Mentor's Match Read online

  They had just finished eating when she looked at him and asked, “Was there something you wanted to ask me?”

  He wondered if they should clear the table first, but then decided it would be better and more casual if they stayed at the table as opposed to going to the living room.

  “I want you to hear me out, before you say anything,” he started.

  She cocked an eyebrow at him but agreed.

  “I remember you said you wanted to date vanilla men,” he said. “And I don’t imagine that has changed since you had the flu. However, my opinion has changed. And if you’re still interested in that, I’d like for you to date me, as a vanilla man.”

  “What?” She asked with her eyes wide with shock.

  “I’m honest enough to admit what I want,” he said. “And I want you. Not only that, but I don’t want you to date anybody else. So, if you want to experience vanilla, I’d ask that you consider trying it with me.”

  She looked at him as if he was speaking to her in German. “You’re going to pretend to be vanilla?”

  “No. I’m not going to pretend to be anything,” he said.

  “Then what are you going to do?” she asked.

  “I’m going to be vanilla for you.”

  “How’s that going to work?”

  “Well, for starters,” he said, “we won’t have any kind of kinky sex.”

  “Are you saying we can have sex, though?” she asked.

  “I hope so,” he said. “Doing this with you will be kind of an odd situation. It’s nothing like anything I’ve ever tried. And I’m honest enough to say that I don’t want you with any man. Whether he’s into kink or not doesn’t matter.”

  “I honestly can’t see you doing this,” she said. “Any of it.”

  “I like you, for one. And I want to be with you. As a result, I’m willing to do anything you’d like to make sure that happens. If that means going vanilla for a bit?” He shrugged. “I’ll be vanilla for a bit.”

  “What happens if I really love vanilla?” she asked.

  “I guess we’ll cross that bridge when get to it.”

  “You’ll forgive me for saying this,” she said. “But I don’t think you’re the type to cross a bridge when you get to it. More than likely, you’ll either build your own or blow up the one that’s already there.”

  He laughed. “You’re probably right.”

  She gave him a look that said she knew she was, but then her expression grew serious. “Can I think about it before giving you my answer?”

  “Of course,” he said. “I’d say take as long as you need, but I’m a fairly impatient man.”

  “It shouldn’t take too long. I just want to made sure I’m making the right choice for me.”

  ~~~~~

  She ended up telling him yes. Of course she did. To have a man like that tell you that he was willing to do something as extreme as giving up part of who he was? How could anyone turn that down? She surely couldn’t.

  She glanced at the clock for the third time in as many minutes. He was to pick her up in about fifteen minutes for their first date. He wouldn’t tell her what his plan for the evening was, just that she should wear something very casual. She ran her hands down her blue jeans. She’d paired it with a light blue tee she hoped wasn’t too casual.

  Standing, she began to pace. Why was she letting this date get to her so much? She wasn’t this nervous before her date with Morris.

  She snorted. Like anyone could possibly compare the two men.

  One look at Morris had told her that he wouldn’t be any trouble at all. And even though she knew he found her attractive, he didn’t look at her with that stare she swore could peel back every protective layer she had and peer into the hidden parts of her soul the way Fritz could.

  When she took all that into consideration, of course she felt a little nervous. Besides, she had a feeling sex with Morris would be boring as hell. Fritz’s statement that he hoped they had sex, even if it was minus the kink, wouldn’t leave her alone. There were many ways to describe sex with Fritz, but boring as hell wasn’t one of them.

  The sound of a car pulling up to the guesthouse made her jump. He was here. She ran into the bathroom to check her appearance in the mirror one last time. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she smiled to ensure there was no food in between her teeth.

  She’d just nodded in satisfaction, content she looked passable, when he knocked on the door.

  “Coming,” she yelled on her way to let him in.

  As always when she saw him, she was momentarily stunned. It really wasn’t fair to any other man on the earth how breathtaking he looked.

  “Hey, Kate,” he said when she opened the door and didn’t say anything.

  “Hey,” she managed to get out and stepped to the side so he could pass. “Want to come in?”

  “Just for a minute,” he said.

  She saw the basket in his hand as he passed. “Is that what I think it is?”

  He placed it beside the door. “It is if you think it’s a picnic basket. Are picnics okay with you?”

  “Are they okay with me? Are you kidding? I love picnics. It’s been ages since I’ve been on one.” In fact, she couldn’t remember the last one she’d been on.

  “I’m happy to hear that. I figured we’d just find a spot somewhere around here, on Daniel’s property. I thought I saw a good location while we were out fishing not too long ago.”

  “Sounds good,” she said. “Lead the way.”

  She followed as he started walking. He didn’t seem to be completely sure where the spot was he’d noticed from the boat. Every so often, he’d stop and look. She feared he’d never find it and was about to say as much when he turned and pointed. “I found it. This way.”

  From there, it didn’t take long to make it to the spot he found. She walked beside him and as they approached, she saw he was right. It was a beautiful location. All kinds of wildflowers covered the ground and there was a small clearing that hinted they weren’t the first couple to have discovered this spot.

  Out of habit, she glanced at the sky and was a bit surprised that it looked like rain might be in the forecast. But she’d watched the weather earlier and didn’t remember anyone calling for rain.

  One glance at Fritz showed he wasn’t bothered by the weather at all. He put the basket down and from the top he took out a blanket. He carefully unfolded it and looked at her. “Can you hold that side down?”

  “Sure.” She stood when he had asked her to and watched as he finished spreading the blanket out and set everything out. He had it all wrapped up in either containers of plastic or in foil. She stifled a giggle because it definitely was not a Martha Stewart picnic, but he’d obviously put it together himself and that was damn impressive in her book.

  “Do you think it’s going to rain?” She asked when he finished taking food out.

  He stopped what he was doing and looked up for the first time. “I didn't hear any mention of rain, but it really does look like it doesn’t it?”

  “It’s not doing anything now. Let's just ignore the weather.”

  He passed her a plate, and then started opening containers. She was surprised to find that he had packed a vast assortment of different items. Sandwiches. Fruit. Potato salad. From the bottom of the basket, he brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  “You thought of everything,” she said. “I'm impressed. You must have done this before.”

  “I’ll never tell.”

  She laughed and that was fine, she really didn’t want to hear about his picnics with other women. And she knew he had to have had them.

  For the next little while they ate and chatted contently. They discussed everything, from work to baseball. It came as a surprise to her that he had an interest in baseball. She had never heard about that many Germans following the sport. Then again he was never the typical anything.

  He looked at her when they finished with a playfulness in his eyes. “Are yo
u ready for dessert?”

  “Yes,” she said, right as a fat raindrop landed on her nose.

  There were times a rain shower would pop up and it would almost tease you with its subtle approach. This was not one of those storms. Within a matter of seconds after the first drop, it was as if the bottom of the sky fell out and they were drenched.

  “Damn, that was fast,” Fritz said, looking up at the sky as best he could, but he didn’t move from where he sat.

  Why should he move? It wasn’t like there was anywhere to go. The nearest shelter was the guesthouse and it was a bit of a walk to get back. What point would it serve to run when they’d be just as wet if they stayed where they were?

  She giggled at the entire situation.

  Fritz looked at her as if she’d gone mad. “This is funny?” But he was smiling when he asked.

  She stood up. “Not funny. Just fun.” And she held her arms out and spun around, laughing while she did. “I’ve never done anything so ridiculous in my entire life.”

  She held her hand out to him. "Come join me." She didn't think he would. It was too hard to imagine the no-nonsense German goofing off in the rain. He stood up though, but instead of doing anything light hearted, he pulled her to him. She looked up and her breath caught.

  He looked heartachingly beautiful with the rain running down his head. God, who knew a man could be so hot simply by being wet?

  "Kate," was all he said and then his lips were on hers and he was kissing her with a passionate intensity she felt to her toes. Without even thinking about it, her hands slipped under his shirt and her fingers brushed the taunt muscle of his chest.

  His hand fisted in her hair and held her to him. Her only reply was to moan and shift her body closer. The sensible side of her whispered she was crazy to be standing in the rain so shortly after being sick. But no sooner had she thought that, she shut the thought down. She could drown in this man. Surely his kisses alone could sustain her.

  He pulled back and, still breathing heavily, he whispered, “Dance with me.”

  She couldn’t formulate a response with him smiling at her at her while the rain continued to come down.

  “Yes?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Sure, why the hell not?”

  He spun her around, and they started the most absurd, fantastical, hilarious version of the waltz that had ever been danced. She’d have bet money on it.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “I need a bath,” Kate said. “Dancing in the rain was fun, but now I feel icky.” She looked over her shoulder and caught his gaze. “Come with me?”

  He raised an eyebrow. Not surprising, she thought since they hadn’t done anything physical since he’d made his pronouncement. Instead of saying anything further, she slipped her shirt over her head.

  By the time he made it into the bathroom, she was naked and waiting. Unscented bubbles filled the tub since she decided he probably didn’t want to smell like a rose garden. She’d even set out a pile of towels for them to dry off with when they finished.

  He kept his eyes on hers as he slipped his pants down and stepped out of them. He shrugged out of his shirt and it joined the pants in the discarded clothing pile. When he had nothing left on, she held out her hand and led him into the tub. He stepped in behind her, placed a hand on either shoulder and kissed the nape of her neck.

  “Sit down, “ he said. “I have you.”

  She sank into the warm, sudsy water and he followed, settling in behind her, a leg on either side of her body. She leaned back into him with sigh as his arms came around him. For several long minutes they stayed like that. His fingers slowly stroked her upper arms. The sensation was more arousing than she would have thought possible.

  She wondered if he would take the initiative to do anything tonight? Or was he going to leave everything to her? The thought of taking charge both excited her and freaked her out. What if she did something he didn’t like? She pushed the unwelcome thought away, if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to move.

  She decided that he had way more self-control and self-confidence than she did. Finally, she turned around slowly in the tub, careful not to splash too much, and sat back down straddling his legs and facing him.

  He didn’t look surprised at all. In fact, he said, “Took you long enough.”

  She just laughed. “It’s very strange, being here like this, and not having you in control.”

  “A good strange, or bad strange?”

  “To be honest, I haven’t decided yet.”

  “Let me know when you do.”

  She tried to position herself in the tub. Alone, it was no problem, but he was freaking huge and since he was sharing it with her, she had to work around him. She twisted this way and that, in her attempt to get comfortable and it wasn’t until he sucked a breath in through his teeth that she realized how close she was to his cock.

  “Sorry,” she muttered and finally settled for straddling his legs. “I’m set now.” She looked around, noting how they were sitting. “I’ve decided this is a good strange.”

  He made a noise that was somewhat of a grunt and somewhat of a moan. Unable to tell if was agreeing with her or not, she asked, “What do you think?”

  He looked at her strangely, but answered her question, “Kate, I can’t think of anything other than driving my cock into you with you sitting on me like you are.”

  She gave him a smile and ran her hands down his face, along the column of his throat, brushing his chest. “I like touching you like this.” She ran her fingers back up his body and across the expense of his shoulders.

  He didn’t answer, so she decided to spend more time doing that exact same thing. Ever so slowly, she ran her hands all over him. She’d never touched him like this before, and she explored the different areas of his skin. The hardness of the muscles of his chest, the slip of his waist, and further down to his legs, which tensed at her touch.

  He gave very little information away with his body language. And as such, she made it her new goal to see how wild she could make him. First of all, she slowed herself down. She took her time in exploring every bit of him she could reach, above the water and then dipping underneath. She dropped her head to his neck and nibbled along the skin there. She stuck out her tongue and tasted him, enjoying the light salty flavor of his skin. She bit his earlobe and that made him moan. Oh yes, she could get used to teasing him. She dropped her mouth and licked his chin. The stubble she found there scratched her tongue, but even that felt good.

  "You better watch it." His warning was said in almost a growl.

  ”Oh," she said. But she didn’t stop what she was doing.

  "You're playing with fire."

  "I certainly hope so,” she said, because she was. She shifted ever so slightly in the tub, bringing her body closer to his, so she nearly brushed his erection. Then she started to move her hips, gyrating slowly, yet getting faster the closer she got to him. She brushed him softly once, twice, and still she didn't stop. She went a bit faster, but still only brushed him ever so slightly. She wanted to make him crazy.

  “Kate."

  She didn’t stop, she ignored him. Other than picking up the pace a little bit.

  “Kate.”

  She closed her eyes, concentrating on how the slight touch of his body against hers below the water, made her a trembling ball of need. She shifted her hips again, and moved even closer, coming against him harder.

  Suddenly, his arms came around her shoulders, locking her to him in his embrace. His hands were everywhere, all over her. And his touch was so hot. So very, very hot.

  But if he thought any of that would make her pull away, he was mistaken. She loved it. And she pulled back, but only to offer herself to him.

  He knew what she wanted and brought his hands up to lightly stroke her breasts.

  "Harder." She thrust her chest toward him, begging for more. He answered in kind, his thumbs circling her nipples, his head lowered and he teased one with his teeth. She whimpe
red because it felt so good. She lowered her hand below the water to bring relief to her aching clit, but fast as lightning, he grabbed her wrist.

  "No." He placed her hand back above the water. "Not yet.”

  She wanted to whine that that wasn't fair. That wasn't their agreement. But she didn’t, because she knew following him would only bring her more pleasure. She couldn’t help showing her displeasure with a heavy sigh.

  “There you go,” he said. He leaned his head down and whispered in her ear, “It will be even better this way.”

  He teased her with his hands and his mouth and his tongue. Much the same way she had done him. Eventually, he got her to the point where she was wild with need and consumed with lust. She wanted him badly. He moved his hand down between her legs to start playing with her clit and she bit her tongue so she wouldn't come. She mumbled incoherently to the point that she wasn’t even sure what she was saying, when he whispered again, “Stay with me. Almost.”

  She let him tease her for a few more minutes, but then decided that they had both had enough. She reached down and took his hand, shifting them in the tub. She moved so she was on top of him, and lining herself above his cock, slowly sank down on him. She kept her hands on his shoulders, and she could feel her nails sinking into his skin, but he didn’t seem to mind. His hands were on her hips, not guiding, just holding her steady.

  “Fuck,” he said as they both watched his cock sink inside her.

  “I plan to,” she whispered.

  But slowly at first. Gently, she lifted herself up using her upper body strength and ever so slowly moved up and down as though she had all the time in the world. As if she could stay there forever, enjoying the way she moved and he moved in and out of her body.

  Slowly and softly, she continued her movements until she felt his body strain in an effort to go deeper and harder. It felt heady to be in that position for once with him. To be the one in control. But she would think about that later. Right now, she only wanted to focus on the pleasure their bodies brought and the way they moved together. She wanted to remember him like this. With his eyes filled with lust and need and want. All for her.