7. Elodie
CHAPTER SEVEN
elodie
The rest of the ride feels lighter with our fingers intertwined. We sit in silence the rest of the way.
When we pull up to the restaurant, there are tons of people out front in outfits similar to both of ours crowding the sideway.
I try to see what they’re waiting for but I can’t see anything.
Blaise pulls up right out front and a young man in a valet suit makes his way through the crowd to the car.
He opens my door, letting me out and Blaise crosses around the car to give him the keys with a tip.
The kid's smile widens when he sees the bills and heads to take the car off to park.
Blaise takes my hand again, making his way through the throng of people to the front of the restaurant.
The moment the hostess sees him, she’s batting her eyelashes. “Hi Mr. Vexley, we’ve been waiting on your arrival. Right this way to your table.”
He keeps pace behind her, holding me right up against him. The moment she looks back and sees our hands joined, she scrunches up her nose but says nothing.
Smart girl.
The table is a corner booth in the back. It’s much quieter than the other tables we passed. The hostess waits until we sit then takes off back to her post.
“Mr. Vexley, huh? Seems like you’re a big deal here. Care to tell me why? Also, where are the menus?” I look around the table to find where she put them.
“There are no menus, baby. The chef will prepare three courses for us both, including wine pairings. However, do you have a drink preference until then? I think I noticed you like your tequilas. Would you like a margarita? And yes, Vexley, have you heard of me?” Blaise eyes me skeptically and his demeanor shifts slightly that I am almost not sure if I saw that correctly.
I arch my brow. “I’d love a margarita to start, but no, I haven’t heard of you. Should I? I assume you have money based on the way you dress and all of this.” I gesture with my arms to the restaurant.
He laughs, relaxing immediately.
The waiter comes to the table, asking what we would like to drink and he orders for us both with ease.
“Yes, I do have quite a sum of money. I’m an investment consultant in New York. How about you, my pretty little Storm? With a mouth like yours I’m sure you’re a lawyer. Am I right?”
He leans forward and captures all of my attention with a handsome smile. I can’t help but want to laugh at how far off he is about my profession that I also crack a smile.
“Is that your final guess, Storm Hunter?” I grab the margarita the waiter set at the edge of the table and take a sip.
“Final guess, I am a good judge of character. I’m sure of my guess.” The smug look on his face is almost as great as the fall I know will come.
“Interesting. I don't remember taking the Bar and that’s a pretty big thing to miss. I’m a kindergarten teacher in Maine. I wrangle all sorts of little angels and devils. But I don’t use my smart mouth for that. Do you think I’m missing out on my potential? I could add it to my resume?”
His jaw hangs wide at my words, causing me to giggle at his visible shock.
The dinner flows on in a mix of drinks, flirting, and getting to know each other between delicious courses of food.
He tells me he’s on the cruise with his heartbroken brother, Knox, who has been known to meddle in his brother's affairs. Which explains the initial reaction I received. I tell him about my dad passing and my mom being suffocating. By the time dessert is served, we’ve gone from across the booth from each other to sitting side by side in the middle, sharing the savory plate.
I polish off the last bite of chocolate cake, scooping it up before he could finish it himself. Blaise feigns being appalled before his lips are on mine. The kiss tastes like chocolate and sin mixed up into a heady concoction.
His fingers slip into my hair, and I deepen the kiss, swirling our tongues together to let him have a taste of the bite he lost to me.
Instead of fighting for dominance like our first kiss, I let him take the lead, tilting my face up to give him better access.
His fingers tug gently against my scalp, causing it to sting.
I moan softly and he swallows the sound.
Breaking the kiss, he looks at me, keeping me locked in place with his hand in my hair.
“The next time I hear you make that sound for me, I want you underneath me, writhing in pleasure. And you’ll be much much louder.”
His hand slides from my hair to cup my cheek. He eyes my lips before taking his thumb and smearing my red lipstick on my bottom lip. “Goddamn. You really are such a pretty little Storm.”
The huskiness of his voice is unmistakable, and it sends heat straight to my core. I squirm a little, trying to create friction to alleviate the ache starting in my center. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, he smirks.
Releasing my face, he leans in and I feel the warmth of his breath on the shell of my ear. “You can’t be that wet yet, Storm. The night is just getting started, we still have dancing to do. Remember?”
I lean into his warmth, trying to touch any part of him that I can.
“Is it wrong that I don’t want to go dancing? I just want it to be you and me?” The alcohol buzzing in my veins helps me be bold to take what I want, and right now, that’s him.
Looking down at me, Blaise arches his brow.
“The wait will be worth it, baby. I can assure you of that.” He kisses my cheek softly, then swipes under my lip with his other thumb to clean up the smeared lipstick.
Sliding back over to his side, he flags the waiter down to pay before we leave.
I shoot a text to Jade:
CLUB TIME. sadly...lol
I slide my phone into my small purse and we exit the restaurant, where the sidewalk has thinned out significantly.
The valet is pulling up with our car as we step off the curb. Once we’re both buckled in, he takes off down the streets of Mexico. I roll my window down, running my hand through the wind and bopping along to the music coming through the radio.
The smile on my face feels permanent, making me feel lighter and I can’t help but to enjoy how easy being with him is.
I’m fucked...well, actually, I’m not yet, but I could be soon.
Within a few minutes, we’re pulling up to the club. Once we step out, another valet takes off with the car.
I hear a squeal and brace for impact before I’m wrapped in Jade’s arms.
“Aren’t you so excited to go dancing!” She’s practically vibrating in her signature pink and straightened hair.
I giggle with her, the excitement infectious.
“Oh my goooshh! Guyss!! I'm so excited to shake my ass in a tiny dress like Barbie. Wooo!” The baritone voice mimics Jade, causing us to both whip around to find the dumb motherfucker.
Finger up, I close the distance to the guy. “Excuse me, but who the fu?—”
Blaise cuts me off, “Knox, don’t you know how to be nice? Jealousy doesn’t look good on you. We have talked about this. You will never rock the pink dresses. Quit trying, it’s getting old.”
I shoot daggers at Knox, as Blaise tucks me into his side.
Knox, on the other hand, chuckles and goes up to Jade to apologize as we all make our way into the club and past the bouncer. Once inside, Blaise leads us to the back where there are stairs to the VIP seating and bar.
We find a table that overlooks the dance floor and get seated. Blaise takes Knox with him and they go get drinks for all of us.
Before Jade can start, I cut in, “He better have apologized! That was rude! Like, what the hell?” My voice rises as I get heated about defending my best friend.
Jade raises her hand to stop me.
“Babe, I love you so fucking much. He did apologize. Breathe! But also, he was joking, he and I are good. So good that if tonight goes well, I might get to go to Paris!”
I’m puzzled for a moment before I realize what she means. I gasp in shock, and a million questions run through my brain, but before I can voice any of them, she stops me.
“I will be safe, it is consensual. But enough about me, what are your plans for the evening? Spill!” Her eyes shift over to where the guys are at the bar to make sure they aren’t walking back yet.
“I don’t plan to come back to our room tonight, Jade. If it was up to me, we wouldn’t have even come here, we’d be back in his room. So please, go to Paris. Keep Knox out of their suites.”
My boldness makes her beam with pride. The guys are walking back so she nods in understanding. “Meet at our rooms to get ready to snorkel tomorrow, and be safe.”
I blow her a kiss across the table as they set down a round of shots and margaritas for us all.
We down our shots with ease, clinking glasses.
Jade snags Knox’s hand and takes him downstairs into the sea of bodies dancing below us.
I stand up to watch all the dancers, as well as follow them to make sure they make it safely. I sway to the beat and sip the margarita as Blaise wraps an arm around my waist, pulling us a little closer together.
Leaning in, he whispers in my ear, “Do you want to dance, my pretty little Storm?”
I shake my head no, closing the gap between our bodies and grind my ass against him, trying to tease him.
He chuckles, running his hand from my hip to the hem of my dress.
“It seems to me like you want something. Can you tell me what that is with your words? Not your sexy little body,” he whispers softly, his fingers now digging into my hip.
I look down, scanning the crowd to find Jade and make sure she’s okay before I say anything.
His touch feels heavy against my body. Finally, I see bright pink sandwiched between two guys below.
She’s dancing between Knox and their next victim.
As if she can sense me, she looks up and gives me a nod that only a best friend would understand.
The small act gives me courage. I turn around in his embrace so that I’m facing his chest and slowly slide my hands down, feeling the hard planes hiding under his shirt.
Leaning up, I get close to his ear, not even worrying about who could hear me. “I want you to take me back to your cabin and fuck me.” I say the next word so sweetly, honey is practically dripping from my lips. “Please, sir.”
As if a switch flips inside him, he looks down at me, pupils dilated.
“I normally ruin pretty things, but something tells me you might wreck me, Storm.”
That’s all I get before we are hand in hand heading out the club, practically running by the time we get to the car.
All pretenses are gone, I want him and I plan to show him how much I do.