“Hey,” the taxi driver snapped, banging on the ceiling with one hand as he swiveled his head. “Keep it in your pants while you’re in my cab.”
I draped a hand over my eyes, not knowing whether to crack up or die of embarrassment. After we’d fought a smoldering attraction for most of the night, once our lips touched, it was as if Silas and I had flipped a switch and it was impossible to keep our hands or mouths off each other. I’d written instant attraction a million times, but I’d never thought it existed in real life, at least not to this degree. If I’d passed Silas on the street, I’d absolutely notice him enough for my head to turn in his direction but would never pursue anything beyond a long second look.
I was a little afraid of combusting once we were behind a closed door, without the protective but thin shreds of common decency that made us not take things too far while we were in public.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d hooked up with someone, never mind made out in the back of a cab. Would I even remember how to have sex? I wrote it all the time, but real-life was much different.
While I couldn’t pinpoint when or with whom my last time was, I was certain it wasn’t like this because whoever he was wasn’t like Silas.
We hadn’t done anything but kiss and touch, but he was already unforgettable.
That was going to be a problem, but a problem for tomorrow Rachel. Tonight Rachel was living her best life and would enjoy this fairy-tale interlude for however long it lasted.
I laughed to myself as I gazed out the window. This was as close to a Cinderella story as I’d get. The beautiful prince and I would part ways and not look for each other after tomorrow, although this big city wasn’t big at all. I might run into him one day, but we wouldn’t be whatever we were right now.
A one-night limit sounded like the best thing for him and was definitely the right move for me, but it already sucked.
The cab jerked to a stop in front of the hotel. I spotted the table I’d been sitting at all day and had to laugh.
I wouldn’t be able to pass that table or take my sister for tacos without a lot of dirty memories racing through my brain. Memories I couldn’t wait to make tonight.
This day had taken a weird but wonderful turn, and it still wasn’t over.
But it would be. Until then, I needed to keep all thoughts of pending reality far from my mind.
I followed Silas inside, past the pink neon trails of lights illuminating the bar. The inside of the hotel skated the line between trendy and tacky, like a novelty place you’d want to go to for fun but couldn’t afford.
We stayed silent, not touching as we headed for the elevator and stepped on after the doors dinged open.
“After you,” he said, a wry grin curving his lips. It was hard to look at his mouth and not feel it on mine and wonder what it would be like to feel it everywhere.
I managed a nod and stepped inside. We were the only passengers as the doors slid closed. Before I knew it, Silas’s body was on mine, pinning me against the wall as he covered my mouth with his, this kiss deeper and more desperate than the ones before. I slid my hand under his sports coat and scraped my nails up his back, his muscles flexing under my touch.
He was hard everywhere and making my head spin enough to push away my trepidation. Not completely, but far enough that I didn’t want to run or chicken out anymore. When I’d told Silas I wanted this, I hadn’t felt even one ounce of hesitation as it slipped out of my mouth, like a confession about to burn my tongue.
The right thing, or at least the better and less complicated thing, to do would have been to appreciate the kiss and tell him goodnight.
But I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to so badly, the idea of the regret I’d have over just walking away was intolerable.
I’d end tonight with other regrets, but I’d get a hell of a story to go along with them. Maybe not for a book I’d publish, but one I could daydream about when daily life became hard. I’d flashback to the night it was all wonderful and easy because obligations didn’t apply.
“We’re here,” Silas murmured against my lips as the elevator dinged on his floor. I didn’t even look to see what button he’d pressed and hadn’t cared once he’d backed me against the wall, but it was high enough for me to have already pulled open two of the buttons on Silas’s shirt.
A lifetime sense of over-responsibility had probably led to this moment. Once I let loose, I was wild and mindless, and I had to admit it felt pretty damn good.
“That felt like a long ride to only the tenth floor,” I said, still chasing my breath as Silas took my hand and led me down the hall.
“Really?” he said, cracking a wide grin as he swiped the keycard over the lock. “To me, it seemed way too fast.” He pushed the door open and stood back, tipping his chin toward the room.
Now that I was here, nerves mixed with the excitement in my belly, causing the butterflies to ricochet back and forth enough to make me a little queasy.
I unzipped my jacket and draped it over the chair by the desk, setting my messenger bag on the seat. The glow from the streetlight on the sidewalk below peeked through the curtains, the rest of the room fading away as my focus zapped to the king-sized bed with the plush headboard along the wall.
With my jacket off, I became hyper-attuned to what I was wearing. I smoothed down my favorite long-sleeved black T-shirt that always drooped over one shoulder. It was comfortable and—I thought—cute, but as I gazed down my body, it dawned on me that Silas was about to see me naked.
I’d always been on the full side of curvy, even more so since my schedule and my sister’s active lifestyle didn’t allow for much gym time other than whatever I could do in front of my TV for an early-morning half hour.
I mostly liked the way I looked, but I was the only one who’d seen me with my clothes off for a long time. I hadn’t seen what was under Silas’s dress shirt and pants yet, but what I’d touched so far had appeared to be all hard muscle.
