I leaned in and kissed Gretchen on her doorstep, pinning her against the door. For a long moment, we stayed like that, our lips sliding cautiously against one another's. Usually, I would take control of a kiss, dominating it and forcing my way into her mouth. Then again, usually, I would expect her to open herself to me, to be practically begging for it, before I'd even done anything.
But Gretchen wasn't like the girls who I normally took home with me. There was something delicate about her.
There was nothing lacking in her passion, though.
She finally opened her mouth to me, as though she had come to a decision in her mind, and she pressed up against me, her arms coming up to twine around my neck. I slotted a leg between hers and listened to the way that she groaned, softly, against my lips, as though she needed so much more than that.
She probably did. If she was waiting for a guy to take her on five dates before he went home with her.
“I'm going to stay over,” I told her, pulling back to lean my forehead against hers. “I owe you three more dates, but I'm going to stay over.”
“Yes,” she agreed, sounding just as breathless as me. She smirked at me, though. “They'd better be good dates, though.”
“They'll be like tonight,” I told her. “But to different places. I promise.” I only hoped that Mark had enough recommendations for good places to take her, but I had to assume that he did. He had lived there his whole life, after all. I smiled and leaned back in to capture her lips.
Chapter Fourteen
Gretchen
I didn't know why I was inviting Christian inside. The date had been great, and I still had Mina's, and Mrs. Harris', words in the back of my mind. Just have fun with it.
I knew there was nothing wrong with this, but at the same time, I wasn't the kind of girl to have sex with a dude after only a couple dates. I should be holding out, out of respect for myself. Or something like that.
But at the same time, with his hands tracing hot lines down my curves, I couldn't seem to pull away from him.
“Are you sure about this?” He was sweet enough to ask as we tumbled through the front door.
I shook my head. “No,” I told him honestly. “Not at all.”
Surprisingly, that made Christian pause. “Maybe we should-”
“No,” I said, already desperate for the feeling of his leg in between mine. I could only imagine what it would feel like to have his fingers touching my mound. I blushed at the very thought of it.
Christian smiled down at me, brushing my hair back. “You're beautiful,” he said seriously.
I laughed nervously, ducking my head a little. “You say that to all your girls?”
Christian frowned. “Look, I know my reputation precedes me, but I’m not everything you think I am.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I imagine it must be difficult being you. Knowing that everyone knows all your personal business.” I trailed, wondered why I was saying this, now of all times. Was I actively trying to make sure we didn't end up having sex?
But Christian smiled at me again. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It is a bit difficult. But all the same, I have a pretty awesome life. Especially when it means that I can treat a sexy girl like you to dinner.”
And there we were, back around to the sex thing. I could almost sigh with relief as he leaned back in, kissing a heated trail along my jawline and down the line of my throat. I tilted my head back to give him better access, needing more, and he complied, licking and sucking at the delicate skin there, sending heat pooling between my legs.
Christian's arms came around me, and he scooped me up, pressing me back against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist, groaning at the feeling of his erection already straining to be free of his jeans.
“Bed,” I gasped out between kisses, squirming a little so that he would set me down. There were too many layers of clothing between us, but I knew that if we started stripping off here, we'd probably never make it to the bed before we coupled.
“Where is it?” Christian asked, though, beginning to carry me upstairs, making me giggle.
“Those muscles aren't just for show?” I asked teasingly. I nodded my head toward the room on the left. “It's in there.”
“Good,” Christian growled, his voice gone husky with lust.
He nudged open the door with his foot and brought me inside, tossing me gently down onto the bed and then crawling on top of me. He slid his fingers under my shirt and pulled it off over my head. Then, he groaned softly and stroked a hand over the black, lacy bra that I'd put on even though I hadn't expected that we would end up here together at the end of the night. It had been meant to make me feel confident and sexy for the date, but it was nice to see his appreciation of it as well.
Still, he didn't leave it on for very long, reaching expertly around behind me and unhooking the clasp. I suddenly realized that here I was, half-naked already, and I hadn't even got his shirt off yet. I reached for his buttons, clumsily beginning to undo them, and Christian pulled away, moving to stand next to the bed.
“Strip,” he said, doing just that himself. He winked at me. “Easier this way.”
I laughed and slid my skirt off, pausing with my hands on my panties. I bit my lower lip, feeling a bit of uncertainty again.
“Hey,” Christian said, crawling back onto the bed in just his boxers and covering my body with his own. “We won't do anything that you don't want to do,” he told me firmly.
I gasped and rocked my hips toward his as his erection slotted between my legs, pressing against me with only those two flimsy layers of fabric between us. “Please,” I whimpered. “I want this.”
Christian's response to that was to kiss me again, nipping at my lower lip so that I would allow him to slip his tongue into my mouth. Slowly, his hands traced their way down my sides, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Then, he began to follow that same path with his mouth, pausing for a moment to place kisses on each nipple, making me arch and squirm against the sheets.
He grinned up at me for a moment and then moved his mouth lower, kissing past my navel and finally coming to rest between my legs. He placed a soft kiss to the front of my panties, grazing his teeth lightly across my clit. I gasped again, tangling my fingers in his hair.
He reached up and slipped his fingers into the waistband of my panties, drawing them down off me in one fluid motion. Then, he continued to trail kisses across my skin, tasting the smooth folds between my legs and then carefully stabbing his tongue inside of me. At that, I practically writhed.
“Please,” I managed, the sound more of a broken sob than anything else.
Christian smirked devilishly at me and then moved his way back up my body, aligning his thick erection against my entrance and pushing slowly inside. I sighed softly once he was fully seated inside of me, feeling better than I had in a while. Christian smiled and pressed a soft kiss into my shoulder. Then, he began to move his hips, rocking them steadily, giving me short little thrusts that hit at exactly the places that I needed to feel him.
As he thrust into me, he continued to tease his hands across my skin, tracing lightly enough that it was just on this side of tickling me. I whimpered, tangling my fingers in the sheets and feeling as though at any moment, I might fly apart into a million pieces.
“Come for me,” Christian whispered roughly into my ear, and I cried out as I did just that.
Christian groaned and continued to use me mercilessly, driving me through my orgasm and leaving me gasping for air, clinging to him. But his rhythm soon faltered, hips stuttering, and I could tell from his expression that he was coming in wave after wave of pleasure as well.
He collapsed against me, a comfortable weight, and then he rolled off to the side, dragging me over and into his arms and kissing my hair.
“Fuck,” he said. “That was incredible.” He rubbed his hand down my arm. Then, he laughed a little. “That was the fastest I've come in a long time,” he admitted.
I blushed
a little, suddenly remembering all the other girls that he had been with. Remembering that this wasn't special for him in the way that it was for me. And sure, maybe he hadn't come that fast in a while, but that didn't mean that the sex had been particularly mind-blowing.
I knew I shouldn't be thinking it, but I had to wonder where I stacked up against the rest of them. And I hated thinking like that.
I rolled away from him, looking back over at him and biting my lower lip. “You didn't strike me as the kind of guy who wants to cuddle after sex,” I told him. That was true.
Christian winced. “I don't always,” he told me. “But, are you asking me to leave?”
I shrugged a little, trying to pretend that this didn't matter, that none of this had mattered. Because I knew that must be how he was viewing this situation. I slipped out of bed, unable to stand it anymore. “I have work early tomorrow morning,” I told him, faking a yawn as I scooped up my discarded panties and pulled them back on. I put my hair up in a ponytail and went over to my dresser, digging out a shirt to sleep in.
“Okay,” Christian said slowly, getting out of bed as well and beginning to put his own clothes back on. He seemed uncertain, as though he didn't know this part of the routine, and maybe he didn't. Maybe the stories weren't to be believed, and maybe he did spend the night normally.
More likely, he'd just always been the one kicking the girl out, rather than the other way around.
I tried to ignore the unhappy feeling in my stomach and the way my mind was telling me that if he had been willing to stay, why couldn't I just accept that?
“I think it's best that we don't see one another again,” I told him as he finished buttoning up his shirt. I couldn't quite look at him as I said that, and I hoped he would get out of there before I started crying. I wanted this, but I couldn't keep doing this to myself if I knew that I was never going to be anything more than just another fuck for him.
Christian paused, staring at me for a long moment as though he might understand me better if he just thought about it long enough. But finally, he shook his head. “Yeah, fine,” he said in a clipped tone, nodding at me.
Without another word, he walked out, shutting the door with some finality behind him.
I breathed out a slow breath and then crawled into bed, pulling a pillow against my chest.
Chapter Fifteen
Christian
When I woke up the morning after the date, Mark was still passed out on the couch. I looked sympathetically at the angle of his neck and shook him awake.
“Oh, hey, man,” Mark said groggily, rubbing at his neck. He looked around. “Sorry, I should have got out of here last night.”
“Nah, man, it's cool,” I said, shaking my head. “I wasn't back until late, anyway.”
“Oh?” Mark asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively at me. “Good night, then?”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Let's go get breakfast,” I suggested. “My treat, for making you camp out on the couch last night. I could use some hash browns in my life, though.”
“Mmm, yeah, hash browns sound really good,” Mark said, nodding at me. “Let's go. I know just the place.”
I picked at my napkin as we sat across from one another in the diner. “Things went well,” I finally admitted. “That barbecue place was incredible. I should have taken her there in the first place. And we had some piña coladas and…” I shrugged. “And then we ended up back at her place.”
“Yeah, man!” Mark said, holding up his hand for a high five.
I high-fived him, but I chewed on my lower lip, feeling uncertain about the whole thing. “I think maybe I should have waited,” I admitted.
Mark laughed. “Would you ever give a girl five dates back in New York?” he asked.
“No, of course not,” I said, laughing a little. “I don't even date girls back in New York. I pick up girls and take them home from wherever we are. I can't even think of when the last time was that I bought dinner for a girl.”
“So, see?” Mark said, shrugging a little. “You bagged her. And now it's on to the next girl, right?”
I sighed. “That's the thing,” I said, chewing on my lip again. I shook my head. “This is totally not the way that I operate, right? But for some reason, I want to see her again.”
Mark raised both eyebrows at me. “She was that good, eh?” he asked. He snorted. “I bet, with the amount of time it's probably been since anyone gave her five dates, that her pussy is as tight as a fucking vice.”
I shook my head. “It's not even that,” I said. “She was great in bed, but it wasn't about that. She just leaves me wanting in ways that I don't even know how to explain. No girl has ever managed to string me along like this before.”
Mark laughed. “Oh wow,” he said. “Those Hawaiian girls, huh?”
“How did things go for you last night?” I asked suddenly, surprisingly curious. Mark was just my driver; it wasn't like we were friends or anything. Once I left Hawaii, I doubted I would ever hear from him again.
“Yeah,” Mark said, grimacing. “It was shit. I don't even think she believed that I was staying at the Golden Palm. Nothing happened. Wasted chance.” He shrugged. “Bitches.”
“Ouch,” I said, shaking my head. “Sorry to hear that, man.” And the surprising thing was, I genuinely was sorry to hear that. I'd have to think further on that one at some point.
For now, I raised a glass to him and took a drink.
“But seriously, no deflection,” Mark said, grinning at me as though he knew exactly what I had been up to with asking about his own conquests. “You like this girl, right?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I guess so,” I admitted. “I wouldn't say I like her so much as I'm intrigued by her. She isn't like other girls.”
“I can try to find out more information for you if you want,” Mark offered. “She's a local girl; there must be some good dirt on her somewhere on this island.” He shrugged. “I don't know most of the people in her circle of friends, but I think one of my good girlfriends is friends with Gretchen's friend Mina, who runs the shop next door to her. I can put out some questions.”
I shook my head. “Nah, man,” I said. “The thing is, the night didn't end that well. We had sex, and then she kicked me out.” I laughed a little. “I'm used to being the one ushering the girls out, but not this time.”
“Oh, man,” Mark said, shaking his head as well. “You must have fucked it up.”
“I don't even know what I did wrong,” I told him. “I just treated her like she was any other girl. I don't know what the problem was. She definitely orgasmed, so it's not like-” I broke off, suddenly realizing that I was sharing all of these details with a guy who I barely knew. I wasn't usually like this. It wasn't like I needed Mark's advice or anything like that. It might be nice to have him look into her whole story since she was maddeningly closed-mouthed about all of it and since he was just another dude there on the island.
“Hey man, chill,” Mark said, holding up both his hands. “I get that. But you're Christian Wall. She's probably just playing with you, trying to make sure that you take her out again. I've got some recommendations, and she is going to be putty in your hands.”
I grinned at him. “That's good,” I said, taking a decisive bite out of my food. I didn't know what my thing was with her, but it was good to think that I probably could fix things with her. And despite Mark's inexperience, I trusted him to lead me straight. He did know the local girls, after all.
Even if we weren't friends, I had to trust that.
Speaking of friends, I was surprised to see Paul calling me as I walked back to the resort an hour later, full of the best breakfast I'd had in a while. I smiled a little to myself and picked up the call.
“Hey man, how are things going?” I asked him.
“They've been good,” Paul said, sounding contented. “How are things going with you?”
“Really good,” I admitted. I shook my head, kicking some sand off the edge of my balcony
. “I mean, like, really good.”
“Still in Hawaii?”
“Yeah, I might stay here until I'm ready to come back home,” I told him. “It's beautiful here, and the girls are just gorgeous.”
Paul laughed. “Yeah, I bet it's a lot nicer than New York City is now.”
“Oh, definitely,” I said, nodding. “Less girls to run through.”
“I'm sure you'll manage,” Paul said dryly.
“Yeah.” For a moment, I considered telling him about Gretchen, but I wasn't sure how to bring her into the conversation. “So, how's the business been, anyway? You guys miss me yet?”
“Of course, we're missing you,” Paul said, but from the hesitant way that he said it, I couldn't believe it. “Our stocks have been up again since you gave your apology, so that's been good. And we're getting quite a few commissions for different projects around the world.”
“You're realizing that you don't need me,” I said flatly. It wasn't a question.
Paul sighed. “Christian,” he said. “We miss you. We could use your good head with the media. Press conferences are just flat without you.”
“You don't need me,” I repeated, more insistently this time.
“If you're asking if you can stay another couple of months in Hawaii-”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. I flopped back on my bed, sighing heavily. “Paulie, I knew this was going to happen. You can't just walk away from your business for a few months and expect that there will still be a place waiting for you when you get back.”
“There's always going to be a place waiting here for you,” Paul said quietly. “You don't have to worry about that. Unless you don't want there to be a place for you,” Paul said cautiously. “I know you love this job, Christian, and trust me, we could definitely use you around here. But at the same time, I think everyone would understand if you decided you just wanted to stay there in Hawaii.”
I blinked, wondering at his words. When I thought about it, it felt right.
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