Love Beyond Words (City Lights: San Francisco Book 1) (21 page)

She dressed in her vintage black velvet, and styled her hair as she sometimes did for Kyrie. She drew elegant stockings over her legs, making sure the black seam in the back was straight along her calves, and buckled the little strap on her cream and black Mary Janes with a four-inch heel. She put on red lipstick and black eyeliner, and then slipped the pendant he’d given her on Christmas around her neck. She studied herself in the mirror, pleased with the result but nervous that it wasn’t fancy enough for whatever he had planned.

She left the bathroom just as he emerged from his walk-in closet. Her breath caught at the sight of him, while her heart seemed to stop for a moment and then gallop to catch up.

He wore a black suit in a modern style—cut close to his toned physique—and a white shirt and a narrow black tie, loose at the neck. He’d tamed his curls with gel that enhanced the sleek, dark look of him. The sharp lines and angles of his face stood out in contrast to his broad mouth and full lips. And his eyes…
Dear god, he’s stunning.

He stared at her with those radiant eyes of his, drinking her in.

“
Usted es la mujer más hermosa que he visto.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life.”

“I was thinking the exact thing about you.” She smoothed her dress down. “Is this all right? I feel like it’s too simple. Or like a costume…”

“It’s perfect. It’s you. You belong to that era but I have you now. I have you…”

He leaned close and kissed her cheek, taking his time, his breath hot over her skin. She closed her eyes and felt him lay another kiss near her ear, then another at the corner her eye. His breath, warm and sweet, wafted over her as he moved his head and kissed her other cheek. His lips brushed her skin, sending slivers of pleasure skimming along her neck and over her arms.

“Julian…” Her eyes fluttered closed. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Just kissing you.
Sólo besos, mi amor
.”

He found her earlobe next and he drew it between his teeth, grazing her flesh, before he laid his mouth to the hollow beneath her ear.

The sensations sapped the strength from Natalie’s legs. She clutched his arms at the elbows to steady herself, a soft mewling sound of want escaping her. He continued slowly—agonizingly slowly—down her neck, now flicking his tongue in soft, feather-light touches as he went. He circled her, lifting her hair so that he could trail kisses around the back of her neck. She gasped sharply and arched her back, as his touch there sent sudden, powerful shards of electric ecstasy radiating out, down her spine.

“God, Julian…”

“An erogenous zone,” he whispered between his kisses. “I’ll have to remember that.”

He continued his journey around, his lips moving gently, up her neck and along her jawline, until he reached the corner of her mouth that was open and waiting. She tilted her head so that he might kiss her lips…and then he pulled away.

“Wouldn’t want to ruin your lipstick,” he said, smiling slyly, though his voice was thick.

“Oh, you scoundrel.” Natalie clutched his arm until she could get her bearings. “No fair. No fair at all…”

“I know,” he said. “I can hardly see straight, but it’s time to go.”

He offered his arm and she took it but before she let him take a step she said, “I love you, Julian, scoundrel that you are. I really and truly do. And I just want to tell you that now since I’m certain to be incoherent later tonight.”

He ran his tongue over his lower lip, as if he could still taste her there. “I guarantee it.”

#

A limousine instead of a sedan awaited them, and Julian poured champagne from a minibar that wasn’t quite so mini.

“I never get this extravagant,” he told her as the city glided past them on the other side of the tinted windows. “I’ve never had cause to, but tonight I figured, why not?”

Natalie shook her head. “I have to be in class
tomorrow.
This will all feel like a dream.”

“Don’t think about it now. Just stay here, with me. Tonight.”

She turned her head to the watch the city go by.
Tonight and forever…

#

The restaurant was called Saison, and Natalie had never seen anything like it. A gorgeous motif of exposed brick, warm wood, and hard cement, rife with industrial elegance and permeated by mouth-watering aromas coming from the kitchen that opened on to the dining area.

They were seated at a wooden table next to a decorative stand of potted plants and antique-looking books. The maître’d gave them the day’s menu and engaged Julian in a brief conversation about wine pairings and other particulars Natalie didn’t quite understand.

Then the maître’d bid them have an enjoyable experience and retreated, taking the menu with him.

“Wait, don’t we need to order?” Natalie asked.

“Not necessary.”

Natalie frowned. “What do we eat?”

“Everything.”

She soon understood what he meant. This restaurant was above and beyond anything she had ever encountered. The meal unfolded as a series of small courses in which they tasted everything under the sun, food Natalie would never have known to order in a million years. A different wine accompanied every dish and she thought the presentations were almost too beautiful to ruin with her fork. Abalone with a nettle puree stood out as her favorite, though every bite was extraordinary.

It took hours to complete the dinner and when they stepped outside to wait for the limousine, she was sure it was midnight.

“Only nine o’clock! We’ve been in there for ages.”

“Did you enjoy it?” he asked, unsure. “I know, it’s a bit much…”

“It was amazing. Everything I eat from now on is going to seem bland and naked after that.” She snaked her hand into his. “Speaking of which…”

“Oh no, not yet.”

“What? There’s
more
?”

The limousine took them back down Market Street, and Natalie clapped her hands together when the glowing sign came into view.

“Café du Nord! Julian, how did you know?”

“How did I know you’d like a throwback speakeasy that plays swing? Hmmm, let me think.”

She gave him a playful sock in the arm and he laughed and led her inside where Natalie swooned to see Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers on the stage, playing before full crowd—even for a Sunday night. Couples danced on an oval-shaped dance floor. Julian bought her a cocktail—a White Russian—and they watched the couples swing and Lindy Hop before them.

“I’m sorry that I don’t know how to swing dance,” Julian said into her ear.

“It’s okay,” Natalie said, concealing the twinge of disappointment. Swing wasn’t the kind of dance that was easy to ad-lib. The man leads and has to know what he’s doing. They watched one couple blaze across the floor, head and shoulders above the rest. The man, with spiky blond hair, a white tank, suspenders, and baggy beige slacks, spun and twirled a woman dressed similar to Natalie, in green and white 1940’s perfection. Natalie watched, awed, and leaned in to Julian. “They look like professionals.”

“Do they?” he wondered, a hint of amusement in his tone.

The song ended, another started up and the dancer in suspenders slid up to Natalie.

“Nattie Hewitt?”

“Um, yes?”

“I’m Johnny.” He took her cocktail out of her hand, handed it to Julian, and tipped her a wink. “Let’s go.”

“Wait, what?” She glanced over her shoulder as Johnny pulled her onto the dance floor. Julian saluted her with her drink, his smile crooked and sly.
I don’t believe this,
Natalie thought and then there was no time to think; Johnny took her right hand in his left, clapped his hand on her waist, and they were on their way.

In the deft hands of a pro, Natalie found she was able to dance better than she could have imagined. She sensed his turns, his changes, and didn’t think but went with him, spinning, turning, sliding under his arms over and over, until the song ended and Johnny spun her with a flourish, and dipped her over his knee.

“Another?”

“Yes!”

Four songs later, Lavay Smith mellowed the house with a slow song, her rich voice—a voice from another era—spilled into the space. Johnny kissed Natalie’s hand. “You’re aces, honey, but your old man’s cutting in.”

Natalie turned and Julian was there. Johnny gave them both another wink and was gone. Natalie slipped into Julian’s arms and rested her head on his chest until she’d caught her breath. Then she laced her fingers around his neck, gazing up at him.

“I can’t believe you,” she said. “How on earth did you plan all this? The cruise, that dinner, the
professional dancer
?”

“I had to grease a few wheels, but for you, love, it was worth it. Are you having a good time?”

“Are you kidding? The only thing that would make this night more perfect is if I were dancing with you.”

“I might consider lessons.”

“You would?”

“Right now, you could ask me to eat fire and I would do it.” Then Julian’s smile slipped and a feral, hungry look stole over him. “I loved watching you dance. You looked so hot out there. The way you moved…” He kissed her lower lip, long free of lipstick from dinner and cocktails, capturing it with his teeth and then letting go.

“Let’s go,” Natalie breathed.

“Are you sure? No, stay. Dance…”

“No,” she said. “It’s time to go.”

#

In the limousine, she straddled him, kissed him, carved her fingers through his hair. He gripped her hips, pulling and pushing her against him. She could feel the hard heat of him pressing against her through his slacks. His hands slid up her thighs, over her stockings, and his thumbs delved into the cleft of her hips.

“Julian…the driver,” she said, between kisses.

“I’m sure he’s seen worse. But you’re right. I’m going to get arrested if we don’t stop.”

He slowed his kisses and she smoothed down her dress. By the time the car pulled into his building’s circular drive, they were both composed—at least on the outside. All of the heat and energy that had been building between them all day—stoked by his maddening kisses earlier—was threatening to unleash itself.

They walked past the night doorman and the security guard in silence, as if speaking could break the tension. At the elevator bank, Julian murmured, “Cameras.”

The elevator ride was chaste; they stood side by side, watching the numbers climb to fifteen. On his floor, they walked calmly to his door where he keyed the security code. The console
beeped
, the door opened, and they were in each other’s arms, crushing their lips and bodies together, her back against the wall of the entry hall off the kitchen. He tried to guide her to the bedroom but she resisted.

“No, here,” she said. “I want…” She swallowed. “I want you here. Now.”

Julian nodded, stunned, and his hands surged into her hair. He devoured her mouth with his as she hauled at his clothing, pushing his suit jacket off his shoulders and stripping off his tie. His shirt came off next, leaving him in a white undershirt that accentuated every cut of muscle on his arms and chest.

“I don’t want to tear this,” he said, his voice haggard, and moved behind her to unbutton her velvet dress. “Lift your hair.”

She did, and then gasped as his mouth worked over the back of her neck. Her dress was open in the back, and he slipped his hands around her, to knead her breasts through her bra. Shivers and shards of heat radiated from under his kisses, until he pushed her dress off. It pooled at her feet. She turned around, reaching for him, but he knelt swiftly and laid his lips to her the silk triangle of her panties.

“Wait, wait,” Natalie breathed, arching away.

“You don’t want me to?”

“It’s just, I’ve never…I mean, do you really want to?”

“God yes,” Julian replied. “I want to kiss you everywhere.”

She nodded
.
“Yes, okay. Yes.”

He tugged the silk off her hips and kissed her, lightly, a feather stroke, and even that was enough to make her dizzy. Natalie fell back against the wall as a surge of pleasure shot through her.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll stop…” he whispered, and kissed her again, using his tongue this time, and the very last thing Natalie wanted him to do was stop.

He was kneeling before her, almost reverently, his hands holding her from behind as his mouth delved into her, producing sensations she’d never imagined were possible. She arched her back against the wall as Julian brought her quickly to a climax that rocketed from between her legs and through her body, leaving her trembling.

“Oh my god,” she breathed, as he began working his way back up her body, trailing kisses over her stomach and then between her breasts. Her body wasn’t sated, but asking for more, and she could feel the tension in his, the want. He kissed her again, hard, driving her back against the wall and holding her there with his body.

“I need you now, Natalie,” he said. “
Right now
.”