The Key to Love

by Callie Bardot

  Heat yelled, “Jager-grenades!” and started chanting, “Pour, pour, pour!”

  Everyone took up the chant.

  The waiter tipped the stack of glassware horizontally and poured the Jagermeister into each balanced shot glass without disturbing one or spilling a drop. When he got to the end of the row, he flicked his hand, and the shots tipped into the taller glasses in succession with a tinkling sound.

  Mia and the others cheered.

  The other waiters hustled to set the Jager-grenades on trays and move through the crowd, letting each person take one.

  Keys plucked two glasses off a tray and handed one to Mia. “Here’s to magic, gorgeous.”

  “Here’s to magic,” Mia said, lifting her Jager-grenade. She hadn’t done shots in a long time. At the same time as Keys, she tipped her head back and downed the tequila. It burned when it hit the back of her throat, causing her to splutter and choke. “Oh my God,” she said, embarrassed, as she lifted her free hand to her face.

  “The first one’s always the hardest,” Keys said, snagging two more shots. “This one will go down nice and easy.”

  She eyed him warily. “If you say so.”

  “Trust me,” he said, a wicked glint in his eye. He handed her the shot. “Ready?” he said, holding his aloft.

  She clinked her glass to his. “Here goes nothing.” She tipped her head back again and tossed the liquid into her mouth. Keys was right. This one went down much smoother.

  “Good girl,” Keys said, grabbing her hand. “Let’s dance.”

  They joined other couples, all dancing around the bonfire. The bonfire had turned into a righteous blaze, cascading into the sky.

  A couple of other hotel guests approached Mia and Keys. “Is this a private party?”

  “Look around,” said Keys. “I don’t see any walls do you?” He lifted Mia’s hand and spun her in a pirouette.

  She laughed, her spirits soaring. The two shots were already making her head spin.

  The new guests wandered off, snagging Jager-grenades from the tray of a waiter.

  More guests showed up until the party turned into a throbbing mass of people, all partying to the pounding rhythm booming through the speakers.

  A waiter snaked through the crowd, and Mia grabbed two more shots. “Here,” she said, thrusting one at Keys.

  “Someone’s feeling bold,” he said with a laugh. He took the shot and threw back his head, draining the little glass.

  Mia smiled and tossed her drink into her mouth. This shot hit her hard, and her limbs melted. She went with the sensation, giving into the giddy feeling. Crooking her finger, she beckoned Keys to lower his head to hers.

  “Yeah?” he said over the din of conversation and laughter.

  She pulled him to her and kissed him hard. When she released him, a cocky smile curved the corners of his lips.

  “Is that how we’re playing it, Miss Song?” he said.

  “Maybe it is,” she said, giving a saucy toss of her head.

  He seized another shot glass from a waiter, hooked his free arm around Mia’s waist, and tipped her backward.

  She let out a yelp.

  Supporting her with his arm, he poured the Jager-grenade into the hollow of Mia’s neck, dropped the glass into the sand, and slurped the tequila. When he’d sucked it all into his mouth, he began to lick and nibble her neck.

  Fiery sensations throbbed between her legs. “Oh, Keys, what are you doing to me?” she groaned.

  “Foreplay, if I read your signals right,” he said. He tipped Mia’s chin up and dropped his mouth to hers.

  Without hesitation, she yielded to the kiss, letting her tongue tangle with his.

  All around her, a din of noise added to her intoxication. Lit by the many torches placed in the sand, people talked and yelled. The music blared. Waiters brushed past. And she found herself utterly consumed with Keys’ mouth on hers. She wanted to get closer, even closer to him. Still kissing him, she guided his hands around her rear and jumped up, hooking her ankles around his hips. Oh, God. He’s so hard.

  Keys fell on his knees into the sand, kissing her intently amid all these people.

  She ground against his erection, so turned on, she thought she might come through all these layers of clothes. Finally easing back, she stared into his smoldering gaze.

  He brushed her hair back from her face. Then, his hands behind her back, he eased her down into the sand and spread his body over hers. His mouth teased a trail of kisses along her mouth, her jaw, her throat, and her collarbone.

  Eyes closed, her head fell to the side, overcome with the deliciousness of it all. When she opened her eyes, her gaze met Gia’s, a few yards away. Is she shaking her head at me? Zander, who sat behind Gia on a log, burned a hole in her head from his gaze. A wave of self-consciousness rolled through her. When have I ever been this wanton? There are people everywhere.

  “Not here,” she whispered to Keys. She snaked her fingers into his soft hair.

  “What, beautiful?” he said, lifting his head from her collarbone.

  “I’m, um…I’m getting sand in my hair,” she said, feigning an excuse.

  “Then, let’s get you out of the sand.” He straightened his arms, climbed to his feet, and extended his hand to her.

  She took it and let him tug her upright.

  Gripping her hand tightly, he lurched toward the waves which crashed on the shore several yards away. “Let’s go for a swim. You and me. Alone.”

  “Not so fast. Let’s dance,” someone to Mia’s right said, grabbing her free hand.

  Mia braked her gait and turned to see Zander. “Uh, sure, Zander.”

  “Yeah, Keys. Let’s dance,” Gia said, coming up on his other side.

  Mia and Keys drew apart, yanked by others’ hands. Her head swam as a wave of alcohol intoxication flooded her system.

  “I’ve barely seen you all week,” Zander said as he danced her away from Keys.

  Mia craned her head to find him.

  Gia had tugged him several yards away. It looked like she was giving him an earful.

  “How’s it been going?” Zander said.

  “Great. It’s been great,” Mia said, still trying to catch Keys’ eye.

  Someone else reached for her arm. “Mia,” Heat said, twirling her in a pirouette. “Dance with me.”

  Key will kill Heat if he sees him dancing with me. Mia swirled away and ran straight into Dante.

  “Hey,” Dante said. “Care to dance?”

  It seemed like everyone was conspiring against Mia and Keys…everyone except her body. Every cell in her system yearned to get back to Keys and finish what they started.

  “No, thanks, Dante,” she said, hoping she sounded polite. She shoved her way through the packed bodies, all gyrating to the throbbing beat. Finally, she spied Keys’ tall body ahead. She forced her way toward him. “Keys!” she called.

  His head whipped around. “Mia!” He extended his hand to her.

  She seized it and let herself be pulled through the crowd until they broke free. “What was that?”

  “Total cock-block is what it was. Are you okay?” He ducked behind a white cabana, pulled her close, and placed his hands on either side of her face.

  His eyes glittered as he gazed at her, sending swirls and shivers shooting through her core.

  “I want you,” he said.

  “I want you, too,” she said.

  “Let’s finish what we started, yeah?” Without waiting for an answer, he lowered his lips to hers.

  Now, at last, she could get what she wanted. And, the only thing she wanted was Keys.

  Thankful for her inebriated state of uninhibited courage, Mia stood on her tippy toes to deepen the kiss with Keys.

  She opened her mouth to yield to him, letting their tongues wrestle. Their hungry lips devoured one another. The taste of him—tequila and heat—added fuel to the fire burning inside.

  Could a kiss really feel this good? With Keys, everything was lightnin
g and thunder… volcanoes and hurricanes, blasting past her resistance.

  Keys broke the kiss first. “Let’s take this somewhere private, so we don’t get interrupted,” he said, his eyelids heavy with lust.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  He seized her hand, and they jogged toward the lobby, stumbling and laughing, away from all the judging eyes of their friends.

  Inside the elevator, Keys backed her against the wall. He nibbled her lips. His mouth trailed kisses along her tender skin, sending shivers through her like he’d set a match to gasoline.

  The elevator dinged, and she pushed him backward, out of the lift and into the hall. Her hands fumbled with his shirt, dragging it over his head. Then, her exploration of skin and muscle, heat, and desire continued. She took greedy gulps of air, savoring the masculine smell of Keys. She raked his back with her fingernails.

  He welcomed every touch, every taste. His warm hand slid inside the long slit of Mia’s skirt, finding the wetness between her legs.

  She let out a moan.

  Caressing and touching, they staggered toward their room.

  Keys managed to find his keycard, sliding it in and unlocking the door.

  They lurched inside the room, peeling clothes away as they maneuvered their way toward the huge bed.

  Once they stood at the edge of the mattress—Keys in his boxers and Mia in her lacy underwear—she placed her hands on his solid chest and pushed.

  He fell back on the bed like a snow angel, limbs spread wide, laughing. “I knew there was a tiger in there somewhere.” He wriggled up to the head of the bed, propping pillows under his torso. “Come and get me, tigress.” The look on his face was pure primal lust.

  She let out a growl and flexed her fingers like claws. A fleeting thought, like a cloud in the wind, fluttered through her brain. When was the last time you had sex with anyone besides your vibrator? She couldn’t remember, didn’t care. Dating anyone since Darion hadn’t been high on her priority list.

  “I’ll be like your virgin,” she said, crawling on the bed and settling between Keys’ legs.

  “I like the sound of that,” Keys said.

  “It’s been a while,” she confessed.

  “Not a problem. This all seems new to me, too.” He grinned.

  “You’re just saying that,” she said.

  “Not kidding. Everything about being with you is new and fresh. How about we both be virgins?”

  She scoffed. “You’ve got too much experience for me to fall for that.”

  “No, no, let’s pretend. I can be the guy who has read a lot of porn and watched a lot of videos, but I never actually did it before.” He chuckled.

  “What, you bought a sex library and spent the last couple of years studying every book on the shelf?” She stroked his powerful legs with her palms.

  “Absolutely. I had to be thorough for when the right woman came along.” He placed his hands on her thighs.

  “The right woman?” Even though her brain was muzzy with the haze of drink, those words sounded lovely.

  “Isn’t that what the songs say?” In his beautiful, throaty voice, he sang, “When the right one…when the right one comes along, oh, oh, oh, oh.”

  Her heart burst from her chest like a unicorn set free to prove its existence. For years, she’d been convinced she’d never feel this way…that opening to someone meant inviting pain and abuse into her life again.

  “You’re funny,” she said, smiling back at him. Her gaze flitted to his groin, landing on one fine erection. “Let me see…” She slid her fingers under his waistband. “Let me see what you’re packing.”

  “All for you, sweetheart. Virgin territory, here.” He folded one arm behind his head.

  The corners of her lips quirked. “You with your vast library of knowledge.”

  “There’s knowledge, and then there’s experience. With you, every experience, every touch feels brand new,” he said in such a throaty voice, she almost believed him.

  A flicker of insecurity wound its fingers around her throat. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe she wasn’t being compared to ten thousand others. Don’t go there. Don’t compare. Just take what he offers. This is for fun, right?

  Taking a deep breath, she tugged at his boxers, urging them down his hips, and oh, my, god. Could a guy’s penis be this amazing? Long and thick, lined with veins, it looked like something an artist might have sculpted.

  But, then, vulnerability clawed its way to the surface. For a second, she thought of closing down, not letting him see her this raw, this open…

  As if sensing her distress, he murmured, “Don’t go away, angel. Stay with me.” He studied her with a softness she’d never glimpsed in him.

  “You caught me,” she said, reeling herself back into the room. “I feel so open with you right now. It’s a little overwhelming.”

  “I get it. Me, too. Let’s be overwhelmed together.” His hot gaze sliced through her fears. “Do with me what you will. I’m yours for the taking.”

  “Oh, god.” Her head fell back, and she stared at the ceiling, searching for the courage to continue. Okay. Okay. Seize the moment, girl. For tonight, at least, let go and let him in. Taking a breath of courage, she raised her head and met his unflinching gaze. “I’m going to be the best lover you’ve ever had.”

  His eyelids lowered and pure, one hundred percent, undiluted lust stared back at her. “Of that, I have no doubt.”

  She urged his boxers from his legs and flung them across the room. Then, she lowered herself between his legs, taking his penis in her hands. “What do you like, Keys? Do you like this?” She let her tongue trail along his throbbing veins.

  “That works,” he said in a strangled voice.

  She nuzzled his tight balls with her nose, breathing in his musky smell. “What about this?”

  “Uh-huh,” he said.

  She raked her nails along his thighs and licked the crease of his legs.

  “Yeah,” he said. “That, too.” His hands landed on her head. He massaged her scalp with unhurried fingertips, inviting relaxation.

  Her tongue lapped along his length. She wrapped her hands around the base of him and took the soft head into her mouth.

  He let out a long, “Ohhh.”

  Waves crashed outside the window, lit by a half-moon. A warm breeze wafted inside the room from the balcony.

  Everything about this moment felt perfect like the universe had split open, revealing a crack through which she could crawl and experience something far greater than the cloistered fear she’d lived in for far too long.

  Embraced by the beautiful moment, she licked, and she sucked. She caressed, and she stroked.

  Keys moaned and bucked his hips. Finally, he said, “If you don’t climb on and ride me, I’m going to come. And I want my first orgasm with you to be deep inside.”

  Her core surged with heat and desire. “How can I resist that invitation? Where’s a condom?”

  “Suitcase. Side pocket.”

  She scanned the room, finding the suitcase open on the other side of the bed. Sprawling across the bedding, she felt for the side pocket.

  Keys’ feet found her backside. He moved them along her rump.

  She paused for a moment. “That library where you studied. Where did you learn to use your feet like that?” she said, savoring the warmth.

  “Using Feet as Pleasure Tools,” he said. “Chapter twelve.”

  “You’ve mastered that chapter,” she said, as he massaged her muscles.

  “I’m a good learner. I’ve never had the opportunity to practice,” he said.

  “Come on, Keys,” she scoffed.

  “I mean it. I get to try new things with you. Now get up here and climb on before I come all over the bed.”

  Her fingers found the pocket, and she unzipped. The side pocket was filled with condoms. She plucked a few free. Cherry flavored. Chocolate flavored. Un-lubed. Ribbed. Lubed. Sheesh. He’s got plans to be busy this week. She
decided on a “Ribbed for her,” one and scrambled back between his legs.

  “I missed you,” he said.

  “I missed you, too,” she said, chuckling. She tore open the packet and spread the latex over Keys’ length. Then, she crawled on top of him.

  His eyes glinted with desire, matching her own.

  He reached down to grab his erection, moving it up and down her folds.

  She gasped.

  “You like that?”

  “Yeah,” she breathed.

  Unhurriedly, he took his time as he stroked her, up and down, up and down.

  “Are you done torturing me yet? I need you inside me,” she cried impatiently.

  He let out a low, sexy chuckle. “Easy, princess. I like taking my time with you.” He fit his tip right at her opening and gripped her hips. “Slide down at your leisure.”

  She eased along his thick length, welcoming the sting of her resisting muscles.

  “Oh, yeah,” he said, adding a moan of exclamation. “Your sweet little pussy is so tight. Like a virgin.” He chuckled. “Ride me hard, sweetheart. Let go onto me.”

  Flooded with pleasure, she began to rock against him.

  He reached out and played with one nipple, and flattened the back of his other hand against his lower abdomen so he could flick her clit as she rocked.

  Her climax built like the waves outside the window, getting higher and higher. “Keys!” she cried as she milked the length of him with pleasure. “Oh, Keys.”

  A feral, lion-looking grin spread across his face. “Fuck, that’s hot.”

  When her orgasm subsided, he let go into her, squeezing his eyes shut and crying her name.

  After he’d finished, she collapsed on top of him. Her head swam with the alcohol—but her body felt on fire. And all those nice things he’d said to her—about how everything was new with her and feeling overwhelmed. She wanted to believe it but knew it was only the liquor and lust talking. Tomorrow they might forget this ever happened. He might rush off to his next conquest, having scored with her.

  Bit by bit, as Keys’ breathing slowed, she fastened the locks around her heart. Finally, fatigue got the best of her, and she drifted off to sleep. But not without tucking tonight’s experience into a secret vault so she could take it out and replay it. Because surely, an experience like this one would never happen again.