The Beginning of Us (302 page)

She looks at me again with those intense eyes.

"You do?"

I leave out a laugh and say, "Of course I do Char, can't you see that?"

"I guess, no I know I am just scared to fall in love again and get hurt."

"Ok so how about we don't fall in love just yet. How about we take what we have one day at a time. No expectations, no fears, no one getting hurt. We just be who we are and let love happen."

"I like that Riley, but I want to tell you how I feel. I want you to know how much you mean to me. But how do I say it without sounding like a love sick girl on her way to love?"

"You are one crazy girl, you know that right?"

"Yea, I do." She says as her cheeks begin to blush.

"Ok so let's take it in baby steps, just like one day at a time. When you first are attracted to someone you feel things and they gradually build up to love, right? So let's create an analogy for love and use those words to share how we feel. I am a baseball fan, which you already know about me, how about we try this. To start we hit a single, then we round off to second base, then we steal third base, and finally we have our self a home run. What do you think of that for a falling in love analogy?"

"Riley you are crazier than I am, you know that right? It is brilliant and I love it! It will work." She says clapping her hands and giggling.

"But I will tell you right now Char, I know I have hit the ball and am well on my way to second."

Char comes right at me crashing her mouth to mine. Our kiss is more desperate this time and we are sharing every last ounce of feeling we have just in this kiss alone.

She slowly pulls away and releases her hands from my neck. She walks back over to the stove and starts adding shrimp to the sauce.

She turns to look at me, right in the eyes and says, "I am glad we had this chat Riley and I am so glad we are on the same playing field. I am right behind you and can feel this team is going to win big."

"Now let's eat." She says while dishing out the salad, noodles, and shrimp scampi.

I am one lucky ass bastard.

Chapter 23

CHAR

Riley and I ate dinner and enjoyed the conversation of one another throughout the entire meal. Once our plates were empty and our bellies full, Riley insists that I relax on the couch while he cleans up the dinner dishes. I can't say that I argue with him. It’s nice to have someone to cook for and then clean up after me.

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have him here with me. I was once told that love will find you when you are least expecting it and for me it sure did. I love the baseball analogy that Riley created. It means so much to know he is thinking about our relationship as much as I am.

While Riley cleans up I look for something on TV for us to watch. It’s Monday night and all of my regular shows are still off for the summer season. With nothing exciting on any of the channels I flip the TV off and decide to look for a deck of cards.

"Hey babe, want to play some cards after you're all done tidying up my kitchen?" I ask tossing the deck in the air and grateful I could catch it.

"Sure, what do you have in mind?" He asks.

"Oh I don't know what aren't you good at?"

He laughs a full belly laugh and shakes his head at me. He looks back over at me with complete desire in his eyes and begins to inch his way toward me.

"Right now I feel like you are about to pounce on me. You are stalking over here like a lion ready to kill his prey, just thought you should know." I tell him with a giggle.

"Well I must say Char you are a fine piece of prey, if that’s what you want me to call it." He returns with a deep laugh.

"Well you will have to catch me first Mr. King of the Jungle." I squeal as he lurches toward me.

We chase each other around my small one-bedroom apartment for about three minutes before Riley catches me in the corner of my room. He has me stuck and watches me breathe heavily from our little running fit. Once he sees I’ve calmed down, he picks me up over his shoulder and totes me back out to the living room.

"Alright my little lioness, what card games do you have in store for me next?"

"Well since I only know how to play poker we can play that unless you want to teach me something else."

"Then I guess poker it is Char. Are we going to play for chips, money, or do you really want to spice it up a notch?" He shrugs his eyebrows in the sexiest way. I can feel my panties begin to dampen.

This man does things to me and my body that I can't even control. As I watch him stare at me, I can feel the butterflies begin to flutter, my heart skip a beat, and my breath increase.

"Am I turning you on right now Char?" He asks in a low raspy voice.

"Just deal the damn cards Riley, what kind of poker game do you have in mind." I ask for fear I know exactly the game he will choose.

"Can you go get us some drinks while I deal the cards?"

"Sure, but don't do anything tricky Riley."

I saunter my way into the kitchen trying to move as sexy as I can. I look over my shoulder and can see Riley watching every step I take. He moves in his chair ever so slightly and I stop in my tracks.

"Am I turning you on right now Riley?" I ask in my own deep and raspy voice.

"Get the drinks now Char! Or so help me I am going to come in there and get exactly what I want from you." I can tell he is bothered and trying his best to control his desires.

I continue into the kitchen and pour myself another glass of wine and grab a bottle of beer for Riley. As I make my way back out to the living room, I see that Riley has dealt us five card stud. He is looking his hand over with such intensity. I am no master poker player by any means, but I did learn a few things from the frat house parties in college. Let's see how smooth this guy really is with his game.

Riley explains the rules of five card stud to me as if I’ve never played. I listen intently so that he thinks I am a beginner and he throws in how we can spice it up a notch.

For every game lost a piece of clothing is shed. The only catch to this game of strip poker is that the opponent gets to choose which piece of clothing is to come off the losing player.

I like his rules and plan to get him completely naked before I have to take off one piece of clothing.

"Game on Riley, bring it!"

RILEY

God damn this girl can cook, I may as well propose marriage tonight before I lose her. Once again Char has made an amazing meal and I am stuffed to the gills. The gentleman that my Mama raised me to be, I offer to clean up the kitchen mess so that Char can go relax in the living room.

To keep things fun and exciting Char decides to play some cards. Lucky for me the only game that Char knows how to play is poker. So to liven things up a bit I suggest we play strip poker.

Tonight has been great up to this point and the sexual chemistry between the two of us is just about on fire. Between me staring into her eyes and flirting she is amping up her game by walking around in a sexy strut through the apartment.

The way she moves her hips and shakes her ass I can hardly keep my dick in my pants. I attempt to reposition myself to maintain comfort in these jeans, but if she continues this shit much more I may need to attack her and to hell with the card games.

"Here is your beer Riley." Char says in the sexiest voice she can muster.

"Char sit your fine ass down and get ready to lose your clothes." I tell her while attempting to keep things down under in order.

God damn it, this girl knows how to play fucking poker. Four hands into the game and she is still fully dressed and I have nothing on but my boxer briefs.

"Char, I think I was hustled by the sexiest woman in the world."

"Hey now, I can't help it that I have beginners luck Riley." She replies with a giggle and throws a full house down on the table.

"Fuck me!" I shout.

"I am taking you to Vegas and you are going to win us millions." I tell her while clearing the cards from the table.

Char stands and grabs her wine glass and my beer bottle from the table. She starts to tidy some things up around the kitchen and the living room and eventually makes her way back to the bedroom.

I wait here at the table in nothing but my boxers wondering what the hell she is up to. Is she coming back out here? Am I supposed to go back there? God this woman drives me crazy.

A few more minutes pass and I don't want to sit around any longer. The anticipation of seeing her and touching her is driving me mad. I make my way back to her room and once I make it to the doorway my feet suddenly became stuck to the floor.

The vision laying in front me is nothing I’ve ever seen before. Char is lying across her bed, head propped up by a pile of soft pillows and she is wearing nothing but a red lace bra and panties.

My mouth goes dry, my dick is fighting to break through the fabric of my boxer briefs, and a bolt of electricity surges through my body from top to bottom.

"Are you just going to stand there starring at me or are you going to come over here and take some revenge on me for beating your ass in poker?"

Char slowly starts to move across the bed so that she is looking directly in my eyes. She moves herself to get up on her hands and knees. My girl points a finger in my direction and curls it for me to come toward her.

She is seriously the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and she is all mine. I follow her lead and move in her direction toward the bed. Char gets up on her knees and puts her arms around my neck drawing me in closer to her body. Our bodies are flush against one another and I smell her sweet scent.

She makes the first move and I do not hesitate to follow her guidance. Char’s face inches closer to mine and she take my bottom lip in between her teeth. Ever so lightly she bites down and pulls till I emit a low moan. The erection in my boxers is screaming for her and I want to touch her so badly.

She brushes down my arms with her fingertips and slowly brings them back up to the top of my shoulders. She stares at my tattoo and begins to trail the art from my left bicep, across my chest, and ending at my right bicep. She places her lips on my shoulder and traces her faded touch back in the opposite direction with her tongue.

She has complete control over me in this moment and I am in awe of this woman. Char is strong, she is beautiful, she is smart, and she is all mine.

"Char, I want you so bad right now baby."

"Not yet Riley, let me show you how much you mean to me."

She pushes me to turn my body and lie down across the bed. I move my way up toward the top of the bed and she straddles my body. She puts her lips just hovering over mine and slowly places a kiss to them. I want to deepen the kiss so I lift my head to meet her lips. I slide my tongue into her mouth. I can feel her tongue dancing with mine. She tastes like warmth and passion. The need we express to one another as our mouths and tongues intertwine is pure lust, desire, and need.

She starts to make her way down my body leaving wet nips, kisses, and her finger impressions in my skin. She runs her hands along the muscles of my stomach and I can feel them tighten under my skin.

She positions herself between my thighs and pulls at my boxer briefs. I take this signal to lift my hips so that she can ease them down my legs. She bunches them in a ball and tosses them to the floor.

Char looks me in the eyes and gives me a seductive smile. I know what she is about to do and the anticipation is killing me, I mean seriously killing me.

She leans forward and takes me in her hands. She squeezes me with her right hand just enough to get the blood flowing and starts to caress my balls with her left. This is a moment of pure bliss and I can't describe it as anything else.

"Fuck Char!"

My hips buck as she takes me in her mouth. Her tongue is warm and wet as she shoves me in until I can feel the back of her throat.

She continues to lick back up to the top of my cock. She swirls her warm tongue around the tip of my dick and then takes me back in her mouth. She moves up and down while sucking with just enough pressure to take me to the edge. Letting go she moves down and takes my balls in her mouth and I let out a breath that I did not realize I had been holding.

"Char!" I shout.

"Baby if you don't want me coming in your mouth I suggest you stop. I can't hold back much longer."

I can feel her lips spread into a wide grin and she giggles as she takes me back in her mouth. The sensation of her laughs sends vibrations through my dick and down into my balls and it’s my undoing. I grab her pony tail and hold her tight against me as I squirt my load into her mouth. She is a trooper and sucks every last drop until I am done. She finishes with a kiss to my tip and brings her body up next to mine.

"Char, that was beyond amazing." I tell her with a kiss to her forehead.

She giggles and says, "I figured since I kicked your ass in poker you deserved a little something from me."

"I'd say I am the winner tonight. Thanks babe."