Chapter 20
Skye
We ended up not going to sleep at all. I had no idea how that happened. One minute we were under the covers, talking about our lives and families, and next thing I knew, the sun was coming up.
“Wow, this is gorgeous. I haven’t seen a sunrise in years,” I murmured.
We didn’t even leave the bed, just turned on one side, watching through the enormous window of the hotel room. The cream-colored drapes were pulled all the way to the sides, so we had a great view of the sky and Central Park.
Rob was behind me, one arm around my waist. He drew the tip of his nose up and down my arm slowly.
“Hey, don’t miss the sunrise,” I teased.
“I’m just making the most of it.” He went on to kiss my shoulder and arm. Warm, fuzzy sensations skittered along my skin. I didn’t remember the last time I felt so content and just… happy.
“Should we order breakfast?” Rob asked, now moving dangerously close to my nipple. I shivered.
“Are they open this early?”
“Room service is available twenty-four hours.”
How could he talk and turn me on at the same time? That shouldn’t be possible.
“Sure, why not?”
Instead of ordering anything, he pushed me on my back, baring my breasts to him, and continued his ministrations. First, he drew the tip of his nose around my breasts, and then sucked on my nipples. I pulled at the sheets, licking my lips.
“Did you mean me when you said breakfast?” I teased.
Rob looked up, grinning. “That too. But I think you’re still a little sensitive from last night.”
I grinned back. “I am, but don’t let that deter you. You can move waaay farther down if you want to.”
Rob threw his head back, laughing, but he did just that.
Our breakfast arrived while we showered. It was all laid out on the table when we got out of the bathroom, wearing the hotel robes.
“Yummm,” I exclaimed as we sat down at the round table. We’d ordered eggs benedict, fried bacon, charred tomatoes, and some sort of red lentil puree. Everything was delicious. Afterward, I just leaned back in my chair, watching Rob get dressed. He only caught on as he was buttoning his shirt.
“Enjoying the show?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah. You get almost full points.”
“Almost?” he looked stunned.
“Yeah… next time, you should move even slower. Then I can absorb every detail better.”
He barked out a laugh. “I can’t believe you’re giving me pointers.”
I shrugged one shoulder, yawning.
“Your turn,” Rob said. His voice was deliciously low and thick. “Go very, very slow.”
Ah, I’d walked right into that, hmm? Rob sat at the edge of the bed, and I felt his gaze on me as I headed to the dresser, where I’d put my clothes last night.
I put on my bra, avoiding eye contact at any cost or I might end up bursting into flames. And then I just tugged the dress over me, putting yesterday’s panties in my purse.
“What are you doing?” Rob asked.
“I don’t have spare panties, so it’s commando for me today.”
“No way are you going out on the street like that.”
That bossy mouth. I loved it so much. Except when he was being unreasonable. I mean, it was hot, but….
He rose from the bed, walking straight to me. Holy hell, he looked even hotter than usual when he was on a mission like this.
“Skye. Panties. On.” He emphasized every word.
I rolled my shoulders back, looking him straight in the eyes. “Rob. You don’t get to boss me into this.”
“What if the wind blows or something?”
“The dress is long enough. No one will see a thing.”
“I’m going to go crazy knowing you’re completely bare under that dress.”
“That’s your problem,” I teased.
He grinned devilishly. “Want me to make it yours?”
“What?”
Before I realized what he was up to, he slid one hand under my dress, drawing his fingers up my inner thigh, farther and farther up, until he almost touched me intimately.
He didn’t though. Just teased me until I couldn’t take it anymore.
Swatting his hand away, I rolled my shoulders again, pulling myself together.
He cocked a brow. I flashed him a sassy smile, proud that I’d successfully resisted his charm.
Okay, so judging by how turned on I was, I’d been only semi-successful, but no need for him to know that.
“When do you have to be at the restaurant?” I asked.
“Should’ve been there ten minutes ago.”
“You’re joking.”
“Not at all. It’s an intense week.”
“Let’s hurry, then.”
“Nah, I can be another hour or so late. Let’s just take a short walk before I have to head over there.”
“Mr. Dumont… I’m a bad influence on you.”
He kissed my forehead, then skimmed his nose down my temple. “I want a bit more time with you. I’m glad we didn’t waste time sleeping.”
I laughed. “I’m glad too, but I think we’re going to both pay for it today.”
“No regrets here.” He straightened up, looking me in the eyes, the unspoken question hanging between us: You?
“No regrets here either,” I reassured him. “But we should go if you don’t want to be overly late.”
“I don’t really care. I’m the boss. I’m allowed a cheat day.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How often do you take cheat days?”
“This is the first one.”
I all but melted. I suddenly felt so jittery that I barely kept from breaking out in a happy dance. I wasn’t ruling out the possibility of that still happening as we walked out of the room arm in arm. The elevator was empty, and I only saw staff members milling about the lobby.
New York on Saturday morning at six o’clock was surreal. Aside from garbage trucks and occasional cabs, there wasn’t much traffic.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the city empty like this,” I said.
“I’ve seen it a couple of times during Restaurant Days.”
“I’ll take you to the restaurant and then head to the store,” I said. “I’ve still got some time.”
He shook his head. “I’m not going to the Tribeca restaurant today but one outside Manhattan. It’s in the opposite direction.”
I pouted as Rob instructed the doorman to flag two cabs for us. Chuckling, he brought a hand to my face, resting his thumb right against my mouth.
“I take this as a sign that you’re sad we don’t get to share a cab.”
I nodded, pouting in an even more exaggerated manner.
I rarely behaved so childishly, and mostly with my siblings, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.
What was this man doing to me? And when he pinned me with those smoldering green eyes, smiling until dimples appeared in his cheeks, I forgot all about pouting.
I was too busy trying not to swoon right here.
“What are you doing tonight?” he asked. Wow. He already wanted to make plans?
“I don’t know. I think I’m just going to close the store and then probably crash.”
He drew his thumb from the center of my mouth to one corner.
“We’ll see about that.”
My heart was beating fast. “Oh?”
“You’ll see.” He winked, opening the door of the first cab. I slid onto the back seat.
“Give me a hint.”
He leaned in, bringing his mouth to my ear.
“I just can’t get enough of you.”
He straightened up, then reached down to my ear again and whispered, “And when you get to your store, cover your ass—that’s mine.” Then he stood up and closed the door.
That man. I had to laugh.
My palms were sweating a little as I told the cabbie the address, then pressed my nose to the window when the car lurched forward, watching Rob get into the second cab.
I tried to analyze the situation, but this was so new for me, so different from any experience I’d had with men, that I just had no basis for comparison.
So, I just relaxed against the back seat, unable to hold back a smile.
Suddenly, I wished it were evening so badly that I just wanted to fast-forward the day—another first for me.
I arrived before Tess at the store. Since we still had two hours until opening time, I checked our online orders before answering some customer questions.
“You’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday,” Tess said the second she stepped inside the store, pointing at me.
“I know. I’m doing the walk of shame, right? Except I feel absolutely zero shame.”
She laughed. “You’re happy. Just saying, but it’s a good look on you.”
“Thanks, sis.”
“Any particular reason?”
“Rob and I agreed yesterday that we’re exclusive.”
“Oh, that’s lovely.”
“And I’m just… I feel like I’m going to burst with all this joy. Is that weird?”
We’d also talked this morning about not using condoms anymore. I’d been on the pill for years but didn’t share it with him before, out of instinct, I guess. Now that we were exclusive, I was ready for the next step.
Tess grinned. “Not at all, sis. Just enjoy this moment, bask in your happiness.”
I nodded, my usual cautious nature somehow forgotten. Rob had awoken something in me I hadn’t been aware of before, and I was powerless to fight it. In fact, I didn’t want to, and that really was a first for me. I was grinning from ear to ear as we opened the door to customers.
In the afternoon, Mom stopped by with Ryker’s fiancée, Heather. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she was wearing gorgeous silver earrings in the shape of butterflies.
“Hey, why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” I asked, kissing each of their cheeks.
“We were just in the neighborhood,” Heather said. “We looked at some wedding decorations.”
“Oooh, show me,” Tess said. My sister was a little sad that she didn’t have time to involve herself in the wedding planning in the same way she’d done for Josie and Hunter, but it was impossible to make time for it with how busy we were.
They were getting married in December, so the theme was winter wonderland.
It was going to be epic, I was sure of it.
Heather pulled out her phone, showing Tess several types of twinkle lights for the bride and groom table. They looked identical to me, but the two of them immediately started discussing the pros and cons of each.
“I think my wedding planner is going to have a heart attack if I ask for more changes,” Heather murmured.
“Hey, it’s your big day,” Tess said. “Don’t let her intimidate you.”