Chapter 1: Introduction
The bar was all bars should be—dark, intimate and a little dirty. The velvet curtains caught the smoky light from a million little tea candles, their cherry hues giving the place a life warmer and wilder than that of steel and chrome establishments. The faint hum of chatter and clinking glasses formed a subtle soundtrack. It was the perfect setting, and I could feel the room huddling around me in solidarity.
A cigarette dangled from my fingers, red hot against the dim yellow bulb directly above my head.
I drew in the smoke, filling my lungs and cherishing the wicked burn that spread a delightful mixture of danger and escape. I had always found the act of smoking sensual and metaphoric—and loved watching women do it. Tonight I wanted to be with Terry and see what another man was like when he smoked. And more importantly, taste him afterwards. I loved the thrill of unknown—knowing that each taste would be different, unique.
Terry and I were both thrill-seekers and tonight we would both get them. I saw him, Terry was the kind of man who smoked cigars and smelled like a combination of leather and vanilla. Tonight he's gonna smoke a cigarette and kiss me, I thought to myself as he sat down next to me at the bar.
He lit a cigarette and drank a beer, flirting with me while he smoked.
With each pull, his strong hands tightly gripped the cigarette. I watched the smoke drift from his thick lips and into the dim air. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the way his throat moved as he swallowed, or the way one corner of his mouth turned up mischievously as he exhaled.
Terry was sexy - confident, rugged and dangerous with a hint of masculine vulnerability. He had this way of holding himself where he seemed like a caged predator - just waiting to pounce at any moment.
We both finished our beers and decided to go back to his apartment for a night cap.