Today's Special Ch. 02

He kissed me softly. "I figured since you had lunch here, you'd like dinner somewhere else."

The next thing I knew, I was sitting in the back of the cab again, listening to him talk to the driver in Spanish. I really needed to start learning the language if we became serious, although the mystery of what he was saying most of the time was arousing. It was almost two blocks later when I finally found my voice. Realized he still held my hand. Our thighs pressed together on the seat, our body heat evident even through our clothes. This was going to be harder than I had anticipated.

I turned to face him, my pulse racing. "Where are we going?"

"A little place I found that serves great food and will allow us to have some privacy." He stared at me, his brown eyes drawing me in. His other hand played with my hair, a finger lingering on my jaw before sliding down to tip my chin up. "You look beautiful tonight, mi pequeña. The cream of your sweater goes so well with your black hair...your blue eyes. I'm glad you left your hair down. It's very becoming like that just past your shoulders."

"Thank you," I breathed just before our lips met.

My resolve crumbled a little more the moment he deepened the kiss and held my cheek in his palm. When he pulled back, I was panting. And then I was struggling not to laugh as I looked over his shoulder out the window, noticing we were on my side of the city. I had a very good idea I knew our destination. Hoped I was right because it was a favorite of mine. But I wouldn't reveal any of my secrets. Yet.

The cab stopped after another few blocks. Diego paid the fare and helped me out of the backseat, putting my hand on the crook of his arm before leading the way down a pier lined with strings of white lights on the railings. Near the end was a large gazebo housing the dining section of an open-air restaurant that served casual American cuisine. More lights surrounded the roof and sparkled off the water below, giving the whole place a romantic ambiance against the early evening sky.

There'd been many times I'd eaten here alone, wishing I had someone special to join me. Now that I did, I was more nervous than excited.

Once we were seated along one of the railings of the gazebo, awkwardness set in. While not the first time we were meeting, it was essentially our first official date. We both seemed to feel that. Neither of us talked, and our eyes flitted between the table, each other, and the view. There was a lot of fiddling with silverware, napkins, and the stems of our water glasses between the server's visits to take our orders for drinks and entrées. But after we were alone again, Diego broke the silence.

"Nina, I feel like I have so much I want to say but am unable to speak the words. I still can't believe you walked into Aunt Lucy's place today. That you're sitting here with me right now."

I sighed, pushing lettuce around on my salad plate. "Yeah, I still feel like I'm in a dream. All this time, you've been right there."

He placed his hand on mine, stilling my fork. "We cannot change the past, mi pequeña. It is what it is. We can only move forward. And I couldn't be happier to know you're not a dream, either."

I smiled at that. He released me but moved his free hand to mine on the tabletop and twined our fingers together. I thought it was as good a time as any to broach what was at the forefront of my mind. "Diego...I'm assuming you're not with anyone, right?"

"Correct. I am single." He raised a dark eyebrow at me. "And you?"

I shook my head this time. "No, I'm not seeing anyone."

"Good."

He was quiet for a bit. I stared at our joined hands. Tried to figure out the meaning of it. How to ask my next question. But he spoke first again.

"Is that something you're wanting, Nina? Someone to be with? Do things with? Not just sex?"

My cheeks burned slightly, and I nodded as I swallowed. I lifted my eyes to his, realizing my gaze was glossy. My voice was so soft when I said, "I want a real relationship. I'm tired of meaningless hookups that go nowhere. Like I said, that's why I didn't use the website again. I... Well, you get what I mean...what I want."

He regarded me, his relaxed smile not really hinting towards his own feelings.

"And you?" I held my breath, praying.

The longer he remained silent, the more worried I became. I was tempted to withdraw my hand. To just forget this date so I could drown my sorrows at home in private. Even more so when he sighed.

"Mi pequeña, no quiero a nadie más. Solo tú." He unwove his fingers from mine and clutched my hand instead. "Solo tú."

"I have no idea what you just said," I whispered, "but it sounded beautiful. Please, be something good."

His grin widened. "I want nothing more than what you want, my little one. And only with you."

My pulse quickened. Desire sparked between my legs. A brief urge to crawl onto his lap and go at it right here in the restaurant passed through me. Hell, we'd done it before, just with a smaller audience and no chance of being caught. I remained composed, but just barely.

Diego held my hand a little longer, seemingly reluctant to let go, and then we both sat back. He picked up his fork again, as well as the conversation. His voice was low, but I heard every word he said.

"I know you physically, Nina. Inside and out. Every spot that makes you moan and writhe. Which ones make you pull away. I know what your limits are, or at least what you revealed on your application. I know you squirted for the first time that night. That you're multi-orgasmic and are quite flexible. You give amazing head and taste like heaven. But I don't know you. The rest of you. And I want to."

Thankfully, the server arrived with our entrées, because I was speechless.

When we were alone again, I kept my eyes on my meal and hands on my side of the table. Diego did the same, but a few minutes later, I felt his shoe pushing against mine. I pressed my lips together, trying to ignore him. But when I felt his shoe rub against the back of my calf, I smirked at him. "You know, some of us are trying to eat."

"Oh, I'm eating." He skewered a carrot and brought it to his mouth, his tongue darting out to wrap around the vegetable before he licked his lips. "I'm also thinking of what I'm going to have for dessert."

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to get my breathing under control.

Calm down. Just because he says he wants what you want in a relationship doesn't mean you should jump back in the sack the first opportunity you get. Pick his brain. Get to know the real Diego.

When I opened my eyes, he was grinning at me. I shifted a little in my chair and took a couple of unladylike gulps of water. "So, Diego, tell me about you. Do you have other family here?"

He sipped his wine slowly as he spoke. "I have a younger sister, Isobel. She's at the university studying to be a nurse. Our parents died in a fire when we were young. Aunt Lucy raised us here in the city. I've never been married. No kids. I don't smoke. Love good tequila. I enjoy most food and music. Oh, and making you blush, because you're absolutely adorable."

Without warning, my cheeks heated up more.

"Yes, just like that."

I didn't tear my eyes away from his. Instead, I leaned forward and slowly pulled my fork out of my mouth and pointed it at him. "You are trouble."

"Of the best kind." Diego's low chuckle made me bite my lip. "How about you?"

"Oh, I'm no trouble at all."

He laughed louder. "No, mi pequeña, te equivocas. Definitivamente eres un problema."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That wasn't beautiful at all."

He shrugged but was still grinning. "I was actually asking about your family, Nina. Tell me?"

"Oh! Well, I have three brothers...two older, one younger. The oldest one, Matt, has made the Marines his profession. Seth went to culinary school in France and fell in love with a girl and the country. They own a restaurant over there. And then Zach, my younger brother, is an intern at a law firm. My parents still live downstate in the house we grew up in."

"Hmm. And you?"

I stared at the ceiling of the gazebo, trying to remember everything he'd told me so I could answer in turn. "I work at an accounting firm. Never married. No kids, either. Tried smoking once to impress a guy during sex but hated it. The cigarette, not the sex. I prefer whiskey but can handle my own. And I'll eat and listen to just about anything, though I'm partial to a good steak and the blues. Call me old school."

"I'll call you increíble," he whispered, reaching for my left hand again. "Mi pequeña increíble."

I felt a lump in my throat and took another gulp of water. Once more, I didn't need to know Spanish to get his gist.

Silence enveloped us, and I used it to finish my meal. But too soon, we'd cleared our plates. The server eventually returned to leave the bill. Diego grabbed it before I could even suggest splitting. Then I was back to staring at the table. Listening to a couple of ducks quacking as they floated on the water. Wondering what would happen for the rest of the night.

Apparently, I was so lost in thought that I hadn't realized Diego was standing over me until he squeezed my shoulder.

"Nina? Are you okay? Ready to go?"

I blinked up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, my mind wandered."

His eyes shone brighter. "I hope somewhere good."

My smile matched his, and he waited for me to stand before having me lead the way through the mostly full arrangements of tables and chairs, his hand resting lightly on the middle of my back now. At the pier, I nodded when he pointed toward the lake. We quietly followed the wooden path further out onto the water where we stopped on a wide square platform that felt like an island in the middle of the growing darkness. It provided a beautiful, tranquil view with vestiges of the sun setting low between the trees on the other side.

Our fingers brushed when I lifted my left hand to rest it on the top rung of the metal railing. The narrow pipe they'd used for the rails shook slightly. I glanced to my left and smiled. Both of his hands were now gripping the railing, too. A second later, I noticed his right hand was closer...his pinky finger stretching out toward mine.

I turned my head to suppress a giggle. It was another few seconds before his finger overlapped mine. When I didn't pull my away, his other fingers crept closer until my hand was buried under his.

We stood unspeaking, the heat of his palm comforting against the back of my hand. The longer we stayed there, the more the sounds of nature took over the noises of the city. The more I wanted him to wrap his arm around me. To pull me against him. Have him kiss me again. But I settled just to be there with him. No rushing things, right?

A while later, his fingers wrapped around mine and gently tugged. I followed him a few feet back up the pier, our hands still linked together. When he turned down a short ramp leading to a gravel path that veered off to our right, away from the restaurant, I bit my lower lip and looked away again with a grin.

This water feature was one of the reasons I'd gotten a place on this side of the city. There were lots of little parks hidden among the mountains of skyscrapers, but this one just made me feel...happy. The restaurant was within walking distance of my apartment, and the path that wound around the lake was a great place to just relax and reflect. It was fairly open from the water to the hedge-covered fence surrounding the park. Though I had never been nervous about my security, I still had only visited when it was daylight. The only downside was, coming here would make me feel nostalgic because I was always alone. Not tonight, though.

Diego stopped by one of the many benches I knew were scattered along the path and gestured with his free hand for me to sit first.

I complied, feeling a tingling in my fingertips when he rested our joined hands on his lap. This specific bench was a favorite place of mine for resting on my walks. It was smaller than the others and barely fit two people between the wrought-iron arms on each end. I loved the ancient willow tree that hung over it, too, and the way it cast the perfect amount of shade during the day. But he wouldn't have known any of it was sentimental to me.

We remained quiet for several more minutes, both of us apparently lost in thought. He ran his thumb over my knuckles, and I eventually leaned against his right arm. When he adjusted to finally put his arm around me—taking up my left hand in his left now and lacing our fingers together—I turned into him and rested my head on his shoulder, sighing. He smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. Comforting yet invigorating at the same time. I had almost forgotten.

As the night settled in, the lake grew brighter at the far end with the reflections from the gazebo's lights. Closer to us, the moon winked across the dark ripples. I shivered suddenly, glad I'd worn a sweater to block the evening breeze. But when I noticed the wispy branches above us hadn't moved, and I shivered again, I realized that Diego's fingers were stroking my arm through the material. A moment later, he kissed my forehead.

I tilted my head back, and his mouth found mine. It started out light...soft brushes and pecks. But the longer he kissed me, the more passionate it became. The more I sank into him, recalling every bit of his warm, full lips. How good it felt to be in his embrace.

Tonight, he tasted of the rich, red wine we'd been drinking. I remembered his talented tongue that now danced over my lips, teasing and arousing at the same time. Coaxing me to open wider. As wonderful as Gabe and Tony had been, they couldn't compete with Diego, my sexy Latino lover.

He drew my tongue into his mouth. A second later, he released my hand and grazed my left breast through my sweater.

I shuddered and tried to turn my body outward to grant him more access. He whispered something unintelligible—probably in Spanish—when he gave me a moment to catch my breath. At his next pass, I pressed into his touch and moaned.

Diego swapped to tease my right breast, his other hand moving behind my head where it tangled in my hair and pulled me closer again.

As though it had a mind of its own, my left hand slid across his lap, eliciting a growl from him. He bit my lower lip when I brushed my knuckles across his hardening bulge...when I opened my palm and lightly rubbed. I was tempted to do more, but I wasn't an exhibitionist.

I whimpered and gripped his shirt with my free hand when he persisted to arch his hips. I pulled back and licked my lips. "Not here."

"How about..." he said gruffly, looking around for a moment, "over there behind those bushes?"

I giggled and hopped up from the bench, grabbing his hand.

"Nina!" he gasped when I tugged him in the direction he'd pointed. "I wasn't serious!"

"Neither was I," I giggled again but continued to pull him behind me. I knew that the path circled around the lake to the other side of the restaurant. We were more than halfway there already, so it was quicker to keep going that way.

His footsteps scuffled on the loose gravel for a moment and then settled into a rhythm with mine. Once we'd reached the gazebo again, he pulled us to a stop and guffawed. "How did you know?"

"I've lived here for a long time. I know a lot of things you may not think I would."

He tugged on my hand this time when I started toward the street again. "I don't think I can last a cab ride home without taking you in the backseat."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "Tempting. But I'm not interested in an audience this time."

I let go of him and started across the street just as the light turned yellow. He yelled something, but I was already on the other side. I glanced back to see the stopped traffic filling the street, separating us. Diego had stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants and was looking up and down the street from his perch on the edge of the curb. I turned left and kept on going.

His heavier breathing as he eventually caught up stirred me deep inside. It had been too long since I'd heard that sound from him. The thought of the previous reason for his panting came to mind, making me moan softly.

"Nina!" He grasped my arm and pulled me to a stop, facing him. "Where are you going?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you couldn't wait?"

"Well, yes." He glanced around and ran his free hand back over his buzzed hair.

"Then trust me." I reached up and kissed his cheek then continued on my course.

He walked beside me silently for the next two blocks until I reached the gate to my apartment building. Once again, he hesitated.

I rolled my eyes when I turned to face him. "I thought you read my application? Knew where I lived?"

He shrugged, looking around. "I didn't go so far as finding out where it actually was."

"Well, now you know. I thought we'd go into my apartment where I live. Alone." I unlocked the main entrance and paused. "We could grab a cab and book it across town to your aunt's restaurant, sneak up the back stairway, and try to be as quiet as mice while you ravage me there, as I'm sure the dining room is still open downstairs. Or maybe you'd rather we call it a night? Your choice."

Diego growled at me and yanked the door open the rest of the way, dragging me through.

I was still giggling when we reached my door. So much so that I fumbled with the keychain.

He held my hand still until I got the right key and jabbed it in the doorknob. Then he shoved my door so hard, it banged against the wall inside.

Before I could scold him—which was almost impossible because I was laughing harder and grabbing the keys out of the handle—he slammed the door shut and shoved me back against it, his mouth crashing down on mine, sobering me up instantly.

The keys fell to the floor when he grasped my wrists and held them together over my head with his left hand. The other mauled my left breast, first over and then under my sweater. I managed to kick off my shoes and wrap one bare foot around the back of his leg, rubbing against his calf as he wedged a knee between my thighs.

For several minutes, I dry-humped his leg, moaning under his onslaught. Loving the feeling of his body against mine after so long. I had never thought it would happen again. I bit his lip just to remind myself this was real. That made him growl and kiss me harder...squeeze my breast almost painfully.

When he let up a little and released my hands, I cupped his face and kissed him tenderly. My chest was heaving, my pussy throbbing. I wanted to reach climax quickly, and yet I wanted him to make this night last forever. What a conundrum.

I was still trying to think straight when I felt him push my sweater up over my breasts. He tugged down the edge of my cup, his mouth latching onto one nipple. I held the back of his head and neck now, feeling his tongue lap at my skin...his teeth nibble. His thigh pressed harder between my legs, one hand stroking my abdomen.

"Ay, papi!" I breathed, my fingers flexing on his skin under the back of his collar.

Diego suddenly abandoned my breast and pulled my sweater over my head. My bra went slack a moment later. And then I was staring down at his dark eyes through the curtain of my hair as he knelt before me and looked up my body. His large hands slid down my sides and rested on my hips where his fingers splayed out.

"Qué guapa eres," he moaned.

I slowly blinked at him. Gasped when he pressed his lips against my belly button, which peeked over my low-rise waistband. Stared transfixed while he unbuckled my belt, unzipped me, and slowly revealed my panties underneath.

He helped me out of my jeans and tossed them aside before he leaned in with his hands on my hips. His eyes closed. He sniffed loudly. And then he sighed with a slight whimper.