Selena Kitt - Baumgartner generations - Janie

"She is." Josh nodded at one of the monks as he put two plates in front of us.

"But just for the hell of it. Catherine is old money."

"What's this?" I inquired, already digging in.

"Aji mackerel sashimi tossed in shiso blossoms," Masa informed us, watching me devour it.

"Yummy." I looked up at him, smiling my approval. "And this?"

"Uni risotto," Masa told me. "With sea urchin and truffles."

"Ooo truffles." The stuff was like sex on a plate. "Never had those, either."

"Try the truffle butter." Josh fed me something from his plate and I moaned softly as the stuff melted on my tongue.

"Ah, and this is our Kobe-beef sukiyaki." Masa stood aside as the chefs took our empty plates and served us again. "And shabu-shabu."

"Is this lobster?" I dipped a spoon into the beautiful little pot and tasted the delicate stuff.

Masa smiled, nodding. "And foie gras."

I swallowed, making a happy noise and looking at Josh. "That's heaven."

"Just when you thought it couldn't get any better?" He took a bit of the meat from my pot and dipped it in a sauce. As he fed it to me, I groaned.

Eagerly, I began to dip and eat more, Josh’s gaze on me the whole while. When the meat and vegetables were gone, Josh took the rest of my dipping sauce and poured it into the gorgeous bowl of broth, adding the leftover risotto.

Masa nodded, smiling. " Now try."

I dipped a spoon into the mixture. It was like a tangy, delicious soup. "You make transformer meals!"

"Ha! Yes!" Masa laughed, slapping the bar. "Transformer meals!"

He went away, still chuckling, leaving us with another course.

"Now, this is really sushi," Josh explained as each plate was presented to us like works of art. The sushi-monks moved like silent, fluid jellyfish behind the illuminated bar, so many plates coming and going I could have sworn they had tentacles.

I couldn't keep track of the names-thinks like o-toro, tai, saba and kohada.

Masa said one of them was flown in that day from Spain. The ika, which Josh told me was squid, was particularly good, and there were these delectable shrimp-aba ebi-I couldn't get enough of.

By the time the meal was over, I was stuffed, and the sweet, icy melon they served us at the end was perfection. I was also incredibly high on sake and couldn't believe we'd spent three hours in the restaurant.

"You come back again any time, Janie." Masa smiled as he shook my hand.

"Bring Josh if you want to."

I laughed as Josh put my wrap around my shoulders and we left. The descent back into the real world was more surreal than the whole dinner experience itself.

"I don't want to go home," I confessed, swinging Josh's hand as we got off the escalator.

"We could look around." Josh waved at the stores, but he looked doubtful.

I shook my head. "Let's do something…adventurous."

"Argh." He grinned. "All right, Just-Janie. Can you walk in those shoes?"

I looked down at the red strappy heels I was wearing. "Sure."

That was how we ended up walking through Central Park at ten at night, Josh's arm around my waist, the night air cool but inviting. It was the last refuge of nature in the middle of a city of steel and glass. I loved smelling the trees and the freshly cut grass as we walked and yet looking up to see the paradox of buildings lit up and towering over us.

"Did you like Masa ?"

"If I wasn't so stuffed, I'd make you take me back for more," I teased.

He chuckled. "You’re so greedy."

"It's true." I stopped and he turned to look at me, sliding his other arm around my waist. "I can't help it. I want what I want…" I wondered if he was thinking what I was-

that I had been with his wife just a day or so ago, and here I was, now in his arms.

"Would it be wrong to tell you how much I want to kiss you?" His eyes were silver in the moonlight, his breath full of sake.

"No," I whispered, putting my arms around his neck. "It would be really wrong not to do it, though."

"You think?" His lips met mine before I could think of a response, before I could think at all. He tasted like sake, too, but so did I. I wasn't sure it was the sake, though, that was sending the fire flowing through my veins as we kissed. I slipped a hand through his hair, all those dark curls, as his mouth slanted across mine and our tongues began to explore. I forgot where we were, I forgot everything but the feel of his body against mine, my breasts pressed against his chest as he pulled me in closer.

"Janie, I want you," he whispered, kissing my neck, enveloping me in his arms. I could feel that-his cock hard through his trousers, pressed against my belly. "Would it be wrong to take you home with me tonight?"

I shivered as he lavished kisses over my neck and shoulders, his breath hot, coming almost as fast as mine. I wanted to answer him, to tell him yes, but I was too afraid. What would happen then, I wondered? What would it be like, waking up with Josh but having to face Catherine in the morning? How was this going to work?

"Josh," I murmured as his hands moved down my back, cupping my ass, squeezing gently as his tongue made little circles over my collarbone. God, if he kept that up, I was going to be inviting him back to my place, and I didn't even want to think about the consequences of that, what Ronnie and TJ would say.

"You feel so good," he groaned, and before I knew it, we were kissing on a park bench, Josh pulling me into his lap.

My dress was too tight to allow me to straddle him properly, so he pushed it up and grabbed my hips, crushing the red silk of my panties directly against the heat of his erection. I could feel it through his trousers, riding up and down as we rocked together.

"Oh god," I moaned softly when he broke off to stroke my breasts through my dress, kissing the swell of my cleavage. I could see the hunger in his eyes when he looked up at me in the glow of a street light. "Please, Josh…"

He slipped a hand behind my neck, pulling my mouth down to his, kissing me breathless. When I slid my hand between us to feel the length of his cock through the thin material, he groaned against my mouth, arching up. I couldn’t stand it. If we kept on like this, we’d end up fucking right there on the park bench.

“Josh, wait,” I begged, burying my face against his neck, breathing hard. “Not here. Not like this.”

“You’re right,” he agreed, attempting to catch his breath, too. “My place?” I shook my head sadly, sliding off his lap and pulling my dress back down. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Your place?” he asked hopefully.

“I live with my employers, remember?” I took his hand and sighed. I didn’t want to have to explain Ronnie and TJ. Not now. “They probably wouldn’t care, but…” I shrugged.

“I understand.” He gave my hand a squeeze and we sat there, listening to the crickets and watching dark clouds play tag with the moon.

“Come on,” he said finally, standing and tugging on my hand. “Let’s get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized as we walked.

“Don’t.” He stopped, pulling me into his arms and kissing me softly. “Don’t tempt me. I am two seconds away from getting us a room at the Plaza.”

“Why not?” I breathed, just the press of his body against mine making me light-headed.

“Let’s save something for the second date.” He smiled and took my hand again as we began to walk.

Second date. Oh god, what was I getting myself into?

When he dropped me off at home, he gave me the softest, sweetest kiss ever and told me he’d call. And I believed him.

That was the problem.

I woke up and thought I was dreaming. I was sure I'd been in Josh's bed, feeling him pressing against me from behind, lean and hard and wanting me. But when I turned in his arms, it was TJ in my little double bed, snuggled up under the covers next to me.