Fighting Perfection (The Perfection Series Book 2) (22 page)

     Before long, I relaxed and James turned to me with a smile.  “How was that, Kitten?”

     I swallowed hard and replied with a sweet smile, “Not that bad.  Maybe you do know what you’re doing after all.”

     “Yeah, for my first solo mission, I think it went pretty well.”

     I just looked at him with a raised brow.  “Aren’t you the cute one?”

     He winked at me, then looked at his control panel.  “We’re in for a nice flight.  We’ll be there in just about forty-five minutes now so ease back and enjoy the view.”

     I stared out the windows of the plane and watched the sun as it hung lower in the evening sky.  It was still fairly light out at seven p.m., but you could see it was waning.  I imagined flying at sunset would be phenomenal, way better than our simulated sky dive.  Nevertheless, being up at that elevation at near twilight was spectacular and romantic.  Just then, James reached over and took my hand.  I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye just as Laurel had suggested.  Sure enough, he was looking at me with this soft expression.  I turned to him and smiled. 

     “You look like an angel with the sun coming through the windows and turning your hair into a silvery blonde,” he whispered.  I nearly melted into a puddle on the floor.  I wanted to make a joke, to bring things to a less intense moment, but I resisted the urge.  I was no longer that young woman who nearly died of embarrassment when given a compliment.  I was a thirty-year-old woman who was accustomed to being admired.  So I pretended, anyway.

     I smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek.  He turned his head and planted a warm, soft kiss on my lips.  He smiled and looked at me again with that mixture of admiration and awe, this time open for me to see, then turned back to his instruments. 

     The flight was smooth as James predicted.  We arrived at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Municipal Airport just before eight p.m.  There was a town car with a driver waiting for us.  As we climbed in, I again asked where we were going. 

     “I suppose I can put you out of your misery now.  We’re going to a small restaurant at a winery nearby.  We’ll be there within half an hour.”

     At the word winery, I began to panic.  I did not like wine.  The only one I had ever found palatable was a Riesling.  I didn’t know enough about wines to know what paired with what.  James had gone to so much trouble to arrange a lovely and romantic night for us, I didn’t want to ruin it.  I’d just have to choke down the stuff and try not to grimace.  I sure hoped I could pull it off, although I had strong doubts.

     We arrived at the St. Francis Winery and Vineyards in time for the eight-thirty reservations James had made.  The restaurant was cozy and intimate with antiqued beige walls and a            wood-beamed ceiling with matching trim and doors.  A large fireplace added to the ambience.  It was summertime, but Northern California is known for its cooler temperatures so the fire was not overwhelming.  We were seated, and I was puzzled by the menu in that there were no choices.  James explained it was a wine pairing, and with each of the five courses on the menu, you sampled the wine they selected to go with it.  I was filled with a mixture of apprehension at my dislike for wines and mild excitement that maybe, just maybe, I might find something I liked with the variety we’d be offered.

     “Why do you look frightened, Mimi?  You look worse than you did during take-off,” James observed.

     I put the menu down on the table and sighed heavily.  I had no choice but to come clean.  “I really appreciate all the trouble you’ve gone to tonight and so far everything is lovely—perfect in fact.  I have to admit to you though, I’ve never cared for wine.”

     “Oh God, poor Mimi.”  He laughed.  “I should have tried to feel you out for your preferences before making these plans.  I pulled out my fanciest moves to celebrate your birthday and look what happened.”

     I laughed with him, my disquiet instantly easing.  “I will give it a go. I’ve always hoped to find something I liked but apart from one, I haven’t been successful so far.”

     “Well these wines are perfectly paired to complement the meal so maybe you will find it to your liking.  One flavor enhances the other.”

     “Let’s keep our fingers crossed, shall we?”

     He gave me a winning grin just as our first course was served.

     I tried so many wines that night I couldn’t keep them straight in my head.  James had been right, they really did enhance the flavors in the dishes they served.  However, the one that appealed to me the most was the port they served with dessert.  It was just so soft on my palate, slightly sweet and delicious.  I felt better that I had found things I could tolerate, but I didn’t think for a moment that I’d ever become a wine snob.  I’d be sticking with my Dirty Martinis for the duration.

     The town car was waiting for us just where we’d left it, and we settled into the backseat for the ride back to the airport snuggling close together, my head on James’ shoulder and his arm around mine.

      “Thank you for the lovely evening, James.  It was marvelous.” I said, placing a tiny kiss under his ear.

     “It’s not quite over yet, Kitten,” he said as he reached into the breast pocket of his coat.

     “Don’t call me Kitten,” I mumbled as I watched him withdraw a slim, rectangular object wrapped in gold foil and ribbon.

     He handed it to me and whispered, “Happy Birthday, gorgeous.”

     With slow deliberate movements, I began to unwrap the package.  I wanted to save the paper, it was so pretty.

     James immediately pulled the package from my hands.  “You do not open gifts like an old lady, Mimi.  You do it with enthusiasm!” He remarked, ripping the paper to shreds.

     “Oh my God!  You just destroyed what I was going to keep as a souvenir!” I exclaimed, before realizing the box was covered in velvet.  Those kinds of boxes only contained one item.  Jewelry.

     He handed the case back to me, and I opened it—slowly—much to his consternation.  Inside was a beautiful strand of cultured pearls.  I looked at him astonished that he’d give me such an extravagant gift.  I wished I’d had them to wear all evening to show off.  I took the necklace from the box and handed it to him, then turned and lifted my hair so he could put it around my neck.  The soft touch of his fingers on my skin as he worked with the clasp ignited something deep inside me. 

    “There,” he said as he removed his hands from my neck and smoothly moved them down my back.  I turned to face him, and he sucked in his breath as he looked at me.  “The pearls look lovely around your throat, but the look on your face, Mimi…  You’re breathtaking in the moonlight.”

     I leaned over and kissed him softly, my hand coming up to touch the delicate strand at my neck.  “I love them.  Thank you so much.  I can’t wait to wear them again.”

     He smiled at me devilishly.  “I’m looking forward to seeing you wearing nothing but those pearls and your high heels,” he whispered huskily.

     Again my desire flamed to the surface.  I cursed the distance between our present location and home.  I wanted him, and I wanted him right then.   I squirmed against him trying to get closer and pull his face to mine.  He allowed it, bringing his mouth down to my lips, gently teasing them apart with light, tender brushes of his tongue.  I opened to him, receiving him gladly, and he slowly, slowly slid his tongue over mine.  I stroked his tongue back licking against it, enjoying intimacy of the kiss and letting it wash over me.  It was a heady feeling, this slow surrender to the probing of his tongue, and I felt myself just melting against him.  My muscles were lax and fluid as I twisted my arms behind his neck.  Unbuckling my seat belt, he gripped my hips with his hands and pulled me across his lap.  We kissed and cuddled the rest of the way to the airport.

     Once we were in the air again, I just watched his profile as he kept us aloft.  I was so hungry for him that once again I cursed our distance from home until a wicked idea overtook me.  Out of instinct, I looked around.  It was pitch dark with the moon glowing overhead, dimly shining into the cockpit.   The stars twinkled around us at this height looking as if someone had strewn diamonds across a swath of black velvet.  I removed my seatbelt and leaned into him, kissing along his neck up to his ear and back down again.

     “What do we have here?” he asked softly.  “Is someone feeling a little worked up tonight?”

     I murmured a throaty “Mhmm…” as I stroked my hand over his chest and down his abdomen.  I felt his muscles tighten as my hand dropped lower to stroke over the hardening bulge in his lap. 

      He growled low in his throat.  “Mimi, God that feels good.  But in case you haven’t noticed, it’s a little cramped in here and this baby doesn’t have auto-pilot.”

    I pulled back and looked at him mischievously.  “There’s enough room between that yoke and your body for my head.  All you have to do is fly, boy.” I said as I started to undo his fly.  I felt his length grow against my palm as I pulled him out of the confines of his pants.  His hips flexed involuntarily, and he blew out a deep breath.  He reached up with one hand and curled it around the back of my head and slowly lowered me to his lap.  I was ready to devour him.  I had to have him inside me any way I could. I needed to be as close as possible to him.  I sucked him in whole in one great swoop of my mouth.  He threw his head back and groaned as his hands gripped the yoke tighter.  I felt the plane climb a little higher before dipping back down again.  Smiling to myself, I set about a slow, lingering, torturous rhythm.  I let my tongue dance along the sides of his cock, licking and teasing his skin with soft caresses.  I knew what he liked, what he wanted.  James was a sensation-junkie.  He wanted it fast and hard just like he fucked.  I was determined to draw this out, to coax him as close to the edge as slowly as I could.

     I made a production of it, not that I had to work very hard because I was so turned on.  I moaned seductively as I worked my head up and down in his lap.  One of his hands came down to press gently on the back of my head, but he didn’t try to take over.  He just rested his hand there as if to feel me moving over him again and again.  The confines were tight so I wasn’t able to use my hands to assist the way I normally would, but I did manage to get one wrapped around his thick shaft.  I steadily—but still slowly—built up speed, the twisting of my tongue giving way to deep suction. 

     His hips began to pump in time with my strokes as much as the small space would allow.  The hand at the back of my head soon fisted into my hair and pulled tight.  That was when he took over, pulling me up and pressing me back down faster and faster as his breathing grew very heavy and ragged.  With a loud shout, he shot into my mouth spilling across my tongue.  I greedily took every hot spurt, swallowing over and over.  When his hand relaxed in my hair, I sat up with another naughty smile.

     He turned and looked at me, his eyes wide and still filled with passion.  “I’m about to look for an empty field so I can land and fuck you senseless,” he finally said.  “My God Mimi, that was incredible.  It was definitely a first for me.”

     I found that hard to believe as long as he’d been flying.  Surely he’d gotten kinky with other women in the air.  I shrugged it off.  It wasn’t my job to think about the past.  It was my job to do my part to make this night as memorable as possible.  With that in mind, I leaned back against my door and slid my dress up my thighs until the triangle of the front of my lace panties was showing.

     “I’m not done yet,” I said on a breathy whisper.  “It’s my turn.”

     I moved one of my feet up onto the seat parting my thighs for his full view.  Wedging my heel in between the seat cushions so as not to mar the creamy leather upholstery, I moved my other leg, widening the distance between my legs.  Closing my eyes, I reached up and gripped my breasts in both hands and slowly began to stroke them.  I heard him suck in a breath and hold it before letting it out in a whoosh.  I began to churn my hips as I reached inside my dress to fondle one breast, pinching the nipple and plucking into a tight peak.  The other side tightened sympathetically, and I moaned softly. 

     I felt James’ touch on the inside of my thigh.  I opened my eyes to see him looking at me raptly in between glances at his instrument panel.  I pulled my panties to the side, inviting his searching hand to explore further.  He didn’t disappoint me.  His deft fingers slid up to my slit and began to brush over my damp lips.  He took his index finger and trailed it gently down the seam before parting me and exposing me to his hungry eyes.

     “I didn’t think you could get more beautiful than you were the first time I saw you,” he said hoarsely, “but damn it, Mimi, if you aren’t more striking every time I look at you.  Like this, you are a goddess.  So wanton, so hungry, so ready for me.”

     He pressed his fingertips to my clitoris and began rubbing gently in slow circles.  I arched my back at the pleasure it brought me, the tingling that began where he made contact with that tiny bundle of nerves spreading throughout my entire body.  I pressed up tighter to his hand, seeking more pressure, more pleasure, just more.  He interpreted my needs and dropped his hand down to fill me with two of his fingers.  I cried out finally feeling something of what I needed.  As he pumped his hand, drawing his fingers in and out of me, I slid my own hand over my swollen bud and began to massage it myself.  I was panting heavily, a sheen of perspiration beginning to dot my brow and chest.  He picked up the pace and before long, he was thrusting into me with the force I needed to bring me over the edge.