Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
TRISTAN
The caveman in me wants to scoop her up, fling her over my shoulder and get her upstairs pronto to my suite. I haven’t been able to stop my wild thoughts about ravaging her gorgeous little body, or how sweet she would taste, since the second I walked into this reunion.
And now I’m at a crossroads. We’ve had a few drinks. We’re both getting touchy and we can’t keep our mouths off one another. I meant it, I don’t know if we’re still faking it or not, and the bigger part of me wants her to mean it. She ignites something in me that I thought was dead and gone.
I fucking want her. “What do I want it to be?” I cock my head. Her sweet scent tastes like sin mixed with the tequila. That was so fucking hot. My cock is aching for her touch.
“Uh-huh.” She nods.
I run my index finger around the rim of my glass, her eyes flick down to watch the movement.
“I want it to be a big fuck you to Gareth. I want him to know that even though you’re right here, he can’t have you.
” I dip my head, my breath on her neck as she shivers.
“I want you to know incredibly how sexy you are. Is that enough for you?”
A small gasp sounds from her pretty lips as she grapples onto my tie. I fucking love it. If she keeps it up, I’ll tie her to my fucking bedpost.
“Oh, it’s enough, Lucas. You better believe it. And I think we can either sit here getting shit faced and make fun of Jellyfish Julie all night, or you can walk me back to my room like a good little Boy Scout.”
My eyes are back on her. Nope, this is definitely not the way I’m used to seeing Ali Archer, Realtor Extraordinaire. Letting loose isn’t exactly second nature to her, but she should do it more often.
“Oh, I can be bad, sweetheart.”
“Why don’t we grab a nightcap before you put me to bed?” She slaps a hand over her mouth as her eyes go wide.
She’s so fucking adorable like this.
I laugh out loud. “Put you to bed?” I tilt my head.
Oh, I’m doing more than thinking about it.
I’ve been trying to stop my raging hard on for most of our conversation, and every time she touches me, or my eyes accidentally find that slit at the front of her dress, I have to think about cold showers so I don’t drag her out of here.
I lick my lower lip at the thought of undressing her and putting her to bed.
“I didn’t mean it like that! Everything I say sounds dirty!” she squeals in a voice I’ve most certainly never heard when we’re making deals together. Jesus, she’s an apparition.
“Maybe you’re a dirty little girl and you just don’t know it?”
“Maybe.” She giggles, and it sounds so sweet coming from her. “Perhaps you bring it out in me? Another shot for the road?”
Holy shit.
“You really might regret that in the morning.” I signal the bartender for another. I never drink this much, but I figure what the hell. When in Palm Springs…
“Sip, suck, lick?” Her lips tip up triumphantly once the shot is in her hot little hand.
I can’t help but chuckle. “Something like that.”
“Or is it lick, sip, suck?” She leans toward me as I diligently sprinkle some salt on the back of her hand, then my own.
We don’t take our eyes off each other as we lick the salt off in tandem, throw the tequila down our throats, then suck each other’s piece of lime.
She’s sexy as fuck carrying out all the actions.
It makes me feel like a devilish teenager leading the girl astray.
Judging by the face she pulls, she’s clearly not a fan of tequila, which is all the more amusing.
She places a hand on my thigh to steady herself as she slams the glass down on the bar, with the wedge of lime still in her mouth. I glance down at her hand and inwardly groan. She’s so close to my dick. “You want a suck?” she says with a full mouth.
I grin wider than the Cheshire Cat. “I think I better get you out of here before we get arrested for public indecency.”
My cock is rock hard when her hand squeezes my thigh. I want her. I want her more than I can fucking stand.
With an enormous amount of control, I help her slide off the stool and hold onto her until she steadies herself. Tucking her purse under her arm, I link my hand in hers and we make for the exit. We take it slow because she has heels on, and we’re both a little merry.
“Does it look like we’re leaving to go fuck ourselves senseless?” she whispers behind the back of her hand.
“Hopefully,” I reply, seeing Gareth in my peripheral, watching our every move. I bet he hasn’t taken his eyes off us since we sat down at the bar. “Your ex’s eyes are glued to your every move as well as your ass.”
“Fuck him, he’s a weasel.” She turns her nose up in that cute way of hers.
I couldn’t agree more.
When we get out of the large ballroom, we make for the elevators.
“That tequila was truly disgusting.” She cringes.
I smirk. “Why the hell did you ask me to order another one then?”
“I was being spontaneous! Everyone is always telling me I’m not spontaneous enough. My bestie Jemma, my other friend Peggy, my daughter, my mom! No one thinks I’m fun!”
“Well, I disagree. You might not be much fun in LA but you’re certainly the life of the party in Palm Springs,” I assure her.
“You’re just saying that because I tongue-fucked you in front of Gareth.”
I love it when she swears.
“I thought I was the one who tongue-fucked you?” I quip.
“You rescued me.” She hits the elevator button on the wall about ten times in a row before I place my hand over hers and draw it away.
“That was unexpected.”
“On the contrary. I know you can handle yourself.”
She drops her gaze, sadness washing over her. “Not with him. He… he hurt me in ways that still haunt me, Tristan.”
It’s probably the first time she’s used my first name in years. And I hate that it came to this and how sad he’s made her. “He’s a fucking idiot.”
The elevator slides open, and I place my hand on the small of her back as we step inside. I ask her which floor she’s on.
“The ninth. But I bet you’re in the penthouse, right, Mr. Forbes ? Is that true, by the way? I’m too drunk to remember.” She giggles.
I run a hand through my hair with a chuckle. “Yes, it is true.” I hit the ninth floor button as the door closes and the car slowly ascends. “Things really took off after we opened more branches across LA and then New York.”
Her eyes pop wide. “I forgot you branched over to the East Coast. Where’s next on the map? Florida?”
I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “Never say never.”
She bites her lip, those perfect white teeth digging into her soft, plump flesh. Releasing it after a moment, I still can’t draw my eyes away. “Show me your suite, Lucas.”
My eyebrows raise as I try to ask casually, “My suite?”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing the view from the top.”
The only view from the top she’s gonna have if she comes up to my room, is me underneath her as she rides me.
“You sure about that?”
She leans back on the elevator wall as it moves through the floors. It’s just like her to assess me with those pretty eyes, but tonight is different. She folds her arms over her chest. “Why wouldn’t I be sure?”
“Because we both just threw back more shots than a college frat party and skipped out on the actual reunion.”
“We’re not that drunk, Lucas. Lighten up. I’d be flat on my ass if I was.”
“Maybe we should eat something. Did you have dinner before you arrived?”
She shakes her head. “I didn’t get to that part yet. Room service?”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“I hear they do an all-night burger and it’s pretty good.”
I can think of something far more sumptuous I’d like to eat right now. “Do they?”
She turns to me. “What was that thing you mentioned before that you could do under the table?”
Keeping my hands off her feels like torture. “You remember that, huh?”
“You can’t throw those things around, Mr. Forbes , and then not deliver.”
I can’t hide my stupid grin. “Will you stop calling me that? I was being metaphoric.”
Her face immediately falls a little. “Oh, it really was all for show in there?” Her tone is hushed.
I reach out and tip her chin up with my finger, just as the elevator chimes that we’ve reached her stop. Her emerald eyes flash as I assess her pretty face and perfect pout.
I meant everything I said and did tonight, but I want her to be sure she wants this.
There’s no going back if we hook up tonight.
My bad boy below the belt is begging me to touch her, pull her into my arms, and give her a taste of what I have planned right here, right now.
But somewhere behind the tequila haze is my conscience, and I know we have to work in the same town when tomorrow inevitably comes.
Plus, there’s the fact she hates me the majority of the time. “No,” I answer truthfully. “Not all of it.” None of it.
She stops for a moment, but then straightens out and steps toward the hallway. She’s not even two steps away from me and I already miss her being so close to me. “Ali?”
“Forget it.” She shakes her head. “Thank you for tonight, I mean it. But I need to get out of here. You obviously don’t?—”
I snag her wrist as the elevator doors start to close again, pulling her back in.
I let go of her for a second and reach forward to push the doors open as though I’m giving her a second chance at escaping if she wants to.
“Don’t even finish that sentence,” I murmur.
“Because I feel it. There’s no question about that.
I’ve been eye-fucking you all night. I was trying to be a gentleman, but I think we both know we’re past the point of that. ”
She blinks up at me, ignoring that last part. “You’ve been eye-fucking me?”
I pull my lip under my teeth. My heart accelerates.
My body is on fire, and this could be the craziest thing I’ve ever done in a very long time.
“I want you like I’ve never wanted anyone before.
But if these elevator doors close again.
” I push them back open, this time with a firm press of the button because my free arm wraps around her.
“Then I’m taking you to my room, and then I’m going to fuck you. ”
Her breath hitches as we stare at each other, just as the doors start to close.