A Hot Mess

by Christy Gissendaner

  “Yes.” Cait put her hand over his, but she did not push him away.

  “One afternoon in bed, and you’re an expert on me?”

  “No, twenty something years of research added to one afternoon in bed equals an expert on you.”

  “I stand corrected then.” Dylan chuckled as he threaded his fingers with hers.

  Their linked hands remained in Cait’s lap the entire way to the restaurant.

  * * * *

  Their table was in a secluded corner of the restaurant. The oak surface was covered with a pristine white cloth and set with shiny silverware. A gold filigreed band encircled their napkins.

  Cait touched the small bouquet of wildflowers in the center and sighed. “Oh, Dylan. This place is beautiful. Where did you hear about it?”

  Dylan pulled out her chair. “I happened upon it the last time I was in Vegas. It caters to the locals, so not many tourists even know it’s here.”

  Cait thanked him and sat down. Dylan took his seat and met her gaze across the table. “Wait until you taste the food.”

  “Yum,” Cait hummed. “I’m starving, and it smells like heaven in here.”

  The tiny, elegant restaurant thrummed with energy. Conversation and laughter rang out as plates of delicious-smelling food were served by waiters in white shirts and black pants.

  Cait lifted her menu and scanned a list of entrees, each sounding more delicious than the last. “Oh, gosh. Everything looks good. How will I ever choose?”

  “Pick as many as you like,” Dylan offered.

  “As if I’m going to make myself look like a pig.” She lowered her menu and gave him a mock stern look before snapping the leather-enclosed sheet of vellum back in front of her face.

  Dylan chuckled. “Well, for starters, would you like wine?”

  Cait nodded as she set aside the menu. “A red, please.”

  A waiter appeared within moments, and Dylan rattled off their wine order. When he was done, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his lean waist. He was silent for so long that Cait grew apprehensive.

  “What is it? Do I have something on my face?” She lifted a hand to her cheek, half expecting to find something there.

  “No, Cait.” Dylan shook his head, but he continued to look at her.

  She propped her elbows on the table and leaned forward to ask in a loud whisper, “Then what are you looking at?”

  “You.”

  “Oh.” Cait’s mouth snapped closed, and she leaned back again in her chair. She recognized the heat in his eyes and suspected he was recalling their afternoon antics in bed.

  Her cheeks warmed at the thought. Sex with Dylan had been much better than she ever could’ve imagined. Hands down, he was better than anyone she’d ever been with.

  Her insides tingled at the thought of being with him again. She couldn’t wait until they got back to the hotel room. She would strip him of all his clothes and trace his body with her tongue and allow him to do the same to her.

  Dylan leaned forward. “I keep picturing you sitting there wearing nothing but the thong you have on underneath your clothes.”

  Cait bit her lip to keep from smiling. She shifted in her chair, an ache between her thighs appearing at his words. “I’m sure that would give the diners something interesting to talk about.”

  Dylan continued on as if she hadn’t spoken. “I would lay you across this table and feast on you.”

  Cait closed her eyes and prayed for the strength to resist him until they were alone. She opened them again and gave him a pointed look. “This is a small table, Dylan. I don’t think I would fit.”

  His eyes turned molten with sensuality. “Yes, you would. I would put you right here.” His fingers traced an outline on the white tablecloth. “You would come for me, Cait.”

  “Oh, God.” Cait gripped the edge of the table. Her nails scraped the table cloth as she held on. “Have you always been this seductive?”

  He gave her a wicked smile, one that made her insides turn to mush. “Yes.”

  Luckily, before she could jump his bones, the waiter reappeared with their wine order. Cait couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed that Dylan’s naughty conversation was cut short.

  The waiter informed them of the specials, and they placed their orders. Cait went with grilled chicken, while Dylan chose a steak. Their conversation did not stray to sex again, but the tension was right beneath the surface. Every breath she took in carried a hint of what was to come.

  Their food was served, and Cait enjoyed her dish of grilled chicken and steamed veggies. Dylan cut into his steak and lifted a bite to his lips. He put it in his mouth and chewed.

  “Mmm,” he moaned.

  “Oh goodness, this is so good,” Cait praised as she cut another piece of chicken and popped it in her mouth, savoring the tart lemony seasoning.

  The conversation lagged as both of them paid attention to their plates. Despite their lunch earlier, Cait was starving after spending all day on the go and then an afternoon in bed. In no time at all, they had finished their meal.

  Dylan pushed away his plate and took a sip of wine. “Do you want dessert?”

  Cait patted her belly as she shook her head. “No, I’m stuffed. I couldn’t eat another bite.”

  Dylan flagged down the waiter to ask for the ticket. When it came, he took out his wallet and placed some money on the table. He reached for her hand. “Come on. We’ve got to hurry if we’re going to make it in time.”

  Cait allowed him to lead her out of the restaurant and back to the car. She had to nearly jog to keep up with him. “Why are we in such a hurry?”

  “The show starts at nine. We don’t want to be late.”

  Cait dodged a pothole in the parking lot and hurried after him. “What show?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Cait narrowed her eyes and gave him a look of mock irritation, even though she knew his back was to her. “I should’ve known you would say that.”

  Dylan unlocked the passenger side door of his rental car and held it open for her. She slid in and fixed the hem of her dress. She reached for the seat belt, but Dylan leaned over and kissed her.

  He tasted like the wine and steak he’d had at dinner and something else that was undeniably Dylan. His tongue surged into her mouth and tangled with hers as his hand came up to cup her face. He held her face still as his mouth ravaged.

  It was a passionate kiss, one that heated her blood and made her nerves thrum with energy. His other hand slid down, and then his fingers tickled their way across her thigh. He inserted his hand between her legs, and she opened them the tiniest bit, but it was enough. His fingers hooked under the elastic band of her thong and brushed against her moist flesh.

  She moaned, but the sound was muffled by Dylan’s mouth. He prodded her with one finger and easily slid it into her warm, willing pussy. His finger thrust in and out as his tongue danced with hers inside her mouth.

  Cait arched her hips forward, seeking more of him. She cupped his erection through his trousers. “I want you,” she broke the kiss to say.

  “I want you too.” Dylan trailed his lips across her cheek and down to her throat.

  His finger moved deeper, and his thumb pressed against her clit. Cait moaned and leaned her head back, allowing his lips access to her neck. Dylan continued to tease her, his finger scraping along her sensitive flesh. Her hips moved in tandem with his finger, withdrawing and pushing forward to force him deeper each time.

  “Oh.”

  Dylan’s lips moved to her ears, and he gently bit the lobe. “Come for me, Cait.”

  She shivered with desire. She wanted to so bad.

  “You’re a bad girl, aren’t you, Cait? Letting me finger you in a parking lot?”

  Cait bit her lips until she could taste blood.

  “Say it, Cait. Say you’re a bad girl.”

  She shook her head. Dylan put his face next to hers. His expression was stern. “Say it, Cait, and I’ll
give you what you want.”

  Dear Lord, she was going to die if he didn’t finish it. Cait’s eyes slid closed. “I’m a bad girl.”

  Dylan swooped in for a kiss and changed the angle of his finger to allow a second one to slip inside her. Cait’s muscles stretched to accommodate the second digit. Her hips moved up and down as she pleaded with him. “Please, Dylan.”

  “Shhh, Cait. You’re going to come, I promise.”

  The windows of the car steamed from the harsh breathing of the two of them despite the cool air wafting inside the open door. Cait’s muscles clenched with anticipation. It was building again, a release that threatened to shake her to her soul.

  “Dylan!” she cried out as the orgasm washed over her.

  He pulled back, but he continued to move his fingers, making her thighs quiver as he teased her clit with his thumb to a point that was almost painful. She wrapped her fingers around Dylan’s wrist to hold his hand still. It was too much. She was super sensitive after the intense orgasm, and the continued teasing drove her wild.

  The aftershocks of her orgasm faded, and she gave Dylan a sleepy look. “Wow.”

  Dylan’s lips curved into a smile as he echoed her words from that afternoon. “Just wow?”

  She grinned back. “If you keep this up, I may pack myself in your bag and go home with you.”

  Dylan leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. “You’re welcome to do it anytime.”

  He removed his hand from inside her panties and smoothed his palm down her thigh. “We need to go. We’re going to be late for real.”

  Cait draped her arms around his neck and pulled him back to her. “Perhaps we should just miss it and go back to the room.”

  Dylan reached up with one hand and unwrapped her arms one at time. “Be patient, Cait. We have all night.”

  She stuck out her bottom lip and pouted. “Is Valentine’s Day over yet?”

  Dylan pinched her lip between his thumb and forefinger. “Not yet, baby. Now put on your seat belt, so we can go.”

  Cait did as he asked while he walked around the car to slide into the driver’s seat. He inserted the key to cut on the ignition and sent her an amused look. “I never knew you were so insatiable, Cait.”

  She lifted her chin and gave a sniff. “There are lots of things you don’t know about me.”

  His gaze turned hot in an instant. “Don’t worry. I intend to find out every one of your secrets before the night is over”

  A shaft of pure, hot need rocked Cait’s body. Despite the multiple orgasms Dylan had given her, she still wanted him with a desire so fierce it frightened her.

  Could they really do all of this and go back to just being friends? She had let desire overrule her brain, and she worried she’d made a mistake, but she wouldn’t have missed this day for the world.

  * * * *

  Cait was entranced by the show Dylan took her to.

  She sat forward in her seat, her eyes trained on the stage as the cirque-style performance unfolded. She was amazed by the girls who wrapped themselves in ribbons and twisted their way to the ceiling. She gasped as they slowly fell back to the ground, as if by magic. A series of well-placed loops and folds of the girls’ ribbons performed the amazing trick.

  “Are you enjoying the show?” Dylan leaned over to whisper into her ear.

  She nodded without taking her eyes away from the stage. “Yes. It’s amazing!”

  The small theatre they were in was packed. The oohs and aahs of the crowd echoed as the performers completed one daring feat after another. Cait oohed perhaps the loudest of all. She’d never been to a performance like this, but she’d always wanted to.

  The girl onstage now was statuesque and wore a nude bodysuit, which lent her the appearance of being almost naked. The skintight bodysuit clung to her generous curves. The entire performance was sensual with smoke effects and seductive lighting. Cait was drawn into it. The beautiful performers tying themselves up in pink ribbons were sure to give Dylan ideas.

  Cait glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Dylan appeared as enraptured by the performance as she was. It seemed natural to slip her hand into his. She wrapped her fingers over his, and Dylan’s gaze lifted to settle on her.

  “Hey,” he mouthed to her as he gave her hand a tiny squeeze.

  “Hey,” she mouthed back.

  They looked at each other for several heartbeats. Cait’s breath caught in her throat.

  The moment was perfect, ripe with an emotion she couldn’t name yet. Dylan had always been there in front of her, but this was the first time she really saw him without the blinders of friendship. He could be so much more than just a friend if she opened herself to him, allowed herself to care for him in a new and different way.

  Cait was the first to look away. She jerked her gaze back to the stage, but her attention remained centered on Dylan. She told herself it was too soon. She’d just broken up with Simon. Dylan deserved more than to be the rebound boyfriend.

  Boyfriend and Dylan did not seem to belong in the same sentence. A boyfriend was someone she met and dated for a couple of months. Dylan wasn’t a boyfriend. He was the boy, the man, she respected above all others.

  The show reached its stunning conclusion, and Cait was once again drawn in. When it was over, she stood with the other audience members and clapped loudly as the performers gathered in the center of the stage to make their bows. Dylan put his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to his body. Cait tipped back her head and smiled up at him.

  “Thank you for bringing me.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Dylan dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You could do that.”

  Cait lifted an eyebrow. “Do what?”

  “That.” Dylan motioned to the stage with his chin. “I would be unable to tear my eyes from you.”

  Cait burst out laughing. “Only because I would be dangling from the ceiling tied in knots,” she managed to get out once she’d stopped laughing.

  “That would certainly be a sight,” Dylan agreed.

  Cait looked at him, but the light in his eyes told her he would not see it as humorous but rather hot. She’d been correct about the ribbons giving him ideas. A vision of being tied up and awaiting Dylan’s pleasure made her want to drag him to bed that very instant, but Dylan had other ideas.

  As they walked out of the theatre, he asked. “Do you want to go get a drink? There’s a lounge in the casino.”

  “Sure,” Cait answered breezily. Although she was anxious to get Dylan back in bed, she didn’t want the night to end. She couldn’t remember ever having so much fun.

  The lounge was set in one corner of the casino floor. Black couches and red, velvet-upholstered chaise lounges were provided for seating. The counter of the bar was a metal-topped semi-circle that was manned by two male bartenders.

  Dylan ordered a whiskey and coke, without having to ask what she wanted, and a beer for himself. Cait remembered how Simon hated that she drank whiskey, and she smirked. It was nice to know that some men didn’t mind it.

  The lounge appeared to be filling up with the audience from the show they’d just left. They found an empty couch and claimed it before anyone else could. Cait carefully balanced her drink as she sank down onto the plush cushioning.

  Dylan’s bottle made a clinking noise against her glass as he toasted the first sip. “Here’s to us. Cheers!”

  Cait lifted her glass to her lips and took a sip. What did he mean when he said us? Did Dylan see a future for them? She didn’t ask. She needed to come to terms with her own feelings before she questioned him about his.

  “Dylan!” Cait frowned at the sound of a high-pitched, feminine voice squealing Dylan’s name.

  A tall, slender blonde woman hurried over to them. The beauty had to be six feet tall with legs that went on forever. She was dressed in a wispy piece of fabric that revealed more than it covered. She was absolutely stunning.

  Cait sat up straighter, though wh
at she really wanted to do was melt into the cushions. She felt like a mouse compared to the woman that stood in front of their couch.

  “Dylan, what are you doing here?” the woman exclaimed with a wide smile that displayed perfect, blindingly white teeth.

  She had to be a model, Cait decided.

  Dylan got to his feet to greet her. “Hello, Rayanne. I’m on vacation.”

  He did not appear overly excited to see her, which Cait thought was odd. What red-blooded American male would not be excited to see a vision like this?

  Rayanne threw her arms around Dylan and embraced him. Jealousy reared its ugly head. Cait tensed and tried to appear as if she was not hanging on to their every word.

  Rayanne released Dylan and tossed her chemical blonde hair over one shoulder. “I haven’t seen you since Bali. Where have you been hiding?”

  “You know me. I’ve been around.”

  Cait cleared her throat, and Dylan motioned to her. “Sorry. Cait, this is Rayanne. She’s a model I’ve worked with before. Rayanne, this is Cait.”

  “Actually, Dylan, I’ve taken up singing as a career now. I’m working on my demo.”

  A singer too? It figures, Cait snorted to herself. She forced herself to give a polite greeting even though she wanted to claw out the girl’s eyes for talking to Dylan.

  Rayanne’s cool green gaze brushed Cait and then returned to Dylan, whom she continued to fawn over. “What are you doing later?”

  Cait’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Was this chick for real? Was she seriously trying to pick up on Dylan with Cait standing … err, sitting … right there? What was up with the gals in Vegas? She’d only been here two days, and she’d witnessed more tramps than she could shake a stick at.

  Cait opened her mouth to say something, but Dylan spoke first. “Rayanne, I’m here with Cait.”

  “Oh!” Rayanne exclaimed with forced innocence. “I’m sorry. I thought this was the Cait you were friends with.”

  “She is. I mean…” Dylan’s voice trailed off, and he glanced over his shoulder at Cait. Confusion was clearly written on his face. Cait arched a brow at him, curious to know how he would respond.