Ask Me

by M. Malone

  His lids lower as I lean into his arm. My nipples tighten beneath the thin material of my halter top and I know he can tell. His sharp intake of breath proves it when I deliberately rub closer. Heat spreads from where his arm presses up against my breast.

  For the next few years, I’m going to be focused on nothing but work. Climbing the corporate ladder and proving everybody back in Gracewell wrong. This is my last chance to let loose and actually have some fun before I’m committed to the life of a corporate drone. Shouldn’t I enjoy it while I have the chance?

  I bite my lip, mulling it over. Part of me feels I should be ashamed considering going home with a guy when I don’t even know his last name.

  I’m lucky I caught his first name, considering how loud it is in here.

  But when I look at him, I don’t feel like he’s a stranger. Something about him puts me at ease and no man has ever made me feel so sexy.

  Maybe I won’t be having much fun over the next few years but at least I’ll have one really great memory to carry me through all those long, lonely nights. Time stops when our eyes meet.

  And I make a decision.

  “The music has gotten really loud,” I yell over the music. “Do you want to get out of here?”

  His eyes hold mine, almost like he’s trying to read between the lines. Taking a chance, I lean forward and brush my lips against his slightly. Before I can even pull back, he’s got his finger up signaling for the bartender.

  I open my small bag. After I bought him a drink we had another round, okay two more rounds, so I’m sure our bill is really high by now. But before I can count out any money, he hands some bills to the bartender and holds out a hand to me.

  The bar has gotten so crowded over the last two hours that we have to fight our way to the door to get out. When we finally step out onto the street, he entwines his fingers with mine.

  “Don’t want to lose you,” he murmurs. He’s so close that the sound of his deep voice next to my ear sends a shiver down my spine and straight between my legs. Jeez, this guy is like sex on a stick. Now that we’re standing up I’m reminded of how tall he is and the muscles in his arms are straining the sleeves of his shirt in a way that makes my mouth water.

  “We could find another place. Maybe get some coffee or find a restaurant and get something to eat. Something to soak up all the drinks.”

  I blink uncertainly. Did he not get my subtle hint back at the bar? Or is that not the way people proposition hot guys for sex? I’m clearly doing this wrong.

  “Can I be honest?”

  He nods and pulls me out of the flow of traffic until we’re leaning up against the building. The noise recedes as we move a little away from the door of the bar.

  “With my new job, I’m going to be really busy after this. I’m not looking for anything serious. But I’m really attracted to you. I’ve never felt like this with a guy before. So I guess what I’m saying is, I’d love to go look for a restaurant but I’d really rather go find a bed.”

  When he doesn’t say anything, I swallow nervously. “Sorry, maybe I misread things.”

  His eyes flash and he tugs me up on my toes. Our mouths crash together and his groan reverberates between our lips. All I can do is clutch his shirt, my fingers twisting in the material helplessly as he kisses me until I can’t breathe.

  When we finally break apart, we’re both panting for air and I can feel how hard he is in his jeans.

  “You didn’t misread anything. And if it’s okay with you, I’d love it if you’d come have a drink with me. In my hotel room.”

  I smile so hard that I want to cover it with my hands, sure I look like a crazy person. “Okay. Yes. Let’s do that.”

  He pulls out his phone. “Let me just call us a car.”

  I nod. “That’s one of the things I’ve loved since moving. We didn’t have Uber where I come from. It’s a small town.”

  He looks confused for a second but then nods. “Right. Uber. Just one moment.”

  I can’t see his screen but it feels like he’s pushing way too many buttons to be using the Uber app. When he feels my eyes on him, he shrugs apologetically.

  “Sorry, just telling my assistant not to bother me for the rest of the night. I want to focus on you.”

  Oh my god.

  The thought of an entire night with him makes me squirm.

  His eyes follow the movement of my hips and he curses suddenly. “You keep looking at me like that and I’m going to start undressing you on the street.”

  I cross my legs slightly trying to tame the ache that’s suddenly throbbing between my thighs. He grabs my hand and tugs me toward the curb. He waves his arm in the air and a passing taxicab pulls over a few feet away.

  “We’re taking a cab. Waiting around is just wasting time.” He holds the door open for me. “And Casey, the things I’m going to do to you are going to take time. A good, long time.”

  I really hope this doesn’t turn out to be a mistake.

  The entire cab ride, I keep my eyes fixed out the window, watching the sights speed by while we’re on the way to… oh god, where are we even going?

  This is like Being Single 101. Don’t go somewhere alone with a guy if no one knows where you are. I discreetly pull my phone from my bag. I’ll just text Ariana where I am when we arrive. She’ll understand. And she’s definitely not the type to judge.

  Once the cab stops I quickly text Ari before climbing out. Holy crap, this is a nice hotel.

  “Wow. This is a fancy place. You’re staying here?”

  It’s hard not to gawk as we walk through the lobby. And I’m seriously questioning my decision to wear a halter top tonight. Why didn’t I wear something nicer than this?

  “My job pays for it. It’s a great perk.”

  “This is definitely a great perk. You must be one hell of a salesman.”

  We enter the elevator and I’m pushed closer to him as another couple gets on. When I feel his arm wrap around me, I let my head fall to his chest briefly. A few floors later, we’re alone in the elevator. It takes a few minutes for me to realize what’s wrong. I laugh when I look at the elevator panel. None of the buttons are lit up.

  “You forgot to push a button. What floor are you on?”

  “Third floor.”

  I push the button and the elevator descends. It doesn’t take long to reach his floor and I exit first, sending him a playful look over my shoulder. “I can’t wait to see this room. If the rest of the hotel is any indication, I bet it’s pretty swank.”

  He stops next to a room and pulls out his phone. I’m trying to pretend like this is all totally normal to me but inside all I’m thinking is, Wow this hotel doesn’t even use regular keycards?

  He holds the door open for me. “Does it meet with your approval?”

  I put my bag down on the table next to the bed. The room is beautiful with gorgeous paintings on the wall and a balcony. But I’m not even looking at any of that. All of my attention is on the huge bed that looms in front of us. Suddenly I’m not so sure about this bold plan of mine.

  What was I thinking?

  I’ve never propositioned anyone in my life and I had to start with a guy who looks like he’s invented a few sexual positions?

  I sit on the edge of the bed, folding my hands in my lap.

  “Would you like a drink?” He gestures toward the small minibar. “I’m not sure what’s here but they usually have a pretty good selection.”

  Oh good. If we have a drink that gives me some time to loosen up a bit. “Sure. Maybe a glass of wine?”

  He turns his back to me and starts rummaging on the bar. I use the opportunity to watch him when he’s not looking. Tall and thin, he has the kind of compact frame common among runners or surfers. His dark hair is artfully tousled and I wonder if he’s ever had a bad hair day.

  Seriously, what the hell am I doing here with a guy who looks like he belongs in a Hugo Boss ad?

  He turns and hands me a glass. I take a tentative sip,
relaxing when I recognize it as champagne. I look up to find him watching me. “I guess you can tell I really don’t do this often.”

  “Would you believe me if I told you I don’t either? It’s not that easy to trust people these days. I spend a lot of my free time on my own.”

  “Me too! I can’t afford to get distracted. I trusted the wrong person in the past and had to drop out of school. Now I’m focused on my career. I really want to prove to myself that I can do this.”

  He nods his head. “I understand. Can I tell you a secret?”

  “You can tell me anything. This is a one-night stand, remember? One night of fun before we go back to our real lives. We’ll never see each other again so you can think of me like a vault. Whatever you tell me will never see the light of day.”

  “I want to do something completely different. I love what I do now but I also want to work on helping the less fortunate. Maybe a non-profit program to help them get warm clothes in the winter. Something like that.”

  I bump my shoulder against his. “I knew it. You’re a good guy. I could tell.”

  His cheeks redden. “It’s probably not going to happen. There’s a lot of people depending on me. For money, I mean. I need to focus on what’s most profitable. I don’t want to let them down.”

  “I understand that. My mom has always struggled and now that I have a new job, I’m going to be able to send money home to help her. So I get it. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t do this new project, too. If this is what you’re meant to do, I think you’ll find a way to balance the need to make a profit with your need to help others.”

  “You really think I can do that?”

  Why does he seem so shocked that someone could believe in him? It makes me a little sad to think he doesn’t have a cheerleader in his current circle of friends and family. I’m not sure if I could handle all the crazy stuff life has thrown at me recently if I didn’t have my mom in my corner telling me she knows I can handle anything.

  “Yes, I really think you can do it. Something tells me you can do just about anything.”

  When he notices I’m done with the champagne, he takes my glass. I slip my shoes off and tuck my legs underneath me. “This really is a beautiful room.”

  When I look up, he’s watching me with that intense, sexy look.

  Screw this. We’re both adults and we know why we’re here. I grab the front of his shirt, pulling him down on top of me. I can feel his shock, he’s as stiff as a board at first but then he’s lowering himself on top of me and our tongues are entwined.

  It’s so easy to get lost in his kiss but I know what I want and it doesn’t involve him wearing this many clothes. Things are a mad scramble as we both pull off our clothes but finally we’re naked and I’ve never felt anything better.

  His mouth latches on to my breast, taking as much of it into his mouth as possible.

  “Oh my god, I can’t breathe.” I gasp, overwhelmed by the sensation. My hips move restlessly, trying to get the contact I need. But he’s not moving with me, holding himself still as if he’s trying not to frighten me.

  “Don’t tease me. Please.”

  He growls, a low rumbling sound that makes me tighten internally, imagining this magnificent male animal taking me. He reaches over the side of the bed for his pants, coming back with a condom. It’s an embarrassing but educational moment to watch him roll it down his considerable length.

  He pauses, looking unsure now that we’re both naked and things are about to go down. I touch his face gently. “This is just going to be one night, right? One last night of fun before I have to be all boring and serious.”

  “One night,” he agrees. “But if one night is all we have, then I’d better make it count.”

  I wrap my arms around his shoulders. “You’re damn straight. Show me what you’ve got.”

  6

  * * *

  Something tickles my nose and I open my eyes. Sunlight streams through the curtains I forgot to close last night. Drapes were definitely the last thing on my mind when we stumbled into this room.

  I blink sleepily and peer around the unfamiliar room. Kate is a miracle worker. Seriously, best assistant ever. Who else could I call and ask for a new hotel room and have the digital key on my app less than ten minutes later? Amazing.

  Not sure what miracle she pulled off to have a room ready for me that fast but I don’t care. All I care about is the results. There was no way I could bring Casey up to the Presidential Suite after spending so much effort to get her to see me as a regular guy.

  And she did. She knows nothing of what I do for a living or about the money or the fame. To her, I’m just a guy with slightly bad fashion sense who seems to bump into her a lot. And yet, she likes me anyway.

  My chest warms when I think about her and that’s when it hits me. My head whips to the right, the space where Casey should be.

  The space that contains nothing but rumpled sheets and a pillow.

  Suddenly wide awake I sit straight up and kick the blanket off. I’m still naked but I don’t care about that as I walk over to the bathroom and knock on the door. When I open it, it’s empty. Heart pumping now, I run to the door of the room and step out into the hall.

  “Oh my!”

  There’s a middle-aged couple in the hall pushing a baby in a stroller. The mother covers her mouth in surprise but her eyes drop to my dick swinging in the wind. The father scowls at me and then puts his hand over his wife’s eyes.

  “Sorry.” I close the door and lean back against it. There’s no way around it. Casey left.

  She left?

  Perplexed, I stalk around the room staring at the rumpled bed linens as if they can give me the answers. Did I do something to scare her away? It’s not bragging to say that I’ve never had a woman run out on me before. Usually, morning afters consist of round four or five of sex followed by a leisurely brunch.

  Then I’m usually the one trying to find a tactful way to escape.

  But this… I don’t know what to make of this. She ditched me! The more I think about it, the more absurd it seems. As I’m pacing, my foot runs over something and I lean down to pick it up. My blood heats when I see what it is. The panties I peeled off Casey last night.

  I chuckle, only now able to see the design on the cotton. Purple and pink unicorns cover the fabric. As pissed off as I am, I can’t help laughing. Only Casey could wear such unsexy panties and still have me panting for more. Maybe it’s a metaphor for this whole situation. She’s like this mythical creature that I’ve only dreamed up. Hell, maybe I had one too many beers last night and the whole thing was a dream.

  Then I’m hit with a visceral memory of her tight, wet heat as I slid inside her, the way she moaned in my ear and shuddered beneath me every time she came.

  That wasn’t a dream. It was the best damn sex I’ve ever had. And instead of enjoying more of it, I’m standing in the middle of a basic hotel room with a stiff dick holding the most ridiculous panties I’ve ever seen.

  My phone is still on the nightstand where I put it last night. I’m checking for messages when it hits me. We never exchanged numbers. I don’t even think I got her last name. I look over at her side of the bed again and that’s when I see the note propped up on the other nightstand. I crawl over the bed and snatch it eagerly. It’s just two lines scrawled on the hotel stationery.

  Last night was amazing.

  You really are my lucky charm.

  I stare at the paper in disbelief. That’s it? Just two lines and she didn’t even sign her name?

  Then I see that she’s written something on the outside. When I peer closer what I see scrawled there only makes me feel worse.

  No, what I see written there makes my blood boil.

  “Who the fuck is Andrew?”

  “Okay, the investigator got nothing.”

  Jason sits on the edge of my desk as he delivers the bad news. Not that I didn't know it was coming.

  “Our social media team tried
to find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I’m at a loss as to what to do next. I’m this close to calling my ex-girlfriend and asking for her help. No one can stalk someone like her. Trust me. I know this from experience.”

  It's been a week and I've tried everything. I waited in the lobby of the hotel that morning hoping she might come back. After that I called ASI, the private security firm we’ve been using while in the States. The owner, Elliott Alexander, took the case personally after his employees failed to find anything. He tried the name Casey, spelled with both a K and a C. He tried the initials K.C.

  Eventually he concluded that without a last name, or certainty that I even have the correct first name, it would be virtually impossible to find her.

  That’s when I went on the hunt.

  I went back to the bar where we had drinks that night and asked around. That just got me thrown out. Apparently asking about a girl when you don’t know her last name or anything else about her other than what her pussy tastes like is considered creepy.

  Then I went to the coffee shop where we first met and got nothing for my trouble other than a few more bad lattes. The girl behind the counter kept looking at me like I was a serial killer when I tried to describe Casey. To be fair, it’s hard to describe a sexy woman without sounding like a pervert. If I can’t mention her round ass and perky tits then all I’m left with is brown hair, brown eyes and the ability to make me laugh. A smile that makes me feel warm inside. A kiss that turns me on and also makes me want to protect her.

  None of those things have been helpful in identifying her. And each day, I’m losing hope. The facts are in my face and have been getting more clear by the day. Casey either doesn’t exist or she doesn’t want to be found.

  I’m not sure which I find more alarming.

  Jason sighs. “I get that this is frustrating but it's just one girl. Hell, I'll go with you back to the bar and we can find another one.”

  “I don't want another one,” I mutter petulantly. “I want that one. You don't get it. This girl is special.”