“Than getting lost in your head and pushing me away again.”
Slowly, she rises and brings my pants up with her. My hand remains in her hair until she grabs that, too, and steadies it in front of her mouth. My stare grows hot when I learn why.
The glistening droplet of cum lingering on the corner of her mouth doesn’t stay there for long. Brielle takes my thumb and drags it across the pearl before surprising me and bringing it to my lips.
My brows jump as she confidently pushes it between them and onto my waiting tongue. The taste of myself doesn’t bother me as much as I would have thought when it’s her responsible for it.
I have the sudden realization that she’s going to push me so far out of my comfort zone I’ll never be able to find it again. I’ve always known that she doesn’t follow a specific set of rules and prefers to set her own, but right now, in this moment, that’s never been more intimidating.
Still, it doesn’t scare me.
With a stretch of my arm, I push the emergency stop button again. The elevator buzzes back to life before continuing its course.
“Well?” she murmurs, releasing me.
I slowly shake my head, already dropping it until she’s forced to tip hers back to remain eye contact. My returning restlessness disappears once again with our closeness.
“It was much better, Brielle. But you already knew that.”
“That doesn’t mean I didn’t want confirmation. You’ve walked away too many times for me to trust that you won’t again.”
“I’m tired of walking away,” I say.
Her breath skips. “You’ll stay for a while, then?”
“We’re going to my room. Where else would I go?”
“Anywhere else,” she whispers, almost sounding embarrassed.
I cup her cheek in my hand, holding it firmly so she can’t slip away. “Not tonight.”
“Okay.”
We remain like this for a few silent moments. Our lips brush, but don’t press together. We exchange breaths in a soft, nearly desperate manner, like if we stop for even a moment, we’ll both suffocate. She holds my bicep with a tight grip, keeping me anchored here.
There’s something almost scarily intimate about the position, yet I can’t force myself to cut the connection. So, I fall into it headfirst with a parachute on my back that I doubt will deploy before I hit the earth again.
We don’t flinch when the elevator dings and the doors slide open. There’s an unspoken agreement here. One that claims far more than one night together.
For now, neither of us mentions it.
I guide us out of the elevator and into the dimly lit hall leading to my hotel room with one unmovable hand on her back. My wallet is heavy in my pocket, reminding me that I need to grab my key card. She watches with bright green eyes as I slip it free and stop us in front of the deep brown door.
“I haven’t . . .” I scowl to myself, hesitating to unlock the door. “It’s been a while.”
“Me too.”
My head snaps to the side. “What?”
“Is that hard to believe or something?”
“Yes, Brielle. It is. Look at you.” I almost laugh at how obvious it should be to her.
“That doesn’t mean anything. There are thousands upon thousands of beautiful people in the world. I’m one who hasn’t had sex in months.”
I wet my lips, still not understanding but opting not to argue about something so minuscule. Instead, I bring the back of her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles while pressing the key card to the door. It unlocks with a click.
“I’m a lucky fucking man, then.”
