Physical Touch (25 page)

“Okay – I’m in. But the same holds for you, too. We’ll see if you’re up for the challenge,” he chuckled, running his hand up and down the length of her thigh.  “It’s been awhile since Junior High. Remind me what the bases are again?”

She laughed, biting her lip, knowing he was probably pulling her leg. “You’re so old you don’t remember? It’s the four ‘Fs’ – French, Feel, Finger and…well, you know the last one.” She blushed, feeling the heat rush to her face.

“
Ahh…I think I’m going to enjoy this game. So tonight is only French kissing, huh?’

“Yep.”

“Good thing I’ve been to France and know some really,
really
good foreign techniques,” he smirked, pulling into the brewery parking lot. “So you better prepare yourself for tonight’s end of the date closer…”

Mitch had stayed true to his word and over the course of the first two dates had played along with Rylie’s challenge, even though it nearly killed him to be with her and be unable to take her to bed. 

Sitting in Camden Ventures board room on a long Friday afternoon, he listened to one of his accountants discuss the tax implications of his current project, but his mind was actually on the previous night with Rylie. They’d gone out to dinner and afterward wound up walking around Harvard Square, hand in hand, a slight chill in the air so that she held herself close to stay warm. 

She spoke with a quiet reserve about her brother and her dad, but he could sense the love and deep respect she had for them both. He had shared with her about growing up in the Camden household, the relationship and bonds he had with his brother, mother and father. The loss the family experienced when his younger brother, Matthew, died.

They talked in easy companionship throughout the evening and ended their night in her apartment for a nightcap. Her back was to him as she stood at the kitchen counter pouring two Scotches in lowball glasses. Mitch moved in behind her, pressing her tightly to him, her body fitting him perfectly. Encircling her waist with his hands, his lips came to her ear, his tongue tracing the delicate curve of her jawline. Her breath hitched, as her body relaxed against him. 
             

His voice came out low and smooth. “So what’s on the agenda for tonight, IQ?”

Rylie slowly turned in his arms, handing him his drink and smiling a sheepish grin. 

“No agenda…what did you have in mind?”

He swirled his glass and took a sip, never taking his eyes of her. “I’m thinking about undressing you, laying you down on this floor, pouring the remainder of my Scotch over your body and licking it off.”

Her mouth gaped open and he could tell she was a little unnerved to hear his suggestion, but came back quickly with her response.

“That sounds devious and a little depraved,” she commented, licking her lips. She leaned in, raising on her toes just slightly and pressed a hot kiss to his lips. She tasted of the sweet, earthy flavor of the Scotch, mixed with her own intoxicating essence. He growled, pulling her tighter so that he could feel her nipples tighten against his chest.  She wiggled her body, her hips circling against his already hardened arousal. 

His hand moved underneath her rear and hoisted her up on the counter. Setting his drink down momentarily, Mitch nudged her legs open so he could stand in between their warmth. Focused now on the buttons of her shirt, he slowly and painstakingly unbuttoned her shirt, his hands lingering on each button, brushing the buttery soft skin of her supple breasts and toned abs as he made his way down her torso. 

Rylie’s head was thrown back against the dark cherry wood cabinets, the lush swell of her breasts arching up toward him, awaiting his touch. He palmed the fleshy mounds and rubbed his tongue over her nipples until they hardened. She pressed further into his open mouth, releasing a moan that was hungry and starving for him. Unclasping her lace bra, it fell off her shoulders and down onto the floor. Mitch grabbed the glass and slowly trickled the warm amber liquid across her hot flesh. Holding her with one hand behind her back, his mouth came down to claim her, tongue lapping up the drops of liquid that rained down her breasts. His lips caught her nipple, sucking and teasing it, as it grew taut. 

“This counts as feeling you up, right?” he said into her breasts.

“Oh yeah, I’d say that,” she moaned, arching even harder into his mouth. He let go of her nipple and moved over to the other, to ensure equal attention. She gasped as he took her into his mouth again, her legs wrapping around his hips and forcibly thrusting her pelvis into his. 

Mitch pulled back from his thorough and seductive assault of her body into a punishing kiss. He was breathing hard as he spoke against her mouth.

“Are you trying to get me to lose this challenge, IQ?”

She pulled back sharply, her eyes burning with passion. 

“Yes. I mean, no,” she gasped. “You just make it feel so good. I just need more of you.” Her hand went to the hard plane of his erection, stroking him through his jeans.

“You’re killing me. You know that, right?” he grunted against her as she continued her grip on his length. “I can’
t get enough of you…but I’m not backing down from this challenge. And you can’t give up that easy.”

It took every ounce of his will to pull her hand away from his body as he slowly backed away, giving himself the needed distance. “We made this deal and we’re going to stick to it. It’s the damn principle of the thing.”

He looked into her face, which was crestfallen, her bare breasts still laid out in front of him, tempting him to return to their flavorful banquet. He placed his hands around her and lifted her off the counter, gently setting her on her feet. Her body was still warm and flushed, as he handed her back her shirt from off the floor.

She looked like she was going to hall off and deck him, as she jerked it from his hands and began to button it up. Or worse, might decide to go all
Krav Maga on his ass.

“Well you’re a buzzkill, Camden. Isn’t it normally a woman who’s the dick tease?”

Mitch laughed, knowing she had a point, silently cursing himself as he looked over the beautiful woman in front of him. He tried to remember the last time he would have stopped himself from taking what he wanted and what was freely being offered to him. He couldn’t get enough of Rylie, but it was so much more than that now. She had penetrated his thoughts, day in and day out since he’d met her, and he couldn’t stop wanting her. But it felt deeper; stronger. An insatiable hunger and longing that he hadn’t felt with anyone before her. He had visions of them together, climbing a mountain in Peru, or diving in the Caribbean, or sitting on the porch watching the sunset.

Mitch cupped the sides of her face and brought her lips to his, gently sucking on her mouth, trying to tell her without words how he felt about her. 

“I hope you know how much I want you, Rylie. You make me crazy with desire and there is nothing I’d like more than to strip off the rest of your clothes and take you to your bedroom and spend all night making you mine. But I’m also a man of my word and believe in holding to agreements that I make.” His hands made their way down to her hips, holding her in place in front of him. “I like you, Rylie, and I want to take things slow with you.”

Rylie’s expression visibly shifted from anger to admiration. Then she socked him in the gut with her fist.

“Well that’s all admirable and shit,” she hissed, taking her glass and her bra and walking into the living room. “Thanks for getting me all hot and bothered and leading me on.” Turning slowly back to face Mitch, who was still rubbing the spot in his abs where she hit him, she gave him an earnest look. “But I do appreciate you keeping your word.  Not a lot of guys would do that.”

They spent the rest of the evening playing three riveting games of Domino’s, which Rylie beat his pants off of two of them, and he left her with a kiss and another promise to challenge her again soon. 

“…he apparently lost a couple hundred grand in some scam and that’s why he was so badly beaten.” Something hitting him along the side of his face brought Mitch’s attention back to the present. “Dude, are you even listening to me?” Jackson asked, giving Mitch a look of irritation from across the board room table.

Mitch turned around away from the office window, in which he’d been staring out and half listening to his colleagues talk about the Miami deal, while thinking about Rylie, and looked at his very frustrated partner. 

“Sorry…what were you talking about?”

“I was talking about Tully and how he wound up with broken ribs, a busted nose and a black eye down in Miami. He apparently bamboozled some investors in some sort of Ponzi scam and one of them was Juan Carlos Perez, a Cuban drug lord. Let’s just say Juan Carlos took matters into his hands the old-fashioned way,” he said, illustrating his point by socking his fist into his hand. “So what’s up with you? Our discussions not as interesting as your fantasies these days?”

Mitch knew he wouldn’t be able to cover up his day dreaming from his very perceptive friend, so he just shrugged his shoulders and flipped him off. 

Jackson laughed and shook his head. “So when am I going to meet this lovely lady who has your dick firmly in her grasp?”

“I’m making her dinner tonight at my place, so not tonight,” he grinned and raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. “And tomorrow night is the charity gala, so I’m not seeing her and she has plans already, too.  But maybe I can bring her over to your place to watch football on Sunday.”

“You going to tell her about your arranged date for the event tomorrow night?”

“Hmm. Hadn’t really thought about it, since it’s just a favor to my parents and not a date. Although I doubt she’s the jealous type, I see no need in getting into specifics when it’s nothing of consequence. It’s not like I’m going on my own volition.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

“So you’re telling me that you spent the entire night at Mitch’s place, in his bed and you two didn’t fuck?” Sasha looked incredulously at her friend, who was sitting next to her at the nail salon having her nails painted a silver metallic color. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Rylie blushed as she looked up at the nail technician who had a big smirk on her face. “Nothing is wrong with either one of us,” she whispered harshly to her friend. “It was a perfect night. He made me dinner, we had a bottle of wine, watched some high school football on TV and then went to bed. And it’s not like we didn’t do
anything
…just not
that
.”

Sasha made a scoffing snort and put her hands under the dryer. “I just don’t get it.”

Rylie gave her a modest shrug. “Just because you have no have self-control what-so-ever doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t. I like the fact that he’s willing to take his time with me. It feels…right. It raises the stakes and the intensity. In fact, it’s hot. And I mean really,
really
hot.” She fanned her painted hand in front of her face, trying to tamp down the blush she felt creeping up on her face.

Her cheeks stained red as Rylie recalled the night before with Mitch. She hadn’t driven to his house anticipating spending the night in his bed, fully clothed. She had worn her sexiest lace and silk bra and panties, secretly hoping he would finally give in and forfeit the bet. As it so happened, he did thoroughly enjoy seeing her in them and told her so with his hands, his mouth and his body.

They had just finished with the dinner clean-up and sat down to watch the local high school rivalry match-up on Friday night football, snuggling on the couch, Karma laying at their feet.

Rylie nestled against him, her hand on his muscled leg and her head resting on his chest, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. She knew where she wanted the evening to go and decided to make the first move, as she began to slowly stroke up and down his leg, making figure eights with her fingers, feeling his muscled quads clench with each touch. She couldn’t see his face, but felt his breath against the top of her head, his breathing accelerating every time her hand moved back up toward his crotch. She could sense his growing excitement and feel the heat burning through his jeans. She knew what to expect to find the moment she reached down and placed her hands firmly against his zippered jeans. Her heart rate spiked, the exhilarating zing rushing through her veins, the power of taking control surging through her own body. Placing her hand against his zipper, she tugged open the button and slowly unzipped his jeans. Mitch sucked in a sharp breath.

“What are you doing?” he inquired, his voice sexy and gruff.

Without so much as a word, she slid off the couch, grabbing the material at his hips and yanking them down with her. From her vantage point between his legs, she peeked up and saw the dark glow of desire in Mitch’s eyes, his eyelids hooded with lust, his lips parted slightly. He looked beautiful and dangerously sexy. 

“Batter up,” she teased, yanking her shirt off to expose the lace bra she was wearing. Mitch groaned with anticipation, his hands reaching out to touch her. Brushing him away, she took hold of his wrists and placed his hands on the side of the couch. “I’m up first.”

Running her hands up the hard planes of his legs and thighs, she followed with her tongue, licking his inner thighs, careful to avoid his tender knee cap. Sitting back up on her knees, she leaned over and kissed the trail from his navel to the waist band of his boxer briefs, his erection pressing hard against the material. Her hands stroked the hardened plane, as Mitch moaned, his eyes never leaving her face. 

“Third base has never felt so good.”

A thrill shot through her body, as it tightened and responded to his sensual words, causing moisture to flood between her own legs. She wanted nothing more than to make him feel the same way – to push him to the edge of reason.

Pulling his shorts down to free his erection, Rylie gripped the base of his arousal tightly in her fist, reveling in the smooth, but hard texture. She felt him swell in her hand, as she stroked and worshipped his hardened length. A drop of moisture appeared on the tip, inviting her tongue to taste him. She loved how he tasted a heady mixture of salty and sweet – all male. She closed her eyes as she opened her mouth to take him in, sliding her tongue from his tip to his base, enjoying the feel of him between her lips. 

Her eyes fluttered opened as he let out a deep groan, his head landing back against the couch and his hands coming to rest on her head, fingers plunging into her thick hair. Her desire grew deliciously intense as she watched his expression of contentment and satisfaction, knowing she was responsible for his pleasure and ecstasy. She continued to suck and pull, guiding him in and out of her hot and wet mouth, feeling her own body respond, the urgency
amping up to an intensity she was very familiar with. She thought about his mouth on her and his fingers curling inside of her, as she began moving her mouth faster and faster around him. 

She was aroused beyond belief, her own sex throbbing for his touch. She moaned at the thought, just as she felt Mitch tighten and tense, his hands gripping her hair. She knew he was close and that his release would come hard and fast. This time, she wanted to feel and taste all of him as he came. Closing her eyes, she felt a thrill, an empowerment of strength as she held him in her mouth and hands. She’d never felt so in control of another person’s fulfillment. 

“I’m there, Rylie. Fuuucck…I’m there,” he said, as his breath hitched as his body jerked, releasing a hot, thick stream deep into Rylie’s throat. She swallowed quickly, feeling a buzz of contentment as she looked up into Mitch’s face. 

He is so incredibly beautiful
. 

The thought popped into her head as she looked up into the lazy smile that flashed on his face, as he opened his eyes and gazed down into hers. 

Releasing him from her mouth and grip, she wiped her hand across her mouth and slid up his body. Curling her hands around his head, she leaned over to kiss behind his ear, continuing down his jaw line until she met his lips. In one fluid movement, Mitch wrapped his arms around her and flipped her on her back on the soft leather couch, bringing his half-naked body to cover hers. 

Pulling his head back from hers to look down into her face, his hazel eyes glistened in the faint glow of the TV light. 

“That was perfect half-time entertainment,” he murmured, crushing his mouth to hers. “
That
was amazing…Now I think it’s my turn to tie up the game and even the score.” A sexy grin appeared across his mouth, as he slowly planted feather-light kisses down her neck, sending shivers down her spine. His hands made their way down to her breasts, as he kissed and nipped the soft flesh, teasing her with his fingers. Her body was screaming for him to touch her and she told him so as she arched up in a soft whimper. 

Mitch chuckled, his finger tracing the lace bra covering her supple breast.  “A little impatient, are we?”

“Mmm…I’m so ready,” she said, squirming against him. “It could be a quick inning.”

He chuckled, as his hands started to work on her bra. “We’ll just see about that.” 

Releasing her bra, allowing her breasts to lay naked before him, Mitch took a sharp inhale and exhaled. His mouth grasped her nipple, pulling it into a hardened peak, while his hand pressed her breast further into his mouth. His hot mouth covered her, his tongue laving back and forth across the tips of her nipples.

She was burning up, her body careening into a wall of ecstasy. Her thoughts muddled with only one thing on her mind – the excruciatingly wonderful torture Mitch was giving her. She wanted more – everything. All at once. 

Mitch ran his fingers down the side of her body, skimming her hot flesh, making his way down to where she wanted him most. He reached down and unbuttoned her jeans, pulling them open and down past her hips. She arched her hips off the couch to help, as he shimmied the denim down her legs, quickly returning his hands to her panties. His hand cupped her, his thumb brushing her sensitive spot, dipping in and under the lace trim and darting back out again. Teasing her mercilessly.

She could barely take it. “Are you trying to drive me crazy?” she asked, biting down on her lip as she let out a groan of frustration. 

He snickered, stilling his hand on her inner thigh, where he’d been tracing an erotic path. “And if I am? What are you going to do about it? I could just stop…” His hand left her leg and he pushed himself up to a sitting position. 

She gave him a look of disgruntled horror. “You wouldn’t…dare.”

Taking her hand, he brought it to his mouth, grabbing her fingers and licking them before placing them between her legs. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” he mused, guiding her fingers underneath her panties. “Pun intended.”

He applied pressure, using her fingertips, stroking between the wet folds, circling the aroused flesh. 

“Hmm…you were right. You are ready. So wet and ready.”

Gripping the lace panties in his fist, he yanked them down and off her legs, his face replacing where the lace had just been. She moaned loudly, feeling his breath on her sex, as he dropped her hand to the side of the couch and replaced it with his tongue. 

Rylie grabbed hold of his hair and arched against his mouth, which had taken possession of her body’s most sensitive spot.  

His tongue circled and teased, flicking over and over the delicate and responsive nub, bringing her closer and closer to fulfillment. Her hips ground into the supple leather underneath her, circling and arching in a rhythm against him. Her cries and whimpers grew louder, more demanding as her world and the light around her grew dim, her only focus on her impending orgasm. And then the world ceased to exist as she reached the peak and sublimely rode the wave of fulfillment.

Later that night, Rylie lay naked wrapped in a tight cocoon of Mitch’s warm, strong arms, Karma once again at the foot of the bed. They had moved into his bedroom and talked for a while about their lives, their dreams and their families. The intimacy she felt with Mitch was something she’d never had or experienced with anyone else and she shared details about her mother that she had only shared before with Sasha. It dawned on her as she snuggled in the comfort of his arms, how much she had come to trust him. She felt safe. Admired. Loved?

That feeling scared her to no end. Mitch had made it clear and in no uncertain terms that he enjoyed being with her and definitely desired her, but had never made mention of a long-term relationship. She had no idea where this was going and wasn’t the type of girl to ask or push him with ultimatums. In fact, she didn’t even know what it was she wanted from him. The feelings he
evoked in her were strong, no doubt.  And she thought about him constantly when she wasn’t with him and wanted nothing more than to be in his bed. But that didn’t translate into love, did it?

As if he were reading her mind, Mitch brushed his lips over the top of her ear and asked “What are you thinking about?”

She turned onto her shoulder to look at him, a stream of light shining across his forehead and eyes, reflecting in his dark hazel irises. She placed her hand on his jawline, running it down to his chin, feeling the brittles prickle against her palm. 

“Isn’t that a chick kind of question to ask?”

Mitch chuckled, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his mouth for a kiss.  “I guess so. You must bring out the sensitive side of me. But don’t evade the question.  What were you thinking about just now?”

“Your dick.”

He boomed with laughter, causing Karma to whine and pop her head up on the edge of the bed. “I can imagine how it could occupy your mind so completely, considering its impressive size and skill,” he joked, pressing his growing erection snugly between the V of her legs. 

“Ha! Well, now you know how my mind works. And how about you,” she asked, her hand finding the topic of their conversion and stroking its length. “What were you thinking about?”

A part of her was a bit nervous as to what he might say. She wondered if he was thinking about how fast he could get her out of his bed and on to his next conquest. Even though they had the conversation the other day in the coffee shop about his current dating status, there was still a small nagging voice in the back of her head that was throwing up warning flags to BE CAREFUL!

She stiffened a little as he pulled her closer to him, her brain clouding over her body’s naturally fiery response to his touch.

Mitch cleared his throat before answering. “I was actually wondering what plans you had for the, oh – let’s say – rest of your life?”

She couldn’t contain her laughter, as she snorted loudly. But when she looked at him again and saw the seriousness written all over his face, she shifted in his arms uncomfortably. 

“Um – are you joking?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s heavy,” she commented, trying to roll further to the other side of the bed.

Mitch grabbed her arms and pulled her over on top of him, opening her legs so she could straddle him in a sitting position. Rylie was feeling overly exposed and vulnerable, and tried covering her breasts by crossing her arms, but he quickly took hold of her wrists and brought them down to his chest.