Chapter 12
12
COLE
I watch her across the crowded room as Layla continues to talk to the guy who, I accurately guessed, brought her the wrong wine. Seriously, how hard is it to get something as simple as a fucking drink right. I can’t even imagine why she is giving him the time of day. I look between them. They seem to know each other. There’s a familiarity about the way he leans into her when he’s talking. I can’t help but wonder If he has fucked her in the past. Doesn’t matter, he’s making his intentions very clear. It’s written all over his face. I have an overwhelming urge to walk back over there and tell him to fuck the hell off.
This surprises the hell out of me because I’m not that kind of guy. I don’t get involved. I’ve never cared or paid attention long enough to give a shit what happens when I’m not around. I fuck and I leave. That pretty much sums up my relationship experience. I keep watching, waiting for her to throw her drink in his face or some other equally explosive response. Something more like the way she acts around me, but it never happens. She just keeps smiling and nodding politely. I smirk. This guy doesn’t stand a fucking chance.
Dark brown eyes slide my way. She’s trying to be subtle. She’s failing miserably. This is the third time she’s looked over since I walked away. She’s definitely not listening to whatever the guy next to her is saying. Good. Maybe he’ll get the message and fuck off after all.
I tune out the women around me; I’m not interested in any of them. There’s only one person I’m interested in right now. I turn so I’m facing her. There is no subtlety to my move. Her eyes instantly lock on mine. Fire flashes behind them as she recalls my parting words. I’m not sure why, but I do love riling her up.
A slow sinful smiles spreads across my face. I don’t break eye contact as I raise my glass in her direction. She swallows the lump in her throat and then takes a sip of her drink. She doesn’t seem to notice that it’s not the right drink, or if she does, she doesn’t care.
My chest fills with satisfaction at the thought that, finally, I may be affecting her the way she has been affecting me for the better part of a year now. She knows the next move is hers. We’ve been playing this game long enough for both of us to know the rules. I’ve never been a patient man, but for her, I’m willing to work on it. In the end, I know the wait will be more than worth the aggravation.
Layla Bancroft reminds me of a thoroughbred. She is hot-blooded, spirited, bold, and extremely intelligent. It takes a special kind of man to handle a woman like her. I say handle, because I know she can never be tamed. She doesn’t need or want someone like the guy she is talking to, we both know it. She needs someone strong and determined. Someone who can master her spirit without crushing it. Someone like me. I know, if the combination is right, she would be magnificent.
Whatever we had going on before doesn’t even compare to what we have going on now. Something has changed in the six months since we’ve interacted with each other. I can’t put my finger on it, but she’s different, in a good way. Softer somehow, without losing that sassy spirit that I’ve grown accustomed to.
I could feel her presence as soon as I walked out on that stage this morning. Even if she hadn’t stood up to walk out on me, I would have found her in the crowd of hundreds. I couldn’t let her leave without pointing out that I knew she was there. It’s what we do. I was also pissed that she was walking out on my lecture. I’m damn good at what I do, and she could have learned a thing or two if she wasn’t so stubborn.
I was headed to her room to tell her that when I ran into room service delivering her wine. A fat tip and a few minutes later I was standing outside her door with a glass of wine in my hand. The look on her face was priceless, even if it only lasted for a moment before she fucking turned the tables on me by tipping me and closing the door in my face. I didn’t even get a single word out. I was stunned. I was also hard as a fucking steel pipe. No woman has ever treated me the way Layla Bancroft does. I laughed all the way back to my room.
I hadn’t planned to arrive so late this evening, but I still have a business to run, and work demands take as long as they take. When I finally finished my last conference call and looked at the clock, it was already after nine. I decided to take a chance that she still might be here, and it paid off. I almost tripped over my fucking tongue when I walked in and caught a glimpse of her across the room.
The red dress she is poured into should be illegal. Her golden skin is glowing and her hair is a glossy mass that I want to wrap around my fist. When she turned in my direction, though, it was those fucking red lips that did me in. I immediately pictured them wrapped around my aching cock, and I couldn’t wait for that fucker she was talking to to leave so I could get closer to her.
The woman is a fucking smoke show. She knows it, and I’ve made it pretty clear that I think so too, much to my detriment. I think she’s trying to drive me out of my goddamn mind with that outfit and those sinfully red lips.
Mission fucking accomplished .
I’ve had about as much of this as I can take for one night. I need to get out of here before I do something I’ll regret. I like this less hostile version of Layla, and I don’t want to go back to the way things were. I said what I wanted to say, the next move is hers. I won’t rush it. My dick protests bitterly as I make my decision.
Fuck .
I force it to back down, promising some relief when I get back to my room. I’ve had a standing date with my fist more than I’d like to admit since I met the she-devil in the red dress across the room. Why should tonight be any different.
“Excuse me, ladies,” I say as I turn and start for the door.
“Hey, Cole, are you leaving? Do you…um…have a few minutes to talk about that thing we were discussing earlier?” Layla asks as she hurries towards me.
What the fuck?
Her friend is hot on her heels. It doesn’t take long for me to catch on. “Yes, of course. I was just heading back to my suite. We can talk there. Would that work for you?”
“Lead the way.” She latches on to my arm and gives me a nervous smile. Then she looks over her shoulder. The guy has stopped and is standing a few feet away looking less than happy. “It was nice seeing you, Matt. Sorry to bail, but I really need to speak with Cole about something important.”
Good riddance, fucker.
We walk out into the foyer and over to the elevator.
“Thanks.” She sighs.
I grin. Mostly because she still has her arm linked through mine. “I feel so used,” I say with a wink.
“I bet you’re not used to being on the receiving end, are you?” My smile falters, as does hers. She tries to back away, but I catch her hand, refusing to let her go.
“Cole…I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Especially when you’re helping me out of that awkward situation back there. Thank you again. I really mean that,” she says as the elevator doors open, and I drag her in.
I brush it off and give her a cheeky grin as the doors close behind us. “Perhaps if you got to know me better, you might actually believe I’m not like that. Perhaps this would be a good time to have that talk we mentioned earlier. You know, to get to know each other…better,” I suggest playfully. I’m not being a dick here. I really want to get to know her better. I’d love to know what makes her tick.
She shakes her head and smiles at the ground; her intoxicating scent wafts around me, driving me insane.
“I can have a bottle of wine sent up, and I guarantee it won’t be that horse piss your friend served you. I can’t blame you for running out on him. Who the fuck was that guy anyway?
She’s still smiling but doesn’t look up. “He’s no one. An old acquaintance from Columbia. I haven’t seen him in years.” I’m surprised when she answers.
“Yeah, well, trust me. He wants to be more than your acquaintance . Those are the guys you have to watch out for, the ones who tell you they want to be friends, but have a secret agenda. Now, whose room are we going to? I don’t want to be presumptuous here.”
Her head snaps up. Her eyes lock on mine. “Oh, and how are you any different than him?” The fire is back.
“I’m not. But at least I’m up front about it.” It’s an honest answer. “I’m also not a liar. I said we were going to talk and that’s what we are going to do. I won’t force the issue. Now, where are we going? I have the penthouse, so unless you want to sit on your bed for this talk, perhaps we should try my living room.”
She scoffs. “You said you were going to make me scream your name?” she blurts out.
I smile. Interesting—she’s still thinking about that . “What I said was that one day very soon you’d be screaming my name. I didn’t say it would be today. However, we can always change plans if you’d like.”
“Dream on,” she replies with an eye roll. “My room is fine, but you’re only staying for one drink, so you better talk fast.”
“I’ll take what I can get,” I growl under my breath.
The doors slide open, and I step out of the elevator. So does she. We walk down the corridor in silence. It takes every ounce of control I have not to put my hand on the small of her back. My fingers are itching to touch her.
When we get to her door, she stops. Her back is facing me. “Why are you doing this?” she asks. Her voice is soft and breathy.
I gently turn her, so we are facing each other. We are close—really close. “Doing what?”
She hesitates, looking at the key card between her fingers instead of at me. “Maybe you should just go back to your room. I’m not sure what the purpose of this is.”
I put my hands into my pants pockets. “Come on, Layla; it’s just a glass of wine and a few words.” I know my eyes glint with mischief, but I can’t help myself.
“It’s not like I’m going to fuck you into next week or anything. I already told you that wasn’t happening tonight.”
Her eyes move up to meet mine. She’s shocked that I’ve just said that out loud. We’ve skirted around this for ages now. The air crackles between us.
“It’s not like I’m going to make you come more than you’ve ever come before.” I give her a slow, sexy smile. “It’s not like it would be the best sex of your life or anything.”
For once she’s speechless…she opens her mouth, but no words come out.
“Admit it,” I say softly as my gaze drops to her sexy red lips. “You haven’t wondered what I’d be like in bed?” I whisper. “What we’d be like together?”
“No.” She’s lying again. I’m going to have to do something about that eventually. “Not once,” she adds.
She licks her lips and swallows as I lean in and put my mouth to her ear.
“Since we’re talking, I have a confession.”
She closes her eyes. I can see the pulse jumping in her neck.
“You’ve been on my mind.” My voice is deep and hushed as it skates across her skin.
“Why’s that? We hate each other,” she whispers, even though she already knows the answer.
I press my hips forward and pin her to the wall so she can feel what she does to me. I’m hard and ready.
“Do we?”
She gasps but doesn’t move.
“You’ve driven me crazy since our first elevator ride together. You’ve evaded me and denied me, and I didn’t push. Then I saw you this morning. All I’ve done since is imagined you riding my cock,” I whisper darkly.
Her eyes snap open. Her pupils are blown wide as they stare into mine. She wants this just as much as I do.
“Layla…” I breathe her in as I take a handful of her hair and tug her head back so we can see each other better. “We’d be so fucking hot together.”
The elevator door pings, and someone gets off. I don’t turn to see who it is. I don’t fucking care.
She pushes against my chest. “Stop it,” she hisses. With a frustrated sigh, I back away as I hear footsteps approaching.
The guy looks my way, then smiles. “Nice speech today. I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” I mutter as I run my hand through my hair in frustration. Fuck off. Thankfully, he keeps moving.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Layla slips her card into the door and steps inside her room. “Good night, Mr. Hendrix. I’ll take a rain check on that drink.”
“Layla,” I whisper.
She closes the door in my face for the second time today. The lock clicks loudly into place.
I pull out my phone and send her a text.
Me: Wine and a talk…that’s all I’m asking for tonight.
She doesn’t respond. Instead, I hear the chain latch into place.
“Fuck.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. We were just supposed to talk. Christ, what the fuck is wrong with me? I’m pissed off, but not at her. Well, maybe a little bit at her. I drop my forehead against the door. I should just walk away and forget about her, but for some confounding reason, I can’t seem to do that.
I don’t look for Layla the next morning. She needs some time to process what happened last night, and so do I. As soon as I’m done with my morning lecture, I head straight back to my suite. I have a lot of work to do, so I get to it, and it keeps me busy right up until I have to leave for dinner. Tonight is my last night here. Thank fuck. I’m dining with the conference organizers and the other lecturers at a restaurant nearby. Maybe that’s a good thing. I’m not sure I’m ready to go another round with Layla just yet.
I hate these things. I’m good for an hour or two, but anything longer than that and I start to lose focus. Con is usually the guy we send to these types of things. It’s not that I’m not sociable, I am. But making small talk with people I don’t care about has always been a struggle for me.
As soon as is reasonable, I make my excuses and take my leave. It’s only ten o’clock but I don’t feel like any more company tonight, so as soon as I get back to the hotel, I head straight for the elevator. As I’m walking past the gift shop, I spot Layla. She has a chocolate bar in her hand and is paying the cashier. I should leave her alone, but I don’t. Instead, I wait for her. It’s my last night here. I’m not leaving without giving this one more try. When she exits the shop, I call her name.
“Layla!”
She glances over. I try to gauge her mood by the look on her face. She doesn’t look pissed to see me, so I’ll take that as a good sign. “Hi,” she says as she walks toward me clutching her chocolate bar to her chest.
“I…ah…I just wanted to ask how you were doing?” After you gave me the worst case of blue balls I’ve ever had , I don’t add.
“I’m fine.” She doesn’t look fine to me. “Look, Cole…I’m sorry about last night. This thing between us. It’s just so crazy, you know.” She blurts it all out and then chuckles at the end of it.
I make a spur-of-the-moment decision. Fuck, I hope this works.
“Do you want to go grab a coffee?” I gesture toward the front doors of the hotel. “Someplace public,” I add so she knows this has nothing to do with sex.
“No,” she says a little too quickly. She takes a deep breath then looks right into my eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?” I genuinely want to know. I know I came on strong and was a bit of an asshole last night, but she was right there on the edge with me; she wanted it too.
“God, please don’t look at me like that.” She turns to walk away. I swear I hear her mumble, “I can’t take this anymore. At least when you’re an asshole I can deal with it.”
I’ve had enough. I’ve waited for her to make a move, and she’s too fucking cowardly to do it. I need her out of my system, and apparently, she needs me out of hers too.
I lock my fingers around her wrist as she starts to walk away, effectively stopping her without too much force. My other hand reaches up behind her neck as I lean in and kiss her. Right there in the middle of the fucking lobby. I don’t care who sees. My tongue swipes against her lips demanding entry, and like a good girl, she immediately opens for me.
“I can’t take it anymore either,” I growl into her mouth.
Her tongue dances against mine. My grip tightens as I pull her against me, pressing my hard length against her. She needs to feel what she does to me.
Something changes and she begins to kiss me back.
She kisses me with everything she has and God it feels good. I pull back and look at her as I hold her in place. I’m not letting her go this time. My breathing is labored. “What was that?”
She stares up at me as my chest rises and falls.
“That’s an I don’t want to go for coffee kiss.”
“You should probably stop looking at me like that,” I say as I lick her kiss off my lips and take a step back.
Electricity buzzes between us as everyone else in the room disappears.
“Like what?”
“Like you want me to continue. Like you want me to take you upstairs.”
“That’s very presumptuous, Mr. Hendrix.”
“Cole.”
She struggles to hold back her smile. She’s enjoying this. I can see the sparkle in her eyes. “I’ll call you whatever I like. You aren’t the boss of me.”
I inhale sharply and reach down to try to discreetly rearrange my aching cock.
She watches me touch myself.
“Call me whatever you want. I couldn’t care less.” I shrug casually. “You keep telling me that you’re not attracted to me, and yet…”
“And yet what?” she whispers.
“And yet I can feel it,” I murmur. “Your body speaks to mine. It’s like they are speaking their own language.”
Our eyes lock as the air leaves her lungs.
“Every time I’m close to you, I can feel our bodies talking to each other. Don’t tell me you can’t feel it, because I know you can. It’s been happening since that first night in the elevator.”
We stare at each other for an extended moment, the air swirling between us.
“It’s your move, Layla. What do you want? Be honest just this once.”
“I…” She starts to speak and then pauses.
“Relax, Layla. I’m not asking for a commitment. Maybe we just need to get it out of both of our systems so that we can move on with our lives.”
She almost looks relieved, so I continue.
“It’s going to happen eventually. An attraction like this doesn’t just go away, Layla. We’re proof of that. Why keep torturing ourselves and prolonging the inevitable. If not here, then we go back to New York and drive each other crazy until I eventually wear you down.”
“You’re so sure of yourself,” she scoffs.
“I always get what I want.” I give her a slow sexy smile. “And what I want is you.”
“Why?”
“Fuck if I know… I could pretend that I like you and that I want to be your friend or some bullshit like that? Truth is, I have no fucking idea. I just know this is something I need to explore. I’ve never been more turned on in my life by anyone, and I can’t bear the thought of not hearing you moan my fucking name. It’s all I can think about and it’s slowly driving me mad.”
“Jesus,” she gasps again.
“You don’t have to like me. You don’t even have to talk to me if you don’t want to, but I promise I’ll take care of you, sexually, of course. We’ll be scratching a mutual itch that neither of us seems to be able to reach on our own.”
“Anything else?”
“Absolutely not.”
I stand a foot away from her and wait as she processes my words. “I’m not usually into this sort of thing,” she whispers.
“And I am, so trust me to make this good for you. The beauty of something like this is we both know what we want out of it. That’s the only way it will work.”
“Hey, you guys,” the douchebag from last night interrupts as he approaches with a group of people. “We’re headed out for drinks. You guys want to come?”
Layla looks over at the group and then back at me. She’s made a decision. I can see it in her eyes. “Um…no. I’m a little tired so I’m going to head upstairs and call it a night, but thanks for the offer.”
“Okay.” He turns to me. “You want to join us, Cole?”
“Sorry, I’ve got a mountain of work to get through before the night is done.”
“Sucks to be you,” he chuckles. “See you guys tomorrow.”
“Good night,” we both say at the same time as we watch the group disappear through the lobby doors.
My eyes return to Layla’s. “Your room or mine?”
“Yours.”