"That's it! I have to go take a walk and clear my head before I rip someone else's right off their neck. Don't call me, don't text me, don't email me. I will be the one contacting you once I've calmed down."
This was how I left things at my branch office when I angrily stormed out at 9PM. I was on the verge of losing the biggest client I had ever scored, all because of the idiot my partner, Doug, had hired, and up until now, was refusing to fire. When things turned even further south on Monday, I had hopped on the first flight to New York to try and salvage the relationship. It looked like I was going to have to do more than my usual amount of bargaining and sucking up. I was glad I always had a bag packed at the office, ready for such emergency trips.
I looked up as this last thought crossed my mind, realizing that I had no idea where I was. When I exited the building, had I turned left or right? Where the hell was I? Pulling out my phone, I checked my coordinates. Good lord, was I ever off! Completely wrong direction. I shook my head to wipe the slate clean, like clearing the screen of an Etch-A-Sketch, figuring I would continue walking a while to reorient myself.
As I retraced my steps, I encountered a man, whom at first sight, took my breath away. He walked with a bit of a swagger and was incredibly gorgeous, his dark eyes seeming to bore straight into my core. Our gazes locked and our heads swiveled as our paths crossed. Once I had passed him, I must have unconsciously mumbled something under my breath, which was still loud enough for him to hear. I heard him take a few brisk steps behind me, trying to catch up.
"Is everything okay?" he inquired.
"No," I replied, considering simply telling him that I was lost, and could he kindly help me to find my way back? But this guy had me thinking thoughts I shouldn't be having with an 8AM meeting scheduled for the next morning.
"Anything I can help you with?" he pursued further, seeming to read my mind.
There's no possible way he's serious, I told myself. But I decided to call his bluff.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him, assuming my sexiest attitude, by cocking my head, placing one hand on my hip and smiling as seductively as I could, but I'm sure I was only coming off as looking more ridiculous than anything.
"You really want to help me?" It was almost a challenge.
"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't have the intention to."
Maybe he was exactly the diversion that I needed right now. At that moment, I realized I was slightly taller than he was. Granted, I was wearing 4" heels, but I didn't want to seem too intimidating. I bent my knees and slouched a bit to better compliment his height, reaching out to stroke below the tight knot of his silk tie.
"In that case, what are you doing for the rest of the night?'
No doubt he was taken off guard by my question, even though he probably got propositioned all the time, considering his good looks, just not on a random street corner.
He placed one hand on my waist, bringing us closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial level.
"Why don't you tell me what I'll be doing for the rest of the night?"
Despite the humid evening air, goosebumps broke out on the surface of my skin. I suppressed a shiver as I laid it all out on the table.
"Come to my hotel room for a drink and we can discuss the options, or better yet, come to my hotel room and I'll show you, your choice..."
For a while he just looked at me, either waiting for me to start laughing and say I was just kidding, or contemplating running the other way. I held his gaze, determined to see this through to whatever outcome.
It was when he nodded once and grabbed my hand that I knew I had reeled him in. We headed back in the direction where we had first met.
"Where's your hotel?"
"A few blocks away. Care to clue me in on your decision?"
"I'm not sure yet. But I know I'll take you up on something. Let's catch a cab."
"You're not sure what you want to do, yet you want to get there faster?" I teased. I'm pretty sure he had already made up his mind but was just toying with me.
"It will force my decision. By the way, what's your name?"
"Names aren't necessary."
He stopped and turned, facing me.
"Come on, what's your name?" he repeated.
"You don't need it, so I'm not going to divulge it. Is that going to be a problem?" I said, using my height to emphasize an authoritative stance. I had been told on many occasions that I could be quite intimidating when I fixed my eyes on someone and didn't glance away. It had worked in many business negotiations, would it work here, too? I was determined to find out.
"Okay, no name, for now. You'll change your mind," he said resignedly, but with a hint of confidence.
"Don't count on it."
He leaned in so close, I could feel his lips against my ear.
"I guarantee you that by the time we're done, you will have told me your name."
He retreated slightly, but was still close enough that the slightest movement would cause our lips to make contact.
"Let's go." he broke the trance and we started walking.
As we arrived at the corner, several taxis zoomed by until we hailed one. I entered first, sliding to the opposite end of the seat, until he motioned me to sidle closer. He took my hand, turning the palm upwards, stroking it lightly with his thumb. It was such a long time since I had been touched by a man, that even this slightest gesture had an intense effect on me. Noticing my reaction, he leaned towards me and whispered,
"You just made up my mind for me. We're heading straight to your room."
For the rest of the commute, I had to apply incredible restraint in not throwing myself at him, instead taking the time to observe him each time we passed under the streetlights.
"How much farther"? he asked, and I was pleased to see that he was just as eager as I felt.
"Almost there."
As we arrived at the door of my room, I pulled out my key, but he took it out of my hand and unlocked the door, holding it open for me. As I walked through, he grabbed my waist from behind and pulled me against him. I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips then. He had just discovered one of my weaknesses. As the door closed behind us, I wondered how many more he would find before this night was over.
On the other hand, I considered breaking free, saying this was so very unlike me, but who I was kidding? It wasn't my habit to always do this kind of thing, but it certainly wasn't the first time, either.
I felt I would collapse, made the more pronounced when he raised one hand up to my neck, brushing my hair back.
"Take off your shoes."
I complied, now making me a couple of inches shorter than him.
"Let me warm you up," he offered, mistaking my goosebumps as being cold due to the air conditioned room, but I certainly wasn't going to correct him now.
He pushed the collar of my blouse to the side and started kissing my shoulder. I had to reach out to brace myself against the wall as I sucked in a sharp intake of breath. With my other hand, I grabbed onto his coat. I flung my head back and to the side, allowing complete access, feeling his tongue working its way up my neck. I felt him smile as he pulled me as close as two people, still fully clothed, could get to each other. I grabbed the back of his head, tangling my fingers through his hair.
Then he stopped and stepped back and I almost buckled from the sudden loss of support. He placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me so I could face him, backing me against the wall, leaning in to kiss me.
His lips lightly brushed against mine then pulled away. It was so fleeting that it was almost imperceptible. He made contact again, tentatively, tilting his head to one side and then the other, as though trying to assess how best to gain leverage over me, but he didn't need to. I was already his for the taking. He had me exactly where he wanted.
Gradually, he increased the pressure. My arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. He traced the line between my lips with the tip of his tongue, prying them open, gaining entrance.
He led us away from the wall as we continued kissing, towards the bedroom. I wasn't even aware that we had moved. That's how much I was focused on the sensations that consumed me. And that's when I realized that we had stopped and standing apart from each other.
I noticed that he had his back to me, looking out the window. The curtains had been left open and the view of the city in the nighttime was spectacular. But that wasn't the view I was admiring right now. I walked up behind him and ran my hands across his back and up to his shoulders, turning until I was in front of him. I returned my hands to his waist, my fingers fidgeting over his belt buckle, disappearing under his trench coat. I pushed the coat over his shoulders and down his arms, feeling his biceps flex under my touch. The coat dropped heavily to the floor as we joined hands, looking at each other, the desire emanating brightly from our eyes, even in the darkened room.
Becoming self-conscious under the weight of his scrutiny, I cast my eyes downward.
"Look at me," he commanded, his voice low and gravelly.
When I didn't obey immediately, he repeated, a bit more assertively,
"Look. At. Me."
When I once again raised my eyes to his and he knew he had my attention, he continued,
"Are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean, really sure? Because the way you're responding to my touch and the way you're touching me, getting my blood pumping, I'll have a really hard time stopping if you change your mind. I'm not saying that you can't change it, or that I won't stop, it's not in my nature to force myself upon women, don't worry. But I just want to make sure, that at least as of now, you're in."
With absolutely no hesitation on my part, I said,
"Oh, I'm definitely in. And I do not intend to change my mind. Now, are you done with the talking?"
In response, he cupped the back of my head and crushed his lips against mine. God, this is what I had wanted, been waiting for, since I first saw him on the street. I opened my mouth, and his tongue ventured further inside. My first instinct was to pull away so I could catch my breath, but there was no way in hell that I was going to break this kiss. At that moment, I needed it even more than I needed oxygen.
I pressed my entire body against his and heard him moan. When we finally broke free and looked at each other, I knew I had all the consent to continue.
I loosened his tie and removed it, proceeding to his suit jacket, which I disposed of in the same manner as the trench coat, my hands roaming across his chest, soon starting at the top button of his shirt. I was careful to keep my eyes focused on my hands, otherwise, I would surely dissolve if I looked at him. His shirt was half undone when he stopped my hands in their progression.
"My turn..." He took control, exhibiting a bit more impatience than I had, removing my jacket in no time, immediately concentrating on my blouse. As each button became unfastened, he kissed the exposed skin, starting at my neck and soon arriving at my bra, reaching back to unhook the clasp, removing both my blouse and bra simultaneously.
He seated himself on the edge of the bed, pulling me towards him and securing me between his knees. He stretched his neck forward, quickly sucking a nipple into his mouth, as though he was in a hurry.
I pushed his head back to stop him.
"Hey, you know, we have all night. No need to rush."
Reclaiming my nipple, he sucked it further in, biting gently around it, not wanting to lose hold of it as he spoke.
"Oh, I know. And I plan on making the most of every minute of it."
My eyes rolled back in my head as I said, breathless,
"Please, the other one."
A mischievous smile curled his lips. Thinking I had become too sensitive to the stimulation, he abandoned the one nipple and started on the other.
"No, I meant both at the same time."
