Free New Life by Bonnie Dee

suggested. On top of which you’d been to
a family party and took your sister to a movie. I wish you’d have
said something. We could’ve rescheduled.”
    I gripped the cold glass and watched the
beads of condensation rolling down. “I really wanted to go on a
date with you. I was looking forward to it.”
    “Me too.” She leaned over and rested a hand
on my knee. “But please don’t feel like you have to hide parts of
yourself. Hell, you’ve seen me at my worst, crying like a baby. I
think we’re way past having to put on a show for each other. If you
feel like crap, tell me. We didn’t have to go out. A quiet evening
is fine by me.”
    She smiled, reminding me just how gorgeous
she was. “And if talking feels like too much effort, we can sit
here quietly and listen to music. It is possible for me not
to babble, you know.” She squeezed my knee. “How are you feeling
now? Do you want me to go and leave you in peace?”
    I smiled at the ridiculousness of that
possibility with her hand on my leg. “No.”
    “Want to”—her fingers lightly dug in, and a
jolt of lust rocketed through me—“put on some music?”
    “Sure,” I croaked.
    My stereo system consisted of my laptop and a
couple of cheap speakers. I put on a mix with a lot of quiet songs.
Anna sat back, resting her head against the chair and closing her
eyes. “Nice.”
    This gave me an opportunity to study her
face. Thick lashes fanned over her cheekbones. Pale constellations
of freckles tattooed her face in mysterious designs. Her wine-red
lipstick made her full lips even lusher. My desire to feel her
mouth beneath mine was almost unbearable. If we hadn’t been kept
apart by the yawning chasm of two chairs, it would’ve been easy to
slide closer, rest my arm behind her so her hair brushed my
skin.
    She sipped her juice, then set it aside.
“This is nice.”
    “Mm-hm,” I grunted, still busy plotting how I
could make some sort of move. Maybe it was too soon and I should be
patient. Anna would let me know if she wanted this to be more than
a platonic evening. But the singer whispering lyrics about bodies
entwined was reinforcing my haze of desire.
    “Would you…want to dance?” I asked.
    Anna opened her eyes and smiled at me.
“Absolutely.”
    I rose stiffly, feeling awkward and nervous,
until she moved into my arms as naturally as a cat curling up on a
cushion. Then my body seemed to know exactly what to do. I curved a
hand around her waist and clasped her hand, closed my eyes and felt
her warm softness, inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, practically
tasted her essence in the air. It had been a very long time since
I’d touched a woman, and I was rediscovering how amazing it felt
simply to be close. Naturally, I wanted more. I’m a guy. But at
that moment, I was pretty content to be pressed against Anna and
swaying back and forth.
    She rested her head against my shoulder.
“See. I knew you could dance.”
    “Guess I can.”
    I rubbed a circle at the small of her back.
Her ass curved just below the edge of my palm, and I was tempted
but didn’t go any lower.
    “Mm, that feels nice.” She let go of my hand
to put both arms around me. She held me so close I feared she could
feel my erection pressing against her. After a few moments of
dancing like that, barely moving, Anna tilted her head to look up
into my face.
    Should I kiss her? I didn’t want to get it
wrong and have her flee my apartment, never to be seen again. But
then I stopped worrying as nature took over. I lowered my face
toward hers, and our mouths brushed together lightly.
    I cupped her neck, and her soft hair brushing
the back of my hand felt every bit as good as I’d imagined it
would. Anna’s mouth opened and her tongue slid over mine, warm and
sinuous. I tasted the sweet tang of pineapple juice. I lost track
of time for a bit as our mouths fused and our hands moved all over,
touching, stroking, dragging each other even closer.
    Anna’s fingers tangled in my hair