Chapter 36
* * * *
In the time it takes him to finish his shift and come back to my place, I shower and change out of those damn pajama bottoms. It’s jeans and a polo shirt for me. I smooth down my hair, then tousle a palmful of gel through it, hoping for that carefree, windblown look.
I get crap.
I comb my fingers through it and scrutinize my appearance in my bathroom mirror. I see dirty blond hair so straight, it stands up from my forehead as if shocked. Cut short in the back, almost buzzed, so you can see just how dark my roots are now that winter’s here. I have pale eyes that almost disappear into my face—if it weren’t for the black irises, you wouldn’t even notice them.
Paul did, apparently. Thank God. What the hell did he see in me?
A quickie,my mind whispers, and I watch a grin slide across my face in the mirror. Again, thank God
I’m still messing with my hair when he knocks. Running my hands through it one last time in the hopes it’ll miraculously settle into a half-decent style, I hurry to answer the door. He still wears his work uniform—the jacket hangs open now, exposing a T-shirt with a caricature of an Italian woman smiling at me, Arianna’s written in florid script beneath her feet. His khakis have an oily spot high on one thigh where it looks like he got splashed with olive oil. Poking the spot, I tease, “Extra virgin?”
He catches my hand in his and pulls me out into the hallway with him. “Far from it.” When he kisses me, I have to stand up on my toes slightly to press our lips together. This time tastes just as wonderful as the one before. Into my mouth, he murmurs, “Let me show you what I know.”
I take his hand to lead him inside, but I hear the door behind him open a crack and I know we have an audience. One of the girls in apartment G whispers, “Let me see!” There’s a scuffle, a thud against the door, then giggles trickle into the hall.
Paul rolls his eyes, amused. “Don’t tell me they’re going to be up against the wall listening in.”
Knowing my neighbors? Without a doubt. And those giggles are going to come through the wall loud and clear. Still, I offer, “We can always stay in the living room.”
“I have a better idea,” Paul says. “Get your coat.”
* * * *
He drives a dark blue Saturn that blends into the night…or rather, it would if it weren’t for the well-lit Arianna’ssign sticking up above his roof. “That’s subtle,” I say, nodding at the sign as I skirt the car, heading for the passenger side. “Does it turn off?”
Paul laughs as he opens the door behind the driver’s seat and unhooks the sign from the window. “I should’ve left this at work. I’m sorry. I was just so anxious to get out of there—“
“And see me again?” I tease.
The street in front of my apartment complex isn’t exactly well-lit; the only light comes from halogen bulbs attached to the front of our building which illuminate the sidewalk and cast a faint glow as far as Paul’s car. But despite the darkness, I see the way his cheeks color.
He slams the door shut and opens the driver’s door, sliding in behind the wheel. I tug on the handle on my side, open the passenger door, and drop down beside him. The faint odor of hot cheese lingers in the air. Because the street’s slightly slant, I feel like I’m falling into him and, before I can stop myself, I do just that. One hand covers his where he fumbles to get the key into the ignition; the other brushes high over his thigh, angling for his crotch. I lean against him and he turns to find my mouth on his for a long, slow kiss.
My tongue licks between his lips. I find that bright chewing gum flavor again but, beneath it, he’s musky and warm, a taste that’s all him. In his lap, my hand closes over the start of an erection and he moans as I goose him gently. Before I pull back, I catch his lower lip between both of mine and nibble it with my teeth. Inches from his face, I open my eyes and stare at his closed eyelids for a few heartbeats until he realizes I’m watching and opens his eyes, as well. He can’t see my smile but I know he feels it against his mouth. “Where are we going?”
“I…” His voice cracks and he clears his throat, turning from me a little to catch his breath. He tries again. “I just thought we’d drive a bit, get to know each other. Nothing fancy.”
I squeeze his hardening cock through his khakis. “Sounds good to me.”
He knows my neighborhood better than I do. Maybe it’s from delivering pizza every night, but he takes a circuitous route through darkened side streets and back alleys I’ve only seen in passing and have never bothered to follow down. The radio is on low between us, something bluesy and slow that sets a romantic mood by the orange glow of the dashboard lights. My hand rests on his thigh, fingers pressed to the bulge at his crotch, and when he isn’t shifting gears, his own hand covers mine. He curls his fingers into my palm, holding my hand. Every now and then, he looks at me from the corner of his eye, a slight smile on his lips. Though he was the one who suggested we ‘get to know each other’ a little, he doesn’t speak.
Neither do I. The silence between us buzzes with lust. I want more than the faint ghost of a cock on my fingertips—I want him stripped of that delivery boy uniform and naked beneath me, both my hands fisted around his hard shaft, my own aching erection thrust into his tight, sweet ass. I’m hoping he wants the same.