“You’re entirely bonkers.
But I’ll tell you a secret: All the best people are.”
―Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Alice
I wasn’t drunk.
Okay, I wasn’t that drunk.
Lulu had wanted to come with, but I told her no way, especially since Beck showed at the bar, looking for her. It was like the King of the Geeks coming to claim his Queen. They even got a round of applause.
That’s when I knew I was done drinking for the night. Because I got the happy-weepies, telling Lulu how much I loved her and how happy I was for them. Then I informed Beck I loved him too because he had the good sense to be crazy about my girl.
I may be charming when tipsy, but I’m a blubbering sap when drunk.
Beck whisked Lulu away, but had his driver drop me off before they left.
So now, I was in front of Dare’s building, totally thrilled to see him, but worried I was coming too soon, despite what he said. I pressed the studio buzzer, playing a ‘shave and a haircut’ beat. I waited for what felt like forever. I would’ve frozen to death, but I was all liquored up, so I felt nothing but a happy haze.
The door swung open.
It was Ingrid. Ah, craptastic.
“Bet you’re thrilled to see me,” I said, a little too loudly.
Her mouth twitched. “Well, someone’s loaded.”
“Loaded with charm and sass, thank you very much,” I said, doing a half curtsey, followed by a pretend, kung-fu punch. “But don’t mess with me. I’m from the South and we totally know how to throw down, down there.”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on in, Bruce Lee,” she said, holding the door open. I followed in, noticing most of the lights downstairs were off.
“You were shut down for the night, weren’t you?” I asked, looking around, twirling in a circle. “I’m sorry I made you come down.”
“I was up, anyway. Don’t worry about it,” she said, shuffling her feet. That’s when I noticed she was wearing footie pajamas.
“Those look ultra-comfy.”
“Yeah, they are, but listen. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
I craned my head, looking for the flap.
And there it was. “Oh wow, it really is like the ones I used to wear as a kid,” I said.
“Hard to believe you’re getting a PhD in anything,” Ingrid muttered, walking us to the elevator. “Can you please focus on what I’m trying to say to you?”
I met her eye. “What are you trying to say?”
She let out an exasperated breath. “That I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time the other day. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t about you.”
I stared at her for a few beats. “Appreciate the apology. That’s mighty gracious of you.”
The elevator dinged and opened. “After you, m’lady,” I said.
That earned me some New York stink eye.
She hit one button for, where I assumed, she lived, and the top floor for me.
“He’s already upstairs and knows you’re coming,” she said, legs out, weight leaning on the bar behind her.
Then it got quiet, which meant I had a moment to think.
“Whatever happened with Chloe must have been really messed up,” I said.
Her gaze locked with mine. “Yeah, it really was.”
I tried letting that sink in.
Sweet Jesus, what happened with that girl?
The elevator dinged again. We were at her floor.
“Night,” I said.
“Goodnight, Alice,” she said, stopping halfway out, her expression softening. “Make sure he tells you about her soon. And know, no matter what he says, it wasn’t his fault and he is a really good guy. The best, actually.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Ingrid.”
The doors closed and the elevator whisked me up.
And that’s when I started getting nervous, a million questions swirling through my Tennessee whisky-soaked brain.
Was this woman Chloe someone he still carried a torch for? Should I insist he tell me about her? How deep did I really want this thing between Dare and me to go? Sure, we’re together and exclusive, but maybe we just keep it light.
Please, you’re already falling hard and that man does not do casual.
And what about the whole reason why I got involved with him in the first place? This was supposed to be about my grad program. I had homework to do, damn it, and I couldn’t think of one sexual fantasy.
How was that possible? What was wrong with me?
There were women entering convents who have more exciting sexual histories than I did.
Romance novels may wax poetic about alpha heroes loving them virginal heroines, but in real life, most men don’t want to be saddled with a woman with such limited experience.
You could say my mind was spiraling. Just a bit.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened.
He was waiting for me, hair damp, only wearing a towel.
Sweet baby Jesus, is he my prize for being good?
His gorgeous face split with his smile, but I held my hand out, standing between the elevator doors.
“I’ve got something to say and I need to get it all out before you mush my brain with your hot-guy mojo,” I said, waving my hand up and down to illustrate my point.
He let that sink in for a total of two seconds before he busted out laughing, grabbing my hand and pulling me into his arms.
“Hey!”
He beamed down at me.
“How much did you have to drink?” he asked.
Dare’s arms were wrapped around me real tight, but I managed to wiggle my hand free to hold up three fingers.
“Well, that’s not much at all,” he said.
“I’m known in many parts of Carolina as a lightweight.”
That earned another ear-to-ear grin. “So, what did you want to tell me?”
I made a raspberry sound. “Well, now my brain’s full of cotton, ‘cuz I’m surrounded by all that mojo of yours I was talking about.”
His left brow quirked up. “You know, your Southern accent gets a lot stronger when you’ve had a few.”
“I do know. I know all ‘bout it.”
He bent down, the tip of his nose and his lips brushing along my neck.
“Damn it, Dare, you know that move makes me shiver.”
“All I know is I’ve been missing you. If you hadn’t shown up here, I would’ve been at your place,” he whispered as his lips, tongue, and teeth teased my ear. I felt a rush of wet between my legs and my nipples got hard.
I let out a whimper.
“Fuck, Dixie, you can’t make sounds like and expect me to hold off.”
He pressed his length between my legs, rocking into me as he grabbed my ass with both hands. My body was on fire.
I didn’t think. Both my legs wrapped around his waist just as his towel dropped and the elevator dinged, still open.
Remember, share your sexual fantasies with your partner.
Get out of your comfort zone.
“Fuck me in the elevator, Dare.”
“It’s not private,” he warned.
I pushed my cleft into him. “I don’t care.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He went right in, slamming us against the inside wall. The doors closed.
“Shit, I don’t have a condom,” he said, panting into my hair. “But I swear, I’m clean.”
“Me too,” I said. “I trust you.”
“Fuck, I need in there,” he said as his mouth crashed over mine. I shoved my hands in his hair, fisted it hard. And I knew he got off on it when he groaned down my throat. One of his hands left my ass long enough to push my panties to the side, take his cock and align it with my opening.
“I can’t go slow or gentle,” he said. “Tell me now.”
I could barely see straight, I wanted him so much.
“Fuck me, City. And do it like you mean it.”
“Fuck!” he screamed as his cock slammed home.
“OhMyGosh,” I cried out.
I have never felt so stretched and full.
He told no lies because Dare Grangeworth, buck naked in an elevator, rammed that gorgeous dick deep and hard inside, moving his hips in such a way that he was hitting all the right angles.
Then the doors shut and the car started going down. Neither of us slowed.
Instead, he pressed his weight into my body, so he could reach my cleft with his calloused fingers, making magic radiate all over.
The elevator car stopped but I was right at the edge of the cliff.
“I’m so close, baby,” I said. “I need just a lil’ bit of pressure.”
“You got it,” he groaned, giving my clit the perfect pinch and flicker.
And that did it. My back arched off the elevator wall as I came hard all over his length. A white, hot flash burned my eyes behind my lids as my body convulsed in pleasure.
“Shit, you’re so tight,” he moaned into my neck, seconds before his grunt turned into a roar, his orgasm making his body shudder all around me.
Another flash went off, but this time I opened my eyes.
The elevator was opened and there were two guys standing there, watching us.
One of them spoke. “Hey, aren’t you Dare Grangeworth?”
“What the fuck, man?” he yelled as he held onto me while hitting the button on the console. The doors shut and the car moved up.
I couldn’t help it. I started cracking up.
“Two strange guys got to see us fucking. How are you laughing about this?” he asked.
“Because on my way over here, I was freaking out that I didn’t have some hot fantasy to share and maybe I was in the wrong field.”
“Seriously?”
The look on his face was priceless and I bit my lip to try to stop laughing.
“Uh yeah, but I’m thinking I was thinking too much,” I added. “Note for your files, I do that—a lot.”
That made us both crack up.
His gaze found mine, going all soft and lazy on me. It was beautiful.
“I’m glad you’re all good, but every time you laugh, your pussy strangles my dick.”
So much for sappy.
“Oh, hush up,” I said as I gave a playful slap on his shoulder as he eased me down. “There are worse ways to suffer.”
We got back inside and cleaned up. I wore his robe, which was a cotton weave that molded like a second skin to my body. All he had on was pajama pants, hung low on his hips, giving me full view of his magnificent, muscled torso. A woman could spend days exploring the planes and ridges of a body like that and never get enough.
“Babe, if you keep looking at me like that, there’s going to be consequences,” he said as he laid back on the couch, legs open.
This sounds interesting. “What kind of consequences?”
He grinned. “The kind leading to you coming hard and me getting to watch.”
I felt those words right between my legs.
He patted his thigh. “Come here already.”
“But my hair’s still damp.”
He gave a look.
I pretended to be exasperated. “Okay, fine,” I said, crawling over and lying on him, my back to his front.
He started flipping through the movie channels. “What are you in the mood to watch?” he asked.
“Something light,” I said. “If you can stand it, maybe a rom-com?”
I looked up to find him with a huge smile on his face.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing, baby,” he said, giving me a squeeze. “As you wish.”
I let out a soft laugh. “A gorgeous, talented manly man who quotes Princess Bride and doesn’t mind watching sappy rom-coms with his woman? Who are you, Dare Grangeworth?”
“That’s simple. I’m yours,” he said, kissing the top of my head.
He stopped flipping through the channels. “This one’s a classic. Ever seen The Goodbye Girl?”
“I haven’t.”
“Well then, Dixie, you’re in for a treat.”