Chapter 17
LUCERO
“I feel like this is a reward for you. Even though I won.” My husband tapped his perfectly manicured sharp nails on the table.
Yes, it was. However, I wasn’t about to confirm his thoughts. Onyx was liable to get up and leave and I couldn’t have that. Who knew when the next time I could convince him to go out with me would be. “Get whatever you want, bella.”
Onyx closed the menu and sat it on the table, watching me intently.
Neither one of us said anything for a long while.
I was content with watching him and being in his presence.
The small shop wasn’t too full although they’d been fairly popular as of late.
There was a steady stream of people coming in but no one was too loud.
“Is this a date?” I asked.
“No.”
“But we are out of the house, and I’m buying dessert. We are married and we are sexually interested in each other.” I ticked off every reason this could be a date on my fingers. “You’re dressed up.”
“I’m always dressed up.”
“You wear lingerie around the house a lot more lately.”
Onyx squinted at me. “Are you complaining?”
I shook my head so hard the world spun around me for a second, and even when I stopped. “I love it.”
“Then shut up.”
I snapped my mouth shut for all of five seconds. “Our first date.”
“You’re—”
“Welcome to Creme Noire, sorry for the wait. Can I get you started with anything to drink? We have our signature teas and mimosas currently at half price during happy hour,” the waitress said, interrupting Onyx.
He glared at me but gave the waitress an award-winning smile. “Yes, I’ll have the house tea with milk on the side, please.”
“Of course, and I love your outfit. You look absolutely beautiful.”
Onyx’s laugh was light and made my insides flip. I reached under the table and pulled his chair closer to me.
His laughter was for me and me alone.
The waitress glanced my way for a short second. She offered me a smile but it wasn’t nearly as big as the one she offered to my husband.
“And for you, sir?”
“Coffee, black.”
She nodded. “Do you need more time on what desserts you want to try?”
We both put in our orders. Onyx ordered half the menu, and to make sure he was satisfied, I went ahead and ordered the other half.
The moment we were alone again, Onyx twisted to look at me. “What was that for?”
“You’re not wearing your wedding ring and you laughed.”
He looked at me as if I’d grown a second head. I wasn’t crazy. Although Onyx had a dating history of only men in his past, he had a few women he’d taken to bed. I knew everything about my husband.
“Will you tone down the crazy if I put it on?”
“Yes.”
I’d taken to slipping the ring on Onyx’s finger every morning when I got the chance. Today had been an exception. He’d been up well before me, pouring over paperwork that had come in from one of his contacts.
Onyx pulled the three carat ring out of his pocket and pushed it onto his finger. “There, happy?”
“Yes, very.” When he went to pull his chair back away, I quickly stopped him.
“Anyone ever tell you you’re clingy and needy?”
I smiled. “But you like that about me.”
Onyx opened and closed his mouth before crossing his arms. My husband could say what he wanted, but I knew he enjoyed the fact that I couldn’t get enough of him.
We’re perfect for each other.
“You’re so beautiful.”
“Shut up,” Onyx muttered just as our drinks were brought out. He didn’t try to move away from me again, instead giving in to his fate.
A small win, but I’d happily take any I could get.
“After this, we need to go back and get to reading over all the paperwork. I didn’t have Cara pull everything up just for us not to take a look”
“There is a new art exhibit featuring a few artists, including one of your favorites.”
Onyx froze with the tea cup halfway to his mouth. “Who?”
“Hugh Garrison.”
He twisted around fully to stare at me. “He hasn’t come up with anything in the last four years. There is no way.”
I nodded. “Way.”
“Lucero, if you’re lying?—”
I placed my hand over my left pec. “I swear I’m not.”
Onyx watched me for another second before he turned back toward the table and took a sip of his tea. “Okay, but after that we go home.”
I nodded, more than happy with that arrangement. For weeks I’d been looking into ways to get Onyx to go out with me. Now that I had him, there was no way in hell I was going to mess up the chance. I’d make it so my husband fell head over heels with me by the end of our date.
“You like art?” Onyx asked.
I shook my head. “No, but I can appreciate beautiful things.” I took hold of his chin and turned his face so we locked eyes. “Like you.”
Onyx’s cheeks turned a tempting shade of red. He let me hold him like that for a few more seconds before he batted my hand away. My husband was up and moving his chair back across from me.
Shit, I went too far.
Before I was able to right my wrong, the waitress was back, along with two other people as they filled our table with endless amounts of sweets. Onyx didn’t hesitate; he reached for one of the strawberry cakes.
I swore there was a drop of drool escaping his mouth as he looked at the mountain before us.
Exquisite.
I watched him, transfixed, as he tried every dessert on his side, moaning for the world to hear. I wanted desperately to record every sound that came out of his mouth and keep it to myself.
“Try this,” I said as I took a piece of my lemon lavender cake.
Onyx glared at me but the moment his gaze moved over to the dessert, he licked his lips.
I wished he looked at me like that all the time. He leaned forward, parting his pillowy lips and took the food into his mouth. His pink tongue poked out, swiping to collect any remaining crumbs.
Why wasn’t I born a piece of cake?
A deep moan wrapped around us and it took my brain far too long to realize it had come from me.
“That’s good,” Onyx groaned.
I quickly forked another bite and offered it to him.
His brow lifted in question but my husband, being who he was, leaned forward and took the offered bite. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he chewed.
“It’s so moist.”
The cake wasn’t the only thing moist. My boxers were going to be a mess by the time we finished eating.
“Try this one next.” I broke off a piece of an orange shortbread cookie that had a cranberry glaze.
Onyx didn’t even question me anymore, leaning forward and taking the bite right out of my hand.
His lips grazed my fingertips, leaving behind tendrils of need that shot right down to my cock.
As he was caught up in tasting the cookie, I discreetly brought my finger to my mouth and licked them, loving the small taste of him.
Desire coated every inch of me in a thick layer of want.
“You’re not going to record me?” Onyx asked.
I sat up straighter, pulling out my phone without hesitation. “Can I?” I didn’t have any so close up. None of them when he was looking directly at me. My heartbeat pounded in my eardrums, nearly drowning out Onyx’s answer.
“Now you want to ask for permission?” His head tilted and there was a light smile on his lips. “What do I get out of it if I let you?” He grabbed his spoon and scooped up a dollop of lemon gelato. Ever so slowly, he lapped up the cold dessert.
My cock was ready to explode.
“Huh?” I shook my head, raising my phone up to get a picture.
“Oh no, you don’t.” He raised his hand, blocking the perfect view.
I cleared my throat, hiding the needy sounds that desperately tried to come out. “Whatever you want.” Onyx opened his mouth, and I remembered who my husband was. “Within reason.”
He shut his mouth and glared at me. “What’s within reason?”
“I won’t divorce you or change my name right now.” I thought about all the impossible things Onyx could ask of me. “Or move out.”
“Fine, then I want a favor for later.”
Onyx could ask me to do anything. There was no need for a favor, but I nodded all the same. He dropped his hand, and I took my first picture. My stomach flipped when I looked at it. Onyx was staring directly at me, tongue out as he lapped up the gelato.
My hips lifted as I rolled them up. “Ready to go home?”
My sweet devilish husband parted his lips and adopted an innocent look on his face. “What’s the matter, Lucero? Aren’t you having fun on our date?”
Of course I was, but I needed him. I opened my mouth to tell him as much but pleasure rippled through me as he pressed his foot against my needy cock under the table.
I bent forward, my elbows crashing down, jostling everything that sat up top.
My breathing was erratic as Onyx toyed with me, his toes stroked up and down my length with the right amount of pressure to drive me crazy.
“Bella.” I sounded breathy and needy to my own ears.
Onyx smiled that wicked grin. “Hmm?” His foot moved up and pressed down on my tip. “Is something the matter?”
I shook my head. Words were beyond me as I just tried to stay sitting upright.
“Thought so. Oh, I like this one the best.” Onyx picked up one of the caramel apple cream puffs. “So light and fluffy, don’t you think so, Lucero?” He swiped some of the cream and offered me his fingers.
I died and went straight to heaven. There was no other explanation for this.
I scrambled to lean forward to capture his fingers in my mouth.
Fuck the people around us; I wasn’t missing out on the opportunity.
Right before my lips closed around his fingers, Onyx pulled them back and popped them between his lips.
“Oh, sorry, I’ll use a spoon.”
Nooo.
“Bella, I want to try.”
Onyx nodded, reaching for his spoon, but I moved it out of reach.
“No, like before.”
He smirked at me. I wasn’t stupid. He caught me in his web but I’d willingly walked right into it. I’d happily lay flat and sacrifice myself to Onyx.
“I don’t know. How badly do you want to try it?”
“Bad.”
Onyx chuckled, it was a stark difference to the soft light one he’d done earlier. It was twisted and dark and only for me.