"The Calla Lilies. Yeah, she loves those." Liam said to Morgan on the phone while massaging his neck. He turned in the office chair looking out the front window.
"What did you want the card to say?" Morgan drawled on the other end of the phone.
"Hmm," he thought, leaning back in the chair for a moment.
His neck was sore as hell having slept in the most awkward position in the theater chair the previous night. Penelope fell asleep on him, so sound, so peaceful. He should have woken her up at the very least when the movie ended, but he didn't have it in him to disturb her.
He pushed up from the chair rolling his shoulder around, then leaned on the window frame. He checked his watch. He wanted to take Penelope somewhere when she got home from whatever the hell she was doing. If she didn't get back soon, they'd be too late.
"Mr. Rogan?"
"Huh?" He blinked and looked at his phone forgetting what he was meant to be thinking about.
"The card?"
Silence as he tried to pick back up on the conversation. Nothing.
"The card for your mother."
Ah, yes, Mother's Day. "Uh, just uh, keep it simple. You know, like something I would say. Something about how much I appreciate her and love her."
"Right. Sure thing. Anything else, Mr. Rogan?" Morgan drawled.
The air got caught in his lungs when the garage door started to open and Penelope's SUV pulled up the driveway. "Uh, no. Thanks as always. Hey, when is administrative assistant day? There's a day for that, right?"
"Yes, sir. It was last month."
He winced. "Did I get you something?"
"You do every year. You're a very generous boss, sir."
He exhaled. "Good, what did I get you?"
"Tickets to a very nice gallery opening."
"Oh, good. Good." The more realistic scenario was that he told her to get something for herself.
He frowned at that.
He wasn't a very thoughtful person, was he? The back door opened and he heard Penelope struggling. "Thanks Morgan."
"My pleasure."
He hung up the phone and hurried out of his office to grab the grocery bags from Penelope.
"You could have called. I would have come to the car to get them."
She giggled a little bit. "What, and pull you out of some super important meeting to bring in groceries when I'm capable of doing it? That doesn't sound like something I would do at all."
True, but still. "Just saying." He said, putting the groceries on the counter. "The offer still stands if you care to use it in the future.
"Thanks." She put the final bag on the counter with a big exhale. "You know, for just saying." They held each other's gaze for an extended period of time before she smiled, more with her soul and eyes than with her lips. She brought her attention to the bags in front of her. "You said you needed me back around this time; am I late?"
"Right on time if we leave like five minutes ago."
She frowned. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
She raised a suspicious eyebrow putting several things in the refrigerator.
He laughed a little feeling the amusement down to his toes. "I don't want to ruin the surprise."
Her facial expression got more suspicious. "Surprise?"
"Don't worry. It's nothing crazy."
Another little laugh. "Now I am worried."
Less than twenty minutes later the food was put away and they were cruising down the highway in the Lambo that caught her attention on their first day. The drop top was down and the wind was whipping through Penelope's hair. A slight smile was permanent on her face. He almost wanted to just stare at her the entire time, but of course that was impossible because he had to focus on driving.
He cut across three lanes to take his exit, the wind calming down enough to hear the music playing. "Frida told me what she told you, wife."
Penelope glanced over at him, the sun catching her caramel brown eyes. "Frida is crazy and I mean that in the most endearing and figurative way possible." Penelope made a scrunched up face. "I refuse to call you husband and will not respond to you if you call me that."
"Ouch." He laughed, pulling away from a stopped position when the light turned green. "Good enough to bed but not to wed. Feelings are hurt." She shoved his shoulder making him laugh again as she fought the amusement showing through on her twitching lips.
"Now, where are you taking me?"
"Only my favorite place in the city."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's a bold claim."
He nodded. "Oh, just wait until you sink your teeth into what they have to offer. Did you bring your appetite?"
He glanced over at her and his chest buoyed at the site of her light-hearted smile. "I didn't eat lunch today actually." He almost forgot how solemn he usually seemed. He felt jovial and playful. He liked it, felt good. He felt silly for being nervous about his time with her. She had a relaxed energy about her. It was almost like her presence was soothing. He didn't understand how he was so energetic.
Teeming with life.
"I never had a favorite food," he broke through the silence. "It's something that really bothers my mother." He confessed. "I am, deep down inside, an American born guy so naturally." He pulled into the parking lot of a very questionable looking building. There was a part of the building built out front that looked like it was added on without getting approval from the local authorities. He laughed at was unmistakably a look of disapproval as he swung into the drive-thru line, which, to no surprise, was long. "Damn it. I thought we got here early enough to miss the rush."
"What the hell is this place? There's no sign." She looked around.
He frowned. "Well, there was a sign." He said, looking around as if trying to locate the elusive said sign. He shrugged giving up. "Big Bagongo's Burger House."
He laughed as she looked at him trying to maintain a straight face.
"Why the hell would you-- how in the hell would you find a place like this?"
"Believe it or not, my boss took me here after a game of golf."
She looked at him like he was dropped on his head as a child.
"What?" He laughed. "I swear. It took me off guard too, but just wait until you-"
"Sink my teeth into a burger."
He looked over at her as if she called his mother out of her name. "Not just any burger. A big, buttery, seasoned and cooked to perfection, Bagongo burger."
She nodded her head. "Right, my bad."
He shook his head and moved their car forward with the line. "The burgers aren't even the best part. Wait until you try these curly waffle fries. I know, I know. Fries, boring on a good day, right?"
She weighed his words with a non committal gesture.
"Yeah, I get it. I usually skip fries, but these, I'd drive all the way out here just for the fries. Always hot and fresh, burn your face if you try them right out the window, which I confess I do more often than I should."
"How often do you come here?"
He shrugged. "Not a ton. I try to be able to fit my suits."
She nodded. "And fit them you do." He smirked over at her, noticing her surprised look. He didn't think she meant to say that out loud. Maybe that's why his guts gripped a hold of itself and squeezed.
She frowned as if something he said made confusion in her mind. "Curly waffle fries? How do they do that?"
The corner of his mouth lifted as he rolled up to the window. "Oh, you will witness the sorcery first hand. What do you want?"
"Cheese burger, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, mustard, ketchup."
"Drink?"
"Lemonade."
Some time later she had a bag near sopped through with grease in her lap which she shifted to the floor as he pulled out of the fast food place.
"Where are we going now?" She wanted to know letting her hand wave in the breeze as they drove.
He checked his watch. "We should make it in time."
She frowned. "For what?"
"You'll see."
She crossed her arms and her frown deepened. "You're playin' with me and I'm not in the mood."
He laughed. "Just relax. You'll see."
Thirty minutes or so later they were finally parked at the drive-in and she was handing out their food.
"Fries first please. No one likes cold fries."
"I know right? I mean--" She paused and her eyes closed when she took a bite of the fry. "Oh my gawd. Mmm, how the hell do they--?" She took another bite.
"See, I told you."
"You just messed me up Liam Rogan."
The corner of her mouth lifted as she set back in the chair and enjoyed each fry. He could have sworn she was at some point talking to the fries.
It made him laugh. There was something else that swelled inside of his chest too. Was the pride, some sort of joy from bringing this woman pleasure? He shrugged.
"What are we watching?"
He frowned. "Uh, not sure actually." He grabbed the tickets from the console between them. "Double feature. King Kong and The blob."
She giggled. "Oh, how generous of them."
He laughed finally getting to the burger. He closed his eyes when he took a bite. So damn good every time.
"Mhm."
He looked over at Penelope with grease oozing down her face.
"They messed around and did it with this damn burger. Mmm." She said, taking another bite after wiping the side of her mouth.
He brought his attention back to his task, because all he wanted to do was catch the rogue ketchup with his tongue that was racing down to her chin.
It was some time later, the sun was fully down and the movie was in full swing, but he had no idea what was going on. It was like her energy was palpable next to him. He glanced over at her and he started when he found her gazing intently at him.
"What?" Suddenly he was hyper aware of a lot of things including his longing to be closer to her again.
"Hmm." She said, making his frown and focus on her.
"What's wrong?"
She exhaled. "I'm still hungry."
He frowned. How the hell could she be hungry after--
He frowned when she started clicking buttons. The window started rolling up, the a/c cut on then off. "Penelope what are you doing?"
"Trying to figure out--"
Another button clicked and the radio cut on then off.
"Penelope, what are you trying to figure out?"
"How to close this roof."
He frowned. "It's a perfect night to have the roof op--" His words stopped abruptly in his throat when she placed a hand on his knee. When he looked up at her, there was a glint of mischief in her dark eyes.
Her hand started sliding up his pant leg making his breath catch. "I said, close the roof."
Without hesitation his hand went right to the correct button and the top started to fold closed.
He moaned a whispered curse when her hand grazed up to his crotch then back down over his penis that was quickly waking up to the idea of whatever she had in mind.
"Penelope?"
"Shhh," she placed a finger over his lips leaning across the console. Before he could protest again, her mouth was on his making him release and rest in her warmth, and her adoration of his body with her hands. His hips flexed into her touch, one hand clasped her jaw the other grabbed her ass. She moaned into his mouth, struggling to undo his pants.
"Penelope," he moved to help her, but she pulled away from him and frowned in a way that made him abort his attempt at assisting and rest his arms on the armrests adjacent and let her have her way.
The corner of his mouth lifted watching the look of determination until she achieved her goal with a look of satisfaction and pulled him free of the confines of his pants.
"Awe shit." He said, letting his head fall back against the car seat when she leaned forward and wrapped her mouth around the head of his cock.
There was nothing else but the feel of her tongue and lips suckling and lapping at him as if he were the dessert that was not on the menu.
He laughed in his mind recalling her words right before all of this started.
'I'm still hungry.' She'd said with that mischievous look. How did he not know what was afoot?
He moaned her name and thrust his hips toward her busy mouth. Her hand was working his length sending tantalizing thrills of energy sliding over his brain and sizzling through his entire body. It was too much, so much that he wanted more and it had nothing to do with the pending release that he was trying with all his might to push far away.
"Penelope." He maneuvered himself so his cock popped out his mouth.
She set up with a look of confusion.
He didn't like it; so, he grabbed the back of her neck and claimed her lips. She moaned and leaned into his kiss, hot, urgent, needy before he pulled away.
She looked dazed. He liked that.
"Put your seatbelt on." He said, starting up the car. The engine roared to life under them. She frowned and her head fell slightly to the side.
"Why? I thought it was a double feat--" She squealed when he pulled out of his spot. "Liam! What are you doing?"
"Put your seat belt on."
"Why?" She gasped when he turned out of the drive-in with one hand on the steering wheel the other stroking up her inner thigh and coming in contact with the heat between her legs. "Where are we going now?" Her voice was airy, weightless, staggered.
"Home."
|:|A/N|:|
The next time he tells you to put your seat belt on, Imma need you to just do it and stop asking questions. LOL
Thoughts?
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Quickie reminder that on Sept 8th 2020, I'm Launching a new Full Length Novel called Sommelier which is book two in the Dirty Wine Series. Teasing the Palate (Book 1 in this series) is available in ebook in most places including Radish so check your favorite!!
Thanks for reading,
-Alex