Champagne Rules (24 page)

Could he? No, what was he thinking? He’d be putting in sixteen-hour days on Family Friend. Maybe if he did that for the whole week . . . “I’ll try for next weekend.”

“You’ll try
hard
?”

“Very hard.”

She chuckled. “I’ll save the ice wine for then.”

What was she saying? “You’re inviting me over?” For what?

Wine and sex? Dinner and wine and sex? Or to stay overnight?

“Oh, I—”

Crap, he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. She’d meant she’d bring the wine to a picnic.

But then she said, “Yes, I am. The next time you can come to town? For dinner? Is that all right? Not too mundane?”

He laughed, and it came out strained and shaky. “No way.”

“Great. Okay, I’m going to pour myself a glass of wine.”

He remembered what Tonya used to do, how she’d made a ceremony out of pouring wine. “Do you have some special wineglasses?”

“Rina gave me some cut-glass ones.”

Rina. She had a friend—or relative—named Rina. And another called Jenny, who’d given her the ice wine.

“Use one of those glasses now,” he said.

“Okay. How about you? Do you have special glasses?”

In this bachelor pad, where he and his roomies drank beer out of the can? “’Fraid not, but we’ll pretend.”

He pulled down a cheap glass. “I’m pouring my wine. How about you?”

“I’m lifting my glass. Ready to make a toast.”

He lifted his own. “What’s the toast?”

“What else? To us, Jaxon. And this evening together.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

He took a swallow. Good stuff. “Now, how about that bath?”

“Yes. By candlelight.”

There wasn’t a hope in hell he’d find a candle in this apartment. But Suzanne could light hers, and he liked the picture that was forming in his mind. “How about a few candles?

All along the rim of the tub.” Flickering across her naked body.

“Sounds good to me.” Her voice was husky, breathy, sexy. He rubbed a hand over the front of his briefs, pressing against his erection, wishing she was there to touch him. Now what?

He wanted her to run a bath and climb in, but should he do it too, or just lie in bed imagining her?

“Jaxon? Are you going to take a bath with me?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Do you need to ask?”

Thank God the apartment had two bathrooms. He hurried to the one with a tub and locked the door. Once they both had the water running, he said, “Time to take off your clothes.”

“You too. What are you wearing?”

“A pair of boxer briefs.” That were filled to bursting.

“That’s all? Sexy. What color?”

“Navy.”

“Not bad, but with your beautiful skin you should wear more dramatic colors. Black, white, maybe red.”

“Red underwear? Gimme a break.”

She gave that throaty chuckle of hers. “Red silk boxers. What do you say?”

He groaned. “Only for you, Suzanne.”

“I should hope so.” After a moment, she said, “I just took off my jeans and now I’ve got to put the phone down to pull my T-shirt over my head.”

He waited, imagining her in a bra and panties. Maybe she was wearing a thong. Did she wear that sexy stuff all the time, or only on a date?

Or only when she was with him?

“Okay, now I’m down to my undies too,” she said. “Ready to take off your briefs?”

“Woman, I’m busting out of them.”

“Busting out? Just from . . . this?”

“From thinking of you, from your voice. God, I wish I was there. I want to touch you. I want you to touch me.”

“Me too. But we’ve got our imaginations, our hands and each other’s voices.”

“Oh yeah! So, lover, imagine my hands on your body. I’m flicking loose the clasp to your bra and peeling it off, then cupping your breasts in my hands. Such beautiful breasts, each one a perfect handful.”

“And speaking of a handful . . . Oh wait, my tub’s full.”

He’d completely forgotten about the running water. He cranked off his taps too.

“Jaxon? Are you still wearing those briefs?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t you think it’s time we took them off? I want to slide my fingers down each side and peel them slowly off you.”

He did it himself, trying to imagine her fingers instead of his own. Must’ve worked, because his cock sprang free and aimed straight for the ceiling. “You still wearing your panties?”

“Yes, and they’re all wet.”

He sucked in a breath. She wanted him. Even long distance. She was just as into this as he was. Man, he was one lucky bastard. He focused on her bath. “Do you have those candles? And what about bubble bath?”

“I’ve lit half a dozen candles around the tub, and turned the lights off. I tossed in some jasmine bath salts and the room smells tropical, a little sultry.”

He could imagine the scent, the candlelight. “Ready to climb in?”

“Didn’t you want me to take my panties off?”

Oh yeah, he’d lost his train of thought when she told him they were wet. “Please. Imagine me taking them off. I want you naked. I want to see your beautiful, naked body.”

“Then look your fill. I’m naked now, in the candlelight. Let’s get in the bath.”

“Let me take the back, then you can climb in and lean against me. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.”

He stepped into the tub and sprawled out, his knees up. His cock rose, seeking the surface of the water. “Come on in, the water’s a lot warmer than on Friday.”

She giggled. “Last Friday the water was stimulating.”

“Last Friday you were stimulating. You always are. What are you doing now?”

“Lying back against you,” she murmured. “Your body is so hard under me and . . . oh wait, I’m wriggling around until—”

“Slip my cock between your legs.”

“You’re so hard. You feel fantastic.”

“I’m reaching around you to caress your breasts. Put your hands there, and imagine they’re mine. Stroking your nipples as they harden. Teasing them while I kiss your hair, find your ear, and nibble on it. Can you feel my lips, my hands?”

“Oh yes. But I want to touch you too. I’m reaching down for your cock, taking it in both hands, curling my fingers around you. Do you feel me?”

He leaned back, closed his eyes and gave himself up to the fantasy. He reached a hand between his legs and touched himself, imagining his large fingers were her small, graceful ones.

“How are you touching me? Hard, soft? Quick, slow?”

“Just feathery caresses. Playing with you, teasing. Running a fingertip around the head of your cock. Around and around and around.”

He used his own finger and had to hold back a groan.

“I’m reaching down too,” he said, “finding those full, lush lips of yours, all swollen with desire. I’m stroking soft and light, teasing you just the way you’ve been teasing me. You have such a sweet pussy. Do you want to open for me?”

“Yes. Oh yes,” she sighed. “I want you inside me.”

“All in good time. First you get a finger. Just one finger. Can you feel it? It’s entering you slowly, gently, and your body is taking it in.”

“It feels so good.”

His finger was still circling the head of his penis and he was aching for a good, hard up-and-down stroke. “Suzanne? Will you wrap your hand around me? I want to feel you around me, firm and strong. I want you to pump up and down. Do that for me?”

“Now, Jaxon. Right now.”

He locked his hand tight and gave several hard strokes, feeling the pressure building, fighting for release. How could he get so close so fast with this woman, when she wasn’t even with him? He tore his hand away from his body.

Gasping, he said, “I need some wine. How about you?”

“Wine? Oh, wine. Yes, that sounds good. Let me put the phone down for a minute.”

He grinned to himself. She didn’t want to take her finger out of her body to pick up the glass. She’d rather put down the phone.

He slugged a couple of mouthfuls of wine and waited until she spoke again. “Mmm, this wine is so good.”

“Where’s my finger?” he asked.

“Your . . . Oh, it’s, uh, still inside me.”

He grinned more widely. “Is it as deep as it can possibly go?”

“Maybe not.” The words were just a sigh in his ear.

“Go deep, and circle. Press against the walls inside yourself, find the spot that makes you moan, lover, stroke it, press it.”

“Oh Jaxon.” It was a sigh, a whimper. Then she said, “Is my hand still stroking you?”

“No, I . . . I had to make you stop. I was too close.” He closed his eyes and whispered into the phone, “I don’t want to come until I’m inside you.”

“Inside me?”

“Mm-hm. Here’s what I want you to do. I’m going to sit up a little, okay? And I want you to sit up too.”

“So I’m sitting on your lap, facing away from you?”

“Exactly. And then I want you to lift up a little, because I’m going to slide inside you. Will you do that?”

“Oh yes.”

“I’m reaching between your legs, parting those full lips . . . Are you ready for me?”

“Please. I want you.”

“I’m easing inside.” He wrapped a hand around his cock.

“You’re so hot and tight, you feel so good.”

“You’re so hard, so big. You’re sliding in, filling me.”

He imagined her fingers inside her body, mimicking his cock. “Move slowly. Slowly in, all the way. Now lift yourself, lift up so I’m almost all the way out. Then slide down again—”

“You’re all the way in now, pressing hard against me and I’m pressing back against you.”

“I’m reaching around, my fingers teasing your clit as I move inside you.”

“God, yes.”

He pumped slowly, from top to bottom, then back again, imagining the heat and friction of her body against his. He heard the slap of water against the edge of the tub and imagined the liquid slap of his flesh against hers. Pleasure mounted as he stroked back and forth. “Suzanne, you’re so good, so great,” he panted. He wanted her, he was reaching into her, he longed to fill her. He wanted to move.

“Faster, lover, I’m stroking faster now, I can’t hold back.” His hand pumped fiercely as his blood raced, heated, the climax building inside him.

“Don’t hold back,” she moaned. “Oh God, I can feel every inch of you. I want you so badly. I’m so close, I can’t . . .”

“Suzanne! I want . . .”

“Oh Jaxon, I’m going to . . .”

“Come now!” He almost yelled the words as he climaxed, his body thrusting out of the water, his cum spurting into the air, her voice ringing in his ears as she called his name. His body kept spasming until finally he collapsed back into the water. Breathless, he realized the phone was still clamped to his ear. “Suzanne?” he said weakly.

“Oh my God,” she whispered.

Dinner on Monday was at Vij’s, a classy Indian fusion place where the Foursome went a couple of times a year when they were in the mood for splurging. Madly popular, the bustle and noise pretty much ensured their conversations wouldn’t be overheard.

Ann was late. Across the table from Suzanne, Jenny and Rina tossed out questions about Jaxon. She sipped her India pale ale, gave them a cat-smile and said, “I’ll tell you when Ann’s here.”

So, they spent time studying the menu and ordered four dishes to share. They knew Ann’s tastes by now, including her obsession for the lamb “popsicles.”

When Ann dashed in and flopped down in a chair, it was like a hurricane had hit. She jarred the table as she flung her briefcase underneath it. Then, as she twisted to peel off her jacket, her elbow caught a water glass.

Suzanne only just rescued it in time. “Slow down, calm down. We don’t mind that you’re late, and we’ve already ordered. Lamb popsicles, chicken in coconut-onion curry—”

“Sure, whatever,” Ann broke in. “I haven’t had anything to eat today.”

“That’s not healthy,” Rina scolded.

“You should talk,” Ann snapped. “You never eat food, you only pick at it. It drives me nuts.”

Her words brought a dead silence. She slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh crap. I’m sorry, Rina. I’m the bitch from hell today.”

“You know I have a weight problem,” Rina said accusingly.

“You don’t!” they all chorused.

“Like the three of you would know anything about it, with your perfect figures.”

“You have a great figure, girl,” Jenny said. “Curvy, the way guys like. If I had a bod like yours, I’d flaunt it, not hide under all those layers.”

“Time out,” Suzanne said, her hands forming the signal. Rina’s body image was another of their agree-to-disagree topics.

“I’m really sorry,” Ann said.

Rina sighed, her Bambi eyes still looking wounded. “It’s okay. Tough day at the office?”

Ann raked her fingers through her hair. “The usual. I worked all weekend, but I’m still behind. I feel so out of control, and I guess that puts me on edge.”

“Oh gee, ya think?” Jenny said teasingly. “Ms. Control Freak hates being out of control?”

The waitress brought an India ale for Ann, and a basket of spicy French fries.

Ann promptly grabbed a couple of fries. “Okay, that’s definitely enough about me. Suze, what’s going on with Jaxon?”

Suzanne gave a mischievous smile, and dropped two words:

“Phone sex.”

“No way!” The signs of strain left Ann’s face and she grinned widely. “I want to hear every single detail.”

“I’m not going that far, you’d all be squirming in your seats. But I’ll give you a summary.”

They all leaned forward, heads close together, and Suzanne told them about her and Jaxon’s phone-bath-sex on Friday night.

“Oh God, Suzie, why can’t I meet a man like that?” Jenny moaned.

“Me too!” Rina and Ann chorused.

“I think we need a new Awesome Foursome rule,” Jenny said. “When one of us finds an utterly fabulous man, she has to share him with the rest of us.”

They all howled with laughter. “I don’t
think
so,” Suzanne managed to splutter. “Nor will you, when you find your own Mr. Hot Sex. Speaking of which, what did you all do on the weekend? Any dynamite sex of your own?”

Ann waved a hand dismissively. “No chance. When I wasn’t working, I was sleeping. Alone, sadly.”

“I had sex,” Jenny said glumly. “With Pete. You know, the Korean guy? I used to think he was good, but damn it, Suze, you’ve spoiled everything. He’s sure no Jaxon.”