to him and he began to nuzzle her neck. She giggled as his lips tickled her sensitive nape.

"Good morning beautiful," he whispered. "How shall we start the day, hmm?"

She could feel growing against her bottom an answer to his question. Saucily she snuggled closer, forming her buttocks around his growing erection.

"Hmmm… Well, the birds and the bees are up and at 'em already. They're giving us some ideas," she replied, turning in his arms to press her breasts to his chest and find his mouth with her own.

Jared kissed her deeply and then flipped her onto her back and proceeded to show her exactly how the birds and the bees did it.

About an hour later Dinah stepped from the shower to the fresh smell of coffee and croissant. Slipping back into her dress she left the bedroom and headed in the direction of the kitchen, her stomach loudly telling her exactly how much it needed food.

"Mmmm, that smells fabulous," she said as she sat in front of him on a barstool.

"Beautiful," he said as he came around the kitchen bench to draw one arm about her waist and lean in to kiss her. His hand slid down to stroke the curve of her lower back exposed by the backless dress she wore. "Breakfast is ready, but with you in that dress it's going to be difficult to not put you on the menu too!"

Dinah laughed as she reached for a fresh warm croissant. "But we've just done that!"

"I could always have a second helping?" He grinned back at her.

"I'd love to really, but I must get back to the cafe to open up at nine," she replied with a quick glance at the clock over the kitchen counter. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, "Is that the time? It's after eight o'clock! I had no idea!"

"Time sure does fly when you're having fun," Jared said. Then more seriously looking directly into her eyes. "Eat up and I'll drop you back home straight away. And how about you pack a bag and come back here after you close the cafe. Can't have you leaving tomorrow morning in the dress you wore the night before, people might start talking."

Dinah felt a little flustered with butterflies dancing in her stomach. It seemed he was inviting her to move in with him, temporarily of course, but he wanted her back here in his home and in his bed!

"I'm sure the gossip machine is well underway after our two dinner dates," she said. "Everybody will have noticed and I'm going to be grilled about this. And yes, going home in the morning in the dress I wore the night before is just going to add fuel to the fire. Perhaps I will be more prepared… wait… next time?"

"Dinah, there definitely will be a next time, tonight, or preferably sooner. I'm not prepared to let you go just yet," he said and kissed her so thoroughly she was left with no question as to how much he wanted her for the next time, and the time after that, and the time after that…

"
Until he was done with her
," the little voice in the back of her head said. She pushed it aside. She refused to give up one moment of this time with Jared because her heart could not let her. As she ate her croissant and drank her coffee she realised a simple truth: She was in love with Jared Knight.

That afternoon at three as Dinah was bringing in the outdoor chairs and umbrellas, Jared appeared at her side and helped her. Brushing his arm along hers he tipped her face up to his and gave her a brief soft kiss.

"I confess, I have an ulterior motive for helping you," he said. "The sooner you're done here the sooner you and I can get out of here and enjoy the afternoon together."

"What did you have in mind?" she said. His infectious enthusiasm excited her.

"I've grabbed some food from the deli and I thought we could take a walk out to the headland and have a picnic with a view," he said.

"That sounds fabulous," Dinah said. "Just give me half an hour to quickly shower and change. You can come upstairs if you like, no need to hang around down here in the cafe." Dinah was nervous for Jared to see her personal space, the flat above the cafe, but she also wanted to see his reaction.

When she was not working Dinah spent a lot of time in her flat on her own. She was a very self-contained person and she enjoyed her own company. Because her home was important to her she took care in how she decorated and presented it. Her home was an expression of her personality.

The flat was small and colourful. The same eclectic sense of interior decoration that Dinah had used for the cafe downstairs had been used in exaggerated fashion up in her flat. Seventies patterned curtains covered the windows and a deep wide sofa scattered with a multitude of coloured mismatching patterned cushions sat below. The walls were decorated with two large imposing surrealist paintings. There was no television and a large bookshelf filled one wall. Overall, the impression was probably pretty full on Dinah realised, trying to see her living room through Jared's eyes. For Jared's part he reacted with exceptionally good grace and did not betray a hint of being at all surprised or disappointed, but made his way towards the bookshelf to there calmly peruse while Dinah showered and changed.

When Dinah emerged from her bedroom dressed in clean shorts and t-shirt, Jared reminded her to pack an overnight bag, and to please not forget her toothbrush.

Devon Bay offered some excellent picnic spots, both on the beach and in public reserve land on the headland or in the forested hills behind the small town. Dinah and Jared enjoyed a spectacular view of another beautiful sunset as the sun sunk into the forested mountains and lit up the ocean pink and red. Lying on the picnic blanket full and replete after their meal Jared reached for her and folded her back into his arms. This was where she was meant to be, Dinah thought. Here in this man's arms, in this beautiful place, she felt at home and complete. As she gazed up into his eyes his mouth descended to hers and the thought came into her head that she had better not let him know how she felt, that she loved him totally and unconditionally. It was too late, her heart was gone, but maybe she could keep her pride intact when he left to go back to Auckland in a week and a half.

The next several days Dinah spent in a blissful daze. Jared would drop her at the cafe in the morning, early enough for her to make them both a cappuccino to start the day, and then he would be back after she had closed up and set up for the next day. He would drive her to his place, secluded in its private setting on the northern headland, and they would make languorous love in the afternoon sun. When they were satiated with each other Dinah would prepare dinner and they would eat on the deck overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean. After dinner they would make love again before falling into a deep heavy sleep in each other's arms.

It was bliss. It was perfect and Dinah knew it could not last. She expected it to last only a few more days, but the days built upon each other until three weeks went by. Each afternoon as three o'clock approached Jared entered the cafe and each day Dinah wondered, was today the last day? Which day would it be that he would come by to tell her he was leaving for Auckland? She took each day as it came, each day was another gift of pleasure, and bittersweet because she knew her happiness was finite.

The day came when he arrived and Dinah knew. She knew just by looking at his face that today was the last day. Tonight would be the last night she would lie in Jared's arms and sleep alongside him. Before he spoke she jumped in first.

"You're leaving," she said. She did not trust herself to say any more.

"Yes," he replied simply.

Dinah turned and began to ascend the stairs to her flat, indicating he should wait for her in the cafe. "I just need a quick shower, I won't be long."

Standing in the shower letting the warm water flow over her face she told herself to pull herself together. She had known this day would come and he would leave her, but she had not expected it to feel like this. It felt like the end of her world. She was madly hopelessly head over heals in crazy love with this man and watching him leave her was going to break her heart. Indeed, the process had already started. She could not cry and she felt numb.

Again, she faced a decision. To take this one last night knowing it would be the last, or to send him away. As much as her dignity wanted to send him away her heart rebelled. She needed to say goodbye in her own way. She needed to take all he would offer and store it away in her memories for the lonely years ahead.

Dinah dressed quickly, choosing a crisp shirt and an A-line skirt in a colourful pattern. She wanted to appear confident, professional, as a woman to be taken seriously, and not a toy to be played with and cast aside. She did not expect that there was anything she could do to change his mind at this stage, but she did want to maintain as much dignity as possible, all things considered.

Jared drove her out to the headland with its stunning views for the last time. Dinah took in the quality of the light and the late afternoon birdsong, the indications of the autumn season with cooler temperatures, and the changing colours on the exotic trees against the evergreen of the native bush. She drank in the sight of Jared's profile as he focused on the road, and memorised how his strong forearms and sculpted hands managed the steering wheel around the winding road.

Inside Jared's house she entered the kitchen. Jared stopped her and told her he had brought in dinner for them and there was no need for her to cook for them tonight. Then gently he took her hand and led her to his bedroom.

Slowly and with care he undressed her and lay down next to her, naked, on the bed. Quietly they stroked each other's faces and bodies, and hair. They kissed. They made sensual love in the fading light of the day. Dinah tried to remember each detail, to imprint them into her brain. As he entered her she found her eyes leaking tears, surprised to feel them slipping down the sides of her face. She kept her eyes shut tightly, knowing he could see her tears because he kissed them away, but not being able to stop them falling. As he brought them closer to the brink of fulfillment Dinah felt her heart swell within her chest and then she cried out as waves of pleasure washed over her, holding Jared tightly with her arms and legs not wanting it to end.