Chapter Fifteen

 

The elevator doors opened. It might have been easier to let his hand go and walk into the empty car, but she couldn’t, or she’d float away. The moment was like magic, she didn’t want to break the spell and let reality snatch the feeling away.

Her stomach jiggled like a whacky washing machine with an uneven load. She took a shallow breath through her nose and released a puff of air through her mouth. Then she did it again, hoping Bishop couldn’t see how nervous she was. His dark eyes smoldered with desire.

When the elevator doors closed, he pinned her in the corner. With his hands resting on her hips, he held her gaze.

“I missed you.” His voice had a way of drawing out the bad girl in her. Being responsible and sensible was highly overrated. The only thing that made any sense right now was being with him.

“Let me see how much.” She reached for his crotch. His stiff shaft expanded through the fine wool fabric of his pants and filled her hand.

“You know there are hidden cameras in here. Someone can see everything you’re doing.” He glanced up toward the ceiling.

“I don’t care. They might see something that will brighten their day.”

“I know I have.”

The bell rang as the car came to a stop. They nearly ran to his room at the end of the hall. His key card didn’t work the first time.

“Maybe if you take your hand off my butt, you could get the door unlocked.” Dakota threw her hip against his.

The second time he pulled the key through the slot slower and the green light came on. Together they tumbled inside the room. He kicked the door closed with his foot while pulling her shirt over her head.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want another fire drill. Either you’re in or you’re out.” He ran his thumb across her cheek.

“Shhh. Please don’t ask me a lot of questions. All I know is that right now I want you more than I ever wanted anything. I don’t want to overthink this moment. I just want to enjoy it.”

He pulled off his jacket and threw it on a nearby stuffed chair. “I want to grant your wish.”

She unbuttoned his shirt to expose the most exquisite six pack she’d ever seen that wasn’t on the pages of a magazine. Bishop was storybook perfect, but fairytales always came to an end. The point was to enjoy this moment, and she planned to do just that.

Every inch of him looked marvelous. She didn’t want to think about being without him. It might be foolish to keep returning to the rollercoaster, but she was hooked.

He trailed his index finger along her jaw, down her neck to her collarbone. The light touch ignited a slow burn at the base of her spine.

He gave her a peck on the lips, and then captured her mouth, drawing her tongue into a slow sexy tango. The slightly salty taste of his tongue was delicious. If there were academy awards for kissing, Bishop would receive the golden statue.

He unsnapped her jeans and wiggled them down her legs. “With these gorgeous legs, you should wear shorts up to here.” He drew a line on her upper thigh that ended between her legs.

“That might be fine for the bedroom, but not the bookstore.”

“Then I’ll just have to keep you in the bedroom.” He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He climbed between her legs and resumed the kiss.

Relishing his touch, smell, and taste, she planted kisses on his neck as she tried to absorb every inch of him. Her exhilaration from the elevator shifted into high gear. She wanted him. His rod throbbed against her leg. She caressed the warm shaft, moving her hand up the shaft as she rotated her hips.

“Tell me you have condoms in your wallet.” The deep, lusty timbre of her voice sounded foreign to her ears. A new side of her emerged whenever he came within five feet. All she needed to do was to find a way to get him to stay forever.

He smiled down at her. The intense look in his eyes wrecked her resolve. Nothing could compare to the pleasure coursing through her body in that moment. While remaining on top of her, he reached into his wallet and produced a condom. She slid from under him to help him undress. His pants hit the floor with a loud clang.

“My keys,” he said as he removed his briefs.

Dakota opened the sheath and tugged it into place. She straddled him, squatting to guide him into her. The moment he filled her, she almost uttered the three little words that would turn her world inside out. Instead, she locked her mouth over his. Maybe her tongue could convey what her mind wouldn’t allow her to say.

She drilled her hips into him until she couldn’t withhold the mounting pressure building in her veins. As she writhed above him, he released his passion, too. She was going to try to play this game for as long as her soul allowed. He was just too good to walk away from.

§§§

He held her in the crease of his arm, not quite sure what to say. One wrong word and she might scurry beyond his reach. He’d half expected her to smack him when he suggested they come to his room, instead she’d accepted. Just when he thought he knew Dakota and what she wanted, she changed direction.

Without opening her eyes, she ran her finger up and down his chest, flipping from one side of her finger to the other. He picked up her hand and placed her index finger in his mouth. The low, long moan that slipped past her lips was almost inaudible. He cupped a breast. Her nipples were the color of newly minted pennies. Her skin was soft so he lightened his touch, careful not to bruise her. Propped on one elbow, he sucked her nipple, imagining having this pleasure every day for the rest of his life. The tip hardened under the pressure of his tongue. As he moved to place kisses on her breastbone, she arched her back off the bed, pressing against him. With his palm flat against her abdomen, she grabbed his shaft and squeezed.

This was more than the casual sex he was used to. In the short time he’d known Dakota, she’d inched under his skin, invading places where no one was allowed. The last thing he needed was a real girlfriend. The first thing he wanted was Dakota. Any way she’d have him. He slipped his finger into her wet folds. The movement seemed to jerk her body involuntarily. She wrapped her leg over his and pulled him closer.

“Just a minute.” He leaned off the bed and patted the floor for his wallet. With one hand he flipped it over and extracted another sheath. Together, they rolled it on.

He gripped the headboard for support as he pushed into her. Every muscle in her lower body contracted, increasing the intensity on his manhood. He ached for her and had to harness his pent-up desire. He didn’t want to rush this moment. Making his movements slow and concentrated took every ounce of energy he could muster as she repeated his name in a raspy voice. The sound heightened his need for her. He wanted to please her, to take her to a place that would become special for them.

The throaty harmony of her voice vibrated in his ear as she tightened her legs around him. The rotation of her hips increased. “I’m coming, now, Bishop.” It sounded like a command and his body responded. The contractions of her muscles against his hardness set off an explosion that bloomed through his body, leaving him limp and spent.

He gasped for air. She panted softly beside him while staring at the ceiling. Her lips formed the most beautiful pout he’d ever seen.

“What is it? You’re nearly frowning.”

“I was thinking. I don’t believe I’m in your hotel room, in your bed. Perfectly naked.”

“I agree. You’re perfect.”

She swatted his arm. “I’m serious. You wouldn’t believe how many times I said this was not going to happen.”

“You’re not going to say this was a mistake, are you?”

“Why would I say that?” She pushed up and looked at him.

“That only happens in movies. I’m more like a puppy. Feed me and I’ll hang around forever.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I was only joking. I don’t want you to think I’m some stalker chick.” She kissed him.

“I think you’ve got me all wrong,” he said.

“Shhh. We don’t need to dissect this.” She swung her legs off the edge of the bed.

He glanced at the clock on the table beside the bed. “It’s not too late to go to the Guggenheim. We can still catch part of the exhibit.”

“Maybe some other time.” She climbed out of the bed.

The curtains were still open. It wasn’t too dark outside, but the neon lights from Time Square brightened the room. With her round rump exposed, she picked up her clothes from the floor.

“Are you leaving?”

“I think I’d better. I need to get back to the room to meet Asa.”

He jumped out of bed and pulled on his pants. “Let me ride with you upstairs.”

She held up her hand to stop him. “No. You stay here. Please.”