| |
Chase
“Could you take me up the block to The Dupont? I have to put Patrick and Mel’s passports in their honeymoon suite. Everyone has been drinking, and I rode here in the limo. I don’t have my car,” Mira said.
I was surprised when Mira approached me. For this entire wedding, we hadn’t spoken once. She hadn’t looked my way, nor had she given any indication that she wanted me to interact with her. And now, she had something she needed, and she looked desperate. Well, maybe not desperate. But, she definitely looked bogged down with something.
“You just need a ride to the hotel?” I asked.
“Yes. And then back home, possibly. But, I can always catch a taxi from the hotel to get there. I just figured I’d ask before I called one now. I mean, you don’t have to. It was probably dumb to come over here and ask in the first place,” she said.
I considered saying no, but I wanted to help her. But I didn’t think I could resist touching her if we were alone together. Even just in my rental. My eyes scanned her and I saw how tense she was. How nervous she had grown. I saw her clutching two passports and figured they were Mel’s and Patrick’s.
“And if you’ve been drinking, I don’t want you driving anyway,” Mira said quickly.
“I’ve only had one glass of champagne,” I said.
“Oh.”
I kept myself under control at the reception well enough. I didn’t dance with her. I didn’t brush myself against her in any way. And even though I hated dancing with Ashley, it kept my hands somewhere other than Mira’s waist. Mira’s hips. Mira’s body. Though, seeing her dance with those other men made me fume.
If I gave her a ride and she went home, at least other men wouldn’t be touching her.
We stared long and hard at one another. I saw electricity zipping behind her beautiful eyes. If I took her to this hotel, I couldn’t go in with her. I could wait for her. Or, call her a taxi myself before I went back to my own hotel room. But, if we were in close quarters again, I knew sobriety wouldn’t be enough.
I knew not drinking wouldn’t be enough to help me keep a hold on this self-control I felt waning every second I was in her presence.
Shit, I’d never be able refuse this woman. I’d never be able to refuse spending time with her, no matter what we were doing. No matter where we were. No matter what kind of trouble it risked me getting into.
You’re in way too deep, Chase.
I shoved the voice in my head off to the side and smiled.
“Sure, I can take you. My rental’s out front. Do you have everything you need to leave?” I asked.
She smiled, and my entire world came to a grinding halt. Plots of killing the groomsmen who had their hands on her all night slowly faded away, replaced with a need to pull her close. She flinched, almost as if she wanted to give me a hug, but stopped herself.
“Yep. I’ve got everything. I didn’t bring a purse or anything like that. Just slipped the few things I’d need into the pockets of this dress,” she said.
I quirked an eyebrow. “The dress has pockets?”
She giggled as she shoved her hands into the sides. She pulled the dress out, showing them to me with pride. The look of happiness and excitement on her face was too much to bear. In one moment, she was a grown and collected woman. And in the next moment, she was a little girl with a childlike view of the world, taking pleasure in the simplest of things.
I couldn’t get enough.
“Oh, it’s got wonderful pockets,” Mira said.
“Well, how about you and those wonderful pockets follow me. I’m ready to blow this popsicle stand anyway,” I said.
“You and me both. The stress of this entire thing has been enough and I’m ready for it to be over.”
I held my arm out for her, ushering her toward the exit. I patted my pockets down, making sure I had the things I needed. My phone. My wallet. My keys.
My dignity.
I shoved the voice away again and steeled myself against this car trip.
We walked out to the car and I unlocked it with the key fob. I went around and opened her door, then held out my hand to help her in. I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have touched her. Because the second she slid her hand into mine, the world around me ignited. It wasn’t nighttime any longer, with twinkling stars and rushing water in the background. It was midday, and the two of us were preparing to take a weekend trip together. Mira, in her gorgeous dress and her curly hair, and me. With my suit and my surprise getaway she was itching to pull details about from me.
Stop daydreaming, you idiot.
The ride over to the hotel was awkward. I didn’t know what to say to her, and it seemed as if she didn’t know, either. Thankfully, the hotel was only three blocks away. I parked the car and let Mira out at the front doors, waiting for her to give me some sort of command.
Then, her voice filled my ears.
“Can you wait here? Or do you want me to catch a taxi from here back to my place?” she asked.
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’d rather wait for you here. I want to make sure you get home okay.”
“All right, I’ll make it quick, then.”
She closed the door and walked off, her curvy hips swaying with every step she took. I licked my lips and sat back, breathing in as deeply as I could. I closed my eyes and calmed myself down. My body yearned to follow her in. To take her in my arms, get some paltry room in this hotel, and show her exactly what I wanted to do with her for the rest of my time in Portland.
But when I opened my eyes, a glimmer of gold caught my eye on the floorboard of the car.
“Shit,” I groaned.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached down for it. And the second my hand grasped it, I knew what it was. I flipped it open and saw Patrick’s face. All of his information, right there on the front page of his passport. I sighed and unbuckled myself. I quickly parked my car and made my way inside, headed for the front desk. I held up the passport and the woman knew exactly what I was there for. So, she pointed me in the right direction.
To the elevator, up to the tenth floor, suite 1002.
I heard Mira cussing behind the door as I knocked on it. And when she threw open the door, I held the passport up for her. So long as I didn’t go into that room, I was good.
“Thank fuck. I thought I’d dropped it at the wedding or some shit. Just set it over there on the bedside table. The hotel has fucked up part of her room,” she said.
Well, there went my plan.
Hesitantly, I stepped into the room. As Mira rushed over to the hotel room phone and picked it up, I tossed the passport onto the table she designated. I ran my eyes over the heart-shaped bed. Over the rose petals and the red wine chilling in the silver bucket at the foot of the bed. There was bread and cheese fondue waiting for the happy couple. The scent of soft lavender filled the air. I drew it in deep, slipping my hands into my pockets to keep some sort of decorum.
Because being in that honeymoon suite with Mira made me think about how things would be if circumstances were different.
“No, it was supposed to be white wine with balls of melons and fresh cream. Yes, I heard her tell you twice on the phone when she was setting up this room. It needs to be changed, and quickly. The reception ends in three hours. What—what do you mean it’s going to take at least that long? My parents paid way too much money for this room for it to be anything but perfect.”
I looked over at Mira and listened as she took charge. She was good at that, and I liked it. The concept was refreshing, a woman speaking her mind. Taking what she wanted, and deserved. She was dynamite, in bed and out of bed, because of it. I felt myself wandering over to her. The fantasy was too overwhelming. There was a couch in the corner that caught my eye. Plush microfiber in a deep crimson red that matched the bedsheets. The lavender in the room gave way to Mira’s perfume. Honey with a hint of spice instead of the vanilla I’d grown used to. She slammed the phone down onto the receiver and whipped around, gasping as I stood there.
“Two hours. It’s going to take them two hours to get this shit here. Which means I’m going to have to stick around until—”
I lifted my hands and cupped her cheeks. I gazed into her angry eyes, smoothing my thumbs over her skin. With every stroke, her body relaxed. With every stroke, that beautiful crimson shade ignited underneath her skin. She matched the room. She fit in exponentially with her surroundings.
And the only thing I wanted to do was enjoy her.
“Chase, what are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.
“I don’t want to spend another night fantasizing about what could be,” I said.
“What?”
I smoothed my thumb over her lower lip, watching her pucker a kiss against it.
“I want to spend my last night here experiencing it,” I whispered.
I dipped my lips to hers and pressed them down softly. If she pushed me away, I’d take the hint. But, she didn’t. She paused. She tensed. But then? She relaxed. Her hands came up to my chest and she wrapped her hand in my tie again. She pulled me close, talking me away from the bed until the backs of my legs hit the couch.
And when I fell to the cushions, she came with me. Straddling me. Allowing me one last taste of her before our realities came crashing down onto us.
“Just not the bed,” she whispered.
Well then, I guess that means everything else is fair game.
