Lucky: A Love Lane Short (3 page)

Where the hell did that
come from?

I am a bit taken aback by my
reaction and blame it all on the thoughts that Mindy has been
putting into my head or more exactly the dirty thoughts that I have
been creating based on Mindy’s speculation. I almost want to glance
down and check out the front of his pants to see if what I imaged
last night has any basis in reality, but figure that would be
inappropriate for a work setting so I keep focused on his
face.

Behind those black-rimmed
glasses, Henry has the most mesmerizing blue eyes, accompanied by
long, dark eyelashes. They are so deep they could almost be
mistaken for black if not for the specks of cobalt. They are the
color of the sea, illuminated by the moon late at night. It is a
shame he keeps his eyes averted so often. I could get lost in eyes
like his.

Just then, Henry reaches up
to adjust his glasses, and I take that moment to give him another
once-over. He is taller than me, at least six-feet compared to my
five-foot-five. And I am surprised to notice he has very large,
masculine hands. I would expect to see slim, delicate fingers since
he spends most of his days sitting at his computer, yet his hands
are clearly not afraid of hard work. They look like hands powerful
enough to direct pleasure while simultaneously appearing gentle
enough to caress and show tenderness. Hands that I wouldn’t mind
having all over my skin.

Taking a peek again at his
body, I try to see past the average clothes—black slacks and white,
cotton button-down—to what may lie behind them. Henry has a slim
build, nothing like Braydon. He may not have been the greatest
boyfriend, but he had a body that could rival any of my current
book boyfriends: all sharp angles, cut muscles, and enough power to
exert his dominance in the sexiest of ways.

Now that I am really looking
at Henry, it is easy to tell that he either works out or has an
active lifestyle. The sleeves of his shirt hug his arms, showing
there is definite definition to them.

Right as my eyes begin to
trail down to check out his lower half, since I clearly can’t
resist taking a peak, I hear Henry clear his throat. With a blink
and a slight shake of my head, I am back to reality, and by the
look of anticipation on Henry’s face, I must have missed something
he said.

“
I’m sorry. What was
that?”

“
I said, how about we meet
up for that coffee Saturday morning, say about ten
a.m.?”

This time, I respond without
hesitation. “Absolutely.”

***

Three days and five
apartment viewings later, I have finally settled on ‘the one.’ It
is a lovely, albeit tiny, apartment on Love Lane. The name couldn’t
be more apropos, and finding it couldn’t have come soon
enough.

Living with Braydon has been
anything but easy. Even though our break up was fairly amicable,
you can still cut the tension with a knife. We have been dancing
around each other since the breakup, cautious with each word
spoken. Thankfully, Braydon has been respectful enough not to have
Candy over, but I can tell he is getting restless by my continued
presence.

The new apartment won’t be
ready to move into for another week, since the landlord needs time
to paint and refinish the floors, so I have been trying my hardest
to spend as much time as I can out with friends or shopping for all
those little things, like soap dispensers and dish towels, that I
will need once I move.

Sitting in the conference
room at our weekly office roundtable meeting, I spot Henry in a
seat down at the end of the long table, looking at me. When our
eyes meet, he gives me a sweet smile and a nod in greeting. I nod
back, and wouldn’t you know it, the little tingle in my belly
returns along with something else I equate to nerves.

I know I should be ecstatic
about the new apartment, which I am mostly, but I am also oddly
terrified about my coffee date with Henry tomorrow morning. Ever
since I accepted the invitation, I have seen a different side to
Henry.

He has always been
polite—saying hello and goodbye when we pass—but now it is as if
his confidence has grown exponentially in my presence. I am not
saying we have heartfelt, deep conversations, but he is actually
making eye contact now. His smile seems brighter; his eyes sparkle
just a little more, and the cherry on top, the cutest, most
devilish, little smirk has made an appearance on his
face.

Another surprise is the
images of Henry that keep popping into my mind at the most random
times. His deep blue eyes, those strong hands—hell, even those
black glasses have made an appearance. It is all becoming a bit
obscene.

Yesterday, as we were
chatting about the various apartment locations and the pros and
cons of each one, that smirk made its first appearance. I mentioned
that my top contender was the apartment located on Love Lane, and
that smile nearly melted my panties right off. It was adorable,
blazing with a mix of elation and want. I may have even taken
advantage of that smirk last night, after Braydon decided he’d had
enough of the awkwardness between us and went over to
Candy’s.

Sitting up in bed with my
back against the headboard and once again looking over the lease
agreement for Love Lane, I grinned all over again as Henry’s sexy
smile invaded my mind. Seeing as I was alone, and it had been quite
some time since my body had felt anything remotely pleasurable, I
decided to let instinct take over.

Tossing the papers aside, I
slipped down on the bed until my head hit the pillow. Then I slid
my right hand down my torso and tentatively brushed a delicate
finger over my cotton boy shorts, already feeling how wet I was.
With my fingers ready and my body thrumming with anticipation, I
decided to get more comfortable, first pulling off my tank top then
sliding my panties down my toned legs. With a flick of my foot, I
tossed my panties across the room. Completely nude, my heated skin
was flush with the cool sheets.

Closing my eyes tightly, I
imagined it was Henry’s hand that was touching me, his strong
fingers swiping down my slit, and I let out a gasp of pleasure. As
much as I wanted to reach that release quickly, I knew that, if I
slowed things down, it would feel that much more amazing. God, did
I miss that feeling.

With long lazy strokes I
took my time, relishing the feel with each pass. Visions of deep
blue eyes behind black glasses infiltrated my mind. Parting my
lips, I dipped two fingers inside to gather my wetness before
slowly working my way up to my clit where I began to gently tease
my nub. I spread my legs even farther apart then lifted my hips and
rubbed deeper with my right hand as my left traveled over my belly
until finally reaching its intended destination. Exquisite chills
having taken over my entire body.

Pinching the peaked nipple
on my right breast, I imagined Henry above me, his strong arms
holding him up as his head dipped down to take my nipple into his
mouth. The combined sensation was enough to throw me over the edge,
my body absorbing the pleasure from my hands.

After I came down from the
high of my climax, I was trying to figure out just how Henry had
gone from merely a distant co-worker to the object of my nightly
fantasies in a matter of days.

Chapter Four

Waking up early, my body is
vibrating with nervous anticipation. I didn’t get the chance to
talk with Henry yesterday after the all-day meeting. I am eager to
tell him that I signed the lease for the apartment on Love Lane.
The thought of his happy reaction is enough to make me pick up my
pace so I’m not late.

After showering,
moisturizing with an SPF protectant—the sun is a killer on my fair
skin—and adding a swipe of blush to my cheeks, I decide to go for a
comfy casual look since it is going to be another hot, July day. I
pull on a pair of black, linen shorts; a coral-colored tank that
may or may not be a bit too tight across my chest and my favorite
pair of black TOMS. The only thing left to do is toss my hair up in
a ponytail; grab my sunglasses, cell phone, keys; and I am out the
door.

Taking the subway from my
current apartment in Queens over to Brooklyn takes just under
thirty minutes at this time of day, my excitement building with
each stop along the way.

As I catch my first glimpse
of Henry standing in front of the Brew House, reading something on
his phone, I have the sudden urge to run over to him, excited to
tell him my news. Instead, I take a deep breath and gather my
composure before he notices me. Taking the slow walk across the
street, trying to look as casual as possible, it feels as if my
racing heart will make it to the other side before I do.

I never had this experience
with Braydon—the excitement of going on a first date—although
technically, this is more of a friends thing than a date. Whatever,
same difference. I was immature, drunk, and horny back then with
Braydon, so I am trying to memorize each and every feeling now and
not take it for granted.

Along with my racing heart,
my sweaty palms are going to make holding on to my coffee cup a
dangerous proposition, not to mention the somersaults in my tummy,
which will, without a doubt, make it difficult to even drink the
coffee.

Stepping up onto the curb,
that damn smile of his nearly knocks me on my ass as Henry finally
looks up to take notice of me.
With a grin
of my own to rival his, I step closer into his space, the desire to
claim his lips pulsing through my veins with each rapid beat of my
heart. The only thing preventing me from going for it is my deep
craving to do this the right way. I don’t want a repeat of my
relationship with Braydon, not that I think Henry would even let it
go that far.

“
Hey, stranger, perfect
timing. The tour is just about to get underway,” he greets with
that delicious smirk.

“
Lead the way,” I say
gesturing for Henry to begin.

Opening the door to the
coffee shop, Henry motions me inside with a playful bow. Once at
the counter, he begins to order, and my jaw nearly falls to the
floor when he recites my favorite drink with ease. I turn my head
and simply stare at him.

“
What?”

I look from him to the girl
behind the counter who is also smiling as Henry goes on.

“
I have sat in the same
weekly roundtable meetings with you every Friday for the last six
months. Your coffee order hasn’t changed once in that entire
time.”

“
Oh, well, thanks for
noticing,” I reply, feeling the warmth creep into my cheeks. I am
flattered by his attentiveness but not all that
surprised.

After our coffees are ready,
we make our way outside again and begin to walk down the street,
nodding our good mornings to those passing by. This really is a
great part of Brooklyn, and I can’t be more relieved and excited
that I found my apartment.

Wanting to get to know Henry
better, I take the opportunity to dig a little. “So, tell me
something about yourself. I don’t really know much except what you
do at work.”

“
Well, let’s see… I’m
twenty-six; my favorite color is green; and I like football, beer,
and pizza, all in that order.”

“
I’m more partial to
yellow, but green’s not too bad. Better than red. I hate the color
red,” I say in all seriousness. “There has to be more to you than
that. What about parents, siblings, any pets?”

“
Sadly, none of the
above.”

“
Oh, I’m sorry.” I feel
like I am intruding now but far too intrigued to learn all I can
about Henry’s life to stop my line of questions.

“
It’s okay. Really,” Henry
goes on. “I’m coming to realize it hurts less the more I talk about
her.”

Her? That word brings a
sickening feeling to my stomach. Is he still hung up on a past
girlfriend? Maybe that’s why he is so quiet. Have I been reading
him wrong all this time?

With my head down now, I
ask, “Who?”

“
My mom,” Henry replies
with a somber tone as my head snaps back up to look at
him.

“
Oh. What happened to
her?”

“
She passed away a few
months back. Breast cancer”

“
I’m so sorry,
Henry.”

“
Me, too. She really was
the strongest person I know, and not just because she’s my mom.
After high school, she packed up her belongings and moved from
Pennsylvania to New York in hopes of making it big on Broadway. She
had a really pretty singing voice,” Henry adds with a faraway look
in his eyes, as if he is remembering a sweet song she once sang to
him.

“
Anyway, my mom met my dad
in a club in Manhattan when she was only twenty. She was naïve, and
he fed her a bunch of lies about being some big deal Wall Street
stockbroker, which she believed since he drove a fancy car and took
her out to expensive restaurants. In the end, though, after he got
her in bed, his calls became less and less, and then, when she
dropped the pregnancy bomb, poof, he was gone.

“
My mom was a fighter and
never gave up. She had me all on her own, and it was just the two
of us. She worked during the day as a receptionist and then at
night from home as a medical transcriber. It was hard, but we made
ends meet.