God, he loved how he affected her. It made his pulse pick up and his cock harder than a rock. But it was worth it to watch her expression as he drove her mad.
He left his hand on her thigh, but opened the menu just in time for the waiter to arrive. “Can I interest you in one of our margaritas?”
Justus glanced at Arianna. “Yeah?”
She nodded.
“If you’d like to share, we have a house specialty that serves two.”
“Perfect,” Justus responded.
As the waiter walked away, Arianna gave his hand a useless shove. “I’ll never be able to eat with you torturing me.”
He leaned over and kissed her neck. “But it will be so fun watching you squirm.”
“Is this Tease Arianna Day or something?”
“Or something.” He kissed her neck again because he liked the way she shivered.
She peeled his fingers off her thigh and pressed her legs together, and then she pointed at the menu. “Order us something we can share.”
“Done.” He set his hand back on her thigh.
She groaned, locking her knees tighter.
“I’ll be good. Ish.”
She cocked her head to one side and rolled her eyes. “You’re up to something.”
“Me? Never.” He was playing with fire was what he was doing. Why the hell had he gotten up this morning with a plot to make her want him so badly?
Because you enjoy seeing the desire on her face. Because you like knowing it’s for you. Because every moment with her is precious.
When the margarita came, he ordered. A half an hour later, they were both stuffed and Arianna’s cheeks were pink from the tequila. She leaned into him. “I’m gonna need a nap.”
“We can make that happen.” He paid the bill and then scooted from the booth, wondering how the hell he was going to manage to return to the hotel room with her and keep his cock in his pants. Because that was his intention.
He had no idea why he’d concocted this plan, but he fully intended to see it through. It was worth it. Teasing her and denying her had the desired effect of making her face flush, her lips swollen from nibbling on them, and her eyes glazed. Sexy. So fucking sexy.
Because it was for him.
Chapter 16
Arianna was a hot mess by the time she shut the door to the bathroom later that afternoon, sequestering herself from Justus just long enough to primp and get dressed.
Their “nap” had turned into a make-out session to rival all previous make-out sessions on the face of the earth. Justus had flattened her on her back, leaving her in her dress, and lined his body up with hers. He held both her hands over her head in one of his and kissed her until she writhed against him. He trailed one hand up and down her body, tormenting her breasts and thighs, but rarely hitting the mark.
She moaned and squirmed and eventually begged, but he never left second base and he never let her get off. Eventually, he did let her nap, though it took her fifteen minutes just to catch her breath and keep her mind from focusing on her swollen nipples and clit.
Now, she was locked in the bathroom. She had dried her hair straight and curled the ends under just enough for the thick locks to lay in some semblance of control. She applied more makeup than she had on any day since the first morning when he’d arrived.
Lastly, the dress. It was cream-colored and silky. It hugged her body to perfection. It also didn’t permit any undergarments. The back was bare, a swoop of material that left her exposed nearly to her butt. The front neckline plunged, leaving her breasts free under the loose material. The hem reached mid-thigh, but any sort of panties or even a thong would have been obvious.
Cream-colored, strappy heels rounded out the outfit, and then she stared at herself in the mirror for several moments, taking deep breaths. The entire outfit cost more than anything she’d purchased in her life, but with the money they’d received, they’d adapted a mutual fuck-it attitude for the duration of the vacation. Perhaps it was careless, but she couldn’t bring herself to deny them this fun.
This trip was already filled with memories that would have to last a lifetime. She intended to add to those in the coming days. If she was truly never going to see Justus again, she wanted to make every second count.
The thought of never seeing him again made her cringe for two reasons. One, it would kill her. Two, it wasn’t reasonable to expect. Instead, she would see him occasionally in the future. He was her brother’s best friend. He came to the house with Tony when they were on leave. The fact that they hadn’t crossed paths while she’d been in college was a fluke. Ordinarily he showed up during holidays.
Would they agree to end this with a clean break in a few days and then spend the rest of their lives pretending it never happened? Could they? Could she?
“Arianna?”
She inhaled slowly and let it out just as slowly, shaking the painful thoughts away. Finally, she turned and opened the door.
Justus stood there looking like a million bucks. His shirt was starched and crisp. His black slacks hugged his hips perfectly. His tie was centered. And his face. Oh man. His gaze was on her, his mouth hanging open. He gripped the frame of the doorway and rocked in her direction.
His gaze wandered up and down her body again, landing on her face. “Fuck me,” he whispered. “I can’t take you to dinner wearing that. I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.”
She smiled. “That’s your fault. You could have eased some of the sexual tension at any point during the day. You’re the one who denied us both the relief. Now you’re stuck.” She took a step forward, flattened a palm on his chest, and patted him condescendingly. “Backfire on you, big guy?”
“Apparently,” he murmured as he wrapped his fingers around hers and lifted the tips to his lips. He kissed each one and then took a deep breath. “Dinner.”
“I’m ready.”
Justus was a fool. He should have known she would knock his socks off with whatever mystery dress she’d purchased. As soon as she passed him to step into the hall, his cock doubled in size. Her back was bare. Her gorgeous hair swayed across her naked skin, making his mouth water.
The hem of her dress was just loose enough to swish with every step, but he was fairly certain she wore nothing under the dress.
Fuck me.
Without thinking, he led her down the main elevator and through the lobby. His gaze was only on her as he guided her across the carpet. With the heels, her legs enticed him to lick a line up from her ankles to her pussy. He visualized flattening her on her back, stripped of everything but those heels. He didn’t even care if she dug them into his ass.
A low whistle caught his attention, and he jerked his gaze forward to find Chris strolling their direction. “Damn, you two look nice. Going out?”
“Yep.” Obviously, Justus didn’t add. And alone, he also refrained from stating.
“Celebrating an anniversary or milestone?” he inquired. His hands were tucked in his jeans, and he was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.
“Nope. Just going to dinner.” Justus kept her moving forward.
“How much longer will you be in Cairns?” he asked.
It took great strength for Justus to answer him without taking a swing. He seethed at the audacity of the man interrupting his perfect evening. Couldn’t he see that now wasn’t a good time to chat? Never was also a good time.
Arianna answered. “We aren’t sure yet. We haven’t decided,” she lied, making Justus want to kiss her. The truth was they had a flight out the following afternoon, but Justus would prefer not giving Chris the specifics. With their luck, the man would show up at their next hotel.
“Well, have a nice night.” Chris smiled, the expression almost believable.
Justus ushered Arianna out the front door and into a cab. He didn’t exhale until he glanced back and found no sign of Chris.
“He really gets under your skin,” Arianna commented, her hand on Justus’s thigh. She rubbed
it up and down, reaching closer to his crotch with every stroke, distracting him.
He twisted his face back to hers and grabbed her hand. With a cocky grin, he shook his head. “That’s my game,” he said as he removed her fingers.
She gave him a fake pout, her face scrunching up. “Why are you the only one who gets to tease?”
“Because I’m bigger and stronger, and this is my night.” He hated to mess up her lip gloss, but there was no way to put it off another moment, so he smoothed his hand up her bare back under her hair, cupped her neck, and closed the distance for a gentle kiss.
She was panting from the brief contact. “You’re going to drive me insane tonight, aren’t you?”
“That’s the plan.”
She didn’t look too upset, though. In fact, her eyes twinkled with excitement. “Bring it on.”
Arianna was somewhat relieved when she found out they would be seated at a regular table with two chairs on opposite sides. At least Justus wouldn’t be able to spend the meal with one hand on her thigh.
Her legs were wobbly and her heart rate elevated from the car ride. As she sat, she crossed one leg over the other, squeezing her thighs together. She was so wet that without any barrier between her pussy and the silk of her dress, she was worried about leaving a wet spot.
Justus ordered a bottle of wine and then stared at her. He looked so serene. Peaceful. Content. Exactly how she felt. She was glad she could confidently assume Chris would not show up in this fancy restaurant since he was obviously short on funds.
She didn’t know why Justus found the man so frustrating, but she also didn’t want anything to come between them tonight. She needed to trust his instincts. He was a SEAL. She was a civilian. What did she know about reading people?
Assuming nothing was going to happen on that front to mess with their evening, they still had another problem that needed addressing. Now was as good a time as any. If she put it off much longer, she was going to find herself in a bind. “No one has contacted me from my family.”
“I noticed that,” he responded as he took one of her hands in his. “I assume that concerns you.”
“Yes. Not because I think something’s wrong, but because I suspect Tony told them I’m with you. The only reason no one would check up on me is if they thought someone else was already doing so.”
He leaned forward. “Me.”
“Yes.”
He sighed and glanced down at their combined hands. It was distracting the way he rubbed his thumb absentmindedly over her knuckles. “You want me to reach out to Tony?”
She winced. “Not really.”
He lifted his gaze. “Listen. This is my fault. I wasn’t thinking about the bind I was putting you in when we started this adventure. I should have been more considerate of your situation. I’ll do whatever you want to make it easier for you.”
She nodded, a little choked up and unsure how to respond.
He held her gaze. “Whatever story you want to tell, I’ll go along.”
“I can’t ask you to lie to my brother.”
“I didn’t say it would be easy, but frankly I’m not sleeping with your brother, so my allegiance belongs to you on this topic.”
She searched his gaze, but it was unwavering. He was dead serious. He would do whatever she wanted. The problem was she didn’t know what she wanted, and no scenario seemed acceptable. The only way she could look anyone in the eye and tell them the truth would be if she and Justus hadn’t agreed to end things this week.
How the hell were her siblings and parents going to understand a decision she made to spend her vacation sleeping with a man whom she had no intention of seeing again? And what would they think of Justus’s role in this? They would be furious with him. She knew it. A man they’d worshipped for years.
“Help me out here. I don’t have the answers.”
His voice dropped. “I know, baby, and I’m sorry. I did this. I should have had more restraint.”
“Are you suggesting we shouldn’t have hooked up?” she asked, her spine stiffening.
“Of course we shouldn’t have hooked up. I knew that before we did it. That was never in question.”
She blinked at him.
He continued, his shoulders relaxing a few inches. “However, I also know I couldn’t have stopped myself. You cast a spell on me from the moment I saw you.”
“So, it’s my fault because I’m some sort of witch,” she teased.
He shook his head. “No. It’s my fault. I knew better. You offered me the apple. I took it. I could have said no.”
She groaned. “Let’s not compare this to original sin.”
He chuckled. “Touché.”
“And the blame game isn’t doing any good either. We met. We had chemistry. We made memories.”
“Are you sorry?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not for a moment.”
“Would you do it again?”
“In a heartbeat.”
He swallowed, his expression serious. “Have you changed your mind about your willingness to date a SEAL?”
She wasn’t sure if he was asking because he’d changed his or if he was taking her pulse to make sure they were still on the same page. “Have you changed your mind about dating at all?” It was a copout to answer his question with a question.
He glanced down at their hands again and squeezed hers as he spoke to the table. “I’m in the navy for life, Arianna. I would never ask someone to wait around for me, hoping I live and wondering when they might get two weeks of my time each year.” He lifted his gaze. “Besides, it would be distracting to constantly be worrying about someone else’s welfare. I made a commitment to myself never to get involved with a woman. I made a choice. I won’t back down on that.”
She nodded slowly again, a wave of emotions bombarding her. It was difficult to parse them out. He was right. She’d said all those same things to him on their first day together. Neither of them had gone into this thing blind. They had agreed they weren’t interested in more than a fling, both of them citing the same exact reasons.
He was right, but what neither of them had factored into the equation was how hard they might fall for each other. This didn’t feel like a fling. It felt like the real deal. When she closed her eyes during the quiet times in the middle of the night, she visualized the two of them together. In California, maybe. At her parents’ for holidays, but living together. Maybe even raising a family together. It was a pipe dream, but it had snuck into her psyche more than once in the past few days.
“Arianna?” he asked, one eyebrow raised. His grip had loosened, but he held her hand still.
She nodded. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. I haven’t changed my mind. I don’t want to be a woman left behind any more than you want to be the one leaving her. I made that deal with myself years before you made your own personal pact.”
“But…”
“But, it’s still complicated. I won’t be able to lie about us. I’m not that good at deception. My mother, for one, will know with one glance at my face.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. I believe that. So…we say we felt sparks, we spent some time together, and then decided in the end it didn’t work out. Yeah?”
The lump that had grown larger in her throat for the past several days seemed too big to swallow past now. She didn’t want to cry. There was no reason to. Why was she feeling so emotional? He had the perfect solution. The only solution. She nodded, pursing her lips.
With perfect timing, the waiter arrived with their wine.
Chapter 17
The dinner was delicious. Every bite. They took their time, in no rush. Justus continued to seduce her throughout the meal, feeding her bites off his fork, stroking her skin at every opportunity, holding her gaze, kissing her fingers, rubbing his leg against hers.
It was perfect. Exactly how he’d planned it.
And yet, a cloud hung over him. A sharp pain pierced his heart. Their discussion had dampened t
he mood even though they didn’t mention it again. In a few days he would leave her. They couldn’t do this again. If they didn’t sever ties and end things, they would ruin the entire definition of a fling.
He pondered the notion of planning to meet up with her at Christmas or on his next break, but that would only drag out the inevitable. By definition, any future plans would fall under the umbrella of a relationship. And they’d both agreed they didn’t want to be in a relationship.
So, why did it hurt so bad?
When they got back to the hotel, they entered through the front doors. Justus prayed their stalker wouldn’t be lurking around, and he got lucky. He wasn’t sure he could keep himself from punching the guy in the face if he stepped in their path that night.
By seemingly mutual agreement, they said nothing as the door to their room snicked shut behind them. Justus reverently cupped Arianna’s face and kissed her. He let his hands slide down her body, taking in every curve. The feel of her breasts under the silky material made him moan into her mouth. He’d waited all night to cup them and stroke over the tight nipples that had taunted him all evening.
She shuddered at his touch, and he smoothed his hands down to her butt, molding his palms to her flesh beneath the dress before gathering the material with his fingers and easing it up. When his hands landed on her naked skin, she arched into him, driving him wild.
His cock had been stiff all day, but more so in the last few hours. He needed her. Slow and easy. Soft and gentle. But now.
Reaching between her legs, he drew a finger through her folds, finding her soaked. Had she spent the entire evening as aroused as he’d planned? He hoped so. He knew so.
She whimpered. “Justus,” she murmured against his lips. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”
He would have loved to tease her for another hour, making her come over and over at his touch, but the truth was, he wasn’t that strong. He needed to be inside her with a desperation that couldn’t be explained in words. So, he whipped her dress over her head and draped it over the desk chair without looking.
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