I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and in the end, I must admit, she’s outdone herself on this one.
The second I step inside the hotel, all eyes fall on me. Everyone from the staff behind the counter to those passing through the lobby glance in my direction, their eyes immediately descending on the dress. Those in groups speak to each other in hushed tones, no doubt debating which wealthy family I hail from. I catch sight of the clipboard man, once again standing guard before the black double doors. He eyes me for a moment and a look of recognition glosses over his face before he shakes his head and looks back at his clipboard.
I don’t stick around to listen to the whispers that follow me. I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, so I keep my head down as I step quickly towards the elevator. I press the button for the 17th-floor and hold my breath until the doors finally close and I’m out of sight.
Air exhales from my lungs as I lean backward against the cool glass, thankful that the elevator is empty.
“What am I doing?” I whisper to no one. My stomach shifts with the change in altitude.
“You’re going on a date with a billionaire!” is what Gabby would tell me, but is that really what this is? Is Charles expecting a date? Or is this all about sex? My knees quiver at the thought of him answering the door and taking me into his arms. I can already feel his kisses on my face and neck, his hands traveling down my body to grip my—
Ding!
The elevator doors open and I stare out at the 17th floor hallway. I will my feet to move, but my muscles remain locked in my current position.
“What am I doing?” I ask again.
I reach out and push the lobby button. The doors close and I find myself staring at my own reflection in the golden mirrored walls. I look away, far too embarrassed to look myself in the eye. My stomach growls, both from hunger and nervousness. I know that once I reach the bottom, I’ll have to navigate through the stares and whispers of the social elite once again. I try not to think about it.
Ding!
The doors open on the lobby and I take the first step off.
“Alice.”
I pause with clenched eyes. That voice. Unmistakably his. I should look up. I have to look up. I bite my lip and manage to open my eyes, but I can’t bring myself to look higher than his knees.
“My god, Alice…”
When I finally meet his eyes, I see that they’re fixed on the dress. “Ch—” The name gets caught in my throat, trapped behind dry vocal chords. “Charles—” I mutter.
Charles. The man that used his words as playthings to seduce and torment me, who knew exactly what to say to drive me wild, stands speechless in front of me with his jaw hanging open. He wears a black suit with a white button shirt, an outfit not so different than what he wore when we first met.
“I—” he begins, but loses his voice briefly. “I thought you would look good in blue, but I had no idea…”
A smile climbs onto my face. “Thank you,” I whisper. I grip the skirt awkwardly. “You have good taste — or, that’s what Gabby said.”
He smiles and steps onto the elevator with me. “Are you getting off?” he asks.
“Yes— No… maybe…” I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
Charles nods at my response as his fingers tap the button for the 17th floor. The doors close behind him. “Let me take a look at you…” He reaches out and grips my shoulders with a light touch. I turn towards him and allow for him to take control of my movements. “It brings out the brown in your eyes so… perfectly,” he says.
I stare into his eyes, those deep tunnels of forest green, as they scan my features. He looks at me so deeply, I feel as though he’s looking right through me to my very soul. After a few moments, I have to look away, the urge to hide overtaking me.
“I’m sorry,” he chuckles and drops his hands. “Have I made you uncomfortable?”
“No—” I say.
Ding!
The doors open and Charles steps off the elevator. He turns back to me and places a hand on the doorway to keep the lift open. “Alice,” he says, observing my hesitation, “if you wish to leave, I will not stop you. I will go to bed tonight a very sad man, but I will hold no ill will towards you.”
I smile again as laughter slowly rises in my chest. “You talk so good,” I say.
“One of many talents, I assure you.” He holds out his other hand. “Shall we?”
I place my hand in his and instantly feel a shock wave of warmth travel up my arm. “Okay,” I say.
His fingers tighten around mine and I follow him off the elevator. He leads me down the hall in silence, casually glancing back at me every few steps, each time dropping his eyes to observe my body as the dress swishes back and forth with each step. I bite my lip, sick with nervousness, until we reach room 1729.
“After you,” he insists.
I realize that I’m still holding the room key in my palm. “Oh…” My fingers shake wildly as I slide the card into the reader. The light turns green and I glance up at his amused face before pushing the heavy door open.
The light is already on as I step inside. It’s a room quite similar to the one we stayed in that night, but with a much better view of the city. Two armchairs sit on either side of a small table next to the window. A bottle of champagne sits on ice in a bucket on the drink cart next to the door. Charles immediately fills two glasses with the bubbly drink as I wander over to the window and stare out into the night sky.
“This is beautiful,” I say.
“Yes…”
I look back at him, suspecting by his tone that we aren’t referring to the same view. He stares at me with a sideways glance, his eager tongue poking out of his lips.
“Stop,” he blurts. “Don’t move.”
I freeze in my position and watch as he darts across the room. He slides the closet door open and retrieves his suitcase from inside.
“What?” I ask.
“Shh…” He pulls out his camera and quickly moves back to his position next to the champagne glasses. “Look over your shoulder again — just as you did before.”
I do as he says, the ends of my lips twitching. “Like this?” I ask.
“Perfect.” The shutter clicks repeatedly as he takes several photos with his black camera.
I think of myself being tied to the bed, blindfolded, with only the eager sound of clicking guiding me in his direction. “What do you do with your photos?” I ask him.
“They’re a private collection,” he says, briefly glancing over the camera.
“Do you take pictures of all the girls you bring up here?”
“Only the worthy ones,” he says.
I take a slow breath and wonder exactly how many of us he considered worthy. I want to ask, but I bite my tongue instead.
“Alice…” Charles slowly lowers the camera to his side and walks over to stand by me next to the window. A bit of moonlight strikes his face. The blue light blends with his eyes, turning them sea green. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I will stop.”
“No…” I shake my head. “Go ahead.”
“You’re sure?”
I nod. “Yes.”
He brings a hand to my cheek and slowly traces a line up my face to the top of my head. His touch tickles my scalp as his fingertips glide along my hair. “Gabby is quite the stylist,” he says.
“Is it that obvious?” I ask, turning away to hide the pinkness rushing to my cheeks.
“You don’t strike me as the type of woman that likes to spend more time than necessary on her looks,” he says. He turns away and sets the camera on the table next to the bed before returning to the drink cart to pick up the champagne glasses.
I cock my head to the side. “Then why send a dress to entice me?” I ask him as he puts a glass in my hand.
Charles grins to one side and takes a seat on the armchair by the window. “To give you one less thing to worry about if you accepted my invitation,” he says. He brings the drink to
his lips and takes a sip.
“If?” I ask.
He nods. “Honestly, Alice, I did not expect you to show up tonight.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Why not?”
“I thought I frightened you,” he admits.
I bring the glass to my lips. “What, you’ve never had a girl walk out on you while you were in the other room before?” I pour a little champagne between my lips and relish in the familiar elixir as it tumbles down my throat.
“No,” he answers. “I have not.”
I try to read his face. “I’m sorry if I insulted you,” I say.
“You didn’t.” He takes another sip. “In fact, it only made you more interesting.”
“How?” I can’t stop my smile from taking shape.
He shakes his head once and sets his glass down on the table. “Are you familiar with the myth of Orpheus?” he asks as he stands and drifts in behind me.
I see him reach a hand towards my glass. “The musician,” I answer.
His hand pauses in mid-air and for the second time since we met a look of surprise strike his face. “Go on,” he urges with amused eyes as he takes my champagne glass from me.
“Umm…” I search my memory, sifting through knowledge I learned in high school and never thought I’d need again. “He… traveled to the underworld to save his wife.”
“Eurydice.”
I nod. “She died on their wedding day. Orpheus played music for Hades, who was so impressed he let him travel to the underworld to find her and take her back with him.” Charles floats his hands above my shoulders. His fingertips travel slowly down my back, barely touching my skin. I lose focus for a moment. “But — he wasn’t allowed to look at her until they both reached the upper world. She followed him all the way to surface, but he glanced back at her before she reached the top and…”
“She was lost forever,” he finishes, his lips gliding against my shoulder as he speaks.
“Yes,” I say. My eyes flutter closed as he plants a kiss on my neck.
“You’ve studied Greek myth,” he notes, raising his head. He looks forward and makes eye contact with my reflection.
My eyes fall to the floor. “I took Latin in high school,” I explain. “Translating myth was part of the gig.”
“What are you studying at university now?” he asks.
“Literature,” I answer. “Or creative writing — I haven’t decided yet.”
“I’m impressed.”
I shake my head. “Don’t be.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Alice.”
“I’m guessing all your other girls didn’t know the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice?” I ask.
He steps away and I turn to watch him slide his black jacket off and hang it on the back of the door. “I wouldn’t know,” he answers. “I never thought to ask. None of them ever reminded me of it.”
“And why do I remind you of it?”
He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales as he meets my eyes again. “I lost you once,” he says. “And I was scared that if I laid eyes on you again before the time was right, I’d lose you forever.”
“That’s a pretty good line,” I tease.
He smiles. “And for a lesser woman, it would have worked.”
I take a step towards him, then another, and another, until we’re face-to-face. “Don’t sell yourself short, Charles,” I say. I close my eyes and push myself up onto my toes to land a kiss on his lips. He kisses me back slowly as I throw my arms over his shoulders and he embraces me tightly against him to hold me there. I once again allow myself to become lost in the flavor of his kiss.
Charles pulls away, dropping his face, but he keeps a steady hold on my body. “Believe me, Alice…” he whispers. “I want nothing more than to have your body again, but I feel we’d be doing a great disservice to that dress if I disrobe you so quickly.”
My pulse quickens. “Are Faleuro dresses only meant to be worn once?” I ask.
“Perhaps,” he answers. “To some.”
I step back and he releases me. “Do I strike you as the type of woman that wears a beautiful dress only once?” I reach behind me and grip the zipper between my fingers.
“No,” he smiles. “You do not.”
I slowly pull the zipper down my back until it won’t go any further. It sags free about my midsection but remains locked in place around my neck. I grip the halter and pull it over my head, being careful not to bump my hair before pulling it down my face. The blue dress drops to the floor. I pay close attention to his eyes as his gaze wanders my naked body.
“Alice…” he mutters as his tongue taps the roof of his mouth. I can see the desire in his face already.
Before he can reach for me, I lower myself to my knees in front of him. He lays a hand on my head and his strong fingers grip the back of my neck.
After her second night with Ian, Gabby told me about all the ways she learned to please him. In extreme detail. I insisted on the extreme detail.
I reach for his belt and slide it free.
“Alice…” he breathes again, his eyes trained on me from above.
He’s giving me a way out — a chance to stand back up and forget I ever made the move in this direction. But in truth, I’ve thought about this moment since Gabby described it. I remembered all the ways Charles focused on pleasing me during our night together. I want to do the same for him.
I lower my eyes to his groin and continue freeing him. His fingers massage the skin of my neck, twitching with delight as I pull his trousers to the floor, along with his black briefs.
His manhood stands erect with eager love forming on his tip. I lick my lips and take a deep breath as I’m reminded of his impressive size. The fear of inexperience clouds my vision. I blink quickly, pushing aside all seeds of doubt, and open my lips for him. His hand goes stiff against my neck as I slide his shaft into my mouth. I don’t want to seem too eager, so I focus on the tip, slathering it with my saliva while I keep my deeper urges at bay.
He tastes sweet, far sweeter than I expected. I suck him slowly, savoring my quivering taste buds as his breathing intensifies above me.
“Look at me,” he begs. “Alice… look at me.”
I flick my eyes up at him and stare him down as I roll my tongue across his tip. He squeezes my hair with desire and turns up to the ceiling. His chest rises and falls. My lips begin to feel numb, but I’m not done yet. I push him farther inside, inching him closer to the back of my throat. Charles lets out a grunt of satisfaction, giving me a surge of confidence. I reach up and take the base in my hand to gain control. He doesn’t seem to mind. I quickly bob back and forth while keeping a tight suction on him with my aching lips.
“Alice—” He reaches out and grasps my wrist. I look up at him with wide eyes, but I keep his thick rod grazing the back of my throat. “My god…” he whispers.
He grips my head with both hands then and rocks his hips to meet my bobs. It’s too much, I can see it in his eyes, but I don’t want to stop. I want to please him more than anything. I ignore the intense throbbing coming from my own sex, begging and urging me to ride him. My desires can wait, I decide.
Charles lets out one final grunt and I feel his warm spray hit the back of my throat. I let it settle on my tongue, tasting every bit of him before sending it back. His seed tickles my senses as I swallow each shot of it he gives me. I stare up at him as I do it, carefully lapping every drop of it off his smooth cock.
“Alice…” he breathes once more.
I let him slide from my lips and he dangles in front of me, twitching and satisfied. “Are you all right?” I ask him.
He reaches down and pulls me up by the arms with all his strength. I shake as I stand, not realizing the strain I had put on my knees and ankles. He holds me up with little trouble and whips me around. We tumble onto the bed together and he spreads my legs before I even realize what’s happened.
“Charles!” I cry out as his lips meet my clitoris.
Chapter 5
Don’t Take It Personal
I wake up alone.
The other side of the bed is cold to the touch. I sit up, naked and confused, and glance around to see the blue Faleuro dress hanging from a wooden hanger on the back of the door. A white robe lays at the end of the bed, draped across my feet.
“Charles?” I ask the empty room.
I throw my feet off the side of the bed and let my toes squish into the thick carpet before standing up. The bathroom is empty. Charles’ briefcase is gone.
A knock strikes the door and for a moment, I panic. I throw the bathrobe over my shoulders and tie it off tightly before stepping to the door.
“Ms. Hughes?” A hotel employee stands in the hallway next to a cart.
“Yes?” I answer him.
“Breakfast for you. Compliments of Mr. Kent.”
I step to the side and allow for him to roll the cart into the room. He leaves it by the bed and gives me a kind nod.
“Oh,” I stumble on my words. “I have no money…”
He smiles. “It’s all taken care of, miss,” he says.
“Right…” I shake my head. “Thank you.”
“Have a good day, Ms. Hughes,” he says as he slips out the door.
I inspect the cart to find one plate filled to the edges with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, along with a few pastries on the side with a glass of milk and another of orange juice. I chuckle at the presentation and raise a piece of toast to my lips. I take a bite and notice a card poking out from under the plate.
Stay as long as you like. -C
I toss the card down on the bed and glance around the empty room. This wasn’t how I pictured the morning after would be like. I expected to wake up next to him and exchange awkward, but delightful, pillow talk.
Did I do something wrong? I think.
My gaze climbs the wall and falls upon the blue dress. I bite my lip and dread the moment I would have to put it on and walk through the lobby again. It’s one thing to wear it at the start of an evening, but no one wears this type of thing first thing in the morning. Ever.
Blind Girl: A Dark Billionaire Romance Page 5
