The crowd broke into applause as the pianist started to play the first notes of the song. “I’m going to play a Billy Joel medley, so make sure you sing all the parts.”
“Oh, shit,” Blair said under her breath. “I don’t know many Billy Joel songs.”
He leaned into her ear. “Should have thought of that before you requested him.”
The pianist started singing the first lines of the song, and Blair joined in as best she could, stumbling over the words. But instead of getting irritated, she laughed and looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him for help.
He joined in, his arm still tight around her back, and she made no move to get away.
They sang the chorus, and then the pianist moved into “Only the Good Die Young.” Blair knew this one better, and she looked up into his face from time to time as both of them sang, laughing when they both stumbled over a line. The rest of the bar had joined in by the time the song merged into “Just the Way You Are.”
Blair’s smile faded, but she continued to sing, and Garrett picked up her hand and held it to his chest. He gave her a grin, and her playfulness returned. The entire bar was singing with them now and drowning them out.
When the song ended, the crowd burst into applause and someone shouted, “You’ve gotta kiss her, man!”
“They’re right, dude,” the piano player cajoled Garrett. “Give the crowd what they want.”
Blair’s back stiffened, but she searched his eyes, and her body softened. “Well?”
He lifted his free hand to her cheek, and her eyes fluttered closed as he pressed his lips gently to hers. She leaned into him, and he fought the urge to deepen the kiss—a herculean task after the taste of her last night and considering how much he’d dreamed of doing more than this over the last week. Hell, the last several years. But Blair had never been a fan of public displays of affection, and he didn’t want to push her boundaries too far. Baby steps.
He lifted his face and searched her eyes while the crowd cheered and catcalled all around them. She smiled, her eyes lighting up. She looked happy, and his heart burst with joy at the knowledge that he’d played a part in that. His thumb brushed her cheekbone before he dropped his hand and captured hers again.
The pianist had moved on to a Keith Urban song, and the crowd’s attention moved on to someone else.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he was scared to move in case it would be just the jolt she needed to change her mind. But several minutes later, she turned and looked up at him, her eyes hooded. “Let’s go.”
He hesitated, worried that he’d gone too far and that she’d changed her mind about him. Worried that she’d run from him once they left the bar.
She got up, and he followed her out the door, ready for the debate of his life. But as soon they walked out into the summer night, she turned to him and pressed her lips to his. He froze for fear he’d ravage her in public.
When she pulled back, she looked up at him with her sexy eyes. “Take me to your hotel.”
He wondered how fast he could get there.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Blair Myers Hansen wasn’t impulsive. Every move was carefully thought out and executed. So on the surface, asking Garrett to take her to his room seemed impulsive. But she had no doubt that it was the best idea of her life.
She’d spent most of her time in the piano bar trying to talk herself out of it, but no argument had stuck. Ultimately, she believed Garrett’s account of their breakup. And if he hadn’t cheated on her and she was now single, what was keeping them apart?
The speed with which Garrett was ushering her down the sidewalk to his car was amusing. “It’s not a race, Garrett.”
“Says you,” he muttered, looking down at her shoes. “Can’t you go any faster?”
She laughed. “No. I’m not frolicking off to have sex with you. This isn’t some cheesy movie.”
“Then you aren’t properly motivated.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her into an alley. He pushed her back against the brick wall and kissed her roughly, his hands grabbing her hips and pulling her to him. When he lifted his head, he looked down at her panting. “Did that help?”
She was grateful the wall was at her back to hold her up. “What was the question?”
He kissed her again, and she clung to him, pulling him flush against her.
Garrett backed away. “If we don’t stop, I’ll have to ask you how you feel about sex in public, which was something I never considered before this moment.”
She grinned up at him. Oh, yes, she’d forgotten this part—the passion and the fun. “You’ve made me dizzy. I may walk even slower now.”
“Are you trying to manipulate me into carrying you?” A grin spread across his face. “Because I’ll do it.”
“Ha.” She laughed. “I suspect you’ve gone soft in the office. All those late hours working on briefs.”
“Remember when we worked on that group project for our Evidence class?” He nuzzled her neck, sending shivers down her back. “I still found time to work out then.”
“Sex doesn’t qualify as a workout, Garrett.”
He shot her a wicked look. “I think some of our sessions did.” He kissed her again, and her memories of their shared passion only made her hotter.
She pushed him away. “Let’s go before we get arrested for public indecency.”
He laughed and stepped away from her, snagging her hand in his. She was amazed by how familiar he still felt, how right.
Soon they were in his car, en route to his hotel, and even though they didn’t talk, she didn’t feel awkward. When he pulled up to the valet, he got out and met her on the other side, grabbing her hand to help her out of the car.
“Nice hotel,” she murmured as they crossed the lobby.
He looked down at her with hooded eyes. “I hadn’t noticed.” He pushed the elevator call button and groaned when he saw it was on the eleventh floor. “I would consider the stairs, but those shoes of yours will never make it.”
“What’s the hurry?” she teased. “Afraid I’ll change my mind?”
Fear flickered in his eyes. “Yes.”
She wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, pressed her chest to his, and looked up into his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, allowing an older couple out of the car. Garrett snaked his arm around her waist and held her close to him as he backed into the elevator, already lowering his face to hers.
She sucked his bottom lip between her teeth—a move she knew drove him crazy. He groaned, his hand sliding down over her ass and pulling her firmly against him. White-hot lust rushed through her, and she was suddenly beyond impatient to get to his room.
The elevator doors opened, and she heard voices. Garrett dropped his hand and lifted his head, but he kept her snugged against his chest as two other couples entered the car.
She turned to face the wall, embarrassed that they’d almost been caught. Prim and proper Blair Myers had never been so prim and proper with Garrett when it came to sex. He made her lose all reason. Was that a good thing or a bad one?
The elevator chimed again, and the doors opened. Garrett turned her around, ushered her into the hall, and led her to a room at the end of the hall.
She suddenly felt nervous as she followed him into the room, especially when he shut the door behind them. If she chose to do this, she knew it wouldn’t be just sex. It would mean entrusting him with her heart.
“Blair, turn around.”
She slowly spun to face him, expecting to see lust in his eyes. It surprised and disarmed her to see adoration instead. He closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her hips. “I love you, Blair. Let me prove it to you.”
Her back stiffened. “Don’t break my heart again, Garrett.”
He smiled. “I won’t. I swear. I’m yours.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, but she must have accepted his answer beca
use she grabbed the sides of his face and pulled his mouth to hers. His resolve to hold back, to give her more time, evaporated. His lips and tongue devoured hers, while his hold on her hips tightened, pressing her against his growing erection.
His hand found the zipper on the back of her dress and tugged it down, sending the straps of her dress slipping off her shoulders.
She pulled her arms out of the sleeves so the top of her dress pooled at her waist, exposing her plain beige bra. She glanced down self-consciously. “I’m not wearing anything sexy.”
He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “You’re beautiful, Blair. You could wear an old, holey T-shirt covered with stains, and I’d still think so.”
She smiled and didn’t look away from his eyes as her fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt. She pushed it off his shoulders, her fingers trailing over his bare shoulders and arms. A bolt of desire shot through him, and he pushed her dress and panties over her hips and down to her feet, and then tugged her over to the bed and pulled down the covers.
He pulled her to his chest and kissed her, his hands roaming her body and stopping at the clasp of her bra. He quickly undid it and then slid the straps over her shoulders. He moved back, letting it drop to the floor as he took a step back to look at her.
She had his belt unfastened in seconds, but she got hung up on his button.
“You’re taking too long.” His hands tried to brush hers away, but she grinned and swatted them.
“Patience.”
He groaned. “I’ve waited five years for this. I’m done with being patient.” He took over and dropped his pants and underwear.
He reached for her, but she gave him a sexy smile and took a step back so she could sit on the bed. She slowly tumbled onto her back, her hair pooling around her on the sheets. This was Blair’s playful side—rarely released, but oh so beautiful to see. Then the look in her eye—that teasing glint—faded, replaced with raw need. He wanted to touch her, to give her the pleasure she needed from him, but he took a moment to enjoy the sight of her.
“I thought you were done with patience.”
“I could have a million years, and it wouldn’t be long enough.” He lay beside her and leaned over to capture her mouth with his as his hand roamed her body.
She reached for him, and he groaned as she circled his erection with her soft, lithe hand. He shifted so he could grab her wrist, then pinned it to the bed over her head. “I won’t last one minute if you keep that up.”
“Is that your final answer?” She laughed.
“Yes.” His mouth skimmed her neck, trailing kisses down her chest and brushing her nipple, causing her chest to rise and fall in rapid succession. His free hand slipped between her legs and into her folds. Her back arched, and her eyelids closed.
“This hardly seems fair,” she forced out as his tongue traced her areola. “You have me captive, and I can’t do anything to you.”
“You’re doing plenty to me just the way you are,” he said in a low growl, torn between taking his time getting reacquainted with her body and ravaging her. He moved his attention to her other breast as he plunged his finger inside her and rubbed her mound with the heel of his hand.
“Garrett.” Her voice was impatient as she squirmed underneath him.
“What do you want, Blair?”
“I want you, and I want you now.”
He tortured her for several seconds more, taking delight in her groans of frustration before he lifted his head to study her face, his hand moving in slow circles between her legs. “Are you on birth control?”
Her eyes flew open. “What?” But then the question seemed to sink in. “No. Please God, tell me you have a condom.”
He grinned, his hard-on aching as he studied her swollen lips and hooded eyes. “And if I said no?”
She grinned back. “You’d have to wear a pair of loose gym shorts and a long T-shirt to the nearest pharmacy.”
He sat up and pulled a small box out of the drawer, opening the flap to remove a package. “Good thing I have this.”
“A new box,” she murmured.
He turned his attention to her, wondering what she would read into his next words. “I bought them for you.”
Her body tensed, and her eyes were guarded. “You thought you’d be having sex with me?”
“Honestly, Blair? No. I only wanted you to give me a chance. I never expected that we’d be doing this. Hoped? God, yes.” He leaned over her, placing a soft kiss on her full lips and resisting the urge to devour them. He looked into her eyes. “I hoped I’d have the chance again, because there’s never been anyone like you. Every other experience I’ve had has been hollow and empty. It has only made it alarmingly clear what I really need.” He kissed her gently again. “I need you.”
She reached up and kissed him with a fire that consumed him, and then pulled away to take a package out of the box and rip it open. Just the feeling of her rolling it over his erection was about to do him in. “I need you too,” she finally said.
He rested his elbow next to her head, kissing her while his hand skimmed between her breasts, slowly glided down her abdomen, and ended up between her legs once more. Within seconds she moaned and lifted her hips to him.
“Garrett.”
“Not yet,” he murmured against her lips, moving his mouth over her jaw and down to her neck.
“I thought you were impatient.”
“I was impatient to touch you.”
His mouth found her breast again, his tongue and teeth making her squirm.
She gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders. “Now I’m impatient. I want you now, Garrett.”
He sat up and moved between her legs, getting to his knees. Lifting her ankle behind his back, he looked down at her, appreciated the beautiful strong lines of her body. “I’ll give you anything, Blair. You only have to ask.” Then he entered her in one stroke as she arched up to take him in.
Her eyes sank shut, and her chest rose. He reached for her breast, his thumb softly brushing her nipple, reveling in the way she writhed beneath him. When he pulled back and entered her again, she lifted her other leg and locked her ankles, clinging to him.
She reached for him, but he laced his fingers with hers and placed her hands on either side of her head as he leaned over her, pushing deeper. He kissed her deeply, his tongue mimicking his thrusts.
As soon as he felt her tighten around him, he shifted slightly, eliciting a soft cry from her. He moved his mouth next to her ear as he released one of her hands and tilted her pelvis up, concentrating on her needs, wanting more than anything to push her over the edge. She arched up again and released a low guttural sound before moaning his name.
The sound of his name on her lips, like this, was his undoing. He plunged into her harder, needing to get deeper. Her hands grabbed his ass, helping him with his goal. He rocked against her, and she came again, and her soft sounds as she tightened around him pushed him over the edge. He pushed into her with several more grunts before collapsing on top of her. He could make love to her from now until foreve, and he would never have enough of her.
She moved beneath him. Realizing he was crushing her, he rolled to his side, taking her with him.
For a moment she didn’t say anything, and he worried she was feeling regret, but then she opened her eyes and stared at him with amazement. “I don’t remember it being that good.”
“It’s only going to get better.”
Uncertainty filled her eyes, so he kissed her. At first it was just to show her he wasn’t going anywhere, but with her naked body pressed against him, her leg still slung over his hip, he found himself getting hard again.
She laughed against his lips and leaned forward to rake her teeth over his lower lips. “Again?”
His hand moved to her breast, and he grinned. “Blazer, we’re only getting started.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Blair woke up to sunlight filtering through the cracks of the
hotel room’s drapes. Today was her wedding day, and here she was in a tangle of sheets and limbs with another man.
Guilt practically choked her as she pushed up, letting the sheet pool at her waist.
“Blair?” Garrett’s voice was groggy with sleep as his arm tightened around her waist. “Come back.”
“I have to go.” The words were delivered in a wobbly voice, and he was instantly awake.
He bolted into a sitting position. “Why? What’s wrong?”
Tears burned her eyes. “I have to talk to Neil.”
His eyes flew open wider with alarm. “Why?”
“We’re still engaged, Garrett. Him calling me a bitch and stomping off didn’t officially break us up.”
His jaw clenched, and his eyes turned dark. “He called you a bitch?”
She gave him a tight smile. “I probably deserved it.”
“I don’t think so. I want to talk to him too.”
She laughed softly. “Admitting that I’m turned on by you going slightly caveman seems wrong, especially since it theoretically sets women’s rights back a few decades.” She gave him a kiss. “But nevertheless, I don’t need you to talk to him. I’m perfectly capable of talking to him myself.”
He shook his head, his jaw set. “I don’t want you talking to him at all.”
“Garrett. A little caveman goes a long way. Now is not the time for jealousy.”
“It’s not jealousy, Blair.” He swallowed and picked up her hand in his. “He doesn’t love you. I’m worried he’ll do something to hurt you.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Neil would never hit me.”
“There are other types of pain besides physical violence.”
She narrowed her eyes. What did he know that he wasn’t telling her? “Garrett, I still have a wedding scheduled for five o’clock this evening. I have to deal with this situation.”
“But you’re not still marrying him, right?”
She gestured to the mussed covers. “After this? I would never have slept with you if I still intended to marry Neil.”
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