Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
Hayes
Leighton and I are getting ready for the gala that Jagger insisted we attend. Since my condo is filled with Foster’s shit until he finds a place, and Leighton’s mom is sleeping over at the house to watch the kids for the night, I rented a hotel room for Leighton and me.
But Leighton told me I had to stay in the sitting area while she got ready to make it more like a real date, as though I was coming to pick her up. I really want to ditch the gala and have as much bedroom time as we can squeeze in, but I know that’s not happening.
“Ready?” she calls from the other side of the double doors that lead to the bedroom.
I stand from the couch and turn off the sports highlights on the TV. Walking over, I knock on the door.
“Just a minute,” she says in a way that sounds far away. Almost as if she’s cupping her hands around her mouth. “Who is it?”
I chuckle. “Me.”
“Me who?”
“Your date.”
“How do I know it’s really you?”
“Leighton, it’s Hayes, and I really want to see my smokin’ hot girlfriend all dressed up, so can you please open the door?”
“Tell me something about yourself before I open it, so I know it’s really you.”
“My cock is eight inches long, and it’s rock-hard wanting to get into that pussy that owns him.”
She laughs, and the doorknobs twist. Both doors open, revealing the most stunning, sexy, beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“Damn, Leighton.” My hand comes to my face and my thumb brushes along my bottom lip as I soak her in. “You are… I have no words.”
She twirls around, but her dress doesn’t move since it’s molded to her delicious curves. It’s the color of the champagne I’m sure I’ll be sipping on tonight and goes all the way down to the floor.
“Speechless is good,” she says.
I step forward, and my hands go to her hips. “Tell me you’re dressed up just for me so I can unzip you, and we can fuck like bunnies for the rest of the night.”
She takes my hands and removes them from her hips. “Nope. But maybe I’ll meet you in the coat room later.”
“I’ll be following you around like a lost puppy all night.”
She walks to the bed and picks up her clutch, tucking it under her arm. “The sooner we go, the sooner we’re back making good use of this hotel room.”
“You’re so much smarter than me.” I hold out my arm for her to walk ahead of me. It is selfish really, because I get to admire her ass and the deep valley in the back of her dress. “I hope I don’t get into a fight tonight.”
She laughs. For the entire walk to the elevator and down to the lobby, I can’t take my eyes off of her. But as soon as the elevator doors open, I secure her hand in mine to make sure that every asshole in a fifty-foot radius knows who she belongs to.
The doorman ushers us to the waiting car I ordered, and I tip him before joining Leighton in the back seat.
I don’t want to ruin the vibe we have going, but there are some conversations we can only have without the kids around.
“Did you call that doctor’s office that was on Skylar’s phone?” I ask, since the minute the car leaves the hotel, we’re sitting in downtown Chicago traffic.
“Oh yeah, I meant to tell you. She’s a therapist. But she wouldn’t give me any information except to say that she was following up on an appointment they had scheduled.
She wouldn’t even tell me if it was for Sky or Patrick or both of them.
But when I googled her, it seems she mostly does couples counseling, so my guess it was both of them. ”
“They had issues?” I’m surprised, because Leighton’s never alluded to that.
She shakes her head. “Sky never said anything to me. I thought she told me everything, but I guess not.” Leighton frowns, and I squeeze her hand.
“Before the home visit, I was putting my shoes away, and I found an overnight bag shoved way back in the closet with a new bottle of perfume and red lingerie inside. And the kids mentioned that Patrick used to sleep in there sometimes.”
“I think it’s healthy for couples to go to therapy. I don’t think it has to mean there was any real trouble in their marriage.” I brush my knuckle down her cheek.
“I just hate that she thought she couldn’t talk to me. I honestly thought they had the best marriage. Couple goals and all that.”
“Maybe their getaway was about them trying to reconnect.”
She nods, but her teeth bite her lower lip. Knowing Leighton, she’s working through every bad scenario in her head. It must be hard because she’ll never really get the answers she wants.
“Anyway, let’s just concentrate on us tonight. We rarely get this.” She squeezes my hand.
“You look beautiful.” I lean in and kiss her bare shoulder.
She preens under my compliment. “And you look so handsome in your tuxedo. Just so you know.” She leans closer and says directly into my ear, “Later tonight, you’ll be in the armchair with your tie undone, suit coat open, and I’ll be on my knees between your legs.”
I reach for the back of her neck and pull her in, pressing my lips to hers. I don’t care about lipstick or the fucking driver. She drives me to the brink of insanity.
The driver clears his throat, then there’s a knock on the window. Guess we’ve arrived.
“You have lipstick.” She presses her thumb to my lips.
I really want to beg her again to just have this car turn back around. But she deserves a night out that doesn’t include the ice cream parlor or our recent obsession with the cookie place.
I climb out of the car and hold out my hand for her.
You’d think she was used to all this, the way she flawlessly lets me guide her out of the car. We walk into the venue hand in hand, and as we’re checking in, I spot some of the Chicago Falcons and Grizzlies in attendance.
This is about the last place I want to be, but we pose for pictures as Jagger wants us to, and we socialize, my arm around her the entire time. The only thing fake tonight is both of us acting as if this is where we want to spend our night.
After the meal, when the dancing starts, Leighton’s hand slides down to my ass while we’re talking to Rowan and Kyleigh Landry on their way out. All of the Falcons leave pretty soon after dinner, blaming it on babysitters and early mornings.
“We need a baby,” I grumble.
“Um… no, we don’t. There are already three kids we could use as an excuse to leave, but I think I promised you some coatroom time, no?” Leighton arches a perfectly shaped brow.
My gaze coasts down her body. “Lead the way.”
She inches up and kisses me. “Meet me in there in two minutes.”
“Be ready in one. I’m barely holding on here.” I button my tuxedo jacket closed so my semi isn’t obvious to everyone around us.
She giggles and walks away, out of the event space.
I’m about to follow when Jagger clasps his hand on my shoulder. “I’m proud of you. You two look like you’re about to tear each other’s clothes off.”
We were, or at least some heavy petting.
“Yeah, turns out we’re the real thing. And I’d like permission to leave this party now so I can spend the rest of my night in bed with Leighton.”
Jagger chuckles. “I knew it. I told Quinn you two would eventually find one another in the dark and pull off those blindfolds you’ve been wearing. Well, happy looks really good on you, man.”
“Thanks. I think so too.”
So much so that I have a word for it. If someone asked how I know I’m in love with Leighton, I wouldn’t be able to explain it, other than that she really sees me.
Jagger pats me on the back. “You’re dismissed. I’ll talk to you next week.”
I shake his hand, and he goes one way. I head the opposite direction toward the exit. The coatroom door is propped up, so I slip inside.
I love that Leighton thought of this. Maybe this will be our thing—sneaking off to fuck in small, enclosed spaces.
It’s pretty dark in here, and there aren’t a lot of coats since it’s summer. Maybe it’s not even open this time of year. I feel along the wall, grazing over a hand. It grabs mine and pulls me closer.
Damn, I love when she’s this bossy in the bedroom.
My hand slides along her waist, and I bend down to nuzzle her neck the way she loves, but instead of a neck, I hit what feels like a chest. And then I realize that the hand I’m holding is a lot bigger and more calloused than Leighton’s.
“What the fuck?” the other person and I say at the same time, pushing away from one another.
A light flickers on, and I turn to my left to see Leighton standing by the door. If she’s there, then who was… I turn back around.
“Tweetie?”
“Fucking hell, Carlisle, this is me and the missus’s spot.”
“Fuck my life,” I groan.
“First you spy on Tedi pumping in Ruby’s office and now you’re trying to grope me in the dark. I’m starting to wonder about you.”
“I did not spy on your wife pumping breast milk!”
Tedi pops up next to Leighton in the doorway. “Oh, you were meeting Hayes in here? I love it.” Tedi links her arms with Leighton’s. “We’ll leave you two alone. Sorry for interrupting.”
“Tedi,” Tweetie growls.
She laughs and pats Leighton’s arm, then walks toward us. “So good to catch up with you. But we made this our make-out spot a while ago. You’re going to have to find your own.” She leans into Tweetie, who wraps his arms around his wife.
“That was a nice way to say get the fuck out,” Tweetie says without looking away from his wife.
“See you guys. Don’t make another baby,” I say, heading toward the exit.
Tweetie flips me off behind Tedi’s back. “It might be too late for that. Good night, you two.” Tedi presses her lips to Tweetie’s as Leighton flicks off the lights.
“You said you’d be in there.” I look around to make sure no one else saw what went down as we make our way toward the lobby.
“I just went to the bathroom to take off my panties, but I ran into Tedi and never got that far. We got to talking and well…” She laughs. “Tell me you’re not going to want to trade me in for Tweetie now?”
I grab her by the waist and tug her to me, while she laughs the whole time.
“Hell no.” I glance at the clutch in her hands. “So, what you’re saying is that I can be the one to remove your panties now?”
She nods and bites her lip, which drives me fucking insane.
“Let’s go.” I tug her across the lobby, and she laughs the entire way.
I hope I can keep my dick at bay until the hotel room, but as soon as we’re behind those closed doors, it’s game on.