14 - Steppin' Out

One stocking glided over Sheridan’s freshly pedicured foot and sugar-scrubbed leg.  The smooth silk brushing against her smooth skin felt gloriously decadent, and her legs and feet weren’t the only part of her feeling smooth, thanks to her afternoon in the spa. 

She’d done the Brazilian waxing thing a time or two during her marriage, but Ian hadn’t shown a preference for it.  Since he hadn’t shown a preference, Sheridan hadn’t seen the point in putting herself through the discomfort.

Jon, however…?

I have a feeling he just might appreciate it.

Both stockings now fastened to the garter belt, she stood, and the satin G-string caressed the baby-smooth skin between her legs. She adjusted the lacy ribbons on the demi-bra and turned to the mirror for the overall effect. 

Subtle leopard print encased her breasts, her sex and circled a fine line around her hips.  An appropriate look for a sex kitten, she thought. 

Jon had gone on with all the kitten and cat comments so much the night before that Sheridan had been unable to resist splurging on the sexy lingerie set and high-end hosiery.  Conservative was her usual look, and she wouldn’t stray far from it tonight – chocolate suede pencil-skirt just above the knee, matching boots, tight fitting chocolate sweater and a cream leather jacket would all give the appearance of classic elegance.

Only one man would find out that underneath that traditional attire was a sex kitten waiting to come out and play.

I can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun trying to be sexy for a man.

Her ‘dual identity’ made it all that much more fun.  Tonight, Jon wouldn’t know what was under her clothes.  He wouldn’t have any idea whatsoever.  But after tonight – if there was an ‘after tonight’ – he would know, and always wonder what the ‘other’ Sheridan was wearing.

The second boot was just being zipped when the doorbell rang.  Her scarlet lips tipped up as her stomach fluttered with anticipation as she checked the clock, recalling his text message from this afternoon. 

Delmonico’s at eight.  Pick u up @ 7:30 

And he’s right on time.

She pulled on the leather jacket, making sure its zippered sides met over the v-neck of her sweater.  Even fully dressed, she could see at least three love bites on her neck and upper chest.  She should have been appalled, but it was actually kind of a turn-on to be marked by a man’s passion.  Last time, after Jamaica, she’d actually been disappointed when the little bruises faded. 

Shaking her hair so that it was around draped around her neck, Sheridan realized she really was a slut puppy.

If nobody knows that besides you and your lover, does it really matter?

Her boot heels tapped impatiently down the stairs, rounding the bannister and the kitchen table to come to a quiet halt in front of the door.  She popped up on her toes to look out the peep hole and, confirming that it was Jon, she shook her hair and released the locks with a smile.

“Hi.”  God, he was gorgeous.  Black jeans, black shirt and black jacket only served to make his blue eyes shine brighter.

Without a word, Jon stepped through the doorway, slid his right hand around the back of her neck and held firmly.  Irreverently disregarding her carefully made up lips, he claimed her mouth with a hot possessiveness that nearly had her knees buckling.  The thick swipe of his tongue had her purring from the back of her throat and Sheridan’s pitifully eager hands sought him, burrowing under the jacket to clutch at his waist. 

“Happy birthday, Kitten,” he finally murmured, wiping the smeared lipstick from her mouth.  “I’ve been thinking about that all damn day.”  His cocky smirk curled her toes as he touched a finger to the marks on her neck.  “Among other things.”

This is going to fade away.  This intensity.  It has to.

Until it did, or he lost interest, she was going to milk it for all the enjoyment she could.

“How about we close the door so I don’t give the neighbors a free show?”

His husky chuckle sent tremors down the insides of her thighs.  “There’s not gonna be a show,” he informed her, nonetheless closing the door as she took a step back into the apartment, leaning against the kitchen island.  “We have reservations in half an hour, and what I have in mind will take longer than that.  Besides, you’ve got a present to open.”

She finally noticed the flat, oblong gift in his other hand.  It looked so much like the last two packages, with its white box and red ribbon that she laughed.  “It definitely looks like your handiwork, but you didn’t have to do that.  I was happy with what you ‘gave’ me last night.”

He moved into her personal space, putting his empty hand on the edge of the counter and pressing his hips into her softness.  “Glad to hear it, because I’m gonna give it to you again after dinner.  I might even give it to you in the bathroom during dinner.  Or in the car.  Or on the fuckin’ street corner.”

“You are the dirtiest man,” she quietly marveled.  Was he this randy all the time?  If so, it was no wonder he’d seen a million women and fucked them all.

“So what’s your point?” A few sparks from that million-watt smile teased her with his impudence.  “I want you.  I’ve never made a secret of that.  Now…”  He created enough space between them to present the package again.  “Open your gift so we can go.”

She didn’t want the gift.  She wanted him.

You’ll have him all night.  Open the damn thing.

Her hands trembled only slightly when she accepted it and he took a step back to give her some room.  Sheridan untied the bow, putting the ribbon on the counter in a small heap.

“What’s that perfume you’re wearing?”

She smiled slyly, resting her hand briefly on the box lid.  “You like it?”

“Mm.  It’s nice.  Sexy.”

Working the lid free, she found inside a nest of red tissue paper, just as the cell phone had.  “It’s ylang ylang.”  The paper folded easily back to reveal an uber-soft rectangle of cloth.  Very expensive leopard print cloth.  She couldn’t wait until he found the irony in his little gift.

“It’s a scarf.  If you have something to hide the hickeys, I don’t feel bad about giving them to you.”

Extracting it from the tissue had the folds of material rippling toward the floor in a luxurious flow of designer spots.  It was simply gorgeous and perfectly matched the outfit she was wearing.  She immediately wrapped it around her neck, asking, “Did you pick it out or have an assistant do it?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, not at all.  I was just curious.”  They barely knew one another.  To expect him to personally select a gift for her was silly.  Flouncing the ends of it over her jacket, she lifted her eyes to his.  “Thank you.  It’s lovely, but completely unnecessary.” 

Jon reached forward a hand and tugged lightly on one of the ends.  “I didn’t hand-choose it, but I was very specific in what I wanted.  Something classy enough for a pedigreed pussy, but with a hint of sex kitten.”

“You did not tell someone that!”

If he had, so help her God…

She let go of her indignant huff in under ten seconds.  He hadn’t.  Otherwise, he wouldn’t be laughing right now. 

“Not in so many words,” he confessed, eyes sparkling like a mischievous little boy.  She bet his own little boys were hellions.  “I asked her to get a scarf for a sophisticated woman who liked cats.”

Delighted laughter trickled from her lips.  Jon probably had a good laugh of his own about dispatching whomever on that mission. 

“Ingenious, Secret Squirrel,” she complimented, leaning in for a brief kiss that lingered a little too long.  “You sure you want to go out?  We could order in…”

“Uh huh,” he mumbled over her open lips.  “We’re going out to dinner.  I’m more than a piece of meat, ya know.”

Sheridan’s head fell back in a hearty laugh.  “Shouldn’t that be my line?”

“I’m all about equal opportunity sexual harassment.”  He grinned down into her face and rested his hands on her hips.  “Tell ya what...  We’ll go.  We’ll have the Steak Oscar I owe ya.  We’ll talk a little, get to know each other.   Hell, who knows?  We might even like each other as human beings instead of fuck toys.  If not…”  His hot palm snaked up the back of her thigh.  “We’ll come back and be pieces of meat together.  Work for you?”

Oh, if he only knew how that worked for her.

“Yeah.  That works.”

“Car’s waitin’, Baby.  Oh, and Sheridan?”  Jon’s fingers curled around her elbow after her first step, and he bent to buss her cheek in a sweetly platonic kiss.  “You look pretty tonight.”

❧❧❧

The car ride was pleasant enough, but Jon was glad it had been short.  Being that close to her and that damn scent she was wearing made it nearly impossible for Jon to keep his hands to himself.  He would have a better shot of doing that in public.  The surprising thing was that he wanted to. 

During their time together Sheridan had revealed just enough details about herself to make him curious as to whom she was outside the bedroom.  Looking the way she did tonight – very much your average, upper-middle-class woman – only intrigued him more.  Yes, she told him she was a different person in public, but actually seeing the contrast between Sheridan and the sex kitten drove the point home in a big way.

Sliding from the back seat of the SUV, Jon reached in to help her from the car.  Returning her smile of thanks, he put a chaste hand at the small of his back and ushered her up the two small steps that would take them into the front door of Delmonico’s.

The door swung wide before Jon could reach for the handle.  Of all people to run into, out breezed…

“Suzy!  Karl!”

That answered one question.  The sex kitten hadn’t rushed to share the news of her ‘conquest’ with Suzanne.   No, Sheridan’s face had gone pale and her wide, green eyes screamed ‘busted’.  He could understand the feeling.  He didn’t think he wanted their ‘relationship’ to be on anybody’s radar either.

“Sheri!  Happy birthday, honey.” Karl swooped in to give her a hug before reaching to give Jon a hearty handshake.

“Sheri,” Suzanne Fenning greeted her friend oddly.  Her lips brushed the air next to Sheridan’s cheek, but her eyes never left his.  “Jon…”  The pretty redhead nodded politely, before turning back to Sheridan.  “Sheri, you didn’t tell me you were going out with Jon tonight.  I can’t believe you didn’t mention it while we were having lunch today.”

“I…”

Hoping that Sheridan wouldn’t have his balls on a platter for the bold move he was about to make, Jon broke in with, “I have no manners.  It was a last-minute business dinner.   I found myself with a free evening and asked her to meet me and discuss the biography.”

Now those incredulous green eyes whipped around to him.  Jon spoke a silent message into them as he smiled, silently encouraging her to get on board.  “Isn’t that right, Sheridan?”

She only hesitated for a heartbeat before diving right into the thick of his story.

“Yes… Jon called while I was at the spa today, Suzy.  He insisted on meeting with me out of respect to Karl, even though I tried to explain Karl was kidding about the book.”

Her composure came together quickly, Jon noted with pleasure.   Kitten could think on her feet when pushed.  He liked that. 

“He did?”  Skepticism fairly dripped from the words falling from Suzanne’s mouth.  “How did he get your phone number?”

“She gave it to me Sunday night,” Jon lied through his perfectly straight teeth.  “There wasn’t time to discuss business on the ride home, and I knew I’d be following up with her.  I was proud of myself in having the foresight to ask for it. “

“Suzy, baby, it’s cold out,” Karl tried to coax his suspicious wife away, offering Jon a subtle roll of the eyes as he did.  “Sheri and Jon want to get to their dinners and the babysitter is waiting for us.  You can talk to Sheri tomorrow.”

“Al…right.  But I am definitely calling you tomorrow.” 

With that reluctant agreement, the Fennings shuffled away with a wave, leaving Jon and Sheridan to slip inside the front door of the restaurant. 

“Well…” Sheridan drawled dryly.  “We were almost outed right there on the street.  Could that possibly have been any more awkward?”

Jon gave the hostess his name and, while she was checking the reservation list, he bent to speak directly in Sheridan’s ear.  “She could’ve seen the bite marks all over your neck.  That would’ve been awkward.  For you, anyway.”