Mike quickly strode across the room, his strong arms holding me close to him as he kissed me once, twice before placing me on top of the bed, propped up against the pillows. I barely had time to speak before his lips were suddenly on mine again, stealing my breath. His kisses were somehow soft and warm yet also powerful and in control. I breathed in the heavenly scent of his cologne and other distinctive scent that was simply pure male. God, I’d never dreamed Mike could want me like this. That Mike could kiss like this. All those years of him never noticing me and now it was like he couldn’t get enough. I gasped as he thrust his tongue into my mouth, showing me just how patient he’d been before. His tongue explored, gently pulsing in and out, leaving me to imagine what else he was capable of.
“Let’s get this right, this time,” he murmured, kissing his way down my neck. His hands fumbled at the knot of the halter dress, but a moment later he’d undone the material and was pulling the strips of silky fabric down, exposing my breasts. “So perfect,” he breathed, gazing at me for a moment before lightly tracing his fingers over my flesh.
He bent down and gently began sucking on one nipple, his tongue lightly flicking back and forth over the hard peak.
“Oh!” I gasped, arching up and off of the bed.
“Ummm-hmmm,” he mumbled approvingly, taking my breast into his mouth. His hand squeezed and caressed my other breast and his thumb slid back and forth across my peaked nipple, driving me out of my mind.
“Mike,” I pleaded, helplessly.
“What baby?” he asked, releasing my breast from his mouth. He lifted his gaze and looked at me with his dark eyes, the scruff from his five-o-clock shadow more apparent than ever at this late hour. His thumb continued to work against my nipple, and I could feel arousal dampening my panties, my need for him growing stronger with every passing minute.
“Touch me,” I pleaded.
“I am touching you,” he teased, squeezing my breast as if to prove his point. “Maybe I should move a little bit lower?” He scooted down the bed slightly, his mouth once again capturing my breast. This time his teeth ever-so-slightly grazed my nipple and again I found myself arching off the bed, crying out his name. His hand slid under my dress, tracing up the bare skin on my thigh until at last he was cupping my sex.
“Hmmm,” he said, slowly tracing one finger up my center until it was positioned directly above my throbbing clit. “Is this what you had in mind?”
Before I could respond, he slipped his strong hand inside my panties, once again finding my aching clit. “You are so wet for me…” he mumbled in amazement. He traced in slow circles, and I was lost in senseless moans and mumbles. I could feel the arousal coming in waves inside of me, building from my core. I knew it would completely pull me under if I let go, but I was helpless as Mike controlled each and every one of my sensations. Mike watched my face as he worked me with his fingers, seeming to study my reaction, and he gently lowered his mouth to breast once more. His tongue laved at my nipple, and as his fingers circled around and around, unrelenting in their pursuit of my pleasure, I was gone, crying out in ecstasy.
Chapter 9
The door clicked shut, jolting me awake, and I glanced over to the other side of my bed—empty. Was Mike sneaking out of my hotel room? Without so much as a goodbye? I sat up, looking around in sleepy confusion, and seeing that it was only 7:00 a.m., collapsed back into my bed with a groan. It was 7:00 a.m. on Abby’s wedding day. Abby’s wedding day. And I had just slept with the brother of the groom. What on earth had I been thinking? Not only had we slept together, but now he’d gone and snuck out of my hotel room. Now what was I supposed to do? Did he just have urgent wedding stuff to attend to and not want to wake me? Did he regret last night and want to get out of here as quickly as possible?
A million possible explanations rushed through my head, each more unsettling than the next. I would be with Abby and the other bridesmaids all day long, so it’s not like Mike and I would have a moment to talk. It would be beyond awkward when I saw him at the ceremony this afternoon. I mean what was I supposed to say then? Hey, how’s it going, thanks for making me come last night?
The bridal party brunch wasn’t until 9:00 a.m., so I had two hours to sit around and mull over Mike’s disappearance. I padded over to the coffee pot in the suite’s kitchenette and put on a strong pot of Kona. As I waited for it to brew, I went to grab my cell phone from my purse to make sure I didn’t have any last-minute emergencies from Abby. I mean really, you never knew with her. The light on my phone was blinking with a new text message, and I was surprised to see that it was from Mike.
Sorry to rush out. 7:00 a.m. tee time with Jordan. Already late. Didn’t want to wake you. Mike
I exhaled the breath I didn’t even realize that I’d been holding. I mean, that made sense. We both had obligations today—and they weren’t to each other. He hadn’t just disappeared without a trace. His text was pretty abrupt though. No “miss you” or “looking forward to seeing you later.” Maybe this was his attempt at letting me down easy. An uneasy feeling was settling in my stomach, and I was beginning to think that last night should have never happened.
***
“It gives me great pleasure to be the first one to introduce…Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Sawyer!” the DJ announced in a booming voice. The guests all broke out in applause, and I watched from my seat at the head table as Abby and Jordan came bounding into the room. Abby’s face was flushed with excitement, and she was holding her bouquet high in the air, waving it around as they marched down the center of the room toward us.
“Congrats, man!” Mike said, giving Jordan the one-armed hug that males everywhere seem to have perfected.
“Mrs. Jordan Sawyer!” Abby squealed excitedly to me as she took her seat at my side.
“I can’t believe it,” I gushed, happily hugging her. “You guys both look so happy.”
“We are! This day has gone perfectly.”
“Did you see the cake over there?” I asked, pointing across the room.
“Erin! It looks amazing. Better than I even imagined.”
“Wait until you taste it.”
“And now,” the DJ announced, “it’s time for the first dance!”
“Already?” I asked Abby in confusion.
She shrugged. “We figured we’d get some of the formalities out of the way at the beginning so we can have fun later!”
She stood, dragging Jordan along with her, as they made their way to the center of the dance floor. I listened as “All of Me” by John Legend came on over the speakers—not exactly a traditional choice, but it suited Abby and Jordan. They’d clearly rehearsed the dance, and they moved beautifully together on the dance floor. I watched for a few minutes, mesmerized. It would have been much more enjoyable if I hadn’t felt Mike’s eyes on me for most of the dance. I refused to look in his direction, willing not to let him ruin this moment as I watched my best friend and her new husband. Just as I’d predicted, I hadn’t seen him all day. Not until the moment he escorted me down the aisle, in front of one hundred and fifty guests.
“Next, let’s have the bridal party join the happy couple for a dance.”
“A bridal party dance?” I whispered in confusion to the other bridesmaids. “Is that even a thing?”
I stood up, smoothing my strapless pale pink dress, to find Mike standing at my side. Despite the fact that the wedding was on the beach, Jordan and all of his groomsmen were dressed in black tuxedos. Mike looked handsome as ever in his black tux. His broad shoulders filled out the jacket perfectly, and only I knew about the ripples of muscle lying beneath. “May I have this dance?” he asked politely, his voice deep.
Aside from wedding logistics, we’d barely spoken all afternoon. Granted, I’d been with Abby for most of the morning and he’d been golfing with Jordan and the groomsmen. Of course we’d walked down the aisle as best man and maid of honor, but that was hardly a moment for talking privately. We’d barely spoken about anything of significance since last n
ight and neither one of us had mentioned our passionate night in my bed. I felt a flush coming over my face as I realized I had no choice but to dance with him, to let him once again hold me in his strong arms. How was I going to act like everything was normal, like we were just friends? No one else knew what had happened between us, and I felt like every movement would betray my feelings.
“Of course,” I said softly, wondering if it would be possible to dance together without actually speaking.
I let Mike take my arm and lead me onto the dance floor. The other bridesmaids and groomsmen paired up as well, and the strains from the next song came on. I realized I was trembling as Mike pulled me into his arms. The scent of his cologne filled the air, and I tried to concentrate on where we were and what we were doing. All eyes were on us, and I had to keep it together. I nervously swallowed, feeling his gaze on me once again. He ducked his head so that his lips brushed against my ear as we swayed to the music. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he murmured.
I started to pull away but he held me close, his large hand spanning the expanse of my lower back. I relaxed slightly, leaning my head against his chest and letting him guide me around the dance floor. Letting him hold me this closely was dangerous, but then at least I didn’t have to meet his eyes. My heart was practically beating out of my chest as it was. “I’ve been busy with wedding stuff,” I said lightly. “And you were gone when I woke up this morning.”
“I feel terrible about that, Erin,” he said quietly. “We had an early tee time, and I couldn’t not show up….”
“I know,” I said, finally looking up to meet his gaze. “I had the bridal brunch, too. It just felt weird not seeing you until the ceremony.”
“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I wished I was with you. I should’ve called you since we didn’t have a chance to talk before I left.”
“Just forget it,” I muttered.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice deep. “I wish we were alone. I’m dying to kiss you right now.”
The last notes of music filled the air as the song ended. I felt a twinge of regret as I stepped back from Mike. Had that been the shortest song ever? It felt like we hadn’t even danced thirty seconds together, and I felt no better now than I had all day long.
“And now, it’s time for the father-daughter dance!”
“Excuse me,” I said, stepping around Mike to exit the ballroom. I made a beeline for the women’s bathroom, knowing I needed a moment to collect myself. I had tried to brush off last night as a moment of passion, but now it seemed like Mike wanted another go-around just as much as me. Did he want more than that, though? Did I? I placed both hands on the counter to steady myself and took deep breaths as I glanced in the mirror. I couldn’t even splash cold water on my face because I’d ruin my makeup. What on earth had gotten into me, anyway?
To make matters worse, I’d run into Jacques this morning at the bridal party brunch and had agreed to come on as the hotel’s pastry chef for the summer. Just knowing Mike would be around all summer, too, somewhere on the island, sent tingles running up and down my spine. I had no reason to be feeling so excited at the prospect of spending the summer with Mike—for all I knew he was interested in just a wedding weekend fling. But, oh, to have the guy I’d had a crush on throughout college look at me the way he did and touch me the way he did…that pretty much felt nothing short of spectacular.
I took another deep breath and decided that I needed to get back to the wedding stat before Abby noticed I was gone. Obviously she was busy dancing with her dad, but she’d be back in her seat soon enough for the mother-son dance or whatever else came next.
I pushed open the door to see Mike casually leaning against the wall in the hallway. He took a quick glance right and left and then strode toward me, cupping my face and kissing me until I was gasping for breath. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day long,” he murmured.
“Well what took you so long?” I teased in return.
“I heard a rumor you might be sticking around Hawaii for the summer,” he said with a gleam in his eye.
“You heard right,” I agreed.
“So I’m hoping we can see more of each other?”
“We probably could,” I agreed.
“Starting with tonight?” he asked hopefully.
I laughed. “What’d you have in mind?” I asked with a grin.
“What if we have dinner together and see where things go? I hear the resort has an amazing chef—the pasty chef isn’t so bad either.”
“Hey,” I protested.
“Come on,” Mike said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and guiding me back to the reception. “You owe me another dance, too.”
“How do you figure that?”
“I didn’t get to hold you close nearly long enough the first time.”
Chapter 10
I tossed birdseed into the air as Abby and Jordan ran out the open-air lobby of the hotel and into the night. It was a little ironic to have a formal send-off since they were staying at the same resort as everyone else, but Abby always loved things to be over-the-top. They’d probably sneak back in a side door as everyone else was dispersing back to their own rooms.
“What do you want to do with the rest of the cake?” one of the restaurant employees asked me.
“Stick the top layer in the freezer—we’re going to ship it back to California for their one-year anniversary. If there’s more left, just put it in the fridge for now. I’ll figure out what to do with it in the morning.”
“Sure thing, Erin.”
I turned to find Mike standing there, a grin on his handsome face. “So I’m hoping you might be up for a midnight swim?”
“A midnight swim?” I asked, intrigued. “You bet. I need to change though. Come by my room in ten minutes?”
“All right, I’ll see you then.” He turned and disappeared into the crowd, and I felt nervous butterflies in my stomach. Had I just agreed to another late-night rendezvous? Because that’s all this was, right? I hurried back to my room and stepped out of my maid of honor dress. I had to admit one thing—at least Abby had great taste. This sleek, strapless number was one dress I could definitely wear again. Maybe next time Mike would even be helping me out of it…. No, I thought, banishing those thoughts from my mind. We’d enjoy tonight, and if nothing else happened, it didn’t matter. Right.
I grabbed my mint green string bikini and hastily put it on. I turned first left then right, gazing at myself in the mirror. It hugged my curves nicely, and I knew Mike would appreciate it. I rooted around in my suitcase, looking for my sarong, when I heard a light knocking at my door. God, was he here already? I should have said twenty minutes. I padded across the room and opened the door to Mike, clad in green swim trunks and nothing else. My eyes swept down his rock-hard torso, admiring all the rippling muscles beneath that bronzed skin, before meeting his gaze. It took a moment before I realized he was carrying two slices of wedding cake on the hotel china.
“Wedding cake?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t get to have any at the reception. I heard it’s to-die-for though.”
I laughed and took the plate from him. “I’ll set this over on the table.”
Mike followed me into the room and glanced out my balcony door. “Wow, killer view.”
“You were just here last night,” I pointed out.
“Well, I was admiring a different view then,” he said, turning to face me and letting his eyes sweep up and down my body.
I felt warmth coursing through me and wished again that I’d found my sarong before he got here. I was practically naked in my bikini, and judging from the look on his face, that midnight swim was never going to happen at this rate.
“Let’s go outside,” I said, hoping to calm the nerves racing through my body. I pulled open the sliding glass door, Mike hot on my heels, and stepped out into the warm Hawaiian night. I walked right up to the railing, gripping it with both hands to steady myself. The gentle sounds of the waves crashing
on the beach filled the air, and the nearly-full moon glistened on the water. Mike stepped up behind me, putting both hands on the railing as well, effectively boxing me in.
“I wanted to touch you all night,” he said huskily, trailing one finger down my bare arm as I shivered at his touch. He pulled a section of hair back from my neck and bent down, trailing hot kisses over my flesh. I arched my head back to give him better access and gasped as one of his large hands cupped my breast.
“Someone’s going to see us,” I weakly protested.
“No one’s here,” he said in a low voice, gently nipping at the tender skin on my neck. He worked his fingers under the slip of fabric covering my breast and his able fingers kneaded and caressed. His other hand trailed down my stomach and slid into my bikini bottom. His fingers instantly found my throbbing center. “God you are so wet for me,” he muttered, dragging his finger through my juices and circling around and around my fleshy nub.
“Mmmm!” I cried out, trying to be quiet. I was about to come any instant with Mike touching me like this. His body wrapped around mine, his lips hot on my neck, his hands in my most intimate areas—I was powerless to his every touch.
“Come here,” he said, backing us up to one of the chaise lounges on my balcony. He sat down, pulling me with him, his hands still on me. Now that we were slightly out of view, he tugged the triangle of my bikini aside, exposing my bare breast. He palmed it in his hand before gently running his thumb back and forth across my nipple.
“Mike,” I gasped as his other fingers began circling my clit again. “Ohhhh!’
“That’s it, baby,” he whispered. “Come for me.”
He sped up his motions, circling around and around, and as the heat spread through me, spiraling out from my core, I was crying out into the night, safe in Mike’s strong arms.
I lay there momentarily in a daze, looking up at the stars in the night sky. I knew I would never forgot this moment, no matter what happened. The night air, Mike’s warmth as he held me, the feeling of coming down from floating after the amazing orgasm—I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.
Summer with a Soldier (Soldier Series Romance Novellas Book 5) Page 5
