Chapter 2
Chapter Two
The door to my hotel room burst open behind me, and I stumbled backwards, nearly falling. Hard hands gripped my hips, keeping me from crashing to the floor. I laughed as I regained my balance and kicked off my pumps. Was it Elijah that made me so clumsy or was I just drunk?
“Oh, God,” I groaned, leaning against Elijah. “That feels soooo good.”
He chuckled as he pulled me closer. “Thanks. I try.”
I rolled my eyes before I looked up at him. “I was talking about taking off my shoes,” I stated. “It felt almost as good as taking off my bra.”
“Don’t let me stop you if that’s next,” he murmured, his blue eyes twinkling as he stared down at my upturned face.
“It would be if I was wearing one.”
We both laughed, swaying together. I wasn’t sure how many tequila shots I’d had, but it was more than I’d drunk before. Ever.
My body felt loose, and my thoughts were hazy. I hovered on the edge between pleasantly tipsy and plastered. My arms were wrapped around Elijah, my hands clutching the back of his shirt beneath his shoulder blades.
Without my heels, he was nearly a foot taller than me.
I felt dainty, something else I’d never felt before.
While I was short, I wasn’t thin or delicate.
I also wasn’t strong or toned. Mostly, I was just soft.
The men I dated tended to be a few inches taller than me and worked desk jobs like I did.
They couldn’t keep me from falling with ease or lift me off my feet without grunting.
“You smell good,” I murmured, burying my nose against Elijah’s chest.
When he chuckled, I could hear the low, delicious rumble in that chest.
“I smell like tequila and sweat,” he answered.
I tilted my head back. “A little, but you also smell like you.”
“And how do I smell?” he asked, his blue eyes twinkling as he stared down at me.
“Warm and tingly.”
I laughed as I said it, but the smile curving his mouth slowly faded as he studied me.
“God, you’re so pretty.”
I blinked at him. “I am?”
His hands smoothed up my sides and around to the small of my back, making me excruciatingly aware of the heat and weight of his touch. Wait. What was happening?
“You are.”
Through the haze of alcohol, I felt the dull throb of embarrassment.
I wasn’t sure what to say because I wasn’t used to compliments from men, particularly men as gorgeous as Elijah Lawson.
Then again, he might not be interested in women, so his compliment could be one coming from a place of platonic sincerity.
Even though he was just as drunk as I was, he saw my disbelief.
“Every time you smile at me you have a dimple right here,” he said, releasing my waist with one hand to touch my cheek with the tip of his index finger. “And your eyes sparkle. Everything about you is bright and sweet.”
I couldn’t look at him anymore. To hear this beautiful man say these things to me…I couldn’t handle it. I tilted my chin down, lowering my eyes to break away from his intense gaze.
The finger touching my cheek hooked me beneath the chin, forcing me to lift my face. When I tried to turn my head, dull heat spreading across my cheeks, his other hand tangled in the long tail of curls that draped down my back. His grip was gentle but inescapable.
“Look at me, Grier.”
I couldn’t resist his command. I tilted my chin back so I could meet his stare.
“You’re gorgeous, inside and out.”
I opened my mouth. I had no idea what I intended to say other than to tell him he was being too generous. No words came out because his lips touched mine. Every thought in my brain evaporated into smoke.
His tongue touched mine, filling my mouth with his taste and heat. The sharp flavor of the tequila he’d had before we came upstairs merged with the warmer taste of Elijah.
I had no control over my body. My muscles went lax and I all but melted into him.
My hands clutched his sides in an effort to hold my weight, but his hands released my hair and my face, moving down my back to my ass.
His fingers clenched my cheeks as he tugged me even closer, bringing my body completely flush with his.
A breathy moan escaped my mouth when I felt his firmly muscled body against mine.
It had been a long while since I’d felt this—a man’s body against mine.
A man’s arms holding me tightly. Until this moment, I never realized how badly I needed to be held, how much I yearned for someone to touch me.
Elijah moved backward, pulling me with him.
He sat on the edge of the bed, and I followed him, putting a knee on each side of his hips.
A slit ran up the left side of my dress, baring my leg as I straddled him.
I rocked my hips forward, feeling the hard ridge of his erection against my center.
I moaned again as the kiss spun out of control.
He fisted my hair in his hand, tilting my head back as his mouth moved down my throat. The edge of his teeth sank into my neck, followed by a flick of his tongue against the sting. I dragged my nails up the back of his neck and up over his scalp, cradling his head close.
Yes, this was what I needed. Not only to be held tightly, but to feel consumed. To feel desired. Maybe even craved.
His answering groan vibrated against my skin, making me shiver.
His lips glided over my collarbone then down the center of my chest. I gasped when his tongue ran over the inner curve of my breast, slipping beneath the halter neckline of my dress.
Without thinking, I released my hold on his head and reached back to the clasp at the base of my neck.
My fingers trembled as I unfastened the rhinestone clasp that held up the dress.
The satin fabric slithered from my shoulders into my lap.
“Fuck.”
I looked down when Elijah lifted his face from my chest. His eyes gleamed as he looked up at me.
I hesitated then, realizing what I was doing. Oh, my God. He might be in a relationship or at the very least a friend with benefits arrangement…with my best friend’s friend. What was I doing? Oh, my God!
I stiffened and started to move off of him, reaching for the top of my dress. He gripped my ass harder to keep me in place, which ground me deeper against the hard ridge of his erection. I had to bite back a moan at the sensation. I tugged the top of my dress up, covering my bare chest.
“What is it?” he asked, his thumbs brushing the satin that draped over my hips. His fingers squeezed me gently and my clit throbbed in response. His eyes never left my face, even though my bare breasts were still partially displayed.
“You—you…” I shut my mouth and swallowed hard. I had no idea how to word this, especially since my brain was fogged with tequila. Finally, I just said, “Aren’t you with Marcus?”
For a moment he looked incredibly confused. “With…Marcus? As in…a couple?”
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and nodded.
The consternation on his face cleared, and he released a bark of laughter. I twitched on his lap, nearly falling backward, but his hands tightened on my hips, pulling me even tighter against his body.
Once he settled into quiet chuckles, he said, “Marcus is my cousin. Sort of. Our parents are actually cousins, but they were close as kids and then as adults. We were born within six months of each other. We basically grew up together because our parents spent lots of time together. He’s like a brother. ”
I felt heat rush to my cheeks at my assumption about him and Marcus.
Elijah chuckled again. “Did I spoil your little fantasy?”
I barely caught myself before I nodded, which made him laugh louder. “Why did you think we were gay?”
The tequila was still buzzing through my bloodstream despite my embarrassment, so I sighed and answered a little too honestly, “Every time I see Marcus, you’re with him.
The way you two talk to each other, it was clear you were close.
And Lucy mentioned in passing that she’s never known Marcus to be in a relationship with anyone, man or woman, so I thought maybe… ”
Elijah smirked at me. “That’s because Marcus is married to his job.
No one else will ever measure up in terms of importance.
As for us always being together—” He paused and pulled me even closer until the backs of my knuckles brushed the front of his shirt which pressed my nipples into my palms, making me shiver.
“He’s always gone for work, so when he’s in Dallas, he stays with me.
We hang out as much as we can, which means I end up going almost everywhere with him while he’s in town. ”
Well, that made sense.
His eyes were piercing as they slowly moved down, over my neck and finally to my chest. My inhibitions were lowered from the margaritas, but I struggled not to fidget.
I didn’t move as he reached up with one hand and tugged gently at mine until I lowered them to my lap, letting the dress fall back down to my waist.
With my breasts bared, I felt more naked and vulnerable than I had moments before.
“Now, before we go any further, I need you to be very, very sure that this is what you want. And by this, I mean us fucking until we pass out.”
Oh. My. God. Another shiver swept through me. “Why?” I asked, unable to think of anything else to say. Which was crazy because my body was screaming YES! Dick me down, right now!
“Because I might die if you change your mind once we start.”
I couldn’t suppress my eye roll. His hand tightened on my hair. A small burst of pain in my scalp brought my attention back to him.
“You have no idea, do you?” he asked.
“I don’t understand.”
“You are fucking gorgeous.” His mouth nipped at mine. “Sexy.” Another nip. “Irresistible.”
My body trembled in his tight hold. Whether from his words or the way his mouth nibbled at mine, I had no idea. “I won’t change my mind,” I whispered. “I want this.”
His lips traveled over my chest to my nipple, closing over the sensitive tip and sucking. I shuddered almost violently. “I need you,” I moaned.