Marie Harte - Enjoying the Show

He ran his tongue over his lips. “You want to know me? Do you know how much I like sucking your breasts? How I love the color of your rosy nipples, and how you always taste so sweet right before you come? Do you know how much I love going down on you, how much I fantasize about taking you every way? Ever felt a cock in your ass, Hailey?

Ever rode a dildo while you blew a guy?”

She stared at him, entranced, her panties growing wetter with his every word.

“My favorite color is red. I like to build things. I built that television stand and those cabinets. I have a thing for breasts and a fine ass and, in particular, for one confused, stubborn blonde with no idea of how hard she makes me by simply breathing.”

He stood, his erection prominent beneath his shorts, and he hauled her to the door.

“It’s been fun, baby, really. But I have a long day tomorrow, and an even longer night ahead. So drive safely, and I’ll see you here tomorrow at seven. Wear something old.

We’re going fishing.”

He slammed the door in her face, but before she left, she swore she heard his low moan. Caught in her own web of frustration, she drove home slowly, wondering how their evening might have progressed had they watched Belinda’s Delights instead of Stargate .

Days later, Sydney met her at a local bar downtown just minutes after work. She eyed Hailey with sympathy and shook her head. “You poor kid.”

Grabbing the nearest waiter, she ordered them each a Cosmopolitan. “He’s lasted an entire week? Unbelievable. And he attempted to make you dinner again last night?”

Hailey grinned and broke into laughter. “We settled for peanut butter and jelly, which I had to make. His version of baked ziti smoked up the entire apartment and had the place smelling like burnt tomatoes.”

“Ouch.” Sydney shook her head, amused. “You’ve got to admit he’s serious about you, Hailey. He gave up sex to make you see how much he cares. For a guy, that’s like saying I love you more than pro-wrestling and football. And not only is he going without sex, but he’s trying to woo you with pathetic culinary efforts. It’s sweet, actually.”

“And incredibly frustrating.” Hailey gulped down half her drink before the waiter had even turned away. “Bring me another.”

“Slow down, Hailey.”

“That’s what you told me before,” Hailey glared. “I had two wonderful weeks with Gage.”

“You still don’t know his last name, do you?”

She shrugged. “I think it’s Warren, but I don’t really care. I know everything else about him. He likes the color red, blondes and boobs. He hates veal, likes coffee without milk or sugar, and is so damned cute when he’s scraping noodles off the ceiling.”

“Off the ceiling?”

“I’ll be the cook in our relationship, for sure.” Just saying the R-word made her heart leap. “I think I love him, Sydney,” she said quietly.

“I think you do too. And I know he feels the same.” Sydney stared at her over her glass. “You know Derrick, his brother, finally called me.”

“Oh?”

“I haven’t met him yet, but we’ve chatted a few times. I have to tell you, he’s concerned about Gage.”

“Why?”

“Glad you asked.” Sydney leaned closer. “Because for the past six-plus months, Gage has been obsessed with a certain blonde—that’s you—living in the Abberwicks. He nearly had a coronary when you moved, and when he manipulated you into your first date, he was beside himself with glee. Derrick said, and I quote, ‘It’s damned embarrassing to see a man make such a fool of himself over a woman he’s never even met’.”

“And this is the guy you’re considering dating?”

Sydney shrugged. “He’s got a great phone voice. Makes you think of sex, wicked and dark. And he’s an architect to boot.”

“Whatever.” Hailey rolled her eyes. “Gage makes his own furniture, did you know that? And it’s beautiful.”

“Mm-hmm. So tell me again what he does for a living.”

“He’s a construction worker,” she said defensively.

“Is that what he told you?”

At Sydney’s somber tone, Hailey sat up straight. “Not exactly. Why do you ask?”

“You said he works with his brother, and his brother’s an architect. Derrick Warren, co-owner of WCC—Warren Construction Company. They make close to a million a year.

High-end jobs, with the occasional smaller stuff.”

Hailey stared, incredulous. “Are you serious? Because Gage never mentioned it.”

“I did some research. But whatever he does, the man is seriously hung up on you.

According to Derrick, he’s in love, and it’s frightening.”

After a short pause, Hailey admitted, “Gage told me he loved me a few weeks ago.”

“ What? ”

“I thought he was just basking in the afterglow.” She blushed. “You know. After some good sex? How was I to know he meant it?”

“What did you say when he told you?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? You didn’t even acknowledge it? Hailey, you need some serious help.”

“Oh, Sydney. I thought it was just sex talk. Gage…he’s so special. He’s the only guy I’ve ever felt so free with. And I’ve wanted him since day one. But it’s not just the sex.

This week together, we’ve had so much fun. And he makes me laugh.”

“Funny, but he never struck me as the funny type.”

“But he is. He’s almost as bad as I am. Hell, our first date he brought up his dad’s death at the table.”

“Maudlin, but not so bad.”

“And he told me that he loves big-breasted women,” she muttered. “With wide, full asses.”

Sydney choked on her drink. “He did not.”

“Yep, just as he was putting the moves on me.”

“And that worked?”

“Have you seen the man or haven’t you?”

“Okay. But is he that bad?”

Hailey thought about it. “I just think he doesn’t try too hard, or at least not with me.

And I like that. He doesn’t fake the way he feels. He’s not into games, and we have a good time together.”

“Even without the sex?” Sydney looked skeptical.

“Well, I admit it’s been a week of frustration, but a fun week all the same.”

“So what are you saying, exactly?”

Hailey sighed. “That I’m going to put us both out of our misery, and maybe try out the L-word on him soon.”

Sydney lifted her glass. “To the future, and to you and Mr. Tool.”

“To the Tools. I like that.”

Sydney rolled her eyes. “You would.”

Gage slumped over his mother’s counter on yet another Saturday morning, committed to the course he’d set. The past week had been surprisingly enjoyable, and expectedly frustrating as hell. Having opened the floodgates on his libido, stopping sex cold-turkey was harder to bear than going without for months at a time. But he couldn’t deny the progress he thought he’d made with Hailey.

Instead of tearing each other’s clothes off each night, they’d learned something new about one another. Hailey loved mysteries. He hadn’t known that. And she attended aerobics twice a week, hated wearing pantyhose, and had a surprising thing for silk—which he planned on exploiting just as soon as she put an end to this insane celibacy.

He’d been jerking off every night and finding less and less satisfaction. Coming in his hands just wasn’t the same as releasing into Hailey. Hell, even the thought of getting her pregnant made him harder than stone and shockingly content. Imagining a little blonde girl with his eyes made his heart hammer, and he could all-too-easily envision Hailey rocking his baby to sleep each night.

Damn, but she had him wrapped around her little finger. And he still didn’t know how she felt about him. That “I love you ” he’d uttered still hung in the air between them, though she had yet to address it. Instead, they’d watched movies, fished—hell, she’d caught more than he had—cooked together, and taken long walks through her neighborhood and along the Riverwalk. They’d even attended a bluegrass concert, and he’d been stunned to actually enjoy the music.