Warmth fills my chest, and my mouth curls into a smile. “I haven’t had any of those in a really long time.”
“Then it’s good you found us.” He jumps to his feet and holds his hand out to me. “Now, let’s get you to Julien. I know you two have a lot to talk about.”
I take his hand, and he tugs me to my feet. There’s still a sort of buzzing feeling in my limbs, but the worst of the anxiety has receded. Side by side, we walk down the hallway to the door at the end, which opens as soon as we reach it, revealing a flustered-looking Julien.
Julien’s gaze goes from his brother to me, then he releases a long breath. “I’m sorry.”
My brows pull together. “For…?”
He shakes his head. “I never should have left you with Cameron and Meredith, Keir. I should have insisted that—”
“And then we’d likely have never made it back to the hotel,” interrupts Remy. He makes a shooing motion with his hands. “Everything’s under control at the moment. Get inside so you and your mate can spend some time together. It’ll make both of you feel loads better.”
Julien smiles at me, almost shyly, then reaches out to take my hand and pulls me into what looks like a two-bedroom suite. Remy follows, walking over to collapse on a couch in the middle of the central sitting area.
“Where did that bottle of champagne go?” asks Remy. “I think we’ve earned a little celebration.”
“You’re welcome to it.” Julien gestures to a small table by the door. His gaze moves to me, his eyes darkening and his voice dropping lower. “I’d rather spend time getting to know my mate.”
The heat starts in my cheeks—Julien’s undivided attention is a heady thing—and quickly spreads through the rest of my body. He tugs me closer, running his nose over my neck.
“We don’t have to do anything,” he says. “But I’d love to feel your skin on mine even if we only cuddle. Come to my room with me?”
I don’t even have to think about my answer. “Yes.”
Sixteen
Keir
Assoonasthedoor to the bedroom closes behind us, Julien walks me backward until my shoulders are pressed against the wall, then leans over and brushes his nose down my neck, inhaling deeply. Despite what he said about us not having to do anything, given his eagerness in the bathroom at the club—and mine too, I guess—I halfway expect to him to just rip my clothes off and claim me right here.
But that’s not what happens.
He simply holds me close, breathing me in as he runs his hands up and down my arms. I’m not sure what to do with that.
I’m no stranger to sex, but I’m entirely new to the whole ‘boyfriend experience,’ which is what this feels like. Even my first time was…definitely not this. I’ve had hookups before, rushed and furtive experiences that mostly left me feeling a little used. With anyone else, they would have pushed me to my knees by now or turned me around—willingly,of course, but still.
I don’t understandniceandsweet.
That’s not to say I’m not enjoying the hell out of it. Even though we’re doing little more than hugging, every brush of Julien’s hands against me sends tingles throughout my body that build into a steady heat of anticipation. His hands find my waist, his thumbs skimming over the bared skin above the waistband of my sweats. A whimper escapes my throat and I tilt my head to give him better access to my neck.
“So gorgeous,” he whispers against my skin. He nips gently at my ear, and I whimper again. “So responsive.”
One of his hands wraps around my back, moving underneath my shirt. His fingers tease at the edge of my sweats, one dipping past the elastic and brushing across the top of my ass. I arch into the touch, but he pauses and pulls away, one of his hands now holding something up between us.
The stack of money. His gaze goes from the cash to me, a quizzical look on his face. It says quite a lot that this man made me completely forget about the ten grand shoved in my pants.
I let out a nervous chuckle. “I kind of accidentally extorted my boss?”
“Kind of…?” Julien’s lips twist with amusement. “How do youaccidentallyextort someone?”
“The, um, mating frenzy, I think? I almost shifted in front of him. It freaked him out.”
Julien flips through the stack of bills. “So he gave you ten thousand dollars?”
I shrug. “I think he thought I was going to eat him or something. He grabbed a stack out of the safe and practically threw it at me. I didn’t exactly question him about his reasoning.”
Julien chuckles. He tosses the money onto the nightstand, then cups my face with his hands. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
