Chapter 19

Lanie

Desire was pain.

At least, it had suddenly become that way. I’d never before experienced the things Andrew made me. With him, every experience was unknown. My body tingled, itched, and ached in extraordinary ways. Every time he glanced at me, my heart fluttered.

Rolling up to the parking lot of a small restaurant, he opened my door as he always did and then held my hand for the walk inside. The place was low-key but also a hot spot. I’d never been to it before, but I recognized the name. Potted plants covered the circular layout, and the staff all wore black vests. The host escorted us to a small table in a corner. Instead of taking the seat on the other side of the table, Andrew ignored where the host had put his menu and settled in right next to me.

His knee brushed against mine, and I sucked in a breath. Why had I let him take me out of my apartment? Screw dinner. We could have had boxed mac n’ cheese for all I cared. Or nothing at all. My appetite had up and vanished the second Andrew knocked on my front door, and I didn’t think it would be back for quite a while.

“How was your day?” Andrew leaned in close, gaze simmering with heat. If I read him right, the kiss in my living room was also still on his mind.

“Really good.” I folded my hands on the table. “I think I made a friend today.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“With the art teacher.” I nodded. “She’s cool. It’s refreshing. Most of the other staff is ...” I searched for a nice way to put it. Other than with Principal Stafford, I hadn’t really felt welcomed at the high school.

“Basic?” Andrew offered.

I laughed. “That’s not a very nice way to put it.”

“I don’t know these people, so I can say that.” Wearing a mischievous grin, he picked up his menu.

I followed suit but could hardly focus on the words. The letters all swam in front of my eyes, and when the waiter came back over, I ended up asking him to bring me whatever the best special was.

“I’ll have that too,” Andrew said.

The waiter nodded and left. My date turned back to me. With the soft lighting in the restaurant, the perfection of his features was only accentuated. Reaching across the small space, Andrew took my hand in his.

With his fingers lightly rubbing over the top of my hand, my head spun. I did my best to focus on his face and not black out from desire.

“How is Raven?” I asked.

His face lit up. “Good. I think she’s been acting like a normal petulant teen and not a troubled one, or at least I hope.”

I laughed at that. “That’s really good to hear. There haven’t been any disruptions at school.” Realizing what was happening, I wrinkled my nose. “Sorry. This isn’t a parent-teacher conference.”

“No, it’s all right.” He smiled. “We talked about you a little bit earlier.”

“Oh, yeah?” I cocked my head, genuinely interested. How much did Raven know about her father and me?

“She told me her guidance counselor has a pretty obvious crush on me.”

My cheeks flamed. “Busted.”

Andrew just grinned wider. His hand was still on mine, warming my palm considerably. I never wanted him to let it go. “To be fair, she also let me know that my affections are just as obvious.”

“She doesn’t miss much, I guess.”

“Apparently not.”

His gaze intensified, throwing another log on the fire between my legs. I resisted the urge to squirm in my seat. Where the hell was our food?

“Has it been a while since we ordered?” I asked.

Andrew frowned. “It’s been about five minutes.”

“Oh. It feels like longer.”

His loud inhale caressed my ears. “We can get it to go.”

I studied his face. “Really?”

In response, he flipped my hand over, letting it rest in his palm as his free fingers trailed up the length of my arm. Euphoric shivers danced up my arm and filled the rest of my body.

“Okay,” I exhaled.

Leaving my hand, Andrew raised his arm to catch our waiter’s attention.

“We have an emergency and need to take our food to go,” he explained, wearing a severe expression.

I tried not to laugh.

“As soon as possible,” Andrew added, pulling a bill from his wallet and discreetly slipping it into the waiter’s hand.

“Yes, sir,” the man eagerly nodded before rushing off.

“There.” Underneath the table, Andrew’s hand found my knee. The muscles between my thighs sharply contracted, and I arched my back to keep myself sitting up straight. One more forbidden touch and I would be a puddle on the floor.

The neatly boxed up food arrived within minutes. Andrew paid the bill, and we rushed from the restaurant, entering the fresh night. At the car, Andrew stepped close. I expected him to open the door for me, as per usual. Instead, he spun me around and pressed me against the side of the vehicle.

A gasp issued from my lips, but he swallowed it up, crashing his mouth against mine. His tongue slipped across my teeth, delicious as sin. I loosened my jaw, wanting to have his tongue in every inch of my mouth.

Andrew’s hands pushed open my unzipped jacket, finding my waist and grasping it hard. I arched my hips forward, pressing them against the top of his thighs. It occurred to me that anyone could walk by and see us making out. Instead of the idea embarrassing me, though, I found it exciting.

“Mm,” Andrew murmured as he broke away. “There’s somewhere I want to take you. It’s right around the corner.”

Because my mouth was numb from his attention, I only nodded.

We climbed into the car, the silence charged. When Andrew pulled up to Hotel Crystal, I audibly gasped. The place was the swankiest hotel in the city. Erica and I had gone there for afternoon tea once, just to feel fancy, and we’d been blown away by how put-together the place was.

“I couldn’t wait another block,” Andrew explained, stopping at the valet stand. Taking our bagged dinner, he handed over the keys and led me inside.

The hotel’s lobby shined like each inch of it had just been waxed. Gold and white blocks of diamonds led the way to the front desk and then to the elevator. He stopped by the front to grab the key, and I was grateful for a chance to catch my breath.

“Ready?” He smiled and motioned for me to join him at the elevator.

“Sure,” I mumbled, not at all sure of myself or anything else.

I pressed my palms together as we rode up the floors, conscious of the few people standing next to us.

This is it.

For months, every Monday had been the same. Do some work at my kitchen table, watch a little TV, call my Mom, and now, without any warning, the most predictable day of the week had been shaken up.

I already had a feeling this was about to be one of the best Mondays, if not the best, of my life.

“Here we are,” Andrew whispered from behind me, his hot breath tickling my neck.

The elevator opened, and we stepped onto the tenth floor. Taking my hand, he guided me to the door at the very end of the quiet hall.

One swipe of the card and we were in.

Taking a step through the doorway, I started to turn to Andrew but stopped. The hotel room I’d found myself in was nothing like I’d expected. It wasn’t a room at all but a suite.

We were on the edge of a foyer, which opened up in three directions. To the right, double doors led to a bedroom. To the left, a massive bathroom with a sunken tub waited for us. But the suite’s center stole the show: a living room and kitchen area with floor-to-ceiling windows showing off Seattle’s sparkling city lights.

“W-we don’t need a suite,” I stuttered.

Andrew’s nose grazed against the back of my neck. I closed my eyes, sinking my weight into his firm chest. “Don’t we?” he murmured.

The question made my knees shake.

Before I could get too comfortable, he released me. “Hungry?”

“Um, not quite yet.”

Nodding, he strode across the suite and put the dinner away in the full-sized fridge. “A drink?”

“Sure.”

I tentatively made my way to the cream-colored couch near the windows. It seemed a shame to waste a night in such a luxurious suite, but I wasn’t quite sure how to take advantage of the situation. What did people do in such a place? Throw raging parties? Take a bath in champagne?

Have wild, uninhibited sex?

A pleasurable shiver went down my back.

The cushion sank as Andrew sat next to me, so close our knees brushed. I took the offered tumbler full of some kind of brown liquor but set it on the coffee table after one drink. Jittery as I was, I didn’t want alcohol to affect anything about the night. Everything was already perfect as it was. Why change it?

Andrew seemed to be of the same mind. Leaving his drink next to mine, he wrapped one hand around my waist and pressed the other into the back of my neck. I tilted my head back to gaze up at him, the hunger in his dark eyes making my breathing hitch.

This time, along with his touch came a tenderness. His thumbs rubbed softly against my skin and shirt as his lips explored my mouth. Each move they made seemed deliberate like Andrew was hell-bent on taking his time.

When it came to that, I was only too happy to oblige.

On our kiss went, stretching into a space where time no longer existed. All I knew was the whirlwind of sensations, the heat of his palms, the softness of his lips, the joy in my heart, and the burning in my core.

Andrew shifted closer to me, and I rocked forward as well, spilling into his lap. Without planning it, my legs went to either side of his thighs. With my skirt wide open, I straddled him unabashedly, pressing my palms against his chest and sending my tongue deeper into his mouth.

A noise of pleasure rumbled in his chest, and I twisted his shirt, wanting to tear it right off those solid, tight muscles. I’d imagined him naked a number of times already and could already tell by being in his lap that the delivery would be better than I’d envisioned.

With a rough inhale, Andrew’s mouth broke from mine and found my neck. Feverish kisses alternated with sucks made me tremble. Leaving the twisting of his shirt behind, I dropped more of my weight against him and sent my hands under the cloth. Hard muscles, ones I didn’t even know the names for, rippled beneath my palms.

Andrew licked a long line up my neck, stopping to take my earlobe gently between his teeth. The mixture of roughness and gentleness robbed me of any last restraint, and the first unchecked moan left me.

Andrew growled in pleasure, his hands following my lead and going beneath the back of my shirt. Our mouths collided again as he rubbed up and down my back, fingers skimming over the bra strap there.

Not able to take the teasing any longer, I tugged at his shirt. Getting the hint, he broke the kiss to pull it over his head. It didn’t take long for our lips to meet again. The new kiss brought an immediacy with it. I gripped Andrew’s shoulders, rocking forward so that my panties rubbed against the hard bulge in his jeans.

A deep, throaty growl rippled from him, and the noise itself made my desire ratchet up. Before I could make another move, though, he’d flipped me over. With my back against the cushions, Andrew towered over me, swollen lips parted and eyes determined.

His kisses rained down on my neck as he worked my top off. My nipples tightened underneath the bra cups, pushing upward and asking to be noticed. Andrew took his time, his mouth carving a line down my neck and across my shoulder. Gently, he pulled down one bra cup. The eager breast there popped out, and he lowered his face and swirled a tongue across it.

An electric shiver went through me, and I gripped his hair, working my fingers through the thick locks as he sucked eagerly on my breast. His hand closed over the other one, lightly massaging and twisting. Pleasure hit me in quick bursts, spiraling and going down to my core.

I rocked my hips up, silently asking for more. I didn’t have to wait long. Andrew licked and kissed his way down my torso, pushing my skirt up as he did so.

My panties were already soaked through, a testament to how much I needed this. Pressing his face against the inside of my thigh, he nipped me slightly. A cry burst from my throat but a smile also warped my lips. Andrew grinned against the sensitive skin of my thigh before taking his face lower.

Pushing my panties to the side, he gave my folds one achingly slow lick. It was far from enough. My legs were shaking, and I couldn’t stop my hips from bucking against his mouth.

Twisting my panties, he pulled them off and tossed them to the floor. Once again, his face disappeared between my legs. This time, though, it brought with it the pleasure I so badly wanted.

His warm tongue ran slow circles around my sensitive spots, eliciting more cries from me. Working his hands back up my stomach, he pushed my bra cups all the way down and found my breasts. The twists on my nipples became sharper as his tongue sped up the pace. Breathtaking pleasure mixed with a lining of pain, sending me over the edge. I burst, calling his name as I held onto his hair by the roots.

With me still shaking from the after-effects of the explosion, Andrew sat back up. His hands stayed on my thighs, massaging and lavishing them with attention. “Should we try out that bed?”

Chest still heaving, I smiled. “Let’s.”

Before I could sit up, I was in his arms. He carried me across the living room and through the doorway, depositing me gently in the middle of the bed.

Within a second, his weight was on mine, hips pressed firmly on hips. The bulge beneath his jeans pressed against my mound, giving me a new burst of desire.

I wrapped my arms securely around Andrew’s neck and kissed him for all I was worth. It was something he made easy, after all.

With deft hands, he worked loose the rest of our clothes, sending my skirt and bra and his pants flying. With the slightest throb to it, his hard length pressed against my stomach. I wiggled my hand between us and took his dick against my palm. It was smooth as satin, the perfect length and thickness. I could feel the muscles in my channel contracting together.

As we kissed, I slowly stroked him. His tongue raked across the very back of my teeth, showing just how much he loved the attention. It was as good for me, though. Touching Andrew in such an intimate way, after wanting to do it for so long, had me flying over the clouds. His dick became even harder in my hands, filling my palm and leaking a little bit of liquid onto my thumb.

“One second.” With a quick parting kiss, he jumped off me and snatched his pants back up. A few seconds later and he was back on the bed, rolling a condom onto his length. Saliva filled my mouth as I took in his full glory, and I had to take a long breath to calm myself.

With arms on either side of me, Andrew slowly lowered himself so that his face brushed against the side of mine.

“Finally,” he exhaled.

“Finally.” I giggled in agreement.

He turned his face to mine, our lips both ready for more. As our tongues met, he pushed into me. My body accepted him like it was second nature, drawing him in tight. With a low groan, he buried himself deep, filling me up and making me cry out.

Still kissing, Andrew pushed his arms under me and held me close. With one arm wrapped around my back and one keeping my hips up, he drove all the way into me. His thrusts became faster, taking on an animalistic quality.

I clung to his back, my fingers pressing deep into his skin. I rocked forward, pulsing into Andrew’s body like it was the last thing I’d ever do.

I needed this.

More than I’d let myself admit.

Sweat ran in rivulets down his side, collecting in my hair and on my shoulders. His sweet, thick taste covered my tongue, and his sweaty mustiness filled my nose. Everything else disappeared. There was nothing in the whole world but the two of us claiming each other’s bodies.

Again and again, Andrew made me his, and I gave myself over willingly. The ecstasy deep in me grew and exploded without warning. I cried into his mouth, wrapping my legs and arms around him in desperation.

My pleasure seemed to spur him on, because he pummeled harder into me, striking me with his whole body. Guttural groans filled the room, and he pulled my lip between his teeth as he released deep inside me.

Breaking the kiss, Andrew dropped his forehead to mine. We stayed that way for a long time, our labored exhales mixing.

After a while, he slowly slid off me. I made a move to get up, thinking I should get to the bathroom and see how badly my makeup had smeared, but Andrew quickly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he murmured.

The statement filled me with joy, and I forgot all about the bathroom mirror. Snuggling into his chest, I closed my eyes and listened to his steady breathing.

If there was anything in the whole wide world that could have made the moment better, I couldn’t think of it.