After dark, p.20
After Dark, page 20
“Sound great. Let’s go,”
Tony’s was crowded. The popular Italian restaurant, located in the North end near downtown, often had long lines, especially on the weekends. The tables were covered with red-checkered tablecloths. Red candles adorned the tabletops. There was no mood music in the background. No fresh cut flowers, but the smells coming from the small kitchen in the rear were fantastic. The special of the night was a three cheese lasagna.
They were given a table right away, but were seated in the center of the room, where diners couldn’t fail to notice the celebrity in their midst. No one bothered them and no one asked for an autograph.
“Oh, my,” Taylor laughed when the meal was brought out. The servings were huge and the wine was rich and fruity. “No wonder you like this place,” she said, enjoying a crisp green salad with homemade house dressing.
He chuckled. “I never leave here hungry.” He grinned, loving the way she enjoyed her food. She didn’t pick nor did she pretend she was not hungry. She laughed and teased him about the place while moving from one course to the next with relish.
She looked up to find him studying her. She lifted an inquiring brow. “Do I have tomato sauce on my cheek?”
“Nope. But you sure are beautiful. Ready for dessert?”
“I can’t eat another bite.”
“You’re going to miss a delicious apple crumb tart.”
“No, thanks.”
“It is fabulous.”
“You aren’t going to let me taste yours?” she teased.
Instead of laughing that wonderful hearty laugh of his, he stared at the soft generous curve of her mouth. The hunger in his gaze was unmistakable.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said gruffly. His voice was raw with need. He couldn’t help it. He was fed up with people. He needed to be alone with her. In fact, his need was so urgent that he had no choice but to leave before he did something to embarrass them both in a public restaurant.
“What about the tart?”
“All I’m interested in tasting is you. Don’t ask me to wait, baby.”
He watched embarrassment wash over her face. She was still so inexperienced, unused to his male hunger. There was nothing refined about it. It was raw, it was unrelenting and it was blatantly sexual. It was something he had no control over. Oh, he could control whether he acted on that need but he could not alter the potency or the urgency of that desire.
He, too, was often surprised by the ruthlessness of it. He had never wanted anyone or anything more. And that was saying something because he had a warrior’s heart. At first, it disturbed him because he didn’t understand himself. As he came to accept his feelings for her, he began to comprehend the depth of his passion. He longed for her to return an emotion that he couldn’t yet name. Nevertheless, he wanted her to fall in love with him.
Love was not something you asked for, it was a priceless gift that had no value unless given freely. Patience had never been his long suit. It was something that he had to work at. Somehow he knew that Taylor’s love was worth waiting for, even if it took years to acquire.
Dropping a large bill on the table and with Taylor’s hand clasped in his, he ushered her out of the restaurant. He didn’t speak until they were alone in his four-bedroom condo overlooking Lake Michigan.
“Oh, Donald,” she said moving around his huge burgundy and navy living room. “It’s beautiful. Did you have it professionally done?”
“Yes.” He had settled for large, traditional pieces from the burgundy three-piece leather sofa to the large navy leather armchairs with ottomans. One entire wall was floor-to-ceiling windows with a spectacular view of the lake. The hardwood floor was covered with a huge navy rug embroidered with a burgundy and cream floral border trim.
In the dining room was a large mahogany table, with high-backed chairs cushioned in burgundy and navy print that was positioned in the center of an identical rug.
“My sister oversaw the project under my mother’s direction. They didn’t trust me to decide on more than the colors I liked and the size of the pieces. They were not about to leave it all to a decorator. What do you think?”
Although it lacked the warmth of green plants and uniquely feminine touches, his family photographs gave it a homey feel. The oils on the wall were spectacular. He explained that they were done by a local black artist.
“I like it.”
He laughed. “Didn’t expect to, did ya?”
She giggled, “I’ll take the fifth on that one.”
“Come see the rest.”
The den was done in shades of blue, clearly a home office with a large desk, computer and wall-to-wall bookshelves. Next door was the recreational room with a huge television screen, and the latest in stereo and video equipment. A pool table dominated one corner of the room, while huge loungers were positioned in front of the television.
Donald had placed her luggage on the rack in his bedroom at the foot of his huge custom-made bed. She focused on the navy velvet comforter and large, pristine-white tailored pillowcases bordered in navy. The room looked like him, from the burgundy carpet underfoot to the bold African art on the walls.
In the living room, she asked as she sat on one of the sofas and crossed long shapely legs “Do you have live-in help?” The place was spotless and smelled of lemon cleaner.
“Live in, no. But I do have a housekeeper, a maid and a personal secretary.”
“Your view of the lake is wonderful.”
“Care for something to drink? Juice, soda, wine?” he offered unaware that he stroked her with his gaze. What he wanted was not in a bottle.
“No, thanks.” She patted the cushion beside her. “Join me.”
Donald didn’t need another invitation. “How did Scott handle your trip?”
“A little better than last time. I think he’s getting used to the idea of us seeing each other,” she said, drinking in the sight of him.
“Seeing each other. Is that how you think of us?”
“You prefer another term?”
“Yes, I do,” he sighed, toying with her fingers before he looked directly into her eyes. “I know we’ve only known each other a few short weeks. We’ve been lovers for even less than that. I’ve never known a woman quite like you, Taylor. You’re not out to impress me by pretending to be what you think I want. I like that about you. You’re sincere and you’re direct. I’ve always known, even from the first, where I stand with you. Believe me, it hasn’t always been easy to take.” Caressing her cheek, he said, “The fact that you gave me a chance to get to know you, when you didn’t agree with me, has come to mean a great deal to me.”
“Donald…”
“No, let me finish. I want to know you well, Taylor. I want you to know me.” He stared down into her lovely eyes.
“I don’t know what to say,” she murmured.
“Say you’ll give us a chance. Say you want a relationship with me as much as I want one with you.” He had waited a long time to find someone he could care about. He suspected that Taylor was that woman. Now all he had to do was move a mountain as he struggled to get her to let go of the circumstances in which they met and see the man he was.
Taylor couldn’t help wondering if he was asking for her reassurance that she was just as emotionally involved with him as he was with her?
“I’ve been hurt before. I don’t want to be hurt again.”
“It will be different this time. You won’t be in this alone, Taylor. We’ll be in this together. Trust me not to hurt you. Can you do that?”
The kiss she placed on his generous mouth was warm and giving. His response was utterly male and immediate.
Donald eased back against the cushions until her softness was pillowed on his chest, his thighs spread wide so that her hips rested against his. “Sweetness…” he groaned heavily as he licked her lips over and over again before he parted them to fully receive the thrust of his tongue. He lifted her until her mound nestled against his rock hard manhood. There was no way he could fail to feel her tremors.
“I need you. Make love with me, Taylor.”
She moaned from his possessiveness as his tongue caressed hers. She trembled with desire, unwittingly moving along his aroused length, craving the steely hard feel of him.
“Taylor?”
She was shaking so badly she barely could handle a thought let alone answer a question.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Donald smiled then. There were still so many questions between them that had no answers. Yet, one thing was clear and they both understood that they cared for each other. For now it had to be enough because it was all that they had.
“Oh, baby.” He quickly unbuttoned her suit jacket and the blouse beneath. He didn’t stop until he had pushed both down her arms and unsnapped her bra. He couldn’t seem to breathe until his hands were filled with her lush breasts.
“Do you want me?”
“Yes…” she moaned in anticipation. She knew the incomparable pleasure he was so capable of giving her. She could hardly wait to once again experience his strong male body, loving her beyond reason. She accepted the risks involved, for she could not turn back now. She was in this for the duration.
Chapter Sixteen
Donald shook from need. He hadn’t been thinking at all when they had made love at her place. All he had done was feel, lost himself in her sweet magic.
“Not here.” He sat up, bringing her with him. They walked hand and hand into his bedroom. He closed the door behind them. “Taylor,” he whispered before brushing her soft mouth over and over again with his.
But he didn’t deepen the kiss as she longed for him to do. She was grateful for his support. She was suddenly so nervous, afraid she would not be able to please him. She felt as unsure of herself as she had that first time they had made love and she had no idea why.
His hands weren’t steady as he undressed her. Taylor’s were no better. Her breathing was quick and uneven as she undressed him. They didn’t stop until they were both nude, nothing between them but their hot passion for one another.
Taylor’s caressing fingertips worried the tiny flat pebbles of his nipples, then smoothed over the broad lines of his muscular chest. She dropped her head until she could lave him the way he had tantalized her. His response was powerful, his chest heaved from his sexual excitement and his sex flexed heavily against her.
“No more,” he whispered, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as he angled her mouth to fully receive the deep thrust he craved. She was sweet…so sweet. He couldn’t wait a moment longer, he cupped her sex, cradling her sweetness. Using the tips of his fingers, he caressed the damp cottony soft curls before he slid between the fleshy folds to luxuriate in the dewy moisture. He felt her trembling as he fingered the tiny feminine bud at the top of her mound. He lingered until she cried out and her unsteady legs gave out and he had to support her weight.
“Now…honey, now. I need you now.” Her sexy sweet cries were his undoing. With her back against the door, Donald bent his knees, guiding himself as carefully as he could manage, slowly penetrating her. He didn’t stop until he filled her to the hilt.
Taylor wondered how much longer it would be before her legs completely gave out on her. Her eyes were closed—trying to catch her breath while she relished the exquisite pressure of his body. Her feminine muscles stroked along his pulsating length.
Donald moaned at her pleasure for it shattered his control. “Put your arms around my neck, baby,” he said, an instant before he lifted her until, although she rested against the door, it was his strong arms and legs that supported her. As he moved, increasing his thrusts, her cries grew louder and her inner muscles fluttered like the caresses of a thousand tiny butterflies. One powerful thrust after another and her climax came quickly just before his own. He shuddered in her arms, flooding her with his masculine offering.
They breathlessly clung to each other. When Donald’s legs began to quiver he slowly let Taylor’s slide down. Although she stood on her own two feet, her legs were also trembling. Donald held her close.
“Come on, sweetness. I think we both could use the whirlpool.”
While they rested in the swirling hot water, Taylor with her back against his chest, her hips nestled between his thighs, he asked, “Are you all right?” His mouth brushed her temple.
“Mmm,” she crooned.
“I can hardly believe I finally have you all to myself.”
“I’m not the one with the crazy schedule. Don’t you ever get tired of the travel?”
“Not until recently,” he admitted. “Unfortunately there are times when I have no choice but to go.”
“You love the work, don’t you?” she asked.
He smiled, “I enjoy being able to give small businesses a helping hand, especially when there are few banks out there willing to take a risk with minorities.”
“Have you ever been wrong?”
He chuckled, “Oh, yeah. I’ve been taken but it happens very rarely. Very few people are looking for a handout. Most of them are in desperate need of a helping hand.”
“Oh, Donald,” she said, turning in order to caress his cheek. “I like what you do. You are a very special man.”
He swallowed with difficulty, her praise meant the world to him. He caught her hand and kissed it. “Trouble is I have very little time to call my own.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“Where did that come from?”
“Just curious,” she shrugged, wanting to know but uncertain if he would answer.
“At the time, I thought so. But I was only seventeen. It was with my high school sweetheart. It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized it was a bad case of lust.”
“So you were the one to break it off with her?”
“No. She ended it because I wouldn’t quit college and marry her. I wanted to wait until I could take care of us. I couldn’t afford a car, let alone a wife.”
“You were so young.”
“I’ve wondered for a long time if I’d lost my chance for an honest, open relationship.”
“Why would you think that? You were only a kid.”
He rose from the tub and reached for a bath sheet to wrap around his waist. “Don’t want you to turn into a prune,” he said when he reached down and helped her up. He quickly wrapped her in a bath sheet.
“Why did you think that?”
He shrugged. “The women I’ve met from college on seem to want something from me. They don’t really want me but something from me. Probably wouldn’t matter except I can always tell the difference.”
“How? How can you tell? Surely, every one of them was not sincere.”
“I’m lucky. I have a down to earth mother and sister. Oh, don’t get me wrong, for a time I enjoyed the seduction game. Somewhere around twenty-eight, I started taking a hard look at what my folks shared and what my brother and sister have in their marriages. I realized I didn’t have a prayer at the rate I was going.”
Suddenly, Taylor realized they had a lot in common. Difficulty in trusting was a problem they shared. “It’s hard to believe…” Taylor forgot what she was about to say when Donald pressed his lips to her throat.
“What?” he whispered licking the silky flesh of her throat, lingering on the scented hollow.
Taylor moved her hand to caress his muscular chest. “What?”
“You were saying?” he teased, his eyes danced with mischief.
“I have no idea,” she giggled. She’d completely lost her train of thought.
Following her into the bedroom, he watched as she presented her back to him and handed him a bottle of scented body lotion. “Please?”
Accepting the bottle, he sat beside her on the bed. He smoothed lotion down her back. He moved to her feet, stroking her heels and soft soles then moved toward her calves to the long expanse of her creamy brown thighs.
“You are so beautiful.” His hands were replaced by his mouth and he kissed his way down her back, the towel that had once covered her bottom was sliding lower and lower.
“Donald…” she managed to say, breathlessly.
He paused to kiss the nape of her neck. “Sweetness...” he said as he laved the smooth expanse of her back. Slowly, he caressed her spine and cupped then squeezed her sweetly dimpled bottom before he moved down to part her thighs.
“Taylor...” he whispered huskily as he kissed, then licked, her sweet lips.
Embers of desire seem to burn her skin as she waited with wicked anticipation as he rolled her over and began the sensual assault on her senses all over again down the front of her body, starting at the base of her throat. He did not leave a single inch of her soft caramel skin untouched, from her full breasts to her flat stomach and the thick ebony curls between her thighs.
“Look at me.” When her heavy lids lifted, her dreamy brown eyes locked with his rich ebony eyes. He saw a passion that she couldn’t deny, no matter how reluctant she was to admit it. His dark hands stroked over her legs, caressing the outer curves before moving to the baby softness of her inner thighs.
“Baby, let me taste your sweetness. If you don’t enjoy it, I promise I’ll stop. And I won’t ask again.” His eyes never left hers.
Taylor bit her lip, but she nodded. She wanted to please him, give him pleasure more than anything else in the world.
Donald groaned, moving to her soft lips, placing one kiss after another until she opened for him. He held her tight, loving the feel of her velvety soft tongue against his. He slowly moved down her soft frame, leaving sweet lingering kisses behind. Taylor was trembling from head to toe when he smoothed his hands over her thighs lifting them until they rested over his shoulders.
He pressed kiss after kiss against her soft inner thighs, moving closer and closer to her softness. When he kissed the thick curls shielding her sex, she gasped. His caressing fingers soothed her before he gently smoothed over her feminine folds then he parted her to expose her dewy softness to his lips and gradually to the hot wash of his tongue.
Taylor moaned his name as wave upon wave of pleasure rushed over her. It was like nothing she had ever experienced yet offered the most exquisite pleasure. Her climax was quick and powerful. She recovered her breath in his arms as he soothed her, comforted her.
