by Karen Booth
“I’m better now that the interview is over and it’s just us again.” He had to be honest. He raked his fingers through his hair, fighting back the urges that were welling up inside him. Today had been utter hell. He wanted to feel good. He wanted an escape from his world, if only for a few minutes. And the respite he wanted more than anything was right in front of him. If ever a woman could make him lose all sense of time and space, it was Kendall.
“I know it’s been a hard day. It couldn’t have been easy to talk about those things.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I trust everything you said about it being the right thing to do.”
She folded her hands in front of her, seeming deep in thought. “After hearing everything you said, I understand why you were so upset about the ring. I feel like such a fool for what I did.”
He shook his head. “No. Don’t. You did what you had to do for you. I respect that. I need to shed that particular sensitive spot, anyway.”
“I know you want to be the tough guy, but taking off your engagement ring and putting on someone else’s? That’s brutal. Nobody could blame you for being sensitive about it.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t need to learn to let it go.”
“You’re amazing. You’re so strong. I don’t know if I could be so strong.”
He laughed quietly, wanting so badly to take her hand, tug her closer. “I’m strong? You’re the strongest, most determined person I have ever met.”
She playfully socked him on the arm. “I am not.”
“I’m not kidding. And all it makes me want to do right now is kiss you.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.
Kendall’s breath hitched. “Sawyer...”
He knew what she was about to launch into. “I know we said we wouldn’t do this. I know it’s wrong, but I want you. Every time I’m around you, it’s this test that I can hardly bear.”
Kendall glanced around the otherwise empty room then returned her sights to him. They were alone. He hadn’t been that dumb. “I want you too, Sawyer. I do. I feel so bad about everything that happened today...”
He clutched her neck and brought her lips to his, if only to silence the pity. He didn’t need her to feel sorry for him. He needed her to want him. Her kiss was instantly giving and insistent, her lips parting and welcoming his tongue. She was as hungry for him as he was for her. She pushed up onto her tiptoes, pressing her torso against his. Her enthusiasm made his hips and thighs pull taut. She wasn’t stepping on the brake, she was stomping on the gas. He tugged her closer. As amazing as the kiss was, as much as he’d been thinking about it nonstop, he needed more of her and less of their clothes. “Can we go somewhere?” he asked.
“I want to, but it’s a huge risk. Someone could see us.” Kendall was breathless, her lips plump and red. The delicate skin around her mouth was pale pink from his scruff. He loved seeing evidence of just how ridiculously hot they were for each other.
“Nobody’s here. The foremen went home. Noah went back to the office. Come on.” He took her hand and led her out of the grand ballroom and across the waiting area to the fire stairs.
“We just went into the speakeasy. It’s a disaster in there.”
“Not where we’re going.”
Kendall came to a dead stop. “Oh, wait. They photographed guest rooms for the website yesterday, didn’t they?”
He tugged on her arm. “Yes. Now, come on.”
They got to the tenth floor, slightly out of breath. “Couldn’t we have stopped three floors ago? I know they took pictures of a room on seven.”
“You deserve better than that.” He led her out into the hall and they hurried down the corridor. Sawyer’s spine was like a metal spring pulled to its limit. The anticipation of exploring Kendall’s sumptuous curves, sinking his fingers into her skin, was almost too much to take.
He fiddled with his keys, but it was as if his fingers had forgotten how to work. The electronic keycard system wasn’t fully functioning yet, so he had to go the old-fashioned route and use a housekeeper’s key. His head was pressed against the door while Kendall stood right next to him, softly running her fingers into the hair at his nape, her sweet honey scent hitting his nose and making it impossible to concentrate. Finally, he got the key jammed into the lock and the door open.
“Ladies first.” Sawyer hung back for a second, if only to collect himself and gather the sexy thoughts going through his head right now. The things he wanted to do to Kendall...with Kendall. Could he play hooky for the rest of the day?
She stopped in the center of the room and looked back at him over her shoulder, her eyes piercing any sense of self-control he’d been able to muster. “This room is absolutely stunning. Everything is perfect.”
You’re perfect. He drew in one more look of her from head to toe.
“I love the tones of gray and silver and white, with the black accents. It’s so elegant. Everything shimmers. The guests are going to be blown away by how gorgeous it is.”
He had to touch her. “This room has nothing on you.”
She turned to him, face flush with pink. “I practically handed you that line on a platter.”
“I would’ve found a way to say it. But yes, you made it sound a lot smoother.”
She rested her forearms on his shoulders as his hands went to her waist, caressing her full hips. She gazed up at him, a soft smile on her lips. The rosy flush on her cheeks, and the sparkle in her sapphire eyes, sucked the breath out of him. Was she glowing? “You were amazing today. I want you to know that,” she said softly, punctuating it with a maddening lick of her lower lip.
He was not a man swayed by flattery, but the sweetness in her voice said just how deeply and sincerely she meant it. Admiration from Kendall was worth so much more than it was from anyone else. “Thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for supporting me. I don’t know what I would be doing right now if we hadn’t hired you.”
She shook her head. “No work talk. If we talk about work, I’ll just start to feel guilty that we’re here in this room.”
“No guilt. As far as I’m concerned, the rest of the world can go away. It’s just you and me right now.”
“And that beautiful bed.” She trailed her fingers along his spine, driving him crazy.
He tugged her into an embrace and kissed her, their lips picking up right where they’d left off downstairs, a passionate impatience he’d never experienced with any other woman.
She arched into him, again up on her tiptoes, hands in his hair, her unforgettable lips making a mess of his mind. It was impossible to think and Sawyer had done more than enough thinking for one day.
“We have to get you out of this dress,” he muttered against her lips.
Kendall turned her back to him, gathering her glossy hair and pulling it to the side. She again looked at him with that look...her eyes full of mischief and play. That was the look she’d given him at the wedding. That was the look that had first made him want her. He wrestled off his suit coat then turned his attention to her zipper, drawing it down. Every inch of her skin revealed was a gift, especially as he passed the strap of her black bra and sank lower to black lace-and-satin panties. He stood right behind her, pressing his body against hers, his fierce erection nestled between them. He was at war with himself, wanting his clothes off, absolutely wanting her clothes gone, while wanting to savor every moment, every bit of this feast for the senses. After last time, he’d thought this wasn’t going to happen again.
He nudged her dress from her shoulders and it fell forward, slumping to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her naked waist, pulling her back against him, his hands cupping her incredible breasts, the lace-covered satin softly caressing his palms. He skimmed his lips over the velvety skin of her neck, and she dropped her head to the side, moaning softly. He brought his hands back to unhook
her bra clasp, still kissing her neck as she shook the garment from her body. Her skin was too supple and smelled too good to stop kissing her.
He turned her around, cupping her breasts with his hands, her skin warm beneath his touch. He lowered his head to lick and suck her dark pink nipples. The skin tightened. He loved seeing her body react to his touch.
Her frantic fingers went to work on his shirt while he kept his attention focused on her luscious breasts. He could hold them and admire them for hours, but he had to let go for an instant to unbutton his cuffs and strip off his shirt. He reached for Kendall, but she surprised him, dropping to her knees and pressing the heel of her hand against his erection, making him impossibly hard. So much so that he nearly passed out from the rush of blood and heat. He sucked in a deep breath, steeling himself for more.
Metal clattered as she unbuckled his belt, then unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers. He quickly toed off his shoes and pulled off his socks. He shucked the pants then stood before her again, letting her take charge. Her fingers slipped below the waistband of his boxer briefs and she slowly tugged them down past his hips. As if she needed to seduce him right now...just being with her left him ready to rocket into space. She wrapped her fingers around his length and stroked. Their gazes connected, her grip firm, her eyes bright and intense. She licked her lips and everything froze for a moment as he realized what came next.
She took him into her mouth, unbelievably warm and welcoming. Nothing had ever felt better than that—nothing had ever been so sweet and hot. She took her time, intent on his pleasure, and he had to watch, with the late afternoon light filtering into the room through the gauzy sheers. He dug his fingers into her silky hair, caressing gently. Her lips on him was one of the sexiest images he’d ever seen, and as gratifying as it was, the truth was that he had to have her. All of her.
He reached down and tugged on her arms, bringing her back to standing. He walked her back to the bed and she reclined onto the pure white duvet, sinking down into the puffiness. All he could think about was getting lost in her.
* * *
Kendall arched her back, the silky sheets skimming her skin. The only thing better was the view of Sawyer as he towered over her, completely naked. The wry smile on his face was only improved by the dark shadow of scruff along his jaw, the way he cocked an eyebrow at her. Every inch of him was perfect—sculpted shoulders, firm chest with just the right amount of dark hair, trailing down between his well-defined abs. She was dying to have him inside her, and judging by just how hard he’d been in her hand and mouth, he felt the same way. “Come here,” she said, curling her finger.
“I was only admiring the view,” he countered, reaching down and shimmying her panties past her hips.
She scooted back on the bed and he settled next to her, kissing her softly, while his hands cupped her bottom, fingers digging into her flesh, and he pulled her closer. “I want you, Sawyer,” she said, finding a new weight in the words now. She’d read him all wrong. Did that mean there could be something real between them? Or was there too much on the line? His hotel, her job, the project.
Sawyer rolled her to her back, kissing her lips, then her jaw and her neck again. He positioned himself between her legs and drove inside, filling her perfectly. They rocked together, Kendall wrapping her legs around him and holding him close. She wanted to cherish every moment of this. They shouldn’t have put themselves in this situation, not with the professional conflicts, but there was something wonderful about having this secret between them. It was theirs. Sawyer was right. The rest of the world could go away. It should go away.
She closed her eyes and focused on the here and now—the sensations of tension building inside her, the sound of his breaths as they grew shorter, the pressure of his body weight against hers, keeping her safe, making her feel adored and cherished. It was a beautiful day when the sun of Sawyer Locke chose to shine down on you.
Her peak was approaching quickly. Sawyer was simply too adept at finding a woman’s sweet spots. She was so thankful for it. The pleasure rolled through her like a pebble tumbling down a slope, faltering and starting, but unable to stop. Sawyer soon followed, taking several forceful thrusts and calling out. He settled his face in her neck, catching his breath, and Kendall tried to catch her heart, which felt like it might splinter into hundreds of pieces. She couldn’t escape the feeling that what was between them was more than lust or attraction. It felt much more basic and essential, like air and water.
They remained entwined on the bed for several moments, Kendall doing everything she could to switch her brain back into work mode. The countless barriers, the enormous gray area between them, might make her cry. How was Sawyer going to get the hotel back on schedule? Maybe they could move the grand opening to February. Valentine’s Day. That could be sweet and fun.
But she couldn’t get past the idea that the longer things dragged out, the more opportunities James Locke would have to interfere. They had to give him fewer chances to do his damage. And they had to catch him off guard.
“I have a crazy idea,” Kendall said.
“With most people, I’d say no before you even got it out of your mouth.”
“You’re in a tough spot with the vandalism and getting back on schedule.”
“You’re ruining the mood, just so you know.”
“I’m serious, Sawyer. You and Noah are going to have to figure out what exactly it is that you’re doing. The entire launch of the hotel depends on the grand reopening.”
“Yeah. I was thinking about that. What if we move it to Valentine’s Day? We’d have another six weeks, which should be enough to get us to where we need to be. It’ll still be tight, but I think we can do it.”
“Yeah. I thought about that, too, but I’m not sure it’s the best idea.” Kendall gnawed on her lower lip. Sawyer didn’t seem like the type to blow his top, but what she was about to suggest might send his stress level through the roof. “I was actually thinking of moving in the other direction.”
For a moment, he just stared at her. Not in shock. Not in surprise. Just stared. Unflinching. Unblinking. “As in earlier? That’s your idea?”
She scrunched up her face and nodded. “I told you it was crazy. But just hear me out. December fifth. The day Prohibition was repealed.”
“The fifth. Of December. This year. You are aware it’s almost the end of October.”
“Yes. Just think about it. It’s perfect. That day was celebrated at the hotel every year. It was bigger than New Year’s Eve. Much bigger. You know why?”
He shook his head. “No clue.”
“Because nobody else is throwing a big party on December fifth. Nobody.” Kendall braced for Sawyer’s reaction, but to her great delight, she could see the gears starting to turn in Sawyer’s brain. “The whole world has a party on New Year’s Eve. You were already going to have to compete with the ball drop in Times Square and everything else going on all over the city. If you have it on December fifth, there’s no competition. And it ties into the hotel’s history, which makes my job a lot easier.”
“You realize this is literally the last thing my dad will be expecting.”
She smiled and nodded. “Exactly. He’ll be thinking this will knock you off track and off schedule. So you do the opposite. You open three weeks earlier than expected.”
Sawyer slumped back in bed. “But how do we do that? Three weeks. Do you have any idea how long it took us to have just the metal screens made?”
“The fabricator already has the designs, right? That must’ve been a big part of the timeline before.”
“It was.”
“So call and beg them to drop everything and remake them.”
“I don’t beg, Kendall. It’s not my style.”
“Fine. Then throw around some money and the Locke name. That has to be good for something.”
&nbs
p; Sawyer laughed. “The money, yes. The Locke name, I’m not so sure anymore.”
Eleven
A meeting would likely accomplish nothing, but Sawyer and Noah had agreed that they had to put their dad on notice. Sawyer had volunteered. One thing wouldn’t stop eating at him—the threat to Kendall. After they’d made love at the Grand Legacy, he realized that she had become the good in his day, the sunshine after the rain, the blossom blooming in the snow. He’d waited a long time to have that in his life, and he had to protect her at all costs because of it.
He had his driver take him out to the family estate on Long Island—eleven acres on the water, with spectacular views of Mecox Bay and all the trappings of the Locke family fortune: tennis courts, two pools, a dozen bedrooms and a kitchen as large as a bowling alley. Sawyer didn’t bother to call ahead. It was one of the many games he and his dad played. James always made Sawyer talk his way past the layers of security. Going home was like storming the castle. Sawyer had done it many times.
Tom, the guard manning the iconic stone and iron gate onto the Locke property, had been on staff since Sawyer was a young boy. He walked out to the car, shaking his head, smiling. “I shouldn’t let you in, Sawyer. But not that long ago, it was my job to protect you, so I’m not about to keep you out.”
“I appreciate that, Tom.” Even Sawyer’s dad didn’t have an answer for Tom’s reasoning.
The car crept ahead, over the crushed stone of the drive edged by manicured lawn and sculpted hedges, all the way up to the sprawling white house with the black slate roof, rising up out of a stand of autumn-colored trees. When he was young, this house was home and he loved it. It wasn’t until later that Sawyer realized it didn’t mean much without the love of his mother keeping them all together.
A member of the security detail was out front when the car reached the house. After some back and forth, Sawyer was allowed inside, where he was made to wait in the parlor outside his father’s home office for a good fifteen to twenty minutes. His dad was busy, but he wasn’t that busy. It was all for show.
