by Brenna Zinn
Why? What’s been holding him back?
Tonight she wouldn’t stop taunting him until he finally gave in. She simply couldn’t leave Houston for good without knowing the feel of his cock deep inside her or the weight of his body on hers after he’d thoroughly satisfied both of them. She’d pull out every sexual gun in her arsenal if she had to in order to make him give in.
A small bead of perspiration trickled over the sexy crinkles around the corner of Carter’s eye and slid down his cheek. His chest heaved as though breathing was a tremendous effort. Though he’d practically taken off every piece of clothing he could and still remain decent, he still looked flushed and overheated. As if his internal furnace had gone completely haywire, warmth radiated from his body, making the inside of her thighs even hotter.
Carter raised her foot from his knee. With an unsteady hand, he placed the garter over her toes, then pushed the elastic garment down her foot and midway up her calf. There he stopped.
“Am I the only one dying here?” He exhaled a raspy breath and wiped his face with the cuff of his dress shirt. “Is the air conditioning in this place on?”
She had to be getting to him. Usually self-possessed and in control, Leslie had never seem Carter look so flustered.
Good. Maybe we’re getting somewhere here.
Apparently aware of his own nervousness, Carter relaxed his shoulders and allowed a boyish grin to spread across his face. “Don’t worry,” he placed two fingers beneath the garter, “I will finish this before Claire and Jeff start having kids.” Slowly, he pulled the shiny blue accessory until it slid several inches over her knee. Finished with his task, Carter stood and exhaled.
“Knew you could do it.” Philip handed Carter his discarded suit jacket and tie, then slapped him on the back. “Well done, old man.”
The smile on Carter’s face drew down to a scowl as he folded the jacket over his arm and stuffed his tie in his trouser pocket. He said something to the best man, but the loud chatter of the partygoers drowned out the sound of his voice.
Leslie may not have heard what Carter said, but she could read his lips easily enough. His mouth had perfectly formed the words, kiss my ass.
A chuckle, light and effervescent like bubbles floating up a flute of champagne, rippled through her, stirring her already mixed feelings about moving to Chicago. She was crazy about Carter, always had been, but he had too busy running his business and dating sophisticated women to take any notice of her. After ten years of hoping he’d show the least bit of interest, she could no longer avoid the writing clearly written on the wall. She had to accept the fact that she simply wasn’t refined enough for him. Of course that’s what had held him back. She was from the wrong side of the tracks for such a distinguished and wealthy man. She should have known that from the beginning.
Time I gave up and headed out to start a new life somewhere else.
Once she was gone, she’d never come back to Houston. Too many memories and heartache here. Most likely she’d never see Carter again, either. The chances of him popping up in Windy City were about as remote as finding a polar bear in the Sahara desert. She knew all too well if had his druthers, he’d never take a step outside of Texas, except for the occasional trip to Italy. She’d made enough of his travel accommodations to know the romantic city of Rome was the place he took the woman he seriously dated.
Before she left Houston though, she would seduce and take her pleasure with him. She might not leave with much more from Carter than a final paycheck and ten years worth of Christmas gifts, but at least she’d have memories of this evening. That would have to be enough.
Carter offered Leslie his hand. “Let me help you up before they come up with some other kind of tradition involving innocent guests and members of the wedding party.”
She placed her palm in his, once again noting his long, aristocratic fingers and the warmth of his touch. He had the hands of a true Southern gentleman. Soft and gentle, yet strong. Leslie lifted herself from the chair and the tucked up material of her blue gown tumbled down her legs with a light caress. The garter she now wore gripped the flesh of her thigh as the muscles there flexed with her movements.
She couldn’t suppress a sad smile. She would have the garter as a small memento of him, as well.
“Here you go.” Claire handed back the bouquet she’d been holding for Leslie while Carter did his thing with the garter. A grin the size of Texas lighted up her face. “And don’t plan on leaving the party just yet. There’s still the dance you two have to do. You did catch the flowers and the garter after all.”
“What is she talking about?” Carter asked of no one in particular.
The lights in the banquet hall dimmed and a hush settled over the room as everyone left the dance floor and found their seats. Several small spotlights affixed to the ceiling turned on, their colorful beams aimed at the disco ball hanging over the middle of the parquet floor. Like brilliant sparks bursting from a colorful fire, reflected light bobbed and twirled all around the darkened room.
A slow song started playing over the speakers.
Carter smiled apologetically and drew Leslie into her arms. “Did you know this was next?”
Leslie shook her head. “No. Do you know how to dance?”
He winked. “Do I know how to dance? Are you kidding?”
He pulled her forward then dipped her so low she was certain her head would graze the floor.
“I’ll have you know I’m a graduate of the Arthur Murray Dance Studio,” he teased. With a graceful arch, he lifted her back up then whirled her around. “I can waltz and do the Hustle with the best of them, my dear.”
Leslie glanced at Carter’s feet, trying to mimic his steps. “Who is Arthur Murray and what in the world is the Hustle?”
He cocked his head back, his eyebrows raised. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
Embarrassed by her naiveté, she could do little more than shrug her shoulders. “Sorry. No.”
Her stomach rolled. Here she finally was, dancing with Carter Lang, possibly the sexiest man she knew, and she had no idea what he was talking about. No doubt the classy women he was used to would not only know who Arthur Murray was, they probably socialized with the guy at their high society parties.
“I’ll be happy to Google it when I get back to my table though,” she hastily added. “My Blackberry is in my purse. I should be able to download the information in seconds.”
He laughed. “Google it. How the hell did that phrase ever become a verb?”
“I know you’re not crazy about using the Internet, but it can be fun.”
A misstep on Leslie’s part landed her foot on his. Carter didn’t flinch. Instead, he winked and twirled her around again. Frustrated with her inability to keep up with his elaborate dancing, she stiffened her spine.
“Surfing the web is a great way to get information and keep up with friends.” When her words came out a bit harsher than she had intended, she mentally scolded herself.
“I don’t suppose just making a call to your friends would work, would it?” Carter extended his arm, pushing her out, then brought her back. “What you seem to forget is the only surfing I really care to do is with a short board at South Padre Island.”
She tamped down a very unlady-like snort. “Don’t tell me you’ve never surfed the net for porn. Every man does that. I’ve even done that.”
Carter stared at her, stumbled, momentarily out of sync with the rhythm of the song. He lowered his gaze to hers, staring. “You’ve watched porn? Did I hear you right?”
His eyes, the color of whisky in sunlight and just as intoxicating, seemed to bore through her. His male essence, a seductive blend of spice and man, surrounded her and permeated her body. Her legs seemed to melt and her knees felt as though she would crumble at any moment.
Sucking in a deep breath, Carter resumed his complicated dance moves. He shuffled her to his left and to his right before bringing her in close enough to brush her breasts against
his broad chest. “Do tell me more.”
He whispered directly into Leslie’s ear, his voice filled with curiosity. His breath lingered on her neck, the sensation like a shower of icy-hot rain that sent shivers of lust down to her toes.
Leslie gulped for air and searched for courage. This was the perfect time to make her pass at him. If she didn’t do it now, she might not have another opportunity. Just being this close to him made her nipples harden into tight points and liquid arousal soak the crotch of her panties. A pulse deep inside her cunt set up an insistent throbbing.
And if the press of his engorged cock against her body was any indication, he was as turned on as she was.
Trying to look as casual as possible, Leslie took the lead from Carter. She released her hands from his and draped her arms around his shoulders, then pressed herself closer as she forced him to slowly shuffle along with the beat of the song. Bending her head toward his earlobe, she prepared to share her dark secret.
But before she could utter a single word, inspiration struck. Leslie spent only a moment debating the sanity of her next move. She stroked her tongue against the side of his neck, tasting the sensitive skin, shocking herself with her boldness yet reveling in it. “Carter?”
“Mmmhmm?”
“I have every imaginable sex toy known to man locked away in my bedroom closet,” she whispered on a breathy exhale. “Every night I choose a new toy to play with. I lie down on my bed, close my eyes, and pretend you’re lying naked beside me. The only way I can make myself come is when I fantasize about you making love to me.”
Carter’s feet stopped moving. His chest heaved. Through his dress shirt and jacket she could feel his heart pound like a hammer hitting steal beneath his ribs.
He pulled her back and examined her face. “What did you just say?”
They were stopped now in the center of the floor. Taking a wary glance around the room at the wedding party following their every movement, Leslie’s resolve started to flee like a rabbit being chased by a wolf. “Carter, these people are staring at us. We have to keep dancing.”
She pushed him forward, then rocked him side to side, trying to get him to move. Carter refused to budge. He just stood there and continued to stare at her as though she’d just turned him to stone. A tiny thread of fear wound through her. Had she made a mistake here? The intensity of his scrutiny made her want to eat every word she’d just said.
“Please, don’t stop dancing.” She nudged him again.
Her former boss shook his head. A lock of his glossy salt and pepper hair escaped from its careful combing and fell onto his forehead.
“I don’t give a damn what these people think,” he said a little too loudly, then lowered his voice. “Leslie, listen to me. I hadn’t planned to ever tell you this. I’m almost ashamed to admit it.” Carter slid his hands down the curve of her body, landing firmly on her hips. “I saw you in your private bathroom at the office on our last day at work. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I would never intentionally watch you do anything that might embarrass you, but I just couldn’t look away.”
He lifted a hand to her face and outlined her cheek with the back of a finger. “There has been nothing but you on my mind since that moment. You’ve managed to consume my every thought while I’m awake and haunt my dreams at night. I can barely eat or drink for thinking of you.”
His statements, spoken so earnestly, caught her off guard. Her heart leapt, jarring a fathomless well of feelings for him she’d spent so many years filling but never dared to draw from. She felt her legs give way and leaned against Carter to keep herself upright. Unable to prevent a tide of strong emotion from crashing through her defenses, she bowed her head and let tears fill her eyes.
“Wait a minute. What’s this?” Carter cupped her chin and raised her face to meet his. With his free hand, he pulled a white handkerchief from inside his jacket and dabbed at her wet cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I never should have said anything.”
Leslie choked back a sobbing laugh, her body shaking with the effort. “Oh, Carter. You haven’t upset me at all.” She hiccupped. “You always forgot your briefcase when you left the office, and I knew you’d come back for it.” A fresh wave of tears streaked down her face, washing away ten years of pent up longing with each drop that fell. “I hoped you’d find me, Carter. I wanted you to see me. I wanted to make you want me as much as I’ve always wanted you.”
Carter hesitated for only a moment before tipping back her head and covering her lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she lost herself in his kiss, indulging in the sweet taste of his tongue as he explored her mouth. She pressed harder against the firm feel of his long, muscled body, the thickness of his cock, and tightened her hold around his neck. This was a moment she’d waited so very long for. She never wanted to let him go.
Whoops of delight and cheers erupted from the crowd in the darkened room. She was so engrossed with Carter she’d forgotten where they were or that they had even been dancing, let alone the center of attention.
Leslie reluctantly pulled away from Carter’s embrace. Looking all around the room, she noticed people standing near their tables, clapping and hooting. At the head table, Philip and Brian exchanged a high-five, their elated faces stretched with exaggerated smiles. Stacy offered a napkin to Claire, who openly wept. Despite their fifteen feet of separation, Leslie could see the tracks of tears rolling down Claire’s cheeks.
Like an old-fashioned knight in shining armor, Carter bent and placed an arm under Leslie’s knees, shifted the other further up her back, and swept her off her feet. Surprised at his move, she let out a yelp and held on to him for dear life.
Without a word or a sideways glance at the enthusiastic audience, he walked off the dance floor and crossed the ballroom until he paused at the double doors. Throwing up his leg, Carter kicked the long metal exit bar with his foot. The door flew opened and crashed against an adjoining wall. Before it could swing back, he marched through the open entry way. At the elevator he pressed the up button with an elbow.
The situation too unreal to make sense of, Leslie let herself go and burrowed herself deeper into the cradle of his arms. She nuzzled the curve between his broad shoulder and his neck, drinking in his spicy scent.
“What are you doing?” Even to her own ears her voice sounded faint and dreamy as though coming from a drifting cloud far, far away
He lightly kissed her forehead, then rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. “Something I should have done years ago.”
“And that would be?” Leslie allowed the statement to trail off.
The elevator doors slid open and soft music spilled into the hallway. Carter carried her into the small space, turned, and pressed the button for the top floor, the Presidential Suite. This time with his nose, making Leslie give a hiccupping laugh.
The door closed, and the elevator lightly jerked as it made its way up through the hotel’s many stories.
Carter brushed aside her hair with his cheek, exposing her ear. He bent and nibbled on her earlobe. “I’m going to make love to you until you beg me to stop.”
****
Carter carried Leslie down the hallway as though she weighed nothing at all. His arms didn’t strain, his breathing was normal, and veins didn’t pop out from his neck. Instead, he seemed to have an actual bounce to his step, making the trip from the elevator to the suite’s doors shorter than she’d expected.
By the looks of the hallway, they had stepped into a slightly more elegant world than the people on the lower floors. Huge crystal vases filled with brightly colored, exotic flowers stood like sentinels on ebony tables. Oversized chandeliers dripping with cut crystals hung from the high ceiling, and thick cream carpeting muffled Carter’s footsteps. A set of double doors at the end of the short corridor were the only signs of entry into a room.
Nothing like the hallway where Leslie’s room was. The differences reminded her once more of the complete social and
financial gap between them. For a crazy second, as he fumbled in his pocket for the keycard, Leslie debated asking him not to open the door. In that brief moment, panic welled up and she wanted to leap out of his arms and run away. But she tightened her arms around his neck, thought about the night ahead, and the moment passed.
Being carried around by her former boss, inhaling his familiar scent, and snuggling up against his wide chest was the closest thing to heaven she’d ever experienced. When the doors were opened and he stepped over the threshold, he’d put her down. The thought of not having those strong arms holding her nearly caused a lump in her throat. She’d spent so many years getting to this exact place she didn’t want the feeling to end.
But when he eased her to her feet, he took a moment to cup her face with his hands and brush his lips against her.
“I never allowed myself to dream we’d be here like this,” he murmured.
“Neither did I.”
With the exception of the city lights shining in through a wall of windows at the other end of the room, the suite was completely dark. Leslie could make out the major pieces of furniture placed around the expansive space. Almost shapeless in their appearance, the couch and various chairs were large, inky-black spots silhouetted against the brightness of the indirect lights from outside.
Carter slid his hand along the wall, looking for the light switch.
“No.” Leslie placed her hand over his. “Don’t turn them on just yet. I want a good look at Houston first from way up here.”
“Whatever you like. “ He drew her fingers to his mouth and kissed them so lightly his lips felt like butterfly wings against her skin. “Consider this room yours.”
Whatever I like. We’ll certainly have to see about that.
Careful to avoid bumping into any objects hiding in the dimness, she gathered up the bottom of her bridesmaid’s dress and made her way to a window. More and more of downtown Houston revealed itself the closer she got to the end of the room. At forty five floors, The Lone Star of Texas Hotel wasn’t the tallest building in the city, but certainly offered some incredible views.