‘No. I don’t want to sit here and pretend this isn’t happening tonight. I want to leave right now. With you.’
He doesn’t answer, and he doesn’t move his gaze from mine. But he eventually takes my hand and leads me out of the narrow hallway. After tossing a few bills down on the table next to his barely touched drink and my half-empty glass, he leads me out into the crisp autumn evening.
We take twenty or thirty hurried steps then turn a corner, our mouths crashing together as Keir pushes me up against a brick wall. In the twilight, cars rush past the opening of the alleyway as we kiss with a ferocity that melts me to the bone. A Ferocity that makes Keir groan into my mouth.
‘I couldn’t wait.’ His growly tone seeps fire into my bloodstream, his lips finding my neck. ‘I want you so bad,’ he whispers ferverently, licking and kissing his way up my neck. I want him to bite—to mark me. I want to feel the weight of his need against my skin. ‘Why me?’
‘Because you fuck like a champ,’ I answer hoarsely, ignoring the smug lift of his lips against my skin.
‘So you’re using me for sex?’
‘Not right now, I’m not.’ I stifle a sigh as his teeth graze my earlobe. ‘And I guess you’re on the clock.’
‘Are you suggesting I’m in a hurry, or that I rush things?’
‘I’m down for a little hustle,’ I rasp as his large hand draws down my arm.
‘You make it sound so sordid.’
‘And you make it sound like it turns you on.’ My whole body reacts as one of his hands finds my hips, his thumb rubbing in small circles.
‘Dirty fucking is underrated,’ he answers, ‘but I wonder if you think you know me that well or if you recognise the same things in yourself?’
‘Why don’t you find out?’
‘That sounds like a dare.’ His mouth finds my neck again, his tongue licking the column of my neck.
‘You did say I was trouble.’
My heart beats with a thousand anticipations as his hands lift from my hips, his fingers clasping mine. My feet work on delay, along with the rest of my body and brain as he begins to lead me away.
‘Filthy alleyways aren’t the kind of sordid I enjoy. And you deserve better,’ he says, tugging on my reluctant hand. ‘Always remember that.’
Our footsteps echo against the sidewalk, the minutes that pass thick with anticipation. Then we come to a hotel; the kind with an expensive façade and a uniformed doorman out front. We make our way to the reception where Keir lets go of my hand to pull out his wallet.
‘Checking in, sir?’ asks the twenty-something receptionist. Her hair pulled into a chignon, her expression is a perfectly professional yet blank mask.
‘One night, no reservation,’ Keir answers succinctly, handing over a dark coloured credit card to secure the room as he wraps his arm around my waist.
The receptionist slides a form across the desk, his arms briefly leaving my body as he fills it in, leaving much of the information blank.No car registration needed. A company name for an address.Transaction complete, the tips of her ears turn red as he tells her we don’t need help with our luggage... as we don’t have any.
‘That was a little unnecessary,’ I whisper as we reach the elevator.
‘What?’
‘Telling her we have no luggage.’
‘What would you have had me say?’ He smirks, chin tipped as he watches the old-fashioned numbers above the doors light up as the elevator passes each floor.
‘I don’t know. Maybe our bags haven’t arrived from our flight.’
‘And your shoulder is red from what?’ His amused gaze slides to my shoulder. ‘The strap of your handbag?’
The elevatordingsas it opens, my grip tightening on the clutch purse pressed between my arm and body as my free hand drifts to my shoulder.Did he bite me there?As we step inside the mirrored elevator, I see exactly what he means.
‘Hickeys? Are you kidding me?’ Three sucking marks adorn my right shoulder.
‘It was the only flesh available to me.’ His eyes flick my way, lingering on my shoulder before moving down. ‘Don’t worry. The next lot aren’t going to be so visible.’
