Chapter 9

Carrie knocked on the hotel room door, then nervously toyed with her hair as she waited for one of the girls to answer. It was ridiculous to be nervous, but it felt naughty to be knocking on Seth’s hotel door, even if it was also her room and she’d simply forgotten her keycard.

The door swung open, revealing Seth in his Iron Man costume pants and plastic underwear-codpiece thing with a plain black T-shirt that molded to every ridge of muscle on his chest and abs.

Oh. Wow.

His mouth slid into an easy grin. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Pulse throbbing in her neck, she smiled back, then looked past him into the room. “I forgot my key.”

He stepped sideways to move out of her way, but she moved at the same time, and they ended up doing an awkward dance that ended up with her standing entirely too close to that enticing chest, looking up at him.

Carrie braced herself for the contact, then put a firm hand on his arm so she could move around him unencumbered, and stepped into the room. It wasn’t like anything would happen with Maddie and Emilia around.

With a chuckle, he stepped back and out of the way.

“Where are the girls? I thought I could take them to a panel and let you have a little time off.”

“I appreciate that, but they decided they wanted to check out the pool before we have to leave. You just missed them. I’d say it’s a good hour, at least, before they’re back.”

“Oh.”

Oh shit. They were…alone. In a hotel room. Sure, the bed wasn’t right in their faces, announcing its presence. But she could see into his room, where a wide bed with a thick white comforter and dozens of pillows beckoned.

It was beyond ridiculous to feel this insane pull just because they were in a hotel. They lived together, for God’s sake.

But he was in that tight shirt that she now could see was made of material with a slight sheen, which somehow made him look even more appealing. She wanted to run her hands over his chest and feel the soft fabric. She’d washed the shirt and folded it for him. But she wanted to know what it felt like against the hard muscles beneath.

She pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she imagined the scenario.

He made a sound that broke her out of her fantasy, one that could have been a groan, but was probably him clearing his throat.

Why had she come back to the hotel room?

Running a hand through his hair, which she hadn’t noticed until now was loose around his shoulders instead of pulled back in its customary ponytail, he said, “You’re welcome to wait until they’re back. But I understand if you want to get back over there. I’m happy to bring them over for the last few hours.”

A half dozen ways they could entertain themselves while they waited flashed through her mind. She didn’t mean to do the seduction move where she looked up at him through her heavily madeup eyelashes, and as soon as she realized she was doing just that, she lifted her chin and widened her eyes.

He was close enough that she could see his nostrils flare. And smell his warm, male scent.

“I probably shouldn’t wait here.” If she did, she was going to tunnel her fingers through all that hair and beg him to kiss her until she didn’t remember her own name, let alone why they shouldn’t get naked.

He nodded, but neither of them moved. Instead they remained just beyond the threshold, watching each other. She waited for him to make the first move as the air between them grew heavy and electric. Despite the heat flowing through her, goose bumps dotted Carrie’s arms.

“I meant to tell you, your panel yesterday was great.”

A different sort of warmth bloomed in her chest. “You went?”

“Of course I did.” He shrugged like he attended nerd-themed academic talks all the time. “I know next to nothing about education theory, but everything you said seems like common sense. Kids should get to read what they want when they’re young, to get them excited about reading. I’d probably be more of a reader if I’d had teachers like you, who encouraged me to read Superman comics or Stephen King books instead of whatever boring story was in our textbook.”

Words didn’t exist to describe how much his praise pleased her. Not just because she was hot for him, but because he was part of her target audience: parents who were open to an unconventional curriculum. If she could get him not only on her side but as an advocate, maybe she could test out her curriculum at Maddie’s school. A private school might be easier to start with than a public one.

“Thank you.” Her cheeks twitched from grinning so wide. “It probably sounds silly, but it means so much that you got it. That it makes sense. I felt like mostly I was preaching to the converted.”

“Consider me a new convert.” His voice came out soft and husky, doing warm, wonderful things low in her belly. His hand came up and he gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

The touch sent fire shooting through her. She needed to get her keycard and get out of there.

Except one look into his flame-blue eyes, and she needed his kiss more. Not pausing long enough to allow herself time to think, Carrie closed the short distance between them, slid both hands into his hair, and pulled his face to hers.

The first point of contact was mostly his facial hair grazing her skin. She tightened her hands and went on tiptoe to mash her lips to his. The skin-on-skin, lip-on-lip contact jolted through her, a lightning bolt that ignited a deeper need.

Seth’s arms came around her back, drawing her into his body, but his lips barely moved. He simply waited, letting her kiss him. So she lifted her gaze to his and saw his question reflected back.

After nipping at his lower lip, which earned a groan from deep in his throat, she pulled back just enough to see his face without going cross-eyed. “Can you, maybe, just for a minute, kiss the hell out of me?”

Something unreadable flickered across his face, then one side of his mouth curled into a lazy smile. “Who am I to turn down an evil scientist such as yourself? I’d hate to find myself poisoned.”

The joke startled a laugh out of Carrie, but he cut it off by sealing his mouth to hers. They spent a moment nipping and nibbling, then with a groan, Seth slid his tongue along the seam of her lips until she opened for him.

He tasted hot and male and perfect, with a hint of pizza, and the heady combination turned her liquid inside. She held tighter to his shoulders, trying to get closer. She needed to feel his body against hers.

Instead, she felt his costume. The hard plastic underwear-shorts dug into her middle, preventing her from getting as close as she wanted. She would have laughed if he weren’t kissing her so deeply and thoroughly.

It was a reminder that in that moment, they were supposed to be different people. She was the science villainess, he the gadget-obsessed billionaire. Carrie and Seth had very good reasons they couldn’t get involved. But nothing was stopping Iron Man from having a little fun with Poison Ivy.

So she scraped her nails through the coarse hair on his cheek, then held his face between both hands as she devoured him. A sound of need floated through the air, and she wasn’t certain which one of them made it.

Abruptly Seth ripped his mouth away, looking down at her with glassy eyes. He sounded a little breathless as he said, “If you don’t want this to go any farther, we should stop now.”

Despite his words, he dropped his head to the crook of her neck and sealed his lips to her pounding, uneven pulse. “I can’t kiss you like this and not need more.”

Carrie—no, she was Ivy right now—rocked her hips against him, wanting to feel how much he needed her. Instead, again, she rubbed her hips against his plastic costume. She whimpered in frustration.

Mouth behind her ear, hitting that awesome spot that made her want to climb his body and beg him to do whatever he wanted to her, he murmured, “Tell me about it. You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to be this hard in this fucking costume.”

“You can’t take it off?”

He didn’t answer right away, instead licking along her skin, pulling her hair to the side so he could reach further around her, almost to the back of her neck. He bit at the line of muscle where her back met her neck, and her knees went liquid.

She clung to him to keep her balance. “Seth.”

“You like that?” He repeated the move and she whimpered.

“Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

He answered with a flick of his tongue, then feasted on her magic spot until her whole body was gelatin and she grew lightheaded from need.

“If I try to take it off”—he dragged his mouth back to her ear—“it’ll take twenty minutes. It’s the most”—he sucked her earlobe into his mouth; she yelped—“pain-in-the-ass thing. It’s why I”—he left a trail of nips and kisses along her jaw and around her chin—“left it on.”

He sampled her pulse on the other side now and for long minutes she simply held on as his lips and teeth and tongue dissolved her body and her willpower. Carrie—no, Ivy—wanted him too much. Damn the consequences. She could have a man if she wanted; she was a powerful, desirable villainess.

But a boneless villainess. “We have an hour?”

He made a sound that was probably assent, muffled by her hair.

She pulled back slightly, fisting his shirt to tug him with her as she moved across the room to his bedroom. His arms still held her tightly, one finger tracing the bottom edge of her corset where it met her leafy shorts. The touch walked the thin line between tickling and arousal.

When her legs hit the bed, she wriggled out of Seth’s arms and scooted across the mattress until she could fall back into the mound of pillows.

His chest rose and fell rapidly as his hungry gaze raked over her. “Jesus, darlin’. You are so fucking sexy in that outfit.”

She swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the frank appreciation on his face. No man had ever looked at her like that, his desire so raw and unchecked. She knew what it was like to be wanted, to have a man want sex with her. But never had it been this blunt, dizzying need, this urge to do anything necessary to have this man and hold on to this feeling forever.

His need made her powerful, even as his power over her body consumed her.

Instead of joining her on the bed, he sat on the edge and bent to do something on the floor. After a minute, he turned to her again. “Better.”

With a predatory grin, eyes focused on hers, he crawled up the bed until he was over her on all fours. The glint in his eyes, like he was going to devour her whole, stole her breath. Vaguely she noticed he’d removed his plastic boots, leaving his lower legs encased in shiny gold pants.

She reached for him, grabbing a handful of his shirt.

His resistance was subtle, a flex of his broad shoulders, and he remained in place. “To be clear, I’m not fucking you today. For several reasons, none of which has the least bit to do with how damn much I want to be inside you.”

Again with that blunt hunger. She opened her mouth to speak but only a squeak came out. She took a slow breath, then tried again. “The girls.”

“Yes. Reason two: this fucking costume,” he added. “Reason three: I don’t have a condom with me. Reason four: your job. Reason five: my desire to have your brother not castrate me.”

Though they were discussing not having sex, the idea of him rolling on a condom made her body flush warm. It was better if they didn’t, but that didn’t stop her from wanting it. “So just kissing the hell out of each other.”

Again he gave her that one-sided smile that made her stomach feel hollow and warm. Slowly he lowered himself until his chest pressed against hers, his hips angled to the side so his plastic belt wouldn’t jab her.

His lips brushed hers, forehead resting against hers. He smoothed back her hair, then traced the line of her face. “I really like kissing the hell out of you.”

“I really like you kissing the hell out of me. I probably shouldn’t, but I do.”

“It’s OK to like it. We just shouldn’t be doing it.”

“Right. Definitely not.”

“Do you want me to stop? I can—”

In answer, she kissed him and they quickly fell into a rhythm that matched the rhythm of their bodies as they rocked against each other, the rhythm of the soft sounds coming from the back of her throat.

“So that’s a no?” he mumbled into her mouth.

“Do not stop kissing me,” she panted.

“Gladly.” He sucked hard on her tongue, shooting pleasure straight to her clit.

She would have told him to do it again if she could talk. But the way she squirmed against him must have conveyed the message, because he repeated the action. Again and again until she was writhing and desperate.

Needing to feel his skin, she tugged at his shirt until she could slide her hands across his smooth chest. His muscles tensed under her touch, his breathing shallow.

Wrenching himself away, he sat up to tug off the T-shirt. Carrie’s gaze raked over him, taking in each ridge of muscle, the sprinkle of blond hair between his pecs, and that delicious line that led down his center and disappeared into his damn codpiece. She licked her lips, but in her mind she was licking down that trail of hair until—

“Don’t look at me like that,” Seth growled.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re going to find a way into these stupid, fucking uncomfortable shorts and put that delicious mouth on my cock.”

“It…it shouldn’t be this hot,” she stammered.

“What shouldn’t?” He settled back down, this time more on his side. With a hand on her hip, he rolled her body toward his.

Without thinking, she slid her leg up and over his, pulling herself even closer. “When you talk like that. It’s so crude.”

“It’s honest. I don’t do flowery language.”

No, it wouldn’t suit him. It didn’t suit much of anyone. In her experience, most men simply avoided talking about it at all. Which was a shame, because she was wild with desire.

He took her mouth again, and as they kissed, Carrie’s hands explored the long planes of his back, enjoying the way his muscles bunched and pulled as he also explored.

One of his large hands slid up her side and covered her breast. Except that in the thick fabric of the garment, she couldn’t feel it. At the same time, they both made sounds of frustration.

Undeterred by the setback, Seth skimmed down her back, fumbled for the waist of her shorts, then slid his hand in until her butt cheek filled his palm. His long fingers reached far enough to arouse a gasp.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“Jesus, you have a great ass.” He squeezed, kneading and teasing, until she had to pull her mouth away and simply breathe.

And then, from behind, his long finger slid between her legs until he found the slick opening that told him exactly how much she wanted him.

“Damn.” His voice was hoarse as he shifted his arm to get a better angle, the tip of his finger sliding inside her.

The sharp pleasure was so intense, she scraped her teeth on his chest, wanting to sink them into his muscle, barely holding back so she wouldn’t hurt him. “Please,” she managed to gasp.

His lips brushed her temple as his finger continued to tease. “Please what?”

“Make me come,” she whispered against his hot skin.

He stroked her again, slow and firm, turning up the heat inside her. “Gladly.” His hand slid from the back of her shorts and she whimpered. She was so close. Why was he taking his hand away?

He nudged her hip away from him just enough so he could fit his hand between them. It took him a moment to find the divide between her corset and shorts in front, eliciting a frustrated growl from him. Then finally, finally his fingertips teased the sensitive skin of her belly, the coarse curls between her legs, then the swollen, wet folds of her pussy.

He didn’t waste time with teasing. “Now,” he groaned before kissing her roughly, his tongue in her mouth as frantic as his hand between her legs.

Her shorts were made of stretchy fabric, allowing him unfettered movement. He easily slid two fingers inside her, thrusting fast and deep in a rhythm that made Carrie scrape her nails down his back, her hips rocking to add to the pleasure.

The world narrowed to the two of them, the rough sounds of their breathing punctuated by the occasional moan, the heat and taste and feel of his desperate kiss, and above all, the way he could work her body, taking her higher and higher without letting her fly.

She felt a gentle pinch to her clit, followed by his teeth grazing her lower lip, and she choked out a sob. “Yes,” she moaned, and he swallowed the sound in his kiss.

The pleasure grew and grew until she thought she might break from the enormity of it. Then, with another pinch of her clit, Seth sent her over the edge.

Carrie jerked against him, pressing hard against his still-thrusting hand that felt so good. Her teeth sank into his lower lip and he hummed his approval as she shuddered against him. Delicious release rolled over and through her, blocking out everything except the man pressed against her.

As the last waves ebbed away, leaving her dazed and relaxed and more satisfied than she’d been in her life, he slowly drew his mouth away. Forehead resting against hers, he eased off the pressure of his hand, then slid it out of her.

She could feel his gaze on her as she shuddered with one last aftershock. But before she opened her eyes, she wanted another moment to revel in the perfection of what had transpired between them.

Seth laced their fingers together and lifted their joined hands to brush a kiss over her knuckles. He squeezed her and asked softly, “You still in there?” A smile was evident in his voice, with a hint of tension. He had to be aching for his own orgasm.

She made a long sound of contentment and let a grin slowly spread across her face. Finally, her eyes fluttered open.

His faint smile widened to match her grin. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

They stayed like that for a long moment, simply looking into each other’s eyes. Carrie didn’t know exactly what she was thinking or feeling, other than deeply satiated, and she didn’t want to delve into it further. The situation between them was complicated, but this, right here in his hotel room, was simple.

Eventually he gave her a soft kiss. “The girls might decide to come back earlier than I expect.”

Carrie’s face and neck heated in a way entirely different from the heat she’d felt a few minutes ago. “Right, of course.”

Before she could scoot away, Seth’s arm draped over her middle, anchoring her to the bed. “This was a bad idea, wasn’t it?”

Awful. Terrible. The worst. Now she knew what it was like not only to kiss him but to have his hands all over her. Inside her. “Yeah.” She frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Do you regret it?”

“No,” he said quickly. “No, definitely not.”

She couldn’t stop a small smile. “Me neither.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, the touch so light she barely felt it. “But it can’t happen again.”

Carrie closed her eyes to savor the moment a little longer. “I know,” she whispered against him. “That’s the only part I regret.”

“Me too.” He nibbled at her lower lip. Then, making a sound of frustration, he rolled away. “We should get up.”

“Yeah.” She tried to keep most of the disappointment out of her voice. She sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. With her back to Seth, she straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair as best she could. As swollen and whisker-burned as her mouth felt, she needed to fix her makeup before heading back to the convention center.

Forcing a smile she didn’t feel, she turned back to him. “OK. I’m gonna get my key and go before this gets more awkward.”

He raised one side of his mouth. “Probably for the best.” He pushed to his feet and gestured for her to precede him to the door.

They remained silent as they walked back to the living room, which suddenly felt miles long. Seth paused by the couch, but instead of moving out of her way, he lifted his hand to cup Carrie’s cheek. A pained expression crossed his face, then he lowered his forehead to hers.

“I know you know this, but you’re really fucking sexy as Ivy. You’re always sexy, but that outfit…”

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to absorb every detail of having him so near. This would be the last time she could touch him like this. “Thank you,” she managed to whisper.

She brushed a final kiss over his warm lips, then slipped away. Without looking back at him, she opened the door to her room, slipped through it, and tried to ignore the heaviness in her chest.