Chapter 30
Hunter
I want to ask her what’s going on with us. Are we dating? Just because I’ve kissed her and I can draw a map of her beautiful naked body, doesn't give me the right to demand anything from her. She sits back in her chair and I congratulate myself for not letting my eyes drop to her chest.
“Wow. I mean I don’t judge because love is love, and if they can deal with it, then that’s amazing, but I couldn’t share. But then I suppose she doesn’t.” She giggles to herself.
I’ve just told her about one of my associates in New York who is in a polyamorous relationship. “Good to know that you don’t share, because neither do I, Tink.”
“Yeah right, you’ve never had a threesome?” she scoffs.
“Okay, I’ve done that but I mean in general. When I’m in a relationship I’m going to be committed.”
“That makes it sound like you’ve never really had a relationship or been in love?” My mind drifts to Chloe, but I’m shocked when my body doesn’t lock, and my blood doesn’t boil at the memory of her and what she did to me. I recall those memories, feeling sad for how I reacted, and for the person I changed into.
“I thought I was in love once, but it didn’t work out. We were young.” I need to tell her about Chloe and why I am the way I am, but I can’t do that to her tonight. She’s not been herself this week with her mom being ill. I could tell by the way she melted into my side at the station that the tension she had built up eased. And me dredging up the past will only ruin this perfect evening. “There was also this one woman; we had an on again off again kind of relationship, but I wasn’t in love.”
“I suppose when you put it like that, I’ve never been in love either.” She sits forward looking down at her now empty beer bottle. I need to steer the conversation back towards happier topics.
“So dessert?”
Grinning, she stands, holding out her hand. “Dessert.”
For the second time tonight, I think I’m having a food orgasm. “What the actual fuck am I eating right now?” I moan around the waffle.
“An Oreo Bubble Waffle, of course.”
“How the hell have I never had one of these?”
“Because you’ve lived your wonderfully privileged life with your two thousand pound fine dining.”
“Okay, you win. The restaurant food was amazing but this,” I hold up the waffle, “is legendary.”
“I’m glad it meets your superior tastes, Mr. Stone.” She takes a huge bite out of her Nutella waffle, a small bit of spread lingering on the corner of her lips, and I can’t help myself. I swipe it away, popping my thumb in my mouth to suck the sauce off. Her pupils dilate with heat and desire. I drop my voice, leaning into her.
“Delicious.”
I leave a lingering kiss on her pulse point, loving seeing the goosebumps appear. I know I’ve taken the night to a different level, and I take her hand.
We walk in silence through the market, finishing our waffles, until we reach the station. I really don’t want the night to end. And the way Jade keeps worrying her bottom lip, I don’t think she does either.
“Do you want to come back to mine? No pressure I just…” I blow out a breath. “I just don’t want to let you go. Not yet.” She looks up at me with those stunning eyes and wraps her arms around me, reaching up on her toes and bringing her lips to mine. She tastes sweet and I want more. The hold this woman has on me is like nothing I’ve ever experienced, I’m losing my damn mind as my lips glide over her soft plump lips and she opens up for me, her breast pushed against my chest, demanding more. My hands cup her face making her moan, and fuck, its everything. Seeming to remember where we are, she pulls away.
“I don’t want you to let me go either.”
“Oh!” she murmurs when we step inside my house.
“Oh?”
“Sorry it’s just not the house I remembered.”
“No, I bought this place when I took over the London office.” I guide her with my hand on her lower back into the open plan living space.
“What am I doing?” she whispers, as she gingerly moves around my space. I watch her as she takes in the expensive artwork adorning my walls, and the way she slides her hands along the cool surface of my granite kitchen island. I rub the back of my neck as she reaches the huge expanse of windows that span the whole width of the living space and open out onto the deck and my infinity pool. “So you really are a real life billionaire,” she whispers, placing her palm on the glass.
God, she looks so tiny as she moves through the room trailing her fingers along the back of my couch before tentatively sitting on the arm her head in her hands. “What am I doing?” She repeats and my body goes cold as I realize she might not want this, want me.
I squat down in front of her and run my palms up and down her legs hoping to calm her and me if I’m honest. She covers my hands with her own and the warmth emanating from them and the fact that she isn’t pushing me away has my heart pounding.
“I may be rich, Tink but it means nothing if I’ve got no one to spend it on. I’m going to enjoy spoiling you.”
“I don’t expect gifts.” She laughs and she interlinks our fingers.
“I know and that’s exactly why I want to spoil you. People always want something from me, but not you.” There is a look of pity etched on her flawless face as she squeezes my hands sending a rush of heat up my spine as I bare her another piece of my soul.
“I only want to get to know you, the real you. Something has drawn you to me from that very first night like an invisible thread just tethered me to you. I tried to stay away, but you pulled me back.” I can’t take it anymore. I stand and lift her off the couch her legs instinctively wrap around my waist. I sit down on the couch and she settles in my lap her hands pressed to my chest, the heat they create practically burns my skin through the fabric of my t-shirt.
Her breath is hot against my lips as she whispers, “Unless you want to buy me shoes. Now those I will accept.”