Page 17

Jade

R hys’s breath brushes my skin, a heady mix of mint and desire that leaves me dizzy. But we’re standing in the hotel lobby. Our lips part with a tender resistance, as if they’re reluctant to end the dance too soon.

“This is bordering on obscene,” he murmurs, his voice rough. “We should be more professional.”

Professional? The word doesn’t register properly, not when his arms are still wrapped around me. I tilt my head back, meeting his gaze with all the boldness I can muster. “Maybe we should be obscene up in my room,” I suggest, an invitation I never thought I’d extend.

He searches my eyes. “Are you sure?” His question is a gentle probe, seeking consent.

I nod. “I am.” My doubt is gone. This is what I want.

We break apart just enough to navigate through the lobby, and Rhys stops at the front desk. He releases my hand and puts on a nice smile for the front-desk clerk.

“Would it be possible to send a slice of your decadent chocolate cake to Aurora Belle’s room?”

The clerk nods, oblivious to the inferno she’s agreeing to fuel. “Happy to do that.”

“Thank you,” Rhys says, slipping her a twenty-dollar bill.

He turns to me with a sly smile, and heat trickles down my spine, setting every nerve ending ablaze. I tug him to the elevator, my fingertips tingling at the contact. The doors slide open with a soft ding, and we enter. I press the button for my floor, turning to face him as he steps in and another couple joins us. They stand in front of the keypad with keycard in hand, bickering because neither one remembers what floor they’re on. In the end, they ride with us up to our floor and push the button to return to the lobby as we exit.

Rhys’s hand, firm and warm, holds mine as we walk over to my suite.

“Jade.” His voice is a low growl that vibrates through my bones.

Before I can reply, his hands find my waist, pinning me against the wall. “Tonight is all about you. I’m going to make you forget everything that came before me,” he breathes.

Then his mouth crashes into mine, fierce and demanding. I gasp into the kiss, my body igniting. I cling to his shoulders, lost in the intensity of his touch. God, I hope he fucks like he kisses.

I break away long enough to fumble in my purse for my room key and swipe. “Inside,” I manage to whisper.

I cross the threshold, but before I can take another step, Rhys’s hand encircles my wrist, yanking me back against him. His lips descend once more, urgent and possessive. His other hand travels up my thigh, his touch scorching a path.

“Tell me, Jade,” he murmurs against my ear. “Are you wet for me?”

His fingers explore further, slipping past the thin barrier of my panties. A moan escapes my lips as he reaches the slick evidence of my arousal.

“Fuck, Jade.” He groans. His finger delves deeper, and I arch into his touch, craving more.

My breath catches as Rhys descends, his body sinking to the floor with a fluid grace. He lifts one of my legs over his shoulder, positioning himself between my thighs with a predatory focus that sends shivers down my spine. His mouth is on me then, hot and insistent, drawing a strangled gasp from my lips. He kisses the tattoo on my inner thigh. “I saw this the day you jumped into my car. It was so sexy. I knew even then that I wanted to know you better.”

I laugh. “My father said no tattoos, so I got that.”

“Always the rebel.” His tongue traces the tattoo, such a tease because I want that tongue somewhere else.

“Rhys,” I whimper, fingers tangling in his hair, urging him closer.

He doesn’t need encouragement. His tongue dances across my folds, lapping at me with a hunger that mirrors my own. The teasing flicks alternate with long, languorous strokes that promise endless pleasure. And when he adds his fingers to the mix, plunging into me with a hard and aggressive rhythm, I’m lost to the sensation, each thrust sending shockwaves through my core.

“God, just like that,” I pant, hips grinding against his face, wanting everything he’s willing to give.

It doesn’t take long before the pressure inside me crescendos to an explosion of ecstasy. My climax rolls through me, fierce and all-consuming, leaving me trembling and breathless, seeing stars.

In the aftermath, a knock at the door jolts us both. Rhys looks up at me, eyes dark and intense. “Go get naked for me. It’s time for dessert.”

Heat floods my cheeks as I return unsteadily to my feet. My body still buzzes from the orgasm, but the anticipation of what’s to come has me moving quickly.

In the bathroom, my reflection in the mirror is flushed, disheveled, and alive in a way I haven’t been in years. My heart races, not just from the pleasure but from the enormity of what tonight means.

Opening myself to someone like this… It’s terrifying. But with Rhys, it doesn’t feel like giving something up. It feels like finding something I didn’t realize I’d lost.

I let my clothes fall away, one piece at a time, until I stand naked and vulnerable. A shiver runs through me. My nipples are tight peaks, and between my thighs, the ache for another release pulses insistently.

With a deep, steadying breath, I step out of the bathroom and move back into the room where Rhys awaits. What decadence has he planned next?

His eyes roam over me, and he groans. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”

“Then why,” I manage to ask, “are you still dressed?”

He smirks and holds up a finger, motioning for patience. “Because I plan to eat this chocolate cake off your body.”

In two strides, he closes the distance between us. His fingers dip into the rich, dark frosting, and he swipes a generous dollop across my nipples. I whimper. His mouth follows, latching onto the first frosted peak. He suckles firmly, pulling and biting, then soothing with his tongue. Each lick sends spirals of pleasure through me, tugging at the coil of desire wound tight in my belly. My hands find his hair, urging him closer, silently begging for more of this exquisite torment.

He repeats this at my other nipple, a torturous pleasure, the cool icing followed by the warm, wet heat of his mouth. Then he moves down my body, kissing and nibbling his way over my stomach, sending sparks of desire through me.

“Rhys,” I moan, my hands in his hair as he continues his descent. My heart pounds in anticipation as he positions himself between my legs once more.

He spreads frosting over my thighs with deliberate care, his eyes dark with hunger. “Open for me,” he murmurs. When his mouth finds my skin, once again I’m spiraling, my body arching into his touch. He grips me tightly, guiding me into a rhythm that makes my heart thud. In the haze of my need, I cry out in pleasure. He continues to devour me, and his tongue is relentless, his teeth nipping and teasing me into wanting more.

He is ravenous, and I am his willing dessert. Our bodies move together like two halves of a whole, united in our carnal desires. A tremor of pleasure courses through me, an electric current that promises release. My hands clasp his back, nails digging into his skin in desperation as I seek to pull him closer still. And then it happens—a wave of pure ecstasy that washes over me like the tide crashing onto the shore. With a cry that echoes through the room, I climax around Rhys’s mouth, the sensation overwhelming me like never before.

As I come back to Earth, we lie intertwined on the bed. I struggle to regain my breath, and Rhys feeds me a few bites of cake. Eventually, I can feel the rush of endorphins receding, but the warm glow they leave behind is undeniable.

“That was…extraordinary,” Rhys finally whispers.

“I entirely agree,” I reply, running my fingers through his hair. I raise my head to look at him. “You have chocolate cake all over your clothes. I think you should take them off.”

He chuckles. “Only if you insist.”

“I definitely insist.”

Rhys stands and slides his wallet from his pocket. He takes out three condoms and places them on the bedside table. Thankfully, someone’s brain isn’t short circuiting right now. He watches me carefully as he removes his sweater and a glint catches my eye.

“Is that…?” I trail off, pointing at his chest.

“A nipple piercing?” he finishes, smirking. “It is.”

I tilt my head. “Does it hurt?”

“Only when it’s supposed to,” he teases, his grin widening.

I laugh, brushing a finger over the metal as he rejoins me on the bed. “And what’s it supposed to feel like now?”

His breath hitches, and the spark in his eyes tells me everything I need to know.

After a lingering kiss, he rises to remove his pants. Once free, his cock juts out from his body. He’s huge. He grasps himself with slow, deliberate strokes.

I kneel on the bed in front of him, scoop up a mess of frosting and cake and circle the piercing with it. His breath catches. I love the power I seem to have in this moment.

“Tell me if it becomes too much,” I whisper as my mouth encircles his nipple to lick away the chocolate.

Rhys’s head falls back, and he moans.

I reach for his cock to find it dripping with precum. As I work my way down his hard abs, I follow the V that seems to point me to his prize. I lick the tip and savor the salty treat.

“If you put your lips on me, I won’t be able to control myself,” he warns.

“Hmm…” I consider my options. Do I want him in my mouth or my pussy?

“Next time,” he promises.

With a nod, I lean over to the bedside table and grab one of the condoms. Ripping open the foil package, I roll it on him and lie back.

As Rhys lowers himself into position, I smile.

“Fuck, you feel good,” he breathes into my ear. “You’re so tight. Is this too much? Too fast?”

“No. More,” I assure him.

He pushes in, and we groan together.

He rocks in and out until he’s fully seated. Then he rests his head to my forehead. “I’m not going to last. I’ve waited too long for this.”

“We have all night,” I assure him.

With that, he pulls back and pushes in hard. The room fills with the sound of our bodies slapping together. When his breathing changes and I know he’s close, I reach for his pierced nipple and pull.

He screams my name as if it’s a dirty swear word, and somehow, I follow him over the cliff, again.

After a moment, he rolls off of me, his chest heaving. “That was incredible.” His arms cuddle me close. “Just like I knew it would be.”

Warmth bursts through me. I want to respond, to say something meaningful, but no words seem right. Instead, I snuggle in closer, and we drift off to sleep.

It feels like moments later when his ringtone blares, and I open one eye. It’s five thirty in the morning. “Who’s calling you at this hour?” I murmur as he searches for his phone.

He chuckles. “That’s my alarm. Time for my morning run.”

I groan. “No run today.”

He lies back, stretching himself out against me. “I think we can exercise another way.”

My arms encircle him. “I agree.” I close my eyes, content to let the world fade away again, but a voice in the back of my mind whispers a warning. Encounters like this don’t come without consequences, and perfect moments always seem to have strings attached.

Rhys’s arm drapes over my waist, his chest rising and falling in rhythm with mine.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” I murmur.

“Neither was I,” he replies. “But I’m not letting it go.”