She tried again.
Nope, still just a brick wall.
“Are you trying to push over the motel?” Eli asked, his voice rough. It had to be almost dawn. But then again, what the heck did she know?
“Maybe you should try?” she asked, leaning her shoulder blades onto the brick exterior of whatever this place was. It’d come with the marriage package Eli had purchased for her. They’d done the pretend wedding, proving to each other over green twist ties that neither of them had any issues with a wedding.
There had been enough lemon martinis to make the edges of the world fuzzy and wrap her in a cocoon of lemon-flavored bliss.Gah, when was the last time she’d been this lit? Had this much fun?
She glanced over her shoulder at Eli, Lothario sleeping in the pink bag slung over his shoulder.
Motel key in hand, Eli stalked past her to open the door. He let her pass.
They’d chosen the palm paradise suite.
“It’s amazing,” she whispered.
Palm leaves were painted on the walls, and there were hanging vines draped throughout the room. The door clicked behind Eli. He set Lothario’s bag on the floor.
And then he looked at her like he’d done at the tattoo parlor. Like he wanted to kiss her. And okay, maybe she was off her game, but a guy didn’t get that flicker in his eyes for just anyone.
She was going to do it. Kiss him. Make sure she still had it.
Step five, kiss Eli (and enjoy it).
Before he could say anything, she stood on her tiptoes and lightly pressed her lips to his. Testing. Seeing if that’s what he wanted.
He kissed her back.
Oh boy, did he kiss her back.
His tongue slid along the seam of her lips, his arms wrapped around her, and holy hell, her toes were actually curling. But this wasn’t that kind of kiss. Not for long, anyway. This was the kind of kiss she hadn’t had in years. The kind lit by pure desire and exploration. The kind that meant nothing and everything, because in that moment, it was both.
She melted into his embrace and let him do what he wanted to her. Tonight was all about nothing. And it was about everything. It was about Eli.
Mostly, though…it was about her.
He ran his hand down her back to the base of her spine. She pressed against him, his very defined erection pressing against her belly.
She smiled into his kiss.
Yeah, she still had it.
Had it at that very moment, as a matter of fact.
Eli massaged her ass, pulling her against him, encouraging her to take whatever she wanted.
She wanted it all.
Pulling his shirt from his waistband, she helped him get it over his head. Then she did the same to hers, only breaking the kiss long enough to pull the fabric across her face, before going right back to devouring him.
She unhooked her bra, and he tossed it over his shoulder.
They were skin to skin. Her chest pressed against his pecs. His mouth against hers. The insanity of her life melted at her feet, melted because of him.
It was him. Maybe it’d always been him. Maybe it should’ve always been him. But right now? The past didn’t count. It didn’t matter. The future didn’t matter, either. There was only now.
She pulled him backward with her, falling onto the bed with his body on top of hers. And the dance then started again—mouth to mouth, hands everywhere. He shoved her skirt up around her waist, and her panties were gone.
