Now Or Never (Erotic Romance) Book 2 (The DeLuca Brothers) (2 page)

“I think you're
right.” She motioned towards the board and took a step back. “Go for it.”

The first went a
little wide, partially because Anthony was thinking about what it would be like
to have those eyes looking up at him in the dark. He frowned and forced himself
to focus. The second one landed just outside of the bull's eye and the third
hit directly.

“Not bad.”
Cecile set her beer down on the bar and went to retrieve the darts.

The moment she
set up her stance, Anthony knew he was in trouble. She didn't stand like most
women did when they played darts, even the ones who spent a lot of time at the
bar. She knew what she was doing. Her first bull's eye confirmed his
suspicions. The second just barely missed the center.

“Last one,” he said.

Cecile turned
towards him, tilting her head to one side as if considering something. Then,
very deliberately, she walked over to the bar and dropped the remaining dart
into Anthony's empty glass. “Oops. Looks like you win.” She grinned. “And it's
too bad. I was thinking of some very fun things you could do if you lost.”

Anthony shifted
as his jeans tightened. He definitely liked this woman. “Are you free tomorrow
evening?”

“I am,” Cecile
said. “I'll meet you here at six.”

Before Anthony
could respond with anything other than a nod, Cecile was walking away.

Twenty-nine
year-old Cecile had spotted him the minute she'd walked into the bar, her eyes
drawn to him in a way she couldn't describe. She'd stood there for a minute,
just letting her eyes run over the lines of his broad shoulders and back, down
to his waist and then back up again. Then she'd been walking over and sitting
down on the stool next to him.

When he'd missed
her question because he'd been too busy staring at her, she'd thought it was
cute. When he'd blushed, heat had sparked in her belly. She'd always been
attracted to guys like him, rugged faces that could never be considered pretty,
but were rather handsome instead. When her friends had been going on about guys
with delicate features and lean bodies, she'd always been partial to the
muscular builds of football players wrestlers. Then there was that intelligence
that she was sure most people dismissed because of his appearance. And there
was definitely something behind those dark eyes. Anthony DeLuca was so her
type.

She'd seen on
his face that he'd enjoyed the dance as much as she did, making the decision to
draw things out all the more difficult. She'd considered winning and taking him
home with her for all sorts of fun, but common sense won out. She was a good
judge of character, but even she wouldn't consider thirty minutes enough time
to know if she trusted someone enough to fuck them. First date, maybe, first
meeting, not so much.

As she hailed a
cab, she wondered what type of date Anthony would have planned for the two of
them, but by the time she reached her apartment building, her thoughts had
taken a bit of a turn. Even as she climbed the stairs, she couldn't help but
think about what she would have done if she'd won. She'd always been an
outside-the-box thinker. It was one of the things that made her so good at her
job. It also made her sex life quite interesting.

She dropped her
keys on the table and kicked off her shoes. Before she made herself anything
for dinner, there was a different hunger that she wanted to satisfy. She
dropped her shirt on the ground as she crossed to the worn thrift-store couch
she'd purchased yesterday. One of the things she'd always loved about living by
herself was being able to do what she wanted when and where she wanted to do
it. She stretched out on the couch, resting her head on the arm as she got
comfortable.

She closed her
eyes and let her fingers brush over her bare stomach and up to her breasts. She
traced along the edges of her lace bra, touching the smooth skin of one breast,
then the other. As she began to unsnap the front of her bra, she let her mind
wander.

The skin on
his hands was rough against the soft skin of her stomach. When he opened the
clasp on her bra, her breasts fell free. He made a noise in the back of his
throat as he reached for them, palming their heavy weight. His thumb brushed
over one nipple and she moaned, the sensitive skin instantly responding. He
smiled and bent his head to take the peach-colored nub between his lips. His
finger and thumb worked over her other nipple as he began to lavish attention
to the one in his mouth.

Cecile tugged on
her nipples, making them into hard little bullet points. What would it be like
to have Anthony's hands and mouth on her breasts? Would he be gentle, letting
his tongue caress her flesh? Would his lips close tight around her nipple,
sucking on it until she writhed beneath him? Was he a teeth man, enjoying the
little gasps and squeals he could elicit by scraping his teeth over her sensitive
flesh, by biting her? Did he prefer to use his fingers, rolling and pulling
until her nipples stood at attention? Would he worry at them until they
throbbed, approaching the point of pain, until she wasn't sure if she wanted
him to stop or to keep going until she came? Would he be able to make her
climax just from playing with her nipples?

She slid her
hands down over her stomach to her jeans, parting her legs ever so slightly.
Once she'd undone the button and pulled down the zipper, she returned her left hand
to her breasts. Her right hand moved to the waistband of her panties. As her
fingers slipped beneath the elastic, images filled her mind once more.

He stood
behind her, his arms around her waist. The wind was brisk as they watched the
boats on the river, but neither of them really felt the cold. In fact, Cecile
was quite warm pressed up against Anthony. His hands slid beneath the hem of
her shirt, up over her denim-clad hips to find her bare skin. It was a good
thing she'd decided to wear a long sweater today, Cecile thought as Anthony's
fingers worked open her pants. She shifted her stance as Anthony's hand moved
lower, sliding beneath the soft cotton, his skin cool against hers.

He pressed
his mouth against her ear. “My fingers are cold, but I bet you're nice and warm
inside.”

She gasped as
he parted her folds. Her own skin had been cool enough that there hadn't been
much of a temperature difference on her stomach. Between her legs, however, the
contrast was drastic. His fingers probed at her, rubbing over her clit until
she was shivering, and only partly from the cold.

“I want you
to cum for me.” His breath puffed hot against her ear. “Cum right here, with
people all around us. I want you to cum while we stand here, my fingers in your
pussy, knowing that, at any moment, someone could figure out what we're doing.”
He pushed his fingers into her tight channel and she sunk her teeth into her
bottom lip. “Cum for me.”

Cecile shuddered
as she came. She slid her fingers lower, letting the heel of her palm press
against her clit. The pressure made her orgasm spike and she cried out. Her
back arched as she dipped her fingers into her sopping pussy. Her jeans pressed
her hand tight against her, not giving her the room to thrust her digits into
her cunt, forcing her to keep the movements shallow. The friction made her
writhe, bucking up against her hand as sounds spilled from her mouth.

They'd been
fucking for hours, in more positions and ways than she'd imagined possible. His
hands holding her head against his crotch, his cock deep in her throat. His
mouth on her pussy, tongue licking her from ass to clit. Face to face, their
bodies pressed together until they couldn't tell where one of them began and
the other one ended. Her on top, breasts bouncing as she rode him. Him behind
her while she was on all fours, his body curling over hers as he rapidly thrust
into her. His finger in her ass as he pushed her flat on the bed and slammed
into her. Her ankles crossed behind her neck, body bent nearly in two. She'd
lost count of the number of times she'd climaxed, knowing only that her throat
was sore as much from screaming as it was from his dick. Her muscles were lax
and her pussy sore. Her jaw ached from being stretched wide around his cock,
her ass throbbing from his fingers. Still, she wanted more. She wanted to taste
him again, feel him filling her. She could never get enough.

Cecile fell back
on the couch, breath coming in pants. Her hand was still in her pants, her bra
barely hanging on her shoulders. She opened her eyes. While not as satisfying
as having actual sex, at least she'd gotten rid of most of the tension that
she'd had all day. After all, that had been the whole point of her going to the
bar: stress relief. She'd moved in just three days ago and would be starting
her new job in the morning. She'd needed to get her mind off of her nerves.
Fantasies of Anthony had definitely managed that. Once her heart rate had
returned to normal, she stood. Maybe a shower before eating was a good idea.
Shower, then food, then sleep. That sounded good.

 She fell asleep
as soon as her head hit the pillow, her dreams full of dark eyes and calloused
hands. She could almost feel his touch, smell the subtle cologne he'd been
wearing, something spicy and rich that had been just enough to make her want to
move closer. She woke when her alarm went off, her panties wet and her body
thrumming. It had taken all of her self-control not to try to get herself off
in the shower. She just kept reminding herself that she couldn't be late on her
first day.

She towel dried
her long hair and pinned it up, hoping that it made her look more mature. She'd
kept everything simple. Minimal make-up that consisted of just foundation and
lip gloss. Black dress slacks, a plain white blouse and a specially cut black
jacket. The shoes were ugly, but sensible. While the outfit wasn't exactly
unflattering, it was designed more for practicality than looks. The shoes were
made for walking and the jacket to hang correctly over her holster. Built the
way she was, it was impossible to wear a shoulder holster and getting things to
lie right over her hip holster had taken some doing. Things were generally
tough enough for an out of state newbie, especially a woman, she didn't need
the added burden of having to worry about looking like she was trying too hard
or too little.

When she walked
into the station, she knew she'd made the right choice. The captain handed over
her new badge and gun with an approving look and directed her to her senior
officer. She took a deep breath as she walked towards the tall, thin
lieutenant. Her stomach was in knots but she kept her hands steady, her head
high. This was the first step towards the career she'd always wanted. She
wasn't going to blow it.

“Cecile
MacDouglas?” The lieutenant's eyes were a sharp, piercing blue that Cecile
instinctively knew had cracked more than one criminal. “I'm Lieutenant Warnos
Day. Welcome to Vice.”

“Thank you,
Sir,” she said. “Happy to be here.”

Lieutenant Day
gave her a long, hard look. “Let's hope you feel that way in a couple of
weeks.”

As the
lieutenant turned away, Cecile muttered, “Well, that was encouraging.”

While her first
day in the Vice Department in New York had gone well, Cecile hadn't been able
to stop herself from constantly looking at the clock. Fortunately, the day had
mostly been about familiarizing herself with the department and completing
paperwork, so she didn't really feel guilty about not focusing all of her
energy on her job. She'd tried, she really had, but the anticipation about her upcoming
date kept creeping in. She'd left immediately after her shift was done, hoping
she hadn't seemed to be in as much of a hurry as she had been. She didn't want
anyone thinking that she wasn't going to work hard.

All of her
concerns about her co-workers and what they thought faded away as she allowed
herself to focus on getting ready for her date. She hadn't unpacked all of her
clothes yet, which turned out to be a good thing. Since she didn't have much to
choose from, picking an outfit wasn't as difficult as it could have been. For a
first date that she may or may not let get very physical, she wanted something
comfortable and casual, but still nice enough for a date. Out of what she had
available, she quickly settled on a pair of charcoal gray pants and a
flattering dove gray off-the-shoulder sweater, finishing it off with a pair of
nice boots.

As soon as she
walked into the bar, she knew she'd chosen well. She and Anthony's outfits
complemented each other. His jeans were a light gray, his fitted sweater a
shade of ivory that showed off his tan skin. Cecile didn't think she'd ever
seen someone look so delectable.

“Wow,” he said
as she walked over.

“Right back at
you.” Cecile gave him her most charming smile. Her stomach clenched when he
returned it. Damn, he was hot.

“So, I figured
I'd take you to the best restaurant in town and then I could show you around a
bit,” Anthony said. “The food here's not bad, but there's this little place
just a few blocks over that has an amazing chef.”

“That sounds
great.”

As the pair
began to walk down the sidewalk, Cecile asked, “Did you grow up in the city?”

Anthony nodded.
“Not too far from here, actually.” He motioned away from the city lights.

“And your
family?”

A strange
expression crossed his face. It was there for only a brief moment before it
vanished, but Cecile had the feeling that there was definitely a story there.
This wasn't the time for praying further though.

“My mom and
three of my four brothers still live in the city. My older brother lives out in
California.” Anthony reached for her hand and Cecile let him take it. His
fingers weren't as calloused as she'd imagined. “What about you?”

Cecile let the
warmth from his hand flow up through hers. “My mom and step-dad live in Florida
with my half-sister. My dad and his girlfriend are still in Ohio.”

“So you grew up
as an only child?”

She nodded,
amused by the envious tone in his voice.

“Don't get me
wrong,” he said. “I love my brothers, but sometimes I think it would've been
nice to be an only child.”

“I used to think
the same thing about having siblings.” Cecile stepped past Anthony as he opened
the door for her. The restaurant had been plain on the outside and the inside
kept up the simple décor. The lighting was low, each booth and table
illuminated by a lamp hanging over it. From what she could see, about half of
the tables were occupied. Anthony must've seen the skeptical expression on her
face, because he grinned and hurried to assure her.

“I promise, if
this isn't the best food you've ever eaten, we'll pretend that you won the
bet.”

A spark went
through Cecile as memories of her previous night's fantasy session flashed
through her mind. She'd never hoped for bad food before.

Less than thirty
minutes later, she was forced to admit defeat. She'd been too keyed up to order
more than soup and chicken, but they were both absolutely delicious. Anthony
had watched her with obvious delight as she'd taken her first bites and she'd
conceded that he'd been right. The way his face had lit up, she'd wondered what
else she could tell him that would get the same response.

The conversation
flowed easily between them, moving from sports to movies to childhood memories.
The one thing, she realized, that they didn't discuss was work. She hadn't
thought anything of it until the evening neared its end. She hadn't brought up
her own work intentionally, and now she wondered if Anthony had done the same
thing. Aside from wanting to avoid the all-to-common reaction from men who
found out she was a cop, she hadn't wanted to talk about what she did in case
she received an undercover assignment. Not that she thought Anthony had
anything to hide. She just didn't want to tell him what she did and risk it
getting back to someone who would be in a position to blow her cover. Whatever
the reason he hadn't brought up his own work, she appreciated the opportunity
to avoid an awkward situation.

“Dessert?”
Anthony asked as he took another sip of wine.

Cecile shook her
head. No matter what they'd been talking about, a part of her had been
preoccupied with how well Anthony was wearing his sweater and jeans. She didn't
know how much was residual from her prior night's activities, but she wasn't
sure she cared. She hadn't had sex in almost six months. She really wanted the
night to end in someone's bed and she didn't really care whose. And it didn't
even have to be in a bed.

As they walked
along the river a short while later, she began to suspect that Anthony felt the
same way. The electricity between them was almost palpable and the heat in his
eyes every time he looked at her made things low inside her tighten in a
delicious way. Anthony pulled her to him, releasing her hand so that he could
wrap his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, inhaling that same enticing
scent that had been in her dreams. She had a choice to make here, she knew. She
could keep following his lead and see where the night took them, or she could
make a move and let him know in no uncertain terms what she wanted.

It really wasn't
a difficult decision.

When they paused
for a moment, Cecile seized the opportunity and turned so that she was facing
Anthony. He gave her a puzzled look that quickly turned to surprise as she slid
her hand up behind his neck. As she raised herself onto her toes, she applied
just enough pressure to bend Anthony's head so that she could capture his
mouth.

He reacted
immediately, his arms circling her waist and crushing her against him. His lips
parted and her questing tongue met his. She tilted her head deepening the kiss
as she devoured his mouth. The heat built between them, burning away the
exterior cold and filling them with an interior fire that threatened to burn
them alive. Despite the layers of clothes, she could feel him hardening against
her and knew that his desire matched her own.

Finally, her need
for oxygen became too urgent and she broke the kiss. She stayed pressed against
him, however, and ran her fingers through the short hair at the base of his
neck.

“Cecile... wow.”
Anthony was breathless.

“I want you.”
She spoke the words without the slightest hint of embarrassment. She'd never
shied away from what she wanted and she wasn't about to now.

“Cecile?”
Anthony made her name a question.

She slid one
hand between them and cupped the bulge in his jeans. Anthony made a surprised
sound as she spoke. “Look, I don't want some one night stand. I want a second
date and a third–”

“Me, too,”
Anthony interrupted.

Cecile
continued. “But tonight, I want you to fuck me.”

Anthony's jaw
dropped open.

“I've been
thinking about you since we met yesterday and I'm not a very patient person.”
Cecile flexed her fingers and Anthony hissed. “So, what do you say?”

Anthony studied
her for a moment, most likely to determine if she was serious. Cecile kept her
gaze steady. She didn't want to give him any cause to think that she was
kidding in any way.

Finally, he
spoke, his words coming out slowly, as if he still wasn't quite sure that this
was really happening. “I say, your place or mine?”

“Yours,” Cecile
answered with a smile. “I'm still unpacking at mine.”