First and Ten (9 page)

Rome cocked his head to the side happy to see
Dani nibbling on her lip as her face flushed before him. Oh yeah,
he had her and he might just skip dessert, or at least have a taste
out here on the deck. Shaking his head, he refocused.

“Dani, you can tell me anything you want me
to do to you. Hell, you can tell me what you want to do to me,
actually. I’d really like to hear that,” he said as he stepped
closer, but not enough to touch…nope, he couldn’t control that
throb in his groin for much longer. “I like women that are forward,
it saves time, cuts back on guessing and allows me to pleasure you
the way you deserve.”

“The suit is nice, but it doesn’t do your
body justice.” Her fingers curled around each other as she rocked
back on her heels. Strong, yet fragile. God he wanted to hold her
after he buried himself deep inside and brought out every ounce of
her power. He shouldn’t have kissed her. He realized that now
because the moment her lips moved to say more, he cupped her face
in his hands and they fell into a kiss of control.

Each wanting it, each needing it, and each
wanting the other to have it. Yes, they could do very little to
control themselves as their mouths fused, then broke and fused
again. He lifted her at her hips and carried her to a deck chair
with her arms wrapped around his neck. He dropped to his knees
before her and bunched her long skirt up at her thighs. Inching his
fingers up her thighs he locked his digits around the satin of her
panties. Dani bit down on his bottom lip and arched her eyebrow at
him. Challenging, yet timid. How could one woman be everything in
one package?

“You were right.”

“About what?” he questioned.

“Yacht tours with you are different.” Her
toes pointed as her legs moved slowly up and down. She was like a
kid trying to pick out what sweet treat she wanted, but not wanting
to seem too anxious.

“Looks like I’m being served dessert early,”
he purred as he leaned in close to kiss her one last time. “You
okay with me having it out here?” he asked as he tugged her panties
down swiftly, making her squeal a bit and cover her lips with the
tips of her fingers.

When he ducked under her skirt, the sweet
scent of her body hit him and the tip of his cock tingled. His
fingers tightened around her thick thighs as he steadied himself,
afraid he’d come just from the taste of her. He needed to pace
himself or he’d end up opening himself up to another damn paternity
suit. If only he could control his damn cock as well as he’d
trained his emotions.

A swish sounded right as his lips made
contact to her soft folds and she smacked his head. Fuck him. For a
millisecond he tasted her and wanted more. Like he gave two shits
that someone came out on the deck. Dani went from a lounging
position to scooting back against the chair so her pussy was no
longer visible.

With a flip to her skirt, he popped his head
out and then arranged her skirt back over her legs. “There goes his
tip,” Rome growled, then turned to look down the side of the boat
where Jack was carrying a silver platter, two drinks and a set of
chocolate desserts. “He’s a friend of your dad’s isn’t he?”

“More of a business owner my father uses
regularly.” The flush on Dani’s cheeks wasn’t from the cool weather
or the brief moment his lips had touched a set of hers. Nope, pure
embarrassment as she leaned over and placed her hands on her knees.
“You know the worst thing about being at Navy Pier?”

“What’s that?”

“Too many people around for you to continue
in your truck.”

“How soon can we turn toward shore?” Rome
asked as he pushed up from his kneeling position and stood to face
Jack.

“You have another forty-five minutes in the
tour.”

“Bet your wife would like it if you got off
early, but still got paid the same.”

“I’ll talk to the captain. I’m sure we can
make it back to the docks in about fifteen minutes or so.”

“Something tells me I’m not the only fast one
on the boat. Everyone gets an extra hundred if we get there in less
than ten.”

“Very good, sir.”

Jack tried to keep his walk even until Rome
called out, “nine minutes and forty-three seconds.” Then it turned
into a scamper. Soon, the yacht was clipping along Lake Michigan
and Dani had to brace herself against Rome. Double win in his
mind.

“We might need to go inside or that chocolate
cake will never get eaten,” she called above the roar of the boat
and wind.

“This cake?” he questioned as he picked up
the confection with his hands because a fork could easily turn into
a weapon when they hit a swell. He held it to her lips then quickly
took a bite himself. “Oh yeah, we need to eat this cake. It’s
amazing.”

“I know it is,” she grumbled. “It’s my
favorite.”

“This is?” Rome teased as he took the second
piece and started walking backward toward the door to the dining
room. Dani followed, her pace quickening as he held the two pieces
of cake above his head until she crashed into him with a great wrap
up tackle. Looking down into her cool blue eyes, he couldn’t resist
offering her a bite of cake.

With a jolt, the yacht hit a swell and they
both fell against the glass door. The cake he had at her lips
smashed into her face and fell down her shirt.

“Please say some of that fell inside your
sweater?” he purred, imagining licking the butter cream icing from
her body with bits of chocolate.

Dani’s tongue licked at the cake covering her
lips as she burst into a fit of laughter and slid to the deck.
Sitting with her knees bent, she gathered herself as she wiped more
of the cake from her face, then looked up at him still standing
above her.

“The rest of that piece is mine you know,”
she stated as her eyes locked on his other hand still pulling a
Statue of Liberty with his piece of cake.

“I’ll fight you for it,” he laughed at the
woman who wasn’t freaking out because she was covered in chocolate
cake. Her sweater may be ruined and she was finding the humor in
the situation. The boat was slowing and the door opened with Jack
taking in the visual of the two fumbling lovers.

“Will you be needing a box for the rest of
your cake, sir?” he asked.

“That’d be awesome,” Dani laughed, still
using her finger to clear her face of icing. “And a handful of
napkins.”

“Right away. We’re pulling into dock
now.”

“Tell the captain I’ve never been on a more
calming cruise,” Dani chuckled and extended her hand for Rome to
help her up.

Dani had to admit, laughing was the best
relaxation method she’d found to date. She and Rome would
intermingle laughs between kisses as they stumbled toward his car.
A passerby might think they were intoxicated. Maybe they were, just
not by the little bit of alcohol they’d drank. No, it was a mixture
of lust and chocolate. Although she’d wiped her face mostly clean,
Rome was able to find his own bits of sugar still lingering as he
trailed kisses down her neck to her chest. They were practically
undressing each other by the time they fell against his SUV.

The sounds of people coming and going
emphasized the point she made on the boat. Navy Pier was too damn
busy.

“My house is only fifteen minutes from here,”
he said as he opened her door.

“I’ve got a hundred bucks that says you can
get there in ten,” she challenged while taking the two fresh pieces
of cake Jack had boxed up for them. The door slammed shut and he
raced to his side.

Speed kills had a whole new meaning as Rome
cut through traffic and she understood how big his vehicle was
compared to hers. The rush of adrenaline mixed with her already
aroused body and she had to close her eyes as if she were on a
rollercoaster to control herself. Her eyes snapped open when Rome
turned the vehicle off. Looking out her window she saw she was in a
tight garage as she slowly opened the door to not hit the wall.

Rome stood at the back of the vehicle and
scooped her up in his arms. Her feet didn’t touch the ground as he
carried her up the steps to his brownstone all the while licking
her neck. The sound of metal on glass made a clink when he tossed
his keys into a bowl by the front door before they fell into his
foyer. Although she assumed the steps led to the bedroom, neither
of them had the patience at the moment.

Pinned against the wall, he claimed her lips
as heat rushed to her core. The dampness would have pooled if she’d
been smart enough to gather her panties on the boat. Instead, they
were there for all her embarrassment that might hit sometime next
week. Now, all she could focus on was the wet arousal trickling
down her thigh and the fact Rome had grasped her leg and wrapped it
around his waist.

“We need to go upstairs,” he gasped while
removing her shirt, sending crumbs of cake flying. Pushing aside
the cup from her bra, he took her breast into his mouth, teasing
the nipple as he sucked hard.

“Oh God, we do,” she moaned with one leg
locked around his waist and the other extended to a tiptoe. One of
his hands glided between them and his fingers entered her. She
bucked her head back and arched into the invading digits as they
thrust and swirled.

“Jerome, I know you’re in there,” a woman
yelled while violently pounding on the front door.

Rome’s lips froze around Dani’s nipple and
his hand slowly retreated. She didn’t know if her body could take
much more. If he didn’t get her off in the next few seconds she was
going to be set back a decade at least.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he
howled. “This is not happening.”

But it was. The woman continued pounding and
yelling.

“I remember where your key is hidden, Rome. I
doubt you changed that.”

Rome’s head fell against the wall next to
Dani.

“Either open this damn door or I’ll open it
for myself, Jerome,” she drew out his name in a nasally way that
could kill any erection. Or so Dani assumed by the fact Rome’s
hardness that had been pressing against her was softening. Oh Dani
would be having to get a release from somewhere before the end of
the night and sadly, her Tuesday Treat would not be served by
Jerome Speed and between her thighs.

“Don’t move and inch,” he commanded.

“I can honestly say I don’t think I have the
core strength to pull that off.” No longer on a tiptoe and with her
leg unlatched from around his waist, she let out a sigh.

“Give me two minutes, I’ll get rid of her.
This is going to happen.”

She loved his optimism, but if this woman
could kill his arousal through a door, she assumed the night was a
wash. Dani did stay against the wall, more to find out why the city
of Chicago didn’t want them to sleep together.

“‘Bout time,” the woman snapped when Rome
opened the door. She tried to walk in but he put his hand up to
stop her. “That’s how it’s gonna be. Fine, tell me what this shit
is all about, Jerome.”

Papers flew at his face and Dani knew it was
time for her to at least get out of earshot. Down the hall, she saw
a kitchen and figured it was as good of a place as any to camp out.
Although Jerome’s home was in a classic Chicago brownstone and
she’d caught a glimpse of original craftsmanship on the spindles of
the stairs, the kitchen was fully renovated. The glass tiled
backsplash was a mix of a turquoise, khaki, and frosted white
rectangular pieces. With a subzero fridge, double oven and an
island in the middle of the room, the kitchen could be in a design
magazine. Not quite the warm earthy tones of her parents’ home, but
still Dani could tell Jerome used the room. Abandoned dishes were
in the sink and she couldn’t help peeking in the fridge. It was
full of healthy food, but toward the back she saw a glimmer of
orange that stood out.

Pushing aside a gallon of milk, Dani grabbed
the orange soda and cracked the seal. The fake citrus smell brought
her back to days on the campground. Her family went every summer
and they had an old pop machine with glass bottles. Maybe it wasn’t
the time, but she was parched and needed something to calm down the
hormones rushing. Being reminded of grade school did the trick.

Resting her arms on the soapstone counter
top, she looked out into his fenced backyard. There was a nice deck
and a small swing set. Dani could hear the woman at the door
screeching about how horrible he was, but Rome didn’t seem that way
to her. He had a kid and although she hadn’t seen any pictures or
toys around the house, the swing set made a statement. It was new
with a yellow plastic slide and two green swings. She could tell it
had never seen a winter.

Retrieving her phone, she turned it on and
messages pinged. Rubbing her eyes, she wondered how people could be
so needy. At what point did how you dress take over the world?

Shaking her head, Dani clicked on the Uber
app and called for a ride. She’d almost finished the pop and there
was no sign of slowing in the tirade from the front door. Luckily,
the app said a driver was close by. Now to retrieve her bag from
Jerome’s car and she would head home. Smoothing out her clothes,
she studied herself in the reflection of the glass in the window.
Her hair wasn’t a total disaster, but it did need a bit of
styling.