Chapter 13 #2
“My cousins and their kids. I've curated lists of stuff they like, and I keep updating wish lists on retailers' sites.
Sometimes that works against me. I'm supposed to just choose a few items from the list. But they all look so good that I end up ordering far too much. But I like making people happy, and seeing the way their eyes light up when they get their gifts is priceless.”
“You like kids?”
“Oh yeah. I've always wanted to have a lot.”
“Define that,” I said, because it sounded suspicious.
“Six.”
“What? No, that's not possible.”
She laughed. “I know. It was my ideal number eight years ago, probably because I have six cousins and always thought it was amazing to have so many people in the house.
" She sighed. "But, I mean, that ship has sailed.
I'm not twenty anymore." She paused for a moment, her eyes a bit sad, then asked, "How about you? You like kids?”
“Yeah. Though I always thought about one or two. Six never even crossed my mind.”
I wanted to ask her more about how she saw her own future, but I didn't get the chance because the waiter came with our food. I needed to have Reese all for me—away from any bars, restaurants, hotels, or events.
"Here are your drinks. On the house. And your food. Please let us know if anything isn't to your liking, and we'll change it."
The waiter stood next to the table after setting everything down. I suspected he was waiting for us to taste our food and drinks before leaving.
Reese looked up at him sweetly. "I'm sorry for being so blunt before. And thank you for giving us drinks on the house."
The waiter fidgeted. "Is there any way you won't leave us a bad review?"
She jerked her head back. "That didn't even cross my mind. You have nothing to worry about. We'll let you know if we need anything else."
I detected eagerness in her voice. She wanted him gone just as much as I did.
After he left, we finally turned to our food. It was a great steak, but honestly, I only had Reese on my mind. Nothing else mattered.
She took a sip of her martini. "Mm, now that's what I call a drink. Serves me right, experimenting with strange cocktails."
Right now, I just wanted us to get the food out of the way. Despite saying we weren't going to talk tonight, I was finding out more and more about her, and I couldn't wait to ask even more questions—or even better, for her to open up.
I ate quickly, but Reese took her time, enjoying the fires. Just as I swallowed my last bite, the volume of the music exploded.
"Oh God. What is this?" she exclaimed.
Through the curtain, we saw a lot of movement at the front of the room.
"It's a live band," Reese said. "Those are always a bit louder."
"What? I can't hear you."
She brought her mouth to my ear. "Live bands are usually louder. I don't think we'll be able to talk at all."
Feeling her hot breath on my skin made me semihard. On instinct, I put a hand on her back. She straightened, sighing. Involuntarily, I flexed my fingers, digging them slowly into her back.
"You want us to go?" she murmured. Her voice had changed. It sounded almost shy, but the intent behind it was clear.
I turned my head, speaking into her ear now. "Yes. Fuck yes, I want us to go."
"Is your place closer than mine?"
Fuck me. "Yes, it is," I said, then motioned for the waiter to get the bill.
He came so fast, I half expected him to break his neck. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes. We'd like to pay."
His eyes widened a bit. "But you haven't even finished your drinks."
"We've had a very long day," Reese said. It was a good thing she'd stepped in, because I found him too intrusive to remain polite.
"I'll bring the check right away," he replied, then headed toward the register area.
The music became even louder in the meantime, and I couldn't wait to get out of here.
Thankfully, he returned quickly. After paying, and leaving the waiter a generous tip, Reese and I left.
"Where do you live exactly?" she asked when I opened the car door for her.
"In the South Loop neighborhood," I said.
She nodded once but didn't say anything.
"You sure you don't want us to go anywhere else?" My question was loaded, and I hoped she didn't pick up on my eagerness.
"I'm sure," she said.
This evening had taken an unexpected turn, and I couldn't have been happier about it.
When we arrived at my condo a short while later, I ushered her inside with my hand on the small of her back.
"Wow. This place is amazing." She walked straight to the window wall. I called it that because it was made exclusively out of windows overlooking the skyline of Chicago. "I bet this is gorgeous when there’s still light outside. I mean, it's breathtaking like this too, of course."
I turned on the light of the reading lamp that hung above an armchair.
"I like the color palette," she said, turning around. "Very masculine."
I tried to view it from her perspective—a black carpet with gray stripes, a round black coffee table, and a dark blue couch.
“Are you going to decorate it for Christmas?” she inquired.
“I haven’t thought about that. Maybe. There is still time.”
She grinned. “You can never start too early. I’ve already put a few things up in my condo.”
"Damn. You like starting really early. Do you want anything to drink?" I asked her.
"Can you make a martini?"
"I can, actually. The bar is fully stocked."
She sat down on the couch, looking even more beautiful right now than any other time I'd seen her. There was something about seeing her on my couch that tapped into my primal instinct.
I mixed her martini and poured my bourbon. "I don't have any olives," I said as I brought both our glasses to where she was seated.
She laughed. "Honestly, the alcohol is all that matters. I never eat the olive or cherry or whatever they put in it anyway." She glanced around the room, then looked back at me. "So, did you live here with your ex-wife?"
"No, I bought this place after the separation. I wanted something fresh, something that represented me.”
"Hence the masculine vibe. Got it. It's very elegant."
I sat next to her on the couch, handing her the drink. Our fingers brushed, and just like back at the restaurant, a spark flew between us. This time, I couldn't hold back a groan.
She looked from the glass up to my lips before finally gathering the courage to make eye contact.
"Dom," she murmured.
I needed to taste her. Right now.