Wet Ink (Plus Size Loving) BBW Erotic Romance Read online

  “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a System of a Down fan.”

  His brows rose, but he smiled at her. “Really? What would you have pegged me for?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Michael Buble, or maybe Frank Sinatra.”

  “I have a wide variety of taste when it comes to music. If you don’t like it I could put something else on.”

  Valerie shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Unusual music for a first date, maybe, but fine.”

  He laughed. “I’ll make sure to think of something more appropriate next time. Did you know he used Frank Sinatra for inspiration?”

  Valerie’s jaw dropped. “Serj Tankian?”

  Alex laughed again. “No, silly. Michael Buble.”

  “Oh.” She shook her head. “You had me going there for a minute. No, I had no idea, but it makes a lot of sense. Some of Buble’s songs have a similar style.”

  They continued talking about music for the rest of the twenty-minute drive, until they reached the restaurant. Because it was still warm out, they opted to eat at the tiki bar rather than inside the restaurant proper. They snagged one of the little wooden tables closest to the railing so they were right next to the water. The open sea air teased her nostrils and played with the tendrils of her hair, tickling her neck.

  The waiter came by, offered them menus, and asked if they would like to start with drinks and an appetizer. “Our Lobster Mac and Cheese is very good,” he recommended. “It is made with spicy tasso ham, smoked gouda béchamel cheese, and caramelized bread crumbs. Excellent stuff.”

  “Sounds delicious,” Alex said. “I’ll take one of those… and a glass of Napa, too.”

  “Excellent choice.” The waiter turned expectantly to Valerie. “And for you, Miss?”

  Valerie’s stomach actually growled, but she knew if she ordered something like that she would look like a total pig in front of Alex. “I think I’ll go with the Chopped Salad, and a glass of Pinot Grigio.”

  “Very good. I’ll be right back.”

  Despite the tiki bar being packed to bursting with patrons, the waiter returned swiftly with their drinks and appetizers. Valerie dug into her salad, and she had to admit it was almost like a dessert, tossed with apples, strawberries, candied pecans and other fruit, and topped with port wine dressing. Even so, she couldn’t help but sneak glimpses at Alex’s Lobster Mac and Cheese—it looked and smelled heavenly.

  Don’t even think about it, she snapped at herself. The last thing you want him to do is catch you drooling after his food. If you’d wanted that stuff so much you should’ve ordered it when you had the chance. Too late now.

  Her stomach betrayed her then with a loud growl, and Alex looked up, catching Valerie’s eyes before she could drop them back to her plate. He grinned at her. “Sounds like someone’s hungry. Here, have some of mine. That stuff can’t be doing anything to take the edge off.”

  He scooped up a forkful of gooey mac and cheese, and Valerie’s hands fisted underneath the table. “No, it’s alright,” she said hastily.

  He frowned. “Val, I didn’t bring you out on a date so you could starve yourself. If you’re hungry, eat.”

  “I don’t—”

  He shoved the fork into her mouth before she could finish the sentence, and her eyes closed at the heavenly taste of the ham, cheese and macaroni melting on her tongue. “Mmm.”

  “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He pulled the fork from her lips and scooped up another bite. “Have another.”

  Valerie frowned. “You don’t need to feed me, Alex. I’m not a child.”

  He smiled. “Believe me, the last thing I think of when I look at you is a child. You’re a woman, through and through. You just looked hungry, and I can’t stand the thought of me sitting over here enjoying my food while you’re starving. Please, have some more.”

  Alex held up the fork to her lips again, and this time she took it willingly. Her lips, pink and glistening, wrapped around the fork and slowly slid the food off it. Her eyelids fluttered as she let out a low moan of satisfaction, and Alex’s pulse sped up.

  Valerie swallowed, and then opened her eyes. Her breath caught at the gleam in his slightly narrowed eyes—he looked like he wanted to devour her. No man had ever looked at her like that before—not even the few sexual partners she’d had in the past. They stared at each other for a long moment, Valerie not sure what to say, or if she should even say anything at all.

  The moment was broken when the waiter returned to their table and asked them if they were ready to order their entrees. They both looked up at him, Valerie slightly flustered as she realized they’d gotten so caught up in each other they’d forgotten to look at the menu again. They took a minute to decide on their entrees, and then the waiter left them alone again.

  This time, when the food arrived, Valerie dug into her plate with gusto. Once or twice she had a twinge of self-consciousness as she and Alex conversed over their dinner, but true to his word he didn’t make a single remark about her eating habits. They finished things off with an enormous brownie sundae, then lingered for a while with their drinks.

  “What do you say we walk around Centerport a bit?” Alex asked.

  Valerie looked out over the water to see that the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. “Actually, I think I have a better idea.”

  Five minutes later they were walking along the beach, holding their socks and shoes in hand as the surf tickled their bare feet. They held hands as they talked about nothing and everything, as they watched the sun go down and the few stars come out.

  “I have to admit one thing I miss about home is that there was no light pollution,” Valerie remarked. “You could actually see all the stars in Kansas.”

  Alex looked up at the sky. “I bet there are a lot.”

  “There are almost more stars than sky—it’s like a black blanket encrusted with diamonds,” Valerie said softly.

  “Maybe someday you can show me the stars in Kansas.”

  Valerie glanced up at him to see him looking back down at her, his expression tender. “That would be nice.”

  He tossed his socks and shoes away from the surf, then cupped her face in his hands. Valerie drifted closer to him, feeling it was the most natural thing in the world as he laid his lips against hers. They were warm and firm, and sent a sizzle through her body that left her breathless. His hands roamed her body through her dress, rubbing gently up and down her back and the sides of her hips, just barely skimming the undersides of her breasts.

  The arousal that had begun building inside him since the moment he’d started feeding her back at the restaurant was approaching the boiling point. She felt incredible, with her breasts pressed against his chest and her ripe curves beneath his questing hands, just ready for the taking. Hungry for her, he coaxed her mouth open so he could taste her with his tongue, and was rewarded with a burst of sweetness that was a combination of wine, brownie sundae, and her own unique flavor. She moaned, her mouth opening like a flower to give him better access, to allow him to take more.

  He wasn’t sure how long they stood there in the surf, touching and tasting and wrapping themselves up in the other. They could’ve stayed there all night. But a particularly violent wave crashed against the shore and nearly bowled them over, causing them both to stumble and then crash against the dry sand a few feet away. Alex cursed as he looked down at his soggy, sand-encrusted pants—he was soaked from the waist down.

  Valerie laughed, and he glanced over to see her looking down at herself—since she was a good half a foot shorter than him, her entire dress had been soaked. “We look like a couple of beached whales,” she said, her green eyes gleaming in the darkness.

  Alex grinned. “I think you look more like a beautiful mermaid washed ashore, waiting for some poor, hapless sod to bewitch.”

  He couldn’t be sure in the darkness, but he thought she blushed. “We should probably get back to the car,” she said as he helped her to her feet.

 
He nodded, and they walked back to where they’d left it. “I’m going to have to take it for a wash first thing in the morning. And it’s going to be very uncomfortable driving back home like this.” He chuckled.

  “Oh, I don’t want you to have to suffer on the drive back home,” Valerie said. “You can use my washer and dryer to get your pants cleaned up before you go.”

  “Are you sure?” Alex frowned as they got in the car. “I don’t want to intrude…”

  “It was my idea to come to the beach, so I have to take responsibility for getting you all wet and sandy.” She smiled.

  They arrived at her house in no time at all, and she showed him to the small laundry room in the back. “I don’t know if these will fit you,” she said, holding up a pair of gray sweatpants that her ex had left at her place.

  He took them from her with a smile. “Thanks.”

  She went back to her own room and picked out a pair of loose, flowing black pants that hid her large thighs and a pink top with rhinestones studded along the neckline and sleeve edges. When she came back into the living room her jaw nearly hit the floor at the sight of Alex standing in front of her entertainment system wearing nothing but those gray sweatpants. They were a little big for him so that even with the elastic band tightened they rode very low on his hips, and short enough that they exposed strong calf muscles dusted with hair. His upper body was thoroughly tanned and corded with lean muscles that flexed as he reached up and ran a finger along a shelf of DVD titles. Add the tousled blond hair, and maybe tying a sash and a cutlass to his waist, and he looked like a sexy buccaneer all too ready and willing to plunder her booty.

  Worst. Cliché. Ever, the writer/editor inside her groaned.

  He noticed she was watching her and turned with a grin. “I was thinking that since it would be awhile before my clothes were ready that maybe we could watch something. That is, unless you’ve got work to do, or something.”

  Actually she had been planning on writing after their date, but there was no way she would be able to get anything done knowing he was sitting half-naked in her living room. “A movie sounds great. What did you have in mind?”

  He pulled Ocean’s Eleven off the shelf. “I was thinking this might be a good start.”

  It was her turn to grin. “I love that movie.”

  They settled down on the couch together, but she had trouble focusing on the movie. It might’ve had something to do with the fact that Alex’s arm was around her, or that her cheek was pressed right up against his bare chest, the crisp hairs tickling her face and his heartbeat loud and steady in her ear. Or maybe it was the knowledge that she was almost one hundred percent sure there was nothing underneath those sweatpants she’d given him. Or…

  “You’re not watching it either, huh?” He startled her out of her thoughts, and his hand came up to stroke her hair, which she had left down.

  She looked up at him to see the hungry look back in his eyes again. “I guess you’re just a little distracting,” she admitted with a small smile.

  “Is that right?” he replied, maneuvering them so that she was pressed up against the armrest of the couch. “I know I can’t make heads or tails of the plot with your body so close, the scent and feel of you invading my head.”

  He kissed her, and this time there was a bit more of an edge to it—the hunger in his eyes was showing through in the way he nipped at her lips, suckled on her tongue, the way his hands dug into her curls. His desire was so keen, so palpable that she couldn’t help but respond in the same way, digging her fingers into his shoulders and kissing him back with everything she had. His scent surrounded her, a hint of sweetness and musk and the bite of salty ocean air from when they’d gotten splashed. Her nipples hardened as he cupped her breasts through her shirt, and moisture soaked her panties as he began kneading them insistently.

  At her moan of pleasure he broke off, his cheeks flushed and his eyes gleaming. “I… I know I’m going a bit far for our first date…” he said, breathing harshly. “If you want me to stop, just say so.”

  Valerie hesitated. “I… I don’t know. I like the way you look at me, and the way you make me feel when you kiss me, but…” she tugged the hem of her shirt down, which had risen up to expose a sliver of the pale flesh at her hip, and his eyes followed the movement.

  “Why are you so self-conscious?” He shook his head as she dropped her eyes. “Valerie, you’re beautiful, inside and out.”

  “I don’t know.” She still wouldn’t look at him. “Most men change their mind once they see what’s underneath the clothes.”

  “Then they’re idiots,” he said firmly, and the edge of anger in his voice had her looking up. His eyes sparked with passion and intensity and not a little bit of outrage. “There’s nothing wrong with you, nothing about you that would make me want you less than I do now. Let me prove it to you.”

  He slid his hands up her shirt, exposing her abdomen inch by inch, and Valerie relented, the conviction in his voice and eyes sparking something she hadn’t felt in a long time—hope. Maybe Alex really was the man she’d been waiting for all along—one who would love both her personality and her body.

  She shivered as he pressed kisses against her belly, then lifted her arms so he could pull her top over her head. He did the same with her pants, pulling them off slowly as he trailed kisses down legs she was fervently glad she had shaved. Soon she was sitting in only the lacy black bra and boy shorts she’d put on—fancy stuff she usually didn’t wear, but then she had been going out on a date. Not that it had been in her plans to actually let him see her in the sexy underwear but yet, here they were.

  She tried to pull her arms in and cross her arms over herself, but he wasn’t having any of it. “Uh-uh-uh,” he said, shaking his head as he pulled her legs down and gently removed her arms. “You said you were going to let me prove it to you, and I can’t do that if I don’t see all of you.”

  “Okay.” She sucked in a deep breath and steeled herself for the coming rejection, but couldn’t quite stop herself from trembling. His eyes slowly traveled the length of her body from tip to toe, lingering on her breasts, her hips, the juncture of her thighs, like a physical touch that left her hot and burning. Not once did the hungry gleam in his eyes change.

  “You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of,” he repeated, leaning down and covering her body with his. “Nothing at all. You’re beautiful, and the only thing I would want to change is getting rid of these little scraps of lace that are in my way.”

  He popped the front clasp of her bra then caught her breasts in his hands as they spilled out, filling his palms with the lush mounds. He rubbed his thumbs against her rigid nipples and jagged bolts of pleasure speared her so that she moaned and writhed beneath him.

  “Alex.”

  “Mmm, I like that,” he said, pressing kisses against her collarbone as he continued to tease her nipples with his fingers. “I like how you say my name. Let’s see if I can’t get you to say it a few more times.”

  He took one of her nipples into his mouth and she arched off the couch, clutching his head to her breast as he suckled and nipped, tasted and nibbled. Her entire body flushed, her breasts swelling, her legs shifting restlessly as he tortured her with his teeth and tongue.

  “You taste so good,” he breathed, switching to the other breast. “I bet you taste even better down here.” His hand slid beneath the waistband of her panties, and her legs popped open automatically as he pressed his fingers against her clit.

  “Alex!” she arched again, pressing her hips firmly against his hand as he massaged her. Between the stimulation he was giving her with his mouth and hands it was too much and she came, crying out his name again as she shuddered with release.

  He lifted his head so that their eyes met as he brought his fingertips to his lips, licked. “I was right. You do taste better down there.” He grinned at her. “I don’t think you know how you look, with your hair tousled and your cheeks flushed, with your lips all swollen from m
y kisses.” His eyes darkened. “I could eat you up.”

  He pulled off her panties, rested her thighs against his shoulders, and did just that. She didn’t have time to worry about whether or not her legs were too heavy for him, or that she had a bit of cellulite on the inside of her right thigh, because he was sending her over the edge again, using his teeth and tongue to get her to scream his name. She was devolving, becoming a hungry animal who didn’t care about anything except release from the exquisite torture—release that he provided in one breath and took away with another.

  “Please, Alex,” she gasped. “I want you inside me.”

  He raised his head and scorched her again with that hungry look. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Not even bothering to take off the sweatpants, he pushed them to his knees and hooked his fingers beneath her knees to pull her closer. His shaft was long and hard, and he pushed in into her slowly, torturing them both by only allowing her one-inch at a time. By the time he was buried, there was a vein pulsing at his temple and he was breathing hard, fighting for control.

  Valerie reached up and touched his face with her hand. “You don’t have to hold back.”

  “I want to make this last as long as I can,” he hissed, and then began to move inside her with long, slow strokes that left them both gasping and aching with need. He maintained that pace until they were both trembling and then finally let go, pounding himself inside her.

  “Yes!” she cried when he reached between them and pleasured her with his fingers. “Oh, Alex!” She went over again, the climax more intense than all the others combined, and felt him stiffen right before he joined her.

  When they were aware once more of their surroundings, she found them both sprawled across the couch, Alex’s legs half hanging off the side, his strong arms around her. They were both practically naked and pressed against each other, instead of Alex scrambling away from her and trying to get some clothes back on to put some distance between them.

  “That was fantastic,” he mumbled into her collarbone, and she giggled at the vibration of his voice tickling her skin. “You’re fantastic. Incredible.” He lifted his gaze. “And you look as satisfied as I feel, which I’m taking as a really, really good sign.”