Page 12 of Completely Captivated
She playfully poked him in the ribs with her elbow.“Stop teasing me.”
“I’m not kidding at all.I love your smile, especially in this picture.It reaches your eyes and warms them even more than usual.You look so relaxed and happy.If I didn’t know better, I’d say you enjoy being with me.This is a perfect picture.”
He took her hand again and led her down a narrow dirt trail, winding through the wildflowers and over the rolling ridges.Once on the other side, he stopped again to watch her.Her eyes floated across the scenery, taking in the views on the horizon, before stopping on the area he’d waited for her to see.
“How—how did you do this?”she gasped.His smile engulfed his entire face, his ocean-blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
He shrugged his big shoulders.“It’s good to have friends.”
In a secluded dip between the rolling hills, in the middle of the wildflowers and lush green grass, was an entire picnic feast.The large green blanket was spread out flat with a picnic basket, full place settings complete with wineglasses, and a stainless-steel bucket chilling a bottle of wine.
He held out his arm to Christa to take, and she absently wrapped her hand around it.She was literally speechless—her standard“thank you”was hopelessly insufficient for this kind of gesture.She managed to tear her eyes from the blanket and tilted her face up at him in amazement.
“Why, Aaron?Why would you do something like this forme?”
After all his years of indiscriminately fucking willing women, that simple question nearly floored him right where he stood.His movement stopped abruptly, jerking Christa back and causing her to fall into his chest.His arms wrapped around her to steady her and, since she was already so close, he pulled her tightly to him.He looked down into her beautiful, expressive brown eyes and instantly knew he was caught in her spell.One he never wanted to break.
“Christa,” he said on a sexy, masculine sigh.His bedroom voice was on full strength without conscious intentions.“This is simply a picnic lunch.I plan to spoil you so much more than this, if you’ll let me.”
“Let’s start with lunch,” she responded breathlessly.
They sat on the blanket together, laughing and talking as if they’d known each other their entire lives.She’d never felt as comfortable with anyone so quickly before, except for Jared, but that had been a long time ago.They finished eating, and he stretched out on the blanket, lying on his side with his head propped up in his hand.Christa, sitting with her legs crossed, leaned into his torso and rested her arm on his side.
“I’m stuffed.You made me eat too much,” she admonished him playfully.
“That’s too bad…since we have some delicious dessert waiting for us,” he teased.
Her eyes lit up, and she quickly reached for the picnic basket, ignoring his chuckle.She removed one slice of chocolate cream pie piled high with whipped cream.She cut off a piece and offered it to him.The blue in his eyes darkened, filled with desire and need, as he waited for her to lean into him.The magnetic pull to him caused her breath to freeze in her lungs, but she didn’t stop.Leaning closer and closer into him, she finally reached his perfect lips.
His eyes moved up to hers as his mouth opened, ready to take what she was offering him.At the last second before the fork reached him, she flicked her wrist and intentionally smeared the whipped cream on his cheek.It took him an extra second to realize what she’d done.She snickered at first then began laughing uncontrollably.His eyes narrowed, crinkling at the edges and giving him a hard look, but his voice held the key.
“Think you’re funny, huh?”he asked playfully.
“Well, it was pretty funny to see your reaction,” she amended through her laughter.
“You know, I hear it is bad luck to have whipped cream on your face.The old spirits in these trees, they get offended easily.”He spoke slowly, drawing out each detail, keeping her enraptured with him.
“Old tree spirits are offended by whipped cream?Was whipped cream considered witchcraft in the old days?”she whispered to him, her eyes darting all around them, as if she waited for something to jump out at them.He watched her bite her lower lip, trying to keep her laughter contained as she played along with him.
“You’ll have to clean it off my face to save us.”His voice lowered an octave, instantly pulling her eyes back to his, where she willingly surrendered.
She leisurely raised her hand and reached her fingers out to his cheek, intending to wipe the offensive whipped cream off his handsome face.He grabbed her wrist and brought her hand down to his chest, forcing her to lean over closer to him.He slowly shook his head while keeping his eyes locked on hers.
“Not with your hand.You’ll provoke the spirits for sure, then,” he whispered seductively.
Feeling more daring than she knew was practical, she kept her eyes locked on his as she pressed her chest against him.Feeling his chest rise with the deep breath he inhaled, she pressed closer until her breath fanned out across his chin, up to his cheek.She first placed a small kiss on the spot marred by the fluffy cream.Licking her lips, she then opened her mouth, and her tongue lightly skimmed the stubble of his beard.
His hand tightened around her wrist, holding her in place close to him.Her next sensation was one of flying through the air at Mach speed and landing on the soft blanket beneath a very hard body.Despite the fact that he towered over her, she noted how they fit perfectly together, their bodies aligned just right with him hovering over her.Aaron dipped his head, his body pressed against hers more, cocooning her in warmth and a deep, carnal craving.
His lips brushed hers gingerly at first.Then just as quickly, the kiss became fierce and commanding.His tongue demanded entrance, easily slipping past her lips to caress hers.His hands rested on either side of her face, cradling her as he tugged it lightly to the side.His kiss deepened as her hands skimmed over his shoulders and up into his hair, pulling his weight down onto her even more.
His knee pushed her leg to the side, and the other leg willingly followed suit.When he was fully seated in between her legs, she felt his erection growing, pushing against the front of his pants, and delightfully rubbing against her core.He moaned into her mouth, sending cold shivers through her and heating her at the same time.Slowing the momentum, he tenderly ended the kiss.
“I’ve wanted to know how your lips tasted since the first time I saw you,” he confessed.
The Other Guy
“Don’t be a stranger, Sean.I expect to see your fugly mug back in San Francisco soon.”Jared shook his friend’s hand.
