Dangerous Temptations(29)

I was completely silent in the car on the way home. He placed a hand on  my knee and left it there until we arrived at the apartment. We hadn't  spoken much since after my speech, and I could only hope his mind was  spinning as much as mine was.

Because right now, nothing was making any fucking sense to me. I needed a sign, a reason to believe I was meant to be with him.

As soon as we stepped into the apartment, I fisted the material on  William's chest and pulled him to me, locking my lips on his, hot and  hard. I was angry with him, pissed that he hadn't been supportive and  stayed by my side, but I needed to test my feelings for him. I wanted to  feel something. After the kitchen incident with Alex, I was beginning  to doubt everything.

His lips covered mine, reciprocating everything I was giving him. His  hands firmly gripped my hips, pulling us closer together. I could feel  his arousal against my stomach and the thought excited and sickened me  at the same time. The image surfaced of that woman's hands all over him,  right in front of me, and yet I hadn't felt a sting of jealousy. I was  more upset at the fact he wasn't by my side, supporting and focusing  only on me. My blood boiled as I thought about how I only wanted one  night-just one night that was about me and what I was passionate about,  and he couldn't even give me that.

William moaned in my mouth as his hand trailed up my body and landed on  my breast. He squeezed it gently with just a touch of pressure. He was  never overly forceful, but just enough to let me know he wanted me.

"Mackenzie … " he moaned in my mouth, but it didn't sound right. For the  first time since meeting him, the sound of him saying my name tore me  up. "Darling … " he said again, pushing us through the house. His lips  remained on my mouth and neck until we arrived to the bedroom.

I was panting by the time my knees buckled against the mattress. He  leaned over me, forcing me to lean back on the bed as he slipped his  hands up my thighs. How was it he didn't even realize I was annoyed with  him before leaving the event?

And why was I fooling myself?

"William, stop," I said abruptly, pushing my body back up. "Stop."

"What is it?" he asked, stunned and confused. He wiped the corners of  his mouth off before seeing the serious expression on my face. "Are you  all right?"

I adjusted my dress, pulling the straps that had slipped down back up  and covering my legs before speaking again. "Would it have killed you to  stay by my side tonight?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Tonight!" I screamed, irritated that he was going to make this  difficult. "First, you're late, and then when you do arrive, you wander  off to talk to everyone but me. Don't you think that's a bit upsetting  for me?"

"Mackenzie, darling … there were people there who expect me to make  conversation. It's rude if I ignore them. It's just business, you know  that."

"And what about what I expect from you? Does that not mean anything?" I  challenged, my face feeling hot as I finally pushed my guard away and  was ready to tell him exactly how fucked up his behavior was.

"I didn't realize it would be a problem," he said casually, standing up  and fixing his shirt. "I always speak to colleagues at events. It's  never been a problem before."

I stood up with a straight face and replied, "Well, it's a problem now.  Tonight was about me and perhaps I was a fool for expecting you'd be by  my side for once."

I stepped to walk past him, but he firmly grasped my arm and pulled me back toward him. "Don't leave."

"I need some air," I said, unable to look at him. This wasn't the  William I had fallen in love with. We had both been drinking, and I  couldn't think straight.

"Fine. But then we're going to talk about this when you come back." It wasn't a question-he was demanding it.

But I didn't feel like talking about it.




         

     



 
I STOOD OUT on the patio with a blanket draped over my shoulders. The  night air had cooled down some, but I didn't care. The crisp air felt  good, almost numb to what my heart and head were feeling.

Had I been blind this entire time? Was William always this person? Was he changing?

Or was I?

I hated questioning things. It brought up too many hurtful memories, and  I just wanted to believe things worked out for the best. But now I was  questioning everything.



After a while, I went back inside to warm up. I made myself a cup of hot  chocolate and peeked into the bedroom. William was passed out in bed,  but I wasn't ready to go sleep next to him. I needed time.

I walked into the sitting room that was just off the main living room.  It was smaller and peaceful with a white built-in bookshelf and my  modern, elegant off-white couch I had brought from my old apartment. I  didn't bring many things over, but I bought it with one of my first big  checks and I was proud of that purchase. William had made room for it in  here, so I always liked coming in on occasion. But right now, it was  being used to put distance between the mess that my reality felt right  now and myself.

The room had a set of white French doors, but I kept one side open just  in case William came looking for me later. I grabbed a blanket and  snuggled into the couch, needing a good night's sleep to get myself back  to feeling like me again.

I thought I heard shuffling in the living room, scaring me out of my  deep sleep. I peeked over the edge of the couch and saw a lamp was left  on. I checked my phone and saw that it was past three a.m. Alex must  just be coming home. He didn't leave with us, and from the pained look  he gave me, I knew he hadn't planned to come home anytime soon.

I settled back into the couch, letting sleep take over once again.





Chapter Seventeen



I woke up to a quiet apartment, but the pounding in my chest was  anything but quiet. I was also breathing heavily as if I had just run a  marathon. Something felt wrong.

I stood up and grabbed my phone. It was just after nine a.m. Normally on  Sundays, when William was home, he'd be out on the patio with the  newspaper and coffee. But the apartment sounded completely empty.

And then I remembered why I had woken up so abruptly and why my body felt tense.

I remembered.

I remembered everything.

I had dreamt it, or at least I think I did. Either that or my memory was coming back to me …





"Are you from around here?" I asked once we were in his hotel suite.

"Originally, yes. But I just moved back from Europe after studying four years abroad."

"Oh, wow … " He grabbed my hand again, leading us out of the elevator and down the hall to his room. "Private suite?"

"Yeah." He let out an easy laugh. "Family money." He shrugged. I could  tell he didn't want to talk any more about it, which was fine with me.

"Do you want a drink?" he asked, letting go of my hand and walking toward the wet bar.

"Sure … I'll take whatever," I replied, taking a good look around the  room. The windows were floor to ceiling and the view from here was  breathtaking.

He turned around and handed me the glass. I was still buzzed from the drinks we had before leaving Le Bain.

I brought the glass up to my lips as my eyes trailed down Alex's body.  He was young, definitely fit and in shape, and had nailed down the ‘I'm  going to eat you alive' look. All I knew at that moment was how done I  was with being Manhattan's good girl. I was done with the acting. Or  perhaps that was the alcohol taking over.

I slammed the drink down, not even knowing what it was. I choked on the  intense burn, but I quickly swallowed it down, not caring anymore.

"Shit … " Alex spit out. "You aren't supposed to down it like a shot." He  tried to conceal his laughter, but his smile told me everything. He was  fucking turned on.

"I didn't want to waste any more time." I set it down on the bar and  walked up to him. "No more wasting time … " I wrapped my arms around him,  bringing his mouth down to mine. I crushed our lips together, the  mixture of alcohol and heat evident as our mouths collided. I heard his  glass drop, liquid splashing as it landed on the floor.         

     



 

His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me up. My legs engulfed him,  wrapping around him as he walked us down a hall. I felt his hard bulge  against my thigh, taunting the ache down below even more.

Moaning, panting, grinding. Our bodies were inseparable as we made our  way into a bedroom. He kicked one of the French doors open; it slammed  against the wall in response.

He set me on top of a desk, our mouths still connected in a heated  battle of wanting, needing more. My hands raked through his hair as he  pressed his pelvis into me. I could feel his arousal in between my legs,  which drove me fucking crazy. God, I wanted to feel him. Touch him.  Lick him.

"Alex … " I whimpered as his mouth slowly moved down my jaw and neck. "Oh,  god … " I moaned as his lips sucked on my collar bone like he'd been  begging for all night long. "Mm … "