Tease Me Read online

  That wasn’t the only sign.

  Her voice was low, lacking her usual enthusiasm, her confidence, and though she looked at me, her lashes were heavy-lidded, the surprisingly long strands that I had never noticed before effectively shielding her eyes from me completely.

  Everything about this moment felt wrong.

  It also felt like an opportunity.

  Without stopping to think, consider the consequences, or consider whether I wanted to forge ahead, I reached up, stroked my thumb along her jaw.

  Her face was free of makeup. Dallas always claimed it ruined her best T-shirts, so it wasn’t worth the hassle. I found I rather liked it, getting to feel her skin and her skin alone.

  The softness against my thumb, her warmth, were expected, but also took on a new and rather shocking importance.

  My heart thudded just a little bit harder, something I refused to allow myself to consider.

  Just as I refused to allow myself to consider the low churn that had started in my gut, the pull toward her that felt inexorable in this moment.

  Because this wasn’t about me, how I felt, what I thought, or the consequences that I might be unleashing.

  It was about Dallas.

  And in that moment, what she was looking for became unavoidably clear.

  For all of her boisterousness, her confidence in certain areas, Dallas didn’t feel beautiful, didn’t feel worthy.

  If I could give her that feeling, make her see her worth even for just these few moments, I would.

  I used the thumb that had been tracing her jaw to stroke her bottom lip.

  It was warm, pillowy, seemed unimaginably soft, and though it had been my intention to move slowly, I couldn’t resist the impulse to feel her lips against mine.

  I moved toward her slowly, noticed that while her eyes were still heavy-lidded, they were open, her looking at me, her expression a breathtaking mix of desire, curiosity, and more than a bit of fear.

  That was something I could understand.

  While I felt as comfortable with Dallas as I ever had with anyone who wasn’t family, these new feelings were something I knew I would have to reckon with.

  Desire, one I hadn’t ever given myself permission to even entertain was crashing over me now, making it impossible for me to ignore it.

  Curiosity, the wonder of what it would be like to kiss her, hold her in my arms. I had never thought of that either, questioned now how that was possible. There was still distance between us, the tips of our shoes touching, but my mind was filled with the image of us close together, not an inch between us, curiosity of what that would be like making my breath come a little faster.

  Fear. I understood this one well. Curiosity and desire were one thing, but I worried that this wouldn’t be a costless interaction.

  No matter what happened, this would change things between Dallas and me.

  That scared the shit out of me.

  I tried to tell myself it would be for the best, would be something that would prove yet again that I valued her more than words could ever convey.

  Prove that always, no matter what, I would be there for her.

  I knew that to be true, but I also knew that there were other things at stake. To pretend that it wasn’t possible that crossing this line would change everything between us, and maybe not for the better, was something I couldn’t do. To go into this with my eyes wide open, risk the relationship, the woman, who mattered to me most. And that was something I wasn’t exactly sure how I would deal with.

  I’d have to try, would risk this, something I valued more than almost anything to make Dallas happy.

  But I knew that doing so could come at such a great cost to me and that made this moment that much more intense.

  The combination of all those emotions, the unfamiliar yet heady sensation of being this close to Dallas were almost too much to bear.

  But not quite.

  When I finally brushed my mouth against hers, felt her harsh exhale of breath, I knew, yet again, I had made the right decision.

  That initial contact had sent a rush through me, but I recovered, the need to taste her more riding at me.

  It was an impulse I couldn’t ignore, and one I wouldn’t have chosen to anyway.

  I brushed my lips against hers harder, and then harder still.

  Their warmth, their softness, the taste of the strawberry-flavored gloss she was addicted to were all beyond my imagining.

  Dallas had kissed me before, a friendly peck, one brimming with enthusiasm, when I had signed the lease on my first restaurant.

  For some reason, my mind had just assumed that every kiss from Dallas would be like that. Light, bubbly, bursting with happiness, but completely platonic.

  I’d been wrong, and each second that went by proved that.

  Kissing her now was nothing like it had been then. In fact, it was difficult for me to think of some comparable experience.

  Had I had the mental capacity, I might have tried, but I knew I would come up short.

  Because there was no comparison, nothing that could be like the feeling of kissing Dallas like this, knowing her so well, but then also learning that I didn’t really know her at all.

  In that moment, I finally understood that I could live a lifetime and never fully wrap my arms around who Dallas was, could never fully assimilate the depth and complexity of her, physically or emotionally.

  Understood that I’d never have that chance.

  I broke the kiss when that thought crashed through me, looked down at her, my chest heaving.

  It was unnerving, imagining someone else getting to see this side of Dallas that I had only now discovered.

  But I reminded myself that it had to be that way, and that no matter who she eventually ended up with, something I knew deep in my soul would happen, probably far sooner than she would have imagined, I would still have a role in her life, and not just as her friend, but as the person who helped her uncover the side of herself that she seemed not to know existed.

  And again it hit me how much that humbled me, how much her trust and faith in me was something I couldn’t allow myself to take for granted.

  “Kristian—”

  Dallas had started to talk, but I cut her off by pressing two fingers against her lips, again enjoying the softness and warmth of her mouth.

  I wanted to devour her lips again, but didn’t, and instead kept my fingers on her mouth as I kissed her jaw, moved down the column of her neck, licked the gentle hollow above her collarbone.

  Hers had been a simple question, but I instinctively knew that words alone wouldn’t be answer enough. This, showing her, should lay any of her doubts to rest.

  As I kissed the delicate skin between her collarbone and neck, I pushed her even flatter against the refrigerator, covered her body with mine.

  Her full breasts smashed against my chest, her heartbeat thudded, her taut nipples prominent.

  I had one hand on her waist, and dropped the other to join it, moving my hands up and down the deep curves.

  Dallas dressed in a way that neither downplayed nor emphasized her figure. Over the years I had caught glimpses of her shape, seeing her braless in a tank top when she started out in that horrible studio with no AC.

  Had caught her in one of the too-small T-shirts that she converted to pajamas when she no longer wanted to wear them outside.

  Objectively, I had noticed she was a little bit self-conscious about her weight, had heard her call herself bulky on more than one occasion.

  I hadn’t agreed, but my disagreement had fallen on deaf ears. But now, I realized that even my own assessment had been incomplete.

  I’d never been with anyone as curvy as her, but as I touched her now, I wondered if I had been missing out. Decided that I hadn’t because no one could compare to Dallas.

  Even though our bodies were wrapped in layers of clothing, the way she felt in my arms, so perfect, so right, was something I couldn’t believe, and couldn’t disregard.
/>   Her height made her ideal for kissing, the fullness of her flesh promised untold hours of enjoyment and delight.

  Not today, because I needed to make sure my emotions were in check, and I wasn’t sure she was in a place for that either.

  But I couldn’t let her leave here without a taste of what was to come.

  I moved my hand up her torso, cupped her full breasts in my palm, squeezing her flesh until she sighed out in a mix of pleasure and pain.

  I wanted to strip her, see her bare body before my eyes, but I knew if that happened, I might lose the tenuous control that I was barely holding on to.

  So instead, I gave her breasts one last squeeze, and then moved my hands down her waist to settle at her waistband.

  I’d be forever grateful that she usually eschewed denim and instead preferred leggings. Rather than fumbling with buttons and a zipper, I simply slipped my hand into the elastic waistband and then cupped her pussy in my palm.

  I could feel her damp underwear, the heat that was radiating from her core. There were also the low pants of her breath, her body simultaneously stiff and also squirming.

  It would have been so easy to push the tiny scrap of fabric aside, have one finger, two, buried inside her before either of us could blink.

  But I didn’t want that for her, wouldn’t take her that way. Instead I took it slow, sliding my finger up and down her satin-covered sex, feeling the heat, the warmth there as Dallas held on to me, her grip tight and strong.

  Hard, practically begging for attention, which I gave it, teasing the nub through her underwear.

  “Kristian—”

  Her voice was low, ragged, and filled me with a deep satisfaction.

  Which wasn’t to say that she was in this alone.

  I wanted her with a need that bordered on frantic, but I reminded myself I wouldn’t jump the gun, that I would make this the beautiful, special time she wanted.

  The one she deserved.

  I pushed the seat of her panties aside, and was instantly greeted with warmth, and it only made me want her that much more.

  I circled her opening with my knuckle, feeling her clench, the way her sex was trying to pull me in.

  Just like everything she did, there was passion in the way she moved even though she was seemingly mindless.

  I wanted to feel that warmth around me, knew that if I didn’t act soon, I would lose all control.

  So I moved up, grazing her clit with my knuckle, and I began to press harder, then even harder.

  As my pressure increased, so did Dallas’s cries, the tightness of her grip on my shoulders.

  “That’s it, Dallas. Come for me,” I whispered, my face against her ear.

  As I spoke I stroked her even harder, then rhythmically between my thumb and forefinger and teased, squeezed, giving her the push she needed.

  She came apart in my arms on a deep, broken cry.

  There was a quality to that sound, one of discovery, release, happiness, that was more satisfying than a climax of my own would have been.

  And as I held her, one of my arms wrapped around her body as she shivered through that climax, I thought about how lucky I was. How grateful I was that she trusted me as much as she did.

  Bit by bit, I could sense her coming back to herself, and could feel the moment that shyness threatened to break in.

  On the surface, there was little she did to pull back from me, but when I felt how she put ever so much space between us, felt her breathing go back to normal, then slow, as if she were trying to gather herself, I knew I had to intervene.

  I pulled my hand from her pants and then brought my fingers to my nose and inhaled deeply, taking in that unique, spicy, purely Dallas scent.

  It was heady, breathtaking, and I couldn’t wait to taste her.

  Dallas had been looking at me through half-lidded eyes, and after a moment I reached out for her and stared at her until she looked me in the eye.

  “Does that answer your question?” I asked.

  Dallas

  I almost hadn’t heard him.

  No, that was a lie. I had been aware he was speaking, but was so preoccupied that it had taken me a moment to process what he’d said.

  And when I did, I thought I might go weak in the knees.

  A few kisses and caresses, and Kristian had pried more pleasure out of me than anyone else ever had been able to, including myself.

  That was a thing of marvel, but one that also made me worry. I thought of Kristian one way, but that kiss had proven that there were so many more multitudes to him, ones that could hurt me if I let this get out of hand.

  So rather than dwell on what he had done, I focused on my answer.

  “I think it’s fair to say that it does,” I said, going for humor and nonchalance, which was near impossible with Kristian standing there, his arm on my waist, his fingers still dewy from where he had touched me.

  “So…” I trailed off, not sure what to say.

  I glanced at Kristian, on instinct seeking his assistance and space from my own emotions, realizing too late that there could be no such thing, not while we were doing this.

  “So what happens now?” I asked.

  I was whispering again, wondering why I did so.

  It wasn’t like the answer would change with a whispered-out question instead of the loud one, but I knew everything was up in the air, and as much as I had enjoyed what Kristian had done, I had to be certain.

  The deep brown of his eyes got even darker, and the intensity of his gaze made me shiver, but not nearly as hard as his words did.

  “I’m about a heartbeat away from taking you to my bedroom to finish what we started,” he whispered, his voice a silky gravel that made my skin tingle.

  “Finish?” I said stupidly, my pounding heart fueled by nerves and excitement unlike any I’d ever felt before.

  He nodded. “Yes, Dallas. Finish. And then go another round for good measure.”

  I wanted to shoot some witty comeback at him for being cocky, but I was stunned silent, the desire coursing through my blood taking all available attention. From the little smile that played around Kristian’s face, I knew he could see how his words affected me.

  Once I gathered myself, I asked, “Why haven’t you?”

  The playfulness I’d been going for fell flat, but I was too distracted by the change in Kristian’s expression to notice. In the blink of an eye, he went from cocky and assured to gentle and concerned. He brushed his fingers against my cheek and then tugged a piece of hair.

  It took everything inside me to not turn into his hand. I managed to still myself, but that moment had shaken me. I was used to Kristian touching me, but not like that, and I was almost breathless with the need to feel it again.

  For a tense moment, I thought Kristian was going to kiss me. He did, but it was a barely-there brush of his lips against mine. Then he kissed my cheek, my forehead, and then stepped away.

  “Because that’s not how your first time should be,” he said.

  “Sounds all right to me,” I responded.

  Kristian chuckled. “Sounds better than all right to me, but no.”

  “When?”

  The question slipped out before I even thought to try to stop it.

  “When the time is right,” he responded.

  Ordinarily, I would have challenged his nonanswer, but tonight, I simply nodded.

  “Let my men take you home. I know you have a lot of work to catch up on, and so do I,” he said a moment later.

  He was still staring at me intently, but then he smiled, gave me a quick peck on the cheek that could have been intimate or distant. I was far too wound up and confused to spot the difference right now.

  “I’ll go home. But I don’t need your guards,” I said.

  “No one said you needed them, but you’ll take them anyway.”

  I smiled despite myself, happy to see that at least on the surface, nothing had changed.

  “I should get going,” I said.


  “You should. Night,” he said.

  I hated to cut and run this way, but I knew that the longer I stood there, the more likely it was I’d say something I shouldn’t, so I beat a hasty retreat, so hasty that I didn’t even bother to argue with Kristian about the details.

  “Don’t work yourself to death, okay?” I said.

  “Okay,” he replied. “I’ll see you at Cree and Aaron’s engagement party if not before, right?”

  “You’ll see me,” I said, adding a smile.

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Kristian said.

  I grabbed my bag and jacket, then made my way to the elevator, trying as hard as I could not to look at him.

  I felt comfortable, but I was also bombarded with new feelings, new questions, wonder about where this would take us.

  But by the time I reached the penthouse garage, I had cast those questions aside.

  Kristian was doing this for me, but he was also getting something out of the bargain, something, if I could believe what had happened between us, he enjoyed.

  The boost to my confidence was as surprising as anything.

  I’d always known I had Kristian’s respect, but something about knowing that at least to some degree, even if it was only for a brief moment, I spoke to him on a physical level was incredible, made me feel desirable in a way I almost never did.

  At that realization, I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.

  Nine

  Kristian

  Between preparing for the engagement party and getting the second restaurant ready to open, the next week passed in a blur of activity.

  The restaurant was moving smoothly, but there were a million little things that still needed to be done, and since I was what Dallas would call a control freak, I wanted my hands on all of them.

  While the engagement party was an informal thing that wouldn’t require me to act in an official capacity, I still had a role to play.

  And even more importantly, I wanted to be there for Aaron as much as I could.