Chapter 19
Audrey doesn’t reply, but pink covers her cheeks as she bites her lip. I’m taking it as a good sign, but I don’t want Audrey to feel like I’m pressuring her. I can be patient.
Grabbing both cats off the enclosure, I secure them against my chest before placing one hand on Audrey’s back, and lightly push her toward the doorway. “I’m going to close the door so the pigs can get acclimated without Maverick or Goose bothering them.”
“Probably wise,” Audrey says quietly, allowing me to guide her out of the room. Flash follows, her eyes zeroed in on Goose in my arms, occasionally growling at my angry cat. I toss Goose onto the stairs right as the oven timer goes off. “Did you cook?”
“No, I put our dinner in there to stay warm.”
“What are we having?” Audrey asks as she follows me into the kitchen.
“I had the event caterers send us two of everything they offer so we can finalize the menu. So it’s pretty much a smorgasbord.”
“Wait!” she shouts, and I turn to find a horrified expression on her face. “They have seafood on their menu! You can’t have anything!”
“I can’t believe you remembered that,” I murmur.
She huffs. “Of course I remember! I could have poisoned you with clam chowder!”
I chuckle. “Poison is a little bit of a stretch, and usually I ask what something is before I put it in my mouth. The caterers know. They assured me everything was prepared separately from any seafood dishes, and also said we can have a gluten-free area for the event. Their head chef has a child with celiac, and he takes food preparation very seriously.”
“Oh, that’s good. We should include that option on the RSVPs so we know how much to request.”
Putting oven mitts on my hands, I carefully remove the large aluminum pan, placing it on the island. “Would you prefer to plate things and eat in the dining room, or —”
Audrey pulls the foil off the top of the pan, immediately grabbing a roasted potato and popping it into her mouth. “We can eat here. Why dirty up plates?”
This woman is perfect. “Sounds good to me. Pull up a stool.”
And this is how I have my first meal with my girlfriend in my home, hovering over a disposable pan full of twenty different foods.
“So,” I say, chewing on the top of my pen, “I have beef tenderloin, chicken Provencal, and mushroom risotto. Sides are roasted potatoes, a vegetable mix, and a side salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Servers will have trays of hors d’oeuvres including a potato pastry puff, bacon wrapped beef, chicken bruschetta, and hummus-filled phyllo cups. Should we have more sides at dinner?”
“No,” Audrey answers confidently. “I’ve been to enough of these events. I can guarantee most people will barely eat anyway. As long as we have an open bar, they won’t complain.”
“I was thinking a cash bar,” I admit. “We’ve made a lot of money that way in the past.”
“Rich drunks spend more money on things, especially when the alcohol is free. Why do you think casinos in Vegas offer free drinks to gamblers?”
Well, I feel stupid. “That makes a lot of sense, and I feel like an idiot. No one on the board has argued with me over it.”
“You’re the owner. You’re intimidating. While it’s possible the board doesn’t know about casinos, I know I’d be intimidated by you if I had to disagree with something like that.”
“Oh yeah?” I murmur, pulling her stool closer to mine so I can wrap my arms around her. I glance quickly at Flash, zonked out on the new dog bed I purchased today, her wheelchair perched next to her. Evidently, chasing after a curious cat is exhausting. “Am I intimidating now?”
She giggles, the sound melodious and phenomenal. “Not especially, no. Do you want me to be intimidated by you?”
“No. I like you in my space. I don’t want to scare you away.”
“It’s not like I can get out of here without your permission,” she jokes. “I’m not scaling the fence, and frankly, your driveway is too long. If I’m running, I can assure you that something is chasing me.”
“What if I’m the one chasing you?” I ask softly, leaning forward to suckle on the spot where her neck meets her shoulder.
Her quick intake of breath, followed by the tiniest of whimpers, is music to my ears. “I’ve never been chased before. Literally or metaphorically.”
“Metaphorically?”
“Yeah. Like when a man puts in the effort to win a woman’s heart,” she says breathlessly as I nibble lightly on her collarbone. Her words make my head whip up to stare at her incredulously.
“No man has ever tried to win you? No courting, nothing?”
She shakes her head shyly. “I’ve mentioned before that my dating experience is pretty lackluster. I’ve been fine with that. Then you sort of steamrolled in, and took me completely by surprise.”
Stunned speechless, my eyes dart between hers. How is this possible? Audrey is the sweetest and most genuine woman I’ve ever met. No one has ever been as compassionate with me before. I find it hard to believe that any guy she’s come into contact with has seen this side of her still chose to bolt.
“I think, maybe, I’ve been waiting for you,” Audrey blurts out, and a lump forms in my throat.
Maybe she’s right. Maybe that’s why I’ve never felt the inclination to get serious with another woman.
I suppose I may have been waiting for her too.
But the words don’t seem to come out. Instead, I lean forward to kiss her deeply.
I try to pace myself. Focus on breathing.
Try to read every nonverbal signal Audrey sends my way.
The sounds she makes, if she touches me, and how she kisses me back.
But honestly, I’m shit at reading signs like this, and I send up a mental thank you to the man upstairs when Audrey climbs into my lap. That’s a signal I understand.
“Jamie,” she whispers against my lips. “Take me to bed.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I mutter, putting my hands under her ass to lift her. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I vaguely think about how perfect she feels like this as I quickly stride to the stairs.
“Will Flash be alright down here for a bit? My bedroom is upstairs,” I explain.
“She’ll be fine. She’s a heavy sleeper,” Audrey answers, her voice sultry and husky as she applies a light kiss to my neck.
The sensation sends a shiver down my spine, and I almost drop her as I stalk into my bedroom.
Noting Maverick on the large cat tree in the corner, I unceremoniously drop Audrey onto the bed, then grab Maverick, evicting him from my room.
Closing the door quickly, I rip off my shirt as I cover Audrey’s body with my own.
She sighs happily into my mouth as my tongue circles hers, and wraps all of her limbs around me.
I pepper kisses down her neck, pulling her shirt up to expose her stomach and chest. Tonguing her nipple through her lace bra, I revel in how quickly it pebbles against the fabric.
Audrey’s hands latch in my hair, holding my head in place.
I move to her other nipple, applying the same technique, listening to Audrey’s quiet moans of pleasure. “Is this okay?”
“Uh-huh,” she replies.
“You’ll tell me if you don’t like something? If you want me to stop?”
“Oh God, please don’t stop,” she whimpers, pushing my head down against her breast, making me chuckle against her skin.
“I don’t plan on stopping, baby, unless you tell me to. As soon as you say the word, I stop.” I pull her shirt all the way up, over her head, and she frantically removes it.
“I got it. Consent, good. Words, good. Jamie, good. Get back at it,” she says, motioning for me to continue.
“You cool if I take off your leggings?” The thin fabric that seems painted on, covering her delectable ass that I want to bury my face in.
“Uh-huh. You cool if we nix the constant questions, and you just get to removing my clothes, please?” I see the passion in her eyes, and the slight bite of impatience in her tone makes me smile.
“I like this side of you, Doc. Not shy or reserved. You gonna give me lip the whole time, or do you think I can shut you up with my mouth?” I ask cheerfully as I pull her leggings and panties off simultaneously.
“Well at least if your mouth is occupied, you can’t keep asking me ques — oh Goddddddd,” she moans, as I dive right in, latching onto her clit. Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Eyes closed, Audrey looks breathtaking as she moans and thrashes against me.
One hand grabs a handful of my hair, while the other pinches her nipple.
I had told her I needed eye contact, but right now, unabashedly watching her as I bring her closer to climax, I’m in awe. She’s just so fucking beautiful.
Sliding my middle finger into her pussy, I begin manipulating her to determine what spot feels the best. Finding her G-spot, I apply minimal pressure, feeling her clench in response.
When I slide the tip of my tongue under the hood of her clit, her entire body tightens unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
I dance around it, dragging my tongue up and down, close but never close enough, until Audrey yanks me by the hair and puts me where she wants me.
“Jamie, please. I need to come,” she whimpers.
I apply a quick flick to her clit, then add a finger to rub against her G-spot. “Did you think I’d get you this turned on and not bring you all the way?”
Her head thrashes against the comforter. “I’m impatient. And it’s been so long since someone has gone down on me. Please. I forgot how good an oral orgasm is. Please, baby.”