Free Here at Last by Kat Lansby Page A

and white ceramic mugs out of the dishwasher. A few minutes later, I turned off the stove and ladled the steaming cocoa into the m before setting them down on a pair of coasters in the dining room. Too hot to drink right away, we left the cocoa to cool and had just sat down when Etta James’s “At Last” began to play . JT smiled and stood, leading me by the hand into the center of the living room where I turned to face him . H e wrapped his arm s around my waist , and w e began to dance .
    At last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over, and life is like a song.
    With my arms around his neck, I rested my head against his shoulder and relaxed.
    “You’re a nice dancer,” I murmured.
    He rested his head against mine, and we continued to sway in one another’s arms as the sultry song played.
    I found a dream that I could speak to, a dream that I can call my own. I found a thrill to press my cheek to, a thrill that I’ve never known.
    As the song finished, I looked at JT, and he kiss ed me gently . Ella Fitzgerald’s sexy and beautiful “ Love Is Here to Stay ” started playing, and I inhaled his scent as we kissed again. There was a hint of aftershave , but it was mostly him , and I felt lightheaded. I ran my right hand down his neck and over his heart , feeling his chest underneath. With h is arms wrapped around me, our kiss deepened, and h e s lid his hands down and settled them over my bottom , pulling me closer . When I felt him hard up against my inner thigh , I moved one hand down ward and along the front of his trousers . I t took him by surprise , and he moaned softly .
    Pulling back , JT looked at me with a serious expression , and his brows furrowed. "Are you sure?" he asked.
    I couldn’t help but smile. A little s urprised at myself, I nodded. He studied my eyes for a moment. Then, he led me by the hand to my bedroom where he closed the doors behind us. The room was dark. Standing at the foot of the bed, he removed his tuxedo jacket and placed it on a nearby chair . Then, he took off his tie and cufflinks. I reached up to unbutton his shirt, and he patiently waited for me to finish. I moved my hand over the dark hair on his chest and down his belly , and he leaned forward to kiss me before stepping a little closer to unzip my dress. I t fell to the floor , and I kicked off my shoes and shivered .
    “Are you cold?" he asked.
    I smiled. “A little."
    “Why don't you get into bed?" he suggested .
    “Okay.” Feeling a little nervous, I walked around the r ight side of the bed and slid in under the covers.
    He took off his shoes, pants, and socks before getting in on the other side of the bed and joining me somewhere near the middle. When he reached for me and realized that I had already removed the rest of my clothes , he ran his hand s behind my back and kissed me deeply. Again, I inhaled his musky scent, and it excited me nearly as much as the kiss did. I reached into his briefs and stroked him with one hand as I wrapped my other arm around his body to pull him closer. He was very hard, and I used both hands and one foot to slide his briefs down his legs w h ere they got lost somewhere in the sheets.
    Chuckling, he said softly, “I’ll never find those again .”
    I smiled as h e rolled over on top of me and began to kiss my neck and breasts. As I continued stroking him, he opened his eyes and looked at me. “ You’re sure?"
    I searched the recesses of my conscience, but Nicholas was nowhere to be seen. “I’m sure.”
    JT slid his tongue into my mouth . When I opened my legs for him , he d eftly moved into me, and I inhaled sharply . He stopped, stroking my cheek with one hand and looking into my eyes. “Are you okay?"
    I looked at him and nodded, reachi ng my hand behind his ba ck and pulling him closer . We kissed, and he began the rhythmic movement that begat so many of us and didn't stop until we were both done. When he rolled off of me and took me into his arms, he kissed me on the