A Friendly Arrangement

  “You look incredible, Hot Neighbor Guy.” And he did—dressed in his black tux with his crisp white shirt. There was something about a barefoot man in jeans—and there was something else about a freshly shaven gentleman in a bow tie.

  She wasn’t an idiot, he definitely wanted her. All the telltale signs were there, especially the way his hand shook as he ran his palm over the top of his head. And hell, she wanted him, too. At least if the throb between her legs was any clue.

  “Thank you, but you’re the real wonder, woman.”

  She giggled. The sound came out flushed and giddy. “Love your play on words.”

  “I knew you’d appreciate the effort.”

  “I do, but even though you look good, and I look good, together we look great.” She gave him a wink, ready to play with fire. Why not? She felt reckless and adventuresome, and that only added to her sense of anticipation.

  Holly licked her lips in an effort to calm herself. She needed some level ground of conversation before she threw caution out the window and ripped his tux from his body.

  “So, now that we can actually breathe”—although with some difficultly—“how did everything go with your brothers?”

  He nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. “You were right. People change.”

  Her heart raced. “That’s awesome.” She ran her hand down the length of her dress. “I mean, I hope that’s awesome.”

  He seemed so at ease. So happy. “Definitely awesome. We reconnected like I never thought we would. I’m going to design Devi’s ring, and I think over time our relationship will heal further and—”

  “You’ll be close. All three of you.” She melted a little inside. Nothing better than a happy ending.

  They stood in an awkward silence for several seconds, and then Roth laid his hands on her shoulders to look her directly in the eyes. “Ready?”

  “For anything.” She slid her arm through his, and he squeezed it against his side, pulling her in closer. On their way out, she pulled her wrap and purse off the chair by the door.

  They walked in silence toward the bank of elevators that would take them down to the lobby. Once there, Roth guided her through the front doors and outside to the waiting cab. The light pressure of his palm against the small of her back as he helped her into her seat sent a vibration of awareness across her flesh.

  Moments later the cab jerked forward, speeding and slowing every few seconds as the driver maneuvered through dense traffic. Holly peeked at Roth from her side vision and smiled when she caught him doing the same. They didn’t touch or say a word, but the air between them crackled with electricity.

  Roth could listen to Holly laugh all night. The exhibit ended more than an hour ago, and they’d tagged along with his group of friends for a late dinner and dancing at a nearby club.

  Holly stood across the room deep in conversation with Brooke and a couple of others. All he could think about was holding her in his arms on the dance floor. He sauntered over and interrupted her conversation by running his thumb across her bare shoulder and letting it trail down to the small of her back. He earned a warm smile that lit up her face and sent his heart into an erratic beat.

  He leaned close to her ear. “Dance with me?”

  Her smile deepened, and he steered her toward the floor, taking her in his arms in one quick swoop.

  She gasped. “You don’t mess around.”

  “I never mess around on the dance floor.” But if I did, it’d be with you.

  “How did you become such an amazing dancer? Another lesson learned from your mother?” Her eyes sparkled as she searched his face.

  “No. Ms. Rodriquez.” He twirled her in a tight circle and then caught her in his arms.

  “Ms. Rodriquez?” Her breathy question made his heart race.

  “Dance teacher. Two years from age twelve to fourteen.”

  Holly chuckled. “Now I know that was courtesy of your mother.”

  He nodded and dipped her low, brought her up quick, and twirled her again.

  “I-I’m impressed,” she said between breaths.

  He tugged her against him so fast her palms thudded against his chest, and she sucked in a lungful of air. The current of electricity that sizzled between them all night hummed across his flesh. He loved holding her in his arms, smelling her sweet perfume, pressing his fingers against her soft skin as he led her across the floor. She looked good in his arms. Felt even better.

  “By the way, I love your heels. They make your legs look”—like they should be wrapped around my waist—“toned,” he whispered against the shell of her ear. He was rewarded with an array of goose bumps across the skin of her bare back.

  “Thank you.” A red glow highlighted her cheeks as she pulled back to meet his gaze and swallowed hard.

  He couldn’t concentrate on anything but holding her in his arms.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you and your brothers.”

  “I’d hope, being in my arms, my brothers would be the last thing on your mind.”

  She laughed, and the tingly sound sent awareness across his flesh.

  “I guess I just love that people can change. And from the sounds of it, all for the better.”

  “They do.” Hell, look at me. I’ve changed from your loyal friend to a man who wants something beyond your friendship.

  She slid her arms around his neck and pushed herself up tight to his front, slowing their pace to match the band’s next song. Her fingers twirled several strands of his hair through her fingers, and the gentle twist and pull sent bolts of desire straight to his toes. He could barely breathe. Not that he minded, but he also wasn’t crazy enough to get carried away on the dance floor with so many eyes in the room.

  Even though it nearly killed him, he pulled from deep inside to make conversation, when he’d much rather be pressing his mouth to hers, running his fingers over her flesh, peeling away her dress.

  “And you didn’t fill me in on your week. How’s the job search going?” He felt like he’d just dumped a gallon of ice water over his head. From the way her body stiffened, she felt the same, but she recovered quickly.

  “Oh my gawd. So much has happened. I wanted to send you a text, but a text wasn’t good enough. I was bursting to tell you when the plane landed, but then things—”

  “I’m all ears now.”

  “Clark called me the day after you left.”

  His heart stopped beating as she held his gaze. He used all his strength to keep his smile in place. No wonder she glowed. No wonder happiness had radiated from her since the moment she stepped off the plane. She’d gotten back together—

  “He recommended me to one of the board members of Art Prize. That’s right, one of the biggest events held in Grand Rapids every year. I could actually help organize it.” She thumped her chest with her thumb.

  Relief washed through him. He didn’t want Clark back in her life. Not when his feelings for her had morphed to such a new level. One he couldn’t even explain yet. Lust for sure, but there was something more hidden in the depths.

  “I guess he felt bad for the way Alan treated me and pulled in a favor. Wasn’t that nice of him?”

  Roth nodded as his pulse returned to normal. Or as normal as it could be in Holly’s presence.

  “I meet with the board next week for an interview, and if things go well I’ll be their first virtual assistant. So I may have been right about your brother, but you were right about my job situation. Everything is looking up in time for my birthday.” The slow glide of her touch at his nape sent another round of heat simmering between them.

  “That’s great.” He kissed her temple, letting his lips linger a little longer than necessary.

  She leaned back again, and he instantly missed her warmth.

  “And there’s more. I finished your list, including the research. I even took the liberty of outlining your speech. Hopefully you can use what I started. If not, don’t feel obligated. I only did it because I had the time
.”

  “You’re rambling again.” Was she trying to bury the attraction between them with her incessant chatter, or did she not feel the pull like he did?

  “It’s what I do when I’m nervous.” She licked her lips.

  “Nervous? Why would you be nervous? It can’t be because my friends intimidate you, because they love you.” He pulled her close. He hoped her nerves had to do with the heat pulsating between them. Anticipation. Expectation.

  They swayed to the music, her cheek nestled against his shoulder, his chin atop her head. The feel of her smile against his neck had him smiling in return. Her breath tickled his ear, and her fingers distracted him to no end as they played with his hair.

  “Roth?”

  “Hmm?”

  “How do you know your friends like me?” Her voice came across shy and unsure. Not like Holly at all.

  “Brooke has given you her stamp of approval. She told Ed she couldn’t have picked out anyone better if she’d conducted interviews.” He moved his mouth against her ear, and she trembled in his arms. Satisfaction surged through every nerve of his body. “So, I guess I no longer have to worry about Brooke and her matchmaking ways.”

  She relaxed in his arms, and he slid his hand down to the small of her back and brushed his thumb across the smooth fabric of her dress.

  “I’m glad.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, I’m glad that she believes we’re…”

  They stopped moving, and Roth took her face between his palms. He couldn’t hold back any longer. If he did, he’d go insane. “Remember last week when I kissed you?”

  Her eyes widened, and her lips parted as she nodded.

  “I’ve wanted to do it again ever since.” He lowered his head and brushed his mouth over hers.

  He swallowed her gasp, and then his heart lurched when she took the initiative and slipped her tongue into the depths of his mouth. Their tongues met, and he reveled in her timid touch that quickly turned into a bold mingling.

  A jolt of desire spiked through him. He slid his hand up her back and splayed his fingers into the hair piled up on her head, drawing her in closer so that their mouths crushed together, and their bodies melded into one pliant length.

  Holly nipped his lower lip as they broke apart, planting tiny kisses on the side of his mouth. “If we keep this up, someone is sure to tell us to get a room.”

  “I’m game. My room or yours?”

  Chapter Six

  The hotel elevator door slid closed. Roth scooped his hand behind Holly’s head and dragged her mouth to his. Heat enveloped them, full of promise.

  “That was the longest freaking cab ride in history,” Holly whispered against his lips.

  “Not as long as this elevator ride is going to be.” He pushed her up against the wall, tangled his fingers through her hair, and crushed his mouth to hers.

  Holly liked his use of gentle force. A frantic energy pulsed between them, and her hands roved the delicious muscles of his shoulders, arms, and back. She couldn’t breathe, but that didn’t matter. The way his lips moved against hers stopped her heart and made her legs turn to waterlogged noodles.

  His hands ate up her flesh and sent tiny shivers across her body until her toes curled. She wanted to touch more of him, feel him closer, so she pushed aside his jacket to run her hands over his hard pecs, up past the curve of his shoulders¸ and then down to snake around his biceps. His breaths came in quick gasps as he fought his way out of his jacket, and it hit the floor with a soft swoosh.

  She squeezed his arms, feeling the strength of his muscles as they flexed when he lifted her up. The power turned her on, and she wrapped her legs around his thighs—her dress bunching up to give him better access to her upper thighs—as he balanced her weight between himself and the wall. Her small evening bag joined his jacket with a thud.

  She panted for breath as he cradled her hips. His fingers kneaded her flesh through the flimsy material, and she arched into the pressure.

  How much longer before they reached the freaking room?

  She broke away, and they exchanged heated glances as they both eyed the display box that showed which floor they were on. They still had plenty of time for some more lip exercise. She pulled him back toward her and took his mouth. He tasted so fucking hot.

  The throb between her legs intensified, and she rubbed against him. As he growled deep in his throat, she smiled into their kiss, then circled her hips slowly as his hands slid back down to cup her rear.

  “You’re so fucking sexy, Holl.”

  Her name came out more of a growl, and his steamy words heated her from the inside out, kicking up the urgency pounding through her veins. He bit her lip softly, and she arched, savoring the warmth of his mouth as he trailed his lips down the column of her throat, nipping gently at her skin. She felt like she’d explode if she couldn’t run her hands over his bare flesh. If he couldn’t run his hands over her.

  The sound of their quick breaths mixed with the blood pounding through her ears had her fighting for air. Roth’s lips teased hers as he ran his hands down her sides, over her hips, then back up to cup her breasts, rubbing his thumb over the tightening bud straining against her silky bra and dress.

  She moaned, splaying her fingers through his hair, gripping him with her legs so she could press into him. “You taste amazing.”

  “You feel amazing,” he moaned against her lips. He explored the inside of her mouth so thoroughly but so gently her pulse pounded in a heavier rhythm. She ached for release.

  His hands moved over the length of her thigh, taking the hem of her dress with them as she shifted her weight to circle his waist with her legs. He pushed aside the silky barrier of her dress and then tensed as he moved his hands around to cup her rear. His fingers gripped her flesh, and he moaned. The thrill of his discovery sent a quiver through her belly, and she pulled back to look into his surprise-filled eyes with hints of fire and mischief.

  She rested her forehead against his as she tried to reclaim her breath and some of her sanity.

  “No panties? All night?” He squeezed one cheek. “If I’d known, this would’ve happened much sooner.”

  “I’m not that daring. Not in this dress. Keep going.” She bit her lip as his hand slid farther up her behind. The throbbing between her legs built to a crazy pulsating ache when his fingers finally found the barely there thong. The air between them sizzled.

  He tossed his head back and growled as his fingers connected with the silky thong. The primeval sound sent a dose of power and pride straight through her.

  “You’re killing me.” His deep voice throbbed as he ran his finger underneath one of the elastic edges and followed it toward her center.

  “A girl’s gotta feel pretty—”

  “And sexy as hell.” He butted her chin with his nose to lift it for a kiss at the same time the elevator dinged.

  She jumped back, their heavy breaths filling her ears and the elevator car.

  “Damn interruptions,” they said in unison.

  She bit her lip and smiled as she slid to the floor on shaky legs. The door opened and a tidal wave of relief washed over her that nobody stood in the hallway. She tugged the hemline of her dress down. Roth bent to retrieve their items off the floor, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her to him for another forceful kiss, and walked her backward into the hallway until they butted up with the wall.

  “You never answered my question?”

  Her mind spun. “What question?”

  “My room or yours?”

  “Who the hell cares? Which is closest?”

  She fought for balance by spreading her hands over his chest, and the vibration of his laughter turned her on. Hell, everything turned her on.

  He took her hand and steered her toward his door, stopping every few feet to tug her against him and catch her mouth with his.

  Her heart pounded with a heated, aching sensation. She wanted Roth so bad, and the intensity scared her. But it thrilled her far more.
>
  Roth kicked the hotel door closed with the heel of his shoe, tossed their belongings toward the nearby chair, and didn’t care when he missed by a mile. He moved to yank Holly into his arms, but she beat him to it, pushing him against the wall and owning his mouth with the sexiest kiss he’d ever experienced. Slow and hard, then soft and forceful, but always full of an aching passion that brought every nerve ending in his body to life and filled him like an inferno.

  Things between them were far sexier and hotter than he’d even imagined. He’d never wanted anyone so much before.

  She slid her hands over the front of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons. He wanted to feel her hands on his skin and moved to help, ripping the shirt open and sending buttons scattering across the small entry.

  “Your shirt—”

  “I have others.” He fought his way out of the confines. Holly’s eyes darkened as her hands drifted up his stomach and pecs and then over his shoulders to help.

  Fuck being patient.

  “God, you have the most amazing arms. Pecs…” She lowered her head and playfully licked his right nipple, his left, then peppered several small kisses and nips across his chest before finally claiming one stiffened peak between her moist, soft lips.

  “Shit.” He threw back his head and hit the wall. The contact didn’t even faze him. Her mouth did fantastic things to his sensitized skin, and even more fantastic things to the bulge between his legs.

  Her mouth moved south as she lowered to her knees. She devoured his flesh, gently tugging playfully at the hairs along his happy trail until she met with the waistline of his pants. She slid her tongue along the edge, and his gut quaked. He looked down as she looked up. Her smile spread across her face in the most deliciously devilish manner, and he groaned as she unbuttoned his pants. But instead of removing them, she cupped his length as it pushed against his zipper, teasing him by licking her lips and moving her fingers over his cock.

  “I hope you won’t be disappointed,” he ground out. He could hardly breathe as he waited for her to quit teasing him and take off his pants.