48. Lorelei

48

LORELEI

" Y our dessert will be served outside," our server says, making me frown.

"Outside?" I ask the second he's walked away.

"Grab your wine, Temptress," Kian instructs before pushing his chair back and picking up his own glass. "You're going to love this."

Intrigued, I push to my feet and tuck my purse under my hand. In seconds, he's beside me, his hand at home resting against the small of my back.

Cool evening air rushes over my exposed skin, and I shiver the second we emerge from our private pod.

Feeling it, Kian moves his hand and wraps his arm around me. It's nice. Comforting. Way too comforting.

He leads me through the other diners' pods where they're enjoying their meals and to the very opposite end of the rooftop.

I'm still confused as he opens a wooden gate and the reality of where we're eating dessert is revealed.

"Wow," I breathe as we step into the private outside eating area.

There is a table for two, but it's clear that that isn't where we're sitting. Instead, there is a cozy swing seat with our names on it.

"Come on," Kian says, leading me through the soft fairy lights toward our destination.

After placing our glasses on the side tables, we take a seat.

"This is incredible," I confess, staring up at the stars again. I swear they're even clearer without the pod between us.

"We could have eaten out here, but I was worried you'd get cold."

I smile up at him, completely speechless.

"What?" he asks, his eyes bouncing between mine.

"You're really quite romantic for a man who's never seriously dated."

"I don't do things by halves, Lorelei."

"No," I muse. "That is something I've learned about you."

"See, not everything about me is bad."

"I never said that it was," I confess. "And I must admit, there is more to you than I first thought."

He raises a brow.

"What? It's the wine. It makes me more honest." I swat his shoulder playfully and reach for my glass for another sip.

"I like your honesty. It's refreshing."

"Aw, does having women tell you that you're amazing in every single way get boring, hotshot?"

"I'm not perfect, and I don't appreciate anyone who tries to tell me that I am. I have just as many flaws as everyone else on this planet. Some—you—may even say that I have more."

I consider his point. "Jury's still out."

"Good to know." He laughs. "Anyway, I like that you see me differently to others. You don't care about this," he says, gesturing to himself and then our surroundings. "You see me for who I am, not what I've been made into."

"I dunno," I muse. "I'm pretty sure I see both."

"Do you have a preference?"

"Maybe," I say, watching as our server begins wheeling something toward us.

I shouldn't be hungry after the first two courses we've had, but the second I see the strawberries, marshmallows and chocolate, my mouth begins watering.

"How is this for you, sir?" the server asks.

I didn't look at the dessert menu. Hell, I barely looked at any menu, but I already know that this isn't on it.

"Perfect, thank you."

The trolley he's pushing tucks perfectly up against the swing seat, allowing us to both eat from it without having to move. It's perfect.

"Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you. Just privacy from here on out, please."

My stomach twists at Kian's request.

We may have been secluded in our pod, but there were others right outside and able to see everything.

Here, we're totally alone. No one can see what we do…

My stomach twists with a potent mixture of excitement and fear.

We're so close to crossing the line. At this point, I'm pretty sure it's inevitable. But what's going to happen after?

I can't lose my job. We need the money too much.

I would never forgive myself if I fucked this up and in turn ruined Wilder and Hendrix's chance at college.

"Lorelei?" Kian asks, dragging me from my second freak-out of the night.

What is it about this man that turns me into this mess? I'm usually so strong and sure of everything. Yet when I'm with him…I question everything.

He holds a strawberry up that he's dipped into the chocolate sauce and edges it toward my mouth.

Wow, he really isn't messing around.

My mouth moves on instinct and my lips part, more than ready for what he's offering.

His eyes dilate as I bite down on the fruit, and they darken even further when I moan in delight as the sweetness coats my tongue.

"You're playing a very dangerous game here, Kian Callahan."

"Can't help it," he says before throwing the other half of the strawberry I just had into his mouth. "I'm an adrenaline junkie. I love that feeling of not knowing what's about to happen."

"I'm pretty sure you have a solid idea of what you want to happen," I point out as I reach for a marshmallow and dip it into some chocolate before licking it off.

Kian clears his throat. "Doesn't mean it will. It takes two to tango."

"So it does." Loading up a second marshmallow, I hold it out for him.

He takes the whole thing into his mouth, nipping my fingers in the process.

"You bit me," I complain.

"I can do so much worse, Temptress. All you have to do is ask." His words are dark and coated with pure lust. My thighs clench in the hope of putting a little pressure on my clit. I'm pretty sure if this continues too much longer, then I'm going to combust.

"Big promises, hot shot."

"You've Googled me. You know I can deliver."

"As if I believe any of those hussies who've sold their stories. For all I know, you paid them to blow smoke up your ass. You might be a shit lay with a tiny cock. Kian," I shriek when he grabs my wrist and places my hand right on his dick.

He's hard. So fucking hard. And he twitches under my touch.

My mouth waters, and my core aches.

Okay, so he doesn't have a tiny cock.

"How does that feel to you?" he asks, releasing his grip.

I could pull my hand away, but I don't. Instead, I move on instinct and gently stroke him.

A groan rumbles deep in his throat, and I'm hit with a rush of power.

I can undo this man with nothing more than a mere touch.

Suddenly, the table between us is pushed away, and when I look down, he's shoving it with his foot, removing the single obstacle between us.

"Kian?" I whisper, barely able to talk.

"You're driving me crazy, Temptress." He reaches out and cups my face, his thumb brushing across my bottom lip. "I can't stop thinking about that kiss." His eyes jump to my mouth before returning to my eyes. "All I can think about is what would have happened if we didn't stop."

His cock jerks beneath my hand again, reminding me that I'm still touching him.

I pull my hand back, but not all the way. Instead, it rests on his muscular thigh as I wait to see what's going to happen next.

"You think about it too, don't you?"

"Kian."

"I know you do. I know you feel this, too. Try to lie as much as you want—I don't believe it. This," he says, his thumb brushing my lips again, "is too potent for you not to feel it."

He's barely finished talking when he throws caution to the wind and leans in, replacing his thumb with his own lips.

"Oh my god," I whimper as he kisses me softly, waiting for my permission before diving in further.

Fuck, his consideration alone is enough for me to jump off the cliff with both feet.

My hand moves again, firmly grasping him through his pants.

"Temptress," he groans before his tongue plunges into my mouth, searching for mine to join.

His fingers twitch against my throat, his grip tightening, possessive even before his other hand slides up my leg until it comes to a stop at my waist.

Shifting closer, he presses as much of our bodies together as possible as the kiss gets deeper.

His tongue licks into my mouth with such determination, it's like he wants to learn every single inch of me in one kiss alone.

With one of my hands still on his dick, the other sinks into his hair, my fingers gripping his locks tight and holding him in place—not that I really think he's going anywhere.

Our kiss goes on and on as he makes my entire world spin out of control with nothing more than his mouth and his touch.

More. I need more.

I've no idea how much time has passed when he finally pulls back. His erratic breaths rush over my face as I stare into his lust-blown eyes.

"We need to go," he rasps, his voice deeper than I've ever heard it.

I stroke him again, loving the way his jaw ticks and his Adam's apple bobs.

"Lorelei, if you don't stop—" He swallows again, cutting off his words.

"Then what, Boss?"

I gasp when his hand suddenly lands on mine, stopping my movement.

"I'm not going to come in my pants like a teenager."

An accomplished smile pulls at my lips.

"There's no need to look so smug about it," he mutters before nudging my nose with his and stealing another kiss. "I've got other ways I'd prefer this to end."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, and none of them involve either of us being clothed."

"You're bad," I whisper.

"You've no idea," he says before ripping himself away from me and jumping to his feet. "Finish your drink," he demands as he attempts to rearrange himself.

The sight of him trying to bust out of his pants makes my mouth water. I bet he looks fucking incredible without his designer clothes…

"I don't need any more," I confess, getting to my feet.

"Good. It would only waste time." No sooner has he finished talking than he reaches for my hand and practically drags me back through the restaurant.

I'm too impatient to get him alone again to notice if anyone is watching us leave. If they were watching, it's pretty obvious what's about to go down.

Him…I'm hoping he's about to go down.

The second the elevator doors open, I'm shoved inside backward, and I don't stop moving until I hit the wall. I just manage to suck in a hungry breath before his lips descend on mine again.

As the doors close, his hand slides down my thigh, hitching my leg up around his waist. Thank God for the split in my dress.

"Oh God," I whimper when his cock hits me just so.

"That's nothing," he counters. "Just wait."

"I can't," I breathe, sounding more like a desperate whore than I think I have in my entire life.

But I don't care.

I need him. I need him so fucking badly.

All the flirting and foreplay has brought us here. It's built me up until I'm just about ready to explode.

I need it. I need him to drag me over the edge and freefall with me.

I cry out when the elevator dings to announce that we're on our floor, and I complain even louder when he steps back and once again attempts to cover up his boner.

It's going to take more than a little shift to the side, though. His pants are hiding nothing.

With my hand gripped tightly in his, I'm once again dragged down the hallway until we're on the wrong side of our hotel room door.

Nothing moves fast enough. The door unlocks too slowly, and despite his rushing, he doesn't open it quickly enough either.

But then, all the waiting is over and my back collides with the wall beside the door just like it did earlier, only this time, when he presses the length of his body against mine, there is no hesitation, no questions, no nothing but our unfiltered need for each other.

His hands are everywhere and his kiss is wet and dirty, and I am here for all of it.

Grabbing the backs of my thighs, he lifts me from the floor, pinning me against the wall with his hips as he pushes my dress up in search of my ass.

"Oh God." He was right. He knows exactly what he's doing.