Lisa's Gift (9 page)

“Well, maybe a nibble or two.”

She tried to wedge her hand out of his, but he held tightly. “I-I really shouldn’t go,” she stuttered. What was she thinking?

“Come on. It’s too late to chicken out now.” He winked and she felt her heart melt.

This was wrong. She shouldn’t consider going anyplace with this man, but she wanted to.

With a deep, calming breath she gathered her courage. “Okay.” It was just ice cream. As he escorted her out of the house, his hand slipped away from hers, sliding across her hip to settle in the small of her back.

Without protest, she allowed him to guide her to his truck, loving the feel of his hand on her body.

Man oh man. So this was what playing with fire felt like.

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, Nicolas thought. He tried to look away, but the way Jana’s tongue swirled around her ice cream cone had an innocent sensuality that drove him crazy. Thankfully, the table hid his rise of excitement each time he thought about her licking and wrapping her tongue around his cock.

Her light floral perfume rose above the sugary sweet smell of ice cream and confectioneries.

He needed a diversion. “Are you looking forward to starting your new job?”

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Jana glanced up at him and frowned. “Yes and no.”

When he leaned over and wiped the ice cream off her upper lip, she startled. What he had wanted to do was lick the chocolate off her lips and then sample her kiss, but the noisy Girl Scout troop at the counter gave him pause.

“Uh…thanks.” She took another swipe at her cone. “I’m anxious to get deep into the trenches of this company, but scared shitless to see what it involves.”

Honesty? Was this the first time she had truly been honest with him sharing her real feelings—her fears? It must have surprised her as well, because she immediately grew quiet.

Two young girls were giggling and whispering into each other’s ears as they looked at him.

What?
he thought of asking just before he felt cold wetness upon his hand. Ice cream dripped down the side of the cone, making a mess as it ran down his hand and onto the table. Quickly he licked the sides of his cone, then using several napkins wiped up the remainder. He’d been so entranced watching Jana’s tongue glide around her ice cream cone that he hadn’t been enjoying his own.

“I’ve never experienced the unknown growing up in a family business.” He shifted in his chair, trying to ease the discomfort growing between his thighs. “I just focus on keeping the business successful so that my younger brother can continue to go to college. With both my parents gone he’s all I have—he depends on me.”

Jana cocked her head and her expression softened. “Joey was several years younger than I was, but I remember him following you around from time to time.”

Nicolas laughed reminiscing how his brother trailed him like a shadow. Then something clicked inside. “You remember my brother?”

“Uh… Well, it’s just that—Lisa and I, we used to see you guys around the neighborhood.” She shrugged and then took another lick of her ice cream.

“But he was younger than you.”

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“And you were older than me by four years. Does it matter?” she asked.

Just how much about him did she already know? And where did she get all this information? He couldn’t remember ever speaking to Lisa about his brother. She didn’t really seem interested in his family. Not really disinterested, but aloof.

But Jana was interested.

She picked up a napkin and dabbed at the corner of her mouth.

“What’s his major?”

Damn. He had wanted to lick that spot of ice cream off her lips.

“Joey’s a history buff. Don’t know what he’ll do with the knowledge, but he’s happy and that’s all that matters.”

She smiled again. “You love him.”

“Yes.” His response came quickly. His love for Joey was probably similar to that between Lisa and Jana. His brother meant everything to him. He watched as her tongue made a long swipe around her ice cream cone.

“Your mom and dad?”

He didn’t really want to talk about his father. But his mother had been the light of his life. “My father passed right after you left Arizona.

Mom died last year.”

“I’m sorry.” And she was. He could see it in her eyes. For a moment they just stared at each other, then he dropped his gaze to his watch.

“Damn. I need to get back to the restaurant. You guys are coming over to my house for dinner tonight aren’t you?” What he wouldn’t give to spend the rest of the day with her.

She picked up her purse and tucked it beneath her arm. The ease in which she asked, “Was that the plan?” showed how comfortable she was getting around him.

He gave a slow nod as they moved toward the door. Oh, yeah. He’d wanted to get her to his home on more than one occasion.

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“Then I guess we’ll be there.” She passed by him and out the door he held open.

After they climbed into his four-door truck and he started the engine, the oily scent of diesel filled the cab. A comfortable silence lingered between them as he shifted the vehicle into gear and pulled into the traffic. Jana was easy to be with. Even the light fragrance of her perfume was unobtrusive. She was the type of woman a man could simply enjoy while holding her hand and walking along the ocean or mountainside.

That was until she was mad or edgy. Even then he relished the fight in her. He especially enjoyed their banter and the chase. She always appeared trapped in the “flee or fuck” mode. While he guessed her mind told her to run far and fast from him, her body was giving the opposite signals.

He had no doubt she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Nicolas glanced at Jana and she smiled, a smile that sent warmth radiating through his body. This was a side he hadn’t seen in her, or at least she hadn’t shared with him before. She usually wore her hard-as-nails exterior or the fragile girl persona. The multiple facets to her personality made him feel like he could be with her a lifetime and never completely know her. But something inside of him knew he wanted to try.

As they pulled up to Lisa’s house he turned off the truck, got out, went around to her side and opened the door for her to exit. For a moment he thought of taking her into his arms, but then thought better.

The time would come when she didn’t run from him. And when that time came, it would be all the sweeter.

There was a slight awkwardness in the moment as Nicolas stood before Jana. Almost as if he debated on kissing her. The strangest part of the situation was that she wanted him to. Wanted to feel his lips pressed to hers.

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Dammit!
Was it wrong to want to taste passion? To desire what Lisa and Nicolas had together? Or was that just a dream? They kept saying nothing existed between them.

“Tonight.” His whisper almost sounded like a promise.

“Yes. Of course. Tonight.” She stumbled from her wandering thoughts and took a step backward, before pivoting and leaving.

When she got into the house, she collapsed on the closest chair with a huff.

What would happen if she gave in, let Nicolas kiss her, let him touch her? Well, it didn’t matter because it was never going to happen.

She pushed to her feet and headed for her bedroom to choose what she would wear tonight. After ten minutes she said, “Girl, you’re taking an awful long time to pick out an outfit for a man that doesn’t matter.”

“But he does.”

When she heard Lisa’s voice, Jana turned quickly, almost losing her balance. A flush of embarrassment heated her face. “Lisa.”

Her friend held up her hand. “Nicolas is everything you’ve ever wanted. Why not for once in your life be greedy? Take what you want.”

“But, Lisa—”

“Jana, there isn’t anything I have I wouldn’t share with you, including Nicolas. I love you. All I want is for you to be happy.”

Jana stood speechless.

“Think about it.” Then Lisa floated out of the room, leaving Jana with a lot to consider.

Could she simply slip into a relationship with Nicolas when he was having one with her best friend? And what about this bondage stuff? Did she dare give him the trust needed to even experiment with BDSM?

The thoughts made her breasts grow heavy and that familiar tingle began in her nipples.

Was it possible?

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Olive oil, butter and garlic simmered in a large frying pan. The oil popped and sizzled as Nicolas tossed in moist broccoli and stirred for preparation of the rigatoni he planned to serve with their main dish, Chicken Marsala. The rich scent of garlic, herbs and spices filled the air.

Before his mother had passed away she used to tease, “Garlic to an Italian is like apple pie to an American.” Feelings of his recent loss surfaced, but didn’t stay long. He grinned, remembering her many antics. His mother had been a hoot. He loved to listen to her soft laughter. She smelled of almonds, a scent that always warmed his heart.

With her gone he felt something was missing in his life.

She would have liked Jana.

Adding chicken broth to the pan, he covered the dish and strolled away from the stove. With a dishrag he wiped down the large island in the center of his kitchen. His mother loved cooking while her family gathered around her, everyone participating in some small way.

With her in mind he had designed his custom home located just south of the restaurant. Upon entering, his guests walked into a great room consisting of a living room, dining room and kitchen. The openness lent itself to entertaining and gave him a sense of home as he cooked.

He placed a chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper, then gave it a whack with a wooden kitchen mallet. Lisa and Jana had arrived only minutes ago and were touring his home. He would have liked to have shown Jana around himself, but earlier a broken waterline at the restaurant had flooded the northeast side of the restaurant, causing him to start dinner late.

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Now he found himself in a rather odd mood—antsy—with no idea whether it was the problems at the restaurant or Jana who had captured his attention from the start. The idea of seducing her had become an obsession. Usually a patient man, he was finding it extremely difficult to keep his mind off her.

Man, she looked great tonight. She wore a black evening dress, while Lisa had on a flesh-colored gown that almost made her appear as if she had nothing on at all. A sizzle behind his back drew him to the rigatoni on the stove. He raised the lid and used a fork to check the tenderness of the broccoli.

Done. After adding a hint of basil, he pulled the pan off the fire and set it aside.

What he wouldn’t give to strip Jana of her clothing and pour rich red wine over her body. A wicked smile surfaced. Side by side, he and Lisa would lap the sweet alcohol from Jana’s soft skin, one lick at a time.

The thought hardened his cock. He shifted his hips. Fuck, he was horny tonight. Hell, when was he not horny when Jana was around?

Feminine laughter caressed his ears. Like an invisible rope it tugged, begging him to follow as he heard their footsteps descend the stairs to his basement. He turned to the island counter, retrieved the mallet and gave the chicken another whack, hard. All he wanted at the moment was to be caressing a certain redhead with kissing and fucking on the menu.

His erection jerked against his pants as if fighting its constraints.

Heat rushed through his body and it wasn’t from the gas stove behind him.

Would Lisa show Jana the dungeon? It was a special place he kept locked, but Lisa knew where he hid the key. She’d prepared the room for one of their bondage scenes when he had once again been delayed.

The restaurant business could be demanding.

As he finished preparing the chicken, he switched off the burner and wondered what had captured Jana’s and Lisa’s interest downstairs.

They’d been there for a while. Instead of completing the final touches to 70

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the dinner and putting it into the oven, he decided to check on the women.

When he reached the downstairs, he was surprised at the laughter coming out of the dungeon. He’d never found anything in the room funny, but evidently they had. As he grew closer he heard Jana say, “I can’t believe this swing.”

He peeked around the corner into the room. Jana’s legs were spread wide, laced through the swing supports hanging from the ceiling, while Lisa gave her a push now and again. They were like two young girls at the playground.

His playground.

Both had kicked off their shoes and appeared to be relaxed and enjoying themselves. From his position, as she swung higher, he could look straight up Jana’s dress, but a pair of black panties hid what he wanted so badly to see.

Lisa stopped the swing. “I want to show you his toys.” She assisted Jana out of the contraption while they both giggled. “If the swing and hobby horse surprised you, wait until you see his toys. They’re going to blow your mind.”

Nicolas couldn’t believe he was eavesdropping on their conversation, but he couldn’t help enjoying their girlish mannerisms. They were like two high school girls down on their knees as Lisa pulled out the suitcase that contained all his special equipment. She flipped open the lid and Jana gasped.

Lisa’s face sparked as she dug through his case.

“Oh my God, what
is
this?” Jana held one of his glass butt plugs by her thumb and index finger as if it contained some type of disease.

“Six inches of anal bliss,” Lisa said as she continued to rummage through the case.

The confused look on Jana’s face was priceless. “Anal?”

Lisa stopped what she was doing and looked up. “A butt plug, silly.

Don’t tell me you haven’t ever seen one before.” Jana didn’t respond and Lisa chuckled. “I can’t believe it.”