Chapter 22 #2
“I bet he’s lying,” Chloe hisses and I almost let out a groan—I should have known she was involved.
“God’s sake,” I mutter beneath my breath and stand, taking Pepper with me. Without thinking, I open one door of the long closet and whisk her inside, closing it behind us again.
“Why did you come in here with me?!” Pepper whispers, ripping her hand from mine at the same time Chloe speaks.
“Oh, it turns this way. That makes more sense.” More giggles ensue and by the noisy and not at all subtle way the door clatters open, I can only presume they are both drunk. Which tracks, honestly.
“I panicked!” I whisper back. Truthfully, I just wanted to stay in the close little bubble she allowed me into for a moment.
Pepper turns so that she’s facing the crack in the door, folding her arms over her chest and muttering something that includes the word, “ass.”
“Oh, he’s not even in here!” Mia cries at full volume, followed by the clumsy thud of footprints on hard wood flooring.
Pepper starts to fidget immediately, rolling her shoulders and glancing around the dark closet that is filled mostly with storage items. My mother probably has forty years of history stashed away somewhere in this house.
“Well that’s no fun…ooh! I wonder if he has my glasses in here from earlier.
” I swallow a groan as I hear what sounds like the vibration of a case zipper being opened, all to look for a pair of sunglasses that I borrowed from her earlier which are right on my bedside table.
If these drunk dummies just used their eyeballs, they wouldn’t have to snoop.
“Absolutely not, this shirt is a crime!” Mia says with a flourish, and I hear the muffled sound of material being thrown and hitting the wall.
Pepper covers up a snort with her hand. I sigh quietly and reach up to run my hand through my hair. I love these women, but they are a pain in my ass.
“And this cheapskate is a grown-ass billionaire, but he’s bowling around with Neutrogena skincare? I haven’t used that since I was fifteen.” Chloe guffaws, followed by a plastic bottle clattering to the floor.
This is ridiculous, I’m a grown-ass man hiding in a closet listening to my friends berate my consumer choices. I’m just about to give up the ghost and open the door when a small hand curls over my mouth. “Don’t,” she mouths pleadingly, her forehead creased and her breathing coming in shallow.
Immediately unconcerned with whatever is happening inside the room, I gently take her hand from my mouth and continue our whispered conversation. “What’s wrong?”
She blows out a sharp breath, using one hand to wipe her forehead.
“I don’t do well with being trapped in a small space.
” She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, the small slit of golden light filtering through the crack illuminating a light sheen of perspiration across her skin.
“God, I think I’m going to have a panic attack. ”
She shakes her hands in front of herself, mimicking the action of trying to shake it off. I take them in my own and turn one of her fingers inward, squeezing her hand closed once it’s in place.
“Ouch! Why did you do that?” She rips her hand away and examines what is likely to be a half-crescent indent where her nail pressed into her palm.
“Do you still feel like you’re going to have a panic attack?”
She blinks, seizing a moment to take stock. “No!”
“That’s why I did it.” I shrug, offering her a wink as I snatch her hand back up and bring it to my mouth, dusting my lips over the mark.
I hear the soft gasp in the dim setting, and that ever-present electricity between up crackles into force.
Her skin is so soft, so buttery and sweet beneath my mouth that I can’t stop there.
I trail a slow string of kisses over her wrist, finding goosebumps the higher I go, drawing staccato breaths from Pepper where she stands dormant, allowing me to explore.
I pull her closer using that arm, moving us carefully so that her back is pressed to the wall, caging her in just enough to get that sweet scent at the back of my throat without making her feel claustrophobic.
My dick is instantly hard enough to pound nails, and if she were to look down there would be no hiding it in just my boxer briefs.
I reach the top of her shoulder, all other sounds but the low, soft moan from the back of her throat completely drowned out by blood rushing in my ears.
I angle my head into her neck, using my stubble to tease at the delicate skin there.
Her hands leap to my chest, small and firm, but not pushing me away.
Instead they fist in the cotton, pulling me in closer.
I don’t need any further permission than that, using my body to press her closer to the wall, placing one splayed palm beside her head as I claim her lips for the second time. They part, willing and pliant, and I slide my tongue in, taking what I want from her.
She whimpers into my mouth, and my whole world comes to a heart-thumping stop when a small hand trails down my torso and curls around my dick, leaving a trail of heat.
She squeezes, and I break away from our kiss to catch my breath, pressing our fronts together and fighting off a groan that would give us away.
Her hand there feels so fucking good I might blow my load in my underwear.
She angles her face up toward me, sliding her nose along mine and smiling wickedly. “Oh Wolf Boy, no wonder you’re so cock sure.”
I grin, gripping her face with both hands and diving in for more, a haze of something hot and red settling over me.
I drop one hand to her collarbone as more clattering ensues on the other side of the door, trailing down the center of her chest and heading south to that space between her thighs where I so want to be.
I don’t care if Chloe and Mia throw my whole wardrobe in a dumpster fire right now.
A sharp snap and light fills the closet, taking away the dark, private space. I groan in frustration, abandoning course and using my body to shield Pepper from sight. She squeaks, curling herself into my chest.
“Ah-ha!” Chloe announces loudly like she’s a beat cop who just solved the local murder mystery.
“I knew it!” Mia cries shortly after.
Shit.