Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Emma
Glancing at the flowers on the nightstand, I turn over on my side. My brother had little to say when I texted him back. He told me he’d fill me in more when he had time. I reminded him that I’d prefer if that would be during daylight hours in New York.
I roll over again and kick the covers back from the bed.
I’m burning up.
Sitting up, I fist the sheet with my hands to keep them from shaking.
Not only did I drink my body weight in coffee today, but I’m on fire from the way Case looked at me before he went to sleep. The roughness of his voice went straight to my core.
“As long as it takes.”
I’ve been replaying those words in my mind since I dropped into bed an hour ago.
As long as it takes to satisfy his need for me?
As long as it takes to fuck me over and over again?
As long as it takes until we wear each other out?
My hand darts to the outside of the white silk panties I’m wearing.
I’m desperate to come, but I’m savoring the high of the desire I’m feeling.
Fanning a hand in front of my face, I look to the open window. It’s doing nothing to quench my need for cool air.
I may be feeling flushed because of Case, but it’s more than that. The air conditioning hasn’t come on. This room has to be upwards of eighty degrees.
Swinging my bare legs over the side of the bed, I stand.
My brother installed a smart home system in this apartment before my last visit. He gave me a primer on it the day I arrived, but I didn’t have to use it during that trip.
Drake pre-programmed everything in, so my coffee was ready in the morning when I woke up and the lights in my room were set to dim in the evening.
The air conditioning runs off the panel, so I start toward the door of the guestroom.
I inch the door open, peering out into the darkened hallway.
No light is escaping from under the door of Case’s bedroom. The air conditioning must be working in there, or he’s so accustomed to the heat in California that this feels lukewarm to him.
I tread down the hallway toward the panel. The only light illuminating the space is seeping in from the windows of the main living area.
Manhattan never fully shuts down, so there’s always some degree of muted light when you gaze out a window, even in the dead of night.
I suck in a breath as I stare at the panel. I remember Drake saying that if you tap the screen, it will illuminate in the darkness.
I jab a finger into the middle of the screen.
The blare of loud classical music sends me stumbling back two steps. “Oh, fuck,” I mutter.
I tap the screen again to stop the music. Silence immediately surrounds me. I glance at Case’s room, but the door is still closed.
The screen darkens again before I have a chance to find the button that controls the air conditioning.
“Damn you,” I spit out.
I lean closer. I know there’s a voice-activated feature. Drake proudly showed that off when he ordered it to turn on a football game, and he requested that it preheat the oven even though neither of us was going to cook a thing.
“Air conditioning in the guest room,” I whisper.
Nothing happens.
“Turn on the air conditioning in the guest room,” I say louder.
Still nothing.
I cup my hands around my mouth and direct my voice to the panel. “I need air conditioning in the guest room. Please. Now.”
I stomp my foot when the panel doesn’t light up.
“Screw you,” I seethe. “I’m hot.”
“So fucking hot.”
I almost trip when I jump at the sound of Case’s voice.
I glance toward the open door of the main bedroom. My breath catches as I take in the sight of him dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans that are undone, the fly partially open.
Holy hell.
He leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. “What do you need, Emma?”
Words can’t find their way out of me, so I squeak. I literally let out a small squeaking sound.
“You can’t sleep. I can’t sleep.” His eyes trail over my body. “We’re both wide awake. What should we do about that?”
Shock grounds me in the spot I’m in even though I want nothing more than to drop my panties and tank top and follow him into his bedroom.
He straightens and starts toward me. There’s no masking that he’s naked under the jeans. The deep ridges of his abs lead down to a light dusting of dark hair and the swell of his erection against the fabric.
This is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I pinch the inside of my arm to make sure I’m not dreaming.
“You’re holding back,” he tells me. There’s no question in the statement. He can sense what I feel. “Is it because of your brother?”
He avoids using Drake’s name just as he did in his office when we kissed.
I shake my head.
“Bonehead?” he says the nickname of my ex with distaste on his tongue. “Are you considering getting back together with him?”
That’s laughable, so I add a chuckle to my headshake.
“You’ve never fucked just to fuck, have you?” He circles me like I’m his prey.
I glance down. “No.”
“You don’t want to risk getting hurt for a good, hard fuck. Is that it?”
I close my eyes against the rush of desire that consumes me with those words.
He stops in front of me. His hand drops to his stomach. It slowly trails down his skin to the opening of his jeans. “If you don’t take the risk, you’ll never experience the reward, Emma. I can promise you one hell of a reward.”
My gaze stays glued to his hand as he glides it over the fabric. I can see the outline of his erection. He’s large. He’s perfect.
“Emma.” My name leaves him in a breathless rush. “If we set rules and stick to them, a good time is had by all.”
I slide my eyes up to his handsome face. “Rules?”
“We fuck while we’re in New York. Once you-know-who comes back to town, I head back to California. You go to Seattle. We part ways with great memories.”
I want this. I crave the feeling of a man’s body again. It’s been too long.
It’s been so long.
If I don’t take this chance, I’ll regret it. I know that I will.
“It’s over when my brother gets back to New York?” I question, so it’s crystal clear.
He trails the pad of his thumb over his bottom lip. “Yes.”
I can handle this. My heart can do this. The last thing I need right now is an emotional complication. The one thing I need is to be in his bed.
I stare at him. This gorgeous man is offering me the chance to have a hot as hell summer fling before going home to sort out my life. With Drake relocating to London, I’ll likely never see Case again after this trip.
“I want you, Emma.” He steps closer. “I’ve barely slept since I got to Manhattan because I’ve been thinking about your body and all the things I want to do with you.”
I close the distance between us with a step of my own. Reaching forward to trace a finger over the center of his chest, I look up and into his eyes. “Show me.”