Second Chance Girl
Page 23
He kissed her everywhere. Somehow her clothes disappeared and she was naked. He hadn’t done more than take off his shoes, but before she could complain, he was pushing her onto the club chair across from the sofa and dropping to his knees. Then he parted her and leaned over to kiss her so intimately, so deeply, that she nearly came right there.
He found her clit on the first try and sucked it gently. He inserted a finger inside of her, pushing in all the way, then withdrawing. At the same time, he circled her swollen center, finding the perfect steady rhythm that had her gasping, straining and hoping he never, ever stopped.
It didn’t take her long. About thirty seconds in she drew her knees up and pushed down on his finger. A minute in, she was panting and pleading and five seconds after that, it happened.
She came with a cry that was ripped from the very soul of her. Pleasure filled her as her muscles rippled and released. Mathias kept touching her, kept moving in and out, drawing every ounce of it from her, then slowing so the sensations lingered. Only then did he sit back and smile at her.
“That’s my girl.”
She stared at him, both satiated and in shock. “I can’t believe that just happened.” She was naked. In his living room. There was a dog on the sofa, although Sophie had snored through the entire, ah, event. What on earth?
He reached for his jeans and pulled a condom out of his wallet, then stretched out on the carpet and smiled. “Any chance you’d consider being on top?”
Seven simple words. Seven words that chased away any thought of being confused or embarrassed. Seven words that made everything right.
“I just might.”
“Good, because I’ve had this recurring fantasy about you.”
“It’s not that...what?” Fantasy about her? Had he really said that?
He winked at her, then closed his eyes. “This is going to be good.”
She smiled, then waited for him to start undressing. Or say something else. Or look at her. Only he didn’t do any of those things...he just breathed heavily. Too heavily. The deep breathing became a snore nearly as loud as Sophie’s.
Carol sat there, naked, sexually satisfied and totally humiliated. She didn’t even have to ask what had happened. It was obvious. More than obvious. She’d had the best sex ever and Mathias had passed out.
Was that just exactly her life?
CHAPTER EIGHT
MATHIAS WOKE WITH the mother of all hangovers and a beagle licking his face. The previous evening was mostly a blur. He knew Carol had stopped by and they’d talked. At some point, he’d fallen asleep in the living room—hopefully after she’d left. Near dawn, he’d made his way to his bed. He remembered that much, as well as having to push Sophie aside so he could squeeze under the covers. But the rest of it...not so much with the memories.
He got up and winced as bright sunlight burned through his eyes. Note to self, he thought grimly. No more drinking when he was feeling stupid about his lack of talent. It only led to disaster and pushed him a little too close to the Ceallach side of the road. Staying sane meant being his own man.
He let Sophie out and started coffee. While his Keurig worked its magic, he scanned the living room, but nothing was out of place. In fact all the glasses from the previous night were neatly placed in the dishwasher and the salsa and chips had been put away. Had he done that? Had Carol? Jeez, he really hoped he’d stayed awake long enough to escort her to the door. He had, hadn’t he?
Sophie bounced back into the kitchen, her tail wagging. He fed her before retreating to the healing warmth of a hot shower. As he stripped down he remembered the incredible sex dream he’d had, then groaned. Once again Carol had dominated his night. Damn, everything about touching her, kissing her, pleasing her, had been so real. So vivid. If only, he thought with a sigh. But his luck wasn’t that good.
Once he was showered, shaved and dressed, he made his bed and took his second cup of coffee out onto the back patio. Through some quirk of geography or weather, there was still mist clinging to the ground of the animal preserve. The wisps of fog made him think of fairies or maybe just trolls.
Before he could decide which was more likely in Happily Inc, a couple of gazelles raced into view. They tore across the damp grass with the energy of schoolchildren being released for the day. He sat down and reached for his sketch pad. As he picked up a pencil, something nibbled at the back of his mind. Something about the previous night. Had he said something? What was it he couldn’t remember?
Before he could pursue the lack of thought, Millie stepped into view. She moved more slowly than the gazelles, as if each step required planning. Or maybe she was just sad. He wished there was a way to let her know that Carol was working the problem. That as soon as there was money a herd would be purchased and—
Carol joined Millie. It was something she did nearly every morning. Only this time was different. Mathias wasn’t sure how he knew that, but as he watched, every part of him went on alert. Something had changed. Something had happened or was going to happen or—
Carol spoke. Mathias saw her lips move. Millie bent down just as Carol looked up. Sunlight broke through the mist and in that moment, the giraffe and the woman nearly touched.
The image was perfect—all lines and curves. Friendship, maybe love, surrounded them. Carol’s chin was raised, Millie’s neck arched. There were trees behind them, a hint of mist and the light from the sun. Everything was exactly as it should be, he thought as he drew frantically. This was what he’d been waiting for and now he knew exactly what he had to do.
He finished the drawing, then went inside and made copies of it before heading to the studio. After dropping Sophie off with Natalie, he began the painstaking process of turning glass into magic.
It took hours. Nick joined him and together they heated, formed, rolled and discarded different pieces. Finally, as the sun headed toward the western horizon, Mathias set a ten-inch giraffe on his desk and studied it.
There weren’t as many details as he would like, but that would come with size and practice. Still, progress had been made. The piece looked like Millie. Even more important, there was a sense of movement, as if the giraffe would take the next step any second.
“Damn,” Nick breathed. “You nailed it. What’s next?”
“I do it again, only bigger.” The final piece would be maybe three feet high, he thought absently, turning the glass around on his desk. Millie leaning down and Carol looking up. Tomorrow he would make his first attempt at creating Carol out of glass. Once he had worked out the basics in the smaller piece, he would make that one larger, as well. And then...
He stood and studied the giraffe. He had no idea what happened after that, but he was okay with the uncertainty. It had been years since he’d created something other than dishes and pendant lights. Years since he’d been willing to take a chance.
The last time, he’d been all of nineteen. Mathias did his best to ignore the past, but it flooded him with detailed memories and once again he could see the swirling abstract design—part star, part wave, color pulsing in every curve. He’d stunned himself with its beauty and had sensed down to his gut it was the best thing he’d ever done.
Both Nick and Ronan had been silent—as if they had no idea what to say. Their looks of admiration and envy had been enough. He’d known he’d nailed it. Known this piece was going to be the one to put him on the map. He would be more than Ceallach’s talented son—he would be famous in his own right.
He found her clit on the first try and sucked it gently. He inserted a finger inside of her, pushing in all the way, then withdrawing. At the same time, he circled her swollen center, finding the perfect steady rhythm that had her gasping, straining and hoping he never, ever stopped.
It didn’t take her long. About thirty seconds in she drew her knees up and pushed down on his finger. A minute in, she was panting and pleading and five seconds after that, it happened.
She came with a cry that was ripped from the very soul of her. Pleasure filled her as her muscles rippled and released. Mathias kept touching her, kept moving in and out, drawing every ounce of it from her, then slowing so the sensations lingered. Only then did he sit back and smile at her.
“That’s my girl.”
She stared at him, both satiated and in shock. “I can’t believe that just happened.” She was naked. In his living room. There was a dog on the sofa, although Sophie had snored through the entire, ah, event. What on earth?
He reached for his jeans and pulled a condom out of his wallet, then stretched out on the carpet and smiled. “Any chance you’d consider being on top?”
Seven simple words. Seven words that chased away any thought of being confused or embarrassed. Seven words that made everything right.
“I just might.”
“Good, because I’ve had this recurring fantasy about you.”
“It’s not that...what?” Fantasy about her? Had he really said that?
He winked at her, then closed his eyes. “This is going to be good.”
She smiled, then waited for him to start undressing. Or say something else. Or look at her. Only he didn’t do any of those things...he just breathed heavily. Too heavily. The deep breathing became a snore nearly as loud as Sophie’s.
Carol sat there, naked, sexually satisfied and totally humiliated. She didn’t even have to ask what had happened. It was obvious. More than obvious. She’d had the best sex ever and Mathias had passed out.
Was that just exactly her life?
CHAPTER EIGHT
MATHIAS WOKE WITH the mother of all hangovers and a beagle licking his face. The previous evening was mostly a blur. He knew Carol had stopped by and they’d talked. At some point, he’d fallen asleep in the living room—hopefully after she’d left. Near dawn, he’d made his way to his bed. He remembered that much, as well as having to push Sophie aside so he could squeeze under the covers. But the rest of it...not so much with the memories.
He got up and winced as bright sunlight burned through his eyes. Note to self, he thought grimly. No more drinking when he was feeling stupid about his lack of talent. It only led to disaster and pushed him a little too close to the Ceallach side of the road. Staying sane meant being his own man.
He let Sophie out and started coffee. While his Keurig worked its magic, he scanned the living room, but nothing was out of place. In fact all the glasses from the previous night were neatly placed in the dishwasher and the salsa and chips had been put away. Had he done that? Had Carol? Jeez, he really hoped he’d stayed awake long enough to escort her to the door. He had, hadn’t he?
Sophie bounced back into the kitchen, her tail wagging. He fed her before retreating to the healing warmth of a hot shower. As he stripped down he remembered the incredible sex dream he’d had, then groaned. Once again Carol had dominated his night. Damn, everything about touching her, kissing her, pleasing her, had been so real. So vivid. If only, he thought with a sigh. But his luck wasn’t that good.
Once he was showered, shaved and dressed, he made his bed and took his second cup of coffee out onto the back patio. Through some quirk of geography or weather, there was still mist clinging to the ground of the animal preserve. The wisps of fog made him think of fairies or maybe just trolls.
Before he could decide which was more likely in Happily Inc, a couple of gazelles raced into view. They tore across the damp grass with the energy of schoolchildren being released for the day. He sat down and reached for his sketch pad. As he picked up a pencil, something nibbled at the back of his mind. Something about the previous night. Had he said something? What was it he couldn’t remember?
Before he could pursue the lack of thought, Millie stepped into view. She moved more slowly than the gazelles, as if each step required planning. Or maybe she was just sad. He wished there was a way to let her know that Carol was working the problem. That as soon as there was money a herd would be purchased and—
Carol joined Millie. It was something she did nearly every morning. Only this time was different. Mathias wasn’t sure how he knew that, but as he watched, every part of him went on alert. Something had changed. Something had happened or was going to happen or—
Carol spoke. Mathias saw her lips move. Millie bent down just as Carol looked up. Sunlight broke through the mist and in that moment, the giraffe and the woman nearly touched.
The image was perfect—all lines and curves. Friendship, maybe love, surrounded them. Carol’s chin was raised, Millie’s neck arched. There were trees behind them, a hint of mist and the light from the sun. Everything was exactly as it should be, he thought as he drew frantically. This was what he’d been waiting for and now he knew exactly what he had to do.
He finished the drawing, then went inside and made copies of it before heading to the studio. After dropping Sophie off with Natalie, he began the painstaking process of turning glass into magic.
It took hours. Nick joined him and together they heated, formed, rolled and discarded different pieces. Finally, as the sun headed toward the western horizon, Mathias set a ten-inch giraffe on his desk and studied it.
There weren’t as many details as he would like, but that would come with size and practice. Still, progress had been made. The piece looked like Millie. Even more important, there was a sense of movement, as if the giraffe would take the next step any second.
“Damn,” Nick breathed. “You nailed it. What’s next?”
“I do it again, only bigger.” The final piece would be maybe three feet high, he thought absently, turning the glass around on his desk. Millie leaning down and Carol looking up. Tomorrow he would make his first attempt at creating Carol out of glass. Once he had worked out the basics in the smaller piece, he would make that one larger, as well. And then...
He stood and studied the giraffe. He had no idea what happened after that, but he was okay with the uncertainty. It had been years since he’d created something other than dishes and pendant lights. Years since he’d been willing to take a chance.
The last time, he’d been all of nineteen. Mathias did his best to ignore the past, but it flooded him with detailed memories and once again he could see the swirling abstract design—part star, part wave, color pulsing in every curve. He’d stunned himself with its beauty and had sensed down to his gut it was the best thing he’d ever done.
Both Nick and Ronan had been silent—as if they had no idea what to say. Their looks of admiration and envy had been enough. He’d known he’d nailed it. Known this piece was going to be the one to put him on the map. He would be more than Ceallach’s talented son—he would be famous in his own right.
