Stronger With Her (17 page)

Once I’ve gotten myself ready, I realize that I’m extremely nervous about this. I really like James and it seems that he’s gone out of his way to let me know he’s interested. I’ve never experienced anything like it before, but I like it. He’s gorgeous and obviously a sweetheart; I really don’t understand why he’s single.

Before that thought goes any further, there’s a knock on my door. I stand quickly and take a deep breath as I move to answer it. There he stands, all six feet plus of him looking fantastic in jeans and a button-down shirt. He smells even better than he looks, a combination of spicy cologne and man.

“Hi, are you ready to go,” he asks with a small grin. I can feel the blush creep up my neck to my face.

“Yeah, let me get my purse. Would you like to come in for a second?” I say as I open the door a bit wider so he can get in.

“Sure, thanks,” he says as he walks by me. I’m overcome with his scent and I can’t help the tiny moan that erupts from my throat.

“Are you okay?” James asks, his grin turning into a smile. He’s on to me.

“Yep, I’m fine,” I reply quietly as I brush past him to get my bag from the couch. Seeing him standing in my condo, taking up my space, does something to my insides. He just looks so big and “right” here. I can imagine him here all the time, sitting on my couch, helping me cook dinner.

“Steph, is everything all right? You’re staring at me like I’ve got something on my face,” he says with a laugh. Now I’m really embarrassed.

“Yes, James, more than all right,” I say as I walk up to him. I raise up on my tiptoes, but that doesn’t get me much closer to his face. He bends from the waist and I throw my arms around his neck, kissing him urgently on the lips. It takes him a few seconds before he returns the kiss, and then he deepens it, licking my bottom lip and pushing his tongue into dance with mine. His arms come around my waist and he lifts me up as if I weigh no more than a feather. I tighten my grip and tilt my head, which earns me a growl from him. I have no idea how long we stay like this, but it doesn’t seem long enough when he pulls back a little.

“Well, I’m not sure what I did to earn that, but I’ll gladly do it over and over again for more,” he smiles and gives me a quick peck on the lips.

“I’d apologize for being so forward, but I’m not sorry,” I say as I lean in for another round.

“If we don’t stop now, we won’t make our reservations,” James says as he turns his head away from my lips.

“What if I said that I’d rather do this than just about anything else right now?” I ask with a small pout on my face.

“You’re killing me, babe. I’m trying to be a gentleman and take you out on a date. Believe me when I say that there’s not much else I’d rather do right now than sink my cock deep inside you, but I don’t want to be that guy. I want to treat you right, the way you deserve,” he replies while setting me back down on my feet. I want to argue but he’s really being more than any man has been.

“Well, then, lead the way,” I say with a smile. “I’d like to see what James Owens is like when he’s not at work or in a strip club.” He takes my hand and doesn’t let go until we reach his truck. I’m glad I chose the Capri pants instead of the short skirt for tonight. There’s no way I could have gotten in with any sense of decorum in the skirt. James opens the door for me and helps me in. Once he gets in and starts the engine, I chance a glance at his profile. He looks like he’s been chiseled from marble, absolutely flawless.

“Where are you taking me tonight,” I ask trying to fill the silence with any form of conversation.

“I thought we’d have a quiet dinner and then we’ll see what else we feel like. I hope you like Chinese food,” he says as he drives out of my complex.

“Actually, I hate it,” I say, trying to keep a straight face. James hits the brakes and pulls over.

“Oh, shit, well, we can go somewhere else if you want,” he stammers. I can’t hold my laughter in anymore.

“I’m kidding. I love Chinese food. Which restaurant are you taking me to?” I ask as I pat his thigh.

“That was good. You had me there,” he laughs hesitantly. “I made reservations at Mr. Woo’s. It’s my favorite place to go.”

I nod in agreement. “It’s got great atmosphere. I’m looking forward to it,” I say with a smile.

I
keep stealing glances at her as I drive. She’s so beautiful she takes my breath away. I already know what she looks like naked, but I can’t help but think about what she would look like underneath me, writhing in pleasure, moaning my name. I start to get hard and change the direction of my thoughts quickly.

Once we get to the restaurant I help her out of the truck and it strikes me just how tiny she is. I don’t think I’ve taken the time to appreciate the difference in our heights or the fact that I could hold her in one hand. I probably look like a giant walking next to her and that thought makes me smile. This tiny woman has gotten under my skin in a way I never imagined would happen again in my lifetime.

“Are you ready to go in?” Stephanie asks. I guess I was staring off into space for a moment.

“Sure, sorry, let’s eat,” I respond as I lead her into Mr. Woo’s. It’s decorated like a throwback to the Seventies. There are tall booths that line the walls covered in red vinyl, tables in the middle of the room, and the walls are covered with a metallic wallpaper. One side of the room has a bonsai tree painted on it and the other has a gold dragon. The lighting is low, making you feel like you’re in your own world when you’re at the table. There’s a candle in the middle in a colored jar covered with some sort of plastic mesh.

We’re seated in the corner booth, as I requested, because of the privacy it offers. Once you’re sitting you can’t see the rest of the room and nobody can see you.

“What do you usually order?” I ask Stephanie. Most people have a favorite dish here and I always get the same thing.

“I love their almond boneless chicken and fried rice. It’s been my favorite since I was a kid. What about you? Do you have a regular dish?”

“I can’t get enough of their pepper steak and beef lo mein. I could eat it every day and never get tired of it,” I smile.

Our waitress comes over and we order our favorites. Once she leaves I’m not sure what to do or say. All I want to do is slide over to her side and kiss her senseless.

“What are you thinking about over there? That’s the second time you’ve zoned out on me tonight. Am I that boring of a date?” she asks. I shake my head and laugh.

“Actually, I was thinking about how I want my lips on yours right now. It’s like you’ve taken over my cognitive abilities. I’m sorry.”

She blushes and looks down at the table. Fuck, I’ve screwed this up already.

“Well, far be it for me to interrupt something like that,” she says smiling up at me. I feel a little tension leave my shoulders.

“Perhaps we need to do the normal first date questions to get me back on track. How does that sound?”

“I’ll go first,” she says. “James, where did you go to school?”

“I went to a small private Catholic school in Minnesota. What about you?”

“I graduated from State. That’s where I met my two best friends, Becca and Christin. How did you get into designing ammunition?”

“Well, that wasn’t something I ever really considered. I’ve always been interested in how things work. My dad was a hunter, he reloaded his shells, and I was his assistant. We always had guns around and the power of them fascinated me. So, when I went to college, I thought I’d study engineering and learn how to make powerful things work better. One summer I decided to take a gunsmithing course and that led to ammo. It just sort of followed from there with small tweaks to different casings or powder combinations. Joe had gotten his business degree and Jason was finishing his computer degree when I won a contest with a bullet design. The rest, as they say, is history. We decided to try and make a living out of it and so far it’s going pretty well.”

“That’s amazing. You’re so lucky to have your brothers around to help you,” she says, looking away quickly. I’m not sure what that’s about, but I plan to come back to it.

“Now it’s your turn. How did you get into computers?” I say with a smile. I assume that she thought I was going to ask about her other job based on the look on her face.

“It’s not nearly as exciting a tale as yours. My mother is a professor and my dad’s an engineer. I was a little advanced as a kid so I took college courses online before going off to State. I have a degree in mathematics and computer science. I’ve always liked things that are logical, predictable, and have a definite answer. Math and computers are both like that. After graduation I got a job at Soklov and worked there until I started my own business and fixed your system.” She smiles and it’s like the room explodes in light. I start to ask more questions about the name of her business but our food arrives.

Once the waitress has set everything on the table, we both stop talking. Stephanie leans over and smells her food, holding her breath while she leans back and then slowly exhales. It’s one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen anyone do and it had nothing to do with sex.

“I absolutely love this place. It’s like comfort food for me and brings back such great memories,” she says as she picks up her chopsticks. “Growing up we would come here after any major event in our lives to celebrate. It was always a special occasion if we got to have Mr. Woo’s,” she smiles.

“I love that I get to be here with you then,” I say. “Maybe this will be a place we can come to celebrate, too.”

“I’d like that,” she whispers quietly, but I hear it anyway.

We finish our amazing meals, making small talk about places we’ve visited and where we’d like to go someday. I don’t want this evening to end. Stephanie is even more special than I imagined, and I know I need to spend some more time with her.

I put my hand on her back as we leave the restaurant. “Would you like to take a walk around the neighborhood?” I ask.

“That sounds great,” she says. I take her hand in mine and lead her toward the restored historical part of the city. There’s no conversation, but the silence is comfortable. When I look at her, she seems to be admiring the buildings as we pass by. I can’t stop looking at her, only glancing up to avoid walking into lampposts. We reach an alley that’s been converted into a small park. I lead her over to one of the benches and pull her into my lap.

“I’ve had a wonderful time tonight, but there’s something I’ve been dying to do since I picked you up,” I say as I run my fingers through her hair.

“Really? What’s that?” she asks with a smirk. I answer her by putting my hand on the back of her head and bring her lips to mine. The kiss starts out as a light feathering of skin. I rub my nose against hers gently, looking into her eyes. She’s staring back at me and I watch her pupils dilate as she exhales a sigh. Not wasting anymore time, I tilt her head so I can have complete control over the next kiss. I lick her lips until she opens for me. Her taste is intoxicating, and I know that I’ll never get enough of this woman. She’s consumed me since the moment I laid eyes on her. The more time I spend with her, the stronger the pull is.

We’re making out like teenagers for quite some time before either of us comes up for air. Stephanie makes the first move away, and I only let her go a few inches. I want her close to me all the time, and for once I’m not scared of that idea.

“James, take me home,” she says as she moves off my lap. My heart takes a nosedive as the disappointment washes over me. I start to stand when she puts her hand on my chest. She puts her mouth to my ear and whispers, “I want you to make love to me.”

That gets my attention and I jump up, grab her by the waist and throw her over my shoulder. She’s laughing and hitting me on the back, demanding I put her down. I make sure her legs are secure in my arm and lightly smack her ass.

“Quiet, woman, this is the fastest way to get us to the truck,” I laugh. She continues to smack me, all the while giggling as I walk as quickly as possible back to where I parked.

As I let her body slide down my front, I take advantage of having my hands on her. She has just the right amount of curves and she fits perfectly against me. I don’t stop myself from kissing her when our faces meet, following her down until her feet are on the ground.