Chapter Nineteen

Being the “sober one” had its ups and downs. Charlotte’s alcohol buzz had worn off, leaving her in charge of cramming the girls in the limo and ensuring they were all safely tucked into their beds.

It’d taken twenty minutes and three upturned purses before the girls had found the key to the two-bedroom suite they were sharing. The entire time they kept telling Charlotte how glad they were they’d met and how she was such a good friend. They also doled out the kind of compliments about her outfit, hair, and makeup that inebriated girls were famous for.

Honestly, it was nice, albeit exhausting.

After helping Bridget wash up and change into clean clothes, Charlotte wrestled her into bed.

The other two she simply removed shoes and helped arrange sheets and covers.

Partway through tucking Stacy in, the bride-to-be reached up and patted Charlotte’s cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here. You’re so pretty and nice, and I’m so glad you’re here.”

Charlotte didn’t bother telling her she’d said that glad part twice. Or that she’d already told her she was pretty. “Thank you for inviting me. It was the best bachelorette party I’ve ever been to.” And it was, something she was sure would hold up even if she’d been to more than one.

“Sorry we got so drunk. Usually I’m the responsible one, and it was nice to take a night off from it. Sometimes you just have to let go and blow off some steam, you know?”

Charlotte didn’t know, but she was considering finding out. Especially since her Lance buzz was still in full effect, every part of her tingling whenever she thought about him. About that kiss and their dance.

Once she’d placed ibuprofen and bottles of water on nightstands, Charlotte went the extra mile by plugging phones into chargers and putting them on do-not-disturb mode.

With everyone settled, she crept out of their room and dug her phone out of her clutch. It’d taken much longer to get the girls situated than she’d thought it would.

She wondered how Lance and the guys had fared at the club after she and the rest of the bridal party had left. He hadn’t called or texted.

After debating her next move for a couple of seconds, she went to her hotel room.

Paced across the space a few times.

Then she decided she’d regret not at least checking if things were still as steamy between them as they had been in the club. It was more than just her body craving his; earlier today he’d been there for her in a way no one else really had.

He’d listened. He was kind. He cared if she played football with him, and more than that, if she caught a pass.

If she went to his room tonight, she was sure he would take care of her in more than one way, and that thought sealed the deal.

No more hesitation.

Except to rush into the bathroom, brush her teeth, and add an extra swipe of deodorant and spritz of perfume. She pulled her dress from her body, double-checking she had on her sexiest bra. The panties matched, too. Might as well take advantage of that, because it didn’t happen all that often.

“Taking a night off from being responsible,” she muttered as she exited her room. “Blowing off some steam. I deserve that.”

I deserve a night of amazing sex, too.

It felt a bit naughty to be sneaking down the hallway so late, and that amped her up even more.

Once she reached Lance’s room, she lifted her fist to knock.

But before she could follow through, the door swung open, and Lance nearly bumped into her as he stepped into the hallway. He caught her shoulders, double-checking she was steady, but with his hands on her, she was anything but. “I was just coming to see you,” he said.

“You were going to walk all the way down the hallway and everything?”

A devastating smile spread across his ridiculously handsome face. “For the right woman, I might walk down two hallways.”

“But then you’d miss my room, because I’m not that far, and—”

He tugged her through the open doorway, into his room. “You can never just take a compliment, can you?”

“It’s my curse to bear. That and, you know, rule-following.”

“And how are you feeling about that last one right now? If you’ve changed your mind, all you have to do is say the word. We can just sit and talk. Order room service…” His gaze ran down the length of her body, and his throat worked a swallow. “But to be clear, I really want to kiss you again. I just need to know if it’s what you want.”

“I can say with 100 percent certainty that I want you to kiss me again.” Her exhale came out shaky, equal parts nerves and excitement. “That I want to finish what we started on the dance floor.”

Lance flipped the second lock and flattened a palm by the side of her head. “Then brace yourself.” He lowered himself onto her, his large body pinning her to the door. “I’m about to violate every section of the handbook.”

For one torturous eternity he froze like that, and then his lips descended on hers. Unlike in the club, he kissed her slower this time, as if he were memorizing and savoring every nip and lick.

His hand slid up her side, grazing her hip, her breast. He plunged his other hand into her hair, fisting it and jerking her head to the side so he could kiss the column of her neck.

A whimper escaped as she arched against him, needing that friction that’d set her on fire at the club. He reached down, hooked his hand under her knee, and brought it up and over his hip. It lined her core up with his erection, and a groan rumbled deep in his throat as she rolled her hips. He peppered kisses along her collarbone, up to her jaw, across to that spot right under her ear that made her moan. Back to her lips.

She threw herself fully into the kiss, tangling her tongue with his. He growled into her mouth, sending her spiraling that much higher.

His hand skimmed up the thigh of the leg she had around him, his thumb snagging the fabric and yanking her skirt higher. She bucked against him as he skated the pad over the spot where her inner thigh met her panties.

The next stroke was over her center and tipped her toward frantic madness. She looped her arms around his neck and climbed his massive frame, wrapping both legs around his waist. He moved both hands to her butt, hefting her fully into his arms before spinning them around and carrying her toward the bedroom.

He lowered her to her feet, and when she made a noise of protest, he said, “Patience.”

“I don’t have any of that.” Proper, filtered responses had fled her brain after he’d so thoroughly kissed and groped her. The only thing left was pure unadulterated need, the kind that consumed and conquered.

“Me neither,” Lance said, his voice rough. “But I’m going to do my best to find some, because I want to take my time with you.”

Fire licked at her, twisted up her core.

“Now spin around.”

She wanted to protest again, but her tongue was too tied and there was something hot about his demand, and holy shit she was in trouble in the best possible way.

As soon as she did as instructed, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back against his chest, his erection lined up with her ass. Since he was having his fun, she pushed against it, grinning when he groaned.

Cool air swept over her as he slowly undid the zipper of her dress, closely followed by his warm breath skating across her shoulders. The combination of soft lips and rough scruff hit her skin as he tugged off one strap and then the other. His hands glided across her back as he pushed down her dress. The fabric caught on her hips and butt for a moment before he gave another jerk that sent it pooling to her still-heeled feet.

Her insecurities began to drift to the surface with so much of her on display, but they were shoved right back down when Lance swore and dragged his fingers across the waistband of her thong. Those strong fingers dug into her hips and turned her around to face him. His eyes drank her in, his pupils dilating and promising an exhilarating mix of danger and fun, and a shiver of desire racked her body.

“You. Drive me.” He kissed her again, his tongue stroking hers as his hands roved over her curves, squeezing and exploring. “Completely crazy.” Unlike the other time he’d told her as much, the words were filled with a different kind of passion, one that echoed through her.

She brushed her fingers across his jaw, finding it hard to get enough of touching his beard after thinking about it so much. “Right back at you, big guy.”

He backed her onto the edge of the bed, easing her into a sitting position, then dropped to his knees. As he slid off her shoes, all she could do was watch, completely mesmerized.

It suddenly struck her that she was now only wearing underwear while he was still sporting way too many clothes. So when he reached for the top of her tights, she playfully smacked his hand. “If I’m going to be this naked, you’ve got to shed some of your clothes before I lose what little of mine I have left.”

She scooted to the edge of the bed, her legs on either side of him, and began undoing the buttons on his shirt. Her fingers trembled a bit, her entire body so keyed up she wasn’t sure she’d ever come down again.

After the last button was undone, she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, exposing that glorious torso. He watched every movement, those blue eyes so steady on hers.

“Is this really happening?” she whispered.

He nodded. “Hell yeah.”

Him on his knees, staring at her in a way that made her feel more beautiful and sexier than she’d ever felt before? “Hell yeah,” she echoed. As she leaned forward to unbutton his pants, she kissed him again—it wasn’t something she ever thought she’d get used to.

I probably won’t have the chance, she thought and immediately batted away. Tonight was about letting loose. Later she’d worry about, well, later.

The low noise he made in the back of his throat as he sprang free spurred her on, and she cupped him over his underwear, exploring his impressive length before giving it a squeeze.

His eyes rolled back. Then he gripped her wrist, his voice coming out gruff. “My turn. I want to see how those sexy tights look piled on the floor next to my bed.”

She’d expected him to rip them off, but he moved his hands over her legs, torturously slowly like he’d done when he’d removed her dress. He kissed between the diamond strings, his lips and tongue wetting her bare skin.

“See. Naughty.” Up and up he went, and her breath lodged in her throat when he placed a hot, open-mouth kiss on her hip bone. His fingers curled into the elastic top, and she lifted her hips as he peeled off the fishnets and tossed them next to her shoes and dress.

His palms ran up the inside of her legs as he climbed over her. His lips recaptured hers, and the next thing she knew, her bra was loose. A quick tug in the center and it was all the way off, her exposed nipples peaking under the combination of cool air and his lust-filled gaze.

Under other circumstances, she might have been embarrassed about the needy noises she made as he licked and sucked her breasts, but she was too far gone to her desires to care.

Charlotte hummed as his lips moved lower, first to the top of her stomach, her navel. Lower…

Her panties joined the pile of clothes on the floor, and then his mouth was over her, his tongue circling and stroking and making her lose her grip on any thoughts besides more, there, and omigosh yes.

Right as she teetered on the blissful edge, so close she stopped breathing altogether, he added a finger, curling it deep inside her. She shattered apart, freefalling into oblivion.

And he was there to catch her, pulling her so tightly in his arms that she went ahead and let herself fall even deeper.

…

Watching Charlotte come apart, no walls in sight, flooded him with affection and desire and a dozen other emotions he couldn’t name.

“Amazing” didn’t quite cover it, but it was the closest word he had.

He lowered her back to the bed, satisfaction going through him at her swollen lips and hooded lids.

One of her hands drifted up his arms as she made an mmm noise. Her hand slid up a few more inches, cupping his neck and bringing him down on top of her.

The feel of her soft skin made him that much harder, and a second ago he would’ve said that was impossible. He reached over to the nightstand, fumbling for his wallet. First he came up with the notepad and then his hotel key.

Finally, his fingers found the leather square. He took out a condom, disposed of the wrapper, and rolled it on.

“Hurry,” she said, rubbing her thighs together. “I need you inside me now.”

If his craving for her hadn’t turned all-consuming, he might’ve told her to be patient, the way he had earlier when he was teasing her and drawing it out. But he couldn’t wait to sink himself between her legs and get even more lost in the feel of her.

Bracing himself on his elbows, he nudged her slick entrance. He covered her mouth with his, kissing her as he thrust inside.

He did his best to draw it out, but it’d been a while, and part of him still couldn’t believe he was having sex with this incredible, beautiful woman. He managed to hold on until he felt her clench around him. She cried out his name, and the second her release had finished having its way with her body, he let go and followed after her.

As soon as his breathing returned to semi-normal, he drew her to him. He kissed her bare shoulder and skimmed his fingers down her side. He knew how quickly things could change, how life could give you a great moment and take it away, so he wanted to hold on to this one as long as he could. “Stay the night with me?”

She twisted enough to look at him, those green eyes peering deep into his soul and grabbing hold of it. “Okay,” she said.

As he drifted off with her warm body against his, he took a few seconds to memorize everything about her, from her scent to her mussed hair to how perfectly she fit against him and the happy sigh sound she made when he hugged her tighter.

That way, when the bulldozer called life inevitably came calling, he could relive this moment, this night, again and again.