All of the anger I'd been feeling since I saw him in that hotel room came bubbling up and out. “You want to be with me?” My laugh was brittle. “You're engaged, you asshole! Isn't it enough that you've already used me once to cheat on your fiancée?” I fought to keep my voice low. There were too many people around who'd love to see a good show. “Maybe you think that because of what I do, or because we slept together before, I'm easy, but I'm not. I had sex with you because I genuinely liked you. I thought you were a nice guy–”
He finally found his voice. “I don't think you're easy.”
I glared at him and made a gesture for him to continue. I needed to hear his explanation so when I stormed off, I'd feel justified.
“And I wasn't using you, Piper. I really liked you. I do like you.”
He touched my hand and I pulled back. I didn't want him touching me, especially when just that little bit had sent a jolt through my entire body.
“Dammit!” He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his seat. “This isn't going how I thought it would.”
“How you thought it would?” I shook my head. “What, you thought you'd take me out to eat, tell me you want to be with me and I'd just forget you were getting married and fall into bed with you?” I crossed my arms. “And before you say I did it once before, let me remind you that I didn't know you were engaged then.”
“I thought you'd at least believe my feelings were sincere,” he said. The expression on his face was almost sad and if I hadn't been so pissed, I might've felt sorry for him. “I thought we had a connection. I thought you'd felt it too.”
I had felt it, but that didn't mean it wasn't just physical attraction, a need to get laid, the psychological response to all those memories coming home had brought back. None of those were reasons to break up a relationship headed towards marriage.
“Connection or not, you have a fiancée.” It didn't seem fair that I had to keep reminding him of that fact.
He nodded. “I know, but it's not... I mean.” He blew out air in a frustrated sigh. “I don't have this with Britni.” He gestured between the two of us.
“Dinner?” I said dryly.
Not even a hint of a smile. “I don't have anything in common with her. I can't talk to her like I can talk to you, and I've known her since we were kids.”
“I'm not sure why that's my problem.” My voice was tight and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
“I'm going about this all wrong.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Considering you neglected to mention Britni before you fucked me, I'd say you definitely went about whatever this is the wrong way.” I knew I should just get up and go, head back to my apartment and forget all about Reed Stirling. I didn't know what his game was, but I knew that's all it was. I should've known better than to think he was different.
“I don't love Britni.”
Yeah, hadn't heard that one before. Still, I raised my eyebrows and waited for him to go on.
“Our fathers went to Brown together. Our families took vacations together. Her parents are my sister's and I's godparents and my parents are godparents to her and Brock.” He leaned forward. “She's five years younger than me, but as soon as she turned eighteen, our parents started pushing us together, having us sit next to each other during meals, encouraging us to spend time together, that kind of thing. Then, two years ago, my parents told me that they and the Michaels had basically decided that they wanted our families to join together.”
“Like a merger?” I thought I knew where he was going with this, but I wasn't going to assume. Fool me once...
“Exactly like a merger. Except there wasn't a buy-out or a contract. Just wedding vows.” His voice was flat, as if he felt nothing about what his parents wanted him to do.
“Why didn't you just tell them you don't love her?” Maybe I was overstepping my bounds, but if he was going to make me into the other woman who ruined his engagement, I thought I had the right to push a bit.
“They already know.” He ran his fingers through his hair again and I found myself remembering how it felt to do it too.
“And they don't care?”
“When they first told me what they wanted, I didn't care.” He met my eyes and I couldn't look away. “I'd gotten burned, bad, in college and I didn't think I'd ever fall in love.”
His eyes were blazing and my chest tightened until I could barely breathe. I refused to let myself think about what he was going to say next.
“But I think I could fall in love with you.”
Chapter 9
I couldn't look into his eyes and not believe what he'd said. Or at least believe that he believed, at least in this moment. This time, when he reached for me, I let him take my hand. He was right about the connection. I could feel it, and I didn't want to ignore it. The need to touch him was too strong. He paid the check and laced his fingers through mine as we headed out of the restaurant. Neither of us said anything and I wondered if his brain was as busy as mine.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask him as he flagged a cab. What did it mean that he wanted to be with me? Here in Vegas? Back in Philadelphia? Did he expect me to move back? I'd be able to stay with Anastascia if I needed to, and I could probably find a waitressing job without too much trouble, but what about dancing? Then again, was I actually more likely to make it in Vegas, where I was a stripper, than if I tried in Philly? What would his family say, especially when they found out where I worked? I didn't doubt for a minute that Brock would tell his sister about me being a stripper when he found out that Reed called off the wedding for me. And what if it didn't work out? Would I be stuck back in Philadelphia?
“We have a choice to make.” Reed's statement drew my attention back to him. He looked at the cab. “Is he making two stops, or just one?” He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I want you, Piper, but I'm not going to ask you to do anything you don't want to do.”
I looked up at him. I was doing what I always did. I was over-thinking things, making plans for things that hadn't happened and might never happen.
“Come back to my hotel with me.” He brushed my hair back from my face, letting his fingers linger on my cheeks. “Let me show you how much I want to be with you.”
It might've been stupid of me, but I couldn't stop the way I felt. I nodded and he lowered his head to kiss me. Our first kiss had been gentle, searching, testing. The second had been full of desire. This was something else entirely. Reed felt like he was possessing my mouth, staking a claim. He thrust his tongue between my lips, devouring with teeth and lips. By the time he released me, my heart was racing and I was gasping for air.
Even though we behaved ourselves on the ride back to Reed's hotel, the cabbie couldn't stop smirking at us. The only part of us touching were our hands, but as his thumb made small circles on the side of my hand, I couldn't help but remember what it had felt like to have his hands on more intimate places and my stomach fluttered in anticipation.
The elevator ride was torture. There we were, this enclosed space, so close that I could smell his aftershave. I'd heard people talking about craving someone's touch, but I'd never truly understood it until that moment. It was like there was this deep, inexplicable hunger inside me and he was the only thing that could satisfy it. I knew I was getting in deep, but I'd been lost from the moment I'd let him take my hand.
When he shut the door behind us, I expected him to be all over me. I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd just done me up against the wall or bent me over the couch. Instead, he just pulled me after him towards the master bedroom. I remembered then that he was sharing this suite with his former wedding party. Having them walk in on us fucking wouldn't be the best way to let them know that the wedding was off.
When he didn't immediately start ravaging me when the bedroom door was closed behind me, I was thoroughly confused. I started to turn towards him, but he slid his arms around me from behind and pulled me back against his body. He pressed his lips against the side of my throat and I shivered.
“When we were back in Philadelphia, we had to rush. Tonight we don't, and I intend to take my time with you.”
He slid his hands up over my ribcage and cupped my breasts through my dress as he fastened his lips over the place where my shoulder met my neck. I closed my eyes as he sucked the skin into his mouth, losing myself in the sensations of his hands and mouth. I knew he was marking me, telling everyone that he wanted me, and a thrill went all the way to my toes.
“I'm going to do exactly what I promised, show you how much I want you,” he whispered in my ear. “And I'm going to make you come loud enough that no one else is going to doubt how much I want you.”
I started to turn but he held me tightly, keeping me facing the bed. I felt his hands in my hair, and then the waves began to fall, one by one from the up-do I'd put them into. When my hair was free, his hands moved to my zipper and slowly lowered it. I didn't move as he slid the dress off of my body. His fingers traced along my spine, stopping at the waistband of my panties, and then moved up again to the clasp of my bra.
He stayed behind me as he removed my bra, his hands running over me from behind. His fingers teased at my nipples, rolling and pinching them until I was moaning, arching my back to push them into his hands.