15. Dante
CHAPTER 15
Dante
I thrust my hand between the elevator doors to prevent them from closing. The rubber edge ricocheted off my arm and the doors retracted. Faith stood front and center, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“Did you need something?” I asked, my mouth screwing into a frown. What could she possibly want now?
“Going down?” I cocked my head and waited.
She stepped into the elevator, then back out again. “I don’t know. It’s a dumb idea. Never mind.”
“Okay.” I released my grasp. I had a ton of work to do. Hanging out in the elevator on campus didn’t fit into my plans. The doors began to close again.
Faith wedged her boot between them, and they separated briefly, then began bouncing against her leg in an attempt to close.
“What’s going on, Faith?” I asked.
“I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s just?—”
“You’ve never ridden an elevator?” I shook my head, tired of her games. “Come on, it’s easy. Step inside and push the button. Not much to it.”
She let out a huffy breath as she took two steps forward.
“There, that wasn’t too bad, was it?” I tapped the button to close the doors.
Faith kept her eyes trained on the speckled taupe linoleum tiles. Her voice came out quiet and breathy. I strained to hear her over the whir of the ancient motor.
“I thought maybe we could... I mean... would you...”
Jesus, spit it out already. For an English major, she sure had trouble speaking the language sometimes. I leaned down to make eye contact. A combination of uncertainty and fear flickered across her face.
Something was really getting to her. I caught her hands in mine. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just... I don’t know. I guess I’ve been thinking about what’s been going on between us, and it’s silly, really.”
“Silly?” I let out a laugh. “Hot and twisted, maybe. But silly?”
Faith let my hand drop, then leaned against the wall. “It’s just, I don’t have time for a relationship.”
“Yeah, that’s not really my scene either.” Where was she going with this?
She glanced up at me. “But I can’t seem to get you out of my mind.” Her eyes searched mine, begging me to laugh it off and send her on her way.
My heart thudded in my chest so loudly I automatically began to calculate the statistical probability that she’d be able to hear it. I opened my mouth to speak. But instead of blowing her off like I’d intended, I found myself saying, “I know what you mean. I was starting to think it was only me.”
Relief washed over her face. “Really?”
Dammit. I’d already admitted it, so I nodded.
“So I’ve been thinking.” Her cheeks tinged pink.
“And?”
“The, um, the hookup was pretty good between us, right?” Her gaze met mine. She looked away.
“Um, yeah. Better than good.” I leaned forward, all ears. What exactly did she have in mind?
“Then how about we keep it physical? No attachment, no drama, no talking even. Just sex.” Her shoulders lifted in a casual shrug, as if there would ever be anything casual about her when it came to getting it on.
I laughed. “Really? Just sex?”
Faith twirled a section of fiery hair around her finger and looked up at me through thick dark lashes. “Yeah, unless you don’t think you can handle it.”
My cock twitched. “Oh, I can handle it all right. I’m worried about you, though. You don’t seem like the kind of woman who’d go for a sex-only arrangement.”
In an instant, she raised up to her tiptoes, her mouth nuzzling the ticklish spot on my neck. I tensed beneath her, and she whispered into my ear, “People aren’t always what they seem.”
That was the understatement of the year. Faith Wainwright was definitely not what I’d expected. On one hand, what guy wouldn’t kill for a gal like Faith for some friends-with-benefits action? On the other, I’d tried this kind of thing before, and a woman like Faith always ended up wanting more. I hadn’t been so concerned about that in the past, but I’d grown up since then.
As strong as my attraction to her was—like taking a wrecking ball to the gut, over and over—there was something more between us. Something deeper than just the incredible chemistry, and it had me on edge.
Faith moved on to kissing my neck. Her fingers hooked the belt loops of my jeans and tugged me closer while her lips traveled up to meet mine.
My resolve flattened, as if it had been steam-pressed at the dry cleaner like one of my suits. Who was I kidding? If this hot chick wanted to use me for sex, who was I to deny her? I groaned and nudged her toward the corner, lowering my mouth to nip at her earlobe. If she was good with a sex-only deal, I’d be a dumbass to say no.
My fingers flipped the stop car button, bringing the elevator car to an abrupt halt.
Faith pulled back. “What, here?”
“Yeah, unless you don’t think you can handle it.”
Her eyes sparkled as I tossed her words right back at her. Challenge accepted. She yanked her backpack off her shoulders and let it crash to the ground. Next, the coat.
“Wait, won’t someone wonder why the car stopped?” Her fingers paused on the zipper of her jacket.
“This building’s so old, they’re always having trouble with them. You chickening out already?”
Her teeth tugged on her bottom lip. Hell, she was all talk. I bent down to retrieve her backpack and hand it to her. As I stood, she let her coat fall to the ground, then whipped her long sleeve T-shirt over her head and pushed me back into the corner.
My gaze wandered over her flat stomach and toned arms. She was incredible, and she wanted me. I leaned down to kiss her again, a sense of urgency building with every flick of my tongue.
She maneuvered my shirt up, breaking our lip-to-lip contact just long enough to yank it over my head, and ran her hands over my bare chest. My skin prickled under her touch.
“Jeans...off,” I mumbled into her neck. I undid her button with one hand and wriggled her jeans down her legs. The light flowery scent wafted off her skin. I slipped a finger under her bra strap and ran it up and down, edging closer to her breast with each pass.
Faith kicked off her boots, stepped out of her jeans, and flung them aside. She pressed into me, skin-to-skin. I couldn’t get my pants down fast enough. Wrapping both arms around her waist, I whirled her around, putting her back up against the wall. Her mouth moved over every exposed part of me. Hands raced up and down my sides, fingers darted under the waistband of my boxer briefs. No way was this going down the same way as last time. I’d make sure of that.
Her fingers brushed against my crotch. My dick throbbed at the contact. I nestled it against her stomach. Let her feel how turned on she got me.
She moaned, pressing into me, lifting her leg to wrap around my waist. Her arms closed around my shoulders, pulling me into her, urging me on. As if I needed any encouragement.
My hands cupped her ass, and I lifted, resting her body on the handrail, lining her up, adjusting the angle for maximum dry-humping pleasure.
Her hips bucked against mine as the tip of my cock pushed into the damp spot on her cotton bikini briefs. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold back. Her hands tunneled through my hair. My glasses bumped against her nose as she tilted her head and attacked my mouth from a new angle. I’d figured her for an uptight, repressed bookworm who got off on flowery prose and the Oxford comma. Thank fuck I’d been wrong.
She lifted her other leg and wrapped it around my waist, crossing her ankles behind my back and pressing up against my crotch, sliding up and down. The friction had me about ready to shatter. My hips automatically bucked against hers.
“Look what you do to me, Faith.”
She pulled her hair away from her face and met my gaze with heavy-lidded eyes.
“You sure you want this?” I asked.
Faith’s head tipped forward, a slight nod of agreement. “Yeah, but let’s hurry.”
I drew back, breaking contact, and reached into my bag.