The second I saw her face I knew that avoiding Gem for the past few days had been a mistake. She looked sad and nervous as I opened the door.
“I’m here. What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked.
I stepped back, inviting her in. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and kiss away the frown that furrowed her brow. Instead, I offered to take her coat.
“You didn’t bring me down here just so that you could…” she paused.
Her eyes went wide, and her little mouth made the perfect O. The kind of shape that was irresistible.
“We need to talk without being interrupted. I got busy with work. I realize I should have called—”
“What’s all this?” she interrupted, looking at my loft.
I smiled wide and knew that she appreciated my gesture. A little effort went a long way. I ordered Chinese takeout, which wasn’t very impressive. But I had lit candles and scattered rose petals all over the table. I wanted it to be romantic. I wanted it to look like it mattered that she was here. Because it did.
“I have to go to Europe tomorrow.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Finance, business stuff. Investments, investors. My business partner was originally supposed to take care of it, but he’s getting married. He’s dumped it in my lap. Look,” I took her hand and walked to the table. “Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’m going to be out of town that day. I wanted to take you out for a special dinner and realized I was running out of time. Especially when I hadn’t bothered to tell you how wonderful the other night was.” I stopped and gazed down at her.
“We have more of a show not tell situation here. It wouldn’t have been impressive for me to say hey, come on over, I’ve got candles and chocolate.”
She smirked up at me. “I don’t know. Did you try?”
I shook my head.
“So instead,”— she crossed her arms over her chest— “you made me think you were breaking up with me, and that you had to see me in person and do it immediately so that whatever was going on at work wouldn’t be impacted. Instead, you made me think the worst.”
I wrapped her in my arms and stroked her hair and held her against my chest. “Gem. I’m sorry you misunderstood my intentions. I was attempting an apology and a seduction. Can you stay?”
She sighed and looked up at me. God, she was breath-taking.
“For a little bit. Not all night.”
I ducked my head down and kissed her. Our lips brushed together. She was soft and sweet. And tasted better than anything I had ever experienced. She was cold water on a hot day. She was ambrosia. I kneaded my fingers into her soft skin, holding her closer, pulling her into me.
“I’ve missed you,” I growled.
She let out a soft moan. “You didn’t call me. You could have texted.”
“Hey,” I said, “you didn’t call or text me either.”
She pouted and I wanted to kiss the expression off her face.
“I emailed you at work, and you never responded. You’re usually in my office. What was I supposed to think?”
I peppered her upturned face with kisses. “You’re right.”
She twisted her finger into my shirt at my chest. “You could make it up to me,” she said with a giggle.
“Oh yeah?” I asked. “How’s that?”
“Well…” She blinked those big green eyes up at me and I was lost.
My chest tightened and my heart pounded harder. I leaned down and kissed her again. This time she snaked her arms around my neck and held my head in place. Her fingers dug into my scalp as she fisted my hair.
Reaching down I grabbed her ass in my hands and lifted her onto the table. Suddenly, we were tearing each other’s clothing. Her fingers deftly unfastened the buttons of my shirt. I found the zipper in the back of her dress, I exposed the skin of her shoulder, but no more. Not to be deterred, I shoved her skirt up and ran my hands up her warm thighs until I found the top of her leggings. I pulled at them, frustrated. Her clothing wasn’t coming off the way it should.
“Let me do that.” She backed away and she squirmed out of her leggings and panties.
I fumbled for my belt and shoved my pants down.
She spread her thighs and I pressed against her. She was hot and wet. Gem skimmed her hands along the skin of my ass. We were skin on skin. I pulled her to the edge of the table and slid into her slick pussy. Everything was perfect.
She sighed, and I felt the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders. All the mistakes were forgiven. All my stupidity forgotten, gone. All I needed was to be in her arms, making love to her. “Wait!” She pounded on my chest. “Wait, Chase, stop. Condom. You need a condom.”
“Fuck. Be right back.” I ran into my bedroom, grabbed a condom, and returned to where she was. She sat perched on the edge of the table waiting for me. Her dress was half off one shoulder. Her hair was a mess, her skirt was up around her waist, her leggings, and panties in a wad on the floor next to her shoes. I slid up to her. She folded her arms around me, and I was back where I belonged.
Gem’s noises spurred me to action as soon as I slid into her heat. All I wanted was more squeaks and purrs, moans of delight from her. She clutched my shoulders as if she would fall if she let go. I held on because I was falling for her.
My plans for the evening were all messed up, and I didn’t care. I had planned a long game, seduction over dinner, rose petals, a bubble bath, and then my bed. But this worked. This worked well.
She screamed my name as she came. I had no choice but to follow her down into the orgasmic hole that opened in the universe and sucked us in before it spit us both out, spent and panting.
Still pressed together, I took her hand and kissed her palm.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m better than okay,” she paused, “that was rather unexpected.”
I ran my hand through my hair. “I had a plan and that was on the list, but a bit farther down in this evening’s activities.”
“Maybe we can go back to your list? And when it’s time, do that again?” she asked.
I laughed. “Absolutely. That sounds like a very good idea.”
I eased away from her body and noticed the condom was missing.
“Shit,” I bit out.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. She leaned back on her hands and looked so relaxed and perfect.
“No, Nothing.” I ran my hands up and down her thighs and found a towel and did a little clean up. The condom had fallen off as I pulled out. I located it, took care of it, and then situated my clothing back on. I hated zipping her back up in that dress. I wanted to chew on her delectable shoulder some more. But we had an agenda. Dinner first, seduction later.
“I’m going to clean up a little bit.” She bent to scoop up her clothes.
“Leave them,” I said. “Don’t put them back on, make it easier next time.”
It was good logic, but knowing she wasn’t wearing panties made concentrating during our dinner difficult.
“This is really good. The Chinese takeaway uptown isn’t quite as tasty.” She lifted more noodles into her mouth. “Well, what else did you want to talk to me about?”
“Mostly this…” I gestured at dinner.
“And you wanted to touch me.”
“I want all of you. I’m going away for two weeks. I needed to make sure that you knew how I felt.”
Gem put her chopsticks down. Her eyes were wide, and she looked nervous again. “I need to tell you something that I probably should have told you earlier… I have a kid. She’s two and a half and—”
“Wow, wow.” I pushed back from the table. “You have a kid. Don’t you think maybe you should have told me this earlier?” The news bowled into me unexpectedly.
“I’m telling you now,” she said flatly.
“What are you trying to do here? Are you trying to trick me into being your baby daddy? You really should have told me this sooner.”
“I get that. I understand, but you have to understand where I’m coming from,” she pleaded.
“No, you need to understand where I’m coming from. I’m not out to get married and have kids.”
“I get that Chase, but would you listen for a minute?”
Everything in my world came crashing down at that moment. Gem had a child. I was not ready.
Kids were not something that I did. I stared at her and crossed my arms. I didn’t know what to think. I let out a heavy breath.
“Fine, be that way,” she fumed. She pushed back from the table and picked up her clothes from the floor.
“I think our conversation for the night is done. You should go.”
