Kissing Booth

by River Laurent

  He appears next to me, his face flushed and his eyes glittering.

  I bite my lip. “Do we look like we…did it?”

  He doesn’t laugh. “Why should we? We haven’t done it yet.”

  We walk quickly hand in hand through the grassy area and enter the huge room once again. The party is in full swing.

  As we are about to exit the room, Charlotte calls to us, “Hey, wait up.”

  Both of us stop and turn around.

  She comes up to us laughing. “Where do you two think you’re escaping to?”

  “I have a headache. I’m just going upstairs to lie down for a bit.” See what I mean about me doing all kinds of crazy things ever since I met Brock. I’m not a fan of liars, but that lie just tripped off my tongue.

  She rearranges her face into one of empathy and pity. The fake bitch. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. You’re going to miss a great party.”

  “Yeah, I guess, I will. Sorry.”

  “Nevermind.” She grabs my wrist. “At least have a chocolate before you go. They’ve been specially flown in from Paris just for our engagement. I swear, it would have been cheaper to give out gold to our guests.” She smiles and holds out a box. “Aren’t they gorgeous?”

  The chocolates do look very fancy with an entwined C and T on them.

  “Go on, take one,” she urges.

  I pick one and pop it into my mouth. It’s good. Very good. The truffle center melts on my tongue.

  She offers the tray to Brock.

  He shakes his head. “Thanks, but I’m not in the mood for chocolate right now. I better get Dani back to bed. Don’t want her headache to get any worse.”

  “All right then. Run along both of you. See you both tomorrow. Good night.”

  I turn to Brock, surprised. “That was very civil of her.”

  “Yes, I thought so too.” He presses the button on the elevator panel and turns to me. “Jesus, I can’t wait to get you back to our suite.”

  With a smile, I get into the elevator. Two women come in behind us. They get off at the second floor. I smile wickedly at Brock and he slides his arm around my back. I look up into his blue, blue eyes as his head starts to descent.

  At that moment, I feel an itch on my on the inside of my knee. “Hang on,” I whisper and bend to scratch it. I lift my head and the area feels hot and itchy again. For a second, I think I must have stepped on some poison Ivy or something in the garden, and then I feel an itch on my stomach and I know. Oh, shit.

  “What’s the matter?” Brocks asks with a frown.

  “Strawberries. I’ve eaten strawberries.”

  “How?” he asks, horrified.

  I don’t even have to think. “It must have been the chocolates.”

  “What?”

  “Charlotte must have swiped the chocolates with a piece of strawberry or something.”

  Fury replaces the lust I’ve seen all evening in his eyes. “Do you have the necessary medication?” he asks urgently.

  “No, I didn’t bring my antihistamines.”

  “Damn that bitch,” he swears under his breath.

  “It might not be her.”

  “Of course, it’s her,” he says, his jaw clenched tight.

  “Well, we can’t prove it anyway.”

  The doors open. He lets us into our suite.

  By now, I am full on scratching at my skin. He rushes to the phone and orders a doctor to come immediately, and asks him to bring an allergy kit with him.

  For the next twenty minutes I clench my hands into fists to stop myself from scratching, and Brock paces the floor like a caged panther until the doctor arrives. He gives me a injection and makes me better almost immediately, but by then neither of us are in the mood.

  I just feel tired and grubby and Brock is just tight-lipped with fury. I say goodnight and close my bedroom door.

  After a cool shower, I turn up the air-conditioning. Cold air always helps. My skin is full of red patches. I apply the soothing aloe vera gel to all the angry red patches on my body. By tomorrow, I know I will be fine again.

  Then I go to stand at the window and look down.

  The strip is so beautiful. Sparkling. I wonder how many people are down there, wagering everything they have. Or just living it up, having the time of their lives. Or getting married. So many people with their stories and the things that matter to them.

  And me, watching from my window. Alone in my room. My extremely extravagant, elegant, comfortable room. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I feel like a queen up here, looking down on my subjects while wrapped in the plush bathrobe included with the suite.

  How many people have worn this robe? And were they as mixed-up as I am?

  There were no more dances after that first one, which is a good thing. Maybe instead of being angry with Charlotte I should be grateful. Maybe it is better this way. I drank too much alcohol and it went to my head. It’s a good thing I didn’t sleep with him.

  My mind starts playing out the evening. Going back over all the crazy minutes, the looks, the little touches and caresses, what we did in the children’s playhouse. It’s almost enough to make me angry with myself.

  “Cut it out,” I hiss, shaking my head.

  As I stand there shivering in the cold air, one thing is clear. I’m only making things harder for myself. It’s easy for him. It’s all a sham, a game, and nothing more. Sure, he’ll have to get over Charlotte. I can’t imagine that taking much longer, especially once she’s married and he’s seen it happen with his own two eyes and that’s the end of that.

  I, on the other hand, will have to nurse this lust or whatever it is for a long time. The memories of his hands on me, his cock in my mouth, will pop up at the worst moments. Like tonight, while I’m trying to sleep.

  While he sleeps in his own room, nursing a heartache of his own.

  For Charlotte.

  Chapter 29

  Dani

  If he’s heartbroken, he’s hiding it well. After checking that there is no lasting damage from last night’s strawberry fiasco, Brock is all sunshine and smiles.

  “Come on. Mark tells me the slots pay out like crazy,” Brock says as we leave the suite, full of energy.

  “You clearly slept well last night,” I observe with a wry grin.

  “Like a baby,” he confirms. “You?”

  “I wish I could say the same.” The last time I checked the clock, it was after five. No matter how long I waited with my eyes closed, I couldn’t fall asleep. Not with Brock’s face swimming around in my head, not with the scent of him still alive in my memory.

  He frowns deeply. “I thought you said you were okay?”

  “I am. It wasn’t anything to do with the allergy. I guess I’m just not used to drinking.”

  “You only had three.”

  “Which is two more than I’m used to having before going to bed.” I shrug. I wish he would let it go. I should’ve told him I never slept so well in my entire life. He doesn’t need to know the truth.

  “I’ll keep that in mind from now on. You don’t sleep well after having a few drinks.”

  I look up at him as we walk through the courtyard which leads to the adjoining casino. “You won’t have to keep it in mind for much longer.”

  “Careful when you say things like that,” he warns. “We’re engaged, remember?”

  “Of course, of course.” I roll my eyes when he’s not looking. It’s impossible not to get a little annoyed with him when he says things like that. I’m glad he still thinks this is all a game, but it isn’t for me. That’s not his fault, but I can’t help the way I feel either. I need to keep in mind that I’m doing this for the money.

  “Are you all right?” he asks, like he just read my mind.

  Or my face. I know it’s pretty expressive. I can’t count all the times I’ve gotten into trouble after letting my true thoughts shine through on my face. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I force a smile. “Do you gamble a lot?”

  “No. Do you?”
>
  “I’ve never gambled before.”

  “You’ve never gambled? Not even a lotto ticket?” he teases.

  “No.” I laugh. “I haven’t even been legally allowed to gamble for very long, you know.”

  “Aww… my baby.” He winks, and takes my hand as we enter the casino.

  I blink hard, looking around, taking it all in at once. I don’t know what I expected. Something louder, I guess. Smoky. Seedy. Nothing like what I see in front of me now.

  “It’s actually quite beautiful,” I whisper, instantly embarrassed at what a nerd I must sound like. Who says something like that? But it’s the truth. A giant, blown glass chandelier hangs in the center of the room, shining down on the chrome slot machines and their blinking lights. There are banks of them just about everywhere, along with tables with all sorts of games. I only recognize a few of them. I should’ve done a little research last night, instead of wasting all that time trying to sleep.

  Brock doesn’t look as though he thinks I’m a nerd. He looks thrilled, in fact, his eyes are shining like the ocean on a bright sunny day again, as he leads me further into the casino. “Come on. Let’s have a little fun.”

  “What do you want to do?” I ask, my head swiveling back and forth. There are so many people here, all at once. It’s not even noon, but here they are. And I’m one of them. I never dreamed I would spend this weekend in a place like this. What an adventure this has turned out to be.

  “Oh, so many things…” he mutters cynically, and just loud enough for me to hear.

  I don’t think I was supposed to hear it, honestly, but I did. And my palms instantly start to sweat. “Why don’t you pick something we could do here, in the casino?” I suggest with a giggle.

  “Since you insist.” He scans the room. “We can start on the slots. I’ll take it slow, and be gentle with you. Since you’re a virgin.”

  “Shut up!” I squeal, slapping his shoulder with my palm.

  He grabs my wrist and holds it behind my back and pushes himself right up against me. “Hey. No shame. We all start off as virgins, right?”

  I stare at his mouth as it curves up in a knowing smile. This man is sex on a stick. Why does he have to be so sexy? “Don’t be a jerk,” I croak.

  He lets me go with a smirk, and turns toward a bank of machines.

  I’m almost relieved for the distraction. My knees are a little weak, and there goes the tingling between my legs again. Stronger than last night, even. I pick a machine at random and sit.

  He slips a hundred dollar bill into the machine and I start to play…and darned if this isn’t the most fun I’ve had in forever. How in the world is this so much fun? “All I’m doing is pulling on this arm over and over. Why is it so addictive?”

  He chuckles as he leans in over my shoulder, while his hand closes over the one I’ve wrapped around the machine’s arm. “If you think it’s fun to pull on this…”

  “Oh, come on!” I laugh, elbowing him even as my heart skips a beat. “Sorry, but unless you’re going to open your mouth and spew out a fortune…”

  “I thought I already had,” he murmurs.

  I give him my best withering look. “Is that what you think I think of you? That you’re just a slot machine?”

  “No. At least, I hope not. And if you do, I’m more than willing to prove otherwise.”

  “You don’t need to prove anything. I hope you know me well enough by now to know I would never think that about anybody, especially not you.”

  He sits on the stool next to mine, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees until only inches of air separates us. “Maybe I want to prove to you that I’m more than that.”

  I must be imagining this. I’m back up in the suite, finally sleeping, dreaming the most vivid dream of my life. But the sound of bells and cheers are real, just like the goosebumps running up and down my arms. I can’t be dreaming them. “And how would you go about doing that?” I ask in a voice that shakes and gives away my nerves.

  “I’m sure I could think of something.”

  “I bet you could.” I reach for the arm of the slot machine just to have something to do, and pull down. We both jump in surprise when a siren sounds.

  “What?” I scream.

  “You won,” he says, laughing.

  “I won?”

  He nods.

  “I won!” I scream, jumping up and down, clapping hard enough that my hands hurt.

  Brock picks me up and swings me around in a circle, his laughter ringing in my ears as the machine’s screen lights up with, WINNER!

  I’m almost excited enough to not notice the way his hands warm my skin even through the sundress between us.

  Almost.

  A casino employee issues a huge payout slip with my winnings, but Brock and I are too busy staring at each other to even look at it. Everything I told myself last night about protecting my heart just slips away. I don’t even know how much the machine paid out. It sort of doesn’t matter at that moment. There are more important things to focus on. Like the way Brock’s hands linger on my back. The way my breasts are pressed up against his chest. And the way it feels like something is choking me and I can’t quite breathe because of that look in his eyes.

  Something is going to happen, and I’m not going to stop it. I want it too badly.

  When he takes me by the hand and leads me from the casino, I follow without a word.

  Chapter 30

  Dani

  The doors of the elevator swish close. We are alone. The wall of the elevator car is hard, unforgiving, when Brock pushes me against it. His eyes bore holes into me, staring into my soul. When he speaks, his voice is raspy with desire, “I didn’t sleep all night thinking about you.”

  My jaw drops. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” he mocks. Sinking his hands into my hair, he pulls my face to his, crushing our mouths together.

  It’s so much better than it was before because it’s for us—just us. He thrusts his hips, grinding against me, the pressure from his hardening dick a reminder of what’s about to happen. I return the pressure and his groan sends shivers all through me.

  He wants me. He wants this.

  So do I. Oh, Lord—so do I. I can’t help but wrap a leg around his thigh, pulling him even closer as his kiss leaves me panting. The doors can’t open soon enough. When they do, he lifts me to waist-height and I wrap my legs around him, with his mouth still covering mine. We burst through the door to the suite and he doesn’t take me to the bedroom. Instead, he pushes me against the closed door, and holds me there with the weight of his body.

  “God, you drive me crazy,” he groans, his hands now free to slide over my skin.

  I lean my head against the door, moaning his name while his mouth skims my throat and his tongue darts out, hot and hungry. “Jesus, Dani,” he rasps, his fingers digging into my thigh before moving further up my leg.

  My cries echo through the suite as he caresses the curve of my butt, teasing both of us. He’s right at the lacy hem of my damp panties, stroking the sensitive skin, and my fingers turn into claws as I clutch his shoulders.

  “Oh, my God,” I moan as his mouth moves lower, lower. His tongue slides between my breasts and laps at my cleavage. I hold his head close, urging him on, whispering his name over and over, while he grunts like an animal and grinds his rock-hard bulge against my belly. His fingers dip down there, between my thighs, and he groans louder than ever when he feels how wet I am.

  And now…he’s on his knees and sliding my panties down. My head rolls from side to side when he buries his face between my legs. God, I’m in heaven. Fireworks explode behind my eyelids as I writhe in ecstasy. His tongue sweeps up and down the length of my slit, lapping up my juices.

  “You taste so sweet…” he moans before going deeper.

  When the tip of his tongue touches my aching, throbbing bundle of nerves, my thighs clench, and to my complete shock, an explosive orgasm rocks me to my core. I don’t know whether he’s
laughing at how easy it was to get me off, or grunting with need as he continues to probe with his greedy tongue. All I know is, I’m floating in a haze of pleasure and I don’t want to ever come back down to Earth.

  He stands and sweeps me up in his arms. Carrying me to my room which is closer and places me on my bed. He peels off his shirt, revealing a body that looks like it was chiseled out of marble. Warm, tanned, glistening, tattooed marble. My hands ache to touch him. I need to feel his skin on mine. I sit up to unzip my dress and he works it over my head. Then his hands are gliding over my raised arms and down to my waist, and back up to where he unhooks my bra. “Your body…” he whispers as he takes my breasts in his hands. “Is unbelievable. I want to worship this body.”

  I drape my arms over his bare shoulders, pull him down on top of me, and relish the sensation of his hard, masculine body pressing into mine while we kiss and grind against each other. I never thought it could be like this, so exciting, so breathless and so, so hot. The tension in my core tightens with every kiss, every touch, every taste of his skin or soft moan. My hand brushes against his straining dick.

  “I need you. Fuck, how I need you,” he groans.

  My fingers close around his length. So thick. I thought I was drunk and dreamed it last night, but no, it is extraordinarily thick. The cotton briefs he’s wearing are still between us, and he practically tears them off. “I need you too,” I whisper back.

  I touch him while he searches his pants for a condom, taking him in with my eyes, hands and mouth when he comes into reach. He’s undone me, fully and completely, and I’m not thinking rationally anymore. I’m only feeling and acting on what my body has wanted ever since I first opened my eyes to find him watching me sleep.

  The pressure at my entrance is enough to make me grit my teeth. He’s big, thicker than I’ve ever taken before, and I’m torn between anticipation and apprehension.

  He kisses me softly, teasingly, and looks deep into my eyes as he pushes forward, watching my reaction as he slowly enters me inch by glorious inch, stretching me until I’m sure I can’t take more.