400 First Kisses Read online

I organized all the money into separate piles before I tossed it back into the leather pouch. “So…this thing with Lady. Is it serious?” It wasn’t out of line for me to ask. We discussed everything with each other. If I were dating someone, he’d probably question me about it too.

  He rubbed his chin as he considered my question, looking hot as hell in the long-sleeve black shirt he wore. He filled out his clothes well, masculine and strong. I’d love to feel those soft but manly lips against mine…and everywhere else on my body. “I don’t really know. We’re kinda just fooling around and talking.”

  So that was a definite no.

  “Why?”

  “Uh…” I wasn’t planning on making a move. Bree put stupid thoughts into my head, but I wasn’t going to act on them. “You mentioned you had a threesome, so I was just curious if she was just a fuck buddy.”

  “I guess. She’s pretty kinky…but I like kinky.” He chuckled to himself then opened the laptop.

  I tried not to vomit into my throat.

  The next night, I went into Olives with my hair done, my makeup heavy, and a skintight dress hugging my figure.

  Bree walked up to me, also wearing a dress with her hair up. “Damn, you look pretty damn good for having two kids.”

  “Why, thank you.” I smoothed out my dress before I tied my apron around my waist.

  “Any special occasion?” she asked as she glanced at Ace. “Because I’m pretty sure you just bought that today.”

  “No.” I swatted her wrist. “No reason.”

  She looked at Ace again. “He’s checking you out.”

  “He is?” I asked with more enthusiasm than I should express.

  “Oh yeah. He’s coming this way…” Bree disappeared and walked into the back kitchen so I could talk to him alone.

  Ace whistled under his breath. “Day-yum, you look gorgeous tonight.”

  I couldn’t stop my cheeks from turning bright red. I knew Ace had complimented me in a friendly way, not a creepy way like some guys did, and it made me feel special. It made me feel like the other women he checked out when they walked past. I didn’t feel like some woman who was just his friend—but an attractive woman instead. “Thanks.”

  “Baby, you’re gonna get so many tips.” He winked then placed his hand on my hip. He gave me a gentle squeeze before he walked away.

  Bree was on the other side of the room at the bar. She locked eyes with me then gave me a thumbs-up.

  I hoped I wasn’t making myself as obvious to him as I was to everyone else. I got to work and waited on the tables, letting the hours go by. Ace was working as the manager that evening, so he answered the phone, ran food to the tables, and helped out with other tasks. Sometimes when he passed me, he gave me a smile that lit up the entire restaurant.

  I felt my crush grow in intensity.

  I walked over to the bar to get two glasses of wine for my table. “Two of the rosé.”

  Cypress poured them in front of me. “If your goal was to get his attention, you succeeded.”

  Even Cypress knew what I was doing?

  He gave me a smile. “He’s been checking out your ass all night.”

  I never thought I’d be excited about that. “Thanks.” I carried the glasses to the table and tried not to look at Ace. I hadn’t felt this good in a long time, felt this attractive. Toward the end of my marriage to Evan, I didn’t get any affection. When he told me about his bimbo, I understood why I hadn’t gotten laid in six weeks. It was because he preferred another woman to me. That had been a major attack on my self-esteem. I hadn’t fully recovered.

  At the end of the night, we closed the restaurant and got to cleaning.

  “Cypress and I need to take off,” Bree said. “We cleaned the bar and the tables, but we need to stop by the office and check on something.”

  I knew exactly what she was doing.

  Ace didn’t figure it out. “See you tomorrow.”

  Bree gave me a final look before she walked out with Cypress. They turned left toward their houses instead of right, so that was a dead giveaway they were making an excuse so I could be alone with Ace.

  Bree wanted me to just walk up to him and kiss him.

  Like I could pull that off.

  Ace wiped everything down before he walked to the desk at the entrance and finished taking care of the money along with the reservation book.

  I didn’t have anything else to do because I was done with all my tasks. I could just walk out and return to my kids, but I stayed put. The trees outside were wrapped with white lights, and the sidewalk was deserted. It seemed like it was just the two of us in the whole world.

  I shouldn’t do it. Nothing good would come of it.

  But I really wanted to kiss him.

  He looked so strong in that black collared shirt. It fit his hard body perfectly, his chiseled mass extending down to thin hips. He had long and toned legs, muscular thighs. Even his feet were sexy. I’d looked at them a few times on the beach.

  What if I kissed him, and he pulled away? Would I damage our friendship?

  But what if I kissed him, and he didn’t pull away?

  What if it turned into something?

  It didn’t seem like he thought of me in a romantic way, but Bree was right. What if I changed his mind about that?

  My hands were shaking, and I was out of breath. I’d kissed many men in my day, but I’d never been so nervous. The last man I kissed was my ex-husband, who left me for someone else. My confidence was gone. If Ace rejected me, I wasn’t sure if I could recover.

  But I had to try.

  Even if we didn’t turn into something romantic, anything would feel nice.

  I walked toward him slowly, my heels echoing against the hardwood floor. All the lights in the back kitchen had been turned off, so it was darker in the restaurant than it usually was. No one was watching us because there wasn’t a single person on the sidewalk at this time of night.

  I stopped when I was just inches from him, my heart blasting right against my rib cage.

  When he felt me right next to him, he straightened and looked at me, expecting me to say something.

  Now I had to do it. I was closer to him than I’d ever been.

  He glanced at my lips, almost as if he knew what I was going to do.

  So I went for it.

  I hooked my arms around his neck and kissed him, my soft lips feeling perfect against his. I slowly moved my mouth, feeling the bristles of his facial hair rub against my cheeks. Instantly, he kissed me back.

  He kissed me back.

  His pace matched mine, slow and steady. His kisses were purposeful, focused. He felt my mouth with his, memorizing every contour of my lips. He slid his hand into my hair, and he guided me away from the door, still kissing me.

  It felt incredible.

  Far better than it ever had with Evan.

  He kept backing me up until we were jammed against the wall in between two tables. His massive body pressed against mine, and he explored my curves with his big hands. He started at my hips then moved up my stomach. He glided his hands over my ribs before his fingers reached my tits. He kissed me harder as he groped them, squeezing them through my dress and bra.

  It felt so good to be touched that way.

  I got excited and wrapped my leg around his waist, my dress riding up and my thong exposed.

  He ran his hand up my thigh and moaned into my mouth. His cock hardened in his slacks, and he pressed it right against me.

  Wow, it was big.

  With one hand on my leg and the other deep in my hair, he made me feel more desirable than I ever had in my life. He was the kind of man who made me feel like a woman. He squeezed my ass with his strong hand, making me wince in pleasure against him.

  He started to grind into me, rubbing his cock right along my clit.

  Damn, he was gonna make me come like this.

  He stuck his tongue in my mouth and circled mine, kissing me like it was his profession. He breathed into my mouth w
hile he fisted more of my hair, taking me like I was a served on a platter just for him to enjoy.

  He could take me then and there, and I wouldn’t stop him.

  He pulled away, breaking our kiss just when it started to turn more intense.

  He must have changed his mind. He must have realized what this would do to our friendship.

  I hid my disappointment as best as I could.

  He pressed his forehead to mine. “Let’s go to my place.”

  He got me on the bed then peeled his shirt off. His slacks came next, along with his boxers.

  “Damn…” I stared at all nine inches of his length and couldn’t think of something classier to say. Actually, saying nothing would have been the classy move. He was so thick and long I could hardly believe it. Good thing I was soaked enough to get him inside.

  My dress was unzipped, so he pulled it from my body then unclasped my bra with two fingers. Next, he moved for my black thong and pulled it down.

  I had stretch marks, gifts from both of my girls. The bedroom lights were on, and I stiffened in embarrassment, not wanting him to see the ugly lines that now scarred my body. My figure had gone back to what it used to be, but the lines never faded away.

  Ace must have understood my reaction because he said, “I wouldn’t be this hard if I didn’t think you were beautiful.” He kneeled down and pulled me to the edge of the bed. He sealed his mouth over my opening and kissed me, giving me lots of tongue and enthusiasm.

  “Oh god…” I lay back and arched my spine, loving his warm mouth on me. He circled my clit with precision, stimulating my body in new ways. I hadn’t had this kind of passion in so long. The heat between Evan and me died the second that bimbo walked into his life. It was like he forgot why he’d married me to begin with.

  Ace blew over my opening then kissed me again, his strong hands pinning my legs back as he devoured me.

  My hand fisted his hair, and I moaned louder than I meant to, telling the entire neighborhood that I hadn’t gotten laid in forever.

  He sucked me hard before he rose to his feet, my arousal shining on his lips.

  I was in heaven right now. I already knew Ace was sexy, but damn. He wasn’t just hot, but he was a master at touching a woman. In high school, he was cute. But he was thin and quiet. In college, he started to hit the gym religiously and turned into one of the sexiest men on the planet.

  And now I got to enjoy him.

  He pulled out a condom from his nightstand then handed it to me. “Do the honors, baby.”

  I felt the foil in my fingertips but didn’t rip it open. Instead, I tossed it on the bed beside me then sat up, my face right in his crotch. I grabbed him by the base and licked his head like a lollipop. My tongue felt the grooves along his head, and I swiped at the drop of arousal that formed on the surface. It tasted like a man’s desire, and that revved my engine even more.

  His fingers moved around the back of my neck, and he took a deep breath, his breath hissing through his teeth. He looked down at me, wearing an expression sexier than any other he’d worn before.

  My fingers gripped his base as I moved my mouth all the way down. I slowly pushed him into the back of my throat, hoping I wouldn’t gag from lack of experience. I hadn’t given head in a very long time. Ace was bigger than Evan, so it felt like a whole new obstacle I had to overcome.

  His fingers moved into my hair, and he moaned as my wet mouth took him in.

  I could feel I was becoming more soaked by the minute, my wetness sliding down onto his sheets below me. There would be a spot when I moved, and I hoped he would think it was sexy. I flattened my tongue and continued to push him to the back of my throat, doing my best not to gag and enjoy him.

  Ace closed his eyes and moaned, his cock hardening even more as I sucked him off.

  He had just made me feel incredible, and I wanted to do the same to him. I used my hand to jerk him at the same time, stroking his cock as I sucked him off.

  He pulled my head away slowly, getting his dick out of my mouth. “You’re too good at that…” He grabbed the condom from the bed and rolled it on, the latex stopping near the base of his cock.

  He laid me back on the bed and moved on top of me, his muscular frame causing us both to sink into the mattress. He separated my thighs with his knees and pressed his cock inside me, sliding through my wetness abruptly.

  I let out a quiet cry and dug my nails into his arms, not used to the thick intrusion. I hadn’t had sex in so long, and my body wasn’t used to having a man inside me, especially a man like Ace.

  But it felt so good.

  He rocked into me immediately, sinking into me balls deep before he pulled out again. His powerful frame moved against mine easily, taking me roughly, like I thought every man should take a woman.

  I already wanted to come.

  Ace pressed his face close to mine and watched my reactions, staying in tune with me and understanding what I liked and what I loved. He was the kind of man who got off on pleasing a woman, not just pleasing himself.

  We’d been friends for nearly fifteen years, but this didn’t feel weird. Not once did I stop and feel uncomfortable since he was my friend. All I felt was sexual desire for this man, and I wanted him to fuck me even harder than he was now.

  I pulled him tighter against me, wanting all of his length every time he thrust, and kissed him hard on the mouth. My fingers dug into his tight ass, and I felt his muscles flex every time he moved.

  Damn, he was hot.

  In record-breaking time, he sent me into a climax. I had to stop kissing him because my body needed to scream. My high-pitched voice filled his bedroom, the echoes bouncing back at us. “God…yes.” It was the most intense orgasm I’d ever had. It shattered me from head to toe and made my throat strain from the scream I just released. I couldn’t remember the last time I came like that, feeling so satisfied and so sexy. Most of the time, I just felt like a mom who cleaned the kitchen table ten times a day because of the mess my girls made. But now I felt like a woman.

  It felt so good I couldn’t help but think I owed him something. He’d just given me an incredible gift, and I needed to return the favor. I rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips. I shoved his cock back inside me and rode him like a woman on a mission. I didn’t think twice about my stretch marks. I didn’t think twice about the fact that I was a mom. I let my emotions take control, and I fucked him vigorously even though I’d been out of the game for a while.

  He gripped my hips and moaned through the thrusts. He held himself up on one arm and wrapped the other around my waist. Sometimes he stared at my tits, and sometimes he looked me in the eye. He looked just as sexy below me as he did on top of me. “Damn…that feels good.”

  I ground my clit against his muscular body, and I fucked my way into another orgasm. It was just as hot and bright, sending shivers down my spine. My body flushed with heat, and I felt the sweat form on the back of my neck.

  Watching me come apart must have triggered him into his own orgasm, because he pulled me tight against him and released with a moan, getting every inch of his length inside me as he filled the tip of the condom. “Fuck…yeah.” He thrust into me a few more times as he finished, enjoying the remainder of his high before it completely slipped away.

  I rolled off him and lay beside him, my chest rising and falling as I tried to regain my breath. Every part of my body felt incredible. I’d just had the best sex, and now I actually felt satisfied. I actually felt sexy. I didn’t compare myself to that bimbo Evan left me for because Ace made me feel desirable.

  But now I was exhausted and didn’t want to move.

  Ace walked into the bathroom and cleaned himself off before he came back to me. He lay beside me on the bed, and despite how sweaty we were, he wrapped his arm around my waist and lay against me. He closed his eyes immediately, ready to go to sleep.

  His bedroom was dark and cool, and I could definitely sleep well there. It would be nice to sleep with a sexy man rath
er than sleep alone for once. But I had two little ones at home waiting for me. They were probably asleep by now, but my sitter was waiting for me to return.

  I didn’t want to get up, but I forced my body to move.

  Ace grabbed my wrist. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’ve got to get home to my girls.”

  He sighed before he released my wrist, knowing I couldn’t stay there.

  I got out of bed and got dressed, putting on my wet panties and dress.

  Ace got dressed too, putting on jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. He walked me to the front door, his eyes lidded with sleepiness.

  I turned around before I walked out. “That was fun… Thank you.” I probably shouldn’t have said that. It made it sound like he was doing me a favor, which wasn’t sexy. But it’d been so long since I’d been with someone, and getting my feet wet was a little difficult.

  He smiled before he kissed me on the mouth. “It was my pleasure.” He walked out and shut the door behind him, intending to walk me home.

  “You don’t need to do that.”

  “It’s not safe for you to walk home alone.”

  “Not safe?” I asked. “We’re in the safest town in America.”

  “You could still trip and fall in the dark.”

  “I live right up the street.”

  He walked down the steps to the road. “Shut up, I’m walking you.”

  I rolled my eyes even though I found the gesture sweet.

  He walked me a few blocks over and took me to my doorstep. The lights from the living room were on because my sitter was sitting on the couch watching TV. The lights in the bedrooms were off because the girls were fast asleep.

  I looked at Ace and didn’t know what to say. It didn’t seem like the time or place to have a discussion about our new relationship. We were both tired, and I had to let my babysitter go home.

  He took the reins. “Good night.” He pulled me in for a hug before he kissed me.

  Just a hug from him was incredible. He made me feel petite and safe in those big arms. “Good night.”

  I let my arms slip away from his waist then walked up the stone steps to the house. When I turned around, he was still standing there with that boyish smile on his face. His hands were in his pockets, and he waited for me to walk inside.