“Tell Colin I said ‘hi.’”
“Will do. Good night.” Satisfied that I’d protected Carly’s virtue for the night, I headed upstairs to do exactly the opposite with whatever was left of mine.
Chapter Twelve
“How much do you hate me?” Colin leaned against our door waiting for me.
“Somewhere between a little and a lot.” The night hadn’t been a total disaster, just awkward on several levels.
“I’m sorry.” He wrapped his hand around my wrist. “Does that count for something?”
“I’m not sure yet. It depends on your explanation.”
“I have a good one.”
“Then spill it.”
He inserted his key into the door, waiting for the light to turn green before turning the door handle. There is something about watching a guy do that that makes you feel kind of naughty. It’s like no matter how old you are, walking into a hotel room with someone means one thing—sex. This is especially true late at night when you’ve both had at least one drink.
“So what’s your excuse?” I dropped my purse on the desk chair and sat down on the couch that would be Colin’s bed for the night.
“Gray got cold feet.”
“What? The night before the wedding?”
“Yeah. He was freaking out and threatening to call off the wedding.”
“He wasn’t stupid enough to tell Dara that, right?”
Colin looked uncomfortable. “Yeah, he was.”
“Oh shit.” The curse flew out of my mouth.
“Yeah, needless to say there was a mess to clean up.” He sat down next to me.
“How’d it end? Is there still a wedding?”
“I left the bride and groom kissing in the hotel lobby. I think it’s going to be okay.”
“Wow. She forgave him?”
“I think she was nervous too.” He slumped down a little on the couch so he could lean his head back. “I’m just glad that’s over.”
“Yeah. I bet.” I ran a finger over his hand.
He shifted, pulling his leg up on the couch so he could look at me. “But back to my original question. How much do you hate me?”
“I don’t. Getting ditched wasn’t fun, but I survived.”
“Good. I don’t want you mad at me.”
“I think your sister might be mad at me tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“I kicked her friends out of her room.”
He slipped off his shoes and removed his tie. Watching him make himself comfortable like that was a new experience. “Was there a particular reason for it?”
I didn’t want to get in the middle of anything, and I owed it to Carly to let her deal with it herself first. “I’ll let her tell you. It’s enough to say she’s alone in her bed sleeping. She might not feel great in the morning though.”
He shrugged. “It won’t be the first time.”
I needed to move the conversation off his sister. “On a positive note, the food was good tonight.”
“It was, wasn’t it?”
“Hopefully, that means the food will be good tomorrow.”
“It should be. And as long as the bride and groom don’t fight again, it will be a nice wedding.”
“If I ever get married, I really hope I’m not fighting with my fiancé the night before.”
“That’s why I’m all about eloping. All the fun without taking the time to consider the long-term ramifications of your union.”
I laughed. “You are such a romantic, Colin.”
“I am more than you think.” He stood up as though he suddenly had somewhere to be.
I did the same. I figured he wanted to sleep, and I needed to move if he wanted to.
He took off his watch, setting it on the desk. “I promise not to ditch you tomorrow.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’ll have to ditch me for most of the day.”
“No, the wedding isn’t until the afternoon. We have all morning and then we’ll hang out the whole reception.”
“We’ll see what happens.” I smiled. “Either way, save me a dance at the reception.” I walked toward the bathroom.
I listened to him set up his pull-out bed while I unpacked my toiletries. He was lying on his bed when I came out, still dressed. “Sleep well, Maddy.”
Sleep well, Maddy? Was that all he had?
I attempted to dial down my disappointment. “Same to you. Good night.” I walked into my room, closing the door behind me.
I held up the tiny nightie, regretting the choice of sleep attire. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in what I had to offer in that department, which made me wonder why he invited me in the first place. Maybe making out and groping was all he wanted. The last time a guy had settled for that without pushing for more from me was middle school.
“Don’t give up,” I sighed, slipping into the all too skimpy satin before getting under the sheets. Only after getting my pillows situated I realized I’d forgotten to turn off the lamp on the other side of the room. I took it as a sign that I needed to get out of bed again eventually. I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them.
I stared at the white door. Colin was on the other side, and I was dying to know what he slept in. Was this all because he was too much of a gentleman? Or was he not interested? The latter seemed more and more likely as I struggled to come up with a conceivable excuse to leave the room. The only good one was the bathroom, but if I wasted it, I wouldn’t have it when I really needed to go.
Ten minutes later I’d convinced myself I needed to use the bathroom. I got out of bed and tentatively opened the door. I looked over at him, he was sleeping, but he’d left a lamp on. I appreciated the light as I made my way toward the ajar door. I finished up quickly, taking a minute to check out my appearance after washing my hands. I tousled my hair and tugged down on my way-too-short nightie. Maybe by some luck Colin would wake up and see what he was missing.
He looked too good. The sheet only came up to his waist, and the way the light fell on him accentuated his toned body. I stared at him without watching where I was going. I knocked over a lamp.
“Maddy?” Colin sat up, the sheet slipping off him in the process. Boxer briefs. He slept in boxer briefs. They were blue ones that looked incredible against his tan skin.
“Hey, sorry for waking you up.”
“Don’t say sorry.” His eyes widened as they moved up and down my body.
“Okay.” I refused to give in to the urge to cross my arms. The whole purpose was to let him look. I wouldn’t undermine myself.
“Can I ask you something?” He stood up, giving me an even better view.
My eyes didn’t know where to settle. I forced them up to his face. His eyes weren’t on my face. “Yeah.”
“Do you usually sleep in things like that, or did you wear it for me?” His voice was gravely, low, and far sexier than I ever imagined it would sound.
My stomach dropped in a mix of nerves and excitement. “I wore it for you.” This wasn’t the time to be bashful.
“God, I was hoping you’d say that.”
“I was hoping you’d like it.”
“Like isn’t a strong enough word.” He closed the distance between us. “You’re always sexy, but this takes it to a whole new level.” One of his hands slid up my leg, while he cradled the back of my head with his other.
“I can say the same about you.”
He leaned in and kissed me, his lips smashing into mine. His tongue demanded entry, and I eagerly welcomed it. I’d get my cinnamon fix, and I’d get much more this time. His hands moved over me roughly, his usual gentle touch was replaced by something much more primal.
I broke the kiss long enough to get out a few words. “You might be more comfortable sleeping in the bedroom.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”
He picked me up, letting his hands move under my nightie in the process. He carried me into the bedroom, and slowly lowered me down on the bed.
He followed behind, holding his weight above me as he stroked my stomach with one hand. I reached up and pulled his head down to mine again, needing another kiss. I got lost in his taste, letting the kiss get frenzied. I pulled the rest of his body down, loving the way his full weight felt on top of me. His hand moved up, cupping a breast. I moaned, pushing up against him.
He groaned. “I’ll be right back.”
I started to protest, but he returned with his wallet.
“Are you planning to pay me, or is there a condom in there?”
He laughed as he returned his hands to me. “I think I tip you enough at the Grille.”
“True.”
“I’ve been waiting to see you naked from the moment I met you.” He slipped the straps halfway down my arms.
“Yeah? You have a funny way of showing it.”
He slowly slipped the fabric down farther, exposing my breasts.
He inhaled. “And it was totally worth the wait.”
I watched him, refusing to miss a moment of his reaction. There is something incredible about watching a man’s face when he sees you for the first time. It’s a total self-esteem boost, especially when they look at you the way Colin looked at me. I pushed aside the self-conscious thoughts that always plagued me in those kinds of moments—he seemed happy with what he was seeing.
He continued to undress me, pushing the satin over my hips slowly, like he didn’t want to rush a moment. His attentiveness was hot, and I reached out to touch his chest. It was toned, hard, and unbelievably appealing.
Left only in a pair of black silk panties, I let him look at me. “Did you wear those for me too? I always imagined you were a cotton kind of girl.”
“I like sexy lingerie.” I did.
“Yeah? You are full of surprises.”
“I aim to please.” I closed my mouth, realizing how that sounded. I supposed considering my position, it didn’t matter.
He chuckled. “You and me both.” He kissed my neck, before his lips traveled down to my breast. He took a breast in his mouth while he fondled the other.
I reached my hand into his briefs so I could grab him.
He groaned again. “Tonight is turning out so much better than I expected.”
“You didn’t expect anything when you invited me to spend the weekend in a hotel room with you?”
“I tried to give you your own room.”
“I appreciate the gentleman act, but it’s time to lose it.”
“Yeah? I know of a few ways to do that.”
I ran a hand down his chest. “Something tells me I’m going to enjoy finding out what those are.”
“You will. I’ll make sure of it.” His lips moved down from my breasts.
I exhaled sharply. “Good, but Colin?”
“Yeah?”
“I want you now.”
“You’ll want me even more later.”
I did. Twenty minutes later I was begging to have him.
He didn’t make me wait any longer. He bit down on my lip as he thrust into me, and the combination of sensations drove me wild. I dug my nails into his back.
“You feel so good, Maddy.” He breathed the words into my ear, as I struggled to keep my eyes open. I wanted to close them and slip into the ecstasy he was giving me, but I needed to see his face. I needed to see that he was into it as much as I was.
He wasn’t gentle, but he wasn’t rough. It was the perfect medium that we both needed. I reached my climax, finally giving in and closing my eyes to enjoy it. He found his release and stayed on top of me. Once again I enjoyed the feel. Sweaty and exhausted, we separated when he rolled on his side next to me.
Eventually, I regained speech. I hadn’t had sex that good in…well, never. “That was worth waiting for.”
“Yeah? I agree. Better than lighthouse sex would have been.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. I wanted things traditional the first time, and I didn’t want it to be too early on. I needed to know you were into us.”
“And I somehow convinced you of that?” I rested my head on his chest.
“You came to this wedding and hung out with my sister. You get this isn’t a fling.
“We couldn’t have sex if it was a fling?”
“We could, and it would be fun, but it’s not what I’m looking for.”
“Oh?”
“No. I knew there was something real between us, tonight proved it.”
“Does this mean we get to have sex a lot then?” Waiting had been hard, but now that I knew how good it could be, I wanted more.
He laughed. “Yeah. How about now?”
“Now? You can’t be ready for more yet.”
“Oh yeah?” He moved my hand down from where it rested on his chest.
“Um, okay, I guess I believe you.”
“In that case. Want to be on top this time?”
Without bothering with words, I moved out of his arms and climbed on top of him.
***
“Morning.” Colin placed tiny kisses all the way down my body as I tried to wake up.
I fought through the haze, remembering little details from the night before. We’d barely slept, and I didn’t mind at all. “I don’t remember ordering a wake-up call.”
He removed his lips from their descent long enough to respond. “You don’t have to order it.”
“Mmm, if I have to wake up, this is the way to do it.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He kissed my lips gently, wrapping me in his arms.
“That was an interesting night.”
“Interesting? I’d probably describe it as mind-blowingly good.”
“Oh yeah? I didn’t know ‘mind-blowingly’ was a word.”
“If it isn’t, it should be.”
I laughed. “You’re cute in the morning.”
“You’re cute when you’re naked.”
I pulled the sheet up higher. “Only cute?”
“Gorgeous,” he whispered, his breath warm on my ear.
“I’m glad I knocked over that lamp.”
“It saved me from making up an excuse to come in here.”
“Like you would have done that.”
“Oh I would have. I was brainstorming when you came out.”
“You were sleeping when I came out.”
“Not at all. How could I sleep knowing you were in the next room? If I’d known what you were wearing… Forget it, I would have been in bed with you, excuse or not.”
“Is that so?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What excuse had you come up with when I came out?”
“Some great ones. I needed to remind you to set an alarm.” He ran a hand through my hair. “I wanted to see if you were cold, because I’d turned the AC up. My personal favorite was that I wanted to see if you’d mind if I left the TV on.”
“But the TV was off.”
“Exactly. It would have been pretty lame, huh?”
“I wouldn’t have minded once I figured out what you were up to.”
He laughed. “At least we can forget about excuses tonight.”
“Oh yeah, we have another whole night.” I snuggled into him.
“But Maddy.”
“Yeah?”
“The morning isn’t over yet.”
“It isn’t, is it?” I let my hands roam his body, and his lips moved to my neck. “Do you think we can make the morning better than last night?”
“I’m not sure, but there’s only one way to find out.”
“Luckily, it’s a really fun way.” I closed my eyes as Colin’s hand moved between my legs.
Chapter Thirteen
“What a beautiful ceremony,” Carly sniffled as we watched the bride and groom share their first kiss as husband and wife.
I glanced at her. “Are you crying?”
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No…” Wow. Was this the same girl getting wasted in her hotel room the night before?
“Good.
” She clasped her hands together as the justice announced the couple.
Colin winked at me as he walked back down the aisle with a bridesmaid on his arm. I wondered if the night before—and morning—were running through his head the way they were running through mine. He had to have been at least twenty minutes late to meet his friends. He couldn’t drag himself out of bed. I was kind of proud of myself for having the effect on him. Or okay, very proud.
“You two are kind of cute.” Carly linked her arm with mine as we moved with the crowd toward the reception.
“Colin and I?”
“Yeah. I don’t want a single detail, but you two obviously had a busy night.”
“How’d you know?”
“You’re glowing and Colin winked.” She pulled me through an opening in the crowd. “Colin doesn’t wink.”
I laughed. “Good to know I’m glowing.”
“And that’s it for that conversation. I don’t want to hear another word more.”
“You’re the one who brought it up.”
“I know, but I’m sure you want to dish, and I’m not the girl to dish to.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” Kissing and telling wasn’t my thing. I avoided gossip like the plague. And telling his sister? Gross.
We each grabbed a champagne flute and watched the champagne toast. The happy couple each held out their own flutes for the other to drink. The action was sickeningly cute, especially considering the information I had. See, that’s why gossip sucks. It ruins even the nicest moments. I suppose instead I could have viewed it as even cuter, because it showed that they’d gotten over their differences—or not. Maybe this was one of those marriages fated to last about a month.
The cocktail hour was outside, and we searched for an empty table to hang out at. Evidently, the bride loved peach, because that color was everywhere: on the tablecloths, the flowers, and on fabric strung across the outdoor patio. Most of the peach-covered tables were already half full, and Carly must have felt as antisocial as I did because she didn’t move to take a seat at any of them.
We were about to settle for a high-top table without chairs when we were blocked in our path.
Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology) Page 13