Running Away With You (Running #3) (34 page)

The phone rings and I rush to the back of the bar to answer it.  Unfortunately I don’t make it in time and the caller hangs up before I get to it.

“Juliette, what’s going on?  Where’s the staff?  Why don’t you have anyone answering the phones or seating the guests?”  Evan is looking at me, his lips pressed into a hard line, waiting for a response. 

I don’t want to tell him the truth, that we’re barely making ends meet.  “It was slow, so I sent a lot of them home.”

“That’s it?  You’re not having staff problems or anything like that?”  I shake my head.  “Well, I hope you would tell me if there was something wrong.  I can help, you know.”

He’s so sweet.  I know that if I told him, he would help.  But for now we’ll be okay.

Emmy comes back with her bacon and begins to experiment with Evan’s inspirational cocktail.  I take a quick walk around and check on my customers.  Everyone seems to be happy and well taken care of. 

There are a few more flowers to water, and while I make my way around the back of the restaurant, I can’t help but sneak a peek at Evan, sitting alone at the bar watching a basketball game.  He’s wearing one of my Christmas presents.  Evan has an amazing collection of vintage concert tees.  I just knew he would love to own a rare concert T-shirt. It took some doing, but I found a collector who was selling an original and authentic 1977 Led Zeppelin North American Tour concert shirt for a little over five hundred dollars.  Considering its age, it’s in great condition.  It’s slightly faded and soft, but it fits him like a glove.  The thin fabric shows off the contours of his defined chest and the sleeves emphasize his muscular biceps. He looks gorgeous in my T-shirt.  It was worth every penny.

Marcus comes over to me and interrupts my train of thought.  “Hey, boss.  I got this covered.  Why don’t you head home for the night?  You probably have a lot of last-minute things to take care of before you head out to Indianapolis tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Marcus.  I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”  I look at my watch and it’s only a little after eight.  My wheels start spinning.  Evan and I haven’t eaten dinner yet.  I wonder if tonight would be a good opportunity for me to try some blindfolded taste tests on my man.

Evan looks over at me and smiles.  If he ever knew all the secrets I’ve been keeping from him, there would be hell to pay.  He would never understand.

E
van locks the door and arms the security system behind him the moment we arrive back home.  I hang up my coat while Evan sticks his head in the refrigerator, rummaging around for something to eat.  “I’m starving.  Tell me again why we couldn’t eat at Rush.”

“Because I have something special planned for your dinner tonight.”  Evan closes the refrigerator door, shrugs, and walks into the living room, looking for the remote control.  “Oh, and by the way, Evan – we’re going to have blindfolded sex tonight.”  His face lights up, scorching excitement in his eyes.

I instruct Evan to retrieve his leather chair from the office while I find a suitable blindfold.  I try to imagine what a man might like to have tied around his face, and I immediately settle for a pair of my black stockings.  I test them on myself first, and they seem to work surprisingly well.

When Evan and I meet again in the kitchen, I ask him to take Maddy for a walk while I get everything ready.  “Take your time,” I tell him.  He pouts, giving me puppy-dog eyes, obviously eager to begin.  “I promise it will be worth the wait.”

Once I hear the door close, I begin filling the kitchen counter with all the tools I will need.  I have a series of bowls all lined up, ready to be filled, and an assortment of spoons and forks.  If all goes well, I hope to be able to slip out my swab, which is carefully tucked away in one of the drawers.

Selecting just the right foods is more challenging than I originally thought.  I go through the refrigerator, the cabinets and pantry, selecting items with a variety of textures, temperatures, and smells. 

Evan returns and I lead him over to the leather chair and explain the rules for tonight.  “I will be serving you a traditional seven-course meal.  Each time you correctly guess a food, I will take off one article of clothing.  Each time you get one wrong, I will remove one of yours.”

Evan opens his mouth to say something, and I immediately plant a kiss on his luscious lips, which he eagerly accepts.  It feels good to take control.  This may turn out to be almost as enjoyable for me.

I reach into my pocket and pull out the stocking I’ve selected.  “This is for you,” I tell him as his eyes grow wide.  “Now close your eyes.” I securely tie the stockings around his eyes and wave my hand in front of his face, just making sure that he can’t see anything.

I run my hand across his chest and up to his broad shoulders.  “Now you stay right here and don’t move a muscle.  I’ll be right back with your first course.”

The first bowl I uncover contains left over pumpkin pie, which is now warm and creamy.  I dip two fingers in, scooping out a small portion.  “Ready?” I ask.

“Oh, yeah,” Evan quickly replies, grinning salaciously.

I smear a small amount on his lips and wait for him to take a lick.  Once he finishes, I ask him to open his mouth for another taste.  I place my fingers in his mouth and watch unabashedly as he sucks and licks every bit off my fingers until they are clean.  Slowly, I remove my fingers from his mouth.  "What is it?" I challenge.

"Mmm, that’s too easy.  It’s pumpkin pie," Evan says, smirking.

"You’re right." I place a foot on Evan’s lap.  “You can take off my shoes,” I direct him.  He runs his hands up and down my leg before removing first one shoe, then the next.

Time for something savory.  I find the bowl with leftover turkey from Christmas dinner.  I skewer a piece of dark meat and return to the leather chair.  “Open up,” I tell him, placing the fork in his mouth, “and tell me what you taste.”

He closes his mouth around the fork and I slowly slide the fork out between his teeth.  He bites and chews, trying to identify the taste. "Okay, that was just ... " Evan grumbles. "No, wait.  Is it a piece of pork?"

I can’t help but giggle.  “Sorry, Chief.  That was your mother’s leftover turkey.”

"Are you sure?" Evan huffs under his breath.

"Positive.  Looks like that round goes to me!" I crow.  One by one, I remove his shoes and toss them to the side before moving on to the next round. 

I smile when I find the leftover spaghetti with clam sauce.  Carefully, I place a few pieces of clam on a spoon and bring it to his lips.  “Ready?"

Smiling, he opens his mouth and I place a spoonful in his mouth. The moment the clam touches his tongue, he makes a face, twisting his mouth and scrunching up his face.  He takes a few experimental bites, then swallows hard.  "Okay, now
that
was dis
gus
ting! What the hell was that?"

"Clams.  Another round for me!”  I clap proudly. 

Evan holds up a foot, assuming I’m going to remove his socks next, but I slap his foot away.  “Oh, no.  I’m the one in charge tonight and I get to make all the decisions.”  I walk around him in a circle, laying my hands all over him.  “Should I remove this shirt?”  I tug on his shirt slightly.  “Or maybe,” I run my hand up and down his thigh, “I should take off these pants.”

Evan reaches over to touch me, but I won’t allow it, “Not yet, big boy.  How about you take off your shirt?  But be very careful not to remove the blindfold, or our little game’s over,” I warn him.  He does as he’s told while I return to the kitchen for our next selection.

So far, I’ve used a fork, a spoon, and my finger.  I think it’s time to try the swab.  But which food to choose?  I don’t want to ruin the sample by getting food all over the swab.  I open the drawer to remove the swab, and sitting there is a pile of straws.  Thinking fast, I decide to take him a glass of ice water to cleanse his palate.  It just might work.

“Open up and get ready to suck,” I tell him.  He opens his mouth and reaches for my hand.  In a panic, I pull away, fearful that he will discover my secret, nearly spilling water all over his lap.  “Do you trust me?” I ask him.

He nods his head.

“Then tell me,” I command.

“Juliette, I trust you.”

“Okay, then.  It’s just water.”  I bring the straw and swab up to his mouth, and he keeps his hands at his side.  “Take a few good sips.”  Carefully, I swish the swab and straw around in his mouth, being sure to make contact with both cheeks.  When he stops, I slide out the straw and swab out and place a kiss on his lips.  “Good.  Now you’re ready for the next round.”

I hurry into the kitchen, stow away the swab in its container, and select my next course.  Evan deserves a reward and I know just the thing.

I hesitate and take a moment to enjoy the vision before me.  Evan is sitting in his leather chair, shirtless and blindfolded with an obvious bulge in his pants.  Unable to resist the temptation, I draw my fingernails across his chest, causing him to shiver from the sensation.  He reaches out for me, and I place his hands on my hips.  “Are you okay?” I ask.

“Very okay,” he affirms. 

“Then open up for me, Chief.”

He capitulates, and I lay a small chocolate-covered strawberry in his mouth, letting my fingers linger on his lips, coating them with just a hint of melted chocolate.  I can tell by his expression that he’s savoring the chocolaty taste. Evan moans softly as his tongue darts out to taste the chocolate left behind.  I can feel the flush in my cheeks as I watch.

“That’s a chocolate-covered strawberry,” he pronounces.

“It is,” I agree, and my voice this time is lower, throaty.  “I suppose I have to take something off now.  See if you can guess.”  I stand to his left and unbutton my jeans.  Then I grab the zipper and slowly lower it, making sure he can hear as it rolls down.  I place an arm on his shoulder to steady myself as I remove each pant leg.  “Any thoughts?” I ask.

“Hmm, let’s see.”  Evan leans over and reaches out for me, moving first left, then right, until he finds me.  He runs an experimental hand across my hips and behind me, cupping my bare ass.  His hands roam until he finds the string of my thong and he gives it a little tug, bringing it snugly into the folds of my flesh.  I can’t help but let out a soft whimper as his hands roam over my exposed bottom, my skin hot under his touch.

I slip from his grasp and hurry into the kitchen to grab something crunchy. 

“Now I want you to think very carefully before you guess this time.”  I lean in close so that our bodies touch, whispering in his ear, “If you get this one right, I’ll take off my top.” 

“Oh, I think I like this game,” Evan growls.

“This is something salty,” I tell him as I place a seasoned bagel chip in his mouth.  He bites down and chews, trying to discern the exact taste and flavor.

“Well, it tastes like a potato chip, but it’s more firm and solid.  It feels like a pretzel, but the taste is wrong.”

“Do you give up?” I ask him.

“No way!”  He asks for another and I oblige.  This one is slightly larger.  He takes his time, highly motivated to come up with a correct answer.  When he smiles and flashes his dimples, I know he’s onto something.  “I think I know.  They’re your favorite snacks, bagel chips, aren’t they?”

“They are, you’re right.  And now for your reward.”  I take his hands and bring them to the buttons on my blouse.  One by one, he opens them until my shirt falls to the floor.  Evan glides his hands up, down, and across, exploring my bare skin. 

I can’t resist copping a feel of my own, running my hand up his thigh, my fingers moving over his tight jeans.

He raises his hands to remove the blindfold but I grab his wrists.

“No,” I order. “I'm not done playing with you yet.”

“And I wanna play with you too.” Evan's deep voice echoes into my ear and I shiver.

I can almost hear Evan whimper as I pull away and prepare what will likely be the final course.  I grab a glass of wine and a bowl of whipped cream and return to the leather chair.

“Ready?” I whisper, and Evan nods and opens his mouth.

He tastes the whipped cream at first, and then his eyes grow wide when he connects with the skin beneath the cream. Closing his mouth, he discovers that I have put it on my breast, and his lips close around my nipple.

“I think ... ” I pant, “that we both ... need to lose ... some clothes.” I arch my back into his mouths, pulling him closer.

Evan uses his teeth to nibble, biting gently. I whimper again, my fingers twisting in his hair. 

“Open your mouth.” Evan quickly obeys and this time I place my lips on his, slowly trickling sweet red wine from my mouth into his.  As he swallows, I follow with my tongue, licking the inside of his mouth and nipping on his lip.

Evan takes my mouth with searing possession, tasting me with slow, deep licks. His passion and hunger explode across my senses and I whimper, my hands tangling in his hair.  His answering groan vibrates through me, tightening my nipples and sending goose bumps racing across my skin.  “Playtime is over,” he pronounces, removing the blindfold and tossing it to the side.

He stands up with me in his arms, my body responding instantly to everywhere he touches me. I am on fire as his fingers travel around to unsnap my bra.  He turns and places me back on the chair.  I sit back and watch as he anxiously tears the jeans off his body and stands before me wearing nothing but a pair of boxers that barely hide his throbbing erection.