by Elks, Carrie
“If you’re sure I’m not putting you out.”
“Not at all. Follow me.”
As they walked across the lobby, Breck took her laptop bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He pressed the elevator button, putting his arm around her as they waited for it to arrive. She stiffened at his touch.
“Breck?”
“Yes?”
“Does Rachel know you’re here?”
“What?” He dropped his arm from her waist. “Why would she need to know I’m here?”
“Because you should have told her you were coming.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. “Why would I tell Rachel where I am?”
“Because if you’re dating somebody you should be honest with them. And I know this is really innocent between us, just two friends meeting each other, but Rachel might not see it that way.” She tried to smile to show him it didn’t hurt, but her muscles wouldn’t play ball.
The elevator arrived with a ping. The doors slid open, and they were both silent as the overfull car emptied. It was only when they were inside, with the doors closed, that Breck spoke again. “You think I’m dating Rachel?”
“Aren’t you?”
“What makes you say that?”
The elevator started to ascend. Caitie leaned back against the handrail, her eyes on the digital display. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? I’m so embarrassed about what happened between us last weekend. Did she figure it out? Does she know? I can’t believe we did that when you’re with her.”
“Jesus, Caitie, do you think I’d cheat on her? Or on anybody? Is that what you think of me?” The expression on his face said it all.
Harper was right. He wasn’t that guy. Her stomach turned at the disgust on his face.
“That’s not what I think of you,” she said quickly. “You’re a good guy, Breck, and I know you’d never hurt anybody. Not willingly. But I…” she trailed off, trying to find the words. “Rachel’s constantly around you. I assumed there was something to it.” She couldn’t look at him. Her face was flaming with embarrassment. Why was it that whenever he was around all common sense deserted her?
“So is Lucas and Ember and everybody else we hang out with.” Breck’s voice was low. “But there’s nothing going on between me and them, either.”
She covered her face with her hands, not wanting him to see her complete discomfort. Could she make things any worse? She’d practically accused him of being a cheat when he’d done nothing wrong at all.
The elevator stopped at her floor, the doors sliding open to reveal the corridor. They stepped out and stopped, the elevator closing behind them.
“Cait,” Breck said softly. “Will you look at me?”
She leaned against the papered wall. “I can’t.”
“Please,” he said. “Please look at me.” He prised her fingers away from her face, curling his hands around hers. She scrunched her eyes shut as tight as she could. She felt too exposed, embarrassed. Her heart was about to burst out of her ribcage.
“There’s nothing going on with me and Rachel,” he told her. “I’m not dating her, seeing her, or whatever else you think might be going on. She’s a friend of a friend. That’s it. Nothing more than that.”
Her body was such a mix of emotions she had no idea what to do next. Embarrassment melted into shock, and maybe something else, too. A need for him that had only gotten stronger this week they’d been apart.
She’d kissed him as a teenager, and it had felt like her world had tipped sideways. But it had nothing on kissing him as an adult. A woman. Somebody who was his equal.
His fingers were warm as they wrapped around hers. “I’m not dating Rachel,” he repeated. “I’m a single guy. I’ve no idea where you’ve got the idea Rachel and I are an item.”
She opened her eyes. His face was so close to hers she had to blink to bring him into focus. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You must think I’m crazy.”
He smiled softly. “A little. I never would’ve kissed you last week if I was with someone. I wish you’d known that.”
She opened her mouth and closed it again, unable to find the right words. She felt as though she was being absorbed by his eyes, drowning in them. Her whole body was vibrating at his closeness.
“Maybe I did, somewhere deep inside. I don’t know,” she whispered. “It was all so unexpected. One minute I was dropping your sweater off, the next minute we were… doing whatever we were doing.”
“Kissing,” he said. “We were kissing and touching. Making each other feel good.”
An image flashed into her brain. Breck above her on his couch, her legs wrapped around his. For those few minutes when they had been together, everything had felt so right.
“This is my suite,” she said, pointing at the door on the opposite side of the hall. Grabbing her card, she jammed it into the slot. The lock mechanism whirred to let them enter.
“Are you sure you want to come in?” She gave him a small smile. “You know what Harper’s like.” Her gossip radar would be going through the roof.
“Do you want me to come in?”
“As long as you’re prepared for the scrutiny.”
He shrugged. “I think I can handle it.”
She pushed the heavy oak door open. “Then let’s do this.” Walking inside, she kicked her shoes off and sunk her feet into the carpet. Her ankles sung with joy at the relief. She could feel Breck right behind her, hear his gentle breathing as he followed her. The door slammed behind him as he set her laptop bag on the floor.
“Hey, you’re back. How’d it go?” Harper walked out of the bathroom wearing a white towel, her hair wrapped in a makeshift turban. Her eyes widened as she looked at the pair. “Hi, Breck.” She tugged at her towel as if she could make it bigger. “I didn’t realize we had company.”
“Hey.” He sounded amused. Caitie bit down a grin.
“Are you joining us for dinner? I can call and add you to the table.” Harper’s voice dropped. “Scrub that. You guys stay here and order room service. The place we’re going to sucks.” She was backing away from them slowly, as though they hadn’t noticed she was standing there almost naked.
“But you said it was impossible to get into. You couldn’t wait to go.” Caitie frowned.
“Nope. Seriously, you’ll hate it. They have karaoke and everything. You’re so much better off staying here and having a quiet meal.” She widened her eyes at Caitie. “Okay?”
“Um… okay.”
“Cool. I’ll go put something a little more appropriate on.” She walked backward, lifting her hand in a wave. “It’s good to see you again, Breck.” Her back hit the door, and she spun around and opened it, sliding her towel-clad body inside. “Oh, Caitie, can you help me with something in here? It won’t take but a minute.”
Caitie bit her lip at the absurdity of the situation. “Sure.” She glanced at Breck. “Would you like a drink?”
“I’ll help myself,” he said, raising his eyebrows as though he knew Caitie was in for the third degree. “You go ahead.”
He walked to the kitchen area, while Caitie trailed Harper into her room. From the corner of her eye she watched him pull the fridge open and grab a bottle of water. Her face was burning. Stepping into Harper’s room, she pulled the door closed behind her.
“Before you ask, I’ve no idea what he’s doing here. I got back from my meeting and he was waiting in the lobby.”
“I wasn’t going to ask. I just need help zipping my dress up.”
“I don’t even know how he figured out which hotel we’re staying in.” Caitie frowned. “Unless someone told him.”
“I may have checked in on Facebook,” Harper admitted. “And Foursquare.”
“But your profile’s private.”
“Not to friends.”
“I’d forgotten you friended him.” Caitie sighed. “Why did you do that again?”
Harper pulled her dress on. “Because we’re friends?”
“But
even I’m not friends with him on Facebook.” Caitie frowned. “And I know him better than you do.”
“And by the way,” Harper continued, ignoring her reply. “His relationship status is single. From what I can tell he’s been that way for a while.”
“I know. He told me there’s nothing going on with Rachel. That they’re only friends.”
“Did he now? That’s interesting.” Harper turned around, pointing at her dress.
“What’s interesting about it?” Caitie yanked the zipper up, being a little rough on her friend and the fabric.
“Oh, that he bothered to come all the way here to set you straight. He wants you to know he’s available.” She was loving every minute of this.
“Stop that right now. I can tell what you’re doing.” Caitie was smiling, though. Because she liked the idea that he cared what she thought. That he wanted her to know he was available.
“What am I doing?” Harper asked.
“You’re making assumptions. We haven’t even had a chance to talk. Not properly. For all I know he really was in town for meetings and decided at the last moment to drop in.” Caitie licked her dry lips. “I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Well, I guess we’ll never know unless you get out there.” Harper inclined her head at the door.
“First I need to take a shower. Otherwise nobody’s going to want to come near me.”
“I’ll entertain Breck as soon as I’ve dried my hair.” Harper pulled the turban from her head. “You go ahead and freshen up.”
“Promise me you won’t say anything.”
“Like what?”
“Like anything about what happened on Sunday. Just make small talk or something.”
“Sure.” Harper smiled. For some reason that made Caitie feel uneasy. “Oh, and how did the presentation go?”
“It went well. We find out next week.” Caitie looked at the door again. “Seriously, promise me you won’t mention what happened between us.”
“Funny how you’re more worried about Brecken than this multi-million dollar deal. Says a lot, don’tcha you think?” Harper grinned.
Ignoring her, Caitie walked through the adjoining door to her own bedroom. Of course her business was more important than anything else. It was just that every time Breck was near, he messed up her mind. And damn if she didn’t like the way he made her feel.
19
Half an hour later, Harper ran out of their suite like she was being chased by a bull, her scarf trailing behind her. Caitie turned to look at Breck right as the door opened up again.
“Forgot my phone,” Harper said, running across the living room. “Don’t mind me.” She grabbed it and turned on her heel, leaving all over again, her breath coming out in pants.
When the door closed behind her for a second time, Caitie bit down a smile and slowly turned to look at Breck. He was leaning on the wall, arms folded across his chest, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling up as he smiled at her.
“Hello,” he said, his smile widening.
“Hi.”
She felt breathless as the air around them snapped and crackled. The hairs on her neck stood up. Breck slowly pushed off the wall and walked over to the sofa where she was standing, his strides long and confident.
Caitie didn’t move. She wasn’t even sure if she could. Her muscles were tense with anticipation, her skin tingling with need. There was a half-smile on his lips as he reached out for her chin, using the pads of his fingers to tip her face up.
“Cait…” His voice caressed her ears. She loved the way her name sounded on his lips.
“Did you know you’re the only one who calls me that?” she asked breathlessly.
“Do you mind?”
She shook her head slowly, his fingers still holding her. “No. I like it.” Too much.
He took another step forward, his eyes firmly on hers. “I like it, too,” he said. “The same way I like you.”
Her chest tightened. Standing so close to him felt overwhelming. She could smell the woody scent of his cologne, feel his firm touch as his fingers caressed her jaw. Everywhere she looked, all she saw was him.
“Where were we last week?” he asked her.
The corner of her lip quirked up. “Remind me?”
He chuckled and lowered his head until his lips were a breath away from hers. She could see the thickness of his eyelashes, the strong line of his nose, the warmth of his skin where it was kissed by the California sun.
“I think it was a little like this,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers.
“It’s coming back to me…”
“Or maybe like this.” He slid his hand along her jaw, his fingers curling around her neck. Slowly, tantalizingly, he deepened their kiss, his mouth moving against hers. She could feel it down to her toes, her body aching and needy at his touch. He slid his hand down, fingers feathering her spine, pulling her closer until her body pressed against his.
God, he felt good. Firm, strong, and everything she needed. He kissed her again, his mouth greedy. She looped her arms around his neck, rolling on her toes to kiss him back.
She could feel his fingers on the small of her back where her blouse had pulled away from her waistband, warm and soft against her skin. He pushed up, splaying his strong palms against her, pulling her closer, closer, until she wasn’t sure where he ended and she began.
She needed more. So much more. She pulled her own hands down and tugged at his shirt, sliding them beneath to feel the hard ridges of his stomach.
“Cait,” he whispered against her lips.
Her need was thrumming, aching, driving her for more. She moved her hands up, around, wanting to feel every inch of him. When it still wasn’t enough, she tugged at the buttons of his shirt, unfastening them one by one until it fell open, revealing his strong, hard chest, his warm skin dappled with sunbleached hair.
She devoured him with her eyes, feeling the need for him aching at her core. As if he could sense her desire, he pushed his leg between hers, the hard ridge of his thigh muscles giving her blessed relief.
“We should go to my room,” she whispered. “If you want to, that is.”
His eyes caught hers. His dark desire made her breath catch in her throat. “I want,” he said gruffly.
She took his hand and pulled him to her room. He stopped her once, wanting to kiss her again, as though he was an addict and she was the only fix. Then they were through the door, and her back was against her bedroom wall, he pressed his body against hers as he kissed her again.
If she thought for too long, she’d question how they got here. Caitie Russell and the boy she’d trailed around after for years. The boy who had saved her from her brother, the only one who’d ever held her as she cried. The one who knew all the secrets she’d never told anybody else. For so long he’d been a fading memory, one she’d tried – and failed – to grasp onto. Her first kiss. Her first crush. All those emotions were magnified by that terrible Christmas. And now he was looking at her as if she was the most precious thing he’d ever set his eyes on.
He shrugged his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor. Her lips turned dry as she looked at him, taking in his broad shoulders and torso, and how it tapered to his waist. Breck reached for her, his biceps flexing as he did. She circled her hands around his arms, feeling them hard as steel beneath his warm skin. He was full of strength and warmth, a man who dominated everything he touched. He only had to walk into a room to control it.
But now he was in her room, and whether he knew it or not, he was controlling everything about her. He only had to look at her to set her on fire. A simple touch to make her melt inside. The boy she’d crushed so hard on had become a man, and he was breathtaking.
Silently, he unbuttoned her blouse and pushed it from her shoulders, revealing her ivory laced bra. Breck ran a finger down her spine, making her shiver. When he reached the base, her nerve endings practically exploded.
“You’re sensitive,” he murmure
d. “I want to kiss you there.” His fingers continued their journey, unbuttoning her pants and pushing the waistband past her hips, her thighs, until the fabric was pooled around her feet. She stepped out of them, all too aware she was only wearing a bra and panties.
From the darkness of his stare, he liked them.
“It’s your turn,” she whispered.
With his eyes still on hers, he unbuckled his belt and pulled it out of the loops, stepping out of his pants until all he was wearing were a dark jersey pair of boxers.
His chest was bare, his stomach rippled and taut. A thin line of hair led from his navel to his waistband. The fabric beneath was straining from his excitement, and she ached to touch him. But when she reached out, he caught her hand, holding her with a firm grip. “Not yet. I want to touch you first.”
His eyes were focused on hers, refusing to move. Her cheeks were flaming, and her body buzzed. Caitie’s back arched as she felt herself being pulled toward him, desperate for his touch.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for days,” he said softly, reaching out to feather his fingers across her chest. “Thinking about how you felt that day when we were together.” His thumbs slid across her bra, teasing her nipples until they peaked. “Remembering how you looked when I kissed you.” He pushed the fabric down, exposing her breasts. “The way you gasped with your mouth open, and your eyes closed.”
He bent down, cupping her breast so her nipple stood out further. He captured it between his lips, grazing it with his teeth. The sensation made her moan.
“Yeah, you sounded like that.” He sucked her smooth skin, his tongue swirling against her pebbled flesh. He repeated the same with her other breast, spending long moments worshipping her. By the time he moved down her body, she was a bundle of desire, her skin fizzing and popping with every touch. He trailed kisses down her stomach, his hands grabbing hold of her hips, until he reached her flimsy panties.
She held her breath as he pressed his nose against her, breathing in. The gesture was so intimate, it almost scared her. Yet the strength of longing in his eyes was enough to reassure her.