Operation One Night Stand (24 page)

“This is what you were wearing?”
It had shrunk back to its original five-times-too-small size.
“Kinky.”

I snatched it from him.
“Give me that.”
I looked around, trying to figure out where to put it since my clutch was entirely too small.

He took it back from me and threw it in the garbage can.

For a few beats we stood in the small bathroom staring at each other.
I had never been so aware of my nakedness.

“I like those.”
He reached over and snapped the top of my thigh highs.

“Can I, um, have my dress?”

“I don’t think you need it.”

“Brian!”

“If you say so.
I was just trying to help.”
He pulled the dress off the hook, knelt down in front of me, and motioned for me to step into it.

Sliding the dress slowly up, his hands guided the material and caressed my skin.
Tugging it up over my hips, his hands slid around to my rear and his fingers teased the top of my panties.
I reached back for the sink as my legs threatened to give out.
I tucked my arms into the dress and closed my eyes as I slowly turned around and pulled my hair to the side so he could zip up the back.
He turned me back around; our bodies were centimeters apart.
I watched as his tongue slid out of his mouth and he licked his lips.

“Did I tell you how good you look tonight?”
His voice was huskier than usual.
He smelled like summer and it warmed me.

“I, well, I think so.”
My mouth suddenly felt as dry as the Sahara.

“Think so, huh?
You look fucking unbelievable tonight.”

He bridged the small gap between us and rested his lips gently on mine.
I breathed out as he reached around and cupped my ass in his hands.

“Caroline.”
I could feel his warm breath on my neck.
“I had no idea when I met you that I’d end up thinking about you every day.”

“I think about you all the time.”
I tucked my hands around his waist and pulled him in.
He lifted me so I was sitting on top of the sink.
My dress rode up to the top of my thighs as I wrapped my legs around him.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”
It wasn’t the least awkward position to be in when someone wants to ask a question.

“About Ryan—”

“I don’t want Ryan.”
I know the words tumbled out of my mouth but at that moment, I realized I truly meant them.

“No?”

“I want you.”
And I did.

His kiss was hesitant at first.
Sweet and soft.
Before long, my bottom lip was between his teeth and his hands were cupping my breasts.
He moved down and placed kisses and small bites on my chest along the top of my dress.
His body rubbed against me and I could feel my panties dampen.
The kisses became furious with want and he pulled me off the sink and held me against the wall.
I was on the tips of my toes when he hiked up my dress and hooked his thumbs under the elastic of my thong.

Crouching down, he trailed kisses down my leg as he slowly pulled my panties off.
Just when I thought I would orgasm from the anticipation he slowly stood in front of me, breathing heavily, smoothed my dress back down, and tucked my panties in his pocket.

He kissed me quickly on the lips and said, “If you’re good, you’ll get these back later.”

He opened the door and walked out of the bathroom, leaving me to catch my breath and wonder what the fuck had just happened.

I banged my head against the wall and closed my eyes in an attempt to regain my equilibrium.
I smoothed down the front of my dress and counted backward from ten before stepping over to the mirror to reapply my lipstick and fluff my hair.

The tingling between my legs graduated to full-on throbbing and I was left to wonder if I was experiencing the lady version of blue balls.
Sighing, I pulled down a few paper towels to mop up the moisture that had collected between my legs.

I opened the door and slipped out of the bathroom.
I saw Michael and Siobhan walking down the hall from the back of the restaurant.

“Finished with the interview?”

Siobhan turned scarlet and mumbled something about getting a drink before ducking away.

“You’re looking positively flushed.”
Michael twisted a lock of my hair through his fingers.

“Your zipper’s down.”
I frowned at him.

“Oh, well, yes.”
He made a show of slowly pulling it up.

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.
Siobhan and I just chatted a bit.
She’s very good with her mouth.”

At that moment I knew what I felt whenever he was near me and it wasn’t sexual.
It was slimy.
I wasn’t getting knots in my stomach because I was sexually attracted to him.
I was getting knots in my stomach because I was trying not to vomit.

“Jesus Christ, Michael!
What the hell is wrong with you?
You know, common sense is so fucking rare it should be classified as a super power.”
Shaking my head, I pulled him toward the back room.

“What?”

He honestly did not think he’d done anything wrong.

“Look.
We have to sit down now and have dinner.
Then I have to introduce you and you are supposed to read an excerpt from the novel.
Do you think you can keep your dick in your pants long enough to get all that done?”

“Well, that depends on what you’re doing now.”
He winked and pulled me closer.

“Gross!
Michael, get off me!”
I slapped him.

The flash from a camera temporarily blinded me.

“Seriously?”
I yelled at the photographer.

“This is not over, Michael.
Keep it in your fucking pants and keep your hands off Siobhan and me.
Or I swear—”

“Swear what, Care?”
His voice sounded dangerous as he challenged me.

I pulled my arm from his grip.
“I’ll tell Yolanda.”

“Well.”
Michael straightened his posture and fixed his tie.
“There’s no need to be hasty.
Let’s get on with this.”

He walked away, leaving me to question my sanity.

“What was that about?”
Brian approached with a drink in his hand.

“Nothing I can’t handle.
Thank you.”
I took the drink and downed it.
“I swear, I am not getting paid enough to babysit this guy.”

Brian and I walked over to the table and took our seats.
I wanted to get there before Siobhan, but she was already seated next to Michael, something I didn’t want.
Considering I didn’t want to make a scene, I took my place next to her.
At least I’d be able to keep her in check.

Throughout dinner, Siobhan and Michael giggled and whispered to each other, much to the dismay, it seemed, of Brian.
He was clearly not happy with the company his sister was interested in keeping.
I attempted numerous times to get her attention, or at least Michael’s, but to no avail.

I was in the middle of torturing my cloth napkin when Brian put his hand on my knee.
He looked at me and smiled.

“It’s okay.
What are they going to do in the middle of the restaurant?”

“You’re right.
I know you’re right.”

When it was time for me to introduce Michael, Brian reached under the table, squeezed my hand, and said, “You’ve got this.”

The rest of the evening went well.
I successfully managed not to stutter in front of a room full of people and Michael read eloquently—I almost forgot what a dickhead he was.
At the end of the night, I made my rounds with Michael, taking care to thank everyone for spending the evening at the event.
I even managed to get the photographer to delete the photo he took of me slapping Michael.

When I finally made my way to the front of the restaurant, I saw Brian standing there, holding my coat.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”
I looked around.
“Where’s Siobhan?”

“She made plans to stay with her friend Melissa.
She already got a cab.”

“So it’s just us?”
I slipped my arms in.

“Yep.
That okay?”

“Of course it’s okay.
I need my panties back anyway.”
I pulled on my gloves as Brian wrapped my scarf around my neck.

“Not sure if you’ve been a good girl.”

“No?”

“Nope.”

“Will I at least get them back before I get home?”

“Home tomorrow.
Tonight my place.”

“Wouldn’t that be awkward?”

“Nope.
Ryan’s out of town for the week.
Los Angeles, I think.”

Standing on the sidewalk, we waited for the car to pull up.
When it did, Brian pulled me close and kissed me hard and fast.
I was left to catch my breath and my balance as he opened the door for me to get in.
Reaching in the car, he pulled my seat belt across my chest and across my lap, securing me in.

I watched as he walked around the car and slid in the other side, buckled his seat belt, and smiled.
There was a deliberate space between us and after that kiss it was unwanted.
I unbuckled my seat belt to slide closer but he just said, “Nope, not yet,” and refastened my belt.

T
he ride back to Brian’s place was quiet as I found myself, once again, looking out the window at the passing cars and falling snow.
I thought about where everything was all going.
I’d finally gotten the true one night stand out of my system when the girls and I were in Jamaica.
Sure it was fun, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.
As fun as Ryan was, he wasn’t what I was looking for, either.
I had enough friends and I didn’t need another one that clouded my judgment.
I’d realized Brian was what I wanted.
Thinking back, I was pretty sure I knew that the night I first met him.

He was always the one I thought about over the past month, he was the one who tied my stomach in knots.
Brian, I was sure, was the one who would give me what I wanted.
Needed.
What I needed.

I was pulled out of my reverie when Brian opened the car door.
I hadn’t realized we’d arrived at his apartment.
It was barely midnight and the bar was still alive.
I took his hand and his fingers closed around mine.
The way they fit together made me smile.
I lifted our hands up and brought them to my mouth and kissed his knuckles.
His smile lit up his face.

“I need to talk to Patrick, make sure everything is okay before we go up.
Five minutes?”

Right.
I remembered his brother, Patrick, was watching the bar.

“No problem.
You want me to wait in the bar for you?”

“You don’t have to.”
He handed me his keys.
“You can wait upstairs for me if you want.”

“Sure.
I can do that.”

With his hand still in mine, he steered me to the entrance.

“Before you go up, I want to introduce you to my brother.”

Stepping up to the bar, he flagged down a tall good-looking guy with wavy red hair and a swath of freckles across his nose and cheeks.

“Pat!”

Patrick leaned over the bar and gave Brian a hug as I stood back.
My hand felt odd since he let it go.
Then Brian turned and reached for me.

“This is Caroline.”

“Ah.
The ever-elusive Caroline.
I was beginning to think my brother made you up.”
He held out his hand and I took it.
“It’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, too.”
I turned to Brian.
“Meet you upstairs.”

“I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
His smile was brilliant.

I started to turn away but Brian hooked my arm and spun me to him, then planted a heavy kiss on my lips.

I heard him chuckle as I walked away, attempting to keep my balance.

Once upstairs, I kicked my shoes off at the door and draped my coat over the sofa.

Checking out his overstuffed bookshelf, I pulled out a copy of Ray Bradbury’s
Fahrenheit 451
, my all-time favorite book.
I was standing against the window, flipping through it, when Brian walked through the door.

Both of us froze as our eyes met.
His tie was loosened and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone.
With his hands in his pockets, he blew out a long breath.

“Hi.”
He undid his tie the rest of the way and tugged it from around his neck.

“Hi.”
I slid the book back on the shelf.

“You want a drink?”
He walked over to the liquor cabinet.

“Sure.”

I watched as he took ice cubes from the freezer and dropped them in two tumblers before taking a ginger ale from the fridge.

I stood rooted to the floor, fascinated as I watched him make the drinks.
My stomach flip-flopped when I saw him take off his jacket and roll up his sleeves and turn on the stereo.
I wanted to go to him but my legs had decided to stop working.
Time slowed down as he turned to me, walked to the window, and handed me my drink.
My fingers tingled when they met his.

“Are you cold?”
He asked, noticing the goose bumps that littered my arms.

“No.”
My voice was breathier than usual and I cleared my throat.

Music filled the space.
And filled me.

He took my hand, interlocked his fingers between mine, and led me to the couch.
Sitting on either side of the vast piece of furniture, I felt like I had in the car.
There was too much space between us, but for some reason, my brain turned into that of a girl on the verge of her first time, and I could figure out no way to express myself.
I hated that feeling.
I was a woman, successful and somewhat experienced.
Why couldn’t I take charge?

He leaned his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes.
I wasn’t sure what to say; I wasn’t sure if I should make a move.
My brain was blank of everything except him.
Every dirty thought, every possible scenario of how the night would play out, raced through my head as I watched him relax.
My stomach stirred again and heat began to rise from my toes.
Suddenly, it clicked.
I didn’t need to wait for him to make the first move.
I had the ability to take what I wanted.

Placing my drink on the end table, I slowly stood and stepped over until I was standing in front of him.
Lazily, his eyes opened and he watched as I took the drink from his hand.
I took a long sip before placing it on the table.
He followed my hands as I hiked up my dress a bit and dropped my knees to the sofa, on either side of him, until I was straddled across his lap.

He massaged the tops of my thighs as I ran my fingers down his shirt, unfastening each button slowly.

“Care…”

Before he could finish his thought, I placed my lips on his, kissing him softly.
The restraint was killing me.
Every fiber of my body screamed for me to move faster, kiss harder.
But the slow and steady pace felt good in my heart.

His tongue explored my mouth as I ran my fingers through his hair.
He slipped his hands behind me, cupping my rear and pulling me into him.
His hips pushed upward and I could feel him swell against his pants.
He unzipped the back of my dress and tucked his hands inside the fabric, against my skin.

I gasped from his touch.

His lips moved to my neck and I let my head fall back as he shifted on the couch and stood, carrying me to the door.
With my back pressed against the door, he continued to kiss and nibble on every bit of my exposed skin.

He slowly slid me down so my feet were barely planted on the floor.
My dress pooled around my feet.
From his pocket, he pulled out my panties and slipped them on me, carefully sliding them up my legs.
Throwing my dress to the side he reached over and picked up my shoes.
He knelt down and slipped them onto my feet.
He quickly kissed me, biting my lower lip before stepping back and picking his drink up from the table and gulping the liquid down.
His eyes were hungry and he was breathing heavily.
His eyes fell slowly from my head to my feet before they met mine again.

I stood, barely able to hold myself up against the door, wearing nothing but my bra, panties, thigh highs, and killer shoes.
Back at the restaurant, I had felt a twinge of embarrassment, but in this moment, I felt sexier than I ever had in my life.
I knew I looked good and his appreciative look boosted my confidence.

Quickly he closed the distance between us and pinned me to the door.
His mouth was not gentle.
It was as hungry as I was.

I shoved his shirt over his shoulders and he shook it off his arms, leaving it to fly across the room.
My hands tugged his belt loose and before I could unbutton his pants, his hand cupped the swell between my legs.
My gasp was louder than the last and he smiled as I pressed myself tighter against the door.

His face inches from mine, he kept his gaze glued to my eyes and I watched as he watched me rise until I was about to fall over the edge.
Heat rose from inside me and I opened my mouth to draw in more air but all I could do was moan.
His fingers worked their way inside me as his other hand pulled my breast out from the fabric of my bra.
As he rolled my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, my nerves sang.

“Come for me, Caroline.”

His fingers pushed in deeper as his thumb rubbed my clit.

I closed my eyes, anticipating the rush, when I felt his hand gently but firmly press against my neck.

“Look at me when you come.”

With one hand working inside me furiously, he pinned me against the door with the other.
Eyes locked, I could feel the end.
From the pit of my stomach, vibrations racked through me until I yelled out.

“More.”

His eyes reflected the pleasure he gave me.
And the promise that it was only the beginning.

Another loud moan erupted from my throat and his mouth crashed on mine.
He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the back of the apartment.

We tumbled onto his bed with his body pressed on top of mine.
He gently pushed my hair from my face and kissed my nose.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, before gently tugging my earlobe between his teeth.

I could feel my cheeks flush and I smiled.
“I feel beautiful with you.”

“You should always feel beautiful.”
His nose grazed mine.
“I can’t get enough of you, Caroline.”

Goose bumps covered me.
“You can have as much as you want.”

He buried his head in my neck and hugged me tighter.
“We don’t have to do this.
We can hold off a bit.”

“Do you want to hold off?”

“No.
I just don’t want you to think this is all I want from you.”
He propped himself up on his elbows and looked me in the eye.
“I, of course, want this, but not
just
this.
Does that make sense?”

I nodded.
“It does.
It was you from the beginning.”
I kissed the corner of his mouth.

“From the second you walked in the bar, Caroline.
I knew.”
His tongue ran along my lower lip.

“I want this, Brian.
I want you.”

Every touch, every kiss, every breath, made me want him more.
Thoughts of excitement, newness, and surprise stung my eyes.

He lifted himself up, kneeling between my legs.
Slowly, he pulled off my shoes, then each stocking.
I lifted my hips as he tucked his fingers into my panties and tugged them off.
Leaning over, he reached behind my back, unhooked my bra, slipped it off, and tossed it on the floor.

I lay in the middle of his bed with my hair splayed wide and my arms resting above my head as he stood and stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest.
I was exposed.
On full display.
And I loved every second of it.

“Every inch of you is perfect.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Perfection is perception,” I countered.

“And perception is reality.”
He pulled off his unbuckled belt and placed it on his dresser.
“Slide down to the edge of the bed.”

I sat up, scooted to the edge of his bed, and reached for his pants when he stood in front of me.
But he playfully gripped my wrists and guided me back down to the bed.

He leaned over me, his hands still gripping my wrists.
“Tonight is all about you, Caroline.
Your being here, being mine, is more than enough for me at the moment.
So I want to make you feel good.”

“But—”

He placed his finger on my lips.
“No, no.
Believe me.
I will feel everything you feel.
Let me do this for you.”

It was as if he knew what I wanted as he began his slow trip down the length of my body.
He spent time at my neck, kissing and nibbling just above my collarbone.

“Mmm.
That’s nice.”
I closed my eyes.

His tongue circled one nipple, then the other.
He took his time as his tongue moved slowly and deliberately and his teeth barely scraped the hardened nub as he pulled it into his mouth and sucked.
He released me with a pop and gently blew on the moist skin.
I shivered and pitched forward.