by Lulu Pratt
Spectators are scattered throughout the large converted warehouse enjoying food and drinks. I look on, biting the inside of my cheek, as Andrew and I journey from one exhibit to the next.
“Would you like another drink, Cupcake?” Andrew asks, sliding me a glance from the corner of his eye.
It’s not even worth my time to object the pet name he seems so adamant on calling me. All my energy is being summoned not to drool at the sight of his bulging biceps in that black button down anyway.
“Another gin and tonic would be great,” I say, extending my empty glass in his direction.
“Coming right up,” he says with a wink before walking away. His strides are confident and carefully measured. He looks like he owns the place.
Alone, I take in the exhibit before me. Because the lights are pretty low throughout, the figures are only illuminated by a white light. Three figures are twisted together intricately, their lithe limbs wrapped around each other in a familiar embrace.
Sensual heat radiates from them and I find myself shifting from foot to foot to alleviate the stubborn pulse between my thighs.
Green really isn’t my color but I can’t help the jealousy that surges through me to my very core. I haven’t been touched in so long…
How the hell am I supposed to make it through another hour of this without jumping Andrew’s bones?
He appears at my side as soon as the thought is concluded.
“Here you go.”
Handing over my refreshed drink, Andrew turns to study the exhibit that’s garnered my rapt attention.
Taking a sip of my cocktail, I turn my focus on the man beside me and size him up from head to toe.
His short, coppery hair is perfectly cropped and styled. There isn’t a trace of facial hair on his face, leaving his gorgeous features ample opportunity to shine through. Thick, but groomed, eyebrows rest over his beautiful blue eyes. The line of his nose is prominent and distinct but not an eyesore. His jaw is smooth and defined. And that mouth is tempting on a whole other level.
My God.
From the buttons undone at his collar, I can see that his neck is thick and leads to wide shoulders. That brings me back to his biceps. They’re gigantic. Easily bigger than one of my thighs and I’m not a skinny girl. His perfectly tanned complexion lets me know he spends his days in the sun. Or maybe it’s the result of a tanning bed.
My lips quirk at the thought of him with those ridiculous glasses covering his eyes while he lays there, waiting for the timer to go off.
“Like what you see?” Andrew asks suddenly, turning to me.
From his taunting expression, I can’t tell if he’s talking about the exhibit or himself. But the smirk on his face leads me to the latter option.
Damn, I’ve been caught.
My mother always told me it wasn’t polite to stare, but I bet she’d never met a man as attractive as Andrew. To sum it up, he’s magnificent.
“Sorry, I guess I zoned out.” Clearing my throat, I take another sip of my drink as well as a deep inhale of air to steady my breathing.
“Why don’t we get out of here?” he asks, frowning as he pulls at his collar.
Is he as hot and bothered as I am?
It’s a gratifying thought, but I highly doubt it. Nothing seems to ruffle his feathers. Something tells me that he does all the ruffling.
But I do want to get out of here. I’m not sure how much longer I can last in such a charged environment with him only inches away.
“Where to now?” I quiz, not wanting to come right out and tell him that I don’t want our time together to end.
“Follow me.”
I’m right on his heels as we make our way back to the front of the renovated warehouse. Andrew stops to speak to a stunning woman just before we reach the door.
They fall into easy conversation and the woman reaches out to squeeze his bicep while smiling at him enchantingly.
Just because it isn’t my place to be jealous doesn’t stop the stupid knots from twisting in my gut. She looks way too familiar with him and I wonder how they know each other.
A couple minutes into their conversation, Andrew seems to remember that I’m standing there and turns to me with a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, Lilah. This is my good friend Natalia. We studied art together in Spain. She owns this place.”
Art school? In Spain?
Shit, is everyone he knows beautiful and rich?
It feels like someone just dumped a bucket of ice water over my head, leaving me drenched and shivering out in the cold. If I needed any sort of reminder that I’m way out of my league here, that was it.
Summoning my best fake smile, I exchange pleasantries and pretend to be delighted to meet her.
Natalia’s smile is full of warmth and a little intrigue. She studies me up and down before turning to Andrew with a twinkle in her hazel eyes.
“She’s stunning,” she says to him as if I’m not standing right there.
Peeved and officially done for the night, I excuse myself and head for the parking lot as they wrap up their conversation.
A nice walk will do me some good because it suddenly feels like I’m suffocating.
It doesn’t dawn on me until it’s too late that Andrew gave his car to a valet when we arrived. I keep walking anyway. Wandering aimlessly through the rows, I hear footsteps approaching and I know it’s him.
“What the fuck? Wait up, will you?”
Stopping, I stand in place but I don’t turn to him. When Andrew catches up with me, his heavy brows are dipped in the center of his forehead.
“What was that about, Lilah?”
I’m out of my league here, that’s what.
We come from two very different worlds. When he showed up on my doorstep this evening, overcome by desire, I’d easily forgotten that small fact. But now it’s crystal clear and I don’t know how I thought he could be interested in someone like me.
“Take me home, please.”
“Our date isn’t over,” he says, and I can see that muscle at the base of his jaw ticking furiously.
“Oh, but it is. I made a mistake coming out with you tonight but I promise it’s not a mistake that I will make again.”
Our proximity is weakening my resolve but I simply can’t get mixed up in his little world. I have no idea what he wants with me in the first place.
“Lilah, tell me what this is about—”
“Just take me home, please. Or I can call a cab.”
Eight
ANDREW
Fuck.
This isn’t how I saw the night panning out.
Lilah’s icy silence from the passenger seat is deafening.
What the fuck happened?
We’re still about twenty minutes from her place so I try to break the silence with some conversation. Lowering the volume of the radio, I cast a quick glance in her direction as my hands grip the steering wheel.
“I don’t think you should stay at your place tonight. With the air conditioner out, the night will probably be unbearable.”
“I’ll manage,” she responds, her eyes fixed on the scenery we pass.
My next words are brash and I don’t care. “It isn’t safe. You’ll stay in one of my guest rooms.”
“Like hell I will.” She finally turns to look at me. “Listen, I don’t know what kind of women you’re used to, Andrew. But I don’t need rescuing and I’m damn sure not going to fall at your feet. I may not be living in the lap of luxury like you, but I’d definitely feel a lot more at peace in my own place.”
A light bulb pops up over my head, shining clarity on the situation.
This is her pride speaking. Nothing else.
I’ve posed a threat to her safe little existence and she’s bound and determined to erect every wall possible to shut me out. I get it but it still won’t shake me. Her hot-tempered words just turn me on even more.
It’s going to be fun breaking her in. I want to own every ounce of fire in her. She
will be mine. And willingly.
“Your place it is.”
Silence blankets the air again and just as I’m about to turn the music back up, Lilah turns in her seat to look at me.
“What do you want?” she asks, most of the anger from before gone. Curiosity and skepticism have taken its place.
“What do I want?” I repeat, not really understanding the question.
I want to fuck her brains out.
Isn’t that much obvious?
“Why are you interested in me? Are you looking for a distraction for the summer? Do I pose a challenge for you?” She probes deeper, her directness leaving me to feel a little exposed.
Of course I know my intentions where she’s concerned. And they’ll remain under wraps until I get what I want. When I check her off the list, it won’t matter what I had to do to get her in my bed. The same goes for every woman on that damn bucket list.
“Because I should tell you upfront, Andrew, I don’t do casual sex.”
She pauses to gauge my reaction but I keep my face neutral.
“It’s not my thing. I may be a flirt, but there is no sex without love. At least for me.”
My hand tightens on the steering wheel at this revelation but I’m counting on the dark interior to mask my reaction.
No sex without love?
Well, that’s my cue to run. And far.
I’ve never been in love in my life. And I’m damn sure not looking to change that any time soon.
There are some things that I just won’t sacrifice for sex. No matter how promising Ms. Tucker seems. My lust knows some bounds and love is a hard limit.
That word’s got to be one of the most repulsing words in the English language. I can’t let myself go there. I refuse.
Damn, it’s going to suck saying goodbye to her tonight. She had so much potential but I’m not budging on this one.
All this runs through my head at lightning speed and I know the decision I have to make. That is, until I shoot another glance to the passenger seat when we come to a traffic light.
Lilah is watching me intently in the wake of her words, probably trying her damnedest to read my face for a reaction.
Those beautiful eyes are trained on me and her pouty mouth is opened just slightly. She still looks good enough to eat despite what just came out of her mouth.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I should be running in the opposite direction, not making eyes at her in my car. But then she darts her pink tongue over her bottom lip and my resolve weakens even more.
“Andrew?” She speaks as I continue to stare, captivated.
That damn voice of hers sends shockwaves straight to my dick and for the second time since I’ve met her, I find myself fighting not to adjust myself right in front of her.
“Yeah?” I finally ask.
“The light is green.” Lilah’s eyes come to life with a flash of triumph and I smother a curse when I notice she’s right.
You could hear a pin drop as the rest of the ride passes us by. Thanks to my lead foot, we arrive in front of her building a lot quicker than I plan.
Nowhere near ready to say goodbye to her for good, I relax against the driver’s seat, propping my arm up on the door.
“Did you have fun tonight, Cupcake?”
She scowls, folding her arms across her chest. Just like magnets drawn to metal, my eyes find a new resting place.
“Why do you insist on calling me that?”
Memories of the scene that played out before my eyes makes my voice thick. “Because your performance at the bar is all I can think about every time I look at you.”
Even in the dim lighting of my ride, I can see her cheeks color at my words.
“Whatever, I didn’t even know you were there that night.”
“Well, I’m sure every guy in a ten-foot radius had a hard-on just watching you.”
Lilah snickers at this and the smile on her face does something funny to my chest.
What the fuck is happening here?
“How was I supposed to know you’d be on the prowl that night?”
Intrigued by her choice of words, I lean over the center console to her. She looks startled by my closeness but doesn’t move away.
I smile.
“Is that how you see me? As someone on the prowl?”
“Let’s see,” she murmurs in return, tilting her head in contemplation. “You sought me out in a crowded bar. Then you licked icing from my fingers and marked me with your tongue like a wild animal. So you tell me.”
Her words bring another smile to my lips.
Damn right I marked her. Every man in that goddamn bar was straining to get their eyes on her and I wanted to let it be known that she was completely off-limits.
She’s mine. At least I wanted her to be in that moment. Which brings me back to my dilemma.
Am I really willing to let her go so easily because of my stupid hang-up? I can’t wrap my mind around the thought of not seeing her again.
“Let’s get you upstairs.” I’m out of the car and on her side before she can fully open the door.
We take the four flights of stairs leading up to her floor after Lilah warns me about the temperamental elevator.
Jesus, is everything in this building falling apart?
Lilah turns to me as she sticks her key in the lock, her smile soft.
“Good night, Andrew. Tonight was most interesting.”
The teasing lilt in her voice is not lost on me.
Against my earlier vow not to touch her, I lean down, leaving a chaste kiss on her forehead. When I hear her secure the lock, I turn to leave with my mind made up.
That damn twisting feeling is invading my gut again. And I think I finally know why. My body physically needs Lilah.
For whatever reason I can’t leave this woman alone. And if she wants love, then that’s exactly what she’ll get. However, giving her what she wants doesn’t mean I’m wavering in my stance against the L-word. It’s just something I’ll have to work around.
But one thing’s been decided and it’s that I am going to make Lilah Tucker fall in love with me.
Nine
LILAH
The aching between my legs wakes me well before my alarm sounds the next morning. With Andrew dominating my dreams, it’s a wonder I got any sleep at all.
Last night was a fucking rollercoaster ride. I tap-danced all over the emotional spectrum, jumping from unbelievably turned on to undeniably jealous when we ran into his former classmate.
Natalia.
My jealousy was completely misplaced since I have zero claims on Andrew but the familiar way she touched him made red spots appear in front of my eyes.
Not cute, Lilah.
I need to get a fucking grip and remember my place. He is a potential client who I desperately need to land in order to make my dreams a reality. Everything else is just background noise.
Reaching for my phone on the pillow beside me, I poke the screen and see that it’s only six. I don’t have to be at the office until nine-thirty. What am I supposed to do with three hours of free time?
Far too wired to go back to sleep, I pull the thin sheet up to cover my naked body with a frustrated sigh. Naked is the only way I can sleep when the stupid air conditioning is on the fritz.
That damn superintendent is definitely going to get an earful from me today. My plan is to send a scathing text and follow it up with a phone call a little later in the morning. But those plans are derailed when I see the email notification resting at the top of my screen.
Despite the early hour, it’s my boss Edward checking in.
Surprise, surprise.
This guy doesn’t believe in downtime. Each time he has an idea, he doesn’t hesitate to email me no matter the hour. Today is no different.
When I open the email app, I notice the title of the email is “Andrew Knight.” I roll my eyes and purse my lips.
What’s with him and landing this guy? He hasn’t st
opped talking about him all week. He’s always talking tirelessly about what an important asset Andrew Knight will be to Castle.
Meanwhile, I still haven’t worked up enough courage to ask him if they’re related. Edward doesn’t seem to be the type to talk about his personal life at work and I don’t want to risk getting on his bad side.
I skim over the novel-length text.
God, this man can talk for days.
By the end of it, all I can think about is the man I’m supposed to be forgetting.
Andrew had looked so damn mouthwatering last night. He’d been wearing all black again, just like the first time I met him. But last night his attire wasn’t so casual.
The black button-up hugged his chest and torso snugly, leaving me to fantasize about what wonders lay beneath it. The sleeves had been rolled up his bronzed forearms, only giving a teasing glance of the tattoos that snaked up to his broad shoulders.
Expensive black slacks had only enhanced those long powerful legs and that high, firm ass. Suede Italian loafers rounded out the look that had me swooning from the second I opened the door.
As I sink lower into my pillows, memories swirl inside my mind until I’ve conjured up an image of him. I can almost feel his dominating presence hovering over me, his masculine scent tickling my nose as his deep voice rumbles in my ear.
Just picturing those piercing eyes on me as his large hands skim the naked apex between my thighs does things to my libido that I can’t put into words.
The already persistent pulse skyrockets to an even greater level. It’s dizzying and so damn tempting. I crave him more than anything and after a two-year drought, my need is impossible to ignore.
In a moment of weakness, my knees fall open and my right hand drops down to find my painfully engorged clit slick with desire. With my left hand pinching my nipple, I begin mimicking Andrew’s actions from my dream last night.
Drawing lazy circles against the distended nub, I smear juices from my opening up and down. When the area is coated in my natural lubricant, I pick up the speed of my strokes, working myself to a wondrous peak stopping right before I take the plunge. My legs are literally shaking from the anticipation, but I don’t let myself come. I need to draw this out and enjoy every second of it.
