NewU Pt. 06

Indescribable.

Ever so gently, his fingers began to squeeze her waist with only the slightest pressure, pulling her closer. When her breasts brushed against his chest, despite the combined thickness of his shirt and hers, her nipples had hardened instantly. Once more, her mind reeled over how her body was reacting to him this viscerally. She literally ached with every fiber of her being to be as near to him as possible, despite the fact that she was already there. You could not get much closer than this.

Well. Maybe a little closer...

Just as her fingers were itching to pull his face down to hers, he lowered his head so that they were cheek-to-cheek. While his cheek was cool, it had heated hers instantly. She could feel the slight rough stubble of his one day growth scratching against her delicate skin, his warm breath tickling her ear. The feathery sensation caused an involuntary shiver to ripple through her. She wanted to rub her cheek against his with her eyes closed, almost cat-like. Just the thought of her doing that made her smile; yet, she resisted the tempting notion.

Must. Keep. Your. Cool. Must. Not. Reveal. How. Crazy. You. Have. Become.

In a low, deep voice, he began to sing along to the song. "I...just...can't help....faaalling in looove with you."

Damn. DAMN.

Her crazy had almost shown itself at the sound of his voice. She had nearly told him to shut up. It was almost too much for her already frazzled nerves to handle. His voice was smooth and coarse at the same time. There was magic in it, and the low rumble had reverberated throughout her body into her very soul.

Suddenly, she stilled. The realization that this was the first time she heard his voice, REALLY heard it, left her stunned and confused. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was as if she were hearing him for the first time, the real him. It penetrated her to her core. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as she tried to make sense of it all because none of it made sense. Then he pressed his lips to her ear and sang more of the verse and another delicious shiver came over her. She could feel his

grin against her cheek, and her alarm slipped away.

Don't overthink it. In fact, don't think at all. Just feel.

So she did. She let herself get lost in the variety of overwhelming emotions, to feel things she had never felt before.

They were still dancing long after the song ended. He pulled back to look at her. Again, his eyes, dark and piercing, went straight through to her soul; however, this time, instead of getting the impression that he could read her mind, she could see the slightest hint of frustration mar his features before being replaced by that cheeky grin of his. It was as though he was trying to read her thoughts but could not quite make them out.

How about that?I'm not powerless after all.

She was a little embarrassed to admit that the thought gave her an inordinate amount of pleasure. It might have been a combination of the fact that she couldn't read him on top of the thought of having one thing over him, even one as odd as knowing he could not read her mind.

Are you listening to yourself? You are happy that he cannot read your thoughts. Sure, you can read people, but that's just a fluke or something.No one can actually read thoughts, you idiot.My god, you have lost all your senses.

She was startled out of her mental recrimination of herself by the sound of his voice.

"We could keep dancing, but it looks like the band is packing up and heading out. It's not a problem for me. I could just continue singing or humming a tune." He said with a half-grin.

Oh god. Don't grin at me like that. I am only capable of so much self-control.

"Or...I could sing. I've been told I'm not bad, depending on how many drinks you've had. Or, rather, how many drinks I've had." She quipped, matching his half-grin.

He threw his head back and laughed—a genuine, heart-felt laugh.

Damn it.There goes that tickle down my spine again.

He looked back down at her, mirth still playing at the corner of his lips. "I know we've only just met, but I have an apartment above the bar. We could have a karaoke battle if you'd like. No alcohol to give either contestant an edge or lack thereof." His eyes sparkled mischievously, and her knees gave the tiniest wobble.

She bit the side of her bottom lip and watched his eyes flick down in response. "I...I'd like that." She stammered out.

Oh.......what am I getting myself into?

Before she could think any further into that, Jimmy and Lori had walked over, both laughing and looking like they were up to no good.

Are they drunk?No...a little buzzed.

Evelyn then focused all of her attention onto her friend.

Giddy.Elated.They've both decided to leave me and Pete alone, so we can...she...SHE WISHED FOR THIS!They WERE up to no good.

Jimmy threw an arm around Lori's shoulders and grinned over at Evelyn and Pete, his eyes sparkling, his grin stretching his handsome face. "We're heading out to see what kind of mischief we can get up to. We'll catch you two later. Try not to do anything I wouldn't do."

Pete laughed and said, "That doesn't leave me much, does it?" Both guys grinned at each other, and then, surprising both she and Lori, the guys gave each other a hug and bade farewell. This show of affection warmed Evelyn's heart and made her think more highly of both men. She looked over to Lori to see what she thought and was met with her friend's beaming smile.

"I hope you have a good night, EV." Lori said with a wink.

"Ugh. I told you, I hate..." but before Evelyn could finish her sentence, Lori wrapped her up in a tight hug.

"Try not to overthink it, will you? Just...be happy for a change, Evelyn. I love you." Her friend whispered in her ear. Evelyn smiled and nodded silently. She watched as both Jimmy and Lori left the bar and turned to look at Pete. What she saw made her heart begin to hammer in her chest once again.

Pete's eyes had gone from sparkling with mischief to dark and glittering like obsidian. He took her hand and guided her to the back of the bar. There, he led her up a set of stairs leading up to the loft above. Step-by-step, her heart began to beat harder. She gripped his hand as if breaking contact would break the spell between them. As silly as it sounded in her own mind, she knew something magnetic was happening here, and danger or no danger, she wanted to find out for herself how this would end.

When they reached the landing, he let go of her hand to unlock the door. The brief loss of contact left her feeling bereft, lost, and before she could stop herself, her eyes began to fill with tears.

What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you want him to think you're crazy?

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them, startled to see him watching her. Apparently, she had not calmed herself down fast enough because she felt a tear threatening to slide down her face. He lifted his hand to catch the wayward tear and rubbed her cheek with the pad of his thumb, the rest of his hand cradling her jaw. She could not move if she had wanted to, her eyes wide and searching his, forgetting to breathe once more.

How could such a simple gesture render her completely immobile?

"Breathe." He whispered.

She gazed up at him, took a deep breath, and smiled. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was the beer. Or, maybe it was the romantic music?" She laughed nervously, looking up at him again.

He laughed with her, his thumb still rubbing her cheek, then letting his hand fall to his side. "Tonight has been full of the unexpected, hasn't it?" He shrugged, then guided her into the apartment, locking the door behind them. She glanced around and saw that it was an open floor plan—everything in one room, minus the bathroom, which she took to be through the door on the other end of the room. She noticed that there were boxes sitting on the table and a few others dotted around the room, as if he hadn't quite finished unpacking. Other than that, everything was clean and neatly arranged, no frills about the place. Practical.

Countertops in the kitchen were bare, minus a microwave and a slim Keurig. In the center of the 'kitchen' sat a small bar with two stools. Living area had a large, brown leather sofa and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall, gaming consoles sitting on an entertainment center below it. The computer in the corner caught her eye, a large three-screen set up where he did all the class work that had impressed her so much. Her eyes widened in recognition at the hardware, the computer would have cost almost as much as her car. On the far side of the room was a tall mahogany bookshelf, nightstand, dresser, and....a queen-size bed.

She swallowed and dared a peek at him, blushing when she met his eyes. He had been watching her with amusement and, funnily, curiosity.

"Coffee?" He asked, gesturing to the kitchen. "You can have a seat here while I make you a cup. Or, I have Dr. Pepper and water in the refrigerator. I'm sorry those are your only three options. It's all I drink. Actually, I only drink the latter. I keep the coffee here for friends. I can't stand the stuff. I'm sorry, I think I'm rambling." He said with a laugh.

"Actually, I don't think I'm thirsty right this minute." She said, feeling suddenly very shy.

Am I really going to do this?I've never done anything like this before.

He stepped closer to her and raised a hand to brush the side of her face with his knuckles, unfurling his fingers the cup her chin and raised her face to meet his. His thumb swept across her lips and traced over them, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. She fought the urge to lick his fingertip, bite at it. She was vibrating, more alive than she had felt in a long time. His touches made her feel lightheaded, yet more aware of her surroundings at the same time. Everything tonight was a contradiction.

Oh, I'm doing this.I'm SO doing this.

He leant down and brushed his lips against hers, it was electrifying. Her lips sizzled and burned against his. It was not a hard, urgent kiss, but a kiss of someone who had all the time in the world. A low moan of acquiescence broke from her throat when he parted her lips with his tongue and gently pushed his own inside. Slow. Deliberate. He was making love to her mouth with his tongue. Deepening the kiss, he ran a hand along her jaw, rough skin against smooth and delicate.

Whoa.

Something broke in Evelyn.

No.Unlocked.Unhinged?

Evelyn pushed her hands up his chest, feeling the fine muscle beneath his shirt. She gripped his shirt and pressed her lips into his harder, more urgently. It was as if she had never been kissed before and now that she had, she couldn't get enough. He tasted warm, like a good chai tea on a cool fall day.

I need more.

After some time, he broke off the kiss, leaving her dizzy and bemused. He walked around to stand behind her. She had a brief moment of confusion until she felt his fingers at her waist, slowly lifting her shirt over her head. She raised her arms to make it easier, bringing them back down to her sides. Once it was off, he let it drop to the floor beside them and trailed his fingers along her shoulder blades, down her arms, stopping at her elbows. He ran them horizontal to her bra, finding the clasp and snapping it open.

"Did I ever tell you that I always had a thing for you, Evie? You were the only one who took the time to talk to me, and I have never wanted anyone more than I want you right now." She felt another tingle creep up her spine. "Your skin, it's so soft, I just want to run my fingers over you, if only to tell myself that you're real, that I'm not dreaming. I'm going to make love to you tonight, Evie." His breath washed over her ear as her knees trembled. "Just...breathe."

Breathe, woman. Breathe.

For what felt like the 50^th time that night, Evelyn sucked in a deep breath and held it, her mind focusing on the minute touches he was leaving on her skin. She hated it when people shortened her name. When she was a child, people used it to tease her, poke fun at her for being different. But coming off of his lips, it sounded right. Against everything she had ever thought or believed before tonight, he made it fit her perfectly. She wanted to be Evie to him.

Evie.

He discarded her bra into the small pile forming and was now running his fingertips along her spine. He was not hasty or selfish. This was a man who took his time, meticulous in his undressing of her, teasing her with the faintest of contact. She felt herself trembling from the inside-out. At this rate, her skin would be in a permanent state of goose-pimply flesh.

Breathe, Evie. Just breathe.

She nearly jumped out of that goose-pimply flesh when his fingers grazed along it to gather her hair in his hand. He pulled it off to the side, so he could place feather-light kisses along her shoulder and up her neck. He paid special attention to the spot right below her ear, pausing to press a deeper kiss there, lazily sticking his tongue out to swirl at the sensitive skin. She let out a startled gasp when he took the lobe of her ear between his teeth, then lightly sucked on it.

Oh god.

She felt his face resting against her neck as his hand slid up her waist to her breast and lightly kneaded it. He caressed her gently, tenderly, as if she were something truly precious. She did not know why, but she wanted to cry from the intimacy of it. Her every sense was aware of him, from the scent of his cologne to the feel of his skin against hers. Then he moved his thumb and forefinger over her nipple, painstakingly rubbing the hardened nub between them. A low gasp, barely audible, escaped her quivering lips, and she felt him smile against her neck.

Sweet torture.

No man had ever taken his time with her. It was always about how quickly the guy could get his dick into her. They never cared about her as a person. What she wanted. She never let them get past the kissing stage if she could tell that all they wanted was to fuck and leave. They never got to the kissing stage if she even felt the tiniest inkling that all they wanted was to add her to their list of conquests. She had begun to think all men were like those guys. Never caring. Never taking their time. As he switched sides and began his careful manipulations on her other breast and nipple, she conceded that she had been wrong.

So wrong.So, SO wrong.

His hands left her breasts, now swollen and aching, to trail down her sides to the band of her jeans. Her own hands were clasped together at her collarbone, unsure of where they should be. He carefully unhooked the button of her jeans, unzipped the zip, and tugged them down. Excruciatingly slowly. She had tried to help but heard a soft chuckle in her ear, "Patience. Just let me do all the pleasuring tonight...please."

So this is how she would die. Of impatience. Figured.

Oh, if only she had known what was yet to come.

Her jeans fell to the ground, and she carefully kicked them away. She was left only in her soft blue cotton panties but not for long. He hooked his thumbs over the band and dragged them down to her knees before letting them drop, the warmth of his fingers sliding along the outer portions of her legs. He drew his fingers from where he left off back up to her hips as if he needed to keep his hands on her at all times. Her back was now pressed up against him, and his large hands rested against her stomach, the tips of his fingers curling gently around her hips. He was warm, but she was hot.

She could feel him, feel his breath, warm and soft against her back shoulder blades. He gingerly grazed his lips back up to her neck and murmured in her ear, his voice smooth like fine brandy, brandy, "Has anyone ever told you how perfect you are, Evie?" Her heart began to pound harder than it already was as his voice dropped to a whisper. "Your skin is so smooth and creamy, and it smells like lavender and... vanilla. It makes me want to taste you."

Oh, god yes. Taste me.

Evelyn was doing her best to stand upright. His words had the ability to make her knees feel weak and tremble. The last thing she wanted to do was fall and humiliate herself by how silly she was being. He stepped around to face her, and when she saw the look on his face, her lips parted. His eyes—now heavy-lidded and seductive—had flickered down over the front of her body. He looked as if he were about to devour her, and she was more than willing to let him. And then he smiled at her. It was as if he knew exactly how to smile at a woman to make her feel it deep inside. Evelyn felt it. Good god, did she.

He leaned down and brought his lips close to hers, whispering her name against her lips. She moaned without thinking, a soft whimpering sound that seemed to undo him entirely. He kissed her softly. Thoroughly. His lips pressed into hers, his tongue sliding past them to taste her own tongue. His hands slipped around to her back, fingers digging into her flesh, pulling her against him so that he had her body as part of the kiss.

His mouth grew more urgent and he held her tightly against his body. She could feel that he had gone hard against her, realizing suddenly that he was still fully clothed while she was clearly not. She pushed him from her, hands at his shirt, tugging and pulling it over his head. Then she was unbuttoning his trousers, almost crying out in relief as they fell to the floor. He took her hands in his and brought them to his chest as he hooked a thumb around his briefs and pulled them down. She couldn't help but look at what was before her.

Oh. My. God.

He pulled her back to him, crushing her lips against his. Never had she been so hungry for a kiss. She got lost in it, savoring every touch, every nuance. Him suckling on her tongue, her bottom lip. Her mimicking the same. Tasting. Exploring. He kissed her cheek, her ear, her neck, moving down to the hollow of her collarbone. One of his hands moved along the side of her rib cage to cup her breast, the pressure of it making her gasp.

Her hands. Oh god, her hands. She did not know what to do with them. They were on his shoulders, his chest, his biceps, his face, in his hair. She could not get enough of the feel of him. His bare skin. His heat. The sheer masculinity. He was like a god in human form. Her desire for him was deep and profound.

He had plumped her breast up until the upper curve of it was close to his lips, tantalizingly so. His mouth found her nipple, barely kissing it and swirling his tongue around it in a circle. A deep moan emanated from her throat, and she held onto his shoulder with everything she could muster.

Swirl. Flick. Nip. Swirl. Flick. Nip.

He switched to the other breast and repeated.

Swirl. Flick. Nip. Swirl. Flick. Nip.

She was going mad. Her hands were clenched in his hair, and she was making little mewling noises. Her body thrumming with need, her hands pulling him closer to her breast. She could not describe what she was feeling, but whatever it was, it multiplied with each swirl of his tongue. She was almost hurting from it.

Without warning, he stood upright, swept her up into his arms, and carried her across the room to his bed. He set her down and, for a moment, standing there, he just looked at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She stared up at him in wonder and anticipation.