I turn and instantly pull my hand to my chest. He's undoing the buttons on his shirt. As the fabric gives way, the muscular tanned skin beneath beckons to me.
"Don't be long. I'm not a patient man."
Chapter 3
I sit on the edge of the bathtub, my heel tapping a rhythmic beat onto the tile floor. I stare down at my phone. I've already been in here for five minutes. Why isn't Rebecca texting me back? I need her words of reassurance that I can do this without making a total not-very-experienced-in-bed fool of myself.
I almost slam my phone onto the side of the tub in utter frustration. I wanted this. I was the one who decided that my life in Bloomfield, Connecticut wasn’t for me anymore. Being Jessie Roth, the girlfriend of Josh Redmond was utterly unfulfilling. When I met Josh during my training to become a paramedic, he seemed like the all American guy I wanted. Now, that I'd left him and moved to Manhattan, all I desperately craved was to experience life. Nathan was my first step towards that. Once, I jumped into that very large king bed I saw in the bedroom when I walked down the hallway, I'd finally get to have an experience I'd always craved. One night with a man who could make me feel things I'd only imagined. He'd already proven he knew how to make me come as soon as we walked into his suite.
I dial Rebecca's number and there's no answer. I curse before I end the call without leaving a voice mail. I have to do this on my own. I have to find the courage to just jump in head first and, at the very least, pretend I know what I'm doing. There wa
sn't going to be any pep talk from my best friend.
I take a deep breath before I pull the black dress I'm wearing from my body. I adjust my black lace bra and panties before I smooth my long hair behind my back. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it with a bang. I tuck my phone back into my clutch, fold my dress and place them both on the counter. It was now or never. With one last deep breath, I open the washroom door.
The faint sound of low music greets me as I step back into the hallway. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I try my best to saunter down the hallway with some semblance of sexiness. I realize fairly quickly that I look more awkward than alluring so I pick up my pace and move swiftly back towards the room where I left Nathan.
My eyes shoot around the room when I don't see him standing next to the counter where he had poured our drinks. The one meant for me is still there, untouched, the ice almost melted. I move further into the room. He's not by the massive window that offers an uncompromising view of Times Square. As I turn to walk back towards the bedroom I see him. The man I imagined bringing me a depth of pleasure that I'd only fantasized about, the man who had made me come with just a few smooth glides of his hand was sprawled out flat on his back on the couch, fast asleep.
***
"Do you want to meet for lunch today?" There was a slight pause. "My treat."
I smile at my roommate's continuing insistence on paying for absolutely everything. "No. I'll make something and bring it down to your office. Maybe that curried quinoa salad you raved about?"
"Really?" Her green eyes brighten at the suggestion. "I told my boss all about that. She was almost drooling."
I laugh at the thought. "You're exaggerating."
"I'm not ." She scoops up her keys from the kitchen counter. "Cassandra is actually looking for a private chef right now. You'd be perfect for that."
"If I had gone to culinary school I'd be perfect for that," I groan. "No one wants to hire someone who doesn't have formal training." I recite the phrase I've heard countless times at dozens of restaurants since I'd arrived in the city. I was down to my last few saved dollars and if I didn't land something soon, I'd be up to my elbows in dishwater just as a way to get my foot in the door. Cooking was my passion and I wanted it to be my career.
"I'll mention you to her this morning." Rebecca pulls a banana from a basket on the counter. "I can't wait for lunch."
I smile at her enthusiasm. "I'll be there right at noon."
"Hey, Jess." She tilts her head to the side and I know what that means. She's about to talk about sex. It's a telling gesture and one that she's always unconsciously done since we were in middle school together.
"He fell asleep," I murmur.
"What?" The shrill tone of the question forces me to take a step back.
"I went to the washroom and he was out cold when I got back." I shake my head. "It was beyond humiliating."
"So nothing happened?" She settles onto one of the wooden stools next to the counter.
"Something happened." I might as well just get the conversation over with. "When we got to his room he helped me come."
"So you had sex?"
"I had sex with his finger." I shrug my shoulders and bite back a laugh. "It was great finger sex."
She giggles causing her tall frame to shake. "At least you'll always have the memory of Mr. Fingers."
I roll my eyes at the nickname. "His name is Nathan. Not that it matters. I blew my chance. Or rather, I didn't get a chance to blow him."
"We'll just try again tonight." Her grin is genuine. "I was so jealous of how hot the guy was you left with that I didn't hang around long. Maybe tonight we'll both get lucky."