Page 65

My hand wraps around the door handle, and I twist and push.

As I take a step inside the small room, a palm splays against the small of my back and ushers me inside.

I gasp, swinging around like a madwoman, ready to brawl. But I don’t even get turned all the way before I’m hauled into a wide, strong body, and a mouth that I’m very familiar with comes crashing down onto mine.

Tate yanks me to him, carrying us both into the restroom and locking the door behind us.

My brain misfires. It’s unable to compute a thought. Instead, my body takes over and I melt into the man I’ve been thinking about all day.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my head spinning.

He smirks. “Checking out my competition.”

“You really do have stalker tendencies.”

He chuckles, pressing another long, leisurely kiss against my lips.

“Maybe,” he whispers, cupping my face with his hands. “But I had to know for sure.”

“You had to know what?”

His hands slide to the small of my back. “I had to know if I’m crazy to think that we belong together.”

My knees wobble, but I’m not in fear of falling. He’s holding onto me as if his life depends on it.

I grin at him. “Did you come up with any conclusions?”

“A few.”

“Like what?” I ask, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“You look miserable out there.”

I laugh, my chest bouncing against his. “Is it that obvious?”

“I think the fuckhead you’re having dinner with is the only one who’s oblivious to it.”

“Fuckhead?” I laugh. “You don’t even know him.”

He stares at me. “I’d want to fight him for being with my girl if he wasn’t so pathetic.”

Fire spreads through me, pooling in my core. The heat in his eyes does nothing to squash it, either.

“Your girl, huh?” I ask, grinning.

“When are you going to stop this and just admit it?”

I hesitate, giving myself a moment to change my mind. This is against the rules I set up for myself months ago. But am I even the same woman I was then?

Tate slides his hands beneath my dress and palms my ass cheeks.

I’m definitely not her.

“When am I going to admit it?” I ask, smiling smugly at him. “Right. About. Now.”

“It’s about fucking time.”

I lift onto my toes, and he meets me in the middle. His tongue sweeps past my lips like it owns them.

I moan, sagging into him, afraid of what’ll happen when he stops.

“God, I missed this,” he says, pressing kisses along my jaw and down into the crook of my neck.

“You have no idea.” I palm his cock through his pants. He flexes against my hand, emitting a growl that needles my libido. “Or, maybe you do.”

His hands travel around the curves of my hips, around my waist, and then slide back to the globes of my ass again. His touch erases all sense from my brain. He now controls my body. I’m officially his, and it’s pointless to say otherwise.

“This ass is unbelievable,” he says, kissing me again.

My nails dig into his back. “I was coming in here to call you.”

“Liar.”

“I mean it,” I say, bending my head to give him access to my neck. With every lick, kiss, and suck, a band inside me is stretched thinner.

“What were you going to say?”

“I was going to ask you to meet me.”

He balls my dress at my waist. “For what?”

He pulls back and looks me in the eye. The intensity makes me shiver.

“I was going to tell you I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“For what?”

“For not being honest.”

His eyes narrow. “Have you been lying to me?”

I push forward, grazing his groin with my body. His jaw pulses, but he doesn’t look away.

“Every time I’ve said I’m not already yours was a lie,” I say.

He lifts me off my feet and sets me on the counter in one fluid motion. His lips find mine. Gone are the kisses born from a need to get off. These are different. These are conversation.

My lip is pulled between his teeth, and the friction makes me moan. His hand slips between my thighs.

I spread my legs for him. The back of my head rests against the mirror behind me.

“Let’s see if you’re wet,” he whispers against my mouth.

“If you touch me, you better be ready to make me come.”

He laughs, nipping my lip again. “I’ve missed this little pussy.”

“Now’s a perfect time to get reacquainted.”

“Fuck, Aurora,” he hisses, sliding a finger through my soaked flesh.

I pull his face back to mine and grind myself against his hand. His knuckle bumps my swollen clit, and I moan into Tate’s mouth.

“This is all for me,” he says, inserting one finger deep inside me.

I close my eyes, absorbing the sweet fire shooting through me.

This is the woman I want to be—beautiful, safe, and respected, but on the verge of being ravaged at any moment.

“I’m going to make you come on my hand,” he whispers in my ear. “And you aren’t going to yell.”

I whimper as he adds a second, then a third finger.

“If you yell, I stop,” he warns.

“ Don’t stop .”

“Be good and give me all of your pleasure,” he says against the shell of my ear. “Show me that this is mine.”

“Is there any way it’s not? Fuck .” I hold his shoulders as I begin to shake. I’m desperate to finish. “I’m so close.”

“Don’t. Scream.”

He presses on my clit as he strokes the spot inside me that makes it impossible to hold on any longer. The onslaught is quick and fierce, akin to lava pouring through my veins.

“Ah!” I start to yell, but Tate clamps a hand over my mouth.

He stares into my eyes, wickedly amused, as I grind out my orgasm on his hand.

Tears dot the corners of my eyes from the intensity of the moment.

“Shh,” he whispers, pulling his hand away and replacing it with his mouth.

Slowly, he guides me back to the real world as the final waves of my climax ripple through me. Tate’s kisses turn gentle. His touches turn softer. There’s a tenderness to him that is more intoxicating than the passion from moments ago.

“There you go,” he says, slipping his fingers out of me. “How was that?”

I try to answer him, but the words are jumbled. I lean against the mirror with my eyes closed.

He chuckles and turns on the tap beside me. I hear the paper towel dispenser activating. Then the tap turns off.

“Spread your legs again for me, gorgeous.”

He tenderly runs the damp towels between my legs, cleaning up the mess he just made. There’s something so intimate, so sweet about the moment that I find it hard to breathe.

“Hop down for me,” he says, helping me to my feet.

“Now what?” I ask, wondering what happens at this point. Do we walk out together? Do I tell Curtis that I had an emergency? I have no idea. “This is unchartered territory for me.”

“What happens now?” He smiles sinfully. “Now you go back out there and think about how hard you just came while you have your burger with that dipshit.”

I gasp. “You expect me to go out there and finish dinner?”

“Hey, you’re the one who thought this was a great idea.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “It doesn’t bother you that I’m on a date with someone else.”

“Make no mistake—I hate it.” He lifts a brow. “But your body and I seem to have a good rapport. I don’t think I have anything to worry about.”

“You’re terrible.”

“Me? You’re the one who just got off in a public bathroom while on a date with someone else.”

“Don’t try to shame me!”

He laughs, pulling me into his chest once again. It’s my new favorite place to be. “Shame you? For what? Doing what you should’ve been doing all along?” He kisses me sweetly. “Let this dinner remind you that no one can take care of you like I can.”

I already know.

Tate yanks the door open and pats me on the ass. “Have fun at dinner.” Then he strolls out casually, leaving me alone.

That fucker.

I straighten my dress and fix my hair, taking in my reflection in the mirror. Rosy cheeks. Glassy eyes. Swollen lips. There’s no fixing this.

A few more people are in the dining area as I make my way back to Curtis.

“Sorry about that,” I say, taking my seat.

I glance down at the table, and his plate is empty.

“Was I gone that long?” I ask, my cheeks heating.

“Nah, I’m a fast eater. And Cathy needs me to come by and check her pipes.”

Cathy, you’re a lifesaver.

“Don’t let me keep you,” I say a little too happily. “Clogged pipes can be a disaster.”

“It’s always something with that woman.”

He looks away, but I can see the corner of his dimples shine in his cheeks.

“Curtis?” I ask.

“Yeah?”

“It might not be about the thermostat or the clogged pipes, you know.”

The semi-scowl on his face all evening begins to fade.

“Maybe listen to her a little bit,” I say gently. “She wouldn’t be calling you if she didn’t still love you.”

His eyes brighten almost immediately. “You think so?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

He scoots to the edge of the booth. “I’ve already paid the bill, so as soon as you’re done …”

I consider mentioning that he shouldn’t be a chauvinist pig, but decide I’ve fought enough battles for one day.

My phone lights up with a text from a number I don’t recognize. My heart skips a beat.

Unknown: By the way, you look beautiful tonight.

I laugh, certain my eyes are brighter now, too.

“Come to think of it, I’m not that hungry,” I say, reaching for my purse.

“Really?”

I nod. “Really.”

Curtis and I walk out side by side.Suddenly, in the strangest way, I’m grateful to him.

The world works in mysterious ways.