by Autumn Reed
“Can I at least have a Coke?”
“Let me know, and I’ll go to the bar for you.”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Ouch.” Considering all the current drama with our mother, that was even less of a compliment than usual.
Shane didn’t comment, but I could tell by the smirk he wasn’t even trying to hide that he thought I was going too far with the mothering. He was probably right, but this was the first time I’d truly felt responsible for my little brother. Even though he was eighteen, it would be all my fault if he got into trouble while in Vegas.
As we walked down the hall toward the dance floor, I tried to keep in mind that Chris was technically an adult now. Instead of insisting that he stay by my side, I asked, “Do you want a tour?”
“No offense, but I’d rather scope things out without a chaperone. Meet up later?”
He was already backing away from us, so I nodded before turning to Shane. “Ditched by my own brother.”
“Which means we’re now alone.”
“Sure, alone in a sea of college students.” I wasn’t sure who typically went clubbing on Sunday nights, but it was obvious that spring break had arrived by the mass of youthful bodies writhing on the dance floor.
His eyebrows hitched. “One of my favorite kinds of alone. Come on, let’s dance.” He took my hand and led me into the middle of the throng.
Though I’d always enjoyed dancing with my girlfriends, the experience was so very different with Shane. He was sensual without even trying, his expression smoldering and his touches sizzling. His strong arms enveloped my waist, and our bodies were so close, it was as if we moved as one.
It took only seconds for everyone around us to disappear. It had been that way since our first dance in this very spot. His blue-gray eyes had drawn me in, making me want things I hadn’t been ready for then. He’d been such a mystery to me that night, and he’d continued to be one ever since.
Except, maybe I was fooling myself into believing there was any mystery left to who he was or how he felt about me. A slideshow of moments seemed to pass by my vision—Shane flying all the way to Indiana on Christmas Eve; showing up at my apartment after the ski trip, refusing to allow me to hide; sticking up for me when my mother insisted that my job prospects were dire; accepting Snow White into his home against his own pet policy; every time he’d made me feel wanted, no matter our location. If all of that wasn’t enough, he’d called my dad and arranged for Chris to visit even after I’d deemed it impossible.
My arms tightened around his neck, the certainty I’d been waiting for surging into me. “I just realized something.” A smile threatened, so I didn’t hold back. I was happy about this revelation and not afraid to show it.
“What’s that?”
“I’m in love with you, sexy Shane.”
A slow, seductive, absolutely stunning smile crossed his face. “Is that right?”
“It is.”
He pulled me so tight to his body, I could barely breathe. The music, the people, everything faded away until all I could see, all I could feel was Shane.
“From the first moment I saw you, enchanting Emma, I had this feeling that my life was about to change. I didn’t like it. I fought it. But I’m not fighting anymore. I love you, and I’m keeping you. We’re keeping you.”
A deep sense of rightness engulfed my chest at the certainty in his words, in his eyes. As complicated as our relationship was…would always be...it didn’t matter in that moment. We loved each other, obstacles be damned.
I tightened my arms around his neck. “That’s good. Because I have every intention of keeping you.”
Shane’s forehead lowered to mine, and his words whispered over my lips. “I’m going to take you somewhere moderately private and show you just how much I love hearing those words from you. Can you handle that?”
My heart leapt into my throat, and I nodded without even having to think about it. I’d never been one to sneak off with my boyfriend, but Shane made the idea exciting. Necessary, even.
His hand reached for mine, tightening as he pulled me through the masses. I saw more than one person watching us with knowing grins, but I didn’t care even a little bit about their assumptions. They weren’t mistaken.
When we reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the second level, he turned back to me. “Do you trust me?”
I chewed on the inside of my lip for a second, knowing he was about to push my boundaries. “Yes.”
His lips lifted into a devilish grin. “Then, follow me.”
He led me up the stairs, nodding to the bouncer at the VIP section, who raised the velvet rope without a word. We waded through the people and past another rope and into a curtained-off section I’d never noticed before. Three theater-style leather chairs were situated on a platform, looking down at the dance floor below.
“What is this place?” I peered at Shane, and his features were shadowed in the almost-complete darkness. Though light filtered up from the first level of the club, it was directed away from us.
“It’s a hideaway Nic included in the club design so the three of us could keep an eye on things without always having to be out in the midst of it.”
I stood at the railing and looked over the edge then back at the curtains, realizing that though the chaos of the club still permeated the space, we were alone. Or, as alone as possible given that we were only feet away from the patrons in the VIP section. And, if someone from the first level looked directly up at us, they’d likely only see movement or shadows.
Turning back around, I gasped as Shane placed his hands on either side of the railing, caging me in. His breath fanned over my skin, and despite the heat of the club, I shivered. “I’ve fantasized about bringing you up here.”
“You have?” I asked, caught between apprehension and excitement. It wasn’t in my comfort zone, letting go of my inhibitions this way. Could I do this? Here?
His lips skimmed over my thrumming pulse and down to my shoulder. “Mmhmm.”
I released a breath and relaxed into him. This was Shane. He would never do anything that would leave me exposed. “What did you imagine doing to me?”
He nipped at my skin before withdrawing to gaze down at me. “I’m more into showing than telling.”
Stepping back, he unbuttoned his cuffs before rolling up his sleeves, like he was preparing to get dirty. God, I hoped so.
“Better hang on to the railing, babe.”
With those words, he dropped to his knees and skimmed his fingers along the hem of my dress. When he tugged on the thin straps of my thong and slid it down my legs before stashing it in his pocket, I followed his instructions and grabbed the metal bar behind me. I was already feeling weak in the knees, and he had barely even touched me yet.
He grasped one of my calves and carefully lifted that leg over his shoulder before looking up at me with a wicked grin. “Ready for this, enticing Emma?”
I fully rested all of my weight against the railing. Him and me. It was just him and me. Glancing at the heavy curtains and then back into the darkness below, I kept waiting for nerves or panic to overtake me at the prospect of being caught. But the butterflies in my stomach were ones of anticipation. And arousal.
His breath fanned over my exposed core, and I gasped out, “I’m ready, scintillating Shane.”
Not wasting any more time, he pressed his hot mouth against me, his head barely visible beneath the bunched-up material of my dress. I moaned at the contact. The beat of the electronic music thrummed beneath my feet and through the railing at my back, sending a vibration of bass through my body. As his tongue slid into me, I bucked and cried out, not caring about the people on the other side of the curtain or the masses below us. All that existed was Shane and me and this perfect, sensual moment.
When one of his fingers, and then another, joined his mouth, I gripped the railing tighter and closed my eyes. The tension building inside was almost painful, pushing me to le
t go…give in. One more flick of his wrist, and I was done. Spasms engulfed my entire body, and my leg still planted on the ground trembled. His hand went to my stomach, pinning me in place until I could stand on my own.
Lost in a dreamy haze, I barely noticed when Shane stood and removed a square packet from his wallet. But I came alive as he lifted me into his arms, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, hanging on tight.
As he walked us away from the balcony, I fused my mouth to his, unable to wait another second. Our tongues tangled, and I sucked hard on his before releasing him and nipping his lower lip. My back hit the wall as I trailed my mouth to his jawline and skimmed my teeth against his stubble. Though I’d known I wanted this with him, I was just now realizing how much I needed it. Needed to be close to him, body and soul.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” he said as he pulled back to look at me. “I have never wanted someone this much. Never felt this way.”
“I want you too, Shane,” I whispered, tugging on the back of his neck until he was close enough for our lips to brush. “I love you.”
He was on me again, and we became lost in each other. My hands dug into his shoulders, neck, hair as his hands roamed over my ass, hips, breasts. Though we were still clothed, each touch burned through me, each brush against exposed skin setting me aflame.
“Please,” I said on a moan, ready to beg, if need be.
Too many seconds passed as he made quick work of his zipper and the condom. His tip touched my entrance, and he paused, gazing into my eyes with equal parts lust and adoration. Shane was trembling now, but still, he held my stare, holding himself still. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. He was reveling in our connection, the way I was.
“I’m ready,” I whispered.
With a powerful thrust, he pushed inside me. Our joining was hard and fast, rough and desperate. It was smashing mouths and shaking hands and breathlessness. The cacophony of Loft25 spurred us on. It gave a rhythm and pulse to our movements.
I couldn’t hold on any longer, and neither could Shane. He pressed a thumb to my center, tapping my clit until I was helplessly shattering around him.
“Emma.” He held himself inside me as he came, my name like a prayer on his lips.
He rested his head against my shoulder, and we remained still, our breaths shallow and bodies languid. Eventually, he set me gently on my feet and disappeared to take care of the condom before returning and slipping my thong up my wobbly legs.
Lifting me into his arms, he settled into one of the chairs with me on his lap. I snuggled into his chest, feeling sated and just plain happy. I’d never imagined my first time with a guy going quite like this, but for Shane…for us, it was perfect. He drew something out of me that I hadn’t even known existed before now, and I liked it.
“Was that okay?” he finally asked. “Should I have waited to take you somewhere more romantic?”
I smiled against him, his rapid heartbeat pounding beneath my ear. “I think you could tell that was more than okay.” Lifting my head, I asked, “Out of curiosity, though, do we always have to get it on in public?”
He chuckled and lifted a brow. “I’m all about equal opportunity venues for getting it on, as you so eloquently put it. The shower, my bed, the kitchen table, the floor…I’m up for all of them.”
I shook my head, my face probably glowing in the dark from the contentment radiating from me. “Good to know.”
Although I’d been feeling undeniably freer since my birthday, since fully embracing my relationship with the Ts, now I felt like I could jump off the balcony and take flight. It wasn’t even taking this step with him physically; it was comprehending my love for him and being able to show him without worrying about anyone or anything else.
His fingers drew a leisurely path up and down my thigh, generating sparks despite my utter satiation. Just when I thought he was going to start things back up, he sighed. “We should probably get back to the others. They might send out a search party if we don’t show ourselves soon.”
A thought suddenly hit me, and I straightened, hopping off Shane’s lap. “Chris!” In my fog of love and lust, I’d totally forgotten about my brother. “I was supposed to be watching him.”
Shane stood and wrapped his arms around me. “He’s fine. Cole and Nic are keeping an eye on him.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
“I’m always right,” he said, and I rolled my eyes playfully at him. “But let’s go catch up with him anyway.”
Chapter 8
Nicholas was standing at the bottom of the stairs as we made our way down them, and his eyes raked me from head to toe. “What, precisely, have you two been up to?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly, tugging at the stretchy fabric of my dress and wondering just how mussed I looked. Since he’d been able to detect our elicit rendezvous so easily, I had a feeling I was a complete mess.
“Having incredibly hot sex,” the infuriating man at my back replied.
Nicholas quirked an eyebrow. “In the private alcove?”
I refused to look back at Shane, but I could feel his head nodding in confirmation.
“Against the railing?”
“You know it,” Shane replied with amusement and a bit of hunger still dripping in his voice.
“Fuck,” Nicholas muttered, reaching down to subtly adjust the front of his slacks. “Now, I’m going to be picturing that for the rest of the night.”
My cheeks burned, but not from embarrassment. No, I was torn between mentally replaying the scene from earlier with Nicholas watching our every move and the temptation to drag him to the nearest corner and attack him. Was it wrong to suddenly want him so much when Shane and I had just been together?
“Have you seen Chris?” Shane asked, reminding me of why we’d come downstairs in the first place.
“Oh, yeah. Please tell me he’s staying out of trouble,” I pleaded, feeling guilty again for not being a more responsible chaperone.
Nicholas shrugged. “It’s Loft25. How much trouble could he get into?”
He had a point. The club wasn’t exactly a den of iniquity, especially for Vegas. But he was still underage, and I felt uncomfortable leaving him on his own.
“Does that mean you haven’t seen him?”
He ruffled the hair on the top of my head and shook his head with a smile. “Relax. He’s fine. I just left him with Miguel at the outdoor bar. They were talking about muscle cars or something.”
“So, he hasn’t hooked up with a stripper yet?”
“Not yet, but the night is young.”
I stuck my tongue out at him and headed toward the terrace. After my tryst with Shane, I was more than ready for some fresh air and an ice-cold beverage. I didn’t turn to see if the guys were following me, but I could sense their presence behind me. It made me feel confident, happy.
When I stepped onto the patio, I immediately spotted Chris’s blond head at the bar. He had a tall glass of what I hoped was Coke sitting in front of him, but he was no longer speaking with Miguel. Instead, he was grinning widely at a petite girl with long brown hair. She had the look of a sweet but perky sorority girl about her—pretty and well-dressed, in a preppy way—but I knew better than to make assumptions based on appearance. She could be a barracuda, for all I knew. And did she have any idea the guy she was so obviously flirting with was still in high school?
I strode right up to the bar and took a sip of his drink, pleased to find it free of alcohol.
Chris’s head spun around, and when he caught sight of me, he groaned. “What are you doing?”
I slapped a hand on his shoulder and shot an overly friendly smile at his new friend. “I just thought I’d check up on my baby brother.”
“That really wasn’t necessary,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Don’t be silly,” I drawled, since, apparently, I was suddenly from the South. “I can’t leave my favorite Indiana boy alone on his first night in the big old city.�
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The girl’s eyes widened. “You live in Indiana?”
“Um, yeah,” he stuttered. “I’m here visiting over spring break.”
“Oh, that’s cool,” she replied, looking relieved. “What college do you go to?” Nope, he hadn’t revealed his age.
I started to open my mouth, but strong arms suddenly surrounded me, cradling me into a warm, hard chest. I looked up into Nicholas’s stern face as he mouthed, “Don’t.”
Though I wanted to argue, I let my body relax into him and kept my big mouth closed. However, when I turned back to my brother, I realized it was probably too late to fix what I’d already broken. The cute brunette was staring at Nicholas with little cartoon hearts in her eyes, and I had a feeling Chris would be quickly forgotten.
Nicholas nodded his head to Chris and the girl, then took my hand and started leading me down the bar toward Miguel. “Come on. Let’s get a couple of drinks and go spy on Chris from afar.”
I allowed him to lead me away, glancing back to find the brunette still staring after Nicholas. “I suppose you think I went too far with the whole ‘baby brother’ thing, huh?”
“He’s an adult. I’m sure he can handle himself without your interference.”
I sighed. “Maybe I’m feeling so overprotective because I know my mother is likely freaking out as we speak. I can’t let her be proved right.”
“You won’t,” he insisted. “There are four of us and one of him. Nothing bad will happen while he’s here. We’ll make sure of it.”
I squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. “I guess that makes us a team.”
“An incredibly smart, sexy team…yeah.”
“And humble, of course.”
“Always.”
After we ordered drinks, we headed toward our favorite spot at the edge of the patio. Even though there were several oversized chairs available, Nicholas tugged me into his lap. It didn’t take long for me to feel his hardness beneath me, and I looked up at him, surprised.
“I wasn’t even wiggling.”
