Chapter Ten
Pepper
I toss my suitcase on the bed, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The low-cut, easy-access wrap dress I’d hoped would drive Clay mad clings to my body, my favorite black lace thong and matching bra going to waste beneath it. My heart hasn’t stopped racing, or aching, since we met for dinner, which is when it hit me that my time with Clay was over, and it wouldn’t be fair to pretend otherwise. That ache shows in my eyes. They look so dull, I have to turn away.
I hated saying goodbye to him, and I hated doing it in front of everyone else, which shouldn’t matter, since I wouldn’t have told him that his kisses were the best I’d ever had anyway or that I can’t stop thinking about last night or how much fun it was to spend time with him. I force myself to begin the arduous task of packing, tugging open the dresser drawer, absently unfolding and refolding my clothes, telling myself it’s just as well. It’s not like he’s my forever person. This was just a fling.
My stomach knots up. It didn’t feel like a fling.
I squeeze my eyes shut against the pain and tilt my face up to the ceiling, groaning. Why is this so hard? Why can’t I be like Sable used to be? Able to walk away without looking back. Why did she get all the fling-resilient genes? I imagine my twin in our mother’s womb, gathering and hoarding those genes, thinking she’s protecting me from heartache.
Ugh. Now I’m just being ridiculous.
I sink down to the edge of the bed, clutching the shirt I wore last night and press it to my nose, soaking in the faint scent of cedarwood and the unique smell of Clay. I don’t know how his scent could have seeped into my clothing, but I’m glad it did. I smell it again, and then I force myself to put the shirt in the suitcase and go back to folding my clothes. But his face is all I see. His playful smile, the dimples that make my insides go hot. Tell me to stop, or give me that mouth. A shudder of heat follows his voice in my head.
I may not know anything about flings, but I know my battery-operated boyfriend will never satisfy me again.
What am I doing?
I am not someone who pines for a man. I’m a scientist. I deal with facts, not chemically induced lust or runaway hormones. I need to think rationally. Tomorrow I’ll go back to my real life, and Clay will probably find some other woman to hang out with here in Paris. A stab of jealousy hits me, but I refuse to give in to it. I tell myself there’s nothing wrong with him being with someone else. That’s what people do after having flings. They tuck away the memories of their fun times and carry on.
I can do that. I can do anything.
I mentally bundle up those happy, sexy memories and stomp them with my pointy heels, but they keep popping back up like freaking jack-in-the-boxes.
“I’m so not built for flings.”
I grab my belted sweater and concentrate on folding it, startling when a knock sounds at my door. Sure it’s my sisters, I set the belt on top of my sweater in the suitcase and take a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I don’t need them asking me why I look frustrated. It was bad enough when we were in the gift shop and they tried to get me to confess that I was into Clay. I played it cool and said what I have every other time they’ve said things to me about him. He’s obviously handsome, and he’s a nice guy, but I don’t go out with athletes. Thinking about it now, I get the same burn in my chest as I did when I said it to them. Kind of like when I make a statement about a scientific fact that I’ve heard a time or two and then second-guess myself on the accuracy of it.
Trying to ignore that discomfort, I make my way to the door and peer out the peephole.
It’s Clay. My heart beats even faster as I take in his tight jaw and serious expression. I don’t blame him for being irritated with me. He looks so handsome in that slate-gray dress shirt, I could barely look at him during dinner for fear of not being able to take my eyes off him. I wasn’t exactly gracious tonight, and he’s been nothing but good to me.
Good isn’t the right word.
He’s been exciting and thoughtful and fun. He made me feel beautiful, wanted, sexy, and alive . He made me feel more than anyone ever has. The truth is, he’s been pretty damn perfect.
That’s when it hits me.
Of course he’s been perfect. There’s a reason they call him Mr. Perfect, and he has enough experience to have mastered the game of flings. I need to keep that in mind and not let my naive heart take over. I open the door and immediately regret not giving myself time to let that resolve sink in and take hold. Without the buffer of the door between us, that magnetic pull is in full force. I don’t like feeling out of control, but at the same time, with Clay I want to chase that high.
“Hey, Reckless. How’s the packing going?”
The nickname that at first had conjured troubling memories from when I was younger no longer does. I’ve become as fond of it as I have of him. He makes it sound special and exciting, but his gaze is still serious, which is a little unnerving. “Okay.”
“I got you a few things today.” He hands me a gift bag.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I look in the bag and see two slim boxes, one with a pink ribbon, one with a red ribbon, and the Eiffel Tower magnet Amber said I should get. “You got me a magnet?”
“Everyone needs a frivolous magnet on their fridge to remember their trips.”
He doesn’t miss a thing. I can practically hear my resolve chipping away.
“The box with the pink ribbon is for your mom.”
“You got my mom a gift?” Oh, my heart.
“No,” he says warmly. “I got you the scarf you picked out for her so you could give it to her. I think it’ll mean a lot to her coming from you.”
Chip, chip, chip .
“That was really thoughtful. Thank you. I’ve actually been regretting that I didn’t buy it for her.” I take the box with the red ribbon out of the bag and open it. My pulse quickens. It’s the green and gold scarf he suggested for me in the gift shop. I think it would look nice wrapped around your wrists. I lift my gaze to his, and holy mother of hotness, even with that tight jaw, he possesses a wickedness that takes my breath away.
“It’ll bring out your eyes.” He cocks a brow, his lips curving up. “Are you going to invite me in?”
“Yes. Sorry . We should talk.” I step back, trying to get my brain to work so we can clear the air. “My room isn’t as nice as your suite.”
He steps in front of me, his gaze softening just a tad. “It’s nicer than mine, because you’re in it.”
He leans in, and I close my eyes as his warm lips touch my cheek and his words touch my heart. Closing the door, I follow him in and put the gift bag on the dresser.
His gaze sweeps over the suitcase. “If I hadn’t asked about tomorrow, were you going to leave without telling me?”
“No. I just…” I try to think of something to say other than the embarrassing truth, but I don’t want to lie to him. “I’ve never done this before. I don’t know how to navigate a fling. I thought that’s what people did. They have fun, then move on.”
He rubs the back of his neck, giving me a look somewhere between amusement and disappointment. “I gotta say, that makes me feel a little cheap. You were just using me for a few orgasms and going to take off like it meant nothing?”
“I wasn’t using you. I mean, no more than you were using me, but—”
“Ouch.” He puts a hand over his heart, feigning pain. “I might be strong, but I’m still human. My ego can be bruised.”
I try to give him a stoic look, but he’s so damn endearing, with those sexy dimples and a playful glint in his eyes, I can’t maintain it, and I laugh. “You’re a fool. What am I supposed to do with you?”
“I can think of a few things.” He strides toward me like a panther stalking prey, and my pulse quickens with every powerful step. “That is, unless you didn’t want one more night to kiss me?” His breath warms my lips, sending heat prickling down my limbs. His hands slide over my hips, resting hot and heavy on my ass as he draws me to him. “Another night to explore each other’s bodies?”
Forget talking. I want exactly what he’s offering. One more night, for closure. “I never said I didn’t want that.”
“My bruised ego needs to hear you say you want me.”
He brushes his scruff along my cheek, and I feel him getting hard. Lust coils tight and hot in my core as I wind my arms around him. “Your ego feels solid to me.”
He smiles against my lips. “Maybe I’m a greedy bastard with you and want to hear that you want me as much as I want you.”
“Maybe?” I taunt, emboldened by his desire.
“You know damn well how greedy I am for you.” His gruffness sends a shudder of desire through me. His hand slides along my stomach as he moves behind me, leaving me facing the mirror. Our eyes lock in our reflection. “Tell me you wore this sexy dress just for me.” His hard heat presses against my ass as his hands move up my stomach. “That you want me to touch you.”
Anticipation stacks up inside me. “You know I want you to touch me,” I pant out.
He holds my gaze in the mirror, wickedness gleaming in his eyes. “Watch me touch you.”
The demand is low and gruff. I’ve never watched myself with a man. It feels dark and dirty, heightening the thrill as he palms my breasts, teasing my nipples through the thin dress, sending bolts of lightning between my legs. I feel myself go damp, and he must see it on my face, because he rubs his cock against my ass, whispering, “You like this, Reckless. You like being naughty with me.”
There’s no holding back the “ Yes ” that rushes lustfully from my lips.
“I should’ve known one night with you would never be enough for either of us.” He grazes his teeth along the curve of my neck and shoulder, and I gasp with the shock of pleasure it brings. “And this sexy dress?” He lowers his hands to the knot at my hip.
“I wore it just for you.”
He’s untying the knot before I even finish the sentence, and my dress falls open. He slips it off my shoulders, and it glides to the floor, leaving me in nothing but my matching thong and bra and heels. He swiftly removes my bra, and his gaze moves lazily, lustfully down the length of me in the mirror, lingering on the bite mark he left on my breast, making my nipples throb with need. Those all-seeing eyes move lower, hovering at the mark on my inner thigh. The raw satisfaction on his face makes me breathe harder. He steps back, admiring my backside, and makes an appreciative sound as he caresses my ass.
“Look at you, wearing my marks everywhere.” His breath is hot and tantalizing against my neck. “It should be illegal to be this sexy.”
I can do little more than watch him in the mirror as he undresses. He fists his cock, his eyes on me as he strokes it. I bite my lower lip, itching to touch and be touched, but he steps behind me and gathers my hair over my shoulders. “Where is it, Reckless? Where’s my mark on your neck?”
I touch the tender spot I’ve covered with makeup near the back of my neck.
He drags his tongue over it, then wipes off the makeup with his hand, bringing the evidence of our passion into view, and flashes a wolfish grin. He licks that tender spot as light as a feather, sending shivers of heat rippling through me. I lean my head to the other side, giving him better access. His eyes never leave mine in our reflection as he lightly licks and sucks my neck, groping one breast, teasing me through my thong with his other hand. A needy sound escapes me, and I don’t even try to stop it. I want him to hear what he does to me.
“You’re so wet for me, your thong is drenched.” He seals his teeth over my neck, sucking hard as he continues teasing me through the damp material and squeezes my nipple. A mix of pleasure and pain whips through me, and I cry out, grabbing his wrists. But I don’t stop him. It feels too good. He eases the suction on my neck.
“ Again ,” I beg.
He does as I ask, and my hips shoot forward, thrills whipping through me anew. He continues his masterful assault until my entire body is quivering like a bundle of live wires. I’m lost in his ministrations, panting, clinging to his wrists in an effort to remain upright. Then he’s pushing his fingers beneath the thong, my legs are giving out, and I’m swamped with pleasure so vast and all-consuming, my eyes slam shut, and a stream of indiscernible sounds sails from my lungs. He doesn’t relent, sending a surge of pleasure crashing over me. I cry out and ride that high to the very end.
“Eyes open, sweetheart.”
My eyes flutter open as I float down from the peak, and our gazes lock in the mirror.
“When you go home and you’re fixing your hair or putting on makeup, I want you to remember this . I want you to see my face, feel my hands on you, remember how it felt when I made those marks on your body and the pleasure only I can bring you.”
His words burrow into me, bringing a whole new type of thrill, because I am memorizing every one of them. I want to remember all of this, but I can’t let him know that. “You really are greedy.”
His eyes narrow. “I never was before. Not like this.”
Those words burn into me as he turns me gently in his arms and takes me in a sensual, mind-numbing kiss that leaves me moaning for more. His eyes darken. “Those sexy sounds make me crazy.” He bites my lower lip, and I gasp at the sting of pleasure racing through me. “ Fuck . I’m going to hear those noises in my sleep.” Just as the idea of him thinking of me when we’re apart starts to take hold, his tongue glides along my lower lip. “This gorgeous mouth will be what I see every time I fist my cock.”
The breath rushes from my lungs.
He sinks lower, dragging my thong down to my thighs, and gazes up at me. “Look at this pretty pussy, begging to be eaten.” He licks my sex, and my knees buckle, a moan pushing from my lungs. He grabs my thighs and presses a kiss to my clit, drawing another needy sound from deep inside me. But he doesn’t continue. The master of anticipation drags my thong down to my ankles and helps me step out of it. Then he presses another kiss to the apex of my sex, causing more scintillating sensations, and rises to his full height. Those blue eyes bore into mine. “Are you in a giving mood, sweetheart? I’d love to see you on your knees with those sexy lips wrapped around my cock.”
The way he asks and the depth of emotion staring back at me feel strangely intimate, making me eager to please, bringing that boldness that only exists with him. “With an invitation like that, how can I resist?” I step out of my heels, wanting to make him feel as good as he makes me feel, so he really will think of me after I’m gone. I kiss his chest and tease his nipple with my tongue.
“Christ, that feels good,” he grits out.
I take his thick length in my hand, stroking him as I graze my teeth over his nipple. He hisses, and I sink my teeth into it. He grabs my hair and yanks my head back, his volcanic eyes blazing into mine.
“Sorry,” I say lamely. “Too hard?”
“No. So fucking good. Careful, Reckless, or you’ll make it hard for me to hold back.”
“I don’t want you to hold back.” The words come unbidden, but they’re true. It makes no sense, but I trust him more than I’ve ever trusted any man in an intimate situation. I know I’ll never have another fling, or another night with Clay, so I give myself permission to go a little wild and give up control.
His brows slant. “What about that threat you gave me last night?”
“I know you won’t hurt me.” I kiss my way down his chest and abs, loving the feel of his muscles flexing beneath my touch and the appreciative sounds he makes as I sink to my knees. He gathers my hair in his hand, his eyes trained on me as I guide his heavy cock into my mouth, humming around it. He curses, and I work him with tight strokes, taking him deep, his hungry gaze and salacious sounds spurring me on. I grab his hips, pulling them forward, giving him a green light. He pumps his hips, quickening his efforts as I suck more rigorously.
“Touch yourself while I fuck your mouth.”
I do it without hesitation, and the thrill of it takes over. I moan around his cock, and he tightens his fist in my hair. “So good, Reckless… Fuck …Look at your sweet pussy glistening for me.” I work him faster, his words taking me closer to the edge. “That’s it, baby,” he grits out, thrusting faster, deeper. “Your mouth is fucking heaven.” I cling to his leg with one hand, using my other on myself, letting him take full control as he fucks my mouth. An orgasm builds inside me, taunting me, just out of reach. My muscles flex, my core tightens, and I work myself faster, matching his thrusts. “Fuck, Pepper. Fuck .” I moan louder, digging my fingernails into the back of his leg, willing myself to come with him. Just as my orgasm careens into me, he roars out my name, his release spurting hot and salty down my throat, and we ride out our mutual pleasure.
When he withdraws from my mouth, I’m shaking, quivering with aftershocks. He caresses my jaw and lifts me to my feet on my rubbery legs. His strong arms circle me, his eyes gleaming with emotions I don’t trust my lust-addled brain to decipher, and he kisses me tenderly.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
I can do little more than shake my head.
“Thank God.” The relief in his voice wraps around me like another embrace as he lowers his lips to mine in a slow, titillatingly sensual kiss. Without a word, he moves my suitcase to the floor and guides me onto the bed. I watch him stride naked over to the gift bag and withdraw the green and gold scarf. My pulse spikes as he makes his way back to me and drags the cool silk along my body. “Do you trust me enough to play, Reckless?”
“ Yes ,” I manage, as nervous as I am aroused.
“Wrists or blindfold, baby?”
I worry my lower lip, trying to decide, and finally confess, “I’ve never done either. But I want to. Can we try both?”
“You, at my complete and utter mercy? Now, that’s a fantasy come true.”
His devilish grin has me squeezing my thighs together to quell the ache it causes. Those eagle eyes sweep over the room, and he picks up my sweater belt, stretching it between his hands. “Nice and long. Perfect.” He snags his wallet and puts it on the nightstand.
My heart races as I move to the edge of the bed, offering him my wrists. He carefully binds them near one end of the belt, leaving a long tail. When he finishes, he puts a finger under my chin, lifting my eyes to his. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.” I’m so turned on, there’s no way I’m backing out.
“You can tell me to stop anytime, and I will.”
I nod, swallowing hard, glad he’s thinking of me and not just of what he wants to do to me.
He picks up the silk scarf. “Out go the lights, sweetheart.”
He wraps the scarf over my eyes and ties it on the side of my head. The world goes dark. Anxiety prickles my chest and white-hot anticipation flares in my core. I’m sure he can hear my thundering heart.
“Still with me, sweetheart?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m going to lay you down and put your hands above your head so I can tie them to the iron slats on the headboard.”
“ Oh ….um…okay.” Holy cow. I don’t know how I feel about this. “I didn’t know you were going to do that.”
“We don’t have to. There’s no pressure to do anything.”
I debate not doing it, and it only takes a second for me to know without a doubt I’ll regret it if I don’t. “ No. I want to do it. I’m ready to go dark and dirty.”
“Damn, Reckless,” he says with a laugh. “I sure like you.”
He helps me down to the mattress and guides my wrists above my head. As he secures the belt to the headboard, I feel more vulnerable than I ever have, but I know I’m safe with him. The mattress shifts with his weight, and my other senses magnify. I feel the heat of his stare, taste his arousal more acutely than I did when he came in my mouth. The air vibrates with anticipation, the scents of sex and lust hovering around us.
“I feel you staring at me.” I sound husky and shaky.
“Not staring. Admiring . You can’t imagine how stunning you are.” His hand trails down my breastbone and between my breasts. “Look at these gorgeous tits.” His fingers glide lightly over one breast, circling my nipple, and all of my focus goes to that tantalizing touch. Goose bumps chase up my body, and my nipples harden to painful points. The mattress shifts again, and his tongue traces the same path. Pleasure courses through me, and I grit my teeth as his hand moves to my other breast, circling that nipple as his tongue circles the other. My insides go tight, every iota of my being rushing toward his touch. I arch up, wanting his whole mouth on me, but he draws back. The breath rushes from my lungs with his retreat. “ Clay —”
“I want you needy.” The mattress shifts, and his breath comes down over my nipple, hovering like a blowtorch. His fingers circle my other nipple, and the competing sensations have me writhing, bowing off the mattress again, but his mouth retreats. He continues taunting me, taking me right up to the edge and then pulling back, until I’m standing on a razor’s edge, on the verge of shattering. His fingers trail down my body to my inner thigh, moving along it as light as a feather. His fingertips graze my sex, and I gasp, my hips rising.
“Yes. Please.”
“Soon,” he promises.
His tongue circles my nipple again, his fingertips teasing between my legs, but no matter how I wiggle or move, he doesn’t enter me, doesn’t touch me where I need it most. Heat simmers in my core, my inner muscles swelling until I’m dizzy with desire, begging, rocking my hips, trying to take more. He refuses me, and it turns me on more than I could ever imagine. I don’t know how long he continues the exquisite torture, but by the time he finally lowers his mouth over my breast and his fingers enter me, I’m a moaning, pleading mess of arousal. When his thumb hits my clit, I detonate . A hailstorm of sensations rains down on me, and I cry out so loud, I’m sure everyone on our floor hears it. Clay stays with me through every pulse and whimper.
The mattress shifts, and he spreads my legs. Embarrassment suddenly tries to break in, but it’s no match for the onslaught of thrilling anticipation.
“Look at you, so fucking perfect.” His rough hands skate up my thighs, spreading me wider, and then he’s feasting on me, catapulting me into ecstasy again. He’s rough and somehow also sensual, keeping me at the peak. I can’t see, can’t hear past the thrum of desire consuming me and the blood rushing through my ears. But I can feel every prickle and burn of the most excruciating pleasure I’ve ever experienced, and I revel in it, crying out, begging him not to stop, and he doesn’t, until I sink boneless into the mattress.
As I come back down to earth, he says, “Time to play, beautiful.”
There’s more?
I’m not sure I’ll survive it, but he turns me over, running his hands down my back and caressing my ass. I have a fleeting worry about what he’s going to do to me, but his touch is electrifying. I feel him straddling my hips, his body heat radiating through my back as his chest grazes my skin. The length of his cock rests against the crack of my ass, and his warm breath coasts over my neck as he kisses me there. “I could do whatever I want to you right now, and you’d let me, wouldn’t you, Reckless?”
I’m so lost in him, I hear yes in my head, but I don’t dare say it.
“Don’t worry. I only want to make you feel good.” He moves down my body in an arousing dance of kisses, bites, and caresses, murmuring against my skin, “So soft…so beautiful…so trusting…” He moves off my hips, down the bed, his hands squeezing and caressing, and presses his warm lips to my ass cheeks. He drags his fingers between my legs, teasing me. “Has anyone ever touched you here?” He slides his fingers between those cheeks, teasing that private spot.
“No.” I’m shocked to realize I want him to.
“Such a gorgeous ass.” He continues teasing me there, sending new sensations scattering through me like white-hot ants. I moan and rock, and he spreads my cheeks, using his hands and mouth everywhere, driving me out of my mind. I rise up on my elbows and knees, needing more. “That’s it, baby. Give me that ass.” His finger breaches the tight rim of muscles slowly, and I lose my breath.
“I need you ,” I beg.
“You’re not needy enough yet.” He pumps his finger, going deeper with every push, and uses his other hand on my clit. I rock against his fingers. “That’s it. Chase your pleasure,” he says gruffly, and sinks his teeth into my cheek, hurling me into a kaleidoscope of pleasure. He stays with me, licking and teasing, his fingers working me through the very last aftershock.
My head falls between my shoulders, and he lowers me to the mattress, turning me over.
“You’re fucking amazing,” he rasps, kissing my lips, jaw, and shoulder as he unties my tether and unbinds my wrists. I reach for the scarf covering my eyes, but he grabs my hand, stopping me. “Leave it on for one minute. It’ll make everything more intense for you.” He kisses me deeply and passionately, and then the mattress dips, and I hear the tear of a condom wrapper.
He moves over me, and I feel the broad head of his cock against my entrance. He laces his fingers with mine, pressing them into the mattress on either side of my head, and nudges my legs open wider with his knees. His head dips beside mine, and I hear him breathing. I revel in the erotic, sensual sound, in the heat of him hovering over me, his thighs pressing down on mine, and the erratic thundering of our hearts as his hips press forward slowly. I welcome the delicious intrusion. He was right. I’m intensely aware of his thickness stretching me, the heat our bodies create, the way Clay holds his breath as he takes me deeper, and how our hearts calm as we come together fully. When he finally exhales, I hear his smile in it, and he whispers, “Breathe, baby.”
I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath, too, and it rushes from my lungs.
He removes the scarf from my eyes, and it takes me a minute to adjust to the light. When I do, I feel myself getting as lost in him and the emotions staring back at me as I am in the sensations engulfing me. I pull his mouth to mine, not wanting to overthink any of it or think at all. He’s right there with me, thrusting and gyrating, stroking that magical spot inside me. We’re fueled by passion so bright and hot, it coils around us like molten metal. His kisses are merciless, his thrusts just as ruthless. “Need to see you,” he rasps, and rolls us over without breaking our connection.
He clutches my hips, helping me ride him. His eyes bore into me with the hunger of a ravenous lion. He feels so big from this angle, so thick and incredible, prickling heat sparks in my limbs, gathering speed and pressure, invading my core like a stampede of wild animals. He thrusts harder, and I know he’s close, too. “ Fuck ,” he grits out. “You’re so tight. So fucking beautiful.” He reaches up, tugging my mouth to his.
My hair tumbles forward, curtaining us in darkness. He grabs my ass with both hands, driving up from beneath me. Pleasure scorches through me, and I tear my mouth away, crying out as he gives in to his own powerful release. We rock and thrust, our noises echoing off the walls. The pleasure comes in waves, and we ride them out until we have nothing left to give. I lean over him, trying to catch my breath, our bodies spasming with aftershocks.
As the last shudders ripple through us, he cradles me in his arms, rolling us onto our sides and raining kisses over my lips and cheek. I snuggle into him, unable to tell where my body ends and his begins. He holds me tight until our breathing calms. Only then does he whisper, “I’ll be right back, beautiful.” He kisses me again before climbing off the bed.
I can’t stop smiling as I watch him walk into the bathroom, all lean muscles and the sexiest butt I’ve ever seen. When he closes the door, I throw my arm over my eyes, feeling so alive , so invigorated, I’m sure I’m going to burst. It’s like someone new has come to life inside me. Someone fun and sexy, who isn’t afraid to let go. I never knew I could feel so uninhibited. That I could trust anyone with my body the way I trust him.
I squeeze my eyes closed, pressing my arm tighter over them in an effort to suppress it, but it bursts out in a flurry of kicks and a ridiculously giddy sound.
“Can I take that as a five-star review?”
My eyes fly open, and I clamp my mouth shut, but he dives onto the bed, pinning me beneath him, making us both crack up. My cheeks are hurting from smiling so hard. “Can we pretend you didn’t see that?”
“Not a chance, Reckless.”
I bite my lip.
“Do you call that a happy dance? Because it looked like pure and total elation to me.”
“Shut up.” I bury my face in his neck.
He lifts up just enough that I can’t hide my face and grins down at me. “Stay with me.”
“We’re in my room, remember?”
“No. I mean stay with me in Paris. I’m here for three more days. Stay . Your family will be gone, and it’ll be just us.”
My heart seems to have turned giddy, too, because it screams yes! But my head speaks louder. “I have to get back to work. I’m starting a new project at the end of the week, and we have a kickoff meeting on Wednesday.”
“Then give me one more day. One day of just us.”
I consider the project preparations I have planned for the beginning of the week. I’ve already done most of my own, but I wanted to look over my team’s preparations to make sure they’re ready to go, too.
“Don’t overthink it, Pep. I know you haven’t taken a real vacation in years, and you own the company. Isn’t flexibility one of the perks? Surely you can spare an extra day. Just call your assistant and tell them to cover for you.”
“I don’t have an assistant. We lost our front-desk person two weeks ago. Even if I want to stay, I can’t just change an international flight at the last minute.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll make the arrangements.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“It is for me. Come on, beautiful. Be reckless with me. We’ll have a great time. When else will you be in Paris with a handsome quarterback who thinks you’re the coolest woman he’s ever hung out with? Wait . You’re not into athletes. When else will you be in Paris with a regular guy who adores you?”
I laugh, my head spinning with the things he said. Cool? Beautiful? Adores me?
“What do you say? I guarantee you’ll have an unforgettable time.”
“You’re serious,” I say incredulously. “What if you can’t get me a flight?”
“My cousin owns a private jet. If his pilot is busy, I’ll hire another one. I’ll buy a fucking plane if I have to. I won’t let you down. I know how important your work is.”
Excitement bubbles up inside me. “You really want me to stay that badly?”
“ Yes . More than anything. I like being with you.”
“You like sex,” I tease.
“ True , but that’s not why I want you to stay. I’ve been into you since we first met, and this time together has been incredible. I’m not ready for it to end, and I don’t think you are, either.”
“I’m not, but this is crazy . It’s like something out of a movie. I want to do it, but can you promise me I’ll be home in time to prepare for my meeting?”
“I’ll do you one better. Don’t move.” He presses his lips to mine, then gets up and grabs his phone from the pocket of his jeans.
He paces as he makes a call, unfazed by his own nakedness, while I’m mesmerized by it, by him . He stops at the foot of the bed, his eyes dancing with delight. I gather the sheet around me and sit up, anticipation building with every passing second.
“Treat?” He pauses, listening. “It wasn’t my best moment, but I’m good. Thanks for asking. How are you and Max and the kids?” He’s quiet. He smiles, laughs. “That’s great. I can’t wait to see everyone again. Listen, I’m in Paris with a very special lady, and I need to secure a flight to Charlottesville, Virginia, for her early Tuesday morning. Any chance I can hire your pilot?” He rubs the crook of his neck and shoulder as he listens. “Great. Okay. I’ll text you her information. Thanks, man. This means a lot to me.” He listens again. “Really? I didn’t know Noah was there. Give him a hard time for me, and please give my love to your family and Uncle Hal. Thanks, Treat. Have a good night.” He ends the call and sets his phone on the nightstand. “Looks like you’re all mine until Tuesday morning. We’ve got the plane.”
“ Seriously? That was a real call? You booked a private plane that easily?” Holy cow. Am I really doing this?
He puts one knee on the bed. “I did, and you can’t back out now.”
“I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Aren’t we lucky? It’s a night full of firsts.” He waggles his brows.
My cheeks heat. “I need to message my team. I can’t believe I’m staying in Paris. I can’t believe I’m staying in Paris with an athlete, of all people.” An athlete who just had his face and hands all up in my naughty business.
“I’m just a regular guy, remember?”
“Right. Regular guys don’t hire private planes. I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
“It’s a good thing I do.” He kisses me and takes me down to the mattress beneath him. “Pepper Montgomery, meet Reckless, my sexy European fling.”