“I’m not ready to go home,” she said.
We found ourselves at the hotel bar instead, ordering drinks, letting the night stretch longer than it should have. Somewhere between the third and fourth drink, the tone shifted. Maybe it was the late hour. Maybe it was just inevitable. Either way, I felt it.
I headed toward the elevator door, Shannon following behind me. The second the doors closed I could feel how close she was. Too close. I could feel the warmth of her body beside mine, the scent of her perfume, a mix of something floral and deep, lingering.
When she turned toward me, an intense look in her eyes, I didn’t hesitate. Our lips collided in a kiss that was anything but careful. It was sharp, urgent, pent-up tension finally breaking. She responded instantly, pressing into me. Her hands fisted my shirt as her mouth opened beneath mine.
I backed her against the elevator wall. My fingers dug into the curve of her waist as she arched into me. My body was already reacting, hard, straining against the fabric between us. I knew she felt it, knew she could tell just how much I wanted this.
She let out a soft, breathless sound against my lips, tilting her head and deepening the kiss. I groaned, gripping her hips tighter. My body pushed into hers.
“I’ve wanted this for so long,” she whispered.
Her voice was quiet, but the ache in it nearly shattered my resolve. My mouth traveled lower, tracing the edge of her jaw and the delicate skin just beneath her ear. She gasped. Her hands were pressing down my back. My hands moved around to her ass, pressing her closer and making sure she felt all of me.
I wanted more. Ineededmore.
The elevator dinged.
The sharp sound snapped through the sexual haze like a gunshot.
I exhaled hard, my forehead resting against hers for a beat, my breathing ragged.
Fuck.
My hands flexed at her waist, but I forced myself to step back.
Her lips were slightly swollen, and her eyes were dark with frustration. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling again.
“I can’t,” I said, my voice rough.
She swallowed, blinking once. Her expression flickered—something unreadable beneath the heat.
The doors slid open.
Without another word, I stepped out.
I didn’t look back.
CHAPTER 37
A NIGHT UNDER THE STARS
NATALIE
It was the night of the gala, a charity fundraiser for the school, the kind of event where people tossed around money under the guise of generosity. Paddles in the air for full-ride scholarships, vacations to Mexico, VIP parking spots, even a designer poodle puppy. A night to give… and be seen.
I hadn’t even decided if I was going until the last minute. Jason said he might make it, but when I checked with him earlier, he was still in New York. A few months ago that would’ve gutted me. I would’ve buried the disappointment and smiled through it. But now I was in a different place. Every selfish move Jason took gave me “unspoken” permission for every choice of mine with Will. Like I was allowed to stop pretending.
Will told me he hadn’t attended one of these galas in a couple of years. I was a little disappointed when he said he wasn’t coming now, either. All the same, I dressed up in a deep emerald gown, did my make-up, curled my hair.
A text from Camille lit up my cell phone screen.
Camille: The limo will collect you in 10. Be ready, ma chérie.
I gave the sitter a few last-minute instructions and headed out.
