Not surprisingly, Juliette made a face at the suggestions. She found theatrical productions boring. As for laser tag, she might break a nail.
“No bachelorette party,” Courtney said before her sister could get invested in the idea.
Many of the people she’d want there didn’t live locally. No way did she want her family members coming to the area for a bachelorette party and then again taking time out of their schedules to travel here so they could help celebrate a temporary wedding.
“C’mon. It’ll be fun. We can keep it small and do it the weekend before the wedding,” her sister said. “I’m sure Evan is throwing Josh a bachelor party.”
Josh’s brother knew the truth about their upcoming wedding, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t throw Josh one hell of a party. More than likely it’d be at some so-called gentlemen’s club in Manhattan where he’d be surrounded by beautiful barely dressed women—women who’d be more than happy to give Josh all the extra attention he wanted, both inside and outside the club.
“Is Evan throwing you one?” Could she sound any more like a jealous shrew? Probably not.
“No. I told him I didn’t want one.”
Or he’s not bothering because he knows the truth about the wedding. Either way, relief flared in her chest. Once they went their separate ways, Josh might spend his free nights with naked women, but for now, he’d be hanging out at her place watching old black-and-white sitcoms.
“Oh.” Her sister appeared to be having a difficult time accepting Josh’s answer. “All my friends have had them. Why don’t you want one?” Juliette asked.
“Maybe I’d say yes if there was more time, but it’s silly to have you and everyone else visit two weekends in a row.” Next time I get married, you can throw me a party.
Josh sipped his scotch and tried to pay attention as Jake described the relief efforts his foundation was still conducting in Puerto Rico following the devastating hurricane they’d experienced months ago. He’d heard of the Falmouth Foundation, but he assumed Jake spent his time running it from the comfort of his office in Virginia. By the sound of it though, Jake spent a lot of time on the ground doing whatever needed to be done.
“Charlie and Garrett are staying up in North Salem and visiting while I head down there for a few days,” Jake said, reaching for the bottle of scotch and adding a splash more to his glass.
Evidently Jake hadn’t traveled up from Virginia because Courtney’s mom invited him. Rather, he’d already been in the state to visit his wife’s family. When he learned Scott was in the area with his family, he’d made plans to see them. Those plans had simply coincided with tonight’s dinner, so Scott had invited Jake and his wife to join them.
“Anyone else?” Jake asked rather than set the bottle down.
He’d been nursing his drink since Scott handed it to him. In general, straight scotch wasn’t his favorite. He would have preferred more of the wine they’d enjoyed while the women were still with the group, but he accepted the drink after Courtney went upstairs anyway. It gave him an excuse to stay behind while she got settled into bed and possibly fell asleep—something he doubted he’d be doing tonight with her in the same room.
Unless necessary, it was irresponsible to drive during a snowstorm. It put not only yourself in danger but also any people around you. As far as their physical safety was concerned, Courtney had made the right decision. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said when it came to his mental well-being. He’d been unable to keep his hands off her while in a room surrounded by her family. How the hell was he going to manage it when they were not only alone but had a nice comfy bed at their disposal? Yeah, no way was he falling asleep tonight.
He’d thought sleeping down the hall from her all week was torture. The night ahead of him promised to be so much worse.
“All set.” Josh took the last mouthful of liquid.
“No thanks. I’m heading up,” Scott answered as he stood.
Jake tossed back his drink and added his glass to the empty wineglasses on the table. “Probably not a bad idea.”
Too bad Josh didn’t have anything left in his glass. He could stay behind to finish it and maybe spend the night on the sofa. If he set the alarm on his phone, he might have been able to wake up before anyone discovered him there.
With that option off the table, Josh followed the men up the central staircase. At the top, two hallways branched off.
“See you both in the morning,” Jake said before he headed down the hallway on the left.
“Courtney’s room is across from mine,” Scott said, turning to the right. He stopped halfway down the hall and reached for a doorknob. “Goodnight.”
Not a sound came from the other side of Courtney’s door. She had gone up well over an hour ago, giving her more than enough time to change and fall asleep. If he could help it, he’d prefer not to wake her up when he went inside.
The door opened without so much as a squeak, and he gently closed it behind him. She’d left the light on in what he guessed was the bathroom. Although the door was partially closed, it allowed just enough light in the room for him to make out the furniture and avoid walking into anything. He’d hoped there might be a recliner or a sofa in the room that he could use as a bed. No such luck though.
He considered the armchair over by the windows. Judging by the looks of it, the bathtub would be a more comfortable place to sleep. With the chair out, he had only two other options: the bed or the floor.
It won’t kill me to sleep on the floor. He couldn’t say the same about the bed.
She left the comforter folded at the end of the bed. It’d make a decent sleeping bag for the night. Josh kicked off his shoes, then removed his shirt and pants. If he had to wear them again in the morning, he’d rather they not look like he slept in them. After grabbing the comforter, he reached for a pillow.
The shape in the bed moved, and a second later a bedside light switched on. “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.” Propped up on an elbow, she didn’t look like someone who had been asleep for an hour.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded and flipped back the blankets so he could get under them.
Bad idea. Very bad idea. The warning flashed like a neon sign in his head. Ignoring it, he climbed into bed.
Fifteen minutes later, Josh stared into the darkness, every cell in his body accurately aware of just who was in the king-size bed with him. He could reach out and touch her. Cover her lips with his while he palmed her breasts and teased her nipples. Once finished with her mouth, he could move his lips down her body and pleasure her like he had so many times in Hawaii before slipping inside her so they could climax together. If he were lucky, she’d wake him up in the morning with some similar treatment.
He groaned at the images conjured up by his mind. He should’ve stuck with his plan and slept on the floor. Would the discomfort of being on the floor have been any better than what he was currently experiencing?
No, it would’ve been worse. Not only would he have been suffering from a hard-on, but he would’ve also had a sore back. At least in bed, his back wasn’t bothering him.
The sheets covering his body moved as the mattress shifted slightly and bare skin brushed against his thigh.
Great, just what he needed. Already he was hugging the edge of the mattress. If he moved over any further, he would be on the floor. He had two choices, either wake her and ask her to move or suck it up and hope she rolled back to where she’d been. Both options sucked.
Fingertips touched his chest. During their two weeks together, he’d often woken up and found her arm across his body or a leg pressed against his. Back then, he’d enjoyed it. Tonight, her heat burned into his chest and caused every muscle in his body to tighten.
Closing his eyes, Josh focused on his breathing instead of the lithe, warm body pressed against his side. He didn’t recall much from the meditation classes he’d attended, but he remembered he was supposed to do that.
One.
Two. Thre— A gentle kiss landed on his shoulder, sending Josh’s count out the window. Another one quickly followed, and he stopped breathing too.
With each kiss, she got closer to his neck. At the same time, the hand on his chest moved lower. When it passed over his abdomen, his muscles clenched.
Please don’t stop. Countless times in Hawaii, she’d woken him up this way.
Her hand paused at the waistband of his underwear, sending his heart rate off the charts. Before he could say or do anything, it slipped beneath the fabric and closed around him.
Whatever blood was left in his brain skyrocketed south. With a groan, he grabbed the sheet beneath him and he forced himself to let her pleasure him without touching her. When her mouth came down on his, he snapped. No longer able to keep his hands to himself, he rolled onto his side and slipped them under her top.
Moving onto her back, Courtney pulled up the blanket so it covered both of them. When she’d climbed into bed last night, she’d truly hoped to be asleep by the time Josh came up. Instead, she’d tossed and turned while thinking about all the ways Josh could pleasure her if she let him. By the time the bedroom door opened, every inch of her body ached for his touch. Still, she might have been able to hold out if she hadn’t turned the light on and seen him standing with nothing on but his boxer briefs. Not only had he been standing next to the bed in just his underwear, but he’d been there fully erect.
When they’d been downstairs, he constantly had an arm around her or a hand on her leg. After he got into bed, she waited for him to pull her close, giving her the okay to touch him. It never happened. Instead, Josh stayed as close to the edge of the bed as possible, reinforcing his statement on Monday that he’d let her decide if they had sex.
Before she lost her nerve, Courtney let him know she’d made up her mind. And at some point today, she planned to remind him of her decision.
Josh’s leg rubbed against hers as he moved. A moment later, he draped an arm across her. “Morning.” He kissed her bare shoulder and sent a jolt of energy straight to her nipple. “How did you sleep?” The hand on her stomach inched up, and Josh’s thumb brushed the underside of her breast.
They hadn’t done much sleeping last night. “Not bad. You?”
“Best sleep I’ve had since I came back from vacation.” Kissing the pulse in her neck, he teased her taut nipple with his fingers.
Thanks to the sunlight sneaking into the room, she knew it was morning. Just how early, she didn’t know. She’d like a chance to say goodbye before her family members left. If they continued down the path they were on, it was possible everyone would be gone by the time they got downstairs. So before it became impossible for her to form a coherent thought, she should get up and put some clothes on. Besides, it wasn’t like they couldn’t spend the rest of the day naked in her bedroom at home.
“Josh.”
“What?” He cupped her breast and touched the tip of his tongue to her nipple.
“We….” His lips closed around her nipple, sending her thoughts up in a puff of smoke.
To hell with it. Taking his hand, she guided it down her body and to the spot aching the most for his touch. If her family left before they made an appearance, she’d see everyone in a few weeks anyway.
Eleven
Courtney looked over the spread on the kitchen island and ran through her mental list. Crackers, check. Cheese and dip, yep, those were out too, along with tortilla chips and pepper slices. She’d wait to take any wine out, and Josh was picking up beer and should be home soon. And the boneless chicken wings were in the oven. So why did it feel like she was forgetting something?
From behind her, Josh put his arms around her waist, letting her know he’d returned. “How soon will Trent and Addie be here?” He kissed her neck, momentarily distracting her.
When she’d canceled her plans with her cousin and his wife, she’d invited them over tonight instead for game night. Usually, either Trent or her cousin Gray hosted game night, and more often than not they played a board game like Telestrations or Codenames. Occasionally, they’d play cards. Since she didn’t own any board games, tonight they’d be playing cards. More specifically they’d be playing Pitch, the only card game other than solitaire that she knew well.
Pepperoni. She’d left it in the refrigerator. “Less than thirty minutes.”
Kissing her neck again, he slipped his hands under her sweatshirt. “Then we have a little time.” He moved one of the ice blocks masquerading as a hand higher while the other headed toward the button of her jeans.
“Your hands are freezing.”
“I’m trying to warm them up.” His hand freed one breast from her bra.
Sunday afternoon when they returned from her parents’, they’d gone almost immediately from the parking garage to her bedroom. They’d spent the majority of the day in there. During one of their trips into the kitchen for food, she’d invited him to move into her room. Since she’d allowed their relationship to become intimate again, it didn’t make a lot of sense for him to sleep in another room, especially since she enjoyed waking up and finding his arm around her at night or falling asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. He’d agreed immediately. They’d had sex every night and almost every morning since, including this morning.
The hand heading south undid the button and slipped lower. Like his other hand, it remained cold from being outside, and the contrast in temperatures between his skin and hers sent all the nerve endings in her body on overload.
If she let him continue, they’d end up naked in her bed or maybe the sofa. Perhaps they wouldn’t even get that far. Last night they hadn’t made it out of the kitchen. Wherever they ended up, she didn’t want to be in the middle of having sex when her cousin and Addie arrived. Already she expected Trent to give her a hard time tonight. She didn’t need to keep him waiting and then answer the door with her hair a mess and her sweatshirt on backward because she’d been in such a rush to get dressed.
“Have you thought about wearing gloves?”
His hand moved lower, and he ran his finger over the spot silently begging for his touch. “Why would I do that when I have you at home?”
She bit down on her lip to keep from moaning. “Josh, we really don’t have a lot of time.” But oh man, she wished they did.
“Are you sure?” He moved his fingers against her again while his hand freed her other breast from her bra, nearly sending her right over the edge.
Maybe if we’re really quick. Reaching behind herself, she slipped the button on his jeans free.
The doorbell stopped her from doing anything else. Her cousin’s timing sucked.
“If we don’t answer, maybe they’ll go away,” Josh suggested. Both his body and his hands remained where they were.
Taking hold of his wrists, she moved his hands away. “Addie knows I’m home. She sent me a text not long before you got here. Trent will ring the bell until we answer.”
As if to prove her point, the doorbell chimed again.
After fixing her bra and buttoning her jeans, she turned. “Smile. It’s not like they’re staying the night.”
Courtney took her own advice and pasted on a smile before opening the door.
“Took you long enough,” Trent greeted, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek when he walked in. “If we interrupted you, we can entertain ourselves until you’re done.” His grin said what his words didn’t.
Heat rushed to her face. Josh should’ve answered the door.
Addie elbowed Trent in the side. “Ignore him. He’s cranky. He got home late and didn’t get to eat before we left.”
“We’ve got plenty of snacks. Josh bought some beer too.” She accepted their jackets and hung them in the closet. “Everything is in the kitchen.”
Her cousin’s expression grew serious. “I’d like to talk to you,” Trent said, and Addie shook her head at him.
“C’mon, Trent, we talked about this. Let’s just play cards.”
Addie di
dn’t need to say any more. “It’s okay, Addie. I know what he wants.” Courtney also knew Trent wouldn’t let the matter go. If they didn’t have the discussion now, he’d find another time for them to have it. “Josh is in the kitchen. Can you go over the rules again with him? He’s never played Pitch before. We’ll be right in.”
Addie nodded. “But if Trent says something you don’t like, tell me. I’ll make sure he pays for it later.”
For this conversation, much like the one with Scott on Saturday, she wanted some privacy. “Follow me.”
She didn’t spend a lot of time in the home office. Today though, a few things had come up after she left the foundation, so she’d come in here to work. When she left, she never bothered to switch off the lights or close her laptop.
“Okay. Out with it, so we can play cards.” She loved her cousin, but really, she didn’t need him butting into her life.
Whether it was to annoy her or because he wasn’t sure how to start, Trent sat down rather than answer her. “Are you going to sit?”
“If it means you’ll hurry up, I’ll stand on my head.”
His eyebrow went up, and he ran a hand across his jaw while he considered her words. “That I’d like to see.”
This was getting her nowhere. And the quicker she sat, the sooner he’d talk. “Okay, I’m sitting. What do you want to tell me?”
“I didn’t say anything when those pictures of you and Josh in Hawaii appeared, because I thought the two of you were just having fun on vacation. I didn’t know you’d been seeing him since the summer.”
Thanks to Addie, she’d already known why Trent never mentioned Josh to her following her trip.
“But are you sure about marrying him? Josh isn’t your type.”
Wow, this conversation sounded similar to the one between her and Scott Saturday night. “You know better than most you can’t believe everything you read about a person.”
Tempting The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 13) Page 13
