by KaLyn Cooper
He broke the kiss but didn’t stop his thumbs from finding her nipples. “I’ve wanted to kiss you like that since we left the restaurant.” He shook his head. “No, that’s a lie. I’ve wanted you since I picked you up at the condo and first saw you tonight. Have I told you how beautiful you look this evening?”
He ran a hand over the hair she had pulled back off her face.
Her body shuddered in response. The gentleness of this big man continually surprised her.
He cupped her cheek and touched his lips gently to hers as he massaged her breast. “How do you feel about getting some dessert, now?”
Cutting through the lust fog in her brain, she finally deciphered his question. At least she thought she had. “I…I…could go for some dessert.” She managed to smile. “Especially if it’s chocolate.”
“How do you feel about room service?” His husky voice shook something loose inside her.
She remembered Katlin’s words or at least the gist of them. Allowing herself to have one night of fun in bed with this wonderful man wouldn’t hurt anything.
“I like room service.” Her words were just above a whisper.
Griffin yanked her body against his then he settled in for a long slow kiss. He nipped at her bottom lip. “I have a room waiting for us at the Willard Hotel. It’s only a couple blocks from here.”
Breathlessly, she repeated, “The Willard. Okay.”
They reached the sidewalk next to the street just as an available cab cruised slowly down Constitution Avenue. Griffin wasted no time in hailing the car. She didn’t remember the ride, only his lips and hands on her body.
Ten minutes later they walked into the opulent hotel, hand-in-hand.
Chapter 8
Griffin’s lust blinded him to the beauty of the centuries-old hotel. He was focused on one thing. Getting Grace into a bed. Naked. Now. He wanted to sprint to the check-in counter, throw down his credit card, and be done with the necessities.
But she had taken three steps inside and stopped.
“Oh my word. This place is gorgeous.” Her head rotated right to left, slowly, then she looked up and gasped. “This looks like a palace.” She giggled. “No. I’ve been in palaces that aren’t this beautiful.”
“Yeah. Nice place.” He had to take her mind off the enormous lobby so he twisted in front of her to block her view and kissed her. He meant it to be short and distracting but her soft lips on his, the way her body melted into him, he hated to end the contact so it lasted much longer than he had intended. When she opened her eyes, they were filled with wanting and need.
Good. But now he had to walk the fifty foot length of this lobby with a hard on. “Come on, sweetheart. We have a room upstairs waiting for us.”
“Oh, okay.” Grace seemed a little dazed. “I’d really love to look around. Some of these antiques are hundreds of years old.”
She pointed to the round table a few feet in front of them.
At least she was headed in the right direction.
Flowers stood in a vase topping out so tall even at his six-feet four inches he couldn’t see over it. He hoped it blocked the bellman’s view of his cock pressing into his zipper.
Grace walked up and ran her fingertips over the table. “Look at the intricate design of the inlaid maple. Each of those tiny pieces of wood had to be carved by hand. The craftsmanship is amazing especially given the tools of their time.”
“Very nice.” The benign conversation was doing wonders for talking down his erection. He finally glanced at the table. “My grandparents have several of these.” He pointed to a half round cabinet against the wall. “They have a couple of those, too, in the hallway upstairs near my bedroom. Grams puts flowers on it, too.”
She swiveled her head to look at him. “You have a bedroom at your grandparents’ house?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. I used to stay with them a lot.” He glanced about the lobby at the groupings of Victorian furniture separated from the traffic path by marble columns so large it would take both him and Alex to reach around. “Their home is filled with seventeenth-century antiques, including the big four-poster bed in my room.”
Grace spun to face him and grabbed his biceps. His hands automatically dropped to her waist. Holding her like that felt natural, right. “You have an antique four-poster bed? I’ve always wanted one. Is it the kind where you can attach a canopy?”
He ignored the last question. “I’ll be happy to share my bed with you anytime you’re ready.” He leaned down until his lips almost met hers. “How about now?”
She closed the short distance and kissed him. It was as though her need passed into him, joining with his, and like throwing gasoline on a fire his desire burst. He took control of the kiss, tightening his arms around her. They were going to burn up the sheets.
She broke the kiss all too soon.
When she smiled, the part of him he hadn’t known was empty suddenly filled with joy. At that moment, he realized Grace was not going to be a one night stand. His need for her went beyond the physical, although he wanted to satisfy that prerequisite immediately.
“Let’s go check in,” she suggested with a sweet smile. Then her grin turned feral. “I’m starving for some chocolate.” She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “I want to smear it on your body and lick it off.”
Grabbing her hand he shot toward the patiently waiting manager behind the desk. If he didn’t get this woman naked and under him right now, he was going to erupt in his pants. Thank God for cell phones, Internet, and hotel points. Using his elite status with that chain, he was able to get a room, and a late check-in, at half the usual six-hundred-dollar per night price. The money didn’t matter. He would pay any amount to have this night with Grace.
“Welcome to the Willard, Mr. Mitchell. It’s my pleasure to meet you. I hope all is well with your father and your grandfather. We miss them here in Washington.” The manager’s familiarity with his family spoke volumes. On the other hand, the Willard was one of the more popular venues for events involving the Congress. Of course his father and grandfather had been there.
Then the disgusting thought shot through his mind. His father may have had affairs in that same hotel. He glanced over at Grace, who was dragging her fingertips over the ornately carved check-in desk that had obviously stood there for centuries.
No. Grace was not a one night stand. She would never be a fuck ’em and leave ’em woman. He’d had plenty of those in his lifetime and could easily see the difference.
“I’ll tell them you asked about them.” Then he added, “Although I don’t get to see them very often.”
In that moment, he decided if things went well with Grace tonight, they’d make plans to go to Augusta. Gramps would love her. He wrapped an arm around Grace and pulled her to him, placing a kiss on the top of her head. He smiled back at the man across the desk who was just finishing their transaction. “We may need to make a trip there soon, though.”
Grace glanced up at him with those striking green eyes. “Where are we going?”
Griffin accepted the key then turned her toward the appropriate set of elevators. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “To a bedroom up on the sixth floor. Where I’m gonna make you come with my fingers. Then with my mouth. Then again while I’m deep inside you.”
She looked up at him and pouted. “But you promised me dessert.”
“Since you promised to eat the dessert off my body, there will be chocolate.” The doors to the elevator opened and they stepped in.
“Mmmm.” She purred.
He didn’t think it was possible, but he hardened even more. It was as though she had hummed with her warm wet mouth wrapped around his cock. He jerked her into his arms and crashed his mouth over hers. She immediately opened for him then slid the rough textures of her tongue over top his. He liked this aggressive side of Grace. He’d always thought of her as a follower, not a leader, but now that he was getting to know her better, he could see that she was capable of eit
her role. The next several hours were going to be interesting, to say the least.
The doors opened all too soon, demanding he release her. They made their way down the hallway, hand in hand because he had to touch her, feel her warmth melding with his palm to palm.
Griffin towed her inside the room, not bothering to do more than a cursory glance around looking for threats. Even in his aroused state, lessons learned the hard way stay learned. When he glanced down at Grace, she was peering around the side of him doing the exact same thing. Deep inside, he chuckled. Yeah, this woman was special.
He kicked the door closed and flipped the lock. When he returned his gaze to her, she was staring at the king-sized bed.
Oh, fuck. Was she having second thoughts?
He forced himself to gentle his touch as he placed two fingers under her chin and lifted it until her wary eyes met his. “Grace, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
She said nothing, but her eyes screamed hesitation.
“Let’s order dessert,” he suggested on a stroke of brilliance and strode to the phone on to the nightstand. While waiting for someone to answer, he sat down on the edge of the bed. Grace wandered the room as he discussed options with the kitchen, deciding on champagne, strawberries, warmed chocolate, and chilled whipped cream. It was the fastest dessert they could bring to them.
He hung up and called to her, “Sweetheart, come here.”
She didn’t waver and walked to stand in front of him. He had to touch her. Hold her. So he pulled her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he briefly laid his lips on hers. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve wanted you for a long time. But I would never force you to do anything. Dessert will be up in just a few minutes. After that, if you want, I’ll take you home.”
He watched the trepidation disappear from her entire body as she relaxed her shoulders and released the tension in her muscles. “If I believed you would hurt me, I never would’ve come to this room.” She gave him a warm smile. “I never would’ve gone on the date with you.”
“Thank you. Your trust is important to me.” He moved his hand up and down her back.
“Besides, if you hurt me, I’d have to kill you.” Then she added, “You’re too big for me to handle by myself, so I’d have to call in my friends to help me dispose of your body.” She poked him in the chest. He’d watched her kill before so he knew she was fully capable of following through on her threat.
Twisting the subject, he said, “There won’t be any need for killing, but hopefully there will be a little death, la petite mort.”
The confused look on her face told him she didn’t understand.
“The French call an orgasm la petite mort, which means little death.” He cupped her cheek with one hand and traced his thumb over her lips. “At least allow me to give you a little death. It doesn’t have to go any further than that.”
He leaned toward her and she met him halfway, wrapping her arms around his neck. What started as tiny kisses, escalated quickly when she took his bottom lip between her teeth. With one arm wrapped around her holding her in his lap, he used his other hand to slide up the satin of her blouse and cupped the bottom of her breast.
Even through the material and her bra, he felt her nipple harden when he circled it. “Your breasts are sensitive.” He gave the hardened tip a light pinch.
She gasped. “I never thought they were before, but I guess they are now.”
He moved to the other breast to find the nipple already stiff. As he manipulated it through the layers of cloth, he decided it wasn’t enough so he pulled her blouse out of her slacks. Her warm soft skin sent a rush of heat directly to his cock. She had to feel it pulse against her hip, but he didn’t care. She already knew he wanted her, but for once in his life, her pleasure was more important than his own.
That realization hit him like a punch to the heart. In the past, getting a woman off was just foreplay. He got her wet enough to be able to take him because he wasn’t a small man. He enjoyed all facets of sex, but the end goal was for him to get off. Always. Then he’d leave, unless there was a second round, which didn’t happen that often. His choice, not hers. Satisfied, assured she had been too, he usually wanted to get the hell out of there.
Griffin had never had a long-term relationship, nor had he ever wanted one.
In high school and college, there was no way in hell he was going to tie himself down to one woman. He had a goal and that was to get the hell out of Georgia and as far away from his family as possible. Girls never saw him, they saw his last name which in Georgia screamed power and wealth.
While in the SEALs, he was sought after because he wore trident. Base bunnies were always available to slake the physical need and he’d never asked for a repeat performance. He’d seen his fellow team members attempt and fail at marriage, so Griffin hadn’t even considered it.
Now, as the manager of Guardian Security’s Miami Center, he spent many evenings with socialites and starlets, not as their bodyguard but as their date. But none had seen Griffin Mitchell, the complex man who covertly fought for his country when he wasn’t in Miami literally protecting their homes and businesses. He didn’t know any woman who would tolerate him taking off at a call from his boss, not able to tell her where he was going or when he would be back.
Being with Grace was different on so many levels. She not only understood, but lived that life.
He kissed his way down her jaw before returning to those delicious lips. He wanted to hear her fall apart, completely surrendering to him, allowing him to catch her as she fell over that edge of ecstasy.
The smoothness of her bra matched the silk of her blouse that glided over the back of his hand as he cupped her breast. Soft and smooth, like Grace herself. Impatient to run his fingertip over her nipples, he reached around and with the flick of his fingers unhooked her bra. He shoved it up over her breasts and touched the softest skin in the world.
She drew in a ragged breath.
Griffin smiled. “Oh, yes. Very responsive.” He kissed his way down her throat and changed to the other breast.
It wasn’t enough. “I want to see you.” He grabbed the bottom of her blouse to pull it over her head.
“No. Wait.”
At her words, Griffin’s heart sank. He feared she was going to put a stop to everything. Then she reached up behind her neck.
“Let me undo the buttons first.”
Thank Christ.
She grabbed the hem and pulled it over her head taking the bra with it.
Her arms lifted in the air, still tangled in her clothing, he demanded, “Stop.” Gorgeous natural breasts were inches from his face, their pebbled nipples begging to be sucked.
He licked the left one then blew a stream of air over the stiff point and watched the areola wrinkle. Mesmerized, he stared at her firm breasts as her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Her breath was shaky when she pointed out, “The right one is feeling left out.”
“We can’t have that, can we?” He took the right breast in his mouth and the left in his hand, sucking and pulling on her nipples. She squirmed on his lap, rubbing her hip up and down his length.
What sweet, sweet torture, for both of them.
“Are you wet for me, Grace?” He reached down to unbutton and unzip her pants which was difficult one-handed. Temporarily giving up, he cupped her mound and pressed. Heat radiated through the tailored slacks.
He rubbed up and down. “Answer me, sweetheart. Are you wet?”
Almost shyly, she panted, “Yes.” She rocked her hips into his hand.
“Stand up.” As commanded, she stood in front of him. Momentarily distracted by the sway of her breasts, he cupped each one gently caressing. “You are so beautiful. I can’t keep my hands off you.” He raked his glance over her entire body. She fidgeted her hands as though she didn’t know what to do with them.
Was she more inexperienced than he thought?
Wanting to make her more comf
ortable, and the same time getting her naked, he ordered, “Unfasten your slacks.”
When she went to pull them off her hips, once again he ordered her to stop.
She froze in place.
He smiled up at her. “Let me do that.”
She gave him a small smile then dropped her hands to her sides. She started lifting them but it was as though she didn’t know where to put them. “Touch me anywhere you want. I’d like that.”
Her gaze shot to meet his, as though surprised. “Anywhere?”
“Absolutely anywhere.”
He was pleased when her hands went to the buttons of his Oxford shirt. Returning to his mission of getting her naked, he ran his hands over her rib cage, down to her small waist, and over her hips. Snagging the slacks, he caressed her bare skin, squeezing occasionally to feel the strong muscles underneath, as he ran his palms over the backs of her thighs and calves.
She had his shirt completely opened by the time he said, “Step out of your slacks.”
When she tried to step out of her pants, she tripped, losing her balance.
Griffin immediately caught her. “I’ve got you.”
A nervous giggle escaped from Grace. “I guess I’m more nervous than I thought.” Then she quickly added, “But I do want you.” She held his gaze.
“Then let’s get you out of these.” Holding her hips, he steadied her as she fought to free her foot from the pant leg. Griffin bent and slid the sandal off her foot, freeing her from the tangled clothes so she could easily step aside. Moving to her other foot, he caught the scent of her arousal.
He wanted to forget the other sandal and see if she tasted as delicious as she smelled. He forced his attention away from the contrast of black lace over creamy skin. Quickly divesting her of her other sandal and slacks, he tossed them toward the overstuffed chair in the corner.
Returning his attention to the nearly naked woman in front of him, he noticed she had obviously regained her bravado. “You are way overdressed for this party.” She untucked the tails of his shirt.