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I turned to look up at him. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “Definitely.”
“Because she said all that stuff aboutgetting a rich man.” I hesitated. “You know that’s not why I hookedup with you, right?”
“Totally. You hooked up with me because Iheroically saved you from an alligator, and it naturally made youhorny.” He used his cane to gesture toward the door, and we startedwalking.
“The thing that made me horny was how hotyou are,” I corrected him in a whisper.
“What a coincidence. That’s what attractedme to you.” He gave me an exaggerated sniff. “You smell like theweed too. I guess you need to join me in that shower.”
“Seriously? You want to get frisky in yourmom’s house?” It seemed weird and rude, especially since I was aguest.
He checked his watch. “We have two hours.That gives us an hour to fuck and an hour to get ready.”
“I’m not hung up on the time management,” Iclarified. “It seems like bad manners to show up to someone’s houseand do that within hours of arriving. If at all.”
“Hey, who has more experience with theetiquette around here?” he teased, slipping an arm around my waistas we headed up the stairs.
“I have to concede that point. But I’m notconvinced that this is ‘etiquette’ and not an excuse to getlaid.”
At the top of the stairs, he caught me bysurprise, swinging me around to pin me against the wall. I wastrapped there, his knee between my legs, his body flush againstmine. My heart pounded; if anyone saw us, there would be no way topretend we were doing anything else.
Damnit. He knew how fucking hot that mademe.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he whisperedagainst my ear. “You’re thinking, ‘what if we get caught?’ Wecould. A staff member could walk by. Or my sister. Anyone. Theycould see you and know what a dirty girl my princess is.”
“This is unfair,” I whimpered.
“Is it?” His hand fell to my thigh, and hebunched my skirt in his fist. “Or is it convincing?”
He burrowed his face against my neck andleft sucking kisses there until I squeaked, “No hickeys!”
“You can beg me for mercy,” he reminded me.“No questions asked, and I’ll stop. We’ll have a completely chasteweekend, if you ask for it. I’ll even have them move your bags tothat guest room, if you don’t trust me.”
His hand inched higher, baring my thigh.
“Or I can take you back to my room, and wecan be filthy while we’re getting clean.” He nipped at my bottomlip again. “Choice is yours.”
I could have said “mercy.” Ishouldhave said “mercy.”
But what I said was, “Shut up and take me toyour room.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
(Matthew)
The en suite in my bedroom was nowhere nearas luxurious as the one in my apartment.
“The house was built in the thirties, andthe bathrooms have barely been updated since then,” I warnedCharlotte as she stripped off and neatly folded her clothes to goback in her suitcase. At home, she would have dropped them on thefloor and dealt with them later, but here she was so uptight andworried about making a good impression.
I needed to get her unwound and relaxed assoon as possible, or she would snap by the end of dinner.
“I’m not judging you on bathroom quality,”she said, hurrying past the French doors with her arms over herchest.
I clucked my tongue. “I knew it. You aren’tafter my money. You’re after my amazing dick.”
“Facts.” She went into the small, whitehexagonal-tiled bathroom that had been the height of luxury nearlya hundred years ago and let out a huge sigh of relief. “Finally.Something normal.”