Fauxmance (Showmance #2)(54)

“Correct.”

“Well, that makes me feel a little better.”

“You don’t need to feel self-conscious in the slightest, Ellen. I’m fond of you exactly because of who you are, that includes your experience or lack thereof.”

She ignored my compliment. “I think I’ll order the chicken. Do you like chicken?”

“I love chicken.”

She closed the menu, lifted the phone and made the order. She also included a bottle of wine, but I hoped she didn’t plan on getting drunk. I wanted her to relax, but I also wanted her lucid. I wanted her to feel every moment of this night right along with me.

“Tell me about one of the virgins,” she said, turning to face me now, all business.

Since we were in private, I indulged her request. “The most memorable was a lady in her mid-forties. She was a university professor of mathematics, had devoted her life to her studies, but she’d never had any romantic interactions with a man. She felt she’d gotten too old to put herself out there, which I disagreed with, but anyway, she hired me because it felt less intimidating than going to a bar and trying to pick up a man.”

“And you did it? You took her virginity?” Ellen asked quietly, leaning forward.

“I did.”

“How did she feel afterward?”

“She was happy, I think. She never hired me again, so I’m not sure if she ever went on to find someone or if she simply went back to her old ways.”

“That’s what I fear will happen to me,” she revealed. “That I’ll be alone forever.”

“If you are, it will be by your own choice. You can be with someone, Ellen, you just need to be brave and overcome your fears.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” she muttered.

“Come here,” I said, voice soft.

Her pretty eyes flicked up and she visibly swallowed. She stood and closed the distance between us, standing before me. I placed a hand on each of her hips. “Sit on my lap.”

Hesitantly, she placed one knee on the armchair, followed by the other so that she straddled me. She held her body up, and I had to press on her hips to coax her to sit.

“Hi,” I said, our faces close. I touched my nose to her chin and nuzzled.

There was a moment of frantic breathing before she replied, “H-hello.”

Carefully, I removed her glasses and set them on the side table. Next, I grabbed her hands and placed them on either side of my neck. Being close like this was a good start. I trailed my fingertips along the underside of her arm when I spoke low, “Is there anything else you’d like to ask me?”

She bit her lip, looked away then back. “Do you always know what your clients look like before you meet them?”

Interesting question. “No, actually. We only speak on the phone.”

“So, you make a decision purely based on their personalities?” She appeared to find this curious.

“I do. I’ve had sex with all manner of women, Ellen. Big, small, young, old, beautiful, ugly. If we have a connection, looks are irrelevant.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Why not?”

“Because, in order to have sex with someone, you must need to at least find them a little physically attractive.”

I continued to stroke the underside of her arm, enjoying her small, pleasured inhalations. “That’s true for many people, but not for me.”

She scrunched her brow. “Why not for you?”

I took a moment to consider how to answer. It was a deceptively complicated question. “Because I’ve had sex with countless people, and from a very young age. The way I think about it, how my body reacts, has evolved. To put it in simple terms, I don’t become aroused by seeing a naked, beautiful body. If I see two people being intimate in porn, for example, I find it appealing but not titillating. For me, sexual arousal is a much deeper thing. It happens when I find something hidden inside my partner, something only I can see.”

Her fascination appeared to override her shyness when she asked, “Have you found that in me?”

I caught her cheek in my hand, pulled her closer and replied, “I found it quite a while ago, Ellen.” I angled my head and pressed my lips to hers lightly. I could feel her pulse hammering away as I bent to taste her again. Her mouth was soft, her movements unsure, but she definitely enjoyed the kiss. I continued to press my lips to hers, nibbling at her, opening her up until she submitted to me. Her mouth finally opened fully, and my tongue swept inside.

She was so innocent, so new to all this. I savoured the way her body trembled, how she fisted the collar of my shirt, pressed her soft breasts to my chest, unable to get close enough. We kissed fast, then slow, then long and lusciously deep. I relished kissing someone new, someone who had layers I’d yet to discover. It blew my mind to have her react to every little touch, every press of my lips, every flick of my tongue.

I was lost in her, completely and totally swept away. I didn’t know how long we kissed, but it must’ve been a while because we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Must be room service,” I said and reluctantly broke away. Ellen’s eyes were still closed, her mouth slightly open, like she hadn’t fully recovered from our make-out session. I slid her off my lap and went to open the door. She sat dreamy-eyed on the armchair while our food was rolled in on a cart. After I tipped the hotel worker, she left, and I lifted the metal cover. The food looked delicious, but I’d much rather go back to kissing Ellen.