Her eyes narrowed as if she were annoyed. She leaned toward him so that they were mere inches from each other. Her voice was equally soft. “I don’t sleep with guys just because I feel sorry for them, which for the record, I don’t feel for you. I asked you to come home with me because I have this almost overwhelming urge to climb into your lap.”
“Oh.” It was hardly a word, more like an exhalation of breath as her confession shot right to his groin. Already half-hard, his cock surged up and pressed against his fly. Good thing he was sitting down. “Okay,” he managed to choke out as he stared at her, falling into the deep, dark pools of her eyes.
The tip of her tongue slipped out, and she ran it along her lower lip. “My shift finishes in a couple of hours. Can you sit tight until then, or do you want to come back?”
He wanted to trace his own tongue along where hers had been. Instead, he pulled back, aware that she was at work and he shouldn’t press his luck or freak her out. “My T-shirt isn’t long enough for me to get up right now. I’ll wait.”
He saw understanding in her eyes. She smiled and nodded. “I’ll be back.”
As he watched her saunter away, he took a swig of his beer and willed his body under control.
By the time Marissa announced she was off duty, Aidan was only partially aroused. He had spent the time waiting, mentally taking various weapons apart and putting them back together. He hid a grimace, just barely, when he hoped off the stool and irritated his stump. It was still tender and would be for a long while he had been warned. It wasn’t the pain he minded so much as the reminder that his body was different. Everything was different now, including sex. He had thought it through, of course, knew how he would go about doing it. Still, he was uneasy. He hid it behind a smile as he followed Marissa out the door.
Nightlife was teeming all around them. They had to walk single file until the end of the block, where she stopped and turned to him. “My apartment is a few blocks from here. I usually walk. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s fine,” he answered more sharply than he had meant. Damn it, he was too defensive. He shot her a rueful grin. “Sorry. It’s okay, I can walk that no problem.”
She nodded in understanding and surprised him by slipping her delicate hand into his before leading him back into the stream of pedestrians. The feel of her warm, soft skin against his proved surprisingly stimulating. His cock roused from its nap and took notice, but he didn’t care if it was visible. To be honest, his prosthesis would catch people’s attention before the bulge in his shorts did. They walked slowly down the sidewalk, the noise of carousers and music from the bars making conversation too difficult to attempt. What would he say, anyway? Nerves made him tongue-tied. He felt irritated, too, that she set such a slow pace as if he needed it until he realized she walked slowly because she had short legs. Her head barely reached his shoulders. If he wanted, he could pull her toward him and plant a kiss on the crown of her head.
The urge to do so gave him a solution to his nervousness and his mounting desire. At the next corner, he took the lead and pulled her under the awning of a store. When she looked up at him in surprise, he cupped the back of her head. He stared down at her, and she met his gaze. They both kept their eyes open as he drew her face to his and took her mouth. His eyes closed as he fell into the pleasure of his first kiss in many months, too many. He had missed this simple pleasure of slanting his lips against a softer, sweeter pair.
He traced his tongue along the seam and moaned softly in appreciation when she opened up for him and welcomed him inside. She deepened the kiss by twirling her tongue around his and clasping his arms with her small hands. Her body all but melted against his. They tasted each other for long seconds, long enough for his cock to throb in earnest. But they were on a sidewalk and he heard some whistles and claps from passersby, so he broke away reluctantly.
They were both breathing hard as they once more stood and stared at each other.
Marissa was the first to regain her senses. With a grin, she grabbed his hand and tugged him back into the stream of people. They walked faster with unspoken agreement, and soon she had him inside her building. He swept her into his arms once more as they rode the elevator to the third floor. This time they were alone, so he dared to slip a hand under her shirt and caress her smooth back. Her hands landed on his butt. She dug surprisingly strong fingers into his flesh and pressed him against her body as much as their height difference would allow. They practically stumbled out when they reached her floor.
With reluctance, he let her go so she could get the door open. Once they were inside, he scooped her up before she could turn on the overhead lights. A small bulb above the sink in the galley kitchen allowed him to see where he was going. He carried her over to the countertop that divided the kitchen from the living room. She gasped and then giggled as he plopped her down. Now she was eye level, perfect for more kissing. He dove in hard and heavy, plunging into her willing mouth, both hands inside her shirt. He found the clasp of her bra and flicked it open with practiced ease. Some skills never left you. He slid his hands around her soft sides and traced her pert breasts with his thumbs. Her nipples were hard, and she gasped again inside his mouth when he stroked them.