The Wrong Holidate

National Martina Day - October 29th

LAINEY

"Please tell me you're kidding?" Harper’s wide-eyed with that big sister look of shock and disappointment—a look she's perfected.

"Okay, I'm kidding."

Harper huffs as she twists and turns in her airplane seat. "I'm serious, Lainey." She lets out a frustrated growl. "Where the hell is the seatbelt? I hate the middle seat."

"It's your hug holiday. You have to sit next to your husband," I reply, making sure she hears the note of teasing. Maybe a night of solid hugging will get her to simmer down.

Chandler moves and helps her look, pulling the belt from where it was caught between the seats. "I'll trade with you," he offers, and I don't know if I want to laugh or sigh in awe. Chandler has a good half a foot in height on Harper. Sitting in the middle will practically shove his knees into his chest, but he’d totally do it for her.

"Babe, please," she replies, though the sweet offer deflates her frustration. She leans in and gives him a peck on his lips. Unfortunately, one moment of marital sweetness didn’t end her tirade, and she whirls to face me. "You can't stay in the same room as Ben."

"Why not?"

Harper does the one eyebrow arch. "You know why."

I roll my eyes. "Harp, we're friends."

"No, you're stepsiblings."

"We can't be both? Stepsiblings can’t share a room?"

Harper sighs again. "I saw y'all at Poppy's birthday celebration. Hell, the whole bar sensed the electricity between you. Did you notice the song that was playing when he grabbed you to dance? Mom was practically having a panic attack."

Like I need the reminder. Mom gave me a please don’t fuck this up for me look before she introduced me to some random guy she'd met.

The problem is that my feelings for Ben have grown roots and started wrapping around every part of my being. Do I think rooming with him is a good idea? Not really. But it seemed pointless for me to get one all by myself, considering how little time we'd be in the same place together.

"It just makes sense, Harper. He's going to be at the Expo most of the time so why would I get my own when I'll practically have his room by myself? It saves me money, too."

"Because you're going to get into one of those situations where the only room left has one bed. Then all your naughty bits will start touching, and next thing you know, you're hugging ."

I could really make her head explode and tell her our naughty bits have already touched, and they like each other a lot .

"We're staying at one of the largest hotels on the strip, not a roadside motel during a snowstorm, so calm your rom-com mind. There's two beds, Ben's confirmed it." I won't admit my disappointment at that fact .

"It's a bad idea."

"Oh my God!" I dig in my purse and pull out my ear buds, making a big show of shoving them in my ears and turning toward the window.

She’s still talking, but now it's muffled. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chandler take her hand and kiss it, and her attention finally turns away from me. Sadly, it's not the last time she brings it up during the almost three-hour flight. By the time we're in a cab to our hotel, I'm imagining stuffing her into a barrel and tossing her into Lake Mead.

I turn my back to her and text Ben.

Me

We're en route to the hotel. Say a prayer for Harper. I’m ready to take out a mob hit on her.

Ben

Whoa. Long flight?

Me

You have no idea. Thank God it's National Martini Day. I'm ordering several as soon as we arrive.

Ben

It's not National Martini Day. It's National Martina Day.

Me

Oh. Well, see, that shows you how crazy she's made me. Just call me Martina today.

Ben

Martina with a martini?

Me

Exactly!

Ben

lol. I'm at the hotel now. I'll meet y'all in the lobby. That way I can give you a key and show you our room.

Our room. I shouldn't like the sound of that as much as I do.

Me

Sounds good. ETA: 8 mins

We walk into the lobby, and Ben’s sitting at a small table off to the side. He immediately joins us with a martini in hand. It takes all my energy not to kiss the hell out of him. He hands the drink over with a smile.

"Hey, Martina," he murmurs close to my ear before placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Whoa, where's mine?" Harper asks.

"Here you go." Ben leans in and kisses her cheek.

"I meant the martini."

"Oh. Well, Martina here sounded desperate. Don't worry, I got you one too." He turns and picks up the other martini from the table and hands it to her.

"Martina?"

"Inside joke," he says.

Harper gives me a look that says, see, this is a bad idea . I don’t engage but lift my martini in toast, then down half.

"Welcome to Vegas," Chandler says, as he accepts a beer from Ben.

Harper huffs a sigh and downs most of her martini in one go. Chandler shakes his head and maneuvers her to the reception desk as Ben and I head to the elevators. I polish off my drink on our way to the twentieth floor .

Ben steps close and takes the glass from my hand. His expression is a combination of warning and amusement.

"Are you going to tell me what to do now?"

"Nope," he smirks. "It's Vegas, baby. If you want to be Martina Martini, go for it."

I laugh. "What happens in Vegas..."

"Exactly."

We arrive at our room and it's nicely spacious with Ben’s stuff all tucked away neatly.

"What happened between you and Harper?"

"This." I gesture around the room. "She's harping on what a bad idea it is."

"Harping." He snorts a laugh. "You mean us sharing a room?"

I shoot him a sly look. "She thinks our naughty bits are going to touch. Her words."

A seductive smile forms. "Our naughty bits do like each other. We could arrange a playdate for them if you want.”

I point at him. "Behave. I refuse to prove her right."

"Harper loves to be right. Don't you want to make her happy?"

"Trust me, she'll take no satisfaction in this. Hopefully, Chandler’s hugging the hell out of her, and she'll be in a better mood for dinner."

Ben throws his head back and laughs. God, he's gorgeous when he lets go like that. If I'm being honest, I could go for a quick hug right now. As if he’s read my mind, Ben closes the distance between us.

"Does Martina need a hug?" He reaches out and runs a finger down my arm, letting it trail to the small of my back, pressing just enough that my body falls into his. I close my eyes as his head starts to dip toward mine and his lips brush my cheek. "What do you need, Martina? A long, gentle hug or do you want it quick and hard? "

My breath shutters out of me on a low moan. Any remaining space between us is gone. My whole body is pressed against his, and his hand traces up my back to our spot.

"I'll hug you anyway you want. Anywhere. Anytime." His rough voice brushes my ear before his tongue teases the sensitive spot on the underside of my jaw. I arch my neck, giving him more access as my hands fist his shirt. Right as he sucks on my skin, a loud knock at the door has us jumping apart. We stare at each other, breathing heavily. What the hell just happened?

"Why the fuck did I give her our room number?" He runs a hand through his hair. It hits me then that it's probably Harper and Chandler. So much for Chandler hugging her senseless.

There's another knock which spurs us into motion. Ben adjusts himself in an attempt to hide his arousal and takes a seat at the small table in front of the window. I move for the door, smoothing a hand over my hair and pressing it to my stomach to calm it. I want to hate Harper's impeccable timing, but it’s probably for the best.

I open the door with a smile and Harper immediately narrows her gaze. "Interrupting something?"

"Ben was just giving me the best hug ever."

Chandler slaps his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing while Harper rushes past me and into the room. She takes the room in, looking for signs that we really “hugged,” but the beds are pristine.

I look at Chandler and whisper, "Thought you two would be in your room hugging it out by now."

"Me too." There's an edge of annoyance in his voice.

"I wanted to tell you our room number and see what the plan is," Harper says.

I bite my tongue so I don’t say she could have texted that. The last thing I need is to raise her suspicions more.

"Actually, I was just about to tell you I have an event tonight, and I won't be able to join you. But I was able to score tickets to a Cirque Soliel show if y'all want to go," Ben says.

Harper squeals. "No way!"

He goes to grab an envelope from the desk and hands it over. "All yours."

Harper launches herself at him and wraps him up in a hug—a real one. "Thank you so much. I wish you could join us."

"Me, too. I actually have to get back now. There's a workshop starting in half an hour and it takes forever to walk through the casino. Tomorrow night, I'm completely free and we can do the food and drink exhibition together."

"Great." Chandler grabs Harper's hand and drags her to her door. "It's hug time."

Harper's giggles can be heard even after the door shuts behind them. Hopefully, she'll get off my back for the rest of the night.

I face Ben to find his crossbody bag draped across his chest. I paste a smile on my face so my disappointment doesn't show, but I can tell he doesn't buy it. He pauses at my side on his way out, leaning down close to my ear. "Don't be too disappointed, Martina. After I leave, you can always hug yourself."

And I totally do. I was tempted to text him proof, but as soon as the thought entered my mind, I chastised myself. Martina’s a bad influence on me.

I do leave the bed unmade, though.

I make my way to the casino, hit the slots, and sip on more martinis. After Chandler and Harper hug their brains out, they join me, and we grab dinner before the show. It's a great night, but I feel like a complete third wheel. When we get back to the hotel, Chandler and Harper immediately head up to their room, and I decide Martina has had enough martinis and should probably tuck in as well. After I shower and slip into bed, it’s after midnight, and Ben still isn’t back .

I try to go to sleep, but the desire to see him overrides any tiredness. When the key card clicks, my stomach lurches in anticipation. I don't move though, pretending to sleep. He quietly moves around the room, and I swear he pauses by my bed before going into the bathroom. The shower starts up, and his belt clanks against the tile floor. I squeeze my eyes shut, remembering the sight of his ass before he jumped into the pool. The shadows of his hard cock underneath the water. It really is a shame I haven't seen it fully yet. Or felt it bare in my hands.

The thought of wrapping my hand around his cock sends a surge of wetness between my legs. I really want to be in that shower with him, on my knees, as he feeds me his cock. I want his hand tangled in my hair, holding me still as he fucks my mouth. I want to suck him so hard he loses all control. I want to feel his cum shooting down my throat.

I bite back a groan and rub my legs together—and that's when I hear it. A deep moan coming from the bathroom. My eyes fly open and I still, listening as carefully as I can. I hear it again. A moan followed by a muttered fuck . Then...

Lainey

Oh, damn. He's jerking off—and thinking of me. I'm aching so hard now I can't ignore it. I push my hand into my panties, shuddering as I easily slip in between my folds. Fuck, I'm so sensitive. So wet. Messy sounds fill the room as I rub myself. Ben's groans have gotten louder and cruder, and I rub myself faster, harder. My release builds so quickly I'm going to come soon. But, I want to hear him first. I want to come with him.

"Fuck...yes...Lainey..."

The unmistakable sound of him coming has my own moan leaving my throat as I work myself even harder. My orgasm hits me so hard that I arch off the bed, but I refuse to stop. I don't let up, riding the perfect combination of pleasure and pain until I fall back on the mattress, panting. Holy shit. That was way more intense than my earlier solo ride.

I finally get my breathing under control by the time I hear the shower cut off, but my body still vibrates from the release. I haven't even removed my hand from my panties, which I realize when he opens the door to the bathroom. I keep pretending to be asleep, but not sure I'm doing a great job of it.

I hear him move around the room and get into his bed. I don't think he's lying down though. No, I have a feeling he's looking at me.

"I know you're awake."

I open my eyes and turn my head toward him. My eyes are still adjusted to the dark so I can see him sitting on the edge of his bed. He's wearing pajama pants but no shirt. His expression is tense, which is surprising, considering he should be feeling pretty relaxed. My whole body feels like jelly.

"Did you hear me?"

The longer I stay silent, the more the room charges with tension. "Yes."

"Did you only listen?"

"No."

He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. Even in the dark, I can see the intensity in his expression. "Give me your hand."

Oh, fuck. Another raging ache fills me and it's so hard not to rub myself all over again. Instead, I pull out the hand I touched myself with from under the covers and extend it toward him. He brings it up to his mouth, and his breath tickles my fingertips. He’s smelling me and teasing each finger over his lips. He lets out a low sound as his silky tongue licks my skin. He slips several fingers into his mouth, sucking hard. We both moan shamelessly. His tongue swirls around my fingers, sucking and biting until he's licked every bit of my cum off each one .

He presses a kiss to my palm before letting go of my hand. "Heavenly."

Without another word, he gets fully into bed and turns his back to me as I lie there, more turned on than ever.

I toss and turn, wondering if I should get myself off again. Or go take a cold shower. Or jump in his bed.

"Lainey, go to sleep or I'm joining you and hugging you into the bed so hard you'll never find your way out of it."

I freeze and force myself not to move again.