Project Date (23 page)

Read Project Date Online

Authors: Kate Perry

Then he bit my neck and said, “Remember. This is what you wanted.” And he slid his hands down till they were buried deep between my legs.
Another scream.
Intense.
Blinding.
He barely moved his fingers, just a soft caress right where it counted. My hands on the mattress for balance, I pushed back to meet his deep strokes.
Inside me, I felt him swell and grow even harder. The change in the way he felt triggered something inside me. I screamed his name and came harder than I’d ever thought possible.
Rio’s hands tightened on me and he gave a triumphant shout as he rolled against me one more time, forcefully. Then we collapsed into a panting heap on the bed.
Hours must have gone by before I had the strength to elbow him. “Off.”
“Sorry,” he mumbled as he rolled off my back.
I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Rio lay on his back next to me, eyes closed, one arm flung out, the other resting on his chest.
I grinned. “Trouble breathing after that brief workout, huh?”
He cracked open one eye. “Brief?”
Shrugging, I turned onto my back and pretended to study the ceiling. “It was over pretty quickly, don’t you think?”
He gripped my chin and forced me to face him. “Are you saying you weren’t satisfied?”
I hadn’t known such satisfaction could be achieved on this plane of existence, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. So I shrugged again and said, “It was a good start.”
His beautiful blue eyes narrowed and he came up on an elbow. “A good start.”
“Though I guess for someone your age you lasted pretty long.” I blinked in what I hoped was an innocent fashion. “I’ve read it’s only downhill from here.”
He rolled over onto me, trapping my arms over my head. “Already talking trash about my performance, huh? I guess I’m going to have to prove myself.”
Shiver. “Yeah, I guess you will.”
He bent his head and sucked half my breast into his mouth (it’s small so it’s possible—trust me).
“Oh!” I almost bucked him off me I jerked so hard.
He grinned against me. “Not bad?”
“It’s acceptable,” I said breathily.
“Hmm.” He licked around the areola like it was a Tootsie Roll Pop before he gave the other side the same treatment.
I grabbed his ears and held him to me, arching my back so he could take more.
“Like it?” he whispered.
“Oh. My. God.”
“I can move on if you want.”
“Yes. No.” I frowned. “Yes.”
He let go of my nipple with a pop and grinned up at me. “Which is it?”
“Well—” I pursed my lips “—can I reserve the right to come back to this?”
“Of course.” He smiled like a dark angel and slid down my body. “But you won’t want to.”
Ha! Right. He didn’t know how intensely wonderful this was!
“Oh, my
God
,” I screamed as I felt his tongue lick into me.
“Told you.”
I started to tell him gloating didn’t become him, but he did it again and again and again until I couldn’t think and all I knew was the velvety feel of his mouth against my most private parts and the sharp tingles his tongue caused as it explored me.
I closed my eyes and gripped the covers in my fists, trying to ground myself, but everything spun faster and faster until I exploded in a fiery burst.
Rio lifted away from me. If I could have formed a coherent thought, I might have asked him what he was doing. But he settled between my legs a moment later so I assumed he’d gotten another condom.
Gasping, I came to when he pushed himself into me.
“Sensitive?”
“Deliciously so,” I reassured him. I opened my eyes to find him gazing down at me like I was the center of his universe and he couldn’t think of a better place to be.
I smiled. I couldn’t think of anyplace better either. “You want to stop?” he asked tightly.
“Are you kidding?”
He grinned. “Good.” He sat up and pulled me so I straddled his lap. It put my chest at the right level for his mouth, which he fully took advantage of.
I sighed and let my head fall back. “Oh, this position is
nice
.”
He chuckled and I savored the feel of his breath against my skin. “Have I proven myself yet?”
“Um—” I bit back a moan as he did a particularly naughty swivel with his hips “—maybe soon.”
“Soon?” he growled against my neck, nibbling that sensitive spot just below my ear.
“Very soon. I think.”
He gripped my butt and ground me against him. “I guess I’ll have to try harder then.”
“Harder is good.” I gasped as he hit a sensitive spot inside me, over and over until I was on the brink again. I held on to his shoulders for dear life.
“Come for me, Phil.”
The low gravel of his voice was all I needed to fall over the edge. I came again—not as hard as the other times, but in an undulating, long wave. He cried out moments later, his hands holding me in place.
I wished I had the energy to open my eyes and watch him come. I wanted to. The thought would have whipped me to a frenzy if I hadn’t been wasted and wilted against his chest.
Carefully, Rio lifted me in his arms and settled me under the covers. He kissed my forehead. “Be right back.”
I nodded and snuggled into the down comforter. His bed was so comfortable.
I heard a toilet flush, a faucet running, and then the soft padding of bare feet on the cement floor as Rio made his way back to bed.
He slid under the covers all the way across the bed until he scooped me tight against him, spooning me from behind. Brushing my hair with his fingers, he whispered in my ear. “Phil?”
“Hmm?” I groggily wiggled till his package fit perfectly against my butt and slipped his hand up so it rested on my breast. So we’d be ready for later.
“Stay the night.”
“Okay,” I agreed readily. It felt right.
He pressed a kiss to the nape of my neck and snuggled in.
I sighed happily and fell asleep, safe in his arms.
Chapter Eighteen
“It’s really nice to wake up in your own neighborhood, and not have to worry about going to work, no plans. Just being able to ease into the day.”
—MacGyver, “The Prodigal” Episode #9
 
I startled out of sleep, my heart pumping.
Something was weird.
Someone stirred behind me and I froze. Who the hell was in my bed?
I looked down. Where the hell was my bed?
A hand snaked around my waist and tugged at me. “What’s wrong?” the muffled voice said.
Rio. Right—I was at his place. I relaxed into his embrace and slid back under the covers. “Sorry.”
He tucked me into his side and nuzzled my neck sleepily. “What for?”
“For waking you up.”
“It’s okay.” He pressed against me and I noticed just how okay it was.
I smiled, slow and lazy, and slid my hand down to cup his hard-on. “I don’t know about this. I’m surly in the mornings before I have my coffee.”
He rolled me on top of him so I straddled his hips. “This is much more effective than caffeine.”
“Is it?” I swooped down to lick his nipples. I’d found out last night that they were as sensitive as mine.
He speared his fingers into my hair and held me close. “Guaranteed to put you in a great mood all day.”
“That’s a big promise,” I murmured against his chest. I wiggled to tease him a little, but only ended up breathing harder myself. “A day is pretty long.”
He gripped my butt and surged against the outside of my womanly parts. “Good thing the day is almost half gone.”
My hand had just gotten a grasp of the situation (if you know what I mean) when I realized what he said. I sat up, his erection in my grip. “Half gone?”
Nodding, he covered my hand with his and squeezed. “It’s past ten.”
I groaned, both from what we were doing and the fact that it was so late. “I have to go to work.”
He nuzzled my neck. “Stay. Just for a little longer.”
“I want to, but I can’t.” It came out a plaintive whine. I jumped off the bad and scrounged for my clothing. “I’m late. Even for me.”
Leaning on his elbow, Rio half-sat, half-reclined. “Will you be missed?”
“Yeah. My intern will freak out and raise a search party.” I picked up my athletic bra. Ripe. I wrinkled my nose at the smell and decided against putting it on. Then I sniffed myself. I smelled like Kung Fu and sex and Rio. I couldn’t go to work smelling like this. “Can I use your shower?”
“It’s through there.” He nodded toward an opening I hadn’t seen.
I paused a moment, caught in the regret on Rio’s face. Such a contrast to seconds ago when he looked ready to eat me alive (sexually speaking). I wanted to kiss him and apologize and promise we’d continue later.
Ugh—I didn’t have time. I had to get to work. I knew he had a fairly flexible job, but not everyone could flit through life just being a boxing instructor. I had a serious career.
With a sigh, I rushed to the bathroom (also huge). I turned on one of the biggest showers I’d ever seen and waited for hot water.
I was rinsing my hair when the shower door opened suddenly. I gasped as Rio stood in the doorway.
“I came to help.” He stepped in and closed the door behind him.
The shower didn’t seem so spacious with Rio standing in it. “I’ve done this a lot. I think I can handle a shower on my own.”
“Can you?” He reached around me to grab a dispenser of soap and squeezed some into his hand. Without any ado, he set his hands to my breasts and lathered them up.
“I already washed that part,” I protested weakly.
He nodded but didn’t stop. “I’m sorry I let you oversleep. I didn’t know you had to be at work at a specific time, otherwise I would have set an alarm.”
I winced at the mention of an alarm. “I try to get there by ten.” I almost groaned and his hands rubbed down my sides to my back. I leaned against him, slippery and wet and turned on.
“We’d better make sure you’re clean all over then,” he said against my neck. His finger slipped between my legs from behind.
I let him soap me all over. They say cleanliness is next to Godliness, and that morning I was definitely in heaven.
When I finally arrived at work, I may have been in yesterday’s clothes but I was, in short, euphoric.
I was in love.
I strutted down the hall to my cube, Starbucks cup in hand, grin permanently etched on my face. I slid into my chair and greeted the guys. “Good morning, gentlemen. Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
The couple who heard me over their headphones and pumping music stuck their heads around their cubicles and scowled at me.
“She must’ve gotten laid,” one of them muttered.
I had. Gloriously so. But I just gave them a Mona Lisa smile and let it flow over me.
Today, I felt good. Relaxed. Thoroughly sated.
It was a new experience for me. Who knew? I didn’t. I had no idea sex could be like
that
. I wrinkled my nose. Someone should have told me. I picked up my phone and called Matt at work.
He answered on the third ring. “What?”
He sounded alert, if peeved, but I ignored that. “Why didn’t you tell me about sex?”
“Doc?”
“Who else would it be?”
“I don’t know. I get people calling me all the time asking about sex.”
If he were in front of me I would have punched him, but he wasn’t so I did the next best thing: I pulled out the whistle from my desk and blew it loudly.
“Doc!”
At the same time, there was a yelp from the peanut gallery and a dull thud. I looked up in time to see one of the guys startle right out of his chair and fall on his ass. I grinned. It was the same one who said I must’ve gotten laid, so I didn’t feel bad.
“What the hell is your problem?” Matt snipped at me.
“I’ve got no problem. I’m perfect today.” I beamed as if he could see it.
“I don’t have time for this,” he grumbled. “I have a deadline to meet.”
“Then answer the question.”
“What question?”
I rolled my eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me about sex?”
“Didn’t you go to junior high? They covered all the basics.”
“Exactly!” I nodded. “It’s the
other
stuff I’m talking about.”
“What other stuff?”
I opened my mouth to tell him and immediately flushed crimson. A crimson, I’m sure, that was so dark I looked purple. I certainly felt purple.
I couldn’t tell Matt. That’d be like going home and reporting to your mom.
Ick.
So I said, “Never mind.”
There was a pause and then Matt said, “This is revenge for some imagined thing that I’ve done, isn’t it?”
“No.” How could I explain I really needed someone to talk to about the shattering (literally) revelations I had last night? “I’m sorry I bothered you. Go back to work. I’ll call you later.”
I hung up as he was sputtering indignantly. He’d get over it.
What I needed was a close woman friend to talk to. Someone to confide things. Daphne? I made a face. Not Daphne. Someone wise about sex. Someone who’d understand.
I snapped my fingers. Magda.
“Mena.”
I whirled around and hit my knee on my desk. “Ouch. Damn it. Johnny?”
He leaned across my desk, his hands gripping the edges. “I haven’t heard from your sister yet.”
“So?” I scowled and rubbed my knee. Then I actually looked at him and noticed the slightly panicked, slightly distraught expression lining his face. “Johnny, are you lovesick?”
He sighed dramatically and wilted (I swear). I had to bite my lip not to grin.
“Is it something I did?”
I shook my head. It was something I did—or rather, didn’t do. Like give Daphne his phone number. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. No telling how he’d react. He looked like he might attack.
So I said, “I think she was just busy this weekend.”
He looked stricken. “With other men?”
Ha! That’d be the day. “No, we did some, um, sister things. You know, bonding and stuff.”
“She didn’t like me, did she?”
“No. I mean, yes, she liked you.” I sighed and covered my forehead. “Look, I forgot to give her your phone number.”
He blinked. “You did?”
Counting to ten, I waited for him to charge. I counted a couple of extra numbers (just in case) but nothing happened, so I glanced up at him.
It was pitiful, as if someone had handed him a brand new computer with dual processors and a terabyte of storage.
“Look,” I said, not able to take his sorry state any longer. “I’ll give it to her tonight when I get home. I promise. I’ll even make her call you.”
“Okay.” His grin was goofy but somehow endearing. When he walked away, he had a skip in his step.
I shook my head. Pathetic. I squinted and tried to imagine him as a brother-in-law.
Nope. Couldn’t do it. But stranger things happened in the world, I guess.
 
“Daph!” I slammed the front door closed and took the stairs two at a time, heading for the kitchen to get an emergency snack. I’d been starving all day. Must have been all the exercise I got yesterday.
Daphne looked up from the vegetables she was chopping and frowned. “Why do you keep doing that?”
“What?”
“Calling me Daph when you know I don’t like it.”
I opened the fridge and rummaged. There was more food than usual. My sister must have stocked up. Problem was, none of it was edible. “What the hell is this?”
She glanced at the package I held in my hand. “Tempeh.”
I poked at it. Blech. I put it back and searched for something normal. Fortunately I found a package of hot dogs in there.
“How would you like it if I called you—” Daphne’s brow wrinkled in thought.
“Mena?” I offered helpfully as I pulled out a frying pan.
“I was thinking more like Phil.”
Rio called me Phil, and I didn’t mind it one bit. In fact, I liked it a lot. “You’re right. I’d hate it.”
She frowned at me. “Then why are you smiling?”
I shrugged as I rotated my frying dogs. “Maybe it’s a tic.”
“You’re strange, did you know that?”
“You’re one to talk. You buy foreign substances that they didn’t even feed to astronauts in space.” I rolled the hot dogs off the fryer and onto a plate. Instead of sitting at the table, I leaned against the sink and watched Daphne as I blew on my food to cool it. “What are you making?”
“Stir-fry.” She glanced at my plate. “There’s enough for both of us if you don’t ruin your dinner.”
“With this? This is barely a snack.” I took a bite, chewed it happily for about one point three seconds before I gagged and spit it out onto the plate. “What
is
this?”
Daphne looked at me like she wanted to say
duh
, but being Daphne she’d never do that. “Tofu dogs.”
“Gross.” I did a residual gag, stepped on the garbage can, and tossed the pseudo-dogs in the trash. “Why didn’t you warn me?”
She shrugged and continued chopping.
I narrowed my eyes at her. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she looked satisfied. “You aren’t going to put anything weird in the stir-fry, are you?”
She blinked innocently. “I was thinking of tofu dogs, but maybe I’ll leave that out.”
I gawked at her. “Did you just make a joke? Am I in an alternate universe?”
She rolled her eyes as she poured oil in a pan and started adding veggies.

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