I took my phone from my pocket and did the same.
Then my back was against the wall, and Malone’s lips were on mine.
He kissed along my cheek. “No cats. No neighbors. No exes. No cousins. No phone calls.”
I took in a ragged breath. We were going to do this. There was no way out this time.
And I didn’t want one.
“Wait.”
“Wait what?”
“Condoms?”
He looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Woman, I am a planner. I was running late to pick you up because I checked into this hotel roombeforeI drove over to get you. I dipped up here earlier to make sure everything was in place.”
I looked beyond him to see electric tealights flickering. Rose petals on the bed. “Oh.”
“Is that another good ‘oh,’ I hope?”
I bit my lip as I nodded, tears pricking my eyes. “No one’s ever gone to this much trouble for me.”
“More’s the pity, Stark,” he said as his hand caressed my cheek.
I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, a slower kiss this time. He backed toward the bed, leading me as he went. He spun me around and sat me on the edge of the bed, then crouched to take one of my shoes. “I considered drinking champagne from one of your shoes, but I think I’ll pass, if that’s okay with you. Might ruin the glitter.”
“And sparkly is fancy,” I said, as he unlaced my high-tops and placed them on the floor. He then stood and kicked off his shoes. They went flying in either direction, no heed paid to whether he stretched them out by removing them without unlacing them first.
I stood to help him with his tie as he shrugged out of his jacket. “I feel as though I’m unwrapping a present.”
“No, Stark, pretty sure you’re the present.”
My fingers trembled as I labored to undo the buttons on his vest, then his shirt, then his cuff links—all of which eventually ended up on the floor. “Well, you’re an obstacle course, Malone.”
“And for once, you aren’t,” he said, kissing my shoulder as he unzipped my dress.
“We’ll see about that.”
My dress pooled at my feet.
“Yep. Definitely looks better on the floor,” he said.
My eyes traveled to his tattoo. I traced it with my finger, then traced a line down his chest to his belt buckle, causing him to suck in a breath. He put a hand over mine. “I’m a big believer in ladies first.”
“Malone, I’m nearly naked already.”
“Nearly,” he said as he unclasped my bra. “But nearly is not good enough.”
My bra hit the floor, and his hands became my new support. I gasped.
“Perfect,” he said.
“Nobody’s perfect.”
“Hush and let me take my fill of you. I skipped dessert for a reason.”
I didn’t have time to question what he meant by that because he had my hair at the nape of my neck, gently tugging, his mouth on mine. I gave in to the moment, utterly adrift in the feel of him, the taste of him, the very essence of him.
