“You’re staring at him again, Lucy. It’s cute, but it’s not going to cut it. You did agree to let me have this dance, right?”
“Right…”
“Or did you change your mind?” Lucy shook her head, grabbed at Chris’ hand she’d dropped, and pulled him to the dance floor.
“Do your worst,” she almost commanded him.
“You got it.”
Chris’ eyes gleamed wickedly as he picked her up under her arms, in a straight lift above his head. He lowered her, gripping the back of her thighs, adding just enough pressure to urge them to spread, lifting her again as her legs straddled his waist. His hand cupped her ass as they turned and moved to the music. Rather than feel awkward, Lucy was enjoying herself.
“I think we got his attention.” Before she could respond, he placed her back onto her feet and whipped her out for a turn. The world spun, but she found Jenson watching her. His blue eyes were icy as they flicked to Chris before raking over Lucy’s body. He didn’t look angry. He seemed to be grinning, as if he was enjoying the game.
With his eyes locked on Lucy’s, he pulled his partner flush against the front of his body. The redhead began to grind on the knee he’d placed between her legs. Jenson bent and dipped her to the floor, her long hair touching the ground behind her.
“Looks like we have a challenger,” Chris muttered as he tugged her back against his chest, looping her arms around his neck, and his hands rested on her hips.
“You know, considering you’re a firefighter, you make a damn good dancer,” Lucy told him, making him smile.
“Elliot may have taught me a few moves in preparation for tonight.” He winked at her as they continued to sway together, the show for Jenson’s benefit seemingly over.
Lucy knew she could put an end to this crazy showdown if she wanted. All she needed to do was to let go and be eliminated from the game, but she was having too much fun. Feeling Jenson’s eyes on her, knowing they couldn’t touch in public, was addictive. She continued to sway against Chris, feeling each beat of the music, each pulse thrumming through her body. The end of the song arrived, and with a final flourish, she was swept away into someone else’s arms.
“I don’t know who this other guy is, but I owe you for the dirt incident.”
She couldn’t help it; Lucy let out a loud laugh as Devon dropped her into a low dip, similar to the one Jenson did with the redhead. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol affecting her or not, but as she and Devon moved together, Lucy realized she was having the time of her life. She spun around and grinded her ass against Devon’s thighs and spotted Jenson again. He was dancing with a blonde, but he was barely paying any attention to her.
Instead, his blue eyes were focused only on Lucy, eating up her every move. Her gaze locked with Jenson’s as she wrapped her arms around Devon’s neck and hooked her leg on his hip. He caught it and dipped her once again, making her grin.
Once again, she was sent spinning into the crowd as the music changed. Time to find a new partner. A warm hand gripped at hers, pulling her into a dark shadow behind the bar. Jenson’s voice rasped across the back of her neck, low and rough.
“If we don’t leave soon, there’s going to be a fight.”
“Oh yeah? With who?” She remained facing away from him, basking in the feel of his body pressed up against her back and his arms wrapped around her waist. She felt desired and it made her shiver.
“Whoever touches you next.”
Lucy twisted around to look up into his face, expecting to see jealousy in his expression, or maybe a little excitement. Instead, what she saw was admiration; a deep appreciation of Lucy and her exploits. Of her. She wanted him to look at her like that for all of eternity.
“Let’s go to your room, Jenson.” Her voice was low and husky. She was turned on and needed him to know.
“As you wish.”
He left the party first, but not before he pressed a keycard discreetly into Lucy’s palm.
Lucy saw Megan in Elliot’s arms, twirling across the dance floor. They were so wrapped up in one another, Lucy knew she wasn’t going to be missed. She headed over to the cocktail table to gather her purse.
“I take it we won then?” Chris grinned at her.
“Decisively.” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek to thank him.
“Glad to hear our efforts weren’t wasted.” He toasted the remainder of his drink at her and winked. “Have a good night. Try not to miss the rehearsal tomorrow.”
Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed, making her way into the hotel, feeling Chris’ eyes on her back.
The elevator doors opened with a hiss on the tenth floor. Jenson’s room was at the end of the hallway, and each step closer she took caused her heart to pound ever faster and an ache to throb deliciously between her legs. Arriving at his door, she was unsure whether to knock or use the keycard he slipped her. Making the decision before anyone could spot her, she swiped the card and entered the pitch-black room.
“Jenson?” She spoke softly in the dark.
The door shut behind her as strong arms wrapped around her waist, hands resting on her stomach.
“I’ve been waiting.” His voice was deep and breathy in her ear. He spun her around to face him, placing his hands under her thighs and lifting her off the ground. Without hesitation, she wrapped her legs around his lean waist.
“You’ve had a little to drink,” he commented between soft kisses to her lips.
“I’ve had a lot to drink. What are you going to do about it?”
“Well, I want to make sure that you never wrap these…” He squeezed her legs, the fingertips on one hand teasing the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. “…around another man ever again.”
Lucy felt him walking until he put her down onto the edge of the soft bed. Standing in front of her, between her legs, Jenson reached behind her to begin undoing her dress. His fingers grazed softly along her collarbone, slowly dragging the straps from her shoulders. Despite his stiff arousal pressing against her, he undressed her slowly, patiently, as if she were a gift to be savored.
It wasn’t long before her top half was bare, her dress pooled around her waist. He lowered his lips to the pulse point just under her jawline. Lucy arched her neck to give him better access.
“I missed you.” The whisper traveled across her skin, causing it to prickle in complete awareness of the heavy body trapping her. Her head spun from the close contact. His scent was driving her crazy, and she needed him so much. She wanted him to feel the way he made her feel. Pulling his face up so their eyes could meet, she dug the heels of her feet into his ass, forcing him to grind into her.
The moan that escaped him was animalistic as he crushed their bodies together and they fell back onto the bed, his hips senselessly thrusting against hers. Lucy was extremely aware of the layers of clothing still separating their bodies. As if reading her thoughts, Jenson reached down between them to free himself from the confines of his dress pants. His other hand pushed aside the thin fabric of Lucy’s thong, fingers stroking her slick center.
“Now. Now. Now,” she demanded as she grinded against him even more. He pulled away for a moment to pull on a condom, picking up one from the bedside unit.
“Ready?” Lucy pulled away from him slightly, throwing him a look that clearly questioned his sanity in the moment, making him throw his head back in laughter. “Just checking, because-” His hot, heavy weight pressed in a single thrust.
His breath stuttered in her ear, and Lucy could feel his body tremble as he struggled to control himself.
“Need you. Fast.” She moved against him, leveraging herself with her legs to feel the delicious pull and plunge as he moved deep inside her. Jenson groaned and swore. One hand gripped her hip while the other braced against the mattress beneath them.
“Shit, you’re perfect. So fucking perfect.” His hips began to pump, growing in speed and depth. Lucy slammed her eyes shut as the sudden climax ripped into her. She couldn’t stop her
self screaming out his name as her body clenched tightly around Jenson.
“Shit, Lucy…”
Jenson slowed his pace, but not the intensity of his thrusts, as he hooked one of her legs over his arm and changed his angle slightly, deeper and deeper, prolonging Lucy’s orgasm. Sighing, she could feel herself beginning to come down from her high. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips as she felt him moving inside her, faster, overloading her sensitive nerve endings. His voice was like midnight velvet as he held his mouth over her ear.
“Just one more, Lucy.”
Sweet, hard, and demanding, he coaxed her body back into a blazing inferno, sweat beading on his forehead as he kissed her desperately. Their teeth clashed as he pulled away to draw in a ragged breath. “I can’t hold off… I need…”
His steady pace broke as his hips slammed into her to tip her over the edge once more. Despite being in sensory overload, when Lucy looked up at his face, the undisguised look of utter devotion brought her undone again.
Jenson groaned as Lucy shuddered beneath him, the force of her second climax in a matter of minutes drawing out his. He pulled out and discarded the condom in the wastebasket. He also grabbed another before lying back down and wrapping his arms around her.
“Don’t leave yet. You don’t want to get caught.” He pulled her tight against his chest, placing a kiss against her sweaty forehead.
“Caught?” she asked, her head scrambling to keep up with him.
“The party’s not going to go on all night, and my ‘neighbors’ are out there still.”
Lucy realized what he was saying and panic flooded through her. He pushed against her once more, sending a jolt of heat through her body. She grinned as she wriggled out from under him, pushed him onto his back, and straddled him.
* * *
Lucy woke the following morning with her head nestled against Jenson’s throat. As she lay wrapped in his arms, she couldn’t help but think about their possible future. Snapping herself out of her daydream, she realized she needed to get back to her own room and get ready; the rehearsal was happening soon and she didn’t want to turn up in the dress she wore to the party. As it was still early, she slipped into the bathroom to take a shower.
The hot water felt amazing against the delicious aches in her body. She mentally worked out that she had at least two hours before anyone needed to go looking for her for the rehearsal, so she knew she could take her time. She found the shampoo and washed her hair, combing out any tangles with her fingers.
As she washed herself, she thought about what had happened between her and Jenson on the other side of the door and how it was more than sex and passion. She realized it was about needing, trusting, and cherishing one another. She’d never felt anything like it before.
She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself up in a huge towel. She opened the door to go back into Jenson’s room and found Megan walking into the room.
“What the hell? Lucy?” Megan stared at her, clearly shocked to see her best friend, who had continuously maintained she hated Jenson, coming out of her brother’s bathroom. Megan looked around the room, and Lucy could just imagine what was going through her mind as she took in their clothes that were strewn across the floor. “Seriously, what the hell?”
“Megan, I can explain…” But she realized she didn’t need to. The proof was all around them.
Megan’s face crumpled with betrayal, squeezing her eyes closed. She shook her head with disbelief. “How could you do this? You of all people.” Megan backed away from Lucy until her body hit the wall behind her. Turning, she ran from the room without looking at either of them.
“Why was she here? Who told her? Was it Chris?”
Jenson shook his head sadly as he pulled on some grey sweatpants.
“I needed to speak to her, I just didn’t expect her to come straight to my room. Dad called this morning. He isn’t coming.”
“Oh, no. No, no, no…” Lucy’s heart broke for her best friend finding out that her dad was possibly cheating on her mom, and when she needed to speak to her brother… she found her best friend. “I’m going to speak to her. I need to speak to her.”
“Lucy, don’t Give her a minute.”
“We shouldn’t have been so reckless. I shouldn’t have-” Jenson approached her, wrapping his arms around her, cocooning her. She buried her face into his chest as tears threatened to choke her. “You were right. I should have told her the moment we arrived.”
He said nothing, just stroked her hair for a moment. “My mom is down in the lobby. She’s a mess.”
Lucy looked up into his eyes, seeing hurt and concern in them. “Will you be okay without me?”
“Go. I’ll catch up with you at the rehearsal.” He traced his finger over her lips and leaned in close, his mouth hovering over hers. “It’ll be okay.”
Lucy wasn’t sure whether he was trying to reassure her or himself. She gave his chest a gentle shove and reluctantly stepped out of his arms.
“I’m going to get ready for the rehearsal. Go find Megan.”
“Okay.”
He hesitated, almost as if wanting to say more but after a moment, he turned and retreated into the bathroom. As the shower started, Lucy got dressed and gathered her things before slipping into the hallway.
It was still early enough that almost every door showed a ‘do not disturb’ sign as Lucy walked along the hallway once she got off the elevator. She stopped in front of Megan’s door, seeing the same sign. Ignoring it, Lucy knocked twice before resting her palm on the cool surface of the door. There was no answer. She knocked again. Nothing.
Hoping she could get a chance to speak to Megan before the rehearsal, Lucy turned away. She needed her best friend to understand that Jenson wasn’t just a fling. He was the man she’d wanted for most of her life. He wasn’t just a rebound she was trying to get over Matthew with. He was the man she was falling in love with; she was in love with. Despite everything she had said when they were younger.
Several hours passed by without a word from either Jenson or Megan, and Lucy got ready for the rehearsal alone. She entered the hotel ballroom, spotting Mark, Devon, and the rest of the wedding party with anxious looks on their faces. Tucked away in the corner, Lucy saw Megan and Mrs. Phillips sat close, tears streaming down their faces.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Chris asked her.
“Yeah… It’s Megan’s dad.” Lucy wasn’t sure how much to actually say.
“He was supposed to be here today. What the hell kind of father does this?” Devon’s voice was angry as only a family member could be.
“Oh, I see Jenson on the phone. Maybe he’s talking to him.”
“Is he still in California, or is he here in Boston somewhere?”
The door behind them opened and everyone silenced their low chatter. Hoping Mr. Phillips had changed his mind, Lucy turned. The person at the door was not Megan’s father.
“Surprise! I made it.” Matthew called out to her. “Lucy? Why don’t you look happy to see me?”
Matthew approached Lucy, clueless to the silence and tension in the room – as always. With a bright smile, he kissed her on the cheek, snapping her out of her shock.
“What are you doing here?”
“I left work for you. I thought you’d be happy.” Disappointment laced his voice.
“Didn’t you get my text?”
“What text?” Matthew looked genuinely confused.
“You can’t be fucking serious.” Jenson spoke loudly. Lucy’s heart stuttered to a stop as she whirled around in time to see him stalking from the room. The rest of the guests watched her and Matthew in silence. Megan’s family, her friends, and Elliot.
“Lucy, what’s going on?” Matthew asked.
Lucy knew she’d sent the text. She’d sent it right after he’d hung up on her after telling her he wouldn’t be at the wedding. Jenson was right there… then she fell into the pool.
Oh, God! Lucy realized
the text mustn’t have gone through before her phone fried in the water; Matthew really didn’t get her text. He had no idea that she’d broken up with him. She had no idea what to do. Although she’d ended things with him, she didn’t want to hurt him. No wonder he looked so confused by her reaction to his arrival. If he didn’t get her text, none of this was fair on him, least of all her sleeping with Jenson. The entire situation was a mess and she didn’t know what to do.
More than anything, she wanted to leave Matthew’s side and go after Jenson, tell him that he was the one she wanted, the one she needed. Clear up any misunderstanding between them. Her stomach lurched as she remembered the look of angry betrayal on Jenson’s face.
“Matthew, stay here. I need a few minutes.”
“Lucy? Lucy!” he called after her as she raced across the ballroom, her heels loud against the hard floor. She reached the exit Jenson left via, trying to ignore the murmurs of disapproval following her footsteps.
Lucy found herself in a hallway that led back to the hotel’s lobby. She couldn’t see him. Where could he have gone? She headed outside, her heart pounding as she frantically searched for Jenson. There was no sign of him. Maybe he went up to his room.
The elevator was painfully slow as it made the ascent, but finally she spilled out onto the tenth floor. The hallway wasn’t empty; cleaning staff bustled through open doors, tidying the vacant rooms. Dodging around their carts, Lucy finally arrived at Jenson’s closed door. Wishing she’d kept hold of his room key, she called out.
“Jenson, I know you’re in there. I need to talk to you.” Silence greeted her words. “I don’t know why Matthew is here, but it makes no difference to me. It makes no difference to us! I want to be with you. You’re the one who makes me feel. I finally found what I’ve been waiting for my entire life, you, and I can’t lose you now.” She pounded her fist on the door. “Please… Jenson…”
The door swung open and Lucy didn’t fight the smile growing on her face, only to find a pair of confused hotel maids.
“Oh… I’m sorry. I thought… uh, never mind.” She retreated away from the door, her face burning. Maybe she should deal with Matthew before trying to speak to Jenson. Get everything clear in her head.
Her Best Friend’s Brother Page 17