My air conditioner is still coming on here in New Mexico, but I’m looking forward to the leaves falling eventually and the cold afternoon when I can relish my hot cinnamon latte.
Afternoons in the coffee shop were the inspiration for my Holiday Cafe series. Here’s a glimpse of Masked Hearts:
“Hey,” said Mark, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t do this again. I can’t have you romance me and fall in love with you and end with a terrible break-up. I’d rather we fuck and be done with it.” She bit her lip and cursed herself. She couldn’t believe she’d just said that to a parent. From the look on his face, she could tell he couldn’t believe it either.
The phone finally quit ringing as she gathered up her folders and left. She expected him to call out to her, but then remembered men were bastards. Of course he wouldn’t.
Outside, embarrassment hit as if the heat of a summer sun shone on her instead of the chillier fall rays. She ran to her car, not hearing the footsteps pounding behind her because her ears were filled with the beating of her own heart.
She set the folders on top of her car. Before she clicked the lock with her remote, hands grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. Mark stared into her eyes for one moment then pushed her back against the car with his body against hers. He kissed her with a passion she’d never felt, even from Glen, and it made her body tremble. His hands roamed down her arms and to her hips, and she felt his erection against the crevice between her thigh and her abdomen. Her insides pulsed with desire that only strengthened when he ended the kiss and spoke, his lips brushing her ear.
*
Mark felt her body yield against him and begin to shiver. God, it’d been too long since he’d fucked. So long that restraint was near impossible, and he pressed himself fully against her with his cock showing his craving.
He broke off the kiss and whispered words that he hoped made sense through his haze of desire. “I would love to take you out on dates and slowly fall in love with you over coffee and bouquets of roses. But it’s been two years since I’ve had sex, and if all you want is a physical relationship, I’ll take it.”
He kissed her neck while he waited for her answer. When his lips nuzzled her below her ear she quivered again, and her hands slid up his back, drawing him even closer. Unfortunately, her words were contrary to her actions. “I can’t do that with a parent of one of my students. It’s unprofessional.”
His lips had strayed down to the base of her neck. He wanted to tug her shirt off her shoulder so he could kiss more of her, but he managed a modicum of restraint. He lifted his lips back to her ear and murmured, “I’ll pretend there’s nothing between us when I pick up Tyler. I’ll be like every other parent.” Even though the thought of unattached sex fired his drive, he didn’t want to give up on being her boyfriend. “And if we dated, I’d pretend nothing was going on until you were ready. I’m alone Friday to Sunday. We could date on those nights far away from school.”
Her body stiffened. “I don’t want to date.”
He drew back a little and cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. “I think you’re making that decision because you just saw someone who hurt you badly. I’ll text you my address. If you want to watch a movie and eat popcorn like a normal date, come over dressed like this. If you just want sex, wear a coat with nothing underneath.”
He must be out of his mind—what a stupid thing to say. He waited for the slap, but instead, she wrapped one of her legs around his and drew him in for another kiss. He wished they weren’t in a parking lot in the middle of the day.
She broke off the kiss and gently pushed him away.
Without a word, she turned, grabbed her folders, got into her car and waited for him to step back before she drove off.
He watched her going, wondering if she’d take him up on the movie date. He told himself that’s what he wanted. But two years was a long, long time to go without sex.
Buy Masked Hearts at one of these stores and find out if Sienna goes for a date or for sex!
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Evelyn Aster 