Authors: Pepper Anthony
“Let’s take that walk now. Did you bring a jacket?”
She nodded and pointed toward the small office that was
acting as a cloak room. “My wrap. It’s kind of a silvery color.”
He took her by the hand and led her through the crowd, aware
of eyes following them. He hoped to avoid having to stop and converse with any
of Amber’s coworkers. Her being tipsy at the open house was hardly an
auspicious start to her new position as assistant manager. Saundra, especially,
would be disappointed.
Two minutes later they had collected her purse and her wrap
without anyone being the wiser. She let him lead her through the door to the
lobby and the elevator. He could feel her racing pulse against his palm.
Ten minutes later, they sat across from each other in a cute
little all-night diner six blocks from Crescent’s building. Their waitress had
just filled their coffee cups and Ray watched as Amber added a generous splash
of cream and stirred it in with a bit too much enthusiasm. Creamy coffee
sloshed over the edge of the cup. She didn’t seem to notice. Her wrap had
slipped down behind her onto the booth seat. The fluorescent lighting in the
place tinged her cheeks and shoulders a pale green. Even so, she was a vision
in the blue dress. He tried not to stare at her cleavage.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, reaching across to blot up
the spill with a paper napkin.
She took her eyes off what he was doing and nodded. “Better.
The fresh air was nice.” She scrunched up her nose. “But these shoes aren’t
exactly made for trekking around on concrete.”
“But they look amazing.”
“Thanks.” She ducked her head.
“Do you want something to eat? Maybe some scrambled eggs?”
“No. I think I must have eaten quite a bit at the party.”
“You don’t remember?”
A scowl marred her forehead. “I guess I was distracted.”
“By?”
A blush of color stole over her cheeks, creating an
unfortunate contrast to the bad lighting. Her gaze shifted to one side, and she
took a deep drink of her coffee before she answered.
“Oh. Uh, I was thinking about Dinitra. My little sister. She
and I had sort of a spat earlier this evening.”
“What about?” He sipped at his own cup.
She shrugged. “Same old thing. I want her to move out here
and she’s not about to. Says she loves her job and I shouldn’t worry.”
“You never told me her job.”
She took another gulp before leaning forward across the
table. “She’s an exotic dancer,” she said,
sotto voce
. “You know, a
stripper.”
“Ah.” That had to be a bitter pill for the older, more
conservative sister to swallow. No wonder Amber wanted to take Dinitra more
closely under her wing.
“You see?” She leaned back and spread her hands open. “I’ve
gotta get her outta there.”
“I don’t blame you for worrying about her. But we really
can’t force an idea onto other people. They have to come to it themselves.”
“I know.” Her shoulders sagged. “But it’s hard. You should
see this place where she works. It’s awful. What if something bad happens to
her?”
Ray was just thinking that Amber’s eyes seemed a little more
focused when they suddenly filled with tears. He handed her a second napkin.
“Thank you.” She dabbed at her eyes and gave a big sniff, then
sent him a watery smile. “You’re a good listener, Ray.”
Guilt pinged in his belly. What would she think of him if
she knew that he was actually more of a good
looker
? And at the moment he
was having a hell of a time not staring at her bare shoulders and the smooth
rise of her breasts.
“Well.” She sighed and sat back. “I guess we should probably
get back to the party.”
“Actually, we’re only about a block from my condo. I was
thinking we could move the party there.”
She blinked rapidly, her mouth making a perfect little “O”.
“I’ve probably had enough to drink,” she murmured after
several seconds.
“I haven’t packed up my coffee maker yet.”
She stared at him for several seconds, no doubt allowing all
the possibilities and ramifications to sink in. He held his breath.
She gave a small nod. “Okay.”
* * * *
He was holding her hand again, and it felt amazing, as if
she were dipping her fingers in a jar of fireflies. She almost didn’t mind the
ache in her feet as they left the café and headed down the sidewalk. They were
going to his place! Did that mean what she thought it meant? Is that what she
wanted it to mean? Her cheeks burned at the possibilities, despite the cool
summer night.
Over the last twenty minutes, the majority of the
champagne’s effects had worn off. Now a slight headache was forming behind her
eyes. She’d have to ask him for some ibuprofen once they got to his place, and
a huge glass of water.
He squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. The
streetlights painted his features in silver.
God, he’s handsome!
“Feet doing okay?”
“I’ll survive.” At this point, it was actually her
madly-pulsing heart she was more concerned about.
“We’re almost there.”
And here they were at a double glass door, pushing through
to a large lobby graced by low lights and neutral décor. He steered her toward
the elevators.
“I’m on the seventh floor.”
“You must have a great view of the river.”
“You’ll see for yourself in a minute.”
Meanwhile, how was she going to manage to breathe in such a
small elevator, standing so close to him? As the doors shushed open she felt
his fingers on her back. Even through her wrap and the fabric of her dress, she
could sense the heat of his skin. It made her remember that ride in the
elevator with him two months ago, and his discovery right afterward of her
naughty book collection. Would she ever be able to remember that day without
blushing like a grade-schooler?
The short walk from the café in the cool night air had done
its work. Her head was completely clear now. Nervous thoughts caromed like a
pinball through her mind. Maybe going up to his apartment wasn’t such a good
idea.
Maybe it would lead in a direction she wasn’t ready for.
Or maybe she
was
ready. Her mouth felt suddenly dry.
Five minutes later she stood on his small balcony, waiting
for the promised cup of coffee. The view from there was indeed spectacular. A
three-quarter moon hung over the city, casting a wobbly light on the dark
water. Headlights were strung like pearls on the nearby Markham Bridge. Below them, traffic moved at a crawl down Front Avenue, the occasional honk of a horn
piercing the night. The energy of the city rose around her, part of the breeze
that caressed her shoulders.
Ray joined her after a moment, and her pulse, which had
begun to calm down, jumped once more into the danger zone. He handed her a
steaming cup. In it, coffee swirled with lots of cream, just the way she liked
it best.
“Thank you. I see you noticed I like a little bit of coffee
in my half-and-half.”
He chuckled. “I did. I don’t know how you keep your figure
if you always drink it this way.”
“I only indulge on the weekends,” she told him. “I drink it
black the rest of the week.”
“Really?” His gaze moved over her, causing her fingers to
bunch in her wrap, clutching it more snugly around her.
She nodded, afraid to look too deeply into those dark brown
eyes.
“To true confessions,” he said. He grinned down at her as he
clinked his coffee cup against hers.
She felt new heat rise in her cheeks. Turning back toward
the river, she took a sip of her drink, scrabbling for a different topic of
conversation. The last thing she wanted to dwell on was the dangerous topic of
personal secrets.
“How are you going to stand leaving this place, this view?”
They both watched as a string of three small, lighted boats plied their way
down the black river.
“I’ll miss it.” He shrugged.
“Have you found a nice place in Salem?”
Of course he has.
No doubt he’d be moving into a
sophisticated singles place like this, where he could easily entertain the bevy
of attractive women he’d certainly be meeting at his new job.
She stopped the thought short and blinked. There was that
uncharacteristic jealousy again. She’d have to work at letting that go. It was
silly to feel that way; they had no future together.
“Actually, I’m moving in with my grandparents. At least for
a while. They really need me right now.”
And just like that, he broke out of the box marked “player”
she had tried to stuff him in, and became the three-dimensional good guy she’d
caught such tantalizing glimpses of over the past few weeks. He was much more
dangerous in this role. Her body hummed, every pore and follicle aware of his
nearness. She dared to look at him again. The moon shed just enough light to
make out his features, which had suddenly gone somber.
“I know it’s only a matter of time until they have to move
to a facility, but if my staying with them means they can keep their home a while
longer, how can I not help them out?”
“Of course,” she murmured, thinking of her stubborn sister.
“Family comes first. I believe that too.”
Ray leaned his elbows on the ledge and stared up at the sky.
“When I was a boy and my granddad used to take me fishing, I thought of him as
ancient. He would have been in his mid-fifties about then.” He sighed. “He’s
definitely an old man now. I want to be there for him the way he was for me.”
Amber swallowed the little ache that had settled in her
throat. The deeply personal turn of their conversation was throwing her off
balance. “If it wasn’t for my grandmother, my brother and sister and I would
have gone to foster homes.”
He looked across at her, his eyes soft in the dark. “So you
understand why I’m going.”
“Yes.”
But I wish you wouldn’t.
He shifted closer to her. Before she realized what he
intended to do, he stroked gently down her cheek with the back of his fingers.
She shivered.
“You’re certainly not an Ice Princess.” The tone of his
voice was hushed and thoughtful, almost as if he hadn’t intended to say the
words out loud.
“I’m not what? Did you sneak something into my coffee? I
could have sworn you just said I wasn’t a princess.” She set her cup on the
ledge.
“Never mind.” He chuckled as he picked up the cup and moved
it to a small table nearby. When his hand stilled again, it came to rest on her
arm. They both stared at it. His tanned hand was just a shade or two lighter
than the smooth caramel tone of her skin.
Amber’s pulse began to pound once more as a dozen
butterflies dipped and fluttered in her tummy. “Maybe we should have brought a snack
along with us from the party,” she said.
“You’re hungry after all? I haven’t shopped lately, but I
think I have some crackers and cheese.” He started to turn toward the kitchen.
Steeling her courage, she stopped him. “It’s just—I’m just—”
She wound down, unable to admit how nervous she was.
“You’re
not
hungry?”
She shook her head, staring at him.
His brow furrowed, and then a small smile tugged at one
corner of his lips. “Good, Amber, ’cause I can think of other things to do with
that sexy mouth of yours.” He cupped her chin in his hands but didn’t kiss her.
Amber sucked her breath in and waited. A few loaded seconds
ticked by. “Like what?” she finally said, hardly believing her own audacity.
He leaned forward and brushed her mouth with his. Their
breath mingled as he hovered there before his lips touched down again. The
thrill of contact speared through her, sending an arrow of intense pleasure
right to her core. His mouth explored hers, tenderly at first and then with
more urgency, and she responded with blind fervor. She let her lips go soft,
welcoming the masterful thrust of his tongue, and she pushed back with her own
tongue, tasting him thoroughly. A ragged groan tore from his throat.
“Ah, Amber!”
He kissed her once more, and as their lips met this time,
his hand stroked her arm. She let go of her wrap and felt it settling on the
floor around her ankles. Somehow knowing her desire, he cupped her breast,
caressing her flesh through the fabric of the dress. Her pussy clenched, and
she opened her mouth more fully, allowing even deeper thrusts of his questing
tongue. Her nipples tingled as his fingers teased across them. She heard soft
little moans of passion rising from her own throat.
Before she knew it, his hands were fiddling with the straps
at the back of her neck.
“I’ve gotta touch you, Amber,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Yes!” She wanted his big, tanned hands on her bare skin.
Breathing heavily, she helped him with the closure, and
finally the straps came loose. Slowly, he peeled the top of the dress down,
exposing her breasts. For a moment he stood without moving, staring at her, his
hands cradling her naked flesh. Feeling suddenly awkward, she tried to cover
herself. But he grabbed her hands and pulled them away.
“No, Amber. Just let me look at your beautiful body. You’re
breath-taking, you know that? Just perfect.”
She looked down at herself, at the moon-silvered globes of
her breasts with their big dusky nipples protruding, unabashedly announcing her
arousal. She felt at once shy and incredibly excited to be the object of his
passionate scrutiny. He was still holding her wrists to either side of her,
denying her any modesty, and now he bent low and touched his tongue to the very
tip of one throbbing nipple.
She cried out. And he closed his lips around her and took
her nipple deep into his mouth, using the edge of his teeth to tease and
tantalize. Moaning, she thrust her chest forward, inviting him to suckle, to
caress, to explore more completely. He dropped her hands and used his fingers
to pinch and fondle and stroke one breast while he kissed and laved the other.
Down below, her panties grew wet with desire.
* * * *
Ray ran his tongue over the warm, pebbled surface of Amber’s
nipple, pulling the little nub deep into his mouth. She made a broken,
whimpering sound, inciting him further. His hands were fully laden with the
sweet weight of her breasts, and he imagined putting his cock in that fragrant
valley and squeezing them together, pictured his own engorged flesh pumping in
and out between those dark, soft mounds. His cock strained against the zipper
of his slacks as he fantasized about coming on Amber’s naked breasts.
They couldn’t stand out there in the moonlight any longer.