He falls against me, dropping his mouth near my ear as he places the unwrapped condom in my hand. “I need your help,” he whispers softly, and my heart slams erratically against my ribs with the anticipation of helping him.
My gaze meets his, and I force a smile because I’m having a hard time hiding my insecurities. Rolling on a condom is not my area of expertise, but I’m not going to let him know that. I shift my weight until I’m in a sitting position where I’m up close and personal with his hard length. I pull in a nervous breath as I place the condom on the head of his very swollen cock. He groans softly, placing his hands over mine, and we slowly roll the sides down together, covering his entire shaft. I would’ve never imagined doing something as simple as sheathing an erection with latex could be so hot, but it is . . . so damn hot. A shudder rushes down my spine as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him in for a hard kiss. He cups my face and swipes his tongue over my greedy lips a couple times before pulling away.
“Fuck, baby, I need you on top of me . . . now,” he demands as he breaks the kiss for a couple of seconds before finding my lips again.
He maneuvers our bodies until he’s sitting on the mattress and I’m straddling him. The hardness of his erection presses against my clit, and my entire body quivers. When his head nudges at my opening, I shift my weight until he’s pushing inside me. It takes a few seconds for me to stretch, adjusting to his full girth, but once I’m there I rock my hips slowly, taking him in deep.
“Fuck, baby. Ride. My. Dick.” His words not only turn me on, they also give me what I need to be uninhibited and fearless during sex, something I’ve never been before. I press my hands against his chest, drop my head back, and fuck him hard and wild. The first glide up and down his cock sends a tingle all the way to my core. His mouth is everywhere, kissing my chest, licking my neck, and biting my nipples.
I’m gonna come; there’s no way I can fight it. I push down on him hard, chasing the friction, and this moment feels right . . . perfectly right. I let go of everything and ride out my orgasm. My mouth drops open in a silent cry before the walls of my pussy clench and spasm around him.
He grabs my hips with his strong hands and holds me firmly against him as he thrusts deeper than I thought possible. “Harder! Fuck me harder!” he says, each word louder than the one before. I grab his shoulders and bring my head back to center. Fire rages in his blue eyes as I ride him with an endurance I didn’t know I had. He grunts and groans loudly before his cock swells and jerks inside me. His lips crash into mine and he kisses me openmouthed, wet, and deep. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him in tight. I don’t want this to end. I don’t want tonight to end.
He holds my body close to his even as he breaks away from the kiss. I blink a couple of times before focusing on his face. His smirk is back, and he’s more dangerously beautiful than any guy I’ve ever met. He slides out of me as he lifts my body away from his. I don’t like the way I feel: lonely, sad, weird. I force a smile and back away quickly so he doesn’t get the wrong idea about me. The last thing I want is for him to think I’m a stage-five clinger and secretly plotting how I’m gonna accidentally bump into him next week and the next until eventually I latch onto him, hoping to never let him go.
“Come on, mean girl, I’ll escort you to the bathroom.” He laughs softly and I hurry off the bed, pull on his T-shirt, and follow him down the hall.
After another long hot make-out session in the bathroom, we’re back in his bed, me on one side and him on the other. I refuse to snuggle up next to him because being that close for the rest of the night will only make it more difficult for me to want to leave willingly in the morning.
Yes, I think I’m that girl, the one who has her shit together on the outside but is quietly falling apart on the inside after only one night of amazing sex. I feel ridiculous for letting my feelings creep out from where they’ve been nicely tucked away after just one night with this guy.
When I agreed to this hookup tonight, I wanted to forget my problems, not add another one to the list. Whether I want to admit it or not, I like this cocky, sexy, breathtaking man. But liking him sucks, because even after what we just shared, I still don’t know his name and will probably never see him again.
I roll over being extra careful not to wake him. Watching him sleep is something I could do all night. He’s lying on his back, his lips slightly parted and his eyes closed. Dammit, he’s gorgeous and sexy even while sleeping.
I need to leave. I don’t want to be here in the morning to say goodbye. I’ll just suck it up and do my walk of shame now. I survey the room for an alarm clock, but there’s not one so I have no idea what time it is. I gently push the cover back and slip out of bed. The French doors are still open and give me enough light to find my undies. I inhale the masculine scent from his T-shirt one last time before I pull it over my head and lay it across the foot of the bed then quickly put on my bra and panties. I close the doors leading to the balcony and secure the lock before heading toward the hallway, only to stop in front of the closet door.
I have a gut feeling that things are not the way they seem, so I let my curiosity get the best of me and quietly open the doors. I run my hand over the wall until my fingers snag the light switch, flipping it on. I glance over at Sleeping Beauty before stepping inside the large walk-in and surveying the empty space. The shelves are completely bare—not one article of clothing, no shoes, no linens, no boxes—nothing. A heavy feeling settles in my stomach. There is something so wrong with this picture. Nobody has a room with empty closets, right? Spare bedrooms with closets are always used as extra storage space—at least that’s what I use mine for.
I turn off the light, step out of the vast space, and shut the door softly before tiptoeing across the room toward the hallway. Before I make it out the door, my sexy one-night stand mumbles something inaudible. My breath catches in my chest as I slowly glance in his direction. Please be asleep. Please be asleep. He rolls over, facing away from me, and I release a silent sigh of relief.
I rush out of the room and into the hallway toward the stairs. Once I hit the bottom step, I snatch my dress from the floor, shimmy into it quickly, and tug on my boots. Then I scoop up my purse and phone from the couch, and my gaze immediately lands on the perfectly decorated kitchen. Without another thought, I ease into the expansive space, turn on the light, and begin opening cabinets. Empty. Empty. Empty. No food, no dishes. Nothing, just like the guest closet. My heart races as I turn toward the stainless-steel refrigerator. As I grab the handle, I slowly take in a deep breath and jerk the door open.
Oh my God. Not only is it empty, it’s new and not plugged in. I search my mind for answers, and the only one I can come up with is that he doesn’t live here. Nobody lives here. I was right earlier. I’m so stupid and pathetic. I’m the stupid pathetic girl who fell for every one of his lies. I tuck my purse under my arm, turn off the light, and head for the front door.
Nine
Gracie
Six months later
“I realize you think me managing an all-girl band is a joke, but now is not the time for you to point out every single problem I’ve had with the Velvet Dolls over the past year,” I say as my gaze flits from Ella to Cash. I cross my arms over my chest and huff out a deep breath. “And just so we’re clear, I’m not giving up.” My focus is intent on Cash’s face. I’m on edge, irritable, and overwhelmed, and to add to my growing frustration, Cash is being a complete jerk.