by Coleen Kwan
“Honey…” Gently gripping her hair, he eased himself out, gasping for control. “I’m not going to last if you keep that up.”
She licked her lips and rose to her feet. Even with the extra height of the bed, she was an inch shorter than him. She pointed at his chest. “And I’m not going to last if you don’t get your damn clothes off.”
That, he could do for her. Within ten seconds he’d torn off his T-shirt and shucked off his jeans, boxers, and boots. He was about to toss the lot to the floor when he remembered and pulled a roll of condoms out of his jeans pocket.
“Ha!” Holly pointed at them. “Looks like you were planning something when you asked if I wanted company tonight.”
He dropped the roll to the bed and circled her waist with his hands. “I was only thinking of you. I know how desperate you are for me.” He brushed his mouth against hers to tease her.
“Yeah.” She sighed, her hands roving over his shoulders. “I admit it. I’m desperate to touch you all over.” She proved her words by coasting her hands and mouth over his torso, murmuring her appreciation. She pushed him onto the bed and leaned over him to string a chain of kisses across his skin, sliding her body back and forth over him.
The feel of her naked skin against his was driving him crazy. He couldn’t lie here and be passive any longer. Eventually, he gripped her upper arms and flipped her on her back in one smooth motion. He grabbed a condom, ripped it open, and rolled it on. Holly watched him with sparkling blue eyes, her breasts rising and falling with her rapid breathing, the pulse at the base of her throat jumping.
The air between them thickened, spiced with the scent of perfume, perspiration, and pheromones. She leaned back on her elbows and arched her body, spreading her legs wide, inviting him. His heart missed a beat. Damn, she was amazing. Kneeling between her thighs, he caressed her folds until she was drenched and he knew she was more than ready. Bending over her, he sank his length into her, and an involuntary sigh hissed out of him as her wetness tightened around him. He pushed deeper. A few seconds before, he’d had vague plans of taking this slowly, but now he was inside her, his self-control crumbled, and he knew there was no way this was going to be sweet or pretty.
“Goddammit, Holly” he breathed as he ground his hips against her. “You feel so goddamn incredible, I can’t go slow, I’m sorry—”
“Who said I want slow?” she gasped back, digging her nails into his shoulder as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Do it, Dane. Do it harder. I want to feel every inch of you.”
Dammit, she was ruining him forever with her dirty talk. Surrendering to his primitive instincts, he pounded into her, every muscle straining. Sweat poured off him. He flicked back his hair to see her staring up at him, gasps of pleasure exhaling from her parted lips as she rocked her body in time to his grinding rhythm. The sight of her star struck eyes was enough for him to regain a little control, enough for him to slide a hand between their damp bodies and find her swollen center. She moaned out, a flush rising in her cheeks.
“You like that?” he murmured, transfixed by her expression.
God, he could watch her all night like that. She groaned an assent, and he thrust himself deeper into her. She uttered a half-sob, and that animal sound was enough to make him lose it. He pounded into her several more times before her flesh tightened around him and she cried out his name. She peaked, shuddering, and a second later he climaxed, heat and lust and fever spurting out of him.
Eventually he managed to ease himself out of her and flopped onto the bed beside her. His lungs were on fire, every muscle throbbed, and he’d never felt so euphoric before. He drifted his fingers over her as satisfaction settled deep into every cell.
“See, what did I tell you?” he said when he could talk again. “The main event.”
“Yeah,” she murmured, sounding blurred with sated appetite.
Rolling onto his side, he propped his head on his hand while continuing to drift his other hand over her. It seemed he couldn’t stop touching her, even now. Couldn’t get enough of her. Her hair was a silver bird’s nest, her body gleamed, all slender curves shining with perspiration. She looked magnificent.
She offered him a dreamy smile. “Oh, I feel soooo good.” Stifling a yawn, she snuggled her head into the pillow. “I just need a little nap, and then I’ll be ready for the next round. And this time, I’m going to be on top.”
He lowered his head to his pillow and let his hand rest in the dip of her waist. “Bossy, huh?”
She lifted a sleepy eyebrow at him. “Hey, my bed, my rules.”
Chapter Eight
“What happened to you yesterday?” Chad asked Holly. He’d just stepped out of his suite at the Halifax Hotel as Holly arrived on the sixteenth floor. “You disappeared during the afternoon and didn’t come back.”
“Oh, family stuff,” Holly answered. “My brother’s wife had a baby boy yesterday.”
“Hey, that’s great.” Chad’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah, it is.”
Holly moved down the hall. Last night she’d forgotten all about the newborn baby. She and Dane had gone several rounds in bed in between recovery naps. She can’t have had more than four hours sleep, and parts of her body were still aching—in the best way possible. Her blood stirred with the memories of everything she’d done with Dane. In the cold light of day, last night’s antics seemed extra decadent and reckless. But she couldn’t say she regretted it; she only wished last night had been longer.
Yawning, she dug into her tote bag for her keys. Chad stopped with her and began talking about the competition, but she only listened with half an ear as she fumbled with the lock.
“Mind if I take a look at what you’ve done so far?” Chad asked.
“Sure.” She opened the door, stepped into the suite, and stopped dead, her jaw dropping. “What the—”
At first she thought she’d opened the wrong door. But this was definitely her suite—and the room had been trashed. Someone had splashed garish red paint all over her oyster walls, geometric wallpaper, and fine rugs. They had slashed the couches and cushions, tossing feathers and foam everywhere. They had broken the lamps, upended the tables, torn down the curtains. Heart in mouth, Holly rushed to the adjoining bedroom. Here, the linen lay in a pile on the bed, and as she approached, she caught the distinctive, pungent odor of urine. Whoever had done this, had made sure to piss over the entire bed.
Nausea rose in her throat as she leaned against the bedroom doorway for support.
“Who would do this? It’s disgusting!” Chad boomed, red in the face.
She barely heard him, the buzzing in her ears so loud it felt like a swarm of angry bees had invaded her skull.
“What’s going on?”
Attracted by Chad’s shouts, more people entered the suite and stopped in horror. The noise rose. A security guard bustled in and gawped around him.
“Has anyone else’s room been broken into?” he asked.
The other contestants shook their heads. Everyone was here. Except for Dane, Holly noticed. When he’d left her this morning, he’d said he was going home to shower and change.
The guard turned to Holly. “Ma’am, did you remember to lock up last night?”
Holly forced herself to stand up straight. She had to snap out of her shock and deal with the situation. “Yes, I’m sure I did because I used my key this morning.” She glanced at Chad. “You saw me unlocking the door, didn’t you?”
Chad nodded, his face still puce. “What kind of two bit security system do you run in this place if anyone can break in?” he demanded of the security guard.
Looking nettled, the guard adjusted the belt holding his walkie-talkie and flashlight. “We have a guard on night patrol, but he can’t be everywhere at once.”
“What the hell happened here?” Dane rumbled as he entered the suite.
Everyone turned to him, but, after his first horrified glance, his eyes went straight to Holly. She must really be in shock, she
thought, because for the first time she couldn’t fully appreciate the sight of Dane looking hot and dangerous.
She waved helplessly around her. “Looks like someone decided I needed a few decorating tips.” She swallowed. “Is your room okay?”
“Yeah.” He swiveled on his heel, taking in the damage once again, and his face turned slightly pale. “Shit. This is insane. Who would do something like this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Simone snapped. “Someone who’ll do anything to win.” She paused as every eye turned on her, and her lips thinned. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. It’s not me! Why would I cheat when I know I’m going to win?” She tossed her hair back before narrowing her eyes at the people around her. “But I wouldn’t put it past any of you here. Even Holly herself.”
“What?” Holly gaped at her. “Why would I vandalize my own room?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you think it’ll garner you some sympathy from the Gilberts. Who knows?”
“That’s ridiculous.” Dane scowled at Simone before turning to Holly. “You have to tell the Gilberts.”
She sighed, the beginnings of a headache already fermenting in her temples. “Yeah, I’ll do it now. Thanks, everyone, but you should probably get back to your decorating.”
As people began to file out, she curled her hands into fists. This morning she’d woken up feeling like she was floating on a cloud, but now she’d crashed back to earth.
The security guard cleared his throat. “Ma’am, I’m sorry. The hotel hasn’t been in use for years, so there aren’t any security cameras. We sometimes get kids breaking in and doing stuff, but it hasn’t happened in a while.” He scratched his buzzcut hair, looking perplexed. “They musta picked the lock of your door. I’m sure that’s how they got in. I’m gonna check with the guard who did the night shift, see if he noticed anything suspicious, and I’ll run it by the local cops. They might know who the likely crims are.”
“Thanks. I appreciate your help.” Holly nodded.
When the security guard had gone, she collapsed into one of the slashed couches.
“It’s going to be all right,” Dane murmured as he rested on his haunches in front of her. “The Gilberts will give you an extension, I’m sure, and I’ll help you get everything fixed.”
Something prickled at the back of her eyes, and it took her a second before she realized it was tears. Jesus, she was on the verge of breaking down and crying in front of Dane. She hadn’t cried in years. What was wrong with her? She didn’t want Dane thinking she was weak and soft. God, no.
Blinking fiercely, she squared her shoulders and sat up straight. “I’ll call the Gilberts, but you’ve got enough to do yourself. Thanks, Dane. I’ll talk to you later.” She dug her cell phone out of her bag, signaling that she wanted to be alone.
A slight frown crossed his brow before he rose to his feet. He gazed at her a couple more seconds, still looking concerned, before he nodded and quietly left the room.
Alone, Holly broke the news to the Gilberts. Lizzie and Humbert were all atwitter, aghast at what had happened. But they weren’t as soft as they appeared, because after some hemming and hawing, they granted her a mere three hour extension. Instead of 10a.m. Monday morning, her suite would be judged at 1p.m.
When the call was over, she gazed at the wreckage surrounding her and couldn’t keep her shoulders from slumping. Even if the Gilberts had given her an extra day, she wouldn’t make the deadline. She may as well give up now because there was no way she’d make it past this round of the Gilberts challenge.
But her natural stubbornness rose up and jabbed at her. Who said anything about giving up? She wasn’t a jellyfish. She had a spine and two working hands. She needed to win the Halifax Hotel, and she wasn’t going to surrender this easily.
Pushing to her feet, she scowled at the red paint marring her perfect walls. Teenage vandals. Screw them. Why couldn’t they stick to spray-painting graffiti instead of breaking into her room?
But…was that really what happened? Maybe Simone was right and one of the contestants was trying to sabotage her. Holly picked up her key to the suite and turned it over in her hands, her mind racing. No one had stolen her key and it had never left her possession, so—
Wait, was that true? Yesterday afternoon, she’d been frantic to leave and get to Cassie’s house. She’d been so flustered that Dane had taken the key from her and locked the room. Had he given the key back to her? Yes. No. Maybe. She couldn’t remember, dammit. Her mouth dried as an unwelcome theory came to mind. If Dane had kept her key, after dropping her brother at the hospital he could have come back here and trashed this room.
Ice crawled down her spine as she recalled how Dane had been so insistent about seeing her last night. Was that because he couldn’t wait to be with her, or because he needed an excuse to slip the key back into her bag before she noticed it missing?
She pressed her hands against her face, battling the sickness that threatened to overwhelm her. No, she couldn’t believe it. Dane might be super-competitive and very eager to win, but he’d never stoop so low as to sleep with her just so he could cover up his crime. He wouldn’t. Dane was direct and upfront. He didn’t cheat or lie. He didn’t vandalize her room. He didn’t want to sabotage her.
She paced the stained carpet, repeating the words over and over like a mantra, as if she could make them true if she said them for long enough. Finally she stopped, sucked in a deep breath, and flexed her shoulders. Enough of this futile suspicion. She had work to do.
The next few hours passed in a blur of activity. Toward midday, Pete the journalist arrived, eyes goggling with anticipation. Holly groaned silently when she saw him. She didn’t appreciate his presence, but it was part of the conditions of the Gilbert Challenge, so she couldn’t refuse him entry.
“Holy crap!” he exclaimed as he shot off photos of the damage. “Our readers are gonna love this crazy stuff. Makes things more interesting, y’know.”
“Yeah?” Holly eyed him. “Maybe you did it then, to boost your circulation?”
The reporter’s jaw dropped before he protested, “Nah, I don’t get paid enough to do this much shit.” He smirked at her. “Could be you’ve pissed off one of the contestants really badly, huh? Want to give me an exclusive on who you think did this?”
She glared at him. “Take a hike, Pete.”
“But I’m not finished yet.”
“You are now.” She jerked a thumb toward the door, and the guy left, grumbling under his breath.
A short while later, Dane and the other contestants returned en masse to help her move the ruined furniture out of her suite, despite her protests that she could manage on her own.
“There’s nothing in the rules that says we can’t help each other,” Hector said to her. “This could’ve happened to any one of us.”
True, and she was really grateful for their help, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been deliberately targeted.
Later, Simone took her aside and murmured, “I saw Hector talking to a couple of street kids the other day. Maybe he hired them to break in and wreck your room.”
“Hector? Hiring street kids?” Holly shook her head. “I just can’t see it.”
“Maybe you don’t want to see how ruthless this business can be. But that’s your choice.” She walked out the room, leaving Holly feeling down again.
Maybe Simone was right, and she wasn’t cut out for this competitive environment. Or maybe it was all to do with Dane. She was getting too caught up in him, confusing sex for something else, something more. That wasn’t like her. She’d grown accustomed to protecting her heart after having it broken by a worthless scumbag. She needed to repair the walls around her heart and keep a cool and logical head. Dane might be an incredible lover, but he was still a rival. In this contest there could only be one winner, and that was going to be her.
After organizing replacement furnishings to be delivered, she got to work repainting the walls. She had just finished applying
two layers of base coat to cover the red paint, when her father walked in.
“Dad!” Holly exclaimed, dropping her roller onto a piece of newspaper. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“You wanted my paintings, remember? They’re downstairs in the van with my installer.”
Crap, she’d forgotten all about the paintings. Thank God they hadn’t been in the room last night. If her dad’s precious artwork had been vandalized…the thought make her knees wobble.
“Sorry, I forgot.”
He frowned as he glanced about the room. “What’s going on here? It doesn’t look like you’re ready at all.”
“Uh, I had a little mishap.” She rubbed her hands on a rag, wondering how much she should tell her father. “Last night someone broke in and messed things a bit.” As his eyes grew round, she hurried on, “But it’s all under control. The Gilberts gave me an extension, and I’m sure I can finish everything on time. So, you see, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing to worry about?” Ralph puffed out his cheeks, blinking rapidly like he always did when he was under stress. “This is preposterous! Was your suite was the only one targeted?”
She nodded. “The security guard thinks it’s probably some teenagers. They’ve been known to break in before.”
Grimacing, Ralph paced about the room, eyeing the bits of feather and foam that lay on the floor. “This is just the kind of backdoor stunt the Schofields would pull.”
Her heart sank. Just when she’d convinced herself that Dane wasn’t capable of something so underhand, her father was reviving her suspicions.
