Fifteen minutes and one long panty-wetting kiss later and our food is here. I look down at the platter of dirty rice, gumbo, and blackened catfish.
“That’s too much,” I say.
“Do I need to remind you? I plan to deplete your energy all day long. Eat up, sweetheart.” He presses a long lingering kiss to my lips, and I swear I can live on that alone.
Lunch is pure torture mixed with bliss. Each bite gets me closer to the promise of Caine, but it’s taking too long.
Over Cajun food and sweet tea, I get to know Caine, the man. It’s nice to realize that he’s more than a sex toy distributor. He’s a loyal friend, a savvy business partner, and not a man whore. If he is to be believed, he could count his sex partners on one hand, which is significantly more than the one I can claim, and almost virginal by today's standards.
“So your boyfriend took everything and left you?”
“Not everything, I got to keep most of my clothes.”
“He’s an asshole.”
“We’re in agreement.” I thread my fingers through his. “What if your girlfriend left you for my boyfriend? It’s just too coincidental don’t you think?”
Caine thumbs my chin up, so I am forced to look into his dark chocolate eyes. “I love the idea of fate stepping in to bring us together.” He closes his mouth over mine and strokes the inside with his soft velvet tongue. If the man makes love the way he kisses, I’m at risk of losing everything, or if fate is real, gaining everything.
“Are you ready?”
My heart races and sex clenches but there is no doubt in my mind. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Instead of walking me back into the offices, he walks me into the garage and helps me into his car.
“Where are we going? I thought—”
“That I’d make love to you for the first time in your office? You deserve better than that.”
He guns the engine and heads toward the Mission District. “We can’t go to my apartment. My neighbors are awful.”
“I agree. We’re stopping by to get you what you need to stay the night at my place.”
“Stay the night?”
“Yes, Janey. Stay the night. Once I sink myself into your sweet body, you’ll be lucky if I ever let you go.” He reaches across the console and holds my hand. My heart thumps wildly in my chest.
“Should I be afraid?”
“Not afraid. No. I don’t want you to fear me. Something tells me I want you to love me.”
Something tells me loving Caine will be hard to avoid.
He pulls in front of my building. I can see by the frown on his face that where I live troubles him. “Stay here,” I say. “I’ll be right down.”
“No way, sweetheart.” He’s out of the car and on my side to open the door in seconds. “I’m protecting what’s mine.”
“Yours?” Even Jake The Snake never claimed me like that.
“Yep, get used to it.” He snakes his arm around my waist in possession and walks me into the building.
We step past a grocery cart filled with plastic bags and over the body of a drunk to get to the stairs. “I don’t want you to see where I live.”
He looks back at the prone body at the bottom of the steps. “My imagination can’t be worse than your reality.”
“Don’t bet on it.” I slide the key into the lock and walk into my mostly empty apartment. I have a blowup chair, a card table, and a lamp in the corner. In the kitchen is a single place setting of dishes. “You can have a seat, I’ll be right back.” I rush into the tiny bedroom that holds a blowup mattress.
Caine follows me in. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”