Modern Girl's Guide to One-Night Stands (30 page)

He went down to the office and sorted through his work, but fuck if it wasn’t the longest seven hours of his life. By five he was pacing the deck, waiting for the boat to come into sight.

When she finally did come up the stairs from the dock, he was ready to do the caveman thing and throw her over his shoulder and haul her to his bed. And the way she looked just drove his lust. Her hair was messy and falling from the loose braid, and there were smudges of dirt smeared across her cheeks.

“I need to grab a quick shower, and then we’ll do dinner.”

He almost told her fuck dinner and fuck the shower. All he wanted to do was find a soft bed and get lost in her, but this week was all about spending time together and getting to know one another. Maybe some distance from a bed was in order.

“Since it’s just the two of us tonight, why don’t I take you out for dinner?”

“I don’t know.” She ran a hand over her messy hair and tried to flatten the tangled mess.

Her frown deepened, and Simon was worried she’d changed her mind about spending time with him. Again.

“We’ve got a kitchen full of food. I already had something planned for dinner. By the time I get a shower, it will be late. Let me just make us something.”

“You don’t need to go to all that trouble,” he said.

“If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I love to cook. So it’s no trouble. Do you have any special requests?”

Simon was pretty sure asking to join her in the shower wasn’t what she meant. Ever since that night at the inn he couldn’t get the sight of her naked, wet body out of his mind. He’d been dreaming of taking her against the shower wall for almost a month.

Fuck. He needed to stop. Dinner. Maybe a walk. They needed to spend time outside of a bed to find out if what they had was more than physical. “I’m open for anything,” he finally said. But he was definitely putting long showers on the list of things he wanted to do this week.

She gave him a shy smile and looked down at the floor as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. “I won’t be long. You said you liked Indian food, right? Do you like it spicy or sweet?” she asked.

Was she teasing him or asking a serious question? The confusion must have shown on his face, because Julia raised a brow.

“Um, sweet?” he said.

“Good. I’ve got this recipe I’ve been dying to try. It’s sweet and sticky. I think you’re going to love it.”

He still wasn’t sure if she was flirting with him or not. As he watched her go up the stairs, Simon could have sworn she threw a little more swing in her hip than before. Christ, now he needed a cold shower.

Not one for waiting around, Simon went into the office to check his email. The same whining and complaints from the New York staff. There were a few personal invitations to functions, and one from accounting with last quarter's figures. He answered what he could and shelved the rest for later. By the time he was done, Julia was already in the kitchen.

And what he found in the kitchen was wholly unexpected. Like a chameleon, Julia had slid once again into an entirely different persona. Her wet hair was pulled back into a tight bun, exposing her long neck. She was dressed in an old tank top and a pair of faded jeans that hugged her curves so close, they were almost pornographic. And the whole ensemble was topped off with a frilly fifties housewife apron.

She was humming and swaying her hips to some internal music while she cooked. That little shimmy of hers was sexier than any strip club he’d been to in his life, and Simon was transfixed. He could get used to this sight.

She turned around to grab something off the island and caught him ogling her ass. “I know you guys had staff that did all the household stuff, but you’re staring at me like you’ve never seen someone cooking before?”

“If any of our staff looked like you, I would have learned to cook years ago.”

“Why don’t I give you a lesson? Come on in and give me a hand.” She smiled, and he could have sworn that smile promised more than a lesson on Indian cuisine.

“I’m not sure if you want me in there right now. You look like the main course in every wet dream I’ve had for the last month.”

She glanced down, taking in her attire, and frowned. “Really? In this?” She popped a hip and waved a hand down the length of her body.

Simon followed the progression, devouring every inch of her, and growled longingly.

She just rolled her eyes. “Men. Make yourself useful and take care of the carrots.”

Her words might have been dismissive, but the blush in her cheeks told him she was pleased at his admission. Sex in the kitchen. That was going on the list, too. His list was getting long, and at the rate he was going, there’d be no time to sleep.

“If you’re not going to help, get out,” she said after he just stood there, imagining her bent over the counter.

She seemed relaxed and more assured of herself, just like she did when talking about her photography, and it made him want to push her a little more.

“I’ll give it my best shot. But be warned, I’m useless in the kitchen,” he said, coming up behind her. He reached for the cutting board on the other side and pressed himself against her back. “Unless you need me to take care of something else for you.”

“I will banish you from the kitchen if you don’t stop. How am I supposed to work under these conditions?” she said. Her words were a little breathy.

“As I recall, you work quite well under these conditions,” he said, kissing her neck.

“Simon,” she breathed, her words lost on a moan as he nipped her collarbone. “I can’t concentrate when you do that.”

“That’s the point.”

Julia turned and gave a gentle push. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the attention. God, do I appreciate the attention. But I have food on the stove and a fire will definitely ruin the night.”

Simon sighed. “Fine. Why don’t I open a bottle of wine and then get started on those carrots?”

He fled the room, needing to put some distance between them. She was determined to cook, and if he didn’t leave then, Simon couldn’t be responsible for his actions. Julia was doing exactly what he asked. He wanted to spend time with her. Time that included eating and talking. He just needed to remind his body of that fact.

He found a red that would pair nicely with the Indian spices and headed back to the kitchen. He’d only been gone a few minutes, but already the room was filled with the heady aroma of cooking. “Mmm, something smells good,” he said.

“After we get these carrots peeled and sliced, dinner should be done in about twenty minutes.”

He opened the wine to let it breathe, all the while watching her peel and slice the carrots. Sliding in next to her, Simon picked up the other peeler and soon fell into a quick rhythm with her; he’d peel and she’d chop. Within a few minutes they’d finished, and Simon went over and poured them each a glass of wine.

“Now what?” he asked, handing her one.

She’d already transferred the carrots to a large pan and was adding several spices. “While I season these, can you pull the baking tray out of the oven? I made some naan yesterday. I was just warming it up.”

He pulled open the oven and the smell hit him. “You made bread? That’s it. You can never leave,” Simon teased as he pulled the baking sheet out of the oven. The flat disks of bread were golden brown and smelled like heaven. “I’m serious. I hope you come quietly, because it would be so much easier than keeping you locked up in my kitchen. And I’m fairly certain keeping a woman chained to my stove violates one of my homeowners association rules. But I’m willing to chance it for baked goods.”

He started piling the flat bread onto a plate, taking one warm piece and biting a chunk off. “Oh my God. This is delicious.”

“Those are for dinner. Hands off!”

Julia tried to snatch the plate from him, but Simon maneuvered to the other side of the island. “No way. These are mine. Hmmm.” He took another bite and shielded the plate with his body. “You’re going to need to get your own.”

She screwed up her lips and turned back to the stove. He’d been enjoying their little battle of wills and was disappointed that she gave up so soon. The moment lost, Simon started to put down the plate when she turned around with a bowl full of cooked vegetables.

“Well, if you’re going to keep the naan, whatever will I eat my curry with?” She picked up a chunk of potato with her finger and proceeded to suck and lick her fingers.

Plate forgotten, Simon gripped the edge of the counter, fixated on her lips.

“Would you like to try some?” she said in a husky voice. Again, she picked out a large chunk of potato and leaned over the island, hand extended. “Open up.” She placed the curry on his tongue and slowly withdrew as he sucked her fingers clean.

“Delicious,” he said.

“I agree,” she said, a devilish smile spreading across her face. “And it goes even better with naan.” In triumph, she held up the plate he’d had just seconds ago. “Now if you’ll get plates, we can eat in a few minutes.”

He wanted to keep the night relaxed. So instead of eating in the stuffy dining room, Simon carried the dishes into the great room and set up a spread on the low coffee table. “Have a seat on the floor,” he said.

“I forgot to grab the silverware,” she said, eyeing the spread.

“Isn’t that what the naan is for? Besides, I really enjoyed using your fingers in the kitchen. ”

“But—”

“No buts.” Simon patted the spot beside him on the floor. “Sit down. It will be fun.”

Chapter Nineteen

Modern Girl Tip #14: Play—Foreplay is important, even during a one-night stand. Rev things up with passionate kissing, touches, and compliments to get things going.

What he thought would be a fun and intimate meal completely derailed after the first bite. Julia sat patiently beside him and let him scoop up the curry with the naan. After finishing the taste, she licked the sticky sauce off the tips of his fingers.

The next few bites became less about eating and more a sensual tease. She sucked his fingers clean between each bite, occasionally licking drops off his hand and arm when his efforts were clumsy. And as the meal went on, he got more and more clumsy, forcing her exquisite lips to touch him in other places.

With each morsel of food, he drew her closer until she was sitting on his lap while he fed her with his fingers. When a large chunk of carrot slid off the naan and ended up tumbling down his shirt, Julia tore at the buttons to get at the mess. She carefully licked up every bit from his chest, and then continued lapping her way down. Her quick little hands were on the buttons of his shorts before he even knew what she’d planned.

Simon caught his breath with a moan and jerked as her lips found his pulsing cock. The bite of carrot he had left on the bread slid off onto his chest. Julia simply fisted his dick and licked sauce from his tightening abdominal muscles. All clean again, she picked up where she’d left off, sucking his dick.

Aroused by the enthusiastic way she’d lapped up the food, Simon wasn’t about to let her to have all the fun. He shifted her away from him. “My turn."

With a yank, he pulled her faded tank top over her head and positioned her on the table. With a handful of the spiced carrots, he wiped across her breast and down her stomach, licking the remains from his fingers.

“I can’t let you have all the fun,” he said before lowering his head to sample her skin.

He worked his way down her belly, nibbling the chunks of carrots as he went. To increase his access, Simon pushed her farther back on the table until she was splayed like a dish herself, waiting to be devoured. Julia just leaned back and let him lap the food off her body. Giving up on any dinner, Simon tore her pants off and smeared more sticky sauce on her body.

Taking in the magnificent sight of her before continuing his work, he sighed. “Do you realize how incredibly sexy you are, laid out on the table?”

“Thank God for sturdy wood furniture,” she said and shot him a devilish smile. “Do you realize how pissed off your housekeeper is going to be?"

“It’s a little late now to worry about the mess.” Simon moved up to kiss her, and Julia lifted her head and licked a trail of sauce that had run down his cheek.

“Well, you made this mess. I expect you to lick every last drop off my body.”