3. Tessa

I don't know what I'm doing.

Wait. No, I do know what I'm doing—I just can't figure out why I'm doing it.

Wait. That's not true, either.

I'm doing it because Ford is hot, like stupidly hot—possibly even the hottest man I've ever seen—and because there's something about him that I can't seem to say no to. Something I don't want to say no to. He's not the kind of guy I'd usually go home with, and maybe that's what is so damn hot about it.

"I'm, uh, I'll just be a minute. I'm going to let Piper know I'm leaving."

"You mean your friend who just slipped into the elevator with Steele?"

He bounces his eyes in that direction, and I look over my shoulder just in time to see the doors slide closed, but not before catching a glimpse of Piper's shimmery gold dress.

Hmm. Interesting.

"I'll text her then."

I pull my phone from my purse, only to find a text already waiting for me.

Piper: I'll be right back! Don't leave!

Me: About that…

Me: I'm fine. I promise. I just got a headache. Too many Cosmos, I think. Stay and have fun. I'll see you when you get home tonight.

Ford laughs, and I realize then that he's moved and is standing behind me, peeking over my shoulder at my screen.

"What?" I ask.

"Do you have anything to do tomorrow?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Good." He leans down, his breath tickling my ear as he says, "Because I have plans for you, Little Red."

I should be scared.

I should be worried.

Hell, I should tell this man he's insane. I should walk away.

But I don't do any of that.

Instead, I find myself saying… "What kind of plans?"

"The kind that lasts all night."

I swallow the lump that's formed in my throat. "Then, we had better get started."

With a grin, Ford places his hand on the small of my back, and his touch burns my skin through my dress as he leads me away from the party. A few people smile at us and say hello, but he doesn't stop. He's on a mission, and his impatience makes me that much more excited for what's in store.

We step through the double glass doors, and the loud thumping of the music quiets. It almost feels too quiet as Ford presses the button to call the elevator car. We're standing in front of the doors just waiting like this is an everyday thing, like we're not about to screw each other's brains out.

I dare a peek up at him. He's so…tall. Gigantic next to me, really. Even with my heels on, the top of my head doesn't reach his shoulders. I wonder if that means other parts of him are going to be big too…

The doors open, and we step onto the elevator. Ford stands beside me, his hand still resting on my lower back, branding me.

When the doors close again, I take my first real breath in what feels like hours.

"If you want to change your mind, you can," Ford tells me in that deep timbre of his. "No harm, no foul."

"I don't," I answer honestly, peering up at him. "I want this."

"Good."

It's the last thing he says before he smashes the emergency stop button on the elevator, then his mouth crashes to mine. My back hits a wall and he cups my face in his hands, holding me still while he devours my mouth with his. His tongue sweeps against mine, brushing it in small strokes.

I wonder if this is what I have to look forward to for the rest of the night—kisses that feel like he's imprinting on every fiber of my being.

It's magical. He's magical.

He lets out a low groan and it vibrates through me, right between my legs where my panties are already soaked through from his kisses alone.

"This…tonight…it's not going to be enough. I already know it," he mutters.

But that's all he says before he's kissing me again. His fingers dance along the hem of my dress, tugging at it, toying with the fabric and with me. His knuckles graze along the exposed skin and I want to cry because it feels so good, which is ridiculous. It's just a soft brush. I shouldn't be about to explode from that alone.

But Ford… This… I'm close to combusting already, and all he's done is kiss me.

"Please," I whisper against his lips.

He laughs darkly. "Oh, Little Red. You're going to have to do better than that."

"Please, Ford. Touch me."

"Touch what, Tessa? What do you want me to touch?"

"My…" I swallow. "My…"

"Your pussy?" he asks, cupping me between my legs. I hiss at the contact. "God, you're soaked. So fucking wet. That's all for me, isn't it?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Say it."

"My pussy… This is all for you, Ford."

"You're damn right it is." He growls against me then slips his fingers behind the silk material. I gasp when the pad of his finger brushes against my throbbing clit, and he laughs that same sinister laugh again. "Fucking hell. You're going to taste so sweet."

Suddenly, he's on his knees.

He's on his knees and he's pushing my dress up.

He's pushing my dress up and he's pressing his face against me, inhaling me.

"You smell fucking divine," he mutters before covering me with his mouth through my panties.

"Holy…" My eyes roll back in my head, and I swear I'm seeing stars as my legs begin to shake.

Am I…?

"I'm coming," I murmur, completely shocked.

He laughs against me, sending even more shockwaves through my body.

But he doesn't stop there. No. He pulls my panties down my legs, tucking them into the pocket of his dress pants before grabbing one of my legs, throwing it over his shoulder, and burying his face between my legs.

My fingers slide through his hair as he licks at me, running his tongue over me before sucking my clit into his mouth. Then, he does it all over again, tasting and devouring every inch of me.

It's heaven. Absolute heaven. There's nothing that could be better than this moment right here.

My orgasm builds as he eats at me, my legs shaking more and more by the second until it slams into me, knocking my breath from my lungs. I do my best not to cry out in relief when the waves wash over me.

When the shaking finally subsides, so does his assault. Ford sits back on his haunches, his own breath heavy as he looks up at me with dark eyes, his face glistening with the evidence of what just happened.

"That was…" I gulp. "Wow."

His lips twitch. "Good wow?"

I nod. "Very good wow."

He rises to his feet, tugging my dress down on his way up. He slides one hand over my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Good. There's more where that came from."

"More?" The single word comes out a squeak.

He chuckles. "A lot more if I have it my way."

He hits the button on the elevator, and it begins to move again. He doesn't stop touching me, not even when we stop on the tenth floor. I'm surprised when the doors open and there's nobody there.

Ford grabs my hand, guiding me out of the elevator.

"Where are we going?"

"My room."

"You have a room here?"

He nods. "The whole team does. If we're drinking, we're staying. Those are the rules."

"How convenient for you."

He lifts a brow. "And you, too."

He pulls us to a stop in front of a door then pulls his keycard from his pocket and lets us inside his room. The lights are off, but thanks to the expansive window overlooking the city, I can still see just fine.

I stop just inside the door, suddenly feeling nervous about this. I mean, the guy just had his mouth on my pussy. I shouldn't be nervous, but I am.

"Tessa…" Ford gathers my hair in his hand, pushing it to one side. He drops his lips to the exposed skin, pressing soft kisses against me. "We can stop whenever you want."

"I don't want to. I just…" I sigh when he kisses a spot that I love. He notices, then does it again.

"You just what?" he prompts.

"I don't know what to do next," I confess. "This isn't… I don't normally do this."

In fact, I've never done this. I usually don't sleep with a guy until we've been seeing one another for at least a month, but there's just something about Ford that I can't seem to resist.

"We can move at your pace."

I melt at his words. I shouldn't, really. It should be the standard, a guy being understanding and patient, but that's not always the case, so it's a welcome change.

"I want to move at your pace," I tell him honestly.

"Are you sure?" he asks, his lips still brushing against my skin, causing it to prickle under his touch. "Because I want you to be really sure, Tessa. I'm not… I'm not gentle."

Oh god. I had a feeling he'd say that, but hearing him confirm it? It sends a zing through me that I'm not expecting. I like the idea of him not being gentle. I really like it.

I nod. "I'm sure."

"Good."

It's all he says before he slides a hand up my back. It's a gentle touch, soft. And it's a stark contrast to what happens next.

He wraps my long hair around his fist, tugging my head back with a yank that's somewhere between discomfort and bliss.

His lips find my ear. "Do you see that chair over there?"

My eyes dart to the one across the room, bathed in moonlight.

"I see it."

"I'm going to strip this dress from your body, then I'm going to sit in that chair while you drop to your hands and knees and wait for further instruction. Understand?"

My eyes drift to the uncovered window. It's so big and so open there is no way someone in a building across the way won't be able to see me. I should be worried about that. I should care.

I'm not and I don't. Let them see. Let them watch.

I nod.

"Words, Tessa. I need words."

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Sir." The word falls out naturally like it's something I've been saying to him for years and he's not some guy I just met tonight. "Yes, sir."

"That's my girl," he mutters.

He releases my hair, and I hear him toe his shoes off. Then his hands are on me, working the zipper on my dress. The sound of the metal in the tracks is the only thing that can be heard in the room as he slides it all the way down. He gives the material a gentle tug until it pools at my feet.

There's a sharp inhale behind me.

"No bra?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Hmm" is all he says as he steps around me.

He stops in front of me, his eyes going straight to my exposed chest. He reaches a finger out, tracing my hard nipples.

Just when I think he might put his mouth on me, he spins on his heel and begins to pull his shirt free from his pants as he makes his way to the chair. He stops, faces me, then plucks each button free with careful precision before taking a seat.

I'm mildly disappointed until I get a good look at him. He's like a damn god sitting there with his legs spread and his hands resting on the armrests. Seeing him sit before me…it might just be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

His eyes rake over me, taking in every inch of my naked body. I've never had a man stare at me the way Ford is—like I'm some sort of prize he's been working toward and finally won.

I bend to remove my heels but stop the moment his deep voice floats through the room.

"Those stay on."

"On?"

He lifts his brow, daring me to question him again.

I don't.

"Yes, sir."

He likes my response. "On your knees, Tessa."

I swear my pussy gets wetter from his words alone.

On my knees for him? Yes, please!

Slowly, I drop.

He grins.

"Now crawl."

So, I do.

At first, I feel ridiculous. Crawling? For a man? Who am I?

But then I watch the way Ford looks at me. I see how his eyes light up, see how much he's loving this, how hard this is making his cock. Seeing him enjoying it makes me enjoy it. It makes me feel powerful and sexy.

When I get to his spread legs, I stop then sit up.

"Very good," he purrs, tucking a single finger under my chin and lifting it until I'm looking into his heated cobalt eyes. "Now, I want you to take my cock out."

"And what?"

Another arch of his brow. "You wait."

"Yes, sir."

With unsteady hands—the shakiness pure eagerness at this point—I reach for the expensive belt he's wearing and undo it. I unsnap his dress pants then tug down the zipper. He rises up just enough for me to pull the material down his thighs along with his boxer briefs.

His cock springs free, and my mouth waters at the sight. I was right—he's big here too. Maybe even too big, if there is such a thing. I have no idea how I'm going to fit him in my mouth.

"I'll fit."

I look up to find him watching me intently, his eyes dark and hungry.

"Do you want me to prove it?" I find myself nodding. "Bring your mouth here."

I scoot closer and lean forward.

"Tongue out," he instructs.

I listen.

He drops the weight of his cock onto my tongue. It's heavy and hard in all the right ways.

I love it, but more than that, I want more.

I need more.

"Show me how much of a good girl you are and suck my cock, Tessa."