by Vivian Wood
Meredith had agonized over what to wear, finally deciding upon a violet minidress and nude heels. At first she'd worried it was overly revealing, but it covered more than the blue dress she'd been wearing at the masquerade party, so she decided to just go with it.
When they reached the club, Meredith felt completely at ease for the first time since she'd started this assignment.
For a moment, it was easy to pretend like this was just another night in the city and she was partying with Lily.
She dragged Ava over to the bar. After a few shots of vodka, Meredith was feeling good and more than ready to dance. When a stranger pressed up against her from behind, she went with the flow, grinding seductively on him.
She spun around, wanting to see who she was dancing with, and she felt like someone had thrown a glass of water in her face when she saw none other than Mason.
She pulled him away from the dance floor, back toward the bar. Mason was the last person she'd expected to see.
“Meredith, relax,” Mason said as they found some seats. She frowned.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Mason watched her intently.
“What would you do if I said I followed you here?” he asked, deadly serious.
“Wha– I don’t– Why–“ she mumbled, unable to compose a proper sentence.
Mason laughed, and she blushed furiously. She should have known he wasn't serious.
“I’m just kidding. I was here a couple of days ago for a business meeting. And well… here I am,” he said mischievously, studying her figure, his eyes full of admiration – and lust.
“Fine,” she answered back, rolling her eyes when she felt his gaze landing on her cleavage. “My colleagues are waiting for me,” she added.
“They’ll be fine,” Mason said, gripping her wrist when she rose from her seat. It wasn’t tight, but it was enough to stop her.
She shot him a dirty look, but he was undeterred. Scowling, she jerked out of his grasp and settled back into her seat. She suspected he was up to something, but she wasn't sure what.
“What are you really doing here? Spill it, Mason,” she commanded.
He smiled faintly.
“Fine. I surrender. You win,” he said.
Instead of saying anything, Meredith merely crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him warily.
“I've decided. We're going to get married. And so I'm here to make sure you're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with,” he stated confidently.
He'd decided? As if her own feelings weren't a factor at all? She didn't know whether to laugh or feel insulted.
“Are you drunk?” she asked in disbelief.
“Of course not!” he snapped. But despite the dim lighting, she could tell he was blushing.
Meredith giggled, realizing he was serious.
“I know I don’t sound like the Mason McGuire you know, okay? But I’m serious. I’ve dated a lot of girls–“
“Fucked,” she interrupted, correcting his choice of word.
“Whatever,” he answered, rolling his eyes. “But that’s not the point. We’re talking about marriage here, Mer. I don’t want to get married with someone just for business.”
“Oh, we actually agree on something for once,” she said sarcastically.
“I just… you know,” he grumbled.
“What?”
“I want to fall in love, too.”
That simple confession was enough to make her burst into laughter. She wasn't sure why it was so hilarious. Maybe because it was Mason who said it. She'd never expected to have this kind of conversation with him.
“Stop laughing,” he said, evidently annoyed.
“Did you come all the way here just to tell me that?” she asked, eyes wide as the thought occurred to her. “I'm sorry for laughing, but you have to admit it's hilarious. You, talking about falling in love?”
“I came here to tell you that I don’t have any plans to marry you,” he stated angrily.
Meredith smiled. That was the best news she'd heard in a long time.
With that settled, they spent some time catching up in between doing shots. Sure, there was zero romantic attraction between them, but they'd known each other since they were teenagers, and they had plenty in common otherwise. Mason confessed that he was still unsure of his path in life beyond inheriting his family's company, which made her feel better about her own situation. At least she was striving toward the life she really wanted.
“Come on, let's have some fun!” Mason said, leading her back out onto the dance floor.
It was almost midnight.
Meredith danced like there was no tomorrow. But she wished Elijah were keeping her company instead.
Who am I kidding? He’s not going to show up. He doesn’t have time to have a little fun, she thought.
Her heart sank a little.
Even now, Elijah was the only person she wanted to dance with.
But it looked as though it would merely remain just one of her fantasies.
Chapter Seventeen
Meredith marched into the hotel lobby, swaying unsteadily on her feet. She'd left the club after she realized she wasn't really enjoying it anymore. She couldn't stop obsessing over Elijah, and her colleagues had been nowhere to be found. Maybe they'd all found people to hook up with, unlike her.
Good for them, she thought, pressing the button for the elevator.
Her dress might have been skimpy, but she felt flushed, almost feverish. Taking a cold shower was definitely in order once she got back to her room. Her lip curled with disdain when she realized that even a cold shower probably wouldn't drive the thoughts of Elijah from her mind. Pathetic.
She got off the elevator when it reached her floor. Just as she passed by Elijah's room, she saw him approach. He was in gym clothes, and he looked like he'd just come back from working out.
She swallowed hard, then licked her lips.
She thought she’d give anything just to lick that sweat off his body as her eyes traveled to his arms, down to his strong legs, then to the bulge in between his legs. Damn! Once again, the alcohol had made her bold.
“Hi!” she greeted, hoping she didn't look like a hot mess.
“Meredith,” he uttered sensuously, looking her up and down.
“I was waiting for you tonight, didn’t you know?” she blurted suddenly. It wasn't a complete lie, considering how she'd kept obsessively checking for him at the club.
“What?” Elijah said, surprised.
“I was waiting for you,” she repeated, this time more flirtatiously. She nibbled his earlobe and closed her eyes when she realized she liked the salty taste of his sweat.
She smiled when she felt him shudder, and his muscles tensed when she squirmed against his strong body.
“Why?” he asked, his hands moving to her waist.
“Because I missed you?” she answered mischievously in his ear.
Elijah pushed her away abruptly.
“Come on, I'll walk you to your room. You need to get some rest. You're drunk,” he said angrily.
“No!” she said stubbornly.
“What are you doing?” he hissed when she started planting tiny kisses on his neck.
God, she would never have had the courage to make a move if she was sober.
Elijah looked around, afraid that people might see them. After a moment though, he opened the door to his room, bringing Meredith inside with him.
When she heard the door click shut behind them, she kissed him on the lips without warning.
Not knowing what she was doing, she pulled him closer.
“Mmmm…” she moaned when his hands found her breasts, releasing them from the restraints of the tight dress, cupping them hard.
Meredith didn't know if she was seducing him, or the other way around. But she decided she didn't care. She was powerless to resist him.
She'd wanted him ever since the first time they met.
Her body ached for
him.
Elijah was the only man who'd ever made her feel this way.
He scooped her up and laid her on the bed. She realized her dress was on the floor.
She shivered in embarrassment and excitement. This was the first time someone had stripped her of her clothes.
The first time someone had seen her in just her underwear.
Meredith shyly covered herself up with the comforter as Elijah stood in front of her, slowly removing his clothes.
Just as she had suspected, Elijah looked like an underwear model. Tanned and muscular, he looked even better in person than she could have ever imagined.
She gulped as her attention was focused on the heavy bulge under his boxers.
He knelt down to finally remove his remaining garment. All she could do was stare at his fullness. She cursed quietly and swallowed hard when she saw his glorious erection.
He was beautiful.
Meredith had never seen anything like it before. His cock was long, thick and big.
He looked at her with hooded eyes, kneeling down at the foot of the bed, pulling her close to its edge. He removed the tiny scrap of lace covering her private area with just his mouth, making her gasp when his breath touched her inner thighs.
And she found herself wetting her dry lips with her tongue while she watched him. Without warning, Elijah parted her legs wide open and stared at her hole, making her blush crazily.
She was wet.
It was her first time. And having someone watching her closely like that, was beyond all the embarrassment she had experienced before.
“Fuck!” he cursed in between her legs. She closed her eyes when the tip of his tongue slid along her entrance.
Meredith groaned with pleasure when she felt his finger slide inside her. She was so wet that it slid in easily. He felt so damn good.
But she wanted more.
As if reading her mind, Elijah started rubbing his tongue against her clit, and she shuddered in ecstasy. The feeling he was giving her was new, and it was driving her insane. When he inserted another finger, she heard herself squeaking in pleasure as he continued licking her pussy.
She was dripping, and more than ready for him to satisfy her needs. She thought she was losing her mind. How could she not? His touch was taking her higher and higher. She felt like she was floating on air.
Her fingers ran through his hair, pulling him closer.
“Please,” she begged.
“Yes?”
“Just fucking do it,” she spoke while panting heavily.
Her eyes widened when Elijah stroked his cock a few times before lining himself up in between her legs. She felt a bit scared. She'd heard the first time was painful, and she was worried he was too big for her.
“Please be gentle,” she murmured, biting his bottom lip.
“I thought you wanted me to fuck you?” he said with a smirk.
“It’s…” she whimpered in pleasure as his hands squeezed her breasts, “ It’s my first time,” she said.
Meredith wished she hadn't said anything when Elijah froze. Without a word he climbed off the bed, moving to pick her dress up off the floor.
“Get dressed,” he said.
“What?” She was confused. She wanted him, and she knew he wanted her. They'd finally been about to fuck. And now he was telling her to get dressed?
“Get dressed and go back to your room,” he said patiently, although his tone was icy.
“Seriously?” she grumbled in disbelief, picking up her dress and underwear, feeling mortified more than ever.
She'd been more than ready to lose her virginity to him. And here he was, kicking her out. She felt insulted.
“Let’s not talk about this. See yourself out,” he said without looking at her.
With that, Elijah locked himself in the bathroom, leaving her speechless. She was mad.
Mad as hell.
She must have been out of her mind to think she’d lose her virginity with him.
No way!
Chapter Eighteen
After checking in to their hotel in Texas, Eli immediately headed for a meeting with his speechwriters. But as much as he wanted to focus, his mind constantly wandered to thoughts of Meredith. Mostly of the moment they'd shared in his hotel room.
He'd never imagined she was still a virgin.
And he hadn't expected her to be willing to give it up to him.
Part of him was flattered. But a larger part, for some reason, was scared. Touching her would mean he'd have to take responsibility for whatever happened next. And he wasn't sure he was ready for something like that.
But damn! A woman in her twenties, still a virgin? Dude, that’s rare, he thought, making him shake his head.
Meredith herself was rare. He must have been out of his mind for turning her down.
But if he'd had sex with her that night, it would have been his first time taking a woman's virginity. He'd never slept with a virgin before. He wondered what it would be like.
Just the idea of how incredibly tight she must be started to make his dick hard.
Fuck.
“Are you okay?” Lea asked, looking concerned. She was his head speechwriter.
“Yeah,” he answered, wiping away cold beads of sweat from his forehead.
“You can leave everything to us, Elijah. Don’t worry too much. Get some rest. You’re looking a bit pale,” Lea said, looking worried.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yep! I'll call you if we need anything,” she answered. He shot her a grateful smile.
Relieved, he headed back to his room, fully intending to get some sleep. Everything had been so hectic lately, and he'd been getting less sleep than normal.
But when he passed by Meredith's room, he was knocking on her door before he could reconsider what a terrible idea this was. He just wanted to see her face. When the door swung open moments later, he found himself stunned into silence.
Meredith was wearing a pink tank top and denim shorts. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and she looked like she'd just finished drying her hair. Even like this, he found her incredibly beautiful.
“Hi,” he said stiffly, feeling awkward.
They hadn't talked since that night – he'd suspected she'd been avoiding him. He felt like a giant asshole for the way he'd treated her.
“Hi,” she answered, lowering her head as her cheeks grew tomato red.
“Do you want to get something to eat?” he asked, thinking he could have done better than that.
She blinked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said hesitantly.
“Relax. Everyone will come with us. It'll be a group outing,” he responded, disappointed by this turn of events. He hadn't really thought this through at all. And of course he wanted to be alone with her. But he didn't have a choice.
Being seen alone together would only prompt rumors.
“Fine,” she said, then shut the door in his face. Well, at least she'd agreed, so that was something at least.
Heading down to the hotel lobby, Elijah called Sosie and instructed her to make the necessary arrangements. Sosie sounded irritated, but did as he asked.
It didn't take long before everyone was gathered in the lobby. Meredith was now wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt, but she still looked stunning as usual. Sosie was running late, and texted him to say to go ahead without her, but to save her a seat next to him.
The only place able to accommodate their group on such short notice was more casual than he'd had in mind, serving mostly fried foods and cheap beer. No one seemed to mind though, and Eli was more than happy to sit next to Meredith.
When the food was served, he thought Meredith would politely decline. But to his surprise, she was one of the first to dig in.
“Sorry I'm late you guys,” he heard Sosie say behind him. “I had some things to wrap up,” she added, trying to pull up a chair between him and Meredith.
It didn't escape Eli's notice w
hen Sosie grimaced after seeing the assortment of fried foods on the table. Like Meredith, Sosie came from an obscenely wealthy family. But she was acting like she'd rather drop dead than eat any of this food.
“I never thought you'd like this kind of food, Miss Fields,” Sosie said in a loud voice, drawing everyone's attention to Meredith.
“Oh? How come?” Meredith asked cautiously.
“Because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth,” Sosie said, and everyone stopped to stare. “I just assumed you only ate foods prepared by your own personal chef.”
Meredith blushed furiously. She looked flustered and humiliated. She'd been working hard to keep a low profile from the start. He knew she never mentioned her family or anything about her background if she could help it.
“Of course not,” Meredith answered cheerfully, putting a smile on her face, but he could tell it was forced.
“Really?”
“How rich?”
“How come you never mentioned anything?”
“Tell us about it!”
Everyone flooded Meredith with questions. As expected, Sosie appeared to be the only one enjoying this. It looked like a deliberate attempt to put Meredith on edge.
“Come on everyone, let's talk about something else. Meredith's personal life is her own business,” he said.
He didn't like the way Sosie was acting. And he especially didn't like it when he saw tears in Meredith's eyes.
Everyone resumed eating and soon things reverted back to the relaxed atmosphere they'd been enjoying before Sosie had joined them.
Eli was distracted when Sosie clapped her hands, gathering the attention of the crowd once more. She looked happy, but waited until the table was silent before she spoke.
“I’ve got good news!” she exclaimed.
He didn't know what she was about to say, but he had a feeling it wasn't anything truly important. But Sosie loved making a big deal out of everything.
“What is it?” Ava asked.
“Eli's leading the polls! Isn't it great?” she said, throwing her arms around him as everyone clapped.