by Terry Towers
body flush against him, attempting to get closer to his warmth.
The cologne that had teased her nose while in the casino playing the slots was
now overpowered by the cherry smell. And he was… sticky. Another bout of
laughter erupted from her. She suspected this was supposed to be a romantic first
kiss moment, but she couldn’t help her reaction. His neck, his shoulders, every
exposed inch of him was sticky.
“Not the reaction I usually get from women when I’m trying to make a move on
them.”
She bit down on her lip attempting to halt the giggling. “I’m sorry.” Leaning
into him she flicked her tongue along the side of his neck, tasting the cherry. His
body stiffened against her. “You’re really tasty, though.” She went in for another
teasing nip, running her lips along the side of his neck.
He inhaled sharply and a low growl-like moan escaped him, as his hands pulled
her so tight it left her winded. His tight grip loosened, but not before she felt a
bulge beginning to form against her belly.
When she pulled back from him the heat in his eyes as she met his gaze caused
a yearning between her legs. It both scared and excited her. One man, she’d only
been with one in her life; could she possibly give in to her desires to this virtual
stranger?
Another thought occurred to her. What if the reason there weren’t fireworks
between her and Alex was because she wasn’t very good in bed? What if the
reason he broke it off was because he realized that and wanted to be with someone
else who could satisfy him?
~*~*~*~*~
~ Dane ~
Dane watched Genevieve’s mood switch from playful and teasing to indecisive
as she slipped from his arms. It threw him off, making him wonder what he did to
change her mood. He liked her, she was more than just beautiful; she had a spark
about her that drew him in – or had until that moment.
“What’s the matter?”
Maybe I’m just coming on too strong. As much as he wanted to take her back to
his room tonight, he could tell she wasn’t the type. She was too refined. He’d
planned on treating it as a challenge, but now, now he just wanted to get to know
her. Even if that meant jacking himself off tonight instead of what had originally
come to his mind.
Her cheeks took on an alluring glow as she lowered her eyes to peer down at the
sidewalk between their feet. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.” Hooking his finger under her chin, he lifted her heart-
shaped face up so her eyes met his again. “Come on, talk to me.”
She opened her mouth as if she were going to answer and then snapped it shut
again, giving her head a shake. “It’s nothing.” She reached up and it looked like
she was going to place a kiss on his lips, but seemed to think twice at the last
second and her lips landed on his cheek. “I’m having a good time. Just something
came to mind.”
Giving him a smile, she tugged his hand, urging him forward.
Don’t push her Dane. Don’t do it, a voice in the back of his mind warned. He
ignored it. “Does this have something to do with your ex? You’re not over him or
something?”
She laughed, but the laugh sounded hollow. “No. No, I’m over him. I’m not
mourning the loss of the relationship if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“Then, tell me. What’s going on?” The night had been going so damned well.
She’d been laughing, despite being covered in juice, and having a great time. He
could feel the energy between them, they were like two poles being drawn
together. And he wouldn’t lie, he was desperate to have her naked and under him,
moaning his name as she came for him.
She stopped walking and tugged at his hand so he’d also stop.
“Ginny?” He spun to face her, his brow furrowed. “I would like to know. Are
you okay?” Their eyes locked and the anxiety slowly faded from her eyes to be
replaced by a look of determination.
“Perfect.” She stepped up to him and into his arms. He hesitated a moment,
taken aback by her sudden brazen move, but quickly gathered her into his arms.
She rubbed up against him, the movement enticing his shaft, causing it to swell.
“Good. I –” His words were cut off as her lips brushed across his. He could taste
the cherry juice on her lips and had to agree, it tasted pretty good – sweet. She
sighed against his lips as the kiss deepened.
His hand slid up her back to her cheek and then to her hair. The initial plan was
to run his fingers through her hair, but the stickiness of the juice wasn’t allowing
for it. Instead he ended up pulling, yanking on the strands as he attempted to
dislodge his fingers. She yelped against his lips, but didn’t pull away.
Smooth Dane, smooth. He was beginning to feel like a bumbling teenager, for
dozens of pedestrians walking past them to see. Getting the feeling they were being
watched, Dane reluctantly ended the kiss and pulled away from her. Looking to his
right he came eye to eye with a homeless man, who was eating a slice of pizza and
eyeing them with an intense interest.
“Can ya spare a buck brotha’?”
Great, cockblocked by a homeless guy and fruit juice. Nice. He had an intense
dislike for homeless people. It seemed a good chunk of his time when out on patrol
on the streets of New York consisted of dealing with calls involving homeless
people causing disturbances. That time could have been used to solve real crimes.
It made him extremely bitter.
Genevieve’s eyes lowered to her purse.
“Don’t condone it.” Not giving her a chance to give the man a penny he took
her hand and pulled her along behind him. There was a slight hesitation, but she
followed along. He imagined she was thinking he was some heartless asshole right
now, but he didn’t care.
“But –”
“See those entertainers?” He motioned to a couple dressed as Mickey and
Minnie Mouse posing with a little girl for a picture, with a tip jar sitting in front of
them. “If you want to give someone money, give it to them.”
“But what about the other guy?”
“You mean the perv that I bet was hard watching us kiss?”
“He wasn’t the only one that was hard.” A saucy smirk touched her lips.
Dammit, he wanted to kiss those lips again.
“That was a cheeky comment.” Chuckling, he looked down at her and cocked a
brow. She met his gaze, refusing to look away, despite her cheeks reddening. Was
she trying to prove something to him – or to herself? Maybe both.
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, but the wicked gleam remained in
her eyes. His gaze lowered to her lips and the urge to stop, pull her down an alley
and kiss her again without prying eyes was almost too strong to deny. Had it not
been for the fact their hotel was less than five minutes away he may have.
He quickened his pace. The hotel was becoming a beacon. He was still unsure
of where things were going tonight, but he wanted to be away from the prying eyes
of homeless people, other tourists and costumed Mickeys so he could find out. Not
that he was shy about putting on a show,
he’d put on a number of them over the
years, but suspected she hadn’t.
The ache in his jeans insisted he take it all the way tonight, but his conscience
told him not to push her. She claimed she was over her ex, but he couldn’t be so
sure. To him rebound sex or taking advantage of someone who was emotionally
vulnerable was about a step above forcing himself on her.
“Wanna slow down there Marathon Man?”
It was his turn to feel the heat creeping up his neck and to his face upon
realizing that in his haste to get her to the hotel he was practically dragging her
down the sidewalk. Beside him she was panting softly, increasing his guilt.
“These heels aren’t made for power walking.” She kicked her left foot up to
give him a better view of the black shoe with a steel spiked heel.
How in the hell do women walk in those? He certainly saw the appeal. Her legs
looked incredible in them; the muscle in the back of her calf took on a sexy heart
shape – although he suspected her legs would look good regardless of whether she
was wearing them or not.
“I’m sorry, you…” He noticed her body tremble in a shiver and breathed a sigh
of relief at finding an excuse that didn’t make him appear like an overzealous
adolescent. “… look like you’re about to catch your death from the cold.”
The look she gave him said she seriously doubted that was the real reason for
his haste.
Dane groaned inwardly. Yep, get out the hand lotion ladies and gentlemen,
Dane Porter will be cumming alone tonight.
Chapter 4
~ Genevieve ~
It felt like her heart was about to explode through her chest, it was beating so quickly. The
elevator was whizzing up the shaft and was seconds away from arriving on the 25th floor, where
their rooms were located. She was still unsure of what to do when they arrived at their rooms.
She wanted him. There was no doubt in her mind over that, but she was still a little paranoid that maybe it was her fault the sex with Alex was mediocre. And what happened after the deed was
done? Did she say thanks, get dressed and leave? Or did he expect her to stay the entire night,
their limbs entwined in the embrace of lovers? She just didn’t know.
Who am I kidding, I’m not a one-night stand girl. Shit. It took me over a year just to give
myself to Alex; fucking some man after only knowing him a few hours just isn’t my thing.
Who would it hurt, really, a voice in the back of her mind questioned. One night of passion with a gorgeous, sexy man making you feel things you’ve never felt before. Maybe you’ll
discover it was never you. You won’t know until you take the plunge.
But what if it was? She doubted her already currently fragile ego could handle that
realization.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open revealing an empty corridor. Sliding an arm over
her shoulders, Dane urged her out of the elevator and into the hallway. She trembled at his touch, but unlike out on the sidewalk her trembling came out of anticipation.
“Shit. You’re still cold?” His arm around her shoulder tightened as he pulled her closer to his
warmth. “Going to have to get you out of those clothes. We should have grabbed a cab. I’m
sorry, Ginny.”
Slipping her arm around his waist, she cuddled tight to him. The muscles of his back felt
amazing under the fabric of his shirt. She imagined his body was magnificent under the layers of
clothing and craved to find out.
“This is much better.” She looked up and caught his gaze. “But perhaps getting out of these
clothes and having a long warm shower would be a good idea.”
She watched as his jaw clenched and heat flared up in his eyes. Her grip on his shirt tightened
and she rubbed herself against his side, allowing her body to take over her actions.
Don’t think, just feel, she coached herself.
They stopped walking and Dane looked over her shoulder to the door they stopped in front
of, room 25-205. “This is me.”
She jerked her head toward the other end of the hallway. “I’m down there.”
Dane placed his palm to her cheek and ran his thumb across her lower lip. “It’s late.”
“It is.” Not able or wanting to resist her urges any longer she took his thumb into her mouth.
She nipped lightly before slowly sucking it in.
Dane’s eyes closed and he groaned softly as he spun her around and pressed her back against
his door. “We could go to your suite… if you want.” His voice was low and gravelly. He
sounded like he was straining to hold back and God, she wanted to be the one to break him – but
not in her room. Not with the champagne and roses and rose petals meant for her and another
man. She didn’t want any feelings toward Alex – good or bad – interfering with the pleasure she
was determined to feel tonight at the hands of such a beautiful man.
Dane slid his thumb from her mouth and quickly replaced it with his lips. They came
crashing down on hers as he pressed his body against hers, securing her against the wall. The
bulge in his pants expanded rapidly as he pressed against her.
Moaning against his lips as his tongue sought out hers, her arousal went from simmering to
explosive in seconds. The ache between her legs intensified, needing the relief that only his rock hard arousal rubbing against her could provide.
He groaned as he pulled away from her and looked down the hallway with urgency. “Which
one is yours?”
“Why go to mine when your room is right behind me?” She brushed her lips along the side of
his neck, and was rewarded by another low grumble from him. The last thing she wanted was to
have to explain why she didn’t want to go to her room.
He hesitated and then nodded. Reaching into his inner pocket, he pulled out his card key and
inserted it into the reader. The door beeped and they were in. Genevieve tossed her purse onto
the floor, while she kicked off her heels, not caring where any of it landed.
“We need a shower.” Dane pulled the Evil Dead t-shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the floor, along with the button-down shirt underneath, a couple of buttons breaking off in his haste.
Lifting her hands above her head she waited for him to remove her t-shirt and took the
opportunity to admire the hard lines of his chest and abdominals. He was indeed beautiful, like
he’d stepped out of the pages of a magazine. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and tugged it up
and off, tossing it to the floor with his.
“Oh no… Shit, I’m sorry, Ginny.”
She lowered her arms and followed his eyes to her chest. The cream-coloured dress was
stained with red and pink blotches.
“No big deal.” Grabbing him by his front belt loop she began pulling him into the main room.
“Where’s the shower?” She glanced around the main room, not really interested in the
spectacular décor. There would be time to explore the room later.
He hesitated. “Are you sure?”
She redirected her attention back to him. “About? The dress will be fine.” She doubted it, but
wasn’t about to ruin the mood over a stained dress, regardless of the price or designer.
“Tonight. Normally I’d be all for this, but I’m –”
“Don’t be.” She stepped up to him and placed her palms flat on his chest. The muscles flexed
as her fingers traced the sharp contours. “If y
ou didn’t notice already, I’m kinda into the idea.”
She lifted her eyes from his chest to meet his heated stare.
He began to walk her backward and to the left. “I just don’t want to take advantage.
Considering… ” Leaning down, he nipped at the side of her neck. Letting her head fall to the
side, Genevieve sighed, her nails digging into his shoulders.
“Don’t be.”
He lifted his head and in one swift motion, he bent, slipped a hand under her legs and
shoulders and hoisted her into his arms, holding her tight to his naked chest.
She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her across the room and into
the bathroom, which was decorated in black, white and shades of grey. The black shower stall
was large enough to comfortably fit a half-dozen people, with an array of gadgets inside the stall.
It felt good to be secure in his arms being carried as if she weighed nothing more than a
feather. It made her feel secure and protected. She was surprised at how good that feeling felt. It was a feeling she never really experienced with Alex.
Dane slowly placed her back onto her feet. Holding her close to his chest, he reached into the
shower and turned it on, adjusting the temperature until he was satisfied. Straightening up and
taking a step away from her, Dane’s eyes took their time to scan the length of her body.
“I think we should be getting you out of this dress.” A sexy smile emerged on his lips as he
stepped to her again, reached behind her and slowly unzipped the back of her dress, keeping his
eyes locked to hers.
Another bout of nervousness hit her, mixing with her desire, making her tremble. Her
nervousness increased as the fabric at her back parted and the bodice of her dress loosened and
then fell away from her breasts.
He stepped a little closer, his lips grazing the side of her neck as he finished undoing the zip
on her dress. She moaned, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. Slipping the straps of the dress from her shoulders, the garment fell down her body to puddle at her feet.
“You’re beautiful Genevieve. Truly stunning.” His lips made their way along her jaw to her
mouth. The sound of sincerity in his voice shocked her and she opened her eyes to see raw desire
in his.
With shaking hands she reached for his belt buckle, pulling it loose while praying he
