Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
LIAM
“ W e’ll be gone for two days, plant boy, not two weeks,” Lark snickers from the end of the driveway. Turning with a scowl, I open my mouth to retort but the sight of her has my mouth going dry.
“What,” I gulp, “are you wearing ?”
The question is redundant since I can clearly see what she’s wearing, but good god I think she’s trying to kill me. She’s got on this cropped boxy tee that has the deepest V-neck I’ve ever seen hanging off one shoulder and exposing the freckled swells of her cleavage in a red flimsy lace thing that I think is supposed to be a bra.
And as if that wasn’t tempting enough, she’s also in skintight booty shorts and calf-high socks with Ugg slippers.
Her eyes are wide with innocence that I don’t believe for a second as she glances down at herself. “What?” She shrugs. “I like to be comfy in the car.”
Storming up to her, I place a hand on her chest in the v of the shirt and slide it up until my fingers grip her jaw just under her ears. I use the hold to tilt her chin up so I can look into her gorgeous blue eyes. “You,” I growl quietly, “are a goddamn siren, Lark Monroe.”
I see her thighs clench out of the corner of my eye and nearly smirk, but hide it by slanting my mouth over hers in a bruising kiss that’s far too short. But we have a four-hour drive ahead of us and I’ll already be dealing with a painful erection as it is, no need to make it worse by having her taste lingering on my tongue.
Finally releasing her, I turn her around and slap her ass, laughing when she yelps. “Get in the car, Red.”
She huffs but doesn’t argue, stomping her cute ass over to the passenger side of my car. I have a feeling my girl is a passenger princess if the fluffy blanket and overstuffed bag in her hands are anything to go by. Good thing I love the idea of chauffeuring her around.
Loading the last of our bags into the back, I race around and launch myself into my seat, making Lark laugh. “This car is cute!” she says cheekily. “Totally not what I saw my emo boyfriend driving.”
I’m so appalled at her calling my car cute that I can’t even focus on the fact that she left the “fake” off of the boyfriend title that time.
“For your information,” I snap. “This is a fully restored custom 1976 Ford Bronco in Bermuda Blue with California Cream leather seats. It’s not a car , it’s a work of art .”
Her lips curl in as she nods along, but she quickly loses it and starts laughing. “I’m sorry,” she giggles. “I’ve just never known someone so serious about their vehicle before. It’s cute.”
When I turn to glare at her, she’s watching me with a bright smile that melts some of my ire.
Rolling my eyes, I turn the key and pray for patience. If she’s already got an attitude this early in the trip, I can’t wait to see what she’s like after four hours cooped up in the car.
“Are we there yet?” Lark asks again. She’s asked at least twice an hour since we left Echo Cove, and each time there’s an evil little glint in her eyes like she knows she’s getting on my nerves. My hands tighten on the steering wheel, but I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, digging deep to find the dredges of my patience.
“Red, what did I say the last time you asked me that question?” I don’t take my eyes off the traffic in front of us.
“That you would spank me the next time I ask.”
Risking a quick glance over, I see a satisfied little smirk on her lips. Heat floods to my groin in record time.
“Is that your goal here, pretty girl? Because if you need something, you just have to ask.”
“Maybe I don’t want to ask,” she sasses back. “Maybe I just want you to take what you want.”
My dick hardens in my shorts just as I spot the sign for our exit. “We’ll be at the hotel in ten minutes. Think you can wait that long?”
She rubs her thighs together, trying to get some friction. “I guess.”
After the longest ten minutes of my life, we arrive at a swanky hotel in downtown Seattle just two blocks from the concert venue. Lark explores the lobby while I make my way to the front desk to get us checked in.
“Hi, checking in?” The receptionist smiles brightly at me. I don’t miss the way her eyes rove over me with interest, but all I can think about is getting Lark upstairs so I can bend her over in the shower.
Pasting on what I hope is a friendly smile, I nod. “Reservation under Blackwell?”
She nods, clacking on her keyboard. The sound grates on my nerves and makes me grit my teeth. I’ve always been sensitive to certain sounds, and the sound of nails on a keyboard is one of the worst.
“Ah, here you are. Will it be just you staying with us this weekend?”
“No, it won’t,” Lark pipes up from beside me. I was so lost in my irritation that I didn't hear her approach, and when I turn to smile at her, the look on her face stuns me. She’s pissed . But about what?
Looking back at the receptionist, I see her with a scowl on her face. It takes a second, but things start to click into place when she hands over the room keys and I struggle to hide my giddy smile as I lead Lark to the elevators. Thankfully they have a full concierge service at this hotel so we don’t have to worry about bringing our bags up to the room.
As soon as the elevator doors close I’m backing my girl into the wall and pinning her in with a forearm on either side of her head. “What’s the matter, Red?”
She scowls, not meeting my eyes. “She was flirting with you. It was wildly unprofessional.”
“Mhmm,” I hum, leaning down to run my nose up her neck so I can inhale her sweet berry perfume. “And is that the only reason you look like you want to go back and punch her?”
Scoffing, she finally meets my eyes. Hers are burning with desire and something else that looks a whole hell of a lot like jealousy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just not a fan of people who shamelessly flirt when they should be doing their jobs.”
I smirk, fully aware I’m about to push her. “So if I went back down there and gave her my number, you wouldn’t care?” Backing off just the slightest bit, I act like I’m going to pull away.
Her hands fist in the front of my tee and grip so tight her knuckles turn white, keeping me right where I am. “Don’t even fucking think about it, Liam.”
The elevator dings, opening up to the top floor. Did I need to book a suite for two days? No. Did I book it anyway because I want to spoil Lark a little bit? Of course.
Double checking the number on the key, I look for room 904, finding it at the end of the hall. I should have guessed since I specifically booked a corner suite. Walking in, Lark’s jaw drops, her anger forgotten for the moment. “Liam, this is way too much for just the two of us. Why book something so big?”
Rather than answer with words, I lead her to the en-suite bathroom in the master. Her sharp intake of break is all I need to have a proud smile form on my mouth. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, I lead her to the glass open-ended shower. It’s big enough to fit four or five people, but that’s not the main draw.
The panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, however, are.
There’s a small control panel on the wall just outside the shower that I press, setting the water to scalding just how my girl likes it and turning on all eight shower heads, including the detachable one I plan to make use of in a minute.
Lark turns when she finally remembers I’m in the room and stalls when she sees what I’m doing. I drop my smile and pin her with a heated stare. “Strip, Red.”
For once, she doesn’t argue with me, instead hurriedly pulling off her clothes and stepping into the steamy spray. The glass isn’t fogged over yet, so when I grab the neck of my shirt with one hand and pull it off, I get to see the way Lark’s pupils dilate at seeing my bare chest.
I’m not one to be vain, but I work hard to stay in shape and knowing this stunning woman finds me attractive is a great ego boost.
As soon as I’m fully naked I meet her in the shower, only flinching slightly when the scorching spray hits my already warm skin. Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I place lingering, open-mouthed kisses up the smooth column of her neck.
“Why shouldn’t I go give that woman my phone number, Lark?” I whisper the question, leaving a gentle nip on her jaw as I do.
She whimpers quietly, arching her perfect ass into my dick that’s straining against her back. Gritting my teeth, I smack the outside of her thigh, earning a moan. “I asked you a question, Red.”
“Because,” she growls.
“Because why ? This is all fake, right? So tell me why I shouldn’t go back downstairs and go after something real.” I punctuate the words by dropping to my knees in front of her, basking in her soft gasp and the way she opens her legs on instinct as her back hits the window.