Chapter 12 Just One More Taste
JUST ONE MORE TASTE
DECLAN
“You agreed to what?” I snapped as I paced the living room.
Claire’s eyes went wide as she held up her hands. “It’s just dinner. I thought they were your friends.”
I let my shoulders relax slightly. How was I supposed to expect her to know that I actually hated all of these people?
“I’m sorry.” I rubbed a hand over my eyes. “They are, sort of.”
“Sort of?”
“Sarah is my ex and Tom is my competition. We’re friends to the public but we don’t actually spend time together.”
“Right.” She twisted her hands in front of her. “I didn’t think of that.”
I let out a breath. “Maybe this is a good thing. We can’t hide. We have to show everyone we’re a happy couple.”
“Exactly,” she smiled at me as if that was her plan all along.
She walked toward the stairs, patting my chest as she passed. “I’m going to change. We leave at six.”
I groaned as she disappeared down the stairs.
This was going to be fine, it was why we were even here. Spending time alone with Claire had been a nice break from the stress and chaos I usually experienced year after year, but now we were back to the purpose of our little fake situation.
I pinched the bridge of my nose where I felt a tension headache forming before following her down to my bedroom. I needed to freshen up, but all I wanted to do was put on sweatpants and lay in silence.
Through the crack of my bedroom door, I caught a glimpse of white in the hallway.
Like the absolute fucking creep that I was, I walked up to the door until I could see Claire walking into the bathroom, wrapped in a terrycloth towel.
The material barely covered her ass and her blonde hair fell over her shoulder in messy waves.
Fuck, she was hot.
I closed my eyes and let out a breath before closing my door. Claire didn’t sign up for me to stare at her half naked without her consent, and I needed to stop acting like a horny teenager.
An hour later, I was pouring a glass of wine for Claire when I heard heels on the hardwood floors.
My eyes were pinned to a pair of black heeled boots as they stepped onto the landing.
I swallowed as my gaze drifted upwards to her legs which were sheathed in sheer black stockings.
I wasn’t sure why my brain was short circuiting, but it was simply one of the most sexy sights I’d ever seen.
“My eyes are up here,” Claire said with a laugh and an eye roll.
My eyes snapped to hers and her smile fell.
“What?” She looked down. “Do I look okay? I wasn’t sure what to wear since its fucking freezing and we’re going up the mountain, but I thought this dress would be fine. I mean—”
“You look amazing,” I said, cutting her off.
She was wearing a silky black long sleeve dress that draped over her shoulders and tied around her waist. It cut high on her thigh which made her legs look miles long. Her honey blonde hair was down in waves and she had that same sinful shade of red on her lips that I wanted painted on my skin.
Her smile was warm as she whispered, “thank you.”
I handed her the glass of wine and we walked toward the couch where I sat. Claire remained standing, looking out toward the mountains.
“I’m nervous,” she said.
“Why?” I asked, leaning back.
She shrugged, taking a sip of her wine. “This feels intimate. What if they see through us.”
“They won’t. It’s just dinner.”
Claire turned to me, stress etched onto her face. “You didn’t see the way Sarah sized me up earlier. She wanted me to feel bad. If I cried, she probably would’ve absorbed it like the Sanderson sisters inhaled children.”
I snorted. “Funny how you’ve only known her for forty-eight hours and you know her so well.”
Claire groaned as she took a sip from her glass. I stood and walked up to her, dipping my fingers under her chin to force her eyes to meet mine.
“Listen to me, Bear. That girl is small and insecure. She cares about money and things and extravagance. You’re beautiful and smart and kind and too sharp for your own good. You have nothing to be worried about.”
She nodded as I dropped my hand. My fingers brushed over the necklace she bought earlier today and I smiled. It was the perfect addition to her outfit.
I’ll never forget the look on her face when she thought I was going to be pissed about the purchase.
Was I surprised? A little. But then I was just relieved that she actually listened when I told her to use the card.
Claire was a hard worker, and from the little she has said over the last few days, I doubted she ever treated herself.
I was proud to be that outlet for her, even if it was just this once.
We finished our drinks and headed out into the cold toward the cable car. I had a lot of emotions surrounding this dinner but nervous wasn’t one of them, especially not nerves where Claire was concerned.
I didn’t know if Sarah said something specific to upset Claire, or if it was just her stand-off attitude that sent Claire over the edge, but she was riled. She had her arms wrapped around herself as if it would make her disappear into the snow.
We walked up to the small station where the cable car was waiting.
I placed my hand on the small of Claire’s back as she stepped inside of the large car.
There were benches circling the outer rim and a few poles in the middle to hold onto.
During the day, it was filled shoulder to shoulder with people, but at this hour there were only a few other couples alongside us.
The cable car shifted to move and Claire stumbled slightly before I caught her around the middle, pulling her onto my lap.
She let out a giggle but didn’t move off of me so I took the cue to tighten my arms around her. She leaned back and sighed into me as we traveled up the mountain.
“What do you think Sarah’s game is?” she asked, her eyes meeting mine.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Why invite us to dinner? Why act like we're friends?”
“It’s just what people do. Keep your friends close and enemies closer type of thing.”
“And I’m the enemy?” She gasped.
I pinched her side causing her to shriek. “No. I am.”
“Ugh, I hate being associated with the devil.”
“I think you actually like it,” I said into her ear, allowing my lips to linger close to her skin for a moment longer than I should have.
She turned her head so we were nose to nose, her breaths mingling with mine.
“I like it a little,” she said, her eyes dropping to my mouth. My hand flexed on her thigh, gripping it tighter.
I shifted her to one leg so she couldn’t feel just how being this close was affecting me. I was a grown man; a woman sitting on my lap shouldn’t send me into a tailspin, but here we were.
By the time we made it to the station at the top of the mountain, I was worked up and in desperate need of fresh air.
There was a reason I never let myself look at Claire.
I wasn’t sure if this was fleeting and purely chemical or something else, but my dick came to life every time we were in the same room.
It was torturous.
I laced my fingers with hers and guided us out onto the snow covered sidewalk. I watched Claire carefully step in my path so her shoes didn’t get ruined. With an eye roll, I briskly scooped her into my arms.
She let out a loud laugh as her arms wrapped around my neck.
“I can walk,” she scoffed.
“You were going too slow.”
“These shoes weren’t made for this weather,” she sighed.
“I know, Bear. I don’t mind assisting.” I smirked at her.
“Well aren’t you two just adorable,” Sarah’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard, breaking me out of the moment with Claire.
“Just being chivalrous,” I said, placing Claire down on the cleared path near the ski lodge.
Sarah smiled at me before turning her attention to Claire. Her eyes trailed the length of her body, landing on her shoes. She snarled and cleared her throat.
“You look so… homely. I’m glad Dex has found someone so fit for real life.”
I winced. She wasn’t even trying to act like she wasn’t insulting her. She was straight up telling Claire that she could tell that we were from different socioeconomic classes. Something protective coursed through me. I wasn’t going to let this woman make Claire feel like she didn’t belong.
“Sarah, mind taking a photo for us?” I asked, handing my phone out to her. She looked down at it like it was on fire before taking it with a frown.
Claire studied me with a confused look as she followed me toward the railing that sat at the edge of the lodge.
This entire side of the building was cascaded in a blue glow as lights were hung to take over the entire side.
The sun was setting behind the mountains, casting us in shadows as the night sky faded from a pink into a deep blue.
It felt like magic.
I looped an arm around Claire’s waist and pulled her into me in a way that was definitely not platonic. She placed her left hand on my chest, showing off her ring as I gazed down at her. Sarah held the phone up and started snapping pictures.
I leaned down so my mouth grazed Claire’s ear.
“Just breathe, okay?”
She nodded as I brought my free hand up to cup her jaw. Her eyes widened as she realized what I was going to do. I could feel her body stiffen seconds before my mouth was on hers.
Something buzzed inside of me as we separated. The kiss was quick and simple but made my heart rate pick up to a speed that had me fearing I would drop dead.
Our eyes remained locked as she opened her mouth and took a few deep breaths.
I couldn’t help it. I needed another taste.
I crashed my mouth into hers, harder this time, as she melted into me.
The hand on my chest gripped my shirt as she pulled me impossibly closer.
I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth, causing her to let out a low whimper that went straight to my cock.
I was positive she could feel it this time considering we were completely flesh against each other.