by M. Malone
“You didn’t misread anything. And if it’s okay with you, I’d love it if you’d come have a drink with me. In my hotel room.”
7
I text Kate, hoping this isn’t the one night she’s sick or otherwise occupied. Luckily, the text bubble starts moving almost immediately indicating that she’s responding to my message.
Casey shifts next to me and I mentally pray for Kate to hurry up. This certainly isn’t the first time that she’s gotten a text asking for the impossible. Considering the types of things I’m usually asking for, getting me a regular hotel room in the next ten minutes should be simple.
I look up to find Casey watching me curiously. “Sorry, just telling my assistant not to bother me for the rest of the night. I want to focus on you.”
Her eyes heat and she crosses her legs slightly. Then she bites that lip again.
“You keep looking at me like that and I’m going to start undressing you on the street.”
I grab her hand and pull her toward the curb. Luckily there’s a taxicab pulling up so I raise my arm to hail it.
“We’re taking a cab. Waiting around is just wasting time.” I hold the door open for her. “And Casey, the things I’m going to do to you are going to take time. A good, long time.”
In the cab, my phone vibrates in my hand.
Kate: Your electronic key will now open room 3472.
Andre: Thank you. Remind me to give you an extra Christmas bonus. Or an island.
Kate: I don’t want an island unless a cabana boy comes with it.
Andre: Done.
Kate: If you don’t want to be seen, make sure you use the regular elevator.
And this is what I pay her the money for. Most of the people who would recognize me will be using the elevator bank that services the top floors. Hopefully if I use the other elevators, no one who knows me personally will be there to bust me. My stomach churns when I think of a fan approaching me while I’m with Casey. I glance over at her. She’s looking out the window of the cab, quietly enjoying the ride. But somehow I don’t feel awkward or compelled to make conversation. There’s something incredibly soothing about being around her. Even when she’s giving me hell, I’m enjoying it.
I’m not ready to let that go yet.
We pull up to the hotel and Casey follows me out of the cab, her mouth falling open as she takes in the valet stand and then the marble lobby.
“Wow. This is a fancy place. You’re staying here?” She fidgets with the straps of her top as we walk toward the elevators.
I fight the urge to tell her not to bother. Without even looking around, I already know she’s the most beautiful woman in the room.
“My job pays for it. It’s a great perk.” At least that much isn’t a lie. Lavin Fashions does pay for all of my travel. Since I own the company, I suppose it’s technically like paying my right pocket from my left pocket, but it’s still truth.
“This is definitely a great perk. You must be one hell of a salesman.” Casey leans against me in the elevator as another couple gets on.
I put my arm around her and pull her close. She rests her head on my chest and nothing has ever felt so right. A few floors later, we’re alone in the elevator and Casey giggles.
“You forgot to push a button. What floor are you on?”
This entire time I’ve been so wrapped up in her that I forgot the elevator isn’t going straight up to my floor. “Third floor.”
She pushes the button and the elevator descends. When it stops, she steps off, looking over her shoulder at me playfully. “I can’t wait to see this room. If the rest of the hotel is any indication, I bet it’s pretty swank.”
Her statement makes me want to show her just how swank a hotel room can get. But there’s no way I can do that, not just because I have no explanation for that room, but because Philippe is there. Not that my brother would ever cock block me, but he’d definitely have questions later.
Questions I’m not ready for.
The door to room 3472 opens right away with the electronic key on my phone and I let out a sigh of relief. I hold open the door so Casey can enter and her wolf whistle makes me smile.
“Does it meet with your approval?”
She sets her small bag down on the table next to the bed. The room that Kate reserved is little more than a king size bed and a small balcony. The linens appear to be the same as the ones used in the suites though, fluffy and luxurious. The room also has similar paintings on the wall.
Casey sits on the edge of the bed, folding her hands in her lap. Despite her frank words outside the bar, she looks incredibly uncomfortable now that we’re here. It makes me wonder even more about her sudden boldness in propositioning me.
“Would you like a drink?” I gesture toward the small minibar. “I’m not sure what’s here but they usually have a pretty good selection.”
She relaxes slightly, her shoulders dropping a little. “Sure. Maybe a glass of wine?”
I look over our choices, selecting a small bottle of champagne. There don’t appear to be any glasses other than the short tumblers normally used for water so I use those. Casey accepts the glass and takes a tentative sip, stiffening slightly when I sit on the bed next her. When I look over and catch her eye, she blushes.
“I guess you can tell I really don’t do this often,” she remarks.
That makes me laugh a little. “Would you believe me if I told you I don’t either? It’s not that easy to trust people these days. I spend a lot of my free time on my own.”
“Me too!” She smiles, more at ease now. “I can’t afford to get distracted. I trusted the wrong person in the past and had to drop out of school. Now I’m focused on my career. I really want to prove to myself that I can do this.”
The conviction in her voice speaks to me.
“I understand. Can I tell you a secret?”
She leans closer. “You can tell me anything. This is a one-night stand, remember? One night of fun before we go back to our real lives. We’ll never see each other again so you can think of me like a vault. Whatever you tell me will never see the light of day.”
Although the thought of never seeing her again makes me feel anxious, she’s right about tonight. Here inside this hotel room, we can be our true, authentic selves and no one will ever be the wiser.
“I want to do something completely different. I love what I do now but I also want to work on helping the less fortunate. Maybe a non-profit program to help them get warm clothes in the winter. Something like that.”
Casey bumps her shoulder against mine. “I knew it. You’re a good guy. I could tell.”
Her words make me blush slightly which for a man of my age is unexpected. “It’s probably not going to happen. There’s a lot of people depending on me. For money, I mean. I need to focus on what’s most profitable. I don’t want to let them down.”
“I understand that. My mom has always struggled and now that I have a new job, I’m going to be able to send money home to help her. So I get it. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t do this new project, too. If this is what you’re meant to do, I think you’ll find a way to balance the need to make a profit with your need to help others.”
“You really think I can do that?”
There’s so much more to it than she knows. I wish, not for the first time, that I could explain it all to her. Lavin Fashions is a billion dollar brand. If I abandon that to start a non-profit, it affects not just my own wealth, but those of my family who are invested in it and all of the shareholders, too.
Not as simple as just walking away because I feel like doing something else.
“Yes, I really think you can do it. Something tells me that you can do just about anything.”
She smiles shyly and takes the last sip of her champagne. Once she’s finished, I put both of our glasses on the night table next to the bed.
Casey slips her shoes off and tucks her legs under her. “This really is a beautiful room.” Her hands roam over the c
omforter.
Even watching her caress the fabric is erotic. Then she looks up and her fingers stop moving. I pause, not wanting to pressure her in anyway but she reaches out and grabs the front of my shirt. I tumble over her, my arms going out to catch myself so I don’t crush her.
Before I can say anything though, her hands are in my hair and her mouth is on mine. Immediately absorbed in her taste, I can’t even remember what I was about to do or say. Nothing else matters now, my entire world centered on where our mouths connect.
Her hands scramble over my sides, tugging on my shirt. Knowing what she wants, I lean back slightly so I can pull it off. Both of our breaths are coming fast now as we kiss passionately in between shrugging out of our clothing. My shirt, then her shirt. My jeans, then her jeans. Back and forth we go until at last we’re both bare and desperate. It feels like I can’t get close enough or touch her everywhere that I want. There isn’t enough time for me to explore when all I want is to be inside her.
“Oh my god, I can’t breathe.” Casey gasps again as my mouth latches on to one berry tipped breast, taking as much of the soft flesh into my mouth as possible.
Her hips undulate so that her soft pussy grinds against my stomach and I groan at the contact. It’s taking all of my control to take this slow but it seems that’s not what she wants. She drives the point home when her fingers tighten in my hair suddenly.
“Don’t tease me. Please.”
That soft little please is what gets me and my hand shoots out to fumble for my jeans. She watches, her lip caught between her teeth, as I roll on a condom with shaking hands.
The nerves take me by surprise. When was the last time I was nervous with a woman? But something about this feels like more than just a romp in the sheets.
She startles me by placing a finger against my lips. “This is just going to be one night, right? One last night of fun before I have to be all boring and serious.”
“One night,” I agree, even though the words feel all wrong. But really, she’s completely right. We’re each at a crossroads in our lives where we don’t have time for anything more than that. “But if one night is all we have, then I’d better make it count.”
Her arms wrap around my shoulders. “You’re damn straight. Show me what you’ve got.”
I wake up to Casey’s lips sliding over me.
My hands clench at my sides, overwhelmed by the pleasure and fighting the urge to come. After her bold demand for me to show her what I could do, I was determined to rise to the challenge. We made love three times before collapsing. We must have fallen asleep. But I definitely showed her something before we did.
Now she’s the one in control and she definitely has the upper hand. I’m not sure how long she was playing with me before I finally woke up but it couldn’t have been too long. I don’t think a dead man could sleep through this.
“Not fair, taking advantage of an unconscious man.”
Her lips curl around me, pulling a deep groan from the center of my chest.
“I couldn’t sleep. And you were in the perfect position. Unless you’d rather I didn’t.”
“Don’t let me stop you. I don’t mind being weak and willing if this is what I get.”
Her chuckles vibrate her lips and the sensation is too much. Rearing up, I lift her by the arms. As amazing as her mouth feels on me, if we only have one night together, I want to spend as much of it as possible inside her.
We fell asleep with the lamp on and I’m grateful for that small favor as I grab another condom off the night stand and put it on.
There’s an urgency that makes me feel we need to use every moment we have. I’ve never felt so alive and I don’t think, no I’m positive, that it’s not just the sex making me feel this way. It’s Casey and even though she claims not to be looking for anything serious, I am going to do everything I can to change her mind.
“Can we do it like this?” Casey’s innocent question sends all the remaining blood in my brain south when I turn to see her on all fours, her round little peach of an ass pointing at me.
“You are so beautiful.” I want her to know that. If I was the man in her life, I would tell her everyday. Since I’m not, I need to say it while I can.
The thought of there being some other man who’ll be in this position sends a sharp stab of emotion through my chest. Ignoring it, I caress the soft skin of her hip and press forward, moving slowly back and forth so she can adjust. My fingers clench against her sides.
“Say my name.” My voice comes out harsher than I intend but Casey seems to enjoy it, arching her back and moaning my name into the pillow. I thrust forward, every muscle twitching, every nerve ending screaming. Making love to Casey feels like coming home. Like it’s where I’m meant to be.
These are deep thoughts, too deep for a one-night stand. So I focus my attention back where it should be, on the incredible woman currently moaning uncontrollably into the pillow.
I grip her long hair, pulling until she cries out, her pussy clamping down on me so hard I almost go off. Clearly she likes a little pain with her pleasure. Something I’m more than happy to provide if she needs it.
I close my eyes as she pushes her ass back on me, taking me deeper, sucking out the last bit of restraint I have.
“You are perfect, piccolina.”
She turns her head and looks at me over her shoulder, and the unbridled expression on her face is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I need to see her face.
Pulling out gently, I help her turn over, stretching her arms over her head and trapping them there. She’s completely at my mercy now, flattened by my weight. I thrust deep and her head falls back as she cries out. But I don’t move anymore, determined to tease her a bit.
“Is this what you want?” I growl into her ear as my hips grind in circles. Her arms clutch at my shoulders before she digs her nails into my skin.
“Don’t stop. Oh my god.” She whispers it like a revelation, as if her orgasm takes her by surprise.
Her breath punches out in harsh bursts as she clenches uncontrollably around me. My hips go wild, ramming home with all the power I have. Then she screams and the sound is like a wave pulling me under where we’re drowning together.
I collapse on top of her, careful not to crush her with my full weight. She makes a little mewling sound, like a satisfied kitten and curls up against me. It takes a few minutes before my heart rate starts to settle but once I can breathe normally again, I grab the comforter and flip it over us. Casey stirs against me and I still, worried she’s going to get up and insist on leaving, the way we agreed. But instead she lets out a long sigh and her hand comes to rest on my stomach.
She’s asleep.
Listening to her breathing brings a contentment I never thought I’d find. Everything about tonight has been such a surprise. Talking to her, I was able to be myself in a way I rarely can. She listened to my thoughts and shared her own with no ulterior motives or designs. And I had fun just being with her. Yes, she said she only wants one night but honestly there’s no way we can work through this kind of chemistry in one night.
Something tells me that a million nights might not be enough.
My eyelids get heavy and I smile thinking of what a delight it will be to wake her with breakfast in bed. For the first time ever, I’m excited to show off to a woman, because I know my fame isn’t why she likes me.
I fall asleep already planning all the ways I can spoil her.
8
Something tickles my nose and I open my eyes. Sunlight streams through the curtains I forgot to close last night. Drapes were definitely the last thing on my mind when we stumbled into this room.
I blink sleepily and peer around the unfamiliar room. Kate is a miracle worker. Seriously, best assistant ever. Who else could I call and ask for a new hotel room and have the digital key on my app less than ten minutes later? Amazing.
Not sure what miracle she pulled off to have a room ready for me that fast but I d
on’t care. All I care about is the results. There was no way I could bring Casey up to the Presidential Suite after spending so much effort to get her to see me as a regular guy.
And she did. She knows nothing of what I do for a living or about the money or the fame. To her, I’m just a guy with slightly bad fashion sense who seems to bump into her a lot. And yet, she likes me anyway.
My chest warms when I think about her and that’s when it hits me. My head whips to the right, the space where Casey should be.
The space that contains nothing but rumpled sheets and a pillow.
Suddenly wide awake I sit straight up and kick the blanket off. I’m still naked but I don’t care about that as I walk over to the bathroom and knock on the door. When I open it, it’s empty. Heart pumping now, I run to the door of the room and step out into the hall.
“Oh my!”
There’s a middle-aged couple in the hall pushing a baby in a stroller. The mother covers her mouth in surprise but her eyes drop to my dick swinging in the wind. The father scowls at me and then puts his hand over his wife’s eyes.
“Sorry.” I close the door and lean back against it. There’s no way around it. Casey left.
She left?
Perplexed, I stalk around the room staring at the rumpled bed linens as if they can give me the answers. Did I do something to scare her away? It’s not bragging to say that I’ve never had a woman run out on me before. Usually, morning afters consist of round four or five of sex followed by a leisurely brunch.
Then I’m usually the one trying to find a tactful way to escape.
But this… I don’t know what to make of this. She ditched me! The more I think about it, the more absurd it seems. As I’m pacing, my foot runs over something and I lean down to pick it up. My blood heats when I see what it is. The panties I peeled off Casey last night.
I chuckle, only now able to see the design on the cotton. Purple and pink unicorns cover the fabric. As pissed off as I am, I can’t help laughing. Only Casey could wear such unsexy panties and still have me panting for more. Maybe it’s a metaphor for this whole situation. She’s like this mythical creature that I’ve only dreamed up. Hell, maybe I had one too many beers last night and the whole thing was a dream.
