Cherry’s Jubilee (Lunchtime Chronicles: Season 7)

Chapter 8

Cherry

Now I feel like an ass. Not answering my personal phone is a habit of mine. I’ve never been one of those people attached to their phone, but I started ignoring it after telling my mother I’d be taking a break from her for a while. She called nonstop, and I would leave my phone in another room.

Solange and Ginger both yelled at me about that. I’ve gotten better at answering their calls, but I won't pick up if it’s a number I don’t know because Mom has called from strange numbers before.

“My condolences,” I say, softening my voice. “I’m sorry for your loss. I hope you’re okay.” I take his hands and squeeze them. They’re supple but strong.

“I am now,” he whispers locking eyes with me again.

I look away. Whatever this is, it’s too much. It’s too strong, and I don’t know if I’m ready. He drops one of my hands and clasps my chin. He gently tilts my head up so I can look into his deep brown eyes.

“Don’t look away.”

I couldn’t now even if I wanted to. I’m too mesmerized by his eyes. And his scent.

He slowly starts to lean down, and I remain frozen. Frozen in time and frozen in the moment. I’m too afraid of what comes next and so eager for it at the same time. He stops above my lips as if he’s waiting for me to permit him. I nod slightly .

His soft lips land on mine. I don’t move. Hell, I don’t breathe. Soft pressure is applied to my lips, and I remember I’m a woman being kissed by a very handsome and charismatic man. I’m also a woman who hasn’t been kissed in a long time. He finally drops my chin, and his long arms wrap around me. Being pressed against his hard body is like a jolt of electricity that shocks my system. I wrap my arms around him and kiss him back with all the passion I have.

I open my mouth to breathe, and he takes it as an invitation to come inside. He tastes of mint and champagne, and I never want to let him go or stop kissing him. His hands travel down my sides, and one rests on my ass. He presses me into him, and I feel his desire.

Fearing this is going too fast, I reluctantly break the kiss and take a step away. I give him my back while I try to get my breathing under control, but he gives me no time for a reprieve.

Those big, strong hands land on my hips, and he pulls my back flush into his chest. He wraps his arms around me, and I know there’s no way I can get out.

“I’ve wanted to do that for damn near a week, and I’m going to kiss you again before the night is over. But first, let me see your phone.”

He drops his arms, and I miss their safety. He turns me to face him, and he turns his palm up. “Your phone, please, Ms. Cross.”

I look into his eyes, and he winks at me. No man has ever winked at me, and I blush. I pull my phone out of my pocket and give it to him. I give him a devilish grin because he doesn’t know the code, but he puts it in front of me and uses the face ID feature.

“Dammit,” I say. I don’t know what he’s doing, but he types something and takes a picture of himself before handing it to me.

“Now, let’s try something,” he says. He pulls out his phone, and mine starts to vibrate. I laugh and blush when I see Cherry’s Jubilee flash across my screen with his picture in the background. “Shall we eat?” he asks.

Over a delicious dinner of lobster risotto, we gaze at each other from across his table. I count, and it seats twelve, which is odd for a single man. He sits at the head of the table, and I sit to his right. He rests a hand on my lap throughout the meal, and I’ve never been so turned on with just a touch.

It’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve had sex, but right now, my pussy is a puddle. All I want to do is toss this table, jump into his arms, and wrap my legs around him so he can run into his bedroom. He can take me on every surface of this fancy penthouse. I don’t care. I just want to feel a dick inside of me.

To break some of the tension, I look around the place.

“Are you looking for something specific,” he asks.

“I don’t see any pineapple,” I say. He arches an eyebrow in confusion. “It’s my favorite, and I want you to feed it to me from your hand.”

“You could have told me that had you taken my calls. I would have had pineapple on hand. And cherry is my favorite.”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and texts something. He puts it down and puts that hand back on my lap. I decide to be brave and put mine on top of his.

He looks up and gives me a boyish smile. A piece of his hair falls over his forehead, and I fix it before putting my hand back where it belongs.

He offers me some of his risotto, and I open my mouth to take it.

“Mmhmm,” I say as he slowly pulls the fork from my lips.

I’ve made a decision, and I’ve decided tonight I’m going to be bold. I’m going to see where this goes, but only for tonight. I’ll let him have his way because I’m curious to see what he has underneath his clothes, and tomorrow, I’ll return home, back to my lonely middle-class existence .

“Whatever you’re thinking about, stop.” He feeds me more food before I can answer. I decide to eat, and a few minutes later, I hear the code to his alarm and rapid footsteps.

The woman I met earlier returns with a brown paper bag. She nods at us as she pulls out three pineapples and puts them on the kitchen island. While we eat, she removes the skin and slices the fruit into chunks. When her job is done, she leaves without a word.

I stare at him, and all he says is, “If the lady wants pineapple, pineapple she shall have. Fed from my hand.” He lifts my hand and kissed the back of it, and I almost combust with need.

“I think I’m full,” I say.