The doors of the elevator swish close. We are alone. The wall of the elevator car is hard, unforgiving, when Brock pushes me against it. His eyes bore holes into me, staring into my soul. When he speaks, his voice is raspy with desire, “I didn’t sleep all night thinking about you.”

My jaw drops. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he mocks. Sinking his hands into my hair, he pulls my face to his, crushing our mouths together.

It’s so much better than it was before because it’s for us—just us. He thrusts his hips, grinding against me, the pressure from his hardening dick a reminder of what’s about to happen. I return the pressure and his groan sends shivers all through me.

He wants me. He wants this.

So do I. Oh, Lord—so do I. I can’t help but wrap a leg around his thigh, pulling him even closer as his kiss leaves me panting. The doors can’t open soon enough. When they do, he lifts me to waist-height and I wrap my legs around him, with his mouth still covering mine. We burst through the door to the suite and he doesn’t take me to the bedroom. Instead, he pushes me against the closed door, and holds me there with the weight of his body.

“God, you drive me crazy,” he groans, his hands now free to slide over my skin.

I lean my head against the door, moaning his name while his mouth skims my throat and his tongue darts out, hot and hungry. “Jesus, Dani,” he rasps, his fingers digging into my thigh before moving further up my leg.

My cries echo through the suite as he caresses the curve of my butt, teasing both of us. He’s right at the lacy hem of my damp panties, stroking the sensitive skin, and my fingers turn into claws as I clutch his shoulders.

“Oh, my God,” I moan as his mouth moves lower, lower. His tongue slides between my breasts and laps at my cleavage. I hold his head close, urging him on, whispering his name over and over, while he grunts like an animal and grinds his rock-hard bulge against my belly. His fingers dip down there, between my thighs, and he groans louder than ever when he feels how wet I am.

And now…he’s on his knees and sliding my panties down. My head rolls from side to side when he buries his face between my legs. God, I’m in heaven. Fireworks explode behind my eyelids as I writhe in ecstasy. His tongue sweeps up and down the length of my slit, lapping up my juices.

“You taste so sweet…” he moans before going deeper.

When the tip of his tongue touches my aching, throbbing bundle of nerves, my thighs clench, and to my complete shock, an explosive orgasm rocks me to my core. I don’t know whether he’s laughing at how easy it was to get me off, or grunting with need as he continues to probe with his greedy tongue. All I know is, I’m floating in a haze of pleasure and I don’t want to ever come back down to Earth.

He stands and sweeps me up in his arms. Carrying me to my room which is closer and places me on my bed. He peels off his shirt, revealing a body that looks like it was chiseled out of marble. Warm, tanned, glistening, tattooed marble. My hands ache to touch him. I need to feel his skin on mine. I sit up to unzip my dress and he works it over my head. Then his hands are gliding over my raised arms and down to my waist, and back up to where he unhooks my bra. “Your body…” he whispers as he takes my breasts in his hands. “Is unbelievable. I want to worship this body.”

I drape my arms over his bare shoulders, pull him down on top of me, and relish the sensation of his hard, masculine body pressing into mine while we kiss and grind against each other. I never thought it could be like this, so exciting, so breathless and so, so hot. The tension in my core tightens with every kiss, every touch, every taste of his skin or soft moan. My hand brushes against his straining dick.

“I need you. Fuck, how I need you,” he groans.

My fingers close around his length. So thick. I thought I was drunk and dreamed it last night, but no, it is extraordinarily thick. The cotton briefs he’s wearing are still between us, and he practically tears them off. “I need you too,” I whisper back.

I touch him while he searches his pants for a condom, taking him in with my eyes, hands and mouth when he comes into reach. He’s undone me, fully and completely, and I’m not thinking rationally anymore. I’m only feeling and acting on what my body has wanted ever since I first opened my eyes to find him watching me sleep.

The pressure at my entrance is enough to make me grit my teeth. He’s big, thicker than I’ve ever taken before, and I’m torn between anticipation and apprehension.

He kisses me softly, teasingly, and looks deep into my eyes as he pushes forward, watching my reaction as he slowly enters me inch by glorious inch, stretching me until I’m sure I can’t take more.

But I do. I want all of him, and my body adjusts quickly.

He begins thrusting then—deep, sure thrusts. Again and again, until my eyes close and my mouth falls open to allow cries of lust to fill the room. I’ve never been loud like this before, but I can’t be quiet. Not now. It’s like I’ve been playing in the minor leagues before now, and I finally understand what it’s all about.

True passion, true pleasure.

He falls onto his forearms, his weight heavy and welcome, and I wrap my legs around him to drive him further inside me. I want all of him, always. Forever. I know that isn’t possible, but I can’t help wishing this was for always. Gently, I lick away the sweat from his throat and listen as he whispers my name against my neck. It’s all so sweet, so perfect. We work together, moving as one, until we both lose control and dissolve into frenzied bucking, crying out each time our bodies slam together.

“Yes!” I scream, clenching around him as I explode.

He follows close behind.

We hold each other there for a minute as we come back down and our quivering bodies are all that’s left of our tremendous climaxes.

And the memories.

I’ll always have the memories. A single tear trickles down my cheek, and I brush it away before he raises his head from my shoulder.

“Are you all right?” he asks apprehensively, brushing hair away from my face.

“The earth moved for me.” I grin, trying to keep it lighthearted. “Or couldn’t you tell?”

He smiles, relieved, and rolls away even though I want nothing more than to hold him forever. All I can do is try to put myself together and wonder where we’re supposed to go from here.

Propping himself up on one elbow, he looks down at me tenderly. “You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to do that.”

I blush all over. “Really?”

“I wasn’t just playing at flirting with you, you know.”

“I thought we were—umm—pretending.” My heart feels as if it’s about to burst when he draws me into his arms. We’re on the cusp of something amazing. I can just feel it.

His phone buzzes, startling both of us.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake. It’s okay. They’re just texts.”

“No, look at them. They may be important,” I say softly.

He looks as if he is about to say something else, but then just sighs and reaches for his phone.

I have to extricate myself from his arms to allow him to do so. I sit up against the pillows. I watch as he reads his messages, his expression darkening.

He looks out the window for a moment, like he’s weighing his options.

My heart sinks. “What is it?”  

“It’s Mark. He needs a little sanity. Apparently, the bride has been a terror all day. She’s been screaming and cursing at the wedding party, and even threatened to back out of the entire event and go to the chapel in town. The wedding planner is in tears. He just made it out of the rehearsal.”

“Imagine that,” I say dryly.

“After the stunt she pulled last night, I don’t care if I never see her again.”

I shrug. “But it’s not her who wants some moral support, is it?”

“Mark’s a big boy. He can handle his own shit.”

“It’s okay. Go on. Be a good friend to him. We can catch up later.”

He stares at me with an inscrutable expression. “You sure?”

“Absolutely,” I say firmly.

“Do you know that you are incredible?”

“I do. But you are allowed to remind me occasionally.”

Grinning, he sprints out of bed and goes to his room. He returns after having put on a black t-shirt and jeans, looking more casual than I’ve ever seen him. It’s a good look. Then again, he could wear anything and look good.

“Buy him a drink for me, huh?” I grin, settling back against the pillows. I can handle him leaving me to help his best friend.

“What about you? Will you catch up on some sleep?” He sits on the edge of the bed, suddenly tender and intimate.

It feels like every dream I’ve ever had just came roaring to life. My insides feel all gooey. I make a mental note to pinch myself when he’s out of the room. Just in case. “I don’t think I have the time. I made an appointment at the salon. Gotta look my best tonight, right?”

His smile is sweet as he runs a strand of my hair through his fingers. “You look pretty damn good to me right now.”

“I’m glad you think so, but I doubt this ensemble would be considered acceptable for a fancy Vegas wedding.”

We both chuckle softly before he plants a passionate kiss on my waiting lips. My fingers claw into his hair.

He pulls back, his eyes dark. “Damn, but it is so hard to leave you.”

I smile at this. “Go on. I’ll see you this evening?”

He kisses me again, and stands up. “Okay. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

“Ha, ha,” I say.

He walks to the door and blows me a kiss.

I catch it. It feels so natural, normal. Like we could be an actual couple in another life, another world in which things like that actually happen to people like me.

Then again, maybe this is that world.

When Brock turns to throw me one last look before leaving—there’s something in his eyes that wasn’t there before. I sternly tell myself not to get carried away. It could be my imagination. Or a trick of the light.