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~Cora~
THE VIEW FROM THE LOOKOUT was amazing. But nothing compared to the intense look Dixon gave me as we finished up our dinner, sitting in the bed of the truck on the blankets he’d brought from his place.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” I wiped my lips, checking for stray crumbs.
He reached out and brushed some hair behind my ear. He cradled my head, and his stare had me holding my breath. “No. Just looking at the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.” He bent toward me.
It might have only been seconds before his lips touched mine, but the timespan was an eternity. A torturous, agonizing eternity. I was desperate—to feel his warmth, to feel cherished, to feel like I’d found a home in his arms.
And when we connected, the heat combusted, and we were a tangle of arms, grabbing and pulling but never getting quite close enough. He left trails of warmth as his hands caressed my back. His mouth was just as hot and possessive, urging me to return the passion with some fire of my own. I ran my hands over the bulge in his jeans and then broke away from his kiss. “Maybe we should find somewhere more comfortable.”
“Soon enough. I’m liking the feel of you in my arms too much to want to leave right this second. Come here. Snuggle up and let’s enjoy watching the sky change.” He moved so his back was against the truck cab and widened his legs to let me in.
I changed position so my back was against his front, and then pulled the blanket over us. The length of his hardness pressed at my back as I wiggled my way into his lap. I dropped my head back, and soon the touch of his lips at my neck had me shivering. “Mmmmm...that...feels...”
“Feels what?” he whispered.
“Good.” The words escaped in a whoosh, and I closed my eyes. “Too good for you to stop.”
“I had no intention of stopping.” The wicked intent came through his chuckled words.
I could get used to this. I’d never had any relationship with a man where I was turned on not just by his touch, but by his words. I wasn’t sure I could even say Dixon and I were in a relationship, but every time we were together, I found more and more of myself...and found I couldn’t get enough of him. Gone was the spineless girl who let other people determine her future; gone was the woman just dreaming of her own bed-and-breakfast. Instead, there was the confident girl; the woman who paid attention to what she needed. And right now, I needed Dixon.
“Please.”
“Please, what, sugar plum?” He ran his tongue up a path on my neck, ending with a quick bite on my earlobe. “What do you want?” His breath tickled me as he exhaled.
I turned my head to look at him, and I flushed under his intense gaze. I wanted more—more of Dixon. And not just in my bed, but in my head. In my heart. “I’d like to show you my place. I’ve loved our little picnic, but I think it’s about time to find a softer bed than your truck bed.”
“I think I can handle that. You sure about going to your place? Actually, I don’t think I even know where that is.” He scrunched his face, as if he just realized how much he didn’t know about me.
“Well, I never really said. It’s unusual, but I live in a hotel. You know the Stetson Suites main hotel downtown? It’s the original hotel the chain was built on. Anyway, I have the penthouse there.” I bit my lip, waiting for the inevitable response. Nobody ever thought it was a normal thing to live in a penthouse—and reactions were either amazement or jealousy.
“A penthouse, huh? I’ve never been in a penthouse before. What’s it like?”
“If you take me home, you’ll see for yourself.” I laughed to myself and smiled. I couldn’t wait to show him my home. I couldn’t wait to show him more of me...and see myself the way he did.
“Then let’s go.” He picked up our joined hands and kissed my knuckles. “I’m dying to see where my little gum drop lays her head at night when I’m not lucky enough to be with her.”
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ANY WHIFF OF ANXIETY at bringing Dixon to my place was squashed by my excitement. I’d never had any man come home to my hotel penthouse. Mark hardly counted; he’d known me all my life. Those couple of dates were the only reason he’d even shown up at my door. And although he’d seen the entire apartment, including the bedroom, he hadn’t been impressed. I guess when you lived in a mansion, it was difficult to be impressed with what was essentially a hotel room. But it was home for me, and now I’d be sharing it with Dixon.
As long as we got through the lobby with minimal interaction, I might be able to avoid whoever it was who reported back to my father. Then again, I was an adult, living my own life. After declaring to my father that my personal life was my own—and his insistence about not hearing about my sex life—he’d only have himself to blame if word got back to him about Dixon spending the night. And that’s what I wanted: for him to spend the night. No wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. No gotta-get-up-early excuses. Although we’d have to pick up my car from Jake’s at some point. But that was hardly important right now.
Dixon parked the truck in the lower level of the garage. When he pulled the key out of the ignition, he looked at me. “You still good? I swear, I won’t hold it against you if you wanted to change your mind.”
“Change my mind? No. No chance of that, Dixon.” I unbuckled my seat belt and slid over to him. I put my hands on the sides of his face and pulled him down for a hot kiss. “Unless...have you changed your mind? I know it might be weird to be here—”
“Fuck, no. I’d go wherever I had to just to be with you. I don’t care where...here, my place, the truck. Anyplace you are is where I want to be.” He rubbed my arms. “I don’t know much about much, but I know that much.”
I laughed. A bubble of happiness percolated and spilled over. “I think you do know much about much.” I slid back over to my side and gathered up my purse. “At least, the much that matters.” I winked. “Come on. Let me show you my place.”
As we walked toward the elevator, I reached out for his hand. It was right there, clasping mine tight. The bits of lightning prickled up my arm, and I swayed closer to him. His body heat generated a field that I couldn’t pull out of...not that I wanted to.
The ride up to the lobby was quick, and I steadied myself. There’d be at least one counter person watching the elevator. I hoped we’d be lucky and there’d be a large group checking in to mask our arrival. But even if there wasn’t, I was determined not to care. Not to worry. Because as much as I loved my father, I was done answering to him.
The elevator door opened. As we stepped out, hand in hand, it became clear luck would not be on my side. The hulking figure of Mark stood next to the check-in counter, involved in a conversation with someone I didn’t recognize. The woman barely came up to his shoulder, but her attitude made up for any height difference. Her face was turning red, and she pointed her finger at Mark. The clerk behind the counter was flustered and looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but there.
I couldn’t let the situation escalate. Even though the last thing I wanted was to bring Dixon anywhere near Mark again, I had to defuse the situation before any customers witnessed whatever was about to go down.
“Hey.” I half turned to Dixon. “I’m sorry. I think I need to see what’s going on there. You want to hang back? It should only take a second.”
He tightened his grip around my hands. “Nah. I’ll stick with you. I’m sure it’s nothing and we can get back to our night.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll do my best to keep my mouth shut, but if he gives you shit...”
“He won’t. We’re out in the middle of the lobby. I’m sure he’ll behave.” I smiled at him, even though I wasn’t sure I believed the words coming out of my mouth. “And if he doesn’t, well...let’s not borrow trouble quite yet. Let’s go get this over with.”
As we approached, the movement must have caught his eye. Mark looked up at us, and his diverted attention didn’t go unnoticed by the petite woman.
“This isn’t over.” The woman had daggers in her eyes when she walked by us, and she looked at me. “Not by a long shot.”
I stopped in front of Mark. “What was going on? It looked like that woman was about to let loose and let you have it in the middle of the lobby here.” Dixon pulled me closer to him, and I leaned into him—not an embrace, but a steadying presence I was thankful for.
“Cora. Good evening. I apologize if Marcy seemed upset. It’s nothing. Now then, who is this? Aren’t you the person Cora ran after the other night?” Mark went from cordial to stern disapproval. “Really, Cora?” He looked back at me, a frown on his face. “Slumming a bit, are we?”
Dixon tensed beside me, and I reached for his hand to keep him from lunging forward. Not that I would have minded too much if Dixon were to put Mark in his place, but any action in the lobby of the flagship hotel was bound to reach my father’s notice.
“Mark, who I spend time with is not your concern. But yes, this is Dixon. And if you won’t treat either of us with respect, then it’s clear we don’t need to spend any time together...in any capacity. I only stopped to make sure there wasn’t an issue with you and that young woman. She looked pissed off, and I don’t think a big blowout is a good image for the hotel, whoever it might be who’s causing trouble.” I turned to leave, my hand still in Dixon’s.
As we walked away, Mark couldn’t help but get the last word in.
“We’ll see about that, Cora. We’ll just see.” His arrogant laugh echoed at our backs.
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THE ELEVATOR RIDE UP to my apartment was just as quiet as the ride to the lobby, but this time my tension wasn’t about excitement. Rather, it was borderline anger. And I didn’t think I was the only one feeling that way.
When the door opened, I moved to exit but Dixon didn’t match my steps. I turned to face him. “You okay?”
Shoulders slumped, he looked at me. “You sure you still want me to come up? I mean, Mark...” He gulped. “He didn’t seem too happy about me and you being together. If that’s gonna—”
“I don’t care about Mark. I don’t care about what he thinks.” I stepped back toward him and rested my hand on his arm. “I care about you. You are who I choose to be with. You are the one I think about first thing in the morning and last thing at night. And you’re the one I want to see next to me when I wake up tomorrow.” I brushed my lips over his, and then closed the space between us for a deeper, longer kiss.
“That’s something I want, too.”
The elevator doors closed, but it didn’t move. But he pulled me closer, bringing me tight against his chest. I put my arms over his shoulders and molded my body into his. His hard bulge met my soft curves, and I couldn’t help the moan that escaped my lips at the contact.
I whispered in his ear, “So, are you going to worry about him all night, or are you ready to see a penthouse bedroom?” I teased. At his sharp intake of breath, I stepped back, hit the button to open the door, and drew him with me across the threshold of the elevator and toward my door. After a quick search for my key, I opened the door and let him in. “Or do you want the full tour first?” I gestured at the space beyond the doorway.
He looked over my shoulder at the floor-to-ceiling window and the skyline beyond. The lights of the city illuminated the vista, obscuring the stars we had started to see out on our picnic. To one side was a kitchenette with a breakfast bar and three stools. On the other was the couch, a loveseat, a high-def television mounted on the wall, and an unorganized desk full of papers. Beyond that was the short hallway to the bedroom and bathroom. It had all the clean lines of a hotel penthouse suite, but that was just the main living area. The bedroom was my personal space, where those royal-purple walls welcomed me home every night and I kept the photos of my childhood displayed.
“I think I’ve seen enough of your living space. But I need to inspect your sleeping area...” His eyebrows rose suggestively, and his tone was once again that of the self-assured and sexy Dixon. “You know, to see if it meets all my fantasies about penthouses...”
He crushed his lips to mine, and all rational thought disappeared. I couldn’t get close enough with all these clothes on—his and mine. I fumbled for his T-shirt hem, trying to pull it over his head while somehow not breaking our kiss. The fraction of a second our lips were apart was just enough time to complete that task, and for him to fuss with his belt. But before much more could be removed, we were pressed together again, stumbling back toward the promised land of my bedroom.
Within moments, the back of my legs hit the edge of my bed. Our tangled tongues paused, and I caught my breath. My hands roamed over his muscled chest, working their way to the zipper of his jeans.
He stopped my hands from going much further than popping the top button. “Wait. I haven’t had a chance to return the favor.” His fingers found their way to my blouse, releasing each button and gently pushing the fabric to the side. At the sight of the lacy black bra, he inhaled. He bent his head and kissed the tops of my breasts, cupping each with his skilled hands.
My head fell back, and my nipples hardened under his touch. When he gently bit through the material, I let out a gasp.
“Hmmm...as sweet as ever, Cora.” Dixon finished the job of taking off my blouse, and the clasp of my bra was undone. As he slid the straps down, he stared, his gaze piercing me. “How did I ever get so lucky?” He captured my lips again, stealing any answer I might have had for him.
Because it was me who was lucky, not him. Meeting him that night at Jake’s had jumpstarted something that had lain dormant. Something inside me that I never believed I had. He was the spark that made my world light up, filling my heart and igniting my passions. All my passions...and right now, that meant making him the center of my attention.
“Speaking of returning the favor...” I dropped onto the bed and reached for that zipper once again. Each clack of the zipper teeth opening seemed to echo in the silent room. I looked up at his face, my smile growing at the sight of him: head leaned back, eyes closed. His chest rose and fell quicker than normal, and I slid a hand up to feel the coarse hair of his happy trail. Using both my hands now, I slid them between his warm skin and the briefs under his jeans. I tugged the offending clothing down, getting about halfway down his legs before I realized my mistake. He still had his sneakers on.
“Damn.” I stopped and laughed softly.
“What?” Dixon snapped his head back up, and he looked down. “Oh. Well, that’s easy enough to fix.” He stepped back, toed off his shoes, and wiggled the rest of the way out of his pants. He moved forward, and he cupped my cheek. “Now then, as much as I’m liking this, it seems a bit one-sided.” He pulled me up to standing and reached for my waistband. After his nimble fingers worked their magic, my pants puddled at my feet.
I slipped out of my low heels and stepped out of the pile of fabric on the floor. Once freed of the material, I sat on the edge of the bed and scooted back toward the headboard. I looked him over from head to foot, and back, and smiled. A naked Dixon was a sight I don’t think I could ever tire of.
“You keep looking at me like that, and I can’t be held responsible for your lack of sleep tonight.” He dropped onto the bed next to me, lying on his side, and he ran his fingers up and down my stomach.
The light touch had me shivering in anticipation. “Sleep is overrated.” I cupped his cheek, and my thumb stroked along his jawline. “Kiss me, Dixon.”
His eyes held mine as he inched his way down to my waiting lips. His breath fanned over my face with his next words. “Damn, Cora. There’s nothing hotter than you wanting me.” His mouth covered mine, and the heat turned up.
Thank God I was naked, because my clothes would have burst into flames from the fire we’d started.
He reached for the nightstand, grabbed a condom, and tore the wrapper off. After rolling it down his hard length, he positioned himself at my entrance.
The blue of his eyes deepened to cobalt. Desire flared there, and I wet my lips. I lifted my hips, ready for the heat those eyes promised me. With each inch his cock traveled inside me, I surrendered to my own need.
All I wanted—all I could do—was hang on to him tighter, kiss him harder, and throw myself into the volcano that exploded as we came together as one.
––––––––
ONE PERK OF HOTEL LIVING was the room service. But I didn’t want anyone to intrude on the private world Dixon and I were in. So I hoped I had something in my fridge and cabinets to nibble on.
“Hey. Where you going?” The mumbled words came from under the pillow. A hand clasped over my arm as I made to get out of the bed.
“Just a little sustenance. A girl might need her salad, but after all that activity, it’s time for a re-fuel.” I dipped down and pushed the pillow off his face to place a kiss on his cheek. “Be right back. You need a water?”
By the time I got to the doorway, Dixon was propped up on one arm, a little blurry-eyed but a smile on his face. “Sure. But be quick. I might get lost and lonely in this big bed all by myself.”
I laughed on my way to the kitchenette. I would hurry...not because he’d get lost and lonely, but because I didn’t want to be apart from him. I found a couple of bottles of water in the fridge, and some cheese. I had some grapes, too, and then scrambled to find some crackers. I put the little snack plate on a tray, with enough room for the bottled waters.
When I got to the bedroom, I paused, taking in the sight before me. Like the first morning I’d seen him sleeping on the couch, the six-pack abs had my mouth watering. Now from firsthand knowledge, not just dreaming. My cheeks heated at the thought of feeling that rock-hard body at my fingertips, and I moved quicker, getting back to where I wanted to be.
“Hey, sugar bear. What did you find on your foraging expedition?” He took the water bottle, twisted the top off, and took a large gulp. “Man, that hits the spot. Although...” His grin grew. “I could think of another spot or two I’d like to hit.” He lifted the tray from my hands and put it on the floor on his side of the bed. Then he reached for my hands and pulled me on top of him.
I was captured in his gaze. The blue shifted from a brighter shade to something darker, and his teasing morphed into a scorching heat. “Oh yeah?” My breath puffed between us. “Does X mark the spot?” I danced my fingers on that old scar he glossed over our first night. “Dixon, what happened here? More Cub Scout misadventures?”
I could feel him withdraw even before his hands left my body.