His lips had travelled down to my neck as he murmured something into the hollow there, his voice jagged, but I couldn’t hear him over the pounding in my ears. His lips returned to press against mine, teasing them open, his tongue plunging into my mouth just as his hand somehow found itsway under my top, under my bra, my whole body roaring with need as his thumb brushed my nipple.
I needed this. I needed him. We’d held back so long, but we weren’t holding back now – somehow my fingers had crept under his shirt, and I felt wiry hair that only made the need burn brighter in me. Patrick’s tongue had pleasure roaring through me and I whimpered in his arms, legs weak, willing to give him anything, anything he asked for –
‘And what time do you call this?’ came a far too familiar voice.
I froze. Patrick froze. Kissing me, which was rather delightful … but considering his hand was quite literally in my bra, my cheeks couldn’t help but burn as I pulled my hand from his shirt and turned to see … Laura.
My sister, standing in my hotel room doorway. With her arms crossed.
‘Laura,’ I said weakly as Patrick removed his hand and tried to smile. ‘I – I completely forgot. Pizza night.’
‘Pizza andTemptation Hotelnight, yeah.’ My twin grinned, her gaze ping-ponging between the two of us through her smudged glasses. ‘Now scram, Patrick, this is a “no boys allowed” kind of party.’
I looked at Patrick. ‘Sorry, I –’ Regret laced my voice. I was getting really sick and tired of being interrupted.
‘No, it’s fine. I’ll see you Wednesday.’
Patrick stepped back towards me quickly and brushed a slow, delectable kiss to my lips before turning to walk down the corridor. It was all I could do to hold on to the wall for support and try to ignore my sister’s hysterical laugh.
SEVENTEEN
Did I ever tell you that I’m destroying the world today? I was watered down so I fired up, the earth is gone and the air between us is all I can breathe …
–from ‘Elemental’, by These Exiles
‘PATRICK …’
God, I would do anything to keep Jessy moaning my name like that.
It was outrageous, really. Here we stood, in the middle of a pavement, kissing and being a general nuisance to those around us.
And I didn’t care.
‘We’re supposed to be – Derek said –’
‘Fuck Derek,’ I whispered, desire quickly setting everything in me alight.
God, if I didn’t let off steam soon –
‘Patrick!’ Jessy pulled back this time, cheeks pink, as some passer-by tutted at us. ‘We – we really should go. Otherwise we’re going to be late, right?’
‘Fine, fine. We’re not far, the venue is around here,’ I said, trying to pull myself together.
No woman had ever made me feel like this, made mecast all my cares to the wind and kiss like that. No one but Jessy.
But she was right. Derek and half the music industry were waiting for us.
We continued making our way down the street, though at a much slower pace than before. Every step that brought us closer to our latest outing would mean less time for just the two of us.
‘OK, so this is the main pre-awards show for the Songwriter Awards,’ I explained. ‘The actual ceremony is streamed live, that’s far more public, but this one – it’s more intimate, only for the nominated musical artists. And their extremely hot dates, of course.’ I winked. ‘It’s essentially another form of glorified networking.’
Jessy made a face that spoke, in no uncertain terms, to what she thought of that.
‘Networking? I get enough of that at GSR Financials,’ she said darkly.
‘I know, it sounds lame – but it’s mostly about being seen,’ I said as we halted at a pair of traffic lights. ‘See and be seen, you know?’
‘It sounds exhausting,’ Jessy said with a shiver. ‘Do we have to go?’ The hesitation in her voice was clear.
