Текст книги "Lucky Number Four"
Автор книги: Amanda Jason
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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 16 страниц)
“When did Liam tell you this? How long have you known this and let me believe he was this love-’em-and-leave-’em type of guy?” I turn so I’m facing Jeff side by side and I watch the guilty look cover his face. “Fess up, buddy.”
“I’ve known for a short time. But wait—I saw the way he looked at you, and I guess I got a little possessive. I wanted to see if it was true before I told you. I think Liam is right. Forgive me for loving you so much.” He leans over and kisses my nose and I melt. How can I be angry after that?
“I forgive you, and I won’t hit you for losing track of me tonight. But, Jeff, in all honesty, I felt like I had the flu when Drew and I were dancing. I had all the symptoms, and now they’ve disappeared. That can only mean one thing: I’m attracted to him. I don’t want, or need this.”
I know I sound like I’m whining. I know a million women would love to have Drew in their sights, but it will make my life so complicated, and when it fizzles out on his end, when he’s tired of this “breath of fresh air,” how awkward will it be to be living in the same space? One of my resolutions is to move out, but that’s only if I get a good job, and the unemployment stats scare me.
“Take a chance, Dora. What have you got to lose? You have so much to gain. I bet that man will give you countless orgasms and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to the great beyond.”
“Easy for you to say. And what if I don’t like orgasms? That was a stupid question. Stop laughing at me. Forget about me for a minute, what about you and Liam? Is it a go?”
“You are so nosy, always in everyone’s business,” he says after getting his laughter under control.
“Oh, and you don’t pry, huh? So now it’s your turn to spill.”
“Okay.” He lies back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I wait patiently for him to continue. “We’re talking, and we have a date for tomorrow night. Satisfied?” He rolls back and stares at me.
“Ohhhhhh, I’m so happy. You have no idea how happy I am for you. Are you excited? Of course you are. You and Liam are perfect for each other.” I reach over and pull him in for a hug, which he reciprocates. I swear he’s breaking a few of my ribs in the process.
“Now go back to the party and let me think. No shaking your head. I’m fine, and I want you to go back to Liam.” I push him away from me and he slowly rises.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Now get your sexy ass out there before someone steals Liam away from you.” He jumps off the bed and turns, blowing me a kiss. “I love you, Jeff.”
“Ditto, but I love you more.” He grins and slips through the door, shutting out the loud mayhem when he closes it. I get up and lock it. He has a key, so I’m not worried. Anyway, he might get lucky and not need to sleep here tonight.
My cell rings a few minutes later and I grab it off my dresser. It shows a picture of my mom and dad acting silly. “Happy New Year, Dora,” they yell as soon as I answer.
“Happy New Year to you, my wonderful parentals.”
“Have you made your resolution list yet?” Mom asks, and my dad says he loves me and I hear a click. “So, now that your dad is off the phone, I have to tell you that Henry has been bugging me to call you. He says you aren’t helping Drew, and I told him he’s wrong. Of course, Mr. Arrogant says he’s never wrong. So tell me I’m right. You are helping Drew, aren’t you, sweetie?”
What do I say? Henry will know I’m lying, and since he has an in with upstairs management, I don’t know if pissing him off will be any good for me. But I don’t want my mom to know the truth, so I do what I’m being trained to do: I compromise.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’m working on it. I just wish Henry would stop being so vague about how I’m supposed to be helping Drew.” I roll my eyes and pray she doesn’t hear the little white lie in my voice.
“Okay, I’ll tell him. So, about this Sunday, are you and Jeff free for dinner? Please tell me you are. Taylor and Bridget are going skiing and won’t be back until late, so I really need reinforcements.”
“I’ll check with Jeff and let you know. Love you, Mom. My battery is in the red zone,” I say as another little white lie slips out.
“All right. Please try for Sunday. I don’t ask for much. Talk to you soon. I’m off to tell Henry he’s wrong. Love it. Night, sweetie, and Happy New Year again.”
My phone clicks before I can respond. Happy frickin’ New Year to me. All I have to look forward to in the next few days is a dysfunctional Sunday. Joy oh joy.
21
“For Christ’s sake, please stop that pounding.” What time is it? I must’ve dozed off. What is that pounding noise, and where is Jeff?
Oh, yeah … now I remember. He’s probably with Liam. The room is partially dark. The only light is a decorative flameless candle that I keep on at night so I don’t break my neck if I need to get up. The pounding is coming from the door to the loft. I slide off the bed, still in my beautiful dress and my eff– me pumps.
“This better be important,” I remark as I open the door.
It’s Drew. My heart starts beating crazily as he moves past me. I shut the door since the party noise is still deafening and my head isn’t really up to it.
“Dora, we need to talk.” I find Drew standing behind me, not close, but too close for comfort.
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m a little tired.” Please let him just go. I can’t deal with this right now. My emotions are all over the place, and the monsters in my stomach are awakening, as is my fever and wobbly legs. Great, I’m having another case of Drew flu.
“I’ve been waiting for months now, and I know it sounds corny, but it’s a new year and I want—God, Dora, I want to talk.” He sounds so forlorn and lost, and now he’s tugging at my heart with his words, which by the way just skipped a beat. His voice is enough to make me melt into a puddle of hot goo.
“Okay, but let me go splash some water on my face first.”
I don’t wait for an answer as I move past him to the bathroom. I need to pee, but I didn’t want to discuss bodily functions when most of my body is not functioning right as it is. I turn on the faucet so it will mask the noise, and then I wash my hands, splashing a little cool water on my face. I don’t want to mess up my makeup since I want to look halfway decent when we talk.
What is there to talk about? He kissed me on Halloween and tonight, big deal. I guess I need to go find out.
Calm down, Dora. It’s just Drew.
“Sorry, it took me so long. Wine is not my friend, and it makes me sleepy. I’m awake now, so what’s up?” I hope I sound calm. I think I do. Nonchalant is what I’m really going for.
Shut up, Dora, and listen to him.
“It’s okay.” Drew is sitting on the couch, and I watch as he runs his hand through his hair. By the look of it, he’s done it more than a few times since I left him in. “Come sit beside me, please.” He pats the leather cushion next to him, and I wobble on my heels over to him.
“Wait, let me take these damn shoes off before I fall and break my neck.” Stop rambling, Dora.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?”
I stumble at the huskiness in his voice and look up to see him watching me remove my shoes. I kick them aside and sit on the edge of the cushion, not knowing what to do with my hands. I end up placing them in my lap as our eyes meet.
“First, I want to explain Halloween.”
My eyes drop down to my lap when he bows his head. “You don’t have to. You were drunk and I was there, and well, we kissed.”
“I wasn’t drunk. In fact, I hadn’t had a sip of anything but water. I saw you as soon as I walked into the room, and I followed you. From the first time I met you, you have haunted my thoughts, and I needed to see if what I felt was real. It was real. I’ve never felt anything more real in my life. My question is: Do I have a chance with you?”
His head is still bowed, and I’m speechless. He wants to have a chance with me. Maybe I didn’t hear him right. My heart is pounding loudly and the menacing butterflies are going hog wild. Maybe I’m dreaming.
Ow! Pinching myself proves I’m wide awake.
“Dora, did you hear me?” He lifts his head, and I see the confident Drew missing.
This is real. He wants me. What should I do? Kiss him, fool, inner Dora shouts. I move closer and take his head in my hands and pull him close so his lips are even with mine. Then I kiss him. This time it’s my tongue that is the initiator, and I feel myself go from warm to burning hot in a matter of milliseconds.
I want this man. I really want him. Not just a kiss, but all of him. I want him in my bed with our bodies fused together. Even if it’s only for a short while, I want him and he wants me.
I push any doubts aside and moan as he pulls me into his arms, deepening the kiss. I feel his hands burning a trail up and down my back, and he pulls me with him as he lays down on the couch. I’m on fire, everywhere. I want him naked, and I boldly reach between us and undo his jeans. He stills, and I wonder if I’ve done something wrong.
“Dora, are you sure?” he whispers as he breaks contact with my mouth.
“I’m so sure,” I say.
He abruptly sits up and lifts me like I weigh ounces instead of pounds. He pulls back the covers on the bed and places me gently on the cool sheets. I panic as he stands up straight, and I think maybe he’s changing his mind, but instead he yanks the polo he’s wearing over his head, revealing the most beautiful twelve pack I remember from art class. With a ghost of a smile, he finishes the job I started and pulls down his jeans, removing his underwear and socks and kicking off his shoes in one fluid motion. The low light in the room shows the extent of his lean muscles, and I’m itching to touch every inch of him. He’s hard and ready, and I stroke him, delighted when he closes his eyes and moans. I can’t believe I made him do that.
He leans down and puts his hand on my thigh, slowly moving up, taking my dress as he goes. Impatiently, I sit up and turn my back to him so he can unzip my dress, which he does again slowly, caressing every inch of my naked skin as it’s unveiled. I shimmy out of it, not sexy, but I’ll make a better effort next time. I shiver as the cool air hits my skin, and I sit there dressed only in my barely-there underwear.
Scooting over, I make room for him to join me, which he does instantly. We’re face to face, eyes to eyes, and I realize I’ve never had such an intense feeling like this. His gaze moves down to my bra, and before I realize it, it’s gone the way of my dress, and my scrap of underwear meets the same fate. His hand strokes me. I watch as his tanned skin moves over my pale body. The ache and the need for him to be inside me intensifies. I take his hardness in my hand and gently tug him, hoping he understands what I want—no, what I desire.
“I won’t last long if you keep that up, Dora. I want this to be special,” he groans as I continue stroking him.
“We can do it again, right?”
I can’t believe I just asked that. He reacts by moving down the bed to circle my left nipple with his tongue. My hips move upward, and I feel like I’m going to explode. Every nerve in my body is on edge. I tug on his hair, but he doesn’t budge. Instead, he latches on and gently sucks until I feel like I will lose my mind. His hand starts drawing circles on my stomach, inching closer to the place I want him to be. My hips move involuntarily as his hand cups me, and then he places his palm flat against me. I swear I’m going to die from the agony and intense sensations he’s causing to burst within me. I tug his hair again, and his tongue lets go of my nipple. I feel a loss, but then his fingers begin stroking me, and I want something different.
I scoot down until my lips meet his. His fingers are pulled away, and I reach down and grab him, guiding him inside me. He doesn’t resist. Instead, he pushes farther until I feel I can’t wait anymore. I want—God, I don’t know what I want. But the pressure is so pleasurable that I wrap my legs around his waist, and then he’s moving quickly and I’m matching him stroke for stroke, and—
What the hell?
I scream into his mouth as a feeling so incredible washes over me. I hold onto him, riding on the waves of unbelievable sensations shooting through me.
I’m exhausted, but so purely satisfied. Finally, I know what it feels like to have a big O, and it’s so not a disappointment. I’m lying here with the most famous face in the world, my arms and legs wrapped around him, and I never want to move.
“Am I too heavy?” he asks, sounding like he’s trying to catch his breath.
“No. Not at all. I don’t want you to move.”
“That was more than I could have ever dreamed of. Yes, I’ve dreamed about you. I wanted to touch you all the time. It was so hard to keep my hands off you.”
“I can tell how hard.” I giggle as I think about how hard he’d been.
“Wait a few minutes and I’ll show you hard.” He nuzzles my neck and gently nips me.
“A few minutes, really? Oh, you aren’t kidding.”
“See what you do to me? I spent many a night hard as hell and with no relief, so I’m going to make you suffer as I did.” His hips move, and I feel the delicious pressure building again.
“You call this suffering? Bring it on.” He kisses me soundly, and I can feel him grinning.
“What time is it?” I ask, too tired to lift my head and look at the clock.
“Who cares? I just care that I’m finally holding you in my arms. Time means nothing.” He gently squeezes me, and my feelings are all over the place. I lost track of how many times I had the big O, but all I can say is that the hype is so real.
“Dora, go pack a bag. Not much. In fact, just clothes you’ll be traveling in.” He kisses the top of my head and jumps out of bed. Oh, lord, his butt is so tight, and his muscles, so many lean, hard muscles, I could look at him all day.
“What for? Come back to bed.” I love this bolder Dora. I bet it’s because of the O’s—yep, I’ll have to look it up on the Internet.
“Nope, you get up. We have somewhere to go, and I want to get there soon.” He picks up his pants, pulls them on, grabs his other clothes and then kisses me thoroughly.
“I need a shower first, and you could join me.”
“Tempting, but where we’re going—well, let’s say we’ll have plenty of time for showers. Now hurry.” He yanks open the door and closes it quietly behind him.
Stretching, I feel little aches in places that have been ache free for so long. I always thought running was better than the phantom orgasm, but I was so wrong. The door suddenly opens.
“You have fifteen minutes, so hurry.” Drew looks stern, but winks at me before he turns around and exits again.
“Your father really owns this?” I can’t believe my eyes. I’m standing in the most beautiful penthouse suite atop a world-famous hotel, and I’ve just been informed we aren’t leaving for a week. I guess Sunday dinner won’t be happening.
“Yes, but don’t hold it against me. I’m not my father. I’m selfish. I want you all to myself. The only interruptions will be room service, which we won’t see, as they’ve been instructed to leave the trolley in the foyer. Is that okay with you? I know school doesn’t start for another two weeks, and work too, so I want you and only you with me—in here with me.” He attempts a pitiful puppy-dog look, but it loses its effect when he adds a wicked smile.
“Hmmm, I’ll have to think about this. Smexy guy with a hot body, or spending days with my roomies and friends, and let’s not forget Sunday dinner with my family? Gosh, I just don’t know.”
I see him moving toward me with a grin. I try to dodge him playfully, but he grabs my waist before scooping me up to carry me over to the bed. “I guess I’ll have to persuade you to see it my way. Oh, I’m going to love this week together.”
I’m sad the week is over, and I feel like it’s the end. No, nothing has really happened to make me feel this way. Being in paradise for seven days has been wonderful, but now the real world beckons me to come back to it.
Last time I talked to anyone other than Drew was when I called my mom and told her I had plans and couldn’t make dinner. She told me I owed her big time, and then I called Jeff and he already knew about Drew’s secret plan, as did Julie and Kevin. After that, I did something I thought would never happen. I turned it off. No, not the sex. My phone.
I lost count of the mind-blowing orgasms after the tenth, or was it twentieth? I’ve never felt so comfortable with someone of the opposite sex. Okay, there’s Jeff … but he doesn’t count.
Drew snores lightly and turns over, uncovering his body from under the sheet. I now know every inch of him. Yes, I know I saw him naked in class, but seeing him for seven days has spoiled me for any other body. I long to run my fingers over him now, but I must start detaching myself. Whatever this is won’t last. It’s time to be honest with myself. We move in different worlds, poles apart. I should be happy that we got to spend this time together, but I can’t muster one ounce of happiness.
Hell, I think I’ve fallen for him. What would he say if I told him that? He wouldn’t say anything because he’d move halfway across the world to avoid me.
“Morning.” His deep voice pulls my eyes up to his smiling ones.
“Good Morning.” I smile back and hope it looks genuine.
All I want to do is fling myself into his arms and declare my undying devotion—okay, it should be another word, but he would definitely die of heart failure if I said “love.”
He begins tracing one of his fingers down my cheek and leans over, allowing his mouth to follow his finger as it makes its way all the way down. Desire washes through me as it has many times during this past week. We come together like it’s been forever since we last touched one another instead of only a couple of hours.
Two hours later, we’re showered, dressed and ready to leave. It’s quiet as we ride down the private elevator and drive out of the empty, secluded parking garage. The one little thing that gives me hope is that since we entered the car, Drew has held my hand. His thumb rubs circles that make me want to make him pull over the car and rub his thumb somewhere else.
“Dora, we need to talk,” he says as we pull into the parking space at our building.
Here it comes: “It’s been great, wonderful, really, but you have your life and I’ve got mine and it just won’t work.” I say to myself as I stiffen, preparing for the inevitable conversation.
“I have a shoot I have to do in Florida, and I have to leave tonight. I was wondering, actually hoping, that you’d come with me. You still have another week until school and work start again, right?”
Oh, sweet Jesus. I’ve died and gone to heaven. A reprieve.
“You’re not tired of me yet?” I ask, trying to sound light-hearted. Inside, I’m jumping up and down for joy, pushing all dread aside.
“Of course not. I’ve found I’m extremely partial to a certain special short, fiery redhead, and I don’t want her out of my sight for a minute.”
Don’t cry, Dora, don’t you dare. My eyes are filling up, and I turn my head to look out the window so he won’t see.
“Yeah, I’ve still got a hankering for a tall, model type, and I too don’t want him to be out of my sight. What a coincidence.” Finally in control of my emotions, I turn and pull his head down so I can kiss him gently—except he has other plans, and I swear if a horn hadn’t honked, we would’ve been naked in seconds.
I’ve never been on a private jet before, and sitting in the overstuffed leather reclining seats makes my fear of flying more bearable. Drew had brought my hand to his lips after he buckled me in and he hasn’t let go. We’ve been up in the air for an hour. In front of me is a Coke I ordered, as I didn’t trust drinking alcohol. I didn’t want to take a chance of throwing up miles above ground. We’re on our way to a private beach resort in south Florida, and should arrive in a few hours.
“Did you know there’s a bed in the back?” Drew leans over and whispers to me, even though we’re all alone.
“Don’t you be getting any ideas. For one thing, I don’t think I’m up to joining the mile-high club, especially since I’m not even sure I can move from my seat without throwing up. Second, I don’t want an accidental audience. And three, I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve done the deed, and I think my lady bits need a breather.” I giggle as he swoops down, silencing me with a hard kiss.
“Okay, but when we get there, you’re mine all night. And it’s been at least more than a forty times because we’ve gone through several boxes of Trojans.”
I blush, and oh God, I love that I’ll be his tonight.
I must have somehow dozed off. I feel the plane descending, and I see crystal blue water and sandy beaches outside my window.
“Hello, sleepyhead. Anyone would think you haven’t had much sleep lately. Oh wait, you haven’t.” He kisses me swiftly as the wheels touch down on the runway, bouncing us a little.
It’s beautiful. Sunny skies and a mild, balmy temperature greet us when we leave the plane. It’s heavenly not to have inches of snow and shivering ice-cold winds tearing through my clothes. A limo is waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. I feel like royalty as I sink into the backseat, absorbing the lavish luxury surrounding me. Let me tell you, kissing in the back of a tricked-out limo is amazing. Of course, we put up the privacy window thingy. There’s so much groping and clothes rearranging that I feel when we stop and the door opens, everyone will know what we’ve been up too.
“Dinner out or dinner in?”
I’m standing at a window in a penthouse suite, in awe of the panoramic view of the gulf, complete with a setting sun.
“Whichever you’d like,” I reply, still watching the sun as it continues to sink into the water.
Drew pulls me into his arms and we watch the dying rays together.
“Okay, let’s eat in and then walk on the beach, and then…”
“Then?” I prompt as he pulls me closer and I feel what “then” is, but it seems like it will be “now” and “then.”
A long hour later, we’re seated at a cozy patio table on the veranda, eating an abundance of food. We’re dressed in matching plush white robes and the cool sea breeze is gently caressing our exposed skin.
“I think I just gained about ten pounds,” I say as I pull away from the table, amazed at the amount of food I just ingested.
“We’ll just have to find a way to work those off then, now won’t we?” Drew scoots his chair over and pulls me onto his lap, his hand working at the knot in my robe.
“Wait, we have to wait an hour after eating,” I state firmly and giggle at his awkward attempt at undoing my robe.
“That applies to swimming, and that’s not what I have in mind. What the hell have you done to this knot?”
“It’s called a ‘keep your hands off me’ knot, and that means you.” I slap playfully at his hands and he pulls up the bottom of my robe. The devilish strokes of his hand on my exposed skin cause me to shiver. He stands up, and I moan at the loss of his hand. He holds me tightly as he takes me to the massive California King-sized bed, throws me in the middle and joins me, shedding his own robe in one fluid motion.
Several hours later, I’m exhausted, so spent that I haven’t even the energy to walk on the moonlit beach like we talked about earlier. Drew is sound asleep, and I curl up next to him. I feel his arm drape around me before pulling me closer. I feel my eyes growing heavy. I sigh as Drew plants a kiss on my head.
I wish we could stay this way forever.
