by Shae Scott
Once the door was secure he stood in front of me again. “You’re beautiful, Quinn Ryan,” he said. He took my hands and put them on the waistband of his pants, an invitation of sorts. I wasted no time unwrapping my gift. I slid the buckle of his belt open, finishing my task from earlier. As I slid the pants down his hips, dropping them to the floor, he caught my arms and hoisted me back and onto the bed, his patience losing out. I fell back against the mattress, dipping lower as he covered me with his body, kissing me with deep strokes of his tongue.
He took his time, kissing me like it was a lost art. And I was beginning to think that it was, because no one had ever kissed me the way that he did, so completely, so thoroughly. He could speak a thousand words inside of a single kiss. He could write each one across my heart and brand me as his and he could do it effortlessly.
“You taste like sugar,” he said, his mouth trailing a sensual path down my body. My body arched beneath him as his lips skimmed across the sensitive skin of my abdomen and again as his fingers moved to the thin straps of my panties, the only clothing left on my body. I felt his hot breath as he pulled them achingly slow down my hips, teasing me as he went.
I couldn’t remember ever having been this worked up before. Never had anyone taken the time to tease me with such simple, unhurried exploration. Keaton was certainly in no hurry. Now that he had me in his bed, it was if he planned to take all night to explore his every whim, to learn every detail of my body just as he’d searched for every detail with his questions.
His mouth left soft kisses up the inside of my thigh as he moved back up my body and I squirmed as he neared the part of me that was aching for him. I sighed, a soft plea falling from my lips. “Look at you, all laid out for me. I’ve pictured you, just like this. I’ve gotten myself off thinking of you like this, imagining the taste of you on my tongue, the way you will shake as I make you come, the way your voice will strain when you call out my name,” he said. With each word, his breath teases, his fingers drift over my sensitive skin. His thumb moves across my folds, gently over my clit, sending a jolt through me. I cry out, strung so tight that I know it won’t take much to snap the chord that tethers me to earth.
“What about you, Quinn? Have you thought about me?” he asked voice raspy.
“Yes,” I managed, shifting beneath his touch, my body begging for more. I felt his palms move to my thigh, pushing them wider and my teeth sunk into my lower lip as I gripped the sheets. His tongue ran up my inner thigh, his teeth nipping at my skin. I felt the sting and before I could react his mouth was on me, his tongue doing all of the wicked things that it promised it could do. I lost all thought. I can no longer distinguish one moment from the next because each one is more sensation building upon itself until I’m sure my body will shatter into a million crystallized pieces. I realize that I am not equipped to handle a man like this. I have clearly just jumped into the deep end without a life preserver and I am going to drown. And it’s going to be the most glorious death imaginable.
I break apart. I gasp for breath. My world quakes beneath me. I am a cliché.
“Fuck, Quinn.” I heard his voice from somewhere in the fog as I felt him move up my body. He was no longer wearing the boxer briefs that he’d had on earlier and even in my post orgasmic haze I take in the glorious sight of him. The man is beautiful. I reach out to touch him, hard against my palm. He groaned with a deep pleasure and I felt the shiver run through his body.
“You’re the sexiest creature I’ve ever seen.” I had no idea what he was talking about, but now that I was returning to earth and I could see him clearly, I smiled. He reached to the nightstand and grabbed a condom. I followed his movements as he opened the packet and slid it on. I already felt the building need low in my belly as I watched. He was beyond sexy and I wanted him in a way that was completely new to me. It was all consuming. It overtook me.
“You’re still sure about this?” he asked as he positioned himself over me. I smile, because he’s asking, even now. There is fire in his eyes, and his forearms are shaking with restraint. I love seeing him this way, his need to come undone.
“I want you,” I assured him. And it’s enough. He pushes into me and I pull against his shoulders as he stretches me. And it feels so good. It feels like I’ve lost my mind. He moves, with long slow strokes, as if he’s taking the time to feel every part of me. He covers me completely, his mouth near my ear as he moves.
“You feel like heaven. Fuck, Quinn, you feel like God damned heaven. I want to laugh at his choice of words, but I can’t because he’s pushing me. He’s taking me places I didn’t expect. He makes me feel connected. I slide my nails against his skin, the feel of him so intense that my entire body is trembling beneath him.
He kissed me hard and deep before quickening his pace. The headboard behind us began to knock the wall with a punishing rhythm that matched our own. I felt the build, I felt it taking hold of me and I knew in a moment I was going to break apart. I tried to steel myself for the wave, but I knew it would take me under.
“Keaton, oh God, Keaton.” My voice came out strangled and my teeth sunk into his shoulder and I came hard against him. I was pretty sure this man had just ruined me for all other experiences. I was boneless. I felt the growl against my own chest as he jerked with his own release, the weight of his body falling onto mine. There was something strangely satisfying about the heaviness of it, the way his salty skin stuck to my own.
I tried to catch my breath. It was harder to do with him on top of me, but I didn’t care. I could feel his heart beating fast against his chest, my mind focused in on it, the steady thump, grounding me to the moment. I wasn’t used to casual sex, so I wasn’t really sure how to proceed. The steady thump was helping to keep me from freaking out.
Finally, he rolled off of me, taking my thump with him. I rolled to my side, watching him as he removed the condom and disposed of it. Then he was back in bed and pulling me to him. “You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. I was. I was more than okay. I just wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do next. Did I get up and go to my room or did I get to stay and cuddle for a little while first? I didn’t know how this all worked.
It felt so nice though, being curled up against him. The sound of his breathing as it steadied, the way his fingers traced across my skin. I didn’t want to move. Not at all.
“Quinn, why are you being so quiet? You’re freaking me out?” he said. I looked up, surprised to see the shadow of doubt there across his features.
“I’m good,” I assured him.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Honestly?” I asked.
“Of course. Now I’m dying to know,” he smiled, even though he looked a little nervous to hear my answer.
“I was thinking about how nice it feels to be laying here with you like this and trying to figure out how long it’s acceptable to stay here before I overstay my welcome,” I admitted.
“Do you want to go?” he asked. “Because I don’t want you to go.”
“You don’t?” I asked, feeling an immediate sense of relief flood me. I’d been pretending that I was okay with leaving to go back to my room, but now that he wanted me to stay I was relieved.
“Shit, Quinn, did you think I was going to fuck you then kick you out?” he asked, sitting up. He scowled, but I saw the hurt flash across his face. Crap, that is what I‘d thought. Deep down, I’d put myself in a category with some random hook up even though he’d told me over and over that we were more than that.
“I just—.” I didn’t know what to say. The assumption made me feel horrible.
“Was I the only one that felt something here, Quinn? I told you, this is different. Temporary or not, it’s different. I meant that. It wasn’t a line,” he said.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He let out a deep breath then pulled me into his lap, both of us still naked.
“I want you to stay here with me. All night. I want to sleep beside you. I want to spend my morning d
eep inside you and if I wake up dreaming about you, chances are I’ll wake you up and make them come true. I’m not letting you out of my sight. I have two more days with you Quinn Ryan. You are mine until Monday, so no more running away.”
THE MORNING WAS drab, dreary and dark. I could hear the rain tapping against the windows. Scowling, I hoped that it would clear out fast. I didn't want it ruining my plans for the day. I wanted to take Quinn out on the water this morning before the signing. She'd mentioned that she'd never been sailing or really ever been out on the water and I wanted to be the one to take her. I wanted to give her experiences that she'd never had. I wanted to be tied to her memories so that whenever she thought back to the first time she'd always remember me. My time with Quinn may be temporary, but I still wanted to be there later. It was my way of leaving my mark, to make sure that she couldn’t just let go of our time together. I smiled at the thought and made my way into the living area.
I stopped when I saw her. She had pulled one of the chairs from the bar over to the balcony doors, and she sat, knees pulled up against her chest watching the rain through the open doors. Surrounded in shadows of gray she looked so elegant and peaceful. Her hair fell down her back and over her shoulders and I couldn't help but stare, she was perfection. What was she thinking? What was she feeling after last night? I felt a tightening in my chest, an ache that started deep inside and rattled me.
I slipped my phone from my pocket and slid the button on the side to silence it. Then, I opened the camera app and snapped the moment. Never had I seen anything so beautiful or inspiring. Just the sight of her sent words and melody through my soul. I couldn’t help but wonder if this is what it felt like to find your muse.
I moved towards her and noticed the goose bumps covering her flesh. She only wore one of my t-shirts and the breeze coming from the open doors was chilly, but she didn't seem to mind.
"What are you doing?" I asked softly, I hated to break the moment she was in, but I couldn't help but want to be a part of it; to be a part of all of her moments.
She glanced up and gave me a sweet smile. It pulled one of my own to the surface and I reached out to smooth her hair just out of the need to touch her in some way. "Just watching," she replied holding out her hand to me. I took it and laced my fingers through hers and then brought it to my lips.
"Mind if I sit with you?" I asked. She smiled wider, so I pulled her up and took her spot on the chair before settling her on my lap and wrapping my arms around her. The room was quiet, just the sounds of the rain and wind in perfect sync.
"You know, it rarely rains here this time of year. I hope it clears out soon," I said.
She shrugged, "I like the rain. There's something about it that soothes me," she said softly. There was a far away look in her eyes and I wished I could reach in and grab her thoughts, know them, roll them around and learn them.
"You don't find it dreary?" I asked curiously.
"Not at all. I love the way it smells, especially in the spring or coming off the ocean. It mixes with everything, wakes it up, cleanses it, gives it a new beginning. It relaxes me," she said.
I stared at her; in awe of her and the way she made me see things differently. I was the one who was supposed to see the beauty in ordinary things. But she did it so naturally, it was effortless.
"You love the rain," I smiled, filing it away as one of my new favorite things about her. I was pretty sure from this point forward I would think of her with every storm and every shower. Just like she said, it would mix with my memories of her and wake them up.
She smiled at me, and I froze the moment in my mind. It was reckless, feeling this way when we'd agreed to temporary, but my heart didn't seem to care. For once it wanted nothing more than to be laid out on the table, vulnerable and brave.
"I wanted to take you out on the water today, I don't know if we'll be able to make that happen," I said, running my hands across her legs.
She shrugged, "That's okay. I'm kind of happy just sitting here with you," she said.
So that's what we did. We shut out the rest of the world, ordered room service, watched crazy reality TV and spent the majority of our day naked and wrapped up in one another.
The feel of her, I could never describe it properly. She just fit, the way her body would tuck against mine, the way she would move beneath me as I took her with long deep strokes; it wasn't something I'd experienced before. I really couldn't get my fill of her. She made me insatiable.
If I thought I could get away with not attending the giant book fair or the farewell parties I’d have kept her locked away until our planes left. But real life is a bitch and Quinn wasn’t about to let me get away with letting anyone down by missing the signing. So amid my protests she’d made sure I’d spent two hours this afternoon doing my job.
In all honesty though, it was all worth it when I saw the stack of books and the giant smile she had when I found her afterwards. It was easy to get lost and be selfish with what time I had left with her, but she was my book nerd, after all, and this was her playground. I’d happily buy her every book in the building to see her smile like that.
"I'd rather not go to this party," I grumbled later that evening once we were back up in my suite. I watched as Quinn walked around the bedroom in just her bra and panties, getting ready and patted myself on the back for suggesting she grab the stuff she needed for the party and bring it upstairs. I'd watched her put on her make up, watched her curl her hair, and wanted nothing more than to take her back to bed.
"It might be fun," she soothed me.
"Sure it will." I said, my sarcasm causing her to laugh.
"Besides, it will be good for us to get out of this room for a little while," she said.
"We already left the room, remember? I didn’t like it. Being locked away in this room with you has been a highlight of my week." I loved the way she blushed at my words. As tough as she could be she was still a little shy and I loved knowing I could bring out the pale pink across her cheeks.
"I can't argue with that," she said, sliding her arms around my neck.
"So we can stay?" I asked hopefully.
"Not a chance. Get dressed. We're going downstairs."
"Bossy. I like it," I teased her. She shook her head as she moved away from me to get her dress. Watching Quinn dress was nearly as nice as watching her undress. In fact, watching Quinn was quickly becoming one of my favorite pastimes.
As much as I'd grumbled about going to the party, walking into the ball room with Quinn on my arm made me puff out my chest like a caveman. I liked having her beside me. I liked the looks that we got as we entered the room. I liked the seeing the gazes fall to our joined hands, and the way they would watch as I guided her across the room with my hand on the small of her back. I liked the way it felt to enter the room and know that everyone here knew she was mine. At least mine for right now. She was leaving with me and as far as any of these strangers knew, she belonged to me. And surprisingly, it felt really good.
In fact, it felt damn good.
WE ACTUALLY HAD two parties to attend tonight. The first required us dropping in to a wrap up party where Keaton was getting some face time with readers. I let him do his thing, sipping wine with Lily. I loved watching him with people. No matter his reputation you could tell that he cared about the people he spoke to. Because when he was talking to them about books or listening to them talk about how his work had meant something to them he listened genuinely. He heard them. He cared and it showed. He wasn't just a show pony and if you took the time to really listen to him you could see that. At least I could and I felt pretty certain that was the case for anyone.
Then again, I was lucky enough to know a whole other side of Keaton. One that he seemed to keep under wraps. I had to admit, it made me feel special. Once we were done at the ballroom we headed down the street with Miles and Lily to a party hosted by one of the attending publishing houses. It was held in a trendy little restaurant just down from the hotel, on the 37th flo
or of a high rise. The outer walls were glass and the lights inside were dim enough that you could look out and see the lights from the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
This crowd landed closer to stuffy and arrogant and as I watched people move about and chat it felt to me that everyone was on guard. "Who are all of these people?" I asked Keaton as we moved towards the bar.
He shrugged, "A mix of people really. Don't worry, there are good people among the sharks," he chuckled. I wasn't sure what to think about that statement, so I brushed it off and held onto his arm. I smiled as he chatted with people and nodded as he introduced me. These people could probably be valuable contacts to have, but I was too nervous to make much use of the situation. Besides, this night was about Keaton and I wanted to enjoy our time together. Tomorrow would come soon enough and I was trying really hard not to think about the goodbye that we would be faced with come morning.
"Do you want more champagne?" he asked, nodding to my empty glass. Maybe I was more nervous than I thought.
"Oh, sure. Thanks," I smiled, suddenly feeling shy.
"I'll be right back, you'll be okay for a minute?" he asked. I nodded, smiling as he kissed my cheek before moving towards the bar.
There were a lot of people milling about and it was fun to people watch. I thought of Keaton and the way he was constantly creating stories about the people around him. I was so in my head trying to create my own version of a couple who were dancing that I almost missed the woman who came to stand beside me.
"So you're here with Keaton?" the woman asked.
I couldn't read her expression. She seemed friendly enough, but I got the distinct impression that she was secretly laughing at me.
"I am," I said evenly. She gave me a quick nod and then leaned in conspiratorially.
"He's such an asshole when it comes to women, but it's almost worth it, ya know?"
