Meant To Be Ch. 03

I smirked. "We haven't even started yet," I pointed out.

He pulled me to my feet, chuckling. His lustful expression calmed into tenderness as he curled his fingers on my cheek, staring into my eyes. He ran a hand through my hair, kissing me sweetly, our lips and tongues caressing each other for several minutes. I undid his pants while we kissed, then unbuttoned his shirt. Leaning away slightly, I ran my hand down his tie.

"Take this off for me," I said softly.

He gave me a surprised look and I winked.

"I like watching your hands," I told him, my eyes following his fingers as they loosened the knot and then pulled the tie off.

I let him shrug off his shirt and slip the undershirt over his head, then looked at him thoughtfully, stroking his chest. Picking up his shirt, I put it back on him, rolling up the cuffs. I saw him smirking at me.

"It'll give me something to take off later," I murmured.

I studied him, then smiled, sliding my arms up his chest until they wrapped around his neck. He flinched slightly and took one of my wrists in his hand.

"What's this?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh!" I had forgotten. "Your birthday present."

I held up both wrists to show him the Kandinsky print cufflinks. I'd gotten them from the gift shop at the Guggenheim where we'd seen the exhibit the day of the rainstorm when this had all began. Nick stared at them for a few moments, a smile growing on his face.

"I love them, pet," he said softly. "Thank you."

"Happy birthday," I whispered, brushing my lips against his. "Dinner?" I asked.

He kicked his pants off his feet and picked me up, sitting at the table and settling me on his lap. We ate slowly and with much laughter as I soon discovered that our position wasn't conducive to cutting steak and cracking lobster, not to mention the distraction of our bodies in close contact.

"I'll have this cleaned," I told him as I splattered butter on his shirt for the second time.

"Toss it, I don't care," he said with a laugh.

I dropped a strawberry in his glass of champagne and held it for him to sip. I then tipped the glass to finish it in one drink, catching the berry in my lips. I looked at him, my eyebrows raised invitingly. Closing his mouth around the berry, he bit down, making me jump slightly when the juice squirted down my throat. Without removing his mouth, he kissed me, our tongues swirling around the berry remnants.

"Do you want to take one of those breaks I mentioned?" I murmured against his lips.

He groaned into my mouth. I turned in his lap to face him, cupping his face and kissing his lips before moving to his ear, his neck, and down his chest. I slid off his lap and hooked my fingers on the waist of his boxers, looking into his eyes. He raised his hips so I could remove them, then grabbed my waist, his fingers massaging my lower back.

"You look positively gorgeous, darling," he said breathlessly.

I blushed and gave him a pleased smile. He moved his hands so his thumbs met over my stomach, then suddenly pulled the shirt open, undoing the few buttons I had fastened. I giggled when I heard the clatter of one of the buttons as it flew across the room. Nudging the shirt open, he swept his thumbs across my nipples, then ran his hands down my body until they were cupping my behind.

"You're like a goddess," he breathed. "All perfect and glowing..."

"Nick," I whispered, overcome.

He met my eyes briefly with a stunned smile before moving them over my body again. I watched him blink rapidly, then shake his head slightly. Resting a hand on his cheek, I stroked his face until he met my eyes again. My breath caught at his expression. He looked dazed and speechless. And, I realized with concern, somewhat confused or fearful.

"What is it?" I asked worriedly.

His smile was enigmatic. He just shook his head again.

"Like I said, best birthday I've had," he said, his voice wavering. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, love."

I ran my thumb across his bottom lip, searching his face. His expression had cleared, his voice steadier. He gave me a devilish look and I grinned, lowering myself to my knees between his legs. I took him in my mouth slowly, teasing him with my tongue and hands. I circled the tip, stroking him lightly, alternately taking him deep. He began pulling on my shoulders but I resisted until he overpowered me. He lifted me into his lap again, his chest heaving against me as his lips found mine. Shoving the shirt off my shoulders, he moved his lips to my breasts, swirling his tongue around my nipples before closing his lips around them. I was gripping his arms, my head falling back as the charge of electricity ran through my body.

"Put your arms around me, love," he gasped, hooking my legs around his waist.

I clasped my hands behind his neck and he stood with me in his arms, rocking my hips against him as he walked to the couch. He lowered me to the cushions gently and hovered over me, his mouth moving from my lips to my ear, from my neck to my breasts until I was writhing and tugging his shirt off.

"Nick," I panted.

He sat back, his hands resting lightly on my thighs, and grinned.

"Shall we finish dinner?" he asked innocently.

"Get back here," I ordered, narrowing my eyes.

He chuckled, giving me a quick kiss.

"Not yet," he said mischievously.

I gaped at him as he walked away, hearing him open the refrigerator and the sounds of bottles clinking around. He returned with a bowl of ice cream and the bottle of chocolate syrup, a gleeful smile on his face. I moaned in anticipation and his smile grew.

"We haven't finished dinner," I pointed out. "We can't have dessert yet."

"We most certainly can," he told me, taking a bite of ice cream.

I watched his tongue swirl around the spoon, my breath catching. Dipping the spoon back in the bowl, he held it to my lips and I licked it off slowly, my eyes locked on his. He turned the spoon and purposely dripped some ice cream on my chest, grinning triumphantly when I flinched and gasped.

"Allow me," he murmured, cleaning it up.

My head fell back and I arched into his mouth. Something sticky fell onto my skin and my eyes flew open to see him drawing a heart on my belly with the syrup. I giggled, scooping a drop of syrup on my finger and bringing it to my mouth. His eyes became heated and I repeated the gesture, following it with another finger full of chocolate presented to him. He drew my finger into his mouth, his tongue hot as it licked my finger clean.

He gave my finger a gentle bite before releasing it, then proceeded to lick off the chocolate heart on my stomach. He continued decorating my body, following each syrupy design with his tongue. I was convinced the bottle had to be nearly empty by the time he stopped, sitting back on his heels to look at me smugly. I was flushed and panting, every inch of me tingling with anticipation. I held my arms out to him and he brought his lips to mine. I drank him in eagerly, tasting chocolate and ice cream and him, the flavor making me whimper against his lips.

"Time to work off all those calories," he said suggestively.

He slid his hands down my legs and wrapped a hand around each ankle, lifting my legs so that my thighs rested on my stomach, my bent knees on my chest. Kneeling, his fingers found my opening and he groaned as he teased me. I began whimpering and he quickly positioned himself, entering me fully in a few thrusts. I sighed, stroking his arms. He moved with steadily increasing force, pausing teasingly on occasion, until I was crying out and begging. Finally he sped up, bringing me to climax twice before he shouted out my name and slammed into me.

"Happy birthday," I gasped when I could speak again.

"Best - birthday - ever." He held my face, brushing his mouth against my lips, then my eyelids, my forehead, my cheeks with each word.