Or not. Yep, she was now in the friend zone. Fuck it. “No, thanks. I got it.” She stood and felt the effects of the alcohol. “It was nice seeing you again, Tyler.” She did a small wave and turned around.
Wobbly legs or not, Megan took a deep breath and forced her eyes open wide. She walked toward the doorway that would lead to a hallway. She only hoped she could find her way to the front entrance. It didn’t matter, though. She just had to get out of there…and fast.
“Hey,” she heard Tyler’s voice behind her as she felt his hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, you just got up all of a sudden. Why are you in a hurry now? Will your cab turn into a pumpkin or something?”
She forced a smile. She didn’t realize her emotions had been that close to the surface. She didn’t want to be that obvious. “No. I just need to get home. Feeling tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Well, let me at least walk you outside.”
No need to be a bitch. She said, “You can catch a ride with me to your hotel if you want.” She used her phone to find the number of the cab company in town.
“I’m staying here, so no need. But thanks.”
She nodded as they got close to the revolving door. She dialed the number and told the woman on the line where she was and said she needed a ride. The woman said, “We’ll have someone there in about fifteen minutes.”
Megan hung up the phone and walked farther out toward the pavement where a well-dressed man stood at a podium. “Do you need your car?”
She smiled. “Nope. Just waiting on a cab.”
She saw the attendant staring at Tyler as he walked up behind her. She thought maybe the attendant recognized him. She looked over to Tyler and said, “Look, you don’t need to wait with me. I’m okay.”
“I want to, Meg. I don’t know the next time we’ll get to hang together, and I’d kinda like to maximize our time alone. The next two days…we’ll probably be bombarded with people. Tonight, though, everyone had certain people they were looking for and we weren’t on their radar.” He. He meant he wasn’t on their radar. Megan didn’t know that there would be lots of people searching for her.
She looked at the ground and kept walking. She didn’t want to be close to the attendant, have him scrutinizing their every move. She saw a park bench a few feet away and started walking toward it. She didn’t know what to say to Tyler. She only knew that he harbored no feelings for her, while she still had hidden feelings she’d forgotten about. She just wanted to go home and be alone. She might cry in her pillow or lie awake for hours, but that didn’t matter. She just needed to be by herself, whether she cried or not. Finally, reaching the bench, she said, “Suit yourself. I’m afraid I won’t be much company, though.”
She caught his eyes and his were searching hers, looking for something. She felt her lips part slightly as though she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. There was a dull, throbbing ache in her core, and she felt like she’d starve the rest of her life without tasting him again. She took a deep breath of the cool night air and closed her eyes. It would be okay. Tyler Green would leave and her life would go back to normal.
But when she opened her eyes, Tyler’s nose was close to touching hers. He was leaning over, his body close, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her at the back. “That’s too bad,” he said, “because I was hoping to spend a little more time with you.”
All air escaped her lungs as Tyler’s lips met hers, enveloping them in a kiss. He was warm and electric, and she felt adrenaline rush through her veins, making her fingertips go numb and causing her to wake right back up. This was not the kiss she remembered, though. It was slow and sensual and, like the music he wrote today, more mature. His tongue explored her mouth, and she felt her nipples grow rock hard in response. But if she’d read Tyler right earlier, a kiss would be all she’d get.
So she planned to enjoy kissing him until her cab got there. Her hands finally responded to her brain’s demands and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her body right up to his, and Megan realized the Tyler Green of today was not the boy she’d dated back in high school. There was nothing sweet about his kiss; it was ravenous and greedy.
She was nearly breathless when the cab arrived and she didn’t know how she managed to become aware that it was there. She couldn’t bring herself to pull her body away from his, but she had to.
Tyler unlatched his lips from hers and whispered in her ear, “Should we tell the cab to beat it?”
That was all she needed to hear and it didn’t matter if she was just going to be the friend Tyler loved and left. She needed him and she wanted him now.
Chapter Nine
CLASSY MOVE. TYLER had stuck his head in the cab and told the driver they didn’t need a ride anymore, but he handed the cabbie a fifty-dollar bill for her trouble. That impressed the hell out of Megan even if she didn’t say so.
And she felt desperate now. If Tyler’s kisses were a preview, she was going to have one hell of a night. But there was still a war going on in her head. Did she want to take one night or should she just walk away? No, she couldn’t walk. If she turned him down, she’d always wonder about what could have happened this night.
So when he wrapped his arm around her waist and they started walking back to the hotel entrance, she resigned herself to her decision. And then, once the realization sunk in that she was going to Tyler Green’s hotel room, she grew warm in anticipation.
And nervous.
She and Tyler hadn’t been together in ten years, and she suspected—just based on what had happened between them moments earlier—he had honed his techniques and she would have the time of her life. But she was afraid of her own performance, and her nerves made that fear worse. Would she seem shy or incompetent? Or cold and unresponsive? Would she look too skinny or fat or not be curvy in the right places? She knew someone like Tyler would have had his choice of women and she started doubting why he would even want to be with her.
Probably just to know he still had it.
And she chided herself internally. This encounter meant nothing. It was just a nostalgic pairing, and once the reunion was over, they’d go back to where they both came from. Just enjoy it for what it is, she told herself. So she willed herself to let go of any expectations. She needed to just enjoy the moment for what it would be—a fun romp, a little passion, something that might give her a little perspective when she returned to her usual dating grind.
So she let him lead her through the lobby and in the opposite direction of the area where the reunion was being held. They stood in front of two elevators and Tyler pushed a button between them. They stood in silence until they heard the bing that indicated one of the elevators had reached the ground floor and a door was getting ready to slide open. “After you,” he said, holding his hand over the side of the elevator where the doors waited like horses behind the gate. Once she’d stepped in, he followed. And the look he was giving her indicated he might want to get started as soon as the doors closed behind him.
“Hold that door!” A businessman in a gray suit hustled through the doors that Tyler once again was holding open. “Thanks,” the man said, breathless.
Well, Megan thought, she could wait a little longer. She moved closer to Tyler, giving the man more room on the other side of the elevator, but he stood closer to the front, staring at the doors. Megan felt a little relieved that they would wait till they got to Tyler’s room. The elevator had mirrors all the way around, and for some reason, it would have made her feel funny to be able to look at herself from all angles. More than that, though, she would have worried that the doors would come flying open just as her bra was coming off. No thank you.
Megan and Tyler exited on the third floor while the other passenger stayed inside. Tyler grinned at Megan and grabbed her hand, leading her down the hall without saying a word. When they got to his room, he slid a card into
the lock to open it. When the tiny green light lit up, he looked at Megan. “Sure you wanna do this?”
Why would he even ask? Having the question posed to her made her question her decision. What was he thinking when he asked? So she said, “Why? Are you having regrets?”
He pushed the door open and let out a breath of air. “Hell, no. I just…wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He switched the light on.
“Of course, I am.” She shook her head, feeling bemused. It just seemed…odd. Did she look like a scared little rabbit not sure where to run or like a doe standing at the edge of the road afraid to cross? Well, maybe she did. She was nervous, after all.
She followed him into the room. While his appearance might not have given away his success in the music business, his room did. It wasn’t just a plain old room—it was a suite. There were a kitchen area and a living area with a fireplace. Off to the side were the bathroom and bedroom from what Megan could see. And it was spacious, not what Megan was used to seeing in typical hotel rooms. In fact, the suite was as big as her apartment. The place screamed money, and that made Megan feel nervous too. So she joked. “What? You couldn’t get the penthouse suite?”
Tyler smirked, walking the rest of the way in. “This isn’t to your liking?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Do you really need a place this big?”
He shrugged. “Maybe not, but what does it matter?” She nodded. He was right. And why should she care? “Do you want something to drink? I could call room service and have them send up some champagne or…”
“Do they even have room service this late?”
“Hell, yeah. I don’t think they actually cook meals at this time of night, but they’re always happy to bring up a nightcap.” He moved closer to Megan. She was still standing in the doorway, as though she were afraid to walk the rest of the way in. “But you’re avoiding the question.”
She paused, then remembered. “Oh, no. I don’t need anything to drink. I already reached my limit earlier tonight.”
He grinned. “Are you like a gremlin? If I give you something to drink after midnight, what will happen?” She started laughing. “I kinda think I’d like to find out what kind of damage you could do to me.”
She laughed even harder as his body pressed up against hers and their lips met again. Her anxiety still lurked in the background, but he’d managed to loosen her up with his humor. She parted her lips to invite his warm tongue into her mouth as she let her purse slide off her shoulder onto the floor. Part of her wanted him to move fast to help her past her jittery nerves, but the rest of her, the part that wanted to savor every second, wanted him to take his time. She forced herself to be calm and try to go his pace, however fast or slowly he wanted to go. She didn’t trust her own judgment and was happy to let him lead.
His hands rested against her lower back. She slid her hands up his chest and then wound her arms around his neck. Like earlier, she realized that these kisses weren’t the ones she remembered from her youth. Tyler was a man now, one changed by ten years of experience. He felt different to Megan, more exciting. And even more dangerous, mostly because she knew it would be so easy to fully give in to her emotions.
She braced herself internally while opening herself up for physical pleasure. As if he sensed the war inside her, he held her and kissed her without rushing. Each kiss was slow and gentle but deep and soulful, and she felt herself grow warm all over. Her nerve endings stood at attention, ready for his touch. She moved her fingers to his neck, wanting his skin and hair underneath her fingertips, almost as though to assure herself that was happening was real.
Feeling her hands on him was his cue to move forward. He slid his hands from her back to cup her ass, and he didn’t need to push her into himself for her to become aware of the throbbing need growing between her legs. Yes, she wanted him. She wanted to taste him, feel him, if for only a few fleeting moments.
Her mind drifted back to her youth, and she remembered their first time…her first time. It had been awkward and painful, and yet she’d felt happy and fulfilled afterward. Tyler’s parents had been gone for a weekend and the young couple seized the opportunity to consummate their budding relationship. After that, they’d found creative means and places to do the deed, and each time had felt special to Megan, even the times they’d had sex in his car.
And here she was again, ten years later, returning to that same thought…that Tyler was a special guy and she’d be a fucking idiot to let him go again.
And that thought freaked her out. That was exactly what she’d wanted to avoid. She didn’t want any messy, clingy feelings getting in the way of what could be a fantastic time. So she tried to concentrate on the way his hands felt as they moved from her ass up to her back, and she decided to move into a higher gear.
She slid her hands down to his waist and gripped the bottom of his t-shirt. Megan knew the only way to shut her mind up would be to immerse herself fully in what she was doing. She had to press forward. Tyler put a little space between them and grabbed the bottom of his shirt as well to speed up the process, and as soon as it was over his head and on the floor, Megan moved her greedy fingers to his naked chest.
She could feel the difference a decade had made. He’d been in shape as a teenager, but he had been more wiry then. Now he was more filled out and taut all over. Megan spread her fingers out over his pecs as he continued kissing her. “Mmmm.” She heard the soft voice of approval her throat made involuntarily, and she felt his lips spread at the corners in a smile. Well, what did it hurt if he knew exactly what she thought about his body?
His lips left hers and began exploring other areas. He kissed her neck, moving slowly down an angle back to underneath her ear, and she felt in her nipples how much she liked it. They grew tight again and she felt a shiver race down her spine. His lips were warm, moist, and deliberate in the movement across her sensitive skin. She could feel her heartbeat quicken and her breathing deepen. As his lips moved farther down her neck toward her collarbone, she bit her bottom lip to stop herself from becoming vocal again, all too soon.
Why was she having such a hard time controlling herself? It wasn’t like she’d never had sex, and it certainly wasn’t that she’d never had sex with this particular man before. It had to be that she was feeling too much for him, and that should have been her cue to break away.
But she couldn’t. Everything he was doing to her felt so good.
His hands moved from behind her to between them. She felt his hot breath on her collarbone, just above her blouse. His fingers touched the top of the soft fabric and unbuttoned the blouse at the top. His lips met the flesh there as his fingers moved down to the next button. The next exposed her cleavage and his lips moved to touch the skin above her bra. It was agonizing the time he took unbuttoning her blouse, and as he moved his head lower, she moved her hands to the back of his head and ran her fingers through his hair.
At last, though, the final button was released from the blouse’s hold and Tyler pulled the two sides apart. “My, my, Megan, I thought you were all that back in school, but shit. I think you’re hotter now. Hiding all this under such conservative clothes.” He moved his hands to her shoulders and brushed the blouse back so that it slid down her arms where it bunched at her bent elbows. She pulled her hands away from his hair so it could fall to the floor.
As his words sunk in, she found herself growing nervous again. He was comparing her to the way she’d been in high school, just like she’d been doing with him. What if he was unimpressed? What if he wished…?
Her thoughts were broken off as his hands moved to the bra snaps located between her shoulder blades. She remembered how the young version of Tyler had fumbled with her bra for a solid five minutes before getting all the snaps undone, but older Tyler seemed far too suave to have an article of clothing give him any trouble. She felt the last snap give way to his fingers as her bra relaxed around her middle and he coaxed it off her with his hands, pulling it forward off her shoulders
and arms, letting it drop to the floor next to her blouse.
So as his lips moved over her left breast toward her nipple, she moved her hands back to his hair, willing herself to relax and give in fully to what promised to be a night of pure pleasure. She was almost able to do it too when his mouth fully enveloped her areola.
But then she asked him to stop.
Chapter Ten
“WAIT. STOP.” MEGAN heard the words emerge from her lips before she realized she was saying it. But she knew why. She felt pressured (but the pressure was only coming from herself), and it felt like they were moving way too fast. She wasn’t ready. Yeah, that nipple was, but…
Her words didn’t register with Tyler at first. The tip of her breast remained in the suction of his mouth for a few seconds after she said it, his tongue flicking the hard tip of her nipple. But then his tongue stopped moving and his mouth released her. He stood up, seeming to tower over her.
“Everything okay?”
She took a deep breath and forced herself to look him in the eyes. “I just need a little bit. I’m not ready yet.” She didn’t want to tell him the full onslaught of her emotions—just a little was enough.
He nodded. She couldn’t quite register what he was thinking, but at least he didn’t look angry. “Should I order up some champagne or anything?”
Megan shook her head. “No. I’ve already had way too much to drink tonight.”
“Coffee then?”
She felt a small laugh escape her lips. “No…” She didn’t know what would help.
“Backrub?”
“Maybe if we just talk awhile?”
He leaned over, scooping up her bra and blouse from the plush beige carpet beneath their feet and handing them to her. “Okay…we can do that.”
“Thanks,” she said, feeling naked all of a sudden. She felt like Eve in the Garden. She hadn’t felt weird about her nakedness until now. And she wasn’t even totally naked either. Still, she didn’t want to totally mock their progress, so she slipped the blouse on over her shoulders and buttoned just the top button. She hoped it gave him the impression it was meant to, that they were just at a pause in the evening’s activities, not an entire halt. “And, now that I think about it, a backrub sounds nice. Maybe later?”
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