I can’t believe she asked me on a date. So clear and direct. I whistle as I deliver the coffees. Roman notices and arches an eyebrow. It’s almost a whole question from him. I nod once. “I’ll be borrowing Bella before the party tomorrow.”
“Of course. I’ll let Miles know he’ll have to take her tonight if he wants her. I expect we’ll have a lot of fun after the party.”
That cold reminder that she’s not mine and mine alone itches at me, but I push it down. Now’s not the time to get jealous. I haven’t done half of what the others have done with her. And we agreed to share.
I kick that into myself as I sit by her side and walk her through the emails. She wears a good front, but I like this side of her, the vulnerable real one. Where she hesitates with wording, then commits to it a second later after retyping close to the same thing.
“Do I make you nervous, Bella?” I ask.
“No. I just don’t want anything to be unclear in the emails. Miscommunicating is easy when there’s no way to indicate tone,” She murmurs, utterly focused.
“Your dedication is appreciated.”
“By you or the employees in general?”
“Both.”
She faces me and taps my nose. “I figured you could read minds.”
I chuckle and shake my head slightly. “If I could, I’m sure I’d be better at talking to you.”
“You’re plenty good. I guess the other guys have spoiled me giving me so much time. But you are businessmen and partners in an expanding company, so I shouldn’t be so self-conscious.”
I look her over, taking in every gorgeous bit. From her long dark hair, her tan skin, to those lush curves that make up every one of my fantasies.
“You have no reason to be self-conscious. We appreciate what you do for the company and for us.”
“Gunner says you guys met in the military,” Bella murmurs while typing out another email about the party. I don’t know how she can talk and type, handling two completely different conversations at once.
“We did.”
“I’m sure that’s filled with stories you don’t want to talk about. But I’m curious how you went from that career to consulting.” She murmurs before turning her amazing dark eyes on me.
I clear my throat. “Um … readjusting wasn’t easy. After all those unpleasant stories I won’t talk about. I think we were all kind of lost, some more than others. Gunner and Nick had minimal problems adjusting to civilian life.”
“Gunner is an alcoholic and Nick is a workaholic. Any kind of whole-hearted focus like that is covering for something,” She argues.
“Roman spent time with family and he’s always been strong in his convictions and his personality. But Holden and I … we still have nightmares. I find it hard to trust people, but I crave stability. Something reliable and consistent. Working with men I know have my back seems like the answer to that.”
Bella nods at that. “No more prying. I was just curious.”
“You’re allowed to get to know us.”
“That’s how attachments start. Attaching myself to six men when it’s been made very clear that this is temporary doesn’t seem wise.” Still, her hands hesitate on the keyboard and she faces me. “Six men is a lot. You were right. I’m nervous about it. I’ve never been with more than one until now.”
“Really?” I think back to how easily she took Holden and Gunner together. Not to mention the hint that she’d done more with multiple of the guys.
“I know how to please and I like being with two of you guys at once, but any more than that is kind of intimidating. I’ve seen the gang bang porn and let me tell you – it looks like more work and less pleasure.”
I laugh easily and see Bella light up as well. We relax into easy conversation about porn, the party, what to tell some of the guests, and then it’s quitting time. I remind her that we’ll go out tomorrow after we get settled at the hotel and she agrees, happily.
She kisses my cheek as we walk to our cars. Then Miles shows up. He flashes a sexy smile at Bella. I expect her to run right to him, considering she’s his official sugar baby, but she lingers with me.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“No interruptions.”
“Agreed.”
She kisses me gently before going to Miles and I see her glance back at me with an almost worried expression, but I can’t place the emotion exactly.
I don’t linger on it for long. I pack everything I need for this weekend and then relax at the house. Just as I’m making myself dinner, I hear a female laugh and turn to see Bella. Miles kisses her hungrily and swats her bottom.
She sheepishly enters the house, like she hasn’t been here at least three times since her first visit, and stayed clothed for all of five minutes. She walks toward me and looks at my t-shirt. “That’s a good band.”
“I saw them live.”
“No way!” She bounces on her toes and takes in the rest of my outfit – black sweats. She just smiles. “You look so comfy, Matt. You’re putting me in the mood to cuddle.”
“Save it for later.” I kiss the top of her head. “I still have some out-of-country business to take care of before I get to enjoy the weekend.”
“Work-life balance.” She taps my forehead. “Learn it, mister. If you keep overworking, life is going to pass you by.”
“I’ve heard that somewhere.”
“I’ll just have to be an annoying fly in your ear telling you that every day.”
She teases me but then has dinner with Roman, Gunner, and Miles. I know she’s been closer to them than anyone. Probably because they’ll make time for her. But Nick sits down to join them which surprises me.
Shaking it off, I remind myself I have a date with her tomorrow.
When the time finally comes, I make sure to dress semi-casually. Gray slacks and a cotton button up that I roll up to my elbows. I know that from the date we’ll have to run to the party, so I’ll only need a blazer to be set.
I’m not ready for Bella though. She has on a lavender dress that hangs in lovely folds from the neckline, revealing plenty of cleavage. The dress molds to her flat belly and hips, then there’s a slit dangerously high up her thigh. She spins in a circle for me, showing me the dress is practically backless.
I take her hand and pull her close. “I think I might have to slightly change our date.”
“I know we have to go right to the party, so …”
“High-class restaurant and modified moonlight stroll it is.”
“You don’t have to try so hard, Matthew,” Bella says as we drink champagne in the limo together. “I like you as you are. Especially when you looked so comfy.”
“I like to use dates to show a woman what I think of her. You’re amazing and I’m not going to settle for a date that’s not worthy of you.”
Her eyes soften and she scoots closer to me. “I have one rule for tonight.”
“Just one?”
“No boring first date questions. None of those terrible ice breakers or questions about the weather. I want to see the real Matthew. I want to know who you really are.”
“I thought you said that’s what starts attachment.”
“I could be attached to worse people and even temporary with you is worth more than any of my past relationships.”
I don’t know how she humbles me that easily, but our night goes exactly like that. She tells me about college, and how lost she felt bouncing between majors until she found the stepping stones she needed and the focus.
I tell her about how I used to be a huge nerd. That I loved dungeons and dragons and even painted my own miniatures as the Dungeon Master. She doesn’t laugh or tease me, she asks questions, telling me she’d seen it in a few shows and got really interested but wasn’t sure if she’d ever manage to play.
Before I know it, we’ve had a full meal and are walking hand in hand through the city. The shopping area isn’t huge, but I see her get stuck at a store. Candle Chemistry.
“You can make your own candles and lotions and stuff here,” She murmurs. “Not like shaping the wax, which would definitely be amazing, but choosing the scents and putting them in, mixing them and all that.”
“Is that something you’d want to do?”
“Maybe another day. I think they’re about to close and we have a time limit.” She squeezes my hand and kisses my cheek. “Next time.”
That Next time sits in my head as we take a break in a small park. The sun is setting slowly, but the palm trees make a ceiling above us with their leaves. Bella points out different shapes she sees until she meets my eyes.
We’re closer than I thought we were. She strokes my jaw and then down over my neck. Her fingers continue along my shoulder and to my arms. “You have such long arms. I would have sworn you’re an Olympic swimmer or something.”
“I swam competitively for my school until graduation.”
Her fingers curl with mine. “I don’t have a knack for sports. I’m more of the yoga type.”
“Does it help with flexibility?”
“Do you want to find out?”
I lick across my bottom lip. Of course, I want to find out. I want to know everything I can possibly know about Bella. I want to feel her mouth against mine, want to wrap her legs around my face and devour her sweetness. I want everything she’s offering and more.
“You can’t look at me like that and not kiss me, Matt.”
“Well, you keep leaving the hew off my name.”
“I’m sorry. I meant no offence.” She scoots closer and puts my hand on the small of her back, right on her soft, hot skin. “But if you’d rather I call you something else …”
I kiss her before she can fill in the blank. Her tongue coaxes mine into a slow, but building kiss. I change the angle and let her feel how hungry I am for her, pouring my lust out until I’m almost afraid we’re going to get tossed out of the park.
Bella moans and presses her forehead to my shoulder, rubbing my side. “I think I like dates with you.”
“I definitely like kissing you,” I pant.
“I can feel how much.”
“Bella,” I warn.
“I like you, Matthew.” She kisses my neck. “I want more time with you. If that means dates instead of office romps, I want it.”
“You’re not allowed to say things like that,” I say in a hoarse voice.
“Why?”
I just shake my head and lead her back to the limo. Bella nibbles her bottom lip and I pull her to me again, feasting on her mouth as we take the long drive to the party. She groans and opens for me even more, welcoming my hands on her thighs, kissing me with desperate need.
“Why, Matt? Why can’t I say things like that?”
“Because it makes it impossible for me to not want you.”
Bella pulls her dress up, showing she doesn’t have underwear on. “Don’t just want me. Have me.”
I kiss up the inside of her thigh, listen to her pant ‘yes’ over and over again, and then lick over her clit. She’s already wet and ready to go, but I’m only going to make her come for my tongue. Then be done. Anymore might break me and I’m not ready to be broken around Bella.
She tightens her hold on my hair, showing me where she needs my mouth and I give without question. I shouldn’t have waited so long to have her.
