Shit. My underwear! She released an inward groan. Someone was going to find her panties in the bathroom; that was sure to confirm any suspicions the flight attendant might have been having. Zola suspected if she wore panties more often, she might have realized before now she’d left them behind in the bathroom when she scurried away from Shin.
After being shown to her suite, she tipped the young man who offered to unpack for her while eyeing her from head to toe. She gracefully declined and hurried him out the door. Before it was closed all the way, Zola was unbuttoning her blouse. She strolled over to the window and looked out at the Downtown Atlanta skyline before drawing her curtain closed and undressing down to her bra, garter belt, and hose.
Rolling her luggage to the large king-size bed, she pitched it atop the mattress onto the luggage mat that was placed across the foot of the bed and zipped it open, revealing its contents.
Choosing a more casual, bat-sleeved, peach-colored caftan with an intricately detailed, hand-stitched square neckline that split up the sides along with matching pants, she placed them on the bed along with a coordinating pair of peach lace panties and bra.
Before getting in the shower, Zola placed a call to her employer to let him know she’d made it safely and that she had made initial “contact” with Tsubasa. She hung up after promising she would call him back only after she had a confirmation one way or the other.
Zola was about to turn on the shower when a knock sounded on the door. She pulled down the red, kimono, floor-length silk robe she’d hung on the hook on the back of the bathroom door and slipped her arms into it as another firm knock echoed through the hotel room.
“One moment please,” she called out, tying the sash at her waist. The bathroom was located on the left side as you entered the room. She came up on bare tiptoes to peep, and her lips parted in a gasp. Her knees shook, and familiar butterflies flitted in the pit of her stomach.
She drew in a deep breath, opening the door a crack to peep out. “Shin,” was the only thing she could manage between suddenly dry lips.
“I thought we could get started.” He held up a clipboard of what looked to be numerous notes. “I assume the quicker we can get this over with, the sooner whoever you got to make the speech tomorrow night will be able to look this over so you can have them upload it to the prompters.”
“I think too much has passed between us for me to lie to you.” Zola spoke her thoughts aloud.
“Lie to me?” His brow puckered with suspicion.
“There is no one else to make the speech tomorrow,” she admitted. “It has to be you, or several key politicians we need to vote on continuing the research grant will be swinging their votes to the other side. We don’t know why the sudden restlessness, but my boss believes if they can see you are still as passionate about the project it will renew their belief in it.”
“So was all this some kind of ruse?” Anger poured into his voice. “Were you sent here to seduce me? Were you supposed to, what…take pictures or record me saying inappropriate things, so if I didn’t agree to do this...you could use it against me?”
“I’m not a damn criminal,” she hissed at him. “I swear I had no idea who you were until that airplane hostess said your name.” Her eyes narrowed in anger as the suspicious look lingered on his attractive face. “Look here. For the record, I will work my ass off for NASA because I love my job, but I’ll be damned if I would whore myself to keep it!”
He released a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair before resting it on his hip. His teeth worked at his bottom lip.
“Look, if you don’t believe me—”
“I believe you,” Shirou interrupted. “It’s just...I don’t think I can be the one to give that speech tomorrow night.”
“Why?” Zola asked. “Who could be more qualified to speak on the subject?”
“I told them before they took on the project I don’t do public speaking. I...I can’t,” he replied.
“Have you even tried?”
“The first time I spoke in front of a group of people, there was only a group of six people. I thought to myself, I can do this.” His hand shook as he wiped at the moisture that appeared on his brow. It was as if even speaking about it terrified him.
“What happened?”
“I was so nervous I couldn’t talk—not a word. My voice shook and my hands shook and I was barely able to apologize. I was paralyzed. After about five minutes, they told me not to worry about it...that I could leave. Still to this day, I am mortified when I think about it. A group of six of my peers around a table, a topic I knew inside and out, and I was struck dumb.”
“But I read in your bio you guest lecture a college course on solar radiation and energy forecasting...”
“That’s different.” He shook his head. “I wrote the course study book. So, I’m teaching; not trying to impress them. They are young and easily impressed. There aren’t countless jobs and careers riding on if they like me or not.”
Zola felt ashamed. She had been so busy putting the weight of her job and everything else on his shoulders, as her boss had done to her, she’d never considered what it might be like for him. She had assumed he was some wealthy, spoiled, brilliant physicist who could care less about others’ job security.
“Zoë, these pompous asses who make such demands aren’t representing the greater good of the people of this world, or they wouldn’t need me to convince them to continue doing what is right. What they are doing is seeing how much clout they have by requesting that I personally get up on that stage and perform like a pet monkey on the length of chain they give me. My research speaks for itself. I resent the implication that it isn’t good enough.”
“I never thought of it like that,” Zola admitted.
“Probably because they made it seem like I was the problem and you were the solution. That way one of us could be blamed when the heads start to roll.”
“Sounds like you’ve been through this before,” Zola murmured.
“Not with NASA; but yes, I have been through this before. The person they sent wasn’t as pretty as you.” He smiled.
She smiled. “What did you do about them?”
“I gave them my resignation and took my patent product to NASA,” Shirou answered.
“That doesn’t bode well for me,” Zola commented sarcastically.
They heard the sound of a hotel room door down the hall opening and closing, and he looked down the hall, pushing his glasses up. For a moment he looked like he was about to bolt, but then his shoulders relaxed under his blazer.
“Why are you so nervous?” she asked, quirking her arched eyebrows at him in question. “At the airport I was the one who suggested we go our separate ways, and now you’re looking as if you’re about to take off in a run.”
“I’m standing at your hotel room and you’re practically naked, looking delectable. I think it would be easy to get the wrong impression, don’t you?”
“I imagine it would depend on who’s watching us. Those who work in my corporate office will think it’s me up to my old tricks of seducing yet another powerful man in the company to advance my career. And others, I’m sure, would find me and you being attracted to each other to be absolutely absurd and believe you must have gone to the wrong room because it’s easier than the alternative.”
“Either way, I apologize for showing up like this without calling first,” he spoke softly.
“How could you call first? You didn’t know which room I was in.” She waved off his apology with a hand.
“Actually, that is not true. I had my assistant call from the car to make sure they changed your room to this one because it joins with my suite.”
“Say what?”
“No need for alarm. There are two doors. Each can only be opened by the occupant of the room,” Shirou assured her.
“That’s very presumptuous of you, isn’t it?” Zola’s left brow rose in question.
“I won’t be here long. It’s one of the b
est rooms they have, and it would be more convenient if we are to work late into the night, seeing how it’s already late in the day.” He countered, “Was it not presumptuous of you to come to Atlanta under false pretenses, expecting to convince me to do the banquet?”
“Touché,” Zola snorted on a laugh. She looked at him a few heartbeats before shaking her head. “I suppose if you aren’t going to come through for me, I have to find someone very charismatic to take your place and pray those who wanted to hear you speak on your work will be content to have the opportunity to speak with you one-on-one at the cocktail party afterwards.”
“That too...I’m afraid is impossible.” His nose went up a notch.
“Oh, sweet bejeezus.” Zola rolled her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you have a problem doing that type of interaction also?”
“Not at all, but I do have to be back in Washington tomorrow evening for another affair that I cannot miss. The only reason I returned to Atlanta is because I promised I would meet with you and help you with this.”
“I see.” Zola felt her irritation growing by the minute. “Here I thought going to Washington was the inconvenience that had you so down, when actually it was me that was causing you distress.”
“No, your instincts were correct,” he said softly. “It was attending that appointment in Washington that had me agitated. I don’t want to go back, but in this matter I have no choice. My parents are waiting for my return.”
“They live in Washington?”
“No...Hawaii. They still live in the house I was born in,” Shirou answered. “They are in Washington for the event I explained I must attend.”
“Which brings us back to the problem at hand.” She released a tired sigh. “You might as well come inside.” She stepped back and opened the door wider. “If you will give me time to put something on, I’m sure with your IQ and mine, we can come up with something that will please everyone.”
Their eyes met, mated, and held. Her heart rate sped up from his intense gaze.
She was the first to look away and mentally shook off the emotions that gathered inside her like a storm. Zola refused to get caught up and confused by her physical attraction to Shirou. He was already hinting at some unspoken drama in his life. She’d been there and done that. She had no desire to do it again.
So what if she enjoyed speaking with him on the airplane? It also didn’t matter if he was interesting, humorous, and sexy—everything she found attractive in a man. Her dating motto was: Date ’em, fuck ’em, and let ’em go before sex is mistaken for something serious. When Shin left tomorrow she would forget him...wouldn’t she? It wasn’t like he’d been in her life long enough to leave an impression on her heart.
Shirou cleared his throat, nodded, and easily strolled inside the open door. His eyes seemed to assess the entire room in one swoop. At the resounding click of the door closing, he turned to look at her.
“I thought I was resolved with what could not happen between us until I stepped into this room and that door closed. Now all I can think about is kissing you.”
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea. Maybe we should go to the deli downstairs. We can have coffee...they also have a brownie to die for. Or...or...we can go to the very public computer stations in the lobby...yeah, that may be....” Zola’s voice dwindled to deafening silence. Damn.
She swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat. Why was she so nervous? So what if the possessive way his dark eyes were assessing her from her bare head to her naked toes reminded her of all the hotness they’d shared earlier? He was now forbidden fruit.
Japanese, puppy brown eyes continued to caress the length of her robed body, making her more aware of the nakedness beneath. Her fingers tightened at the folds of the material she held to keep from falling open when she took a step forward.
She didn’t know if it was a second or a minute that had passed before the clipboard he was holding in his hand hit the ground. Everything afterwards was a blur.
Zola found herself pressed against the wall, held in place with Shirou’s knee pressed between her separated thighs. His dark head bent and devoured her mouth in a searching, breath-stealing kiss.
Breaking off the kiss, he begged, “Tell me to stop.” His eyes gleamed sexily.
Heat pooled in her pussy. Her nipples were rock hard, pushing insistently against the soft silk material. She welcomed the heat emanating from him as chills surged up her spine.
“Stop,” she croaked. Her breath caught in her throat between his short, teasing kisses. Their lips caressed and parted, over and over, as tongues rolled and swirled against one another, tasting, testing, and cohering.
“Do you mean it?” he asked, his breath fanning the soft skin of her face.
“No.”
As if that was the final confirmation he needed, his lips opened over hers and once again their tongues danced and tangled. His glasses, knocked askew by her fingers going through his dark hair, fell to the floor unheeded. Zola felt as if she was on fire. Her clit throbbed and her feminine opening wept. It was as if that brief separation after the flight only ignited the simmering embers into a full tsunami of flames.
Chapter Five
His blazer jacket and shirt were gone in a matter of minutes, leaving only a white t-shirt. One tug had her belt untied, allowing her robe to fall completely open, exposing her fully to his eyes and searching hands.
In an instant of loud breathing and thudding against the entrance walls and door, his belt, pants, and underwear dropped around his ankles where they remained trapped by his shoes. Dressed only in a t-shirt and calf socks held up with sock garters, he pinned her against the wall. There was something very sexy and wicked about looking down and seeing his neat clothing bunched in a wrinkled heap about his ankles.
His mouth trailed hot, wet kisses on her neck and shoulders before cupping the weight of her heavy breasts in his hands and burying his face between them, drawing in her scent.
“God, I’ve wanted to do this since the first time I saw them peeking from the neckline of your blouse. They are so perfect,” he verbalized the appreciation that was written all over his face.
Zola cried out as he roughly drew one hardened nipple into his mouth, sucked and tongued her until she thought she would go out of her mind. By the time he finished with that one nipple to move to the other, the first nip of his teeth on her nipple pushed her over the edge. The orgasm surprised her, nearly sending her legs from beneath her, but his naked thigh firmly lodged between her knees kept her from falling. As waves of pleasure quivered from her womb, she rubbed her clit against his leg and rode his thigh until she came once more.
His mouth released her nipple with a loud pop. The sounds of sex echoed in her ringing ears as if a porn movie was playing on the television in another room. But these sounds were coming from her. The heavy breathing against her ear was live like surround sound. There was something she should remember. What the hell was it?
Before Zola could form a reasonable thought. Shirou was assaulting her mouth with his once again. He wasn’t giving her the chance to drift down from the sexual endorphins wrapping her mind, body, and soul in a euphoric haze. She didn’t know if he was the best damn lover she’d ever had or if he was just the most unselfish one. Never had she had this many orgasms without the man expecting his in return.
“My God, Shin, what are you doing to me?” She whimpered against his mouth when he pulled back enough to take a breath and look into her eyes.
She found it terribly sexy seeing how his nostrils flared as he fought to pull in air. His brown eyes were nearly black, for the pupils had dilated enormously in his arousal. His generous mouth looked girlish now that his lips were red and swollen from their greedy shared kisses.
Even though he could barely hold his legs apart, he had no problems nudging his other thigh between hers, causing her thighs to spread wide to accommodate his lean hips. She couldn’t believe such a slender man was able to lift her and felt embarrassed about he
r weight for the first time. What if she was too heavy to have sex with him this way? What if not being able to lift her ass up against this wall turned him off completely?
“How are you feeling?” he asked with a kiss and a smile, moving against her.
“Ahh!”
“You’re still sensitive? I will refrain myself and give you a little more time,” he murmured.
She could see from the warm perspiration on his upper lip that Shin wasn’t as unaffected as he appeared, but she was nonetheless impressed he would put in the effort in consideration of how she felt. Although they were practically strangers, he had been nothing but considerate of her needs and very generous in assuring she had multiple orgasms before he had his one.
Beauty & the Geek: Zola's Magic Touch (Mocha Memoirs Presents Beauty & the Geek) Page 6