Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Julian
Her blush deepens as she watches me savor her taste on my tongue.
I want more of it, I want to taste it straight from the source.
My cock gives a painful jerk at the thought.
I had no idea what I was doing when I followed her down this hallway, but I can say with certainty that finger fucking Leena to orgasm was nowhere close to what I had imagined.
Making this woman come was the hottest fucking thing I have ever done. My dick is throbbing with unsatisfied pleasure, but I would rather her get off just to experience her sweet cunt squeezing around my fingers. Maybe one day it will be clenching my dick.
Leena’s hand flips her hair over her shoulders, then her spine straightens, and her eyes widen.
She takes a step back from me. A wave of worry washes over me—worry that I’ve seriously fucked up, or that she is going to ditch me and freeze me out for good.
My breathing stalls in my chest at the thought.
I’m so angry with myself for letting my physical desire for her cloud my brain. I knew I needed to proceed with caution when it came to pursuing this woman.
Looking up at me, she pushes her hair back. “Look, this happened and we can’t take it back—” I can’t hide my wince, and she must notice because she rushes to say, “I’m not blaming you for what happened. I got lost in the moment, too. But it can’t happen again.”
Swallowing down my panic, I go for honesty.
“I’m not sorry for what we did, because that was fucking hot, but I am sorry for it happening here and now.
” Frowning, she starts twisting her hands.
I move closer and place a hand on her hip while clasping her fidgeting fingers with the other.
“I’m serious, Aleena. I’m asking you to give me a chance.
What I feel for you may be intense and really fast, but I can’t turn it off.
And I don’t want to.” Her full name once again falls from my lips when I want her to really hear what I have to say.
Her eyes soften and lips twitch like she’s trying to contain a smile.
That’s encouraging. I continue on, “But I don’t want it to be just physical, I want to get to know you.
There’s no way this connection between us is just lust. I feel it with a certainty I can’t explain, and I don’t want to scare you off, but that’s where I’m at.
So, I’m just asking you to be open to what this can be. ”
Worried I sound like a fucking sap, I snap my mouth closed before I can say any more that could scare her.
When she doesn’t respond, I tilt her chin up with my knuckles and run my thumb over her bottom lip.
I stifle a groan when she involuntarily swipes her tongue out, softly grazing the tip of my finger.
“Julian, I—” She is abruptly cut off when someone calls her name from the end of the hallway. She jumps away from me, and we both turn to see Charlie hurrying down the hall. I’m thankful for the interruption, because I really didn’t want to hear her reject me again.
“Food was delivered to your table. I didn’t want anyone coming to look for you,” Charlie says in my direction.
Leena narrows her eyes suspiciously, probably wondering why Charlie was keeping a look out for me.
I might have an ally in my quest to win Leena over.
I’ll have to remember to thank her later. She may let me pick her brain for tips.
With a grateful nod of my head to convey my thanks, I turn to my girl. My pretty girl, because she is mine.
“Please think about what I said.” Lowering my head, I brush my lips across her cheek then whisper, “My meal isn’t going to taste as good as you.” Moving around them, I surreptitiously adjust my aching dick as I call over my shoulder with a grin, “Night, ladies.”
Returning to the table, I quickly slip into my seat and scoot my chair in. The last thing I need is anyone at this table spotting the semi I’m still sporting.
My gaze remains locked on the hallway exit, waiting for Leena to emerge. But I’m startled by Diego calling across the table. “Everything all right?”
Bouncing my knee, I drag my gaze away from the hallway to my colleagues. “Oh, yep. Got stuck on a call I had to take.”
I push the food around my plate, taking an occasional bite, until Leena and her friend return to their table.
Leena’s face is unreadable as she snatches up her drink and downs it in one gulp.
Then she clumsily reaches for her purse, bobbling it until she firmly grasps it and slips the strap over her shoulder.
Charlie hovers with a worried frown before they hastily make a beeline for the elevator.
Leena’s shoulders drop as the doors open, and she steps inside. Turning, she looks right at me until the doors slide shut. There’s a pang in my chest watching her walk away. I bring my glass to my mouth and knock back the remainder of my old-fashioned.
“That must have been some phone call,” Alisha says, her eyes sharp with curiosity as she watches me. Tapping the table next to my empty glass, she gives a flirty flutter of her lashes as she asks, “Another drink?”
As much as I want another to dull my worry, I know it wouldn’t really help.
It will also make catching my early morning flight back to Philly even harder.
I shake my head, “No, I’m good.” Politely smiling, I take another bite of my dish as Connor and Logan pull me into a discussion about the upcoming football season.
I remain on edge for the rest of the evening, my anxiety and unspent lust coursing through my blood.
Just as I predicted, my stomach churns with anxiety when I board my flight.
After I returned to the hotel last night, I immediately jumped in the shower, choosing to stand under an icy blast of freezing cold water to cool the blood pumping through my body.
I knew it wouldn’t take much to make myself come with how keyed up I was.
I may have been punishing myself unnecessarily, but I knew the relief would be bittersweet and not nearly satisfying enough because it wouldn’t be Leena I was coming with.
I tossed and turned most of the night, agonizing over my situation with her before falling into a restless slumber. My alarm went off a short time later, which only added to the dull pounding in my head.
I know I definitely came on too strong and moved way too fast. There is no doubt in my mind she is freaking out about it.
I had hoped following her to the bathrooms would give us the opportunity to talk, to implore her to give me a chance.
To show her we could navigate her concerns while I work on tearing down her walls and building a foundation to explore our undeniable bond.
Instead, I knocked us back ten steps from where we started with that impromptu and illicit encounter in the hallway.
But I’m choosing to be positive and hoping she sees it as proof of our explosive chemistry.
It didn’t take much to set ablaze, burning hot and fast. I may have only gotten a taste of the heat between us, but I hope I whet her appetite.
Left her starving for more so that she wouldn’t continue to resist what is between us.
Now I’ll be walking a fine line between being upfront about my unchanged interest in her—if anything, it has grown exponentially—and giving her space and time.
However, as I enter my apartment later that day, I realize I just might have a plan.