“Scarlett,” I gasp. “Hold on, baby, wait a second.”
She’s nodding, even as she tightens her arms around my neck and pulls herself closer. “Okay, yes, sorry. I’ve just wanted to do that for so long.”
I swallow a groan as my face falls to her neck.Fuck, what hearing that does to me.
“Have… Have you wanted to do it, too?”
My head snaps up at her small voice. “What? OfcourseI’ve wanted to kiss you. I just… I was following your rules.” Exhaling, I brush her hair back as I look into her eyes. “I just want to understand where your head is at. You caught me a little off guard, Red.”
She smiles at the familiar nickname, which makes my gaze drop once more to her not-red lips. It only now occurs to me that she may have planned this.
“Sorry,” she whispers. “But also, I’m not really.”
Laughing softly, I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, me neither,” I tell her softly, dropping my hands back to her waist.
But then the moment sobers, the air between us growing heavy with emotions and unspoken thoughts. She might not be able to tell me out loud what this means, but I can see it in her eyes. Canfeelit in her kiss.
We’re more than the escort/client we started as.
I don’t know howmuchmore, but for now, I’ll take whatever she’ll give me. So this time, when we kiss,I kiss her.With each brush of my lips and caress of my tongue, I tell her everything I’ve wanted to say since the night she walked into my life. The night she flipped everything upside down in the best way possible.
TWENTY-NINE
NICO
When I jerk awake on the giant hotel bed, the room is pitch black. It’s still the middle of the night.
I’m not surprised that I couldn’t stay asleep, even though I crashed as soon as we made it to the bed last night. After an MMA fight and a big meal, I didn’t have a chance in hell at staying awake. Even Scarlett’s company couldn’t keep my eyelids from drooping.
But now, a few hours later, I’m wide awake.
And very aware of the fact that I’m alone.
Goddamnit.I really thought she’d stay this time. With a heavy sigh, I push the covers off me and stand. I won’t be able to fall asleep for a while now so I might as well indulge in some more food.
But when I push the bedroom double doors open and step into the suite, I realize the balcony door is slightly cracked, the wind whipping the curtains inside.
And Scarlett’s on the balcony.
A relieved breath whooshes from my lungs as I quickly make my way over to her. She’s sitting on the lounge chair with herknees pulled up, wrapped in the hotel robe, a steaming cup of tea in her hands.
She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Maybe it’s the sight of her, maybe it’s the real and raw relief at finding that she stayed… Either way, I momentarily lose my breath. Especially when she smiles at me.
“You’re awake,” she says, surprised.
I step out onto the balcony and close the door most of the way behind me. “It’s the adrenaline. Sometimes I wake up a few hours after I crash.”
She makes anohsound and I want to taste it.Can I taste it? She kissed me earlier, does that mean I get to do that now?
Hesitant but too eager to stem the urge, I step toward her, gaze locked on her mouth. Then I start to bend down, still unsure of myself. But when she doesn’t pull back, and instead tilts her face up toward me, I press my lips against hers.
I want todevourher. Now that she’s given me permission, I want to kiss her every second of every day. The way she tastes, the way she slides her tongue across mine…it’s intoxicating.
But I’m also aware of the hot drink in her hands and so I stop myself from becoming too aggressive. Begrudgingly, I pull away and drop into the chair beside her. Wanting to stay close to her, however, I pull her feet into my lap.
“Why areyouawake?” I ask as I begin to massage her feet.
