Then I hiked her to the very edge of the counter, stood up, freed my cock, and forced it into her pussy.
* * *
Before we knew it, Valentine’s Day was here, and there was a line outside the restaurant for our first service.
As we usually did before an event, Alessia and I held a little pep talk with our crew in the kitchen.
Griffin would be assisting me today, with Tracy using one of the workstations back here. He’d have Jon with him too. Three servers, one bartender. Alessia hostessing and helping out behind the bar when it was needed.
Everything was prepared. Alessia and one of the servers had spent the day decorating the dining room, and she didn’t know she’d set the scene for her own proposal.
I was fucking buzzing with energy, and I loved seeing our crew on the same page. I wanted them to love working here, to be a part of something, a living organism, and they all played an integral part.
“As always, remember to have fun out there.” Alessia finished her pep talk with a grin. She was buzzing too. “And as soon as you need help, just holler at me.”
“All right, people.” I took over. “I’m gonna need five minutes alone with Alessia. Griffin, you can go have your smoke. The rest of you, scatter. The kitchen’s off-limits.”
A chorus of “Yes, Chef” rang out, and all of them took the opportunity to get some fresh air before the evening got sweaty.
I wove my fingers with Alessia’s and guided her over to the door.
“See the line out there?” I pointed through the circular window and positioned her in front of me. “They’re gonna fill the place tonight,” I murmured and pressed a kiss to her neck. “They’ll never know what came from the menu we created.”
Us.
She drew an unsteady breath as I slipped my hand into her pants and cupped her pussy.
“Adam,” she warned. “I don’t think now is a good—oh cazzo.”
I pushed aside her panties so I could feel her properly. Just my middle finger. I slid it up and down in lazy strokes, dipping inside her to gather the wetness, up and around her clit, back down again.
Slow, slow, slow.
I wanted some of the energy gone.
“I love you.” I grazed my nose along the shell of her ear.
She swallowed hard. “I love you too.”
I hummed and felt how quickly she got wet for me.
“At some point tonight,” I went on quietly, “I’m gonna surprise you out on the floor.”
She cocked her head, and one of her hands came up to the door.
“I’m gonna ask you a question.” I nipped at the soft skin of her neck, then dropped an openmouthed kiss over the same spot. “And there will be a ring.”
When she gasped, I sped up my ministrations and applied pressure to her clit. She failed to stifle a whimper.
“Adam, what—”
“Quiet,” I whispered. “It’s gonna be the sweetest story to tell our grandkids one day.”
“Oh God,” she moaned.
“But you and I will share a look,” I continued. I moved my free hand up to her breasts and pinched a nipple through her clothes. “You’ll remember that it wasn’t the real proposal, because the moment your husband proposed was right now, with his fingers buried inside you, when you were right on the verge of coming.”
She trembled in my grasp, and her other hand came up to the door too. Even though she couldn’t support herself on it, she tried to dig her fingers into the metal.
“Marry me, Alessia,” I murmured. “Spend the rest of your life with me as my wife.”
She nodded jerkily and stiffened, and then the pleasure took over. She tried to hold her breath and stay quiet, but she couldn’t. Shallow, barely audible little yesses slipped between her lips, and the elation nearly did me in.
She collapsed after a moment, her chest heaving rapidly, and she almost pushed the door open when she put too much pressure on it.
I kept planting kisses along her neck and jaw, and I righted her clothes for her.
“Oh my God,” she panted. A beat later, she spun around on me and threw her arms around my neck. “Oh my God, Adam!” She sniffled.
I grinned and dipped two wet fingers into my mouth.
She laughed through her emotions while I hummed at the best fucking flavor there was out there.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” she chuckled and carefully wiped her fingers under her eyes. God forbid she smeared her eyeliner or whatever.
“What?” I said. “Proposed to you or finger-fucked you in our kitchen?”
“Both—combined!” she giggled.
I smirked and kissed her quickly.
Her gaze went soft. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
“That’s good.” I inhaled deeply and reached around her to squeeze her ass. I couldn’t help it. “I’d rather not wait to give you my name either.” I nuzzled her jaw.