May I kiss you?

A gasp left her throat at his bold admonition, but even she didn't get the chance to adjust before his sturdy arms came clasping around her midriff and jaw. The kiss was shallow and hesitant, his bold eyes searched hers for what seemed like a sign of a go ahead and when he seemed to find it in her, he hoisted her incomparably smaller frame up and wedged her against the cold surface of his Cadillac.

Jema hardly felt the cold surface as her body fired up, simmering like a volcano about to erupt. Her pulse points throbbed dramatically, her heart drumming in rapid succession as if they were about to explode. Every bit of her was—from the fiery kissing they were engaged in.

Her arms went to his shoulders for support and one lazy arm strolled up to his hair... Damn, those curls!
She loved the feeling of clasping them tight in her hand like she had the reigns on this domineering man whom everyone feared. She loved that he didn't mind though.
She felt his arm tighten around her belly when he bit her lip in a painful yet sensual manner, eliciting a shock-filled moan from Jema.

All her life, she thought she'd known passion in all its forms. From the sweet, subtle, jittery to the fierce-some kind but what she felt with Theo was beyond her experience. He wasn't doing anything different from her past lovers neither was he doing the same thing, all Jema knew was that it either came with his aura or Theodore Newman was a male version of the goddess Aphrodite because he's made her see stars twice in the space of three days.

Her senses only returned when he had his fill for the night and ended their kiss. That was the moment Jema realized she hadn't been paying attention to them anymore, she'd been lost in her head, reviewing the facts instead of living in the moment. Jema felt her legs drop to the floor but the jittery hadn't left her wobbly legs as they struggled to relearn composure.

"I'll take you home," he whispered, waiting and watching as she gathered her disheveled self. She gave a nod when she realized he wouldn't move until she said something.

Theodore strolled around to the driver's side and snapped the door open. Jema watched him go around, unsure what to make of everything that was happening. It was happening so fast, so fiercely that she craved it more than anything else at the moment and not until the night breeze hit her skin did she jump into action, pulling the door open before jumping right in.

The car felt warm a bit but she still felt cold. Her fingers rubbed against her skin in a bid to warm up. She spared a glance at Theo as he drove them home, he wasn't wearing a jacket but even if he was, would he offer her if she mentioned she was cold?

The answer came out blank, but she didn't want to push it, she didn't want to disperse the butterflies in her belly or the strong electrifying bubble they were in.

Even though he didn't stare back at her, Jema could feel his need inches away, they told in the calmness of his face, his hunched shoulders, and his relaxed arms. He wasn't frowning as much, rather it looked like he was in thought, deeply resolving if this thing between them should be fostered or fettered.

It was a long silent drive home but not an awkward one, Jema felt relieved when their car pulled up to the front door. Nothing was more important to her than the need to shield herself from the cold as she scampered her way into the mansion.

In all her prayers for discreteness, Jema had smiled when she found the house asleep with most of the lights turned off, leaving only the dim yellow lights which only added a romantic warmth to their evening delight.
There was no sign of Martha or the sneaky Madame to demean her actions with a scornful glare. She looked at the man a foot behind her and found he was already watching her, eyes blazing with passion. Her breath hitched as hers stayed on him, the moment lost on them in their bubble.

Hope was a sore thing to have, she learned. To hope that he'd do more, say more, and not just kill her with hesitation. Times like this she loathed Theodore's impassive reservations. She wasn't thinking straight and neither was he, but it wouldn't hurt if they satisfied this burning desire for each other.

"I'll see you in my room, then," were the words that set her heart rippling with cannon balls of joy and excitement. She couldn't hold the bouts of smiles that came on her face. Hope was indeed powerful!

"And..." he trailed before he raised a thumb and said. "Don't forget to brush your teeth." Theo took the stairs two at a time and made his way through the left wing disappearing before her eyes.

Her feet flew to work, climbing each block in excitement like a pro hurdler. Even as she stood before the mirror brushing off every debris in her mouth, Jema still felt giddy like a two-year-old who was promised candy. Her eyes shone and she almost had to smack it off her face.

Get a grip woman!

"Brown or blue?" Jema raised the silk material toward the white light in her room, feeling undecided about which color of nightie would look best for her soon-to-be romantic encounter with her boss. Jacob loved the wood colors on her more, she ran a hand over the material splayed on her bed then sighed when she caught herself.
"Blue it is,"

There was a folder worth of feelings one felt when they were about to do something they might regret. Most of them were undeniable but some—the most logical ones which might put an end to your maybe once-in-a-lifetime night of unique pleasure—were the most denied and suppressed. Jema gulped down that tiny thought and dropped a knock on the door, counting the seconds it took before it cracked open to reveal Theodore still cladded in his shirtsleeve and black trousers with a glass of scotch in hand. He made room for her to step in while he hovered around the bar for whatever reason he did.

Jema felt awkward knowing that all the while she'd been prepping and meticulously picking out which theme would smooth them more, he'd cared less about appearances. Even though a button or two of his shirt was undone, it still didn't feel like he'd made an effort.

"You want one?" He raised his glass at her from where he stood. She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes as she'd rather search the room for more interesting things. "You can have a seat if... you know?" He reminded her like she was some shy schoolgirl. Jema felt her disappointment turn to anger as she shifted on her foot and made for the door.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing?" He rushed after her and from behind he held the door before she could wring the handlebar.

She was again trapped between him and a surface, a much warmer surface though but Theodore was playing games with her and she wouldn't let herself be made to feel stupid for wanting something, they were both adults for heaven's sake!

"Maybe this isn't a good idea, I thought I should leave before the awkwardness rips me apart." Came her honest answer. Surprised she admitted to the sparks between them, he watched her in utter amazement then dropped his hands to the side.

One of the few things he loved about the woman who stood before him was her ability to wear her true emotions on her face. It was a devastatingly scary realization for Theodore at first but once he'd gotten over his doubt about her he'd been overwhelmed by the maze of a woman Jema was. Unguarded, she'd throw her life in place of a loved one's, she was respectfully obedient but not timid. Her voice grew louder than the speakers if one wronged or tried to take her for granted, he saw it from the way she fought for her late husband, from how jealously she'd loved and cared for his son.

Probably why he'd been drawn to her ever since. Nothing screamed as powerful and enthralling as a woman who wore her vulnerability like armor because that was an unprecedented behavior in Theodore's world.

He found his hand trailing the slender bone on her collar, coming to a stop at the dent between her throat and shoulders. He let more fingers play when he spread them across her glistening skin, smoothing up to the back of her neck. Her soft gasps let him know she wasn't as angry with him as before so he took it as his cue to take her reddened lips in his.

Gawd... she was too slender for his hold as he wrapped his arms around her so that not even a needle could pass through them. First was her lower lip, jutted out like that, he devoured them like they were cheerier than cherries. Next was the scent of her, dammit! It had him reeling with desire, the smell of fresh skin.

"Why do you smell like that?" He asked before he could realize it. Her eyes flew open as she looked at him in wonder.

"What?... baby lotion?"

Then it all came to him, her secret ingredient was a mere baby lotion! "Ha!" He laughed and went back to kissing her lips. He loved how she caught curls of his hair and held them tight as if her life depended on it. It only made him mad with desire, his search extended beyond her neck to her chest, ripe and perky at his touch.

Jema breathed a heavy sigh of delight as his fingers finally massaged gently at her throbbing nipples, she'd feared he'd never get to them in time. Her insides were ablaze, moist and tingly at her core and when he felt her legs wobble, he hoisted her higher from the floor in his arms and headed for the king-sized bed.

His enormous size hovered above her like dark clouds, only he was about to storm her whole being with his dexterous lovemaking. "Wait," her heart stopped at his word. "Are you still..." he trailed off, unable to explain further. Jema stared ludicrously at him until realization dawned on her.

"Oh no, I'm done for the month," she smiled and welcomed him back into her arms.

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I wrote this chapter for 3 straight hours 😫😫
With all the pausing and thinking and writing and doubting if it came out fine! I hope it did.