I led him through the narrow alleyways between the buildings until we reached mine. To my relief, no one bothered us. We took the staircase up to my place, because no one ever used it, and I unlocked the door quickly.
I only really relaxed once we were inside. “I thought you didn’t go anywhere without Sasha clearing the way first.”
He flashed me a devastating smile, taking off the cap and placing it on my silvery console. “I don’t, but like you said, I wasn’t going to let you get away tonight.”
I smiled back, fiddling with my thumbs.
“How was your session?” he asked.
“Very sad, but I think it helped her.”
“The way you care about everyone, from your siblings to your clients, is amazing. One of the things I admire most about you.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. A lot. Especially your clients, since they’re practically strangers.”
“Well, they do become friends in a way. I like to think that, anyway, but maybe it’s one-sided. I mean, they don’t know anything about me, while I practically know their life story.”
“Doesn’t it get to be too much? Listening to everyone’s troubles?”
“Mostly I can compartmentalize. And it helps when I always think that it does them good to bring all the ugly out in the open.” I loved that he was asking questions about my work. My past dates would roll their eyes or try to change the subject whenever I spoke about my clients, but Brayden seemed genuinely interested. “But today I am a bit sad, I can’t deny that.”
He placed his hands on my shoulders, his thumbs rubbing at the base of my neck. Heat speared me. My breath hitched.
“Maybe I can help with that.”
“Mmmm, I’m sure you can.”
Suddenly I was feeling a little jittery.
“What are we doing, Brayden?” I whispered.
“I don’t know.” He touched my cheek with one hand.
“I mean, your tour starts in a couple months.”
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy each other now.”
“Without any pressure,” I continued.
“I know I said I can’t give you everything you need, but I can make you so damn happy, Isabelle.”
My heart somersaulted in my chest. I loved living in the here and now, without questioning the future too much. And his words were making me swoon. I had other questions, but none of them seemed important enough right now. All I wanted was for him to kiss me, so I rose on my tiptoes, sealing my mouth over his.
Chapter Nine
Brayden
Her taste was addictive. I couldn’t get enough of the sounds she made, the way she responded to me. I pulled her curvy body against me and nearly lost my mind. I touched her waist before moving down to her hips until my fingers brushed the elastic band of her panties over her dress. She whimpered softly as I moved my fingers along that hem from one hip to the center of her back. I pressed my hand there, in that small curve of her back. I wanted her to feel how much I wanted her, and how on edge I was. I kissed down her neck, lightly biting that spot where her shoulder began.
“I want you, Isabelle.” I spoke against her skin, moving her dress up her thigh. “I need you.”
I groaned when I reached her bare skin. Isabelle moaned, pushing her hips into me. I couldn’t hold back any longer; I needed to explore her in every way possible. I wanted to kiss her dirty and deep, to feel her naked body come apart beneath me.
Pulling back a few inches, I took in her hooded eyelids, her lips swollen from my kiss. I’d marked her as mine. I pushed her dress all the way up to her waist, then pulled it over her head.
“Fuck.” She was wearing a set of bra and panties that could only be described as sinful. Black lace covered her pale skin. It was beautiful, but I wanted her completely naked.
One second later, I realized it wasn’t just bra and panties. They were connected by straps of fabric at her sides and at her back.
“How does this thing come off?” I asked. Even to my own ears, I sounded desperate, but I was, and I had no intention of hiding it.
“Buttons,” Isabelle whispered. I counted about five on each side. They were very small and made of silk or something that kept sliding from under my fingers. Why would anyone make something so fucking sexy yet so damn hard to take off? It made no sense. I finally undid all the buttons on her right side before moving to the left one. Despite wanting to get her naked, I enjoyed the process. Isabelle squirmed more with every passing moment.
Once I was done, I gripped one hip, turning her around. Her ass cheeks were taunting me, round and perky. A wide strap of lace covered her crack. I ran two fingers over it before starting to undo the lace buttons at her back.
“Isabelle, this suit or whatever is sexy as hell, but these buttons are killing me.”
“I wanted to drive you crazy,” she confessed.
“You do that every day.”
“I wanted to drive you extra crazy,” she whispered.
“So you chose this on purpose?”
She shrugged one shoulder playfully. “Possibly. Took me a million years to put it on, and all I could think about was how it would feel when you took it off.”
I leaned in, kissing her shoulder, drawing circles with my forefinger around the last button. I hadn’t opened it on purpose, wanting to tease her a little longer.
“And how does it feel?” I asked.
“I soaked my panties through.”
A groan tore from my chest. Pure instinct was driving me now. I wanted to bury myself deep inside her. I yanked her lingerie off, forgetting there was still a button. The fabric tore, and Isabelle gasped.
I whirled her around, capturing her mouth. I wanted to own all her sounds of pleasure, to bury myself so deep inside her that she’d still feel me when I wasn’t here with her. I wanted to mark her. Own her. Pleasure her in every way possible.
Still kissing her, I pushed her backward until she was against a wall. Her hands moved quickly, undoing my belt and jeans zipper. She pushed my pants and boxers down below my ass. Gripping my cock, she pressed it against herself so the head was against her belly, my balls against her pussy.
My breath stuttered. Everything felt so damn intense.
“Isabelle, fuck!”
I checked the back pocket where I’d shoved my wallet with the condom inside. After taking it out, I pushed my pants and boxers all the way down, kicking them away. We walked deeper inside her apartment, reaching the kitchen. She licked her lips, looking up at me from between her eyelashes.
“I want to take off your shirt,” she said.
I held up my arms, enjoying the feeling of her smooth hands moving up the sides of my torso, pushing up the fabric. My cock was now pressing along her entrance. I rocked slowly back and forth, losing my mind when I felt how wet she was. I placed the condom on the kitchen counter, then lifted Isabelle onto it. She yelped, her eyes widening as she propped herself on her palms, regaining her balance.
I spread her legs, and her eyes widened even more. I drew my finger from her navel down to her clit, then even farther down to her entrance. She moaned, parting her thighs to allow me more room. Goose bumps formed on her belly and down to her pussy. Her hair was wild around her shoulders, so long it nearly brushed her nipples.