“Yes, this is true. But I discovered by watching the shenanigans over here that it’s not as secretive as some may prefer. I’ve found a spot far more secluded for little private interludes.”
Mickey whirled to gaze up at him, seeing the amusement and seduction in his eyes. “Is that so?”
He nodded, pointing to the now open French doors leading out to the private gardens off the back of the ballroom. “I’ve noticed several clandestine meetings out there, people walking out separately and coming back in together. And I went out to find out where they were secretly meeting.”
“And what did you find?” she asked, intrigued.
“Come with me. I’ll show you.” He winked conspiratorially, and he took her by the elbow, gently, guiding her outside and down a barely lit path toward a small pond. There was a large statue beside it, two giggling companions slinking out from behind it as they approached.
Before she knew what was happening, Stephan whisked her behind the statue, pressing her back up to the cold marble. She gasped and stared up at him, waiting with bated breath. His eyes were black orbs in the darkness, and he told her, “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
Before she could question it, he dove in, kissing her with demand, his lips moving over hers and then his tongue pressing against her lips to part them. She opened to him, both stunned and ignited by a spark like some thin, dry bark. He tasted of whiskey and honey, of something very masculine, and she let her tongue dance with his, exploring as he did. He cupped the back of her neck, tilting her head back so he could deepen the kiss, and she sighed into his mouth as her whole body took in the passion he exuded.
He was tender and rough at the same time, gentle and kind but harsh and needy. She couldn’t get enough, wanting to climb his body and find her way inside him, to feel what he felt and hear what he thought. But she could do neither, too caught up in her own reveling at the intensity of her arousal.
It was over as quickly as it began, and disappointment flooded her. Still, as he touched her waist ever so slightly, taking her back toward the event, she sizzled and heated. That one small touch ran through her, and she could feel it everywhere. He smiled and winked at her as he guided her back to the kitchen and her food. “Thank you, Mickey. I needed that.”
And then he was gone, blending back into the crowd and mingling easily while she stood there, off kilter and wondering if that was just a one-time encounter or if it just might be the beginning of something much bigger.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss, but more importantly, the feel of his hands on her. His touch had been almost innocent, but it still sparked things in her that were far from innocent. She tried to watch him, but only caught a rare glimpse throughout the rest of the revelry. And when things wound down, she had to start the coordination of cleanup, losing track of Stephan entirely.
She didn’t know why it was important. In two days’ time, she would be on a flight back to Colorado, back to the daily grind and working on her next event while getting this one ready to launch in her portfolio. Stephan would be here, or at one of his other hotels, doing his thing. She’d gotten the best she could hope for, an incredibly hot kiss and the attention of a man that made her blood boil. He had his own life, his own business, and she had hers just as well. Especially after this wedding, she was going to be too busy to worry about a man in her life, even one as seductive and scintillating as Stephan.
Maybe in another life, she thought as she helped direct the traffic of empty plates, trash, and linens that needed to be cleaned. But for now, she had to hold onto the very physical memory of the time she’d spent with Stephan and put it up to a beautiful experience to look back on in the future.
Chapter 8
Stephan now stood watching out the balcony window with a frown on his face.
“What’s got you so solemn?” Thomas’s voice rang in his ears and he spun around to look at him with a somber sigh.
“I don’t really want to talk about it, if you don’t mind,” he snipped.
“Heh, I do mind. And your drinking seems to be getting a little out of hand. It’s that woman, isn’t it? You’ve been pining over her ever since the night you took her out to dinner. Why don’t you go talk to her again?” his uncle asked. Stephan rolled his eyes – this was not a conversation he wanted to have with his uncle, at all.
“She’s going to be leaving soon enough. I might not even ever see her again,” he said as his eyes fixed on the horizon.
“Nonsense. That’s a poor excuse and you know it. Go talk to her. And you’re rich as ever, even when she does leave, if you really want to pursue this girl you can do so across the globe,” he scoffed.
Stephan sighed. “You really think she’ll like me? And even if she does, what happens when she finds out I’m a dragon shifter, and had a mate?” Stephan asked.
“You are forgetting something: your own mother was a human.Remember?” Thomas pressed.
“Yes, I do. But…”
“No if and buts, just go and talk to her. You cannot decide that she will reject you without even asking her. Make the connection stick, Stephan. It’s not rocket science.”
“You’re not going to let up on this, are you?” Thomas shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest with a lift of a brow. “I know, that look says everything. Fine, I’ll go see about her,” he said, stepping past Thomas and straight out the door. Thomas was right, if he wanted the woman, he needed to show it and stop cowering like a scared little kid. Oddly enough, the thought of her refusing him made him feel exactly like that, but he couldn’t let fear keep him from trying. It just wasn’t in his blood.
He couldn’t sleep. He’d spent the last two days thinking about that kiss. Something had sparked in him, something he hadn’t felt in ages. In a way it terrified him, but the more he thought about Mickey, the more he realized what he had to do.
He glanced at the clock. It was early, barely dawn, but she had a flight back today and would be leaving for the airport with her crew in less than an hour. And he desperately needed to see her before that, before she embarked on her journey home with David sitting next to her and treating her like his princess. He’d nearly ruined his chance here, he thought. He should never have walked away from her after that kiss. Or he should have at least acknowledged her over the last two days.
Should I tell her about my reality? No, it would be too early to reveal those secrets. I could wait until I get a little closer, as Mickey could be taking everything casually.
He’d had to do something to cope with his feelings. And being around her clouded his judgment. Now, though, he couldn’t focus on anything else, and he hurried out of his suite and through the hotel, bound for Mickey’s room like a man on a mission that no one could stop. He didn’t even care if Liam tried to stop him to discuss business matters. He’d shove the man aside and tell him to wait. He only had so much time.
He rapped on Mickey’s door rapidly, insistently, and she opened in moments, staring up at him with wide eyes. She looked like quite the snack in her red tank top and tight jeans, and it made his blood boil, his body reacting in ways he would rather she not notice. “Stephan.”
