Tease Me Page 14

  I was happy for him, happy for both of them, and unbidden, I thought about the new understanding I had.

  Sure, I’d had companions, sometimes found a social life outside of the restaurants or my duties to Medina, but I’d never had someone to look forward to seeing at the end of a long day.

  I did now.

  I took one last sweep of the kitchen and then locked up and headed toward my car.

  As I drove, I realized I had been mistaken. Yes, in the past, I had looked forward to seeing Dallas, but now when I did, the feeling while intense, was so very different.

  It wasn’t as though the sex made our relationship deeper, or more meaningful, but it added an intensity, a quality that hadn’t been there before. While I had always been excited to see her, the physical dimension of our relationship gave something more, made those feelings that had already been there that much more intense.

  Part of me was terrified by that, but the rest of me embraced it.

  If I had been thinking, I would have suspected this, perhaps anticipated it was coming, but I hadn’t been, so it caught me off guard.

  But that aside, me not having anticipated it didn’t change the fact of it.

  Somewhere along the way, the thing that should have been obvious from the beginning was something I could no longer avoid.

  I cared for Dallas, respected her, craved her time and attention, trusted her opinion above almost all others. And now that I had seen this other side of her, had unlocked the woman she had kept hidden for so long, the conclusion was unavoidable.

  I loved her.

  I was in love with her.

  I could try to pretend otherwise, maybe try to assume that those feelings were something else, but the truth was something I couldn’t deny and even more was something I didn’t want to.

  If I’d had any doubt of my feelings before, the ache in my right shoulder put them all to rest.

  I sped up, even more anxious to see Dallas now than I had been before.

  When I parked and headed into her studio, I felt a moment of trepidation that hadn’t been there before. Maybe she wouldn’t appreciate my gesture.

  There was only one way to find out.

  I let myself into the studio and bounded up the stairs, the familiarity of the place, and the woman I was going to see, in no way detracting from my excitement for both.

  I’d helped Dallas find the studio years ago. She’d been convinced it was out of her price range, and though I never kept secrets from her, I’d made an exception on this. I had purchased the building and made sure she stayed there, knew that it was the perfect place for her to bring her talent to life.

  I gave a cursory knock on the door and then entered, found Dallas sprawled on the couch.

  “Are you asleep?” I asked as I approached her.

  “Yeah,” came her grumbled reply.

  I smiled, the sight of her long limbs sprawled out, her skin radiant under the dim lamp that lit the large, open studio space.

  I kneeled beside her, stroked my fingers up one of her full, silky thighs.

  “Maybe I can do something to wake you,” I whispered.

  Dallas turned, opened her eyes halfway and smiled.

  “What do you have in mind?” she asked.

  I chuckled, then tsked, shaking my head at her as I inched my hand a little bit higher.

  “Not that,” I said, my words at odds with the way I settled my fingers at the apex of her thighs.

  Her sex was intoxicating, the warmth beckoning me to explore it, though I held off, at least for a moment.

  “Not that?” she asked.

  “No,” I replied.

  She looked frustrated, but also happy, yet another reminder that Dallas enjoyed a little teasing, even if she liked to pretend otherwise.

  “I have something I want to show you,” I whispered.

  “And you have something I want to see,” she whispered, scooting to the edge of the couch to lay a hand on my side.

  “Later,” I said, though I was starting to question why I was holding off.

  “If you insist,” she said.

  She lingered for a moment, probably giving me a chance to change my mind, and when I didn’t, she sat up.

  “What?” she asked, looking serious, even though her eyes were slightly glazed with desire.

  “First, I realized I’ve been keeping something from you that I probably shouldn’t,” I said.

  “Really?” Dallas asked, lifting one brow.

  “Yeah. I own this building. I hired a management company but it’s mine,” I said.

  I’d kept that little piece of information to myself for years, but on a whim, I’d decided to share. It wasn’t a big deal, but I didn’t want anything between Dallas and me, even some stupid secret like that. She gave me a lazy smile.

  “I take it you knew you owned this building before today,” she said.

  “Yeah,” I replied.

  “So why the need to tell me now?”

  I was still kneeling in front of the couch, and in this position, Dallas and I were nearly eye to eye, slightly closer than we were when I was standing.

  Still, though the answer was something I knew, I couldn’t make myself say it. I could easily imagine the words coming out, me telling her that I didn’t want anything between us, no secrets, but the words wouldn’t come.

  Instead I shrugged.

  “An oversight I wanted to correct,” I said.

  I looked at her, her brown eyes fathomless in the room. I couldn’t quite gauge her response, but after a moment she began to smile.

  “Sure, since you’re letting me in on a little secret, I’ll let you in on one, too,” she said, looking mischievous.

  “Oh really,” I responded, curious now.

  It wasn’t a surprise that Dallas would turn the tables on me, but I was interested, more than, in what she might have to say.

  “I’ve known about that for years,” she said.

  It was my turn to lift a brow.

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I don’t exactly remember how I found out. Maybe saw something at the property manager’s office. But yeah, I’ve known. Why do you think I never mind raiding your refrigerator? I’m paying for that shit anyway,” she said.

  She laughed, and I joined in.

  “So we’ve both been keeping a secret for no reason?” I asked a moment later.

  “Well, not no reason. I know you think I’m stubborn and wouldn’t allow you to help me, and you’re right. But I love the studio too much to leave now, and I figured if that’s what you want to do for me, I’d let you,” she said.

  “Much appreciated,” I responded. “But I’m willing to bet you’re going to keep paying rent, aren’t you?” I said.

  “Of course I am,” she answered. I didn’t bother to argue with her, not wanting to get sidetracked from the real reason I had come today.

  “Fine, we can revisit this topic later. But first I want to show you something,” I said.

  “And as I said, you have something I want to see.” Her eyes were twinkling, and I couldn’t help my own smile.

  “Later.”

  I stood, then pulled my shirt up and over my head.

  “This is a good start,” she said.

  “Dallas, focus,” I said, chuckling.

  “Kristian, you make that so very hard to do,” she said.

  I believed her, the way her eyes were eating my body, the promise I saw in them leaving no doubt to the truth of her words.

  “Your remember Stuckey’s?” I asked.

  She paused, blinked a moment seeming confused, and then she continued.

  “That shitty tattoo parlor by the college?” she asked.

  “One and the same,” I responded.

  “How can I forget it? I heard the health department finally closed them down,” she said.

  “We can only hope,” I responded. “Remember when I was going to get a tattoo there?”

  “Oh God, how can I forget
,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I really saved your bacon on that one.”

  “You did. Without your wise counsel I would have had a heart on my shoulder.”

  “No, you would have had what you hoped was a heart, but judging by the quality of their work, it would have looked like a strawberry, and you probably would’ve gotten hepatitis to boot,” she said.

  I laughed and she joined in.

  “So why did you never get a tattoo after that?” she asked.

  I shrugged.

  “Never found the right one till now,” I said.

  Her curiosity sparked bright in her eyes.

  “You don’t have a tattoo. If you did, I would have seen it,” she said.

  “Yeah, you would have, so no, I didn’t have a tattoo, but now I do,” I said.

  “Let me see it,” she said.

  I turned, then looked over my shoulder. “There it is.”

  I had turned away, but Dallas didn’t speak, and after several seconds of silence I turned back, frowned, trying to study her blank expression to understand what she was feeling.

  “You hate it?”

  “Is that…?”

  “Yeah, it’s your interpretation of the crest,” I said.

  “But you don’t even have the sketch,” she said, sounding alarmed.

  “I didn’t need the sketch. I remember exactly what it looked like and the artist was able to capture it, at least I think so,” I added.

  “He—”

  “She.”

  “She captured it perfectly. But I can’t…” She trailed off, looked at me, her eyes starting to glisten.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s just you got something that I drew and it’s on you, it’s permanent,” she said, sounding odd.

  I wanted to tell her that the marks she left on me on the inside were permanent too, ones that I would keep and treasure forever, but again I shied away from those emotions.

  “Yeah, it’s perfect, and I couldn’t think of a better person to design my first, and only, tattoo,” I said.

  “Kristian— ”

  There was so much in the way she said my name, and the words that were on the tip of my tongue ones I couldn’t say. I couldn’t tell Dallas how I felt, wasn’t sure I even knew how I felt, but I could show her with my body.

  She had leaned up from the couch, but I pushed her back down, pausing long enough to enjoy the bounce of her breasts.

  She was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, and I was grateful for the easy access.

  I made quick work of the shirt, and then pulled the shorts down her body, leaving her bare to me.

  But she was no passive bystander and as I disrobed her, she yanked open my pants and pushed them down.

  Dallas and I had been together many times, but each time was new, exciting, but there was also a level of familiarity and comfort.

  I learned something new about her every time I was with her, but every time I was with her always reminded me of how connected we were, how deeply we knew each other and how adding this physical interaction only gave a new dimension to what was already there.

  I was scared of that, deathly afraid of it, but I didn’t allow myself to think of it. Instead I focused on Dallas, the way her strong hands, calloused from her work but still beautifully feminine felt against my body. When she stilled I paused and looked at her, then watched as she gently traced her fingers over the tattoo. There was in her expression a humbleness, and the emotion that already had my heart pounding intensified.

  I didn’t know what to say to her, what I could say. I knew what I wanted but there was no place for that. Not now.

  So instead I handed Dallas a condom and watched as she eagerly ripped it open. This had become something both she and I looked forward to, but I couldn’t wait for the day when I could take her with nothing between us. Imagined doing it now, how tight and warm she would feel around me, how proud and satisfied that would make me.

  That couldn’t happen. I was already teetering, and taking Dallas bare would push me over the edge.

  When I was fully sheathed, Dallas lay back and spread her legs wide, the pretty pink of her pussy peeking out through her slick lips.

  “I was going to take the slow…” I said as I sprawled out on top of her.

  “Slow later,” she said. “Fast and hard now.”

  My answer was a hard thrust.

  I filled her in that single move, then froze, both of us taking the moment to revel in the sensation of being together.

  Every time I entered Dallas I felt like I was coming home and this time was no different.

  But I only gave myself a second to enjoy that feeling before I began to thrust hard and fast just as she had requested.

  She had her legs notched on my hips, squeezing me tight, her arms around my neck.

  She was holding me, pulling me closer and I thrust harder, and harder still. Harder than I ever had before. Some part of me hoping that if I thrust hard enough I would be there permanently, hoping that maybe I wouldn’t have to let her go.

  “Don’t let me go, Kristian,” she whispered, her breaths harsh in my ear.

  The words were like a trigger, and I thrust harder still, and she tightened her thighs around my waist.

  When she clamped her walls around me, dug her knees into my hips, I let go.

  The climaxes I had with Dallas were beyond words, but this one was even beyond that.

  This hadn’t felt like making love. I felt like I had given her all I had, given her my heart.

  And I knew I would never get it back.

  Fourteen

  Kristian

  “Kristian, I’m going to break your thumbs if you retie that apron again,” Dallas said.

  I chuckled, finished knotting the knot, and raised my hands in surrender.

  She looked at me, her dark eyes serious, but a smile turning her lips.

  “I’m sorry. I’m nervous,” I said.

  I would never have confessed that to anyone but her, but I was nervous, more than nervous.

  Because today was the day.

  “I know you’re nervous. But trust yourself. Trust your work, your preparation, your talent. You got this,” she said.

  She punctuated the statement by wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me tight briefly before letting me go.

  She went to step away, but before she could I stopped her with a hand on her hip and kissed her softly.

  At first she looked startled by the affection, but then simply nodded.

  “I’ll try,” I whispered.

  “Ordinarily, I would tell you a quote about how trying isn’t an option, but given the day, I’ll accept it,” she said.

  “You’re taking pity on me? Should I be concerned?” I asked.

  She laughed, the sound rich, hearty, echoing through the still-empty kitchen. “Don’t believe it for a second. If necessary, I’ll be back here to whip your ass into shape, but for the moment, I think you’re on the right foot,” she said. “I’m going to go make sure everything in the dining room is immaculate. Chill out, and do not retie that apron,” she said.

  I nodded, smiling, feeling calmer, not calm, of course, but calmer than I had before.

  Of course Dallas would be the reason for it.

  I shuddered to think what it would be like if she weren’t here. I knew Aaron and Cree would show up, that at some point in the next couple of days Leo would make an appearance, but Dallas had been with me through this all, poured more of her hours into this than I had any right to ask of her. I would have to thank her for that, maybe find the words to convey how much I appreciated her, though doing so would be hard.

  She’d say that she was only doing what a friend would, but as the days had passed, I’d known that was less and less of an explanation.

  Yes, she was being a friend, but whatever was happening between us was so much more than that. Or maybe I was finally accepting what had been there all along.

  I wouldn’t dare try to pu
t a name to it, was afraid to even contemplate the possibility, but I knew that things were growing, changing, and to my surprise, not for the worse.

  In fact, they were better than I could have ever imagined, and that in itself was enough to terrify me.

  Because every day with Dallas made the hours that much brighter, and made it harder for me to imagine what they would be like without her.

  Before, I’d always known that we’d be friends, be in each other’s lives in some capacity forever, but now, I wasn’t sure that would be enough.

  On the surface, our sexual relationship was the only thing that had changed. And it was monumental, more than, but I also knew it didn’t tell the entire story.

  I had been certain that I knew Dallas, that she knew me, but each day with her revealed more of the woman, made me crave her in ways I hadn’t before.

  “Snap out of it, Kristian,” I muttered to myself.

  I moved through the pristine kitchen, swiping at a speck of dust here, a smudge there. It would be a couple more hours before the kitchen crew began to show up, and then another couple hours till our first dinner service.

  Still, I had been too wound up to wait and found myself here at the crack of dawn.

  Dallas had shown up fifteen minutes later, coffee and croissants in hand.

  “Don’t look so surprised,” she’d said when she handed me my coffee, black with two sugars. “I can’t believe it took you this long to get here.”

  I laughed, deciding not to tell her that I’d been up since two in the morning just watching the minutes tick by. It was only after that had become unbearable that I had finally given in and come to the restaurant.

  But what I had asked myself and wanted to know, what I still wanted to know, was why she’d been there.

  It would be easy to conclude that she knew me well, that she knew I would be here worried, trying to make sure I had everything perfect. But was it as simple as that?

  I didn’t know the answer to that question, which raised a whole host of other questions itself.

  I hated the thought of being a coward, but I couldn’t simply ask her if her feelings for me had changed, just as I couldn’t acknowledge, not even to myself, that my feelings for her had.