comforted her
and at the same time electrified her. Diego made her feel simultaneously safe
and in danger. Yancey felt the warmth from the kitchen—unless the heat was
coming from him or her or the gas fireplace ablaze with flickering romance. If he
wasn’t cooking in that kitchen, then why did he smell of spices, cilantro and
lemon? Hearing a sizzle, she decided he was indeed cooking for her. And she’d
anticipated takeout or delivery…or a cruel ruse to trick her into his bed. As
if he needed a trick.
Looping her arms around his neck, she said, “If you’re
guilty, I’ll be your jailer.”
“Lock me up and throw away the key.” He nuzzled her neck.
“Be my only visitor.”
Yancey squirmed and giggled at his ticklish kisses on her
sensitive neck.
“What’s with the raincoat?” he asked. Pulling her tighter
against him with one hand, he clutched her ass cheek with the other and pressed
his erection against her pelvis. “There’s not a cloud in the night sky.”
Touching her lips to his, she said, “It’s a surprise. For you.”
“I love surprises.” Diego let her loose and stood back,
waiting for his surprise.
She placed her purse on the kitchen counter and slowly
untied the belt at her waist. Starting from the bottom, she unbuttoned the
coat, careful not to unveil her surprise just yet. He cocked his head and
grinned. She took a painstakingly long time to drag out his expectancy. Diego
plopped down on a barstool, folding his thick arms over his chest.
“You didn’t get a tattoo, did you?” he asked, frowning.
She shook her head and said, “No.” A tattoo sounded like
something to consider.
“Piercing?” he asked. “Your body is perfection, baby. Don’t
do a thing to it.”
“Ready?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Yancey opened her raincoat wide, flashing her naked
body—naked except for a pair of black-and-white polka-dot thigh-high silk
stockings and stiletto heels. She’d thought about wearing a nightie, or a bra
and panties, mostly because of her need to cover up her less than impressive
breasts. Settling on full-blown nakedness, she hoped her pussy would distract
him from her B-cup.
It might have worked, judging by his wide eyes and open
mouth.
“Are you insane?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer,
he continued. “What if your car broke down? What if—I don’t know—what if
someone attacked you? Yancey. Jeez. Promise me you’ll never leave your
apartment dressed…I mean undressed like that again. Promise me.”
She’d covered up midway through his scolding, feeling
dejected and rejected. Her goal had been for him to ravish her immediately and
scold her later—or not at all.
“I thought…” she began, but didn’t know what she’d thought.
The weight of the cruel parting words of the short list of
men in her past came rushing to her mind, making her lightheaded. She’d never
be sexy enough. Yancey wanted to be the hot chick all the guys wanted to fuck
but not marry. In her attempt at recklessness, she’d gone too far.
“No, you didn’t think,” he said. Diego bolted off his stool
to tend to the meal cooking on the stove. He muttered angry words to himself in
Spanish as he punished the food in the pan with a spatula. Covering the pan
with a lid, he turned the burner down and faced her. “I’m sorry.”
“I should go,” she said with a sniff of emotion.
“No,” he was quick to say, pointing an accusatory finger in
her direction. “Not dressed…I mean undressed like that. Not without an
armed escort. Me.”
She’d come too far to turn back now. If Yancey let him bully
her into compliance, she’d have made no progress whatsoever on her quest for
sexual exploration and freedom. She’d come all the way across town—naked—for a
reason. Yanking the coat open, she let it drop to the floor. She’d just eat
dinner naked. If he wanted to watch a baseball game, she’d do that in the buff
as well. Whatever he had planned, she’d be naked.
His eyes
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