Words of Lust (5 page)

He merely drank his espresso and continued.

“Because I have the degree, and because I did construction all through college for spending money, I was a hot commodity. So I’ve moved up fast and I love what I do. Sure, just like any job there are boring and annoying aspects, but I’m happy. How many people can say that?”

“You sound very grounded and self-assured. That’s nice to hear. I do love teaching, but the academic world has some serious downsides as well. It’s a snake pit of people vying for a good schedule, for publication, for tenure. I hate the academic politics, and the whole publish-or-perish thing creates such a lot of unpleasant competition, so I focus on what I love doing—teaching great books and literature. I love introducing students to the power of the written word. So often they’ve been bored to tears by the same old books high schools have been teaching forever, and they come to a literature class expecting more of the same. So I do everything in my power to make it exciting for them.”

“Well, you must be doing it right. Gia loves your class. She couldn’t stop talking about it the other night at our family dinner.”

“She’s got a terrific mind. She’s a great writer too. I’ve loved her vigorous arguments, but her facility with words is wonderful. I’ve told her she should take some creative writing courses as well.” He beamed, and his obvious pride in his baby sister made her feel all warm and fuzzy. Dangerous, really, given she just met the man and was already head over heels in lust with him.

After dessert, he pulled out a gold card and paid. She’d felt sated and relaxed despite the initial, erotically charged moments but when he gave her a wicked grin and reached for her hand, her pulse picked up.

“Let’s take a walk. There are some nice paths besides the river walk, and we can cool off. And you can tell me what we’re going to be doing on our second date.”

“Second date?”

“You better believe it.”

“All right.” She tried to sound calm and sophisticated but couldn’t restrain a shiver as he draped his arm over her shoulder, tucking her against him. He was so tall and in charge and being pressed against him gave her a heated rush. His presence forced her out of her cerebral world and she was wallowing in the urgency of newfound carnal appetites. Suddenly, she was getting a whole new insight into her work. She could fully understand the intoxicating allure of unabashed physical desire. What drove the Molly Blooms and the Madam Bovarys of literature.

Once outside, she appreciated the cool night air and the breeze calmed the flush on her cheeks. It was short-lived relief, however, as his nearness kept her blood at a slow simmer.

He led her down a winding path shaded by trees, but torches illuminated the walkway and she relished the sense of intimacy the darkness and shadows provided.

“Serafina’s a beautiful name.” He leaned over, whispering in her ear as they slowly strolled along. It wasn’t the words that made her stumble, but the feel of his warm breath on her neck.

“Thank you.” She paused. “I like Niccolo. Much more dramatic than Nicholas.”

“I hated my name growing up. I got my ass kicked until I bulked up. The older kids called me Niccolo Piccolo. Which led to really obnoxious comments.”

“Such as?”

“‘Bet you’re good at blowing on the piccolo, wanna blow me?’” He chuckled. “Kids can be pure evil. I bet you had some crappy nicknames too.”

“No. I went to a very serious school with lots of other very serious little girls and we would never have thought of being so—so frivolous.”

“You didn’t go to a coed public school?”

“My parents believed my education would be stifled by studying with boys. It’s probably where I get it. So I went to a private school for gifted girls from second grade on up.”

“Gifted kids? Color me impressed, Professor.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like I’m bragging.”

“Hey, allow me just to be impressed, okay?” He gave her a squeeze that reassured her.

“Well, I missed out on a lot, I think now.” She allowed herself to squeeze him back. “Like embarrassing nicknames and boys, of course. There were a few years in there I’d have given up IQ points to get a boy to kiss me.” It hadn’t helped her any with adult males either. “But really, Nick, this is boring talking about my brain.”

“I think it’s a gorgeous brain. You can maybe think me under the table, but I’m big and strong and I’ve got a healthy ego, so I can take it. Besides, it’s sexy. Bet with your smarts and all those naughty books you read, you can come up with some seriously sexy things you’d like to do to me, huh?”

His words had gone from humorous and teasing, to a darker, more provocative tone. They echoed through the night and set her on fire.

“What do you think we should do for dessert?” He turned to her and looked down.

“We had dessert.”

“Yeah, but I’m a big guy. I need extra helpings of...dessert.”

He pulled her gently into his arms and bent down, putting his lips to hers. The kiss was more intense and thoroughly mindboggling. The taste of his mouth, sweet and bitter, cream and coffee, was like an aphrodisiac.

“You taste incredible.” His lips left her mouth and moved south, planting soft kisses down her neck and over her collarbone and down, and down, until the rough stubble of his beard tickled the soft flesh of the swell of her breasts. He rubbed his chin across her skin and the abrasion was exquisite.

“Gorgeous.” One had slid up to a breast, cupped it, and she moaned. She’d never felt anything so erotic in her life as that single touch of his hand.

“Niccolo,” she breathed. Her lips touched his ear and he groaned as she clutched at his shoulders. He responded by reaching out with his hot tongue and tracing her ear, until he bit gently down on the lobe.

“It sounds so much better when you say my name.”

The intimate touches slowed. The kiss evolved until he pulled away. The moonlight filtered through the trees and cast shadows that made his face look darker, more intense. His Italian beauty was utterly stunning yet incredibly male. He took her face in his hands and looked down at her with a soft expression of concern.

“Tell me if you want me to put the brakes on. I’m tempted to go all caveman on you, but this is up to you. Tell me if it’s red light, yellow light or green for go.”

“Most definitely green.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the man, he was that mesmerizing. “Can we...pretend we’ve had those other dates?”

“Can’t stand the anticipation?”

“I’ve been cautious all my life and can tell you it’s highly overrated. I don’t want to miss out on any more.”

“Excellent. I’ll give you all you can handle. How about we see if we can push the envelope of Gia’s warning?” His eyes took on a wicked gleam and she got wetter. “So, with your all-girls’ school experience, and your academic background, I’ve been wondering.”

“What?”

“You ever made out in the back of a truck before?”

She shook her head. The idea was wonderfully decadent. “My past isn’t what you’d call wild.”

“Bet I can make you go wild.” His hands caressed the flesh of her behind and he lifted her just off the ground, holding her against his groin. He gently gyrated and the hardness rubbed against the sensitive nub of flesh between her legs.

“Nick, I don’t date much, I mean, I’m...”

“You’re not trying to tell me you’re a virgin, are you?”

“No! Of course not.” Lord, how mortifying.

He ran a rough fingertip over her décolletage and then up over her cheek and across her lips. Then he slid his fingers through her hair and pulled her to him. He kissed her softly, briefly.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?”

Her thought processes were muddled, so all she could do was shake her head.

“Why are you so insecure? You act surprised a guy could be crazy in lust with you.”

The darkness helped hide her blush at his intimate question. “My dating experiences haven’t been stellar.”

“Talk to me. Think of it as a lesson. I need to be educated so I don’t make the same mistakes.” He stroked her breast and rubbed one finger around and around her nipple until she was panting shallowly. “I want to make you so hot, you’ll be wet for me all day. You’ll wake up wanting me inside you and my name will be the last thing you moan as you get yourself off before bedtime.” He leaned forward. He gave a tug and pulled her dress down, along with her bra, and cupped her breast. He closed his mouth around the nipple and surrounding flesh and sucked softly, then harder, until she felt the tug in the depths of her cunt. He released her nipple and his whisper against her flesh was exquisite. “Tell me how the losers you dated fucked up so bad and left you out in the cold.” He latched on again, sucking harder.

She sputtered and flushed until he abandoned her breast and straightened, capturing her chin with one hand and forcing her to meet his eyes.

“There’s nothing you can say to me—nothing—you have to be embarrassed about. The sooner we get past this shyness of yours, the sooner we’ll be having ourselves a very good time. Did you like how that felt when I sucked your breast?”

She was mute. All she could do was nod again.

“Good. There’s plenty more where that came from. Now answer my question.”

After a shuddering breath, she did.

“I don’t know why I’m always so unlucky. Maybe because I’ve always dated stuffy academics. Too ensconced in the ivory tower of intelligentsia to concern themselves with sex. Maybe they were just bad lovers. The two I dated seriously, well...” Her voice faded.

“I’m waiting, Professor.”

“Sometimes I feel as if my brain causes the problem. Sort of like anti-Viagra. Patrick is a fellow professor. He wasn’t exactly inspired in the bedroom, but that wasn’t the real problem. We were both on the tenure track at the same time. It annoyed him I was being considered when I was younger than he was, but when they gave me tenure and he didn’t get it, that was the kiss of death. He just broke it off without a word the same day we got the news.” She shrugged off the humiliating memory.

“Guy sounds like a sore loser to me. But I agree with the tenure committee. Any guy who gives you up is a moron.”

“At least he didn’t insult me. Stan was appalled when I suggested we might spice things up a bit. I’d dropped hints from some of the books I’d read, some things I thought we could try, and he said I’d been ‘tainted by the base writings of smut mongers.’ He taught rhetoric. After him, I gave up. It didn’t seem worth the humiliation since there were no orgasms to show for it.” Then she blinked. “I cannot believe I just told you all that.”

“I’m easy to talk to.” He caressed her body with both hands, a bit rougher than before, until she leaned against him, growing liquid beneath his touch.

“Just for the record, I think you are sexy beyond belief. I can’t keep my hands off you anymore, but I’m not an animal. I’ll go slow. You’ll tell me what you want and I can guaran-damn-tee you will get it. But you can stop me if you want to—I won’t be upset.”

“I won’t say no. I won’t stop you. I don’t want you to keep your hands off me. I want them on me. All over me.” Lord! Had she actually just told him that? But his smile was wicked.

“That’s better. Now we’re getting somewhere. I think I’m just the guy to show you what you’ve been missing. If you’re game, of course.”

She should have been mortified by their exchange. But she wasn’t. His graphic words and his delicious threats made her sizzle. She wanted all of what he promised, including that amazing cock. It could have been the wine, but the fact was, it turned her on to be so desired. No man had ever talked to her that way, ever said the things he said to her. And no man had ever made her want to be wicked and beg him to take her.

“I’m game.”

His eyes darkened and that gorgeous smile was now hungry and dangerous.

“Professor, I’ve been checking out some of those dirty books you teach. It’s pretty amazing what some of those guys were getting up to. But I’ve got some great ideas of my own. How about I turn the tables and give you some quality educational tips?”

“That might be quite an arousing lesson.”

“Excellent. In that case, better eat your Wheaties because I have a very active imagination.” They’d arrived back at the truck and he yanked open a large trunk, pulling out two thick mats he laid on the truck bed. “Shall we?”

“Oh.”

He turned back to her. “Exactly.” He kissed her. Fast and hard. A whole new kissing experience. Who knew there were so many variations on a kiss and they didn’t have to be antiseptic pecks or slobbering assaults? Nick’s kisses were sublimely delectable. And when he wrapped his arms around her, squeezed her almost to the point of pain, it was just what she needed. What she wanted. To be overwhelmed with sensation.

“You’re very dominant. I’d never realized how sexy it was.” She smiled against his lips but then moaned when he bit her lip.

“Like it?”

“I feel like a traitor to the women’s movement.”

“Do you like it?”

“Oh, yes.” And she did. Gentle Nick warmed her. Commanding Nick made her insane.

“Then allow me to rock your world, little lady. Trust me?” He kissed each eyelid.

“I trust you, Nick.”

“Damned good answer.” He suddenly lifted her with ease and sat her down on the open hatch. “Scoot back.” She did, feeling a bit awkward, but anticipation melted any other feeling away.

“Can’t believe you’ve never done it in a truck, but there’s a first time for everything.”

She couldn’t feel anything except a dizzying elation. He took her hands in his, kissed each fingertip, his eyes focused on hers, his gaze heated.

The moon hiding behind clouds peeked out again, and suddenly they were awash in a silvery light. It gave everything a surreal glow and made it easier when he began to slide her skirt up her legs. Higher and higher until the crisp river breeze blew across her heated flesh.

Once he’d exposed her panties—lacy and damp and growing damper as he stared down at her—he reached out a finger and traced up her thigh, circling the neediest place, avoiding it until she squirmed, just a little. Then he smiled and reached out and slid a finger beneath the elastic, through the moisture, touching the throbbing lips of her pussy. A moan, almost a sigh, issued from her lips.