I crash my mouth onto hers.
CHAPTER 18
Emmy
My brain short-circuits.A few moments ago, I was fending off advances from a creep and now Luke is kissing me. His mouth claims mine with a possessiveness that fries my brain – and I know, instantly, I’ll follow wherever he leads me. His hands are suddenly threading through my hair and I feel himeverywhere.
At the first tentative stroke of his tongue, I open for him and he groans, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. I’m flooded with the taste of him, a bourbon-y smokiness on his tongue. He’s not just kissing me, he’s devouring me. I match him stroke for stroke, clinging tighter as heat licks through my core.
Luke’s kiss is fierce, commanding, all-consuming, and my bodymeltsagainst him. He’s a wall of firm muscle, crowding me against the bar. My dress has ridden up a bit and his trousers feel slightly coarse between my thighs, which only adds to the full-body sensations I’m currently experiencing. Everything inside me is screaming that I want this man between my legsnow.
His pace slows slightly and I let out a whimper I can’t hold back. I feel him smile against my mouth as he breaks the kiss and leans his forehead onto mine.
“Fuck,” he murmurs, so quietly I’m not sure I’ve actually heard it.
“Fuck,” I echo back, panting slightly as I regain my breath. He’s still cradling my face in his hands, our noses so close that we’re sharing air. His thumbs trace delicate half-moons on my cheeks as he pulls back, searching my eyes. His pupils are blown wide and he’s got yet another expression on that I can’t quite read, but I know I want to see it again.
“I’m sorry about the other day,” he says, his voice soft and low. “You have no idea how much I hated myself for it.”
“It’s ok,” I reply, giving him a small smile. “I did kind of ambush you.”
He laughs softly, and leans in again, placing a devastatingly gentle kiss on my mouth. This is worlds away from the ravenous plundering that happened mere moments ago. This feels soft, and vulnerable, and sweet. We’re in uncharted territory now and we both know it.
He lifts a hand and tucks a few strands of hair behind my ear.
“We should talk,” he says in a low voice. “Do you want to get a drink? Somewhere else, I mean. Somewhere quiet.”
“Ok,” I reply, biting my lip and rolling it slightly. He looks particularly delicious right now, all off-duty and dishevelled. I wonder if and when I’ll get to see what he’s like when he truly lets loose.
“Let me just grab my coat. Don’t move,” he says before he disappears into the back. I don’t feel an ounce of shame as I admire his arse as it disappears from view.
Thirty minutes later, we’re sat in a pub around the corner. It’s a quiet, old man sort of pub, heavy on the dark wood panelling with the smell of 50 years of spilled lager ingrained in the carpets. We’ve picked a booth in the back and Luke sits downopposite me as he sets our drinks on the table. Whisky for him, and malbec for me.
“So,” he begins, and then stops. His gaze drops to my mouth for a moment and then hastily returns to my eyes.
“So,” I counter, with a small grin.
“Tell me what you’ve got in mind,” he says, leaning back in his seat, handing the conversation over for me to lead. I guess it’s fair given I’m the one who went all indecent proposal on him.
“It’s pretty simple,” I reply, fingers finding the stem of my wine glass. “I’ve only ever been with Colin and our sex life was very… vanilla. I tried to suggest spicing things up a few times but he was never particularly on board and honestly, we’ve hardly had sex in the past few years. Now that I’m single, I want to make up for lost time and explore all the stuff I’ve never had a chance to before. Chloe and I came up with the idea of a ‘fuckit list’, and here I am. I want someone to have fun with and show me what it might be like to, um, colour outside the lines a bit.”
He is very still as I say all of this but he swallows twice in a short space of time and I relish watching his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. Calm, controlled Luke is definitely a tiny bit off-kilter, and a thrill zips up my spine.
“Ok, it all makes sense. Tell me about this list.” He levels me with a serious look that dissipates as soon as I see the corner of his mouth twitch.
“Well, it’s nothing totally bonkers. I’m inexperienced but I’m not naïve,” I begin, feeling a blush rise in my cheeks. If I’m going to do this, I have to be confident. I clear my throat. “I’d like to try a few different things… breath play, power exchange, bondage, toys, roleplay, edging, voyeurism, exhibitionism, impact play…” I pause and bite my lip. “Stuff like that.”
He nods, thoughtfully, and I notice he’s blinking about twice as much as usual. Getting under Luke’s skin may become mynew favourite hobby. It’s the only outward reaction I can see until he heaves a big inhale and lets it go.
“Ok. I can work with all of that. How do you propose this working?”
“Well, I share a flat with Sloane now so you’re always welcome around ours. I get the impression she would be VERY on board with you being there, but equally, I’m happy to come to yours or we could meet in Salt…”
His nostrils flare at the final suggestion but I don’t know what that means. He’s gone back to nodding, though there’s a slight crease between his eyebrows.
“Mine may be best. Perhaps Salt could come later,” he says, levelling me with a look. “And this is a physical, no strings arrangement which we will keep entirely to ourselves?”
“Entirely to ourselves and Chloe and Sloane.” I give him a pleading look. “They’ll torture it out of me if I don’t tell them, you know that.”
