Chapter 6

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Inviting Sookie over was a spur of the moment kind of decision. If I was being perfectly honest, work was kind of boring when she wasn’t around. I liked talking to her. She held her own with the guys although they were careful not to get too far out of line with her. Of course there was a healthy amount of checking her out but it was a lot of look but don’t touch.

 

Des was cool about a lot of things but Sookie being made to feel uncomfortable wasn’t one of them. Not only could it cause legal problems down the line, but he also had an eight-year-old daughter. Ariana was rapidly approaching the age where boys were going to pay attention to her appearance. Jace, his son, was barely out of diapers but I knew he was trying to teach the kid manners.

 

Not that I wanted to sexually harass Sookie, exactly, but there was definitely something going on with us. I didn’t know if it was just flirting, trying to figure out what was going on or if we were trying to avoid the inevitable. Personally, I thought it was a big mistake to dip my pen in company ink but something about her was making me reconsider that idea. It was unique to her, though.

 

Beers were cold and the grill was hot by the time Sookie arrived. She crept around the side of my house like a spy might, sticking to the shadows and ducking under the windows. I admired her willingness to keeping up my nonsense. When she knocked on the door I went over to it and asked, “What’s the code?”

 

Spies had secret codes, right?

 

“Just the tip,” she replied in a horrible Russian accent. It was followed by a not so secret giggle.

 

I laughed at her choice and opened the door for her.

 

“Say word and you get whole enchilada,” I winked as she stepped inside.

 

“Mmm, you know I love Mexican,” she smirked.

 

“Well no one wants the whole borsht,” I said.

 

“True story,” she nodded. Sookie held up the grocery bag. “Porterhouse and Cherry Garcia.”

 

“I like that combination. Ever had a Black and Blue?” I closed the front door behind her.

 

“Can’t say I have,” she answered, looking around.

 

“Blue Moon and Guinness,” I explained. “Interested?”

 

“I am. Mario can use a break,” she smiled. Sookie followed me to the kitchen, setting the bag down on the counter when we got there. She pulled her cardigan off and hung it on the back of one of the chairs. “Ready to get dirty,” she told me, rubbing her hands together.

 

“Who’s Mario?” I forced myself not to check out her tits. It wasn’t easy.

 

“I named the Malibu while I was on my way over here,” she smiled. “He feels like a Mario.”

 

“Huh. I wouldn’t have guessed the Malibu was a Mario.” I took the grocery bag from her to pull out two rather large porterhouses. They looked pretty good. “Pepper crust okay?”

 

“Yep. Do you have a plan for sides?”

 

“I mentioned Black and Blues, right?” I smirked as I ripped off the saran wrap on the steak packages.

 

“You can’t have steak without a side,” she said, shaking her head. Sookie took it upon herself to walk over to my fridge, opening it so she could put her face in there to see what I had.

 

“Sure you can.”

 

I’m not staring at her ass. I’m not staring at her ass…

 

“Do you have any pasta noodles? I can make mac ‘n cheese,” she replied without looking back. She started reaching in to pull cheese and butter out.

 

“I don’t know if I do or not,” I admitted. I could grill just about anything and I could cook simple things like eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches, but I mostly got by on snacks and whatever we ordered for lunch at work.

 

“If you had them where might they be?” She had an arm full of dairy products when she stood up.

 

“Uh, probably in the cabinet to the right of the fridge.” I was still working on modernizing the kitchen. The countertops needed replacing but I couldn’t afford the ones I wanted yet. Eventually I’d get there.

 

She set the items she had on the counter before moving to the cabinet I directed her to. She started rifling through it and quietly whispered ‘Yahtzee’ after a moment. She pulled out a box of Kraft mac ‘n cheese.

 

“I can just use these noodles and toss the powdered cheese,” she grinned at me.

 

“But the cheese powder is the best part,” I replied.

 

“I can make you some powder sauce to pour on top of your own mac,” she said seriously.

 

“How can you not like mac ‘n cheese? Are you really a Russian spy? You are, aren’t you? No American turns down Kraft mac ‘n cheese,” I said just as seriously.

 

“You’re not from around these parts are you?” she replied.

 

“Because I like Kraft?”

 

“Because you prefer it over homemade.” Sookie found a couple of pots and started getting to work on making cheese sauce. “Fill that pot with water.” She pointed at the second pot she found.

 

“I have steak hands,” I said. “And I never said I preferred Kraft to homemade.”

 

“What would you rather have right now?”

 

“Neither, if I’m being honest,” I told her.

 

“Um… so just steak and beer?”

 

“That was my plan.” I thought that was pretty clear…

 

“Well… Mind if I still make some for me?”

 

“Go for it.” I flipped the steaks over to season the other side.

 

“I’m sorry, I need a sold carb with steak and beer,” she said. “My ass didn’t get this big doin’ nothing.”

 

“Actually, isn’t that exactly how asses get big?” She smacked my arm.

 

“You know what I mean, smart ass,” she chuckled.

 

“Don’t hate me for blowing holes in your theory,” I teased.

 

Sookie stuck her tongue at me before she took the water pot to the sink to fill it.

 

“How do you want your steak cooked?” I asked her.

 

“Medium well, please.”

 

“You got it. I’ll be out on the deck,” I told her as I picked up the plate to get the steaks going. I already had a drink out there waiting for me. The steaks sizzled when they hit the grill. It wasn’t long before Sookie was coming through the slider with a bottle of Guinness in her hand.

 

“You’ve seen me tipsy, so don’t get offended when I start making inappropriate comments,” she said as she approached me.

 

“I can handle it.” I hoped I could, anyway. “Want the tour?”

 

“Please.” She took a sip of her beer.

 

I led Sookie back inside and pointed to the left.

 

“Dining room will eventually be that way. I’m still doing reno work so for now that’s where I put downstairs furniture when it’s in the way,” I told her. “I just put the floors in a few weeks ago. It used to be nasty carpet.”

 

“The floors look good,” she complimented.

 

“Thanks. The living room is this way.” I pointed straight forward. She knew that though since she had come in that way.

 

“Caught on to that when I walked in,” she smiled.

 

We walked by the stairs and I flipped on the lights in the spare room I was mostly using for storage. Eventually I was going to make it an office or maybe a game room. I had five different game consoles in the living room, earning me The Look.

 

It wasn’t really judgmental but it definitely implied that I was dangerously close to crossing some kind of line. I ignored it.

 

Mostly.

 

“My bedroom and another guest room are upstairs,” I told Sookie. I didn’t know if she wanted to go up there or not.

 

“If I drink too many of these beers I may need to borrow that guest room,” she told me.

 

“There’s a futon in there,” I said. It was leftover from college.

 

“If I’m too drunk to drive home I won’t even care,” Sookie chuckled.

 

“I even promise to keep my hands to myself.”

 

“Are you sleeping in there with me?” she asked.

 

“No,” I said quickly. That would be a really bad idea.

 

“Then I don’t think your hands are in danger of wandering,” she shrugged before taking another drink of her beer.

 

“I just want that on the record.” I showed her where the downstairs bathroom was and then said, “This concludes the tour. Don’t forget to tip your waitress.”

 

“I don’t have any cash on me, take anything else?”

 

Kisses? Titty flashes? Lap dances?

 

“Smiles and bad jokes are good.”

 

“You’re a cheap date,” she smiled.

 

“I’m a date?” I quirked my eyebrow.

 

“It’s an expression, Eric.”

 

“Just checking. I’ve felt your eyes on my ass–”

 

“Ha! How can you tell when your eyes are so focused on my tits?” She pressed her tits together when she said it, drawing my eyes a few inches further down.

 

“I think that’s an exaggeration.” I wanted to yank her shirt off so I could see what was under it. Of course I didn’t. Instead I turned around entirely. “I should go check the steaks,” I said as I walked away.

 

“I’ll be in the kitchen,” she told me.

 

Not that I didn’t want her around but I was starting to second guess how smart it was to invite her to my house.

 

***

 

I propped my feet up on the coffee table and closed my eyes. “I think I’m having food triplets,” I said.

 

That may have been all the beer.

 

“I doubt that,” she chuckled as she sat down next to me.

 

“I’m serious.” I grabbed her hand and put it on my stomach.

 

“They’re not kicking yet,” she commented as she started to rub small circles.

 

“Thank fuck,” I muttered. No more beer for me.

 

Her hand felt nice, though. Too nice.

 

It woke up another part of my anatomy.

 

“Mmm, my Gran used to rub my belly when it was upset,” she said softly as she continued to rub in a counterclockwise rotation. “She said it helped digestion.”

 

I didn’t know if it was true but it felt good.

 

“What’s the backup plan in case this doesn’t cut it?” I asked curiously.

 

“I don’t know, this always worked,” she told me. She moved a little closer so her arm was at a better angle.

 

“I guess I’ll just be patient then.” It was nice that we could just be quiet together.

 

“Patience it a virtue,” she said quietly.

 

“I think that’s a crock,” I told her.

 

“Oh yeah? You like to rush things?” Sookie leaned over, resting her head on my shoulder while she rubbed.

 

“Depends on the situation. Taking your time doesn’t necessarily mean being patient.”

 

“I guess,” she shrugged the best she could.

 

“What about you?”

 

“What about me? Do I like to rush things?” Sookie tilted her head so she was looking up at me.

 

“Yeah. Are you a rusher?”

 

“Depends on the situation.”

 

I closed my eyes again and put my head back. I didn’t want to think about how good it felt to have her so close to me. That wouldn’t do me any good.

 

“Should we watch a movie?” I suggested.

 

“Sure. You don’t look like you feel like moving to grab the remote though,” she chuckled softly.

 

“Not really.” Lucky for me I didn’t need it. I got my phone out of my pocket and opened the remote app to turn on the TV.

 

“Oooh, fancy pants,” she giggled.

 

“Not really. Anyone with this cable provider can download the remote app.” I tapped the DVR button to access what I had recorded.

 

“What are you in the mood to watch?” she asked as she looked toward the TV. “I’m not picky when it comes to movies.”

 

You dancing naked would be good…

 

I thought I said it in my head but the way Sookie’s head snapped up, I started to wonder.

 

“What?”

 

“What do you mean what?” she said with wide eyes. She shook her head and added, “I shouldn’t be surprised. I already knew you wanted to hang out with Thelma and Louise.” Sookie sat back on the couch. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that her headlights were on.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” That was serious bullshit and we both knew it.

 

“Eric, all you have to do is ask and I’ll flash you my tits. They’re nothing special,” she chuckled.

 

“That’s a very nice offer, but no,” I said. I even grabbed her hand and moved it off my stomach. It was safer for us both if she cut that out.

 

“Okay,” she shrugged.

 

I wasn’t really sure what to do after that, so I stared absently at the TV. I didn’t know what we were watching and I didn’t really care. I was too busy trying not to focus on how good Sookie smelled.

 

A few minutes passed before Sookie shifted on the couch. She scooted closer to me so she was sitting on her knees facing me. She reached out, cupping the side of my face and tilted my head toward hers. Sookie’s eyes locked onto mine as she slowly leaned in closer. Whatever I was feeling, she seemed to be feeling it too.

 

“We probably shouldn’t,” I said quietly.

 

“Then stop me,” she replied just as softly as her lips moved closer to mine.

 

I should have, from a logical standpoint, anyway. Fooling around with a coworker was a bad idea. If things didn’t go well it made work awkward and it wasn’t like Sookie and I could easily avoid each other if that happened.

 

As soon as her lips touched mine I knew I was screwed. Whatever had been bubbling between us was definitely boiling over. I kissed her back but let her decide how far it would go. Her lips were soft and surprisingly sweet. Maybe it was her lip gloss.

 

We started with a few sweet, lingering pecks until Sookie licked the seam of my lips. As soon as I opened up for her, her tongue dipped into my mouth tentatively. Her tongue was just as soft as her lips and as it became more sure she lifted her leg over my thighs to straddle my lap. She sat far enough back that my growing erection wasn’t trapped and her hands moved to my hair, gently combing through the back as our tongues began a slow dance.

 

She was a good kisser. Her hands felt good in my hair and her weight on my thighs was just right. I held onto her hips and pulled her a little closer to me. My hands moved around to her back to knead her perfectly rounded backside. Sookie moaned into the kiss and nipped at my bottom lip.

 

“I think this is what you’re interested in,” she whispered against my lips as she reached back to grab my hands and moved them up to her tits.

 

“I was making my way there, Little Miss Impatient,” I teased and squeezed her tits. They were way more special than she thought.

 

“Then by all means, go back to what you were doing,” she giggled quietly. She kissed the corner of my mouth, slowly moving those kisses down to my neck.

 

“I intend to.” Instead I reached up to her hair to tilt her head back so her long neck was exposed. I felt her shiver when I licked her warm skin.

 

“Mmm, why didn’t you tell me you were so good at this?” she moaned, rocking her hips.

 

“You never asked.” I kissed along her neck until I found a spot that made her gasp and her hips thrust a little harder.

 

“I haven’t had the opportunity until now,” she breathed. “Do that again.”

 

My tongue swirled around that spot and Sookie moaned as I sucked on it. I let go of her hair and put my hands back on her tits to graze her stiffened nipples with my thumbs. Her head fell back as her hips moved like she was slowly riding a bull. I could feel how warm her center was as she rubbed against me.

 

It went on like that for a few minutes before she grabbed my hair to pull my head up so she could kiss me again. It was a little more fevered that time. She seemed to like what I was doing if her body’s reaction was any indication.

 

I wanted to pin her under me but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure what we were doing but it didn’t feel wrong and I definitely wasn’t stopping it from happening. The honest to God truth was that I couldn’t remember ever kissing a girl and having it feel so right.

 

I just hoped it didn’t turn out to be a disaster.

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