Page 16

Breasts (The Chicken Kind)

It had been a mistake to take Kyle to a cooking class for our first official date in Dreamer’s Bay. I realized that now. Penalty flag thrown. However, twenty-two hours ago, when the idea had first occurred to me, I couldn’t think of anything more fun than embarking on a culinary adventure together that might take our minds off nerves and stress. Plus, we both loved food. How perfect that Sandy Morrison, who owned her own catering company, had one of her monthly couples classes lined up. We could totally do this. We might even wind up the stars of the class. Did they have winners?

“We are the worst students ever,” Kyle whispered too loudly.

“I think effort goes a long way,” I told her, with a grin, as I pulled the thick chicken breast through the breadcrumbs as instructed.

“But we’re five steps behind.” More quiet laughter. Sandy sent us a patient, albeit tense look, and I made sure the smile fell off my face until she looked away again. We were the class cutups for sure. It wasn’t my fault that instead of reading the instruction sheet, I’d gotten caught up watching Kyle’s hands as they interacted with the ingredients. She had really good hands, too. And it wasn’t exactly easy to concentrate on Sandra’s verbal instructions when Kyle’s gaze was purposefully dipping to the neckline of my blouse.

“You can’t do that when I’m trying to listen,” I said, refusing to pull my focus away from Sandy at the front of the room as she demonstrated how to arrange the breasts in the pan.

“She says breasts a whole lot,” Kyle said under her breath. “Have you noticed that? What kind of class is this?”

She was on a roll tonight and taking me straight to hell with her. Not that I wasn’t a willing copilot with a lust-bolstered agenda. But it was clear our focus was on each other, and the class was unfortunately becoming collateral damage in our wake.

“Do you two think you can find your way back to the dish?” Sandy asked, when I playfully got a little extra flour on the front of Kyle’s apron.

“Well, now you’ve gone and ruined my entire look,” Kyle said, blinking those big blue eyes in innocence.

“Yes,” I told Sandy. “The chicken. Such a great recipe. We just need to catch up on a few steps.”

“No,” Kyle said. “I’m afraid we’re only going to ruin this poor food at this point.”

I lifted my eyebrows in surprise, never one to buck up against authority.

“We should probably get out of your way.” Kyle clearly had no problem asserting herself calmly.

Sandy raised her chin. If she weren’t three inches shorter than I was, she’d have been looking down her nose at us. “Well. That’s up to you, but I’m not refunding your fee.”

The steep two-hundred-dollar ticket, which included the class and subsequent meal, seemed like a lot to let go of.

Kyle took out her credit card without missing a beat. God, she knew how to handle a room. “That won’t be a problem at all. We had a great time.”

“Maybe too good,” Sandy said, stalking to her point-of-sale machine.

I made wide eyes at Kyle, a kid scolded in class, prompting her to give my chin a reassuring shake. Once we were squared away with a huffy Sandy, Kyle took my hand and pulled me to the door, the aroma of sizzling chicken our final farewell.

It was dark and chilly when we spilled out onto the sidewalk along the red brick building used for small events. We looked at each other and immediately burst into the laughter we’d held back for close to forty minutes. I would owe Sandy an apology email the next morning, but for now, I welcomed the chance to let go of the energy I’d buttoned up.

“We just got in so much trouble,” I said in near disbelief.

“Please. I think we loosened the place up.” She slid a strand of dark hair behind her ear. I watched her wrist, feminine and strong with a thin silver tennis bracelet. Did she play tennis? There was still so much about her I longed to know.

“Well. You certainly loosened me up,” I said, realizing the truth of that statement. It was the first time since speaking with Jake that every part of me felt relaxed. Kyle had done that, like the drug I didn’t know I needed. She stole my focus and made me crave more time together. I wanted to kiss her up against a wall until her toes curled and then talk about the highs and lows of her day. I fantasized about making her a cup of coffee on a lazy Saturday and watching as she blew on it and settled onto the couch for a book or a TV show. But God, I had to come back to that wall kissing moment, because that’s where my longing pulled me tonight. To her. To those adept hands and highly kissable lips.

“You’re looking at my mouth,” she said from just two feet away. The low tone of her voice sent a ripple through my stomach. The sidewalk was dark and empty, the only illumination that of the event center’s awning.

“Mm-hmm.” My only reply.

She took a step closer, bringing us standing in each other’s space.

Her proximity kicked my body out of its stasis.

Her hands went to either side of my waist and there was a possessive quality to the move that made me go still. My breathing went shallow, and the scent of her watermelon hair sent warmth to my cheeks.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” I whispered. I wanted her to kiss me so badly, but I also wanted to stand right there, living in the delicious anticipation, for as long as possible. A breeze hit, reminding me that a cold front had blown through earlier that afternoon. The wind lifted Kyle’s hair, giving it a wild quality I didn’t want to forget.

We moved at the same time. She dipped her head just as I went up on my toes, my arms around her neck. Perfection. This. All of it. The cooking class tension had been all the preamble we needed, and the kiss was hot and insistent from the second our lips touched.

“Where did you learn to kiss?” Kyle murmured into my lips.

“No talking,” I said, going back in for more.

“No agreement.” Another long, amazing kiss. “I have to know what you’re thinking.”

I pushed my tongue into her mouth and enjoyed her little hum of satisfaction. I thought what I was thinking was pretty clear. “I like kissing you,” I whispered, prompting us to share a smile before our lips clashed again.

“Oh, whoops. Excuse us.” Another couple from the class had apparently finished their assignment. “Weren’t those the same women Lisa said were kissing at the bar?”

I waited until they’d made it a safe distance away. “We’re getting a reputation.”

“Trust me, there are worse things.” The door opened a second time. “Wanna get outta here? You can see my new place.”

“Your rival Airbnb?”

“Dan and KC’s place on the water.” She hauled me in closer. I loved it. I couldn’t stop smiling. “Seven-minute drive.”

“Is this a sleepover? Because I don’t have any clothes.”

“I’m sure we could figure something out,” she said in my ear, instigating a full-on shiver. “C’mon.” She gave my arm a tug, and hand in hand we walked down the block to her fancy black Audi.

“You realize I drive a very basic used Honda. I’m not glamorous like you.”

She smiled at me. “It’s very on brand for you to warn me how uncool you think you are. I, on the other hand, happen to think the exact opposite of you.”

Well, that shut me up.

“And your car is cute and green and what could be more perfect?”

“I mean, an Audi.”

“I have that part covered. Two would be boring. Don’t you think? We have chemistry for a reason, and it’s not because we’re alike.”

“I think you make me see a lot of things through a different lens.”

She kissed the back of my hand. “To more of that.”

We drove to the ocean and hung a left until we came to a row of white cottages just set back from the beach. I’d heard about KC and Dr. Dan’s little getaway place but had never seen it in person. It was dark and windy when we drove into the small carport, but I could see the blue paint and the white shutters. Adorable. Quaint. Kyle killed the engine, which silenced the music she’d played much louder than I would have guessed.

“I realize how loud that was now that it’s quiet in here.” Her eyes were wide. “I always play it loud to pump myself up for the ER, and it’s just become habit.” She exhaled slowly. “And now, I’m a little embarrassed.”

“Don’t be. I’m getting a little glimpse behind the curtain right now.”

The dome light above our heads allowed me to see the color enter Kyle’s cheeks. I had to admit, it was so much easier to give in to the attraction, even if it did feel like the scariest free fall possible. There were no guarantees, but I was willing to give this thing a shot while simultaneously praying to the heavens that my heart survived whatever this might turn into. “I might be a little afraid of you.”

Her face shifted and her smile dissolved, which told me she knew exactly what I was talking about. “Would it surprise you to hear that I feel the same way?”

It did actually, but I saw the flash of vulnerability of her face.

“I don’t want to screw this up,” Kyle said, “but I also realize I’m coming back from an experience that changed me.”

I reached out and cradled her cheek, remembering all she’d told me. We were certainly a pair. “Then maybe we find a way to help each other be a little less scared.”

She nodded and kissed the inside of my palm, causing a quiet rush of energy.

“Kyle,” I whispered.

“Yes?”

“I think you should take me inside.”

She smiled and I melted. “Follow me.”

The wind was in full force, more noticeable off the water than in town. As we walked to the front door of the house, it whipped our hair around and riled up the waves as they crested to the shore not far away. It had only just started to rain when we pulled up, but the wind carried the drops sideways, pelting us as we laughed and scurried beneath the porch covering. “Get in here!” Kyle yelled.

“Where did this come from?” I shrieked, laughing, and joining her. She found her key, and moments later we were safe inside the house, the calm, quiet room a noticeable contrast.

“I could ask that same question about you.” She could have taken that moment to give me the grand tour, offer me a beverage or a chance to tame my hair in the bathroom. Instead, she took my wrist and pulled me in until our bodies pressed together. The rain picked up, underscoring the rapid beating of my heart. A lamp glowed across the room, but the house remained mostly in shadow, creating the perfect romantic backdrop to what I knew we were about to do to each other. I pulled her face down, capturing her lips with mine. We tried to go slow, keep our pace measured, our hands still and chaste. It didn’t last. Like a wildfire in a dry forest, the heat licked its way down my body, wrapping around us in a blaze.

“Yes?” she asked, kissing the underside of my jaw.

“God, yes,” I said.

She took my hand and led me to the couch, where I slipped onto her lap, my knees on either side of her body. I loved the slight height advantage. “I could get used to this.”

“Do.” Kyle slid a strand of hair behind my ear. One side of her face was illuminated, the other side in mysterious shadow. I loved the lighting. I loved the warmth of our bodies pressed together. With one finger, she pulled my collar to the side and placed a kiss on the top of my chest. The rain picked up, and the sound of it pelting the roof both soothed and turned me on. She kissed the column of my neck, in no hurry at all, as my hips began to rock against her, slow and hypnotic. I was lost in the feel of Kyle beneath me, the ache between my legs growing stronger with each moment that passed. “I want you stretched out in my bed.” A kiss to the underside of my jaw.

I could definitely get behind that suggestion. I smiled. “Where’s your room?” I stood and allowed myself to be led to a room off the living area just as a loud clap of thunder hit, killing the small amount of illumination that lit our path.

“I think we just lost power.”

I paused. “What do we do?” My brain flashed to flashlights or those little battery-powered lanterns. Candles were nice, but then you needed matches.

“This,” Kyle said, cradling my face and kissing me tenderly.

As she laid me on her bed, my eyes adjusted to the room. Small, but with tall ceilings. The frequent lightning on the beach did a surprisingly nice job of illuminating our space in intermittent flashes that I found sexy as hell.

“Come here,” I said, holding out my hand to her.

She easily slid on top of me, and the weight of her body was heaven on Earth. I lived in that wonder for an extended moment before giving the hem of her shirt a tug. She took the cue, sitting up and slowly pulling the shirt over her head as a clap of thunder shook the walls.

Fucking apropos.

Kyle wore what looked to be a low-cut black bra that you’d never imagine beneath your doctor’s lab coat. “This too,” I said, indicating the bra, eager to see her.

She nodded, eyes hooded, unclasped the hook from behind, and tossed the bra onto the floor.

Now the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen was sitting on my stomach topless and ready to be touched. I sat up, hungry to kiss the full breasts I’d been thinking about for well over a year now. I caught a nipple in my mouth and tugged softly until it went hard, reveling in the murmur of appreciation from Kyle. I was immediately wet. As I moved to the other breast, she tossed her head back, and her hair tickled the arm I’d wrapped around her waist. “Why are you still wearing clothes?” I began to unbutton her pants. I wanted my hand between her legs, moving through folds, taking her to heights of pleasure until she broke.

“Why are you?” she asked, lifting her head back up. “Let’s both get naked.”

I’d forgotten how much fun she could be in the bedroom, all confident and present in addition to ridiculously sexy.

To oblige me, she stood next to the bed, slowly pulled her jeans down to her ankles, and stepped out. Before she could do the same with her underwear, I slid my hand down the front and watched as she closed her eyes and bit her lip. She was wet, more than I’d even been expecting. I stroked long and slow, pulling a quiet whimper from her lips. I slid the bikinis down her legs and eased back onto the bed where she watched me finish undressing.

“I’ve missed this view,” she said, her blue eyes darker than normal with desire. She pushed herself up onto her knees, cradled my face, and kissed me good and long. I joined her on my knees on the bed and ran my hands down her bare sides, tracing the outline of her breasts as the rain pelted the windows.

“Lie down,” I whispered and watched in reverence as she did. I took her in, the dark fan of hair on the pillow, the luminous eyes looking up at me, and those full lips I could never kiss enough no matter how many days I lived. She was naked, beautiful, and waiting. Without hesitation, I parted her thighs and settled between them. When I kissed her intimately, she groaned, so very wet and so very ready. I placed another slow, open-mouthed kiss on her center, the heaven that was her, and wrapped my arms around her legs to the sound of her murmuring in appreciation.

“I forgot how easily you take me there,” she said, half into the pillow.

I licked her languidly, in no particular hurry, and instead enjoyed the ability I had to bring her pleasure. I wanted to live in this space for as long as possible, reminding myself of what kinds of touches affected her most, what combinations drove her wild. I wanted to know everything about Kyle and how her body liked to be touched.

I paused my attention and kneaded her breasts, watching as her eyes slammed shut. I kissed her neck, her collarbone, and back down to her stomach. There wasn’t an inch of her I didn’t explore. The noises she offered told me she was close, so I returned to where I knew she needed me most. I slid inside to moans of pleasure and began to take her higher and higher and higher, until the dam finally broke and she arched in stillness, her skin flushed and beautiful. As she rode out the waves of pleasure, she did something I hadn’t expected: She locked her gaze to mine. I’d never experienced a connection like the one that clicked into place then and there. My heart swelled, and the feeling of warmth and fullness was beyond my current comprehension. There was something very special between us, and tonight had only confirmed it further. Tears welled in my eyes, and I had no real inclination to hide them. That was what she did for me.

Kyle allowed me to just be…me.

A flash of lightning lit up the room just before a loud clap of thunder shook the house. In a burst, Kyle’s lips were on mine. For reasons we both seemed aware of, there was a desperation to come together, to consume each other, and fast. As we kissed, she cradled my breasts, pushing them against my body and releasing them. I was on my back and she kissed her way down my body on a mission that wouldn’t be deterred. I parted my legs for her and she traced circles with the flat of her tongue. My hips reached for her, asking desperately for more. The room flashed bright, followed by a crash. She pushed inside and I cried out, clenching around her fingers, overwhelmed by sensations. I began to rock as she moved in and out again, in even rhythm. Her signature move.

“More,” I pleaded. Her methodical motion was torturous and she damn well knew it. She made no move to alter it, a determined woman who owned me and knew so. The pressure between my legs steadily rose. I clawed at the sheets until I burst, seeing white behind my eyes and calling out probably too loudly. I bit my lip to quiet myself, but it didn’t work in the slightest. Sex with this woman was too good to be allowed.

“I’ve missed you,” she said in my ear as I returned to myself from an orgasm of the caliber I’d never forget. “I’ve missed this.”

“What are you doing next week?” I asked, breathless and happy. I was met with a burst of laughter from Dr. Kyle, Soap Opera Doctor at Large.