Chapter 4
Four
Astrid
Clasping my hand in his, he led me back downstairs, barely speaking, focused and determined, clearly a man on a mission. I had to admit... it was incredibly flattering.
Our route took us through the ballroom once more where he maneuvered us through the maze of people. Somehow, it'd grown more crowded in our absence.
A server offered us champagne as we walked past, but right as I reached for a glass, mystery man declined it. "No more champagne," he said.
"Excuse me? Why not?"
"Because I want you sober for what I'm about to do to you. With you."
Oh. I went from indignant about being ordered around to floating on air. He wanted me sober. That made sense. He didn't want me to have any regrets.
"Okay then."
That earned me a chuckle, and then he was back to that mega intense focus that made me giddy with anticipation. I was either on the verge of the night of my life or an epic letdown.
However, I already knew to the depths of my soul that this man would not let me down in bed. My pussy tingled, delighted that she would soon be getting some action. It'd been so long, so incredibly long, an agonizingly prolonged dry spell that I was embarrassed to admit to anyone, even myself.
Before I knew it, mystery man had navigated us straight through the crowd and out the front door where a driver waited for us. He spoke a few words to him, then helped me into the backseat.
"Where are we going?" I asked, curious to see where this man lived.
"I'm staying in a hotel right now."
"Oh? But you live in the city, right?"
"I do." He shifted in his seat.
A red flag alert lit up in my head, and it suddenly dawned on me that he might be married. Or have a significant other. "Why the hotel?"
There was a long, drawn-out pause as I spiraled down an awful rabbit hole. He was hiding something for sure.
He ran a hand through his hair, then sighed. "I'm just going to be totally honest here."
My heart plummeted at his weary tone, the weight of whatever confession he was about to make nearly unbearable.
"So," he began, "I have a teenage half-brother staying with me at the moment, and God only knows what mess awaits me. And the last thing I want to do is bring you into the middle of that."
A teenage half-brother? It was so out of left field, it had to be the truth. "What?" I asked, the word coming out as a half-gasp and half-laugh.
"Yeah. It's a whole situation, unfortunately. I'm just doing my best to help him out and be a good brother."
Oh crap. That was really sweet actually. "How old is he?"
"Just turned thirteen."
"Is he home alone?"
"No, my father's ex is there too. She flew in for the weekend." There was bitterness lacing his tone. "And my housekeeper as well. Her place has a busted pipe. It's a little too crowded for me at the moment... hence the hotel."
"Ah, I see. You were seeking refuge." Totally understandable. "But then why did you come to a crowded ball tonight? Why didn't you just stay holed up in your nice quiet hotel room?"
He gave me a sideways glance. "That's a good question.
And I feel like I detect a bit of suspicion in your voice.
But I can assure you... I'm not married.
No significant other. And I had no intention of finding myself a masked beauty tonight.
I only went because of a business deal I'm working on.
I was hoping to do a bit of reconnaissance on someone.
But I ended up getting distracted... in the best possible way. "
It wasn't the first time tonight that I thought this man was smooth. And even more so when his hand landed on my leg, specifically my thigh, which was currently bare due to the slit I'd strategically placed in my dress.
He squeezed, drawing my attention to the connection and the contrast of his hand against my skin, everything about it so damn attractive. So masculine, strong, warm, precisely what I'd been craving, the hunger inside me leaping dangerously.
I had nothing witty, smart, or sexy to say to that. My brain wasn't functioning, my lust taking control and leading the way. Which was exactly what I'd wanted. One night. Just letting myself go completely.
"If you'd like," he said, "we can get rid of the masks, reveal ourselves, our names."
That brought me back to the present. "I'd rather not. If you don't mind."
"I don't mind. Whatever you'd like. Anything you want. Just tell me."
A thrill went through me at those words. The fact that I was on the precipice of exactly how I wanted this night to go? It was unbelievable.
Maybe too good to be true, a little niggling voice in my head added.
After all, there was something vaguely familiar about this man.
His thumb made small circles against my thigh, and it felt like heaven, every movement setting off a chain reaction from head to toe.
God. Those doubts needed to go away. So maybe I'd met him before. Between work and family connections, my social circle was vast. Maybe we'd made small talk waiting for drinks once, or I'd heard his laugh at an awards show after-party.
I knew for a fact we weren't related, so it didn't really matter if we'd crossed paths in some way before.
His hand crept up higher, making my breath hitch.
I glanced over at him to see him staring at my legs.
There was an indecent amount of skin showing.
Maybe I'd gone a bit overboard with the slit, but after hearing about my sister Annalise's night in the dress I'd designed for her and how much that slit had come in handy, I'd been determined to wear something similar.
The car came to a stop, and his hand left my leg. And once again, he was all sheer determination and force of nature, helping me from the car and leading me through a crowded lobby to a quiet, more discreet corner. After swiping a key card, the hidden doors of a private elevator opened for us.
I wasn't surprised in the least because of course this man would have the penthouse suite.
With his hand on the small of my back, he ushered me inside, and the second the doors closed, he whirled me around and backed me right up against the mirrored interior of the elevator.
"You're sure?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me.
If I thought his eyes had been intense before, that was nothing compared to now. They practically burned into me.
"Yes."
That single word seemed to ignite something in him, and before I knew it, his body was flush against mine, the sheer strength and power of him making me forget how to breathe.
There was a slight hesitation as he lowered his head, and I expected a fierce kiss, but instead I got a hand in my hair, the other on my cheek, and a sweet brush of his lips on mine.
It made me melt inside, something I hadn't expected, that this big man who was capable of crushing me would be so gentle.
I kissed him back, and our lips moved together in a soft, slow exploration. My goodness, it was incredible. This man knew how to take his time, even though I had the sense he was holding himself back.
With every caress of his mouth, I had the sense he was savoring the kiss, savoring me, making my heart soar.
His hand tightened in my hair, and he angled my face, the pressure of his lips on mine increasing with every breath, as he slowly deepened the kiss. Our tongues met, and a low groan escaped him, the sound zinging right between my legs.
The elevator came to a stop, and the doors slid open, surprising me. I'd forgotten I was even in an elevator.
Pulling away, he led me inside, only to push me against the wall a heartbeat later before I could even get a glimpse of a single thing in the dimly lit room. And his lips were on me again, this time devouring, hungry, kissing me like no one ever had before in my life.
How did a man I'd only met a few hours ago blast away every single person from my past in mere seconds? I had no freaking idea. But he did.
His hands gripped my shoulders, inching down the thin straps of my dress, his mouth moving from mine to lay heated kisses along my jaw and the column of my throat. I angled my neck back, giving him better access, the rough scrape of his five o'clock shadow sending shivers down my spine.
God, this was everything I'd dreamed of. And it was only the beginning.
My shoulder straps were whisked down, a grunt of satisfaction coming from mystery man as my breasts were revealed. I held my breath, watching his expression, waiting for his reaction.
There were stretch marks there. Would he notice? Would it bother him?
"You're fucking beautiful," he said, his voice low and gravelly.
I smiled, my breath coming out in a rush of relief as his mouth descended on my breasts, kissing every single inch, his palms cupping them, a gush of wetness between my legs as I became more turned on than I'd ever been in my life.
Gripping the back of his head—his hair was incredible—I relished every second of him feasting, him tonguing my nipple before sucking it into his mouth.
"Oh, God," I moaned, my head hitting the wall behind me.
His hands roamed to my waist, then gripped my hips as he lowered himself down to the floor. Wait, what was happening here?
On his knees in front of me, he buried his face in my body, my stomach to be precise. Holy crap. What on earth was he doing?
I looked down to see him inhale deeply—um, excuse me?—as his head went even lower, one hand moving from his death grip on my hip to swipe aside the swath of dress between my legs.
Damn, that slit had definitely come in handy.
With a shaky breath, I watched as he looked at the barely there g-string I'd worn tonight. It was pretty much indecent, a tiny patch of black lace covering me, the goal to be both sexy and functional just in case.
He made that noise I liked, a deeply masculine groan and growl that turned my insides to jello, before ripping them off me.
I gasped, shocked that he'd done that.
His answer was a wicked laugh, his eyes flashing up to meet mine. "I figured those were safe to rip apart."