"Thanks," Shade said breathlessly as he hoisted Nikki off the wall.
"See you tomorrow," Nikki said and waved at Melanie. "Force is gonna rock your world."
Melanie caught her wink just before Shade kicked the door shut. A loud thud pounded on the inside of the door.
Gabe turned to offer her an apologetic grin. He rubbed a hand over the back of his head and stared at the carpet. "Sorry you had to see that. He's a horny bastard, but he has a good heart."
"Where's your room?" She would never admit it, but she was disappointed that Gabe wasn't so turned on by her that he needed to plow her in the hallway.
He diverted his gaze and tilted his chin, but she saw the smirk on his sensual lips. "In a hurry?"
Apparently he wasn't.
"You promised me room service." She wasn't cold, but she hugged herself and rubbed her hands up and down both arms. She still wasn't sure if he was even interested in continuing what they'd started. She'd never encountered a man who could go from full throttle to full stop in three seconds flat. He'd seemed to want her when they'd first entered the elevator. She'd felt his excitement pressed against her and still felt the uncomfortable wetness of her panties. When she'd admitted she wanted him, he'd pushed her away. What game was he playing anyway? She didn't have enough experience with worldly men to figure out how to proceed. Should she play hard to get, tear her clothes off, or jump him? Retreat? She glanced at the elevator, weighing her options. If she was the one to call this off, it wouldn't be quite so devastating to her already wounded ego.
Gabe wrapped an arm around her back and directed her across the hall. He slipped his keycard into a slot and a tiny light turned green. "I think I'm gonna have to go back on that promise, Melanie," he said and opened the door.
Was he really going to tell her to get lost? Why had he even brought her here? She glared up at him. "Why? Do you think it's funny to-"
He pushed her into the room and closed the door. Her heart rate kicked up as he gazed at her in the soft lamplight. There was no mistaking the heat in his appreciative stare. He was back to full throttle. Oh, thank God.
"I usually have better control." He reached for the hem of her top and pulled it over her head. "But I can't wait any longer. If it wasn't for the security camera in the elevator, I would have done you right there." He traced the lacy edge of the cup of her bra, his gaze riveted on her chest. "When you asked me to fuck you, I almost came down my leg, Mel. Fuck, I'm hard for you."
And she'd thought he was either playing hard to get or not attracted to her. Her confidence surged. "Take off your pants, Gabe." She flipped on an overhead light with the wall switch. "I want to get a good look at that tattoo."
He grinned and stripped off his shirt. She could stare at him shirtless for an eon and never tire of the sight of his toned body. He was beautiful.
Two tattoos decorated his chest. The one on the right was an amazingly realistic image of a gray wolf. The one on his left pec was an equally realistic image of a cougar. Melanie's gaze slowly made its way down firm pecs, over chiseled abs, to rest on one sexy ridge at his hip. Again the hint of his tattoo above the waistband of his low-slung jeans caught her attention. Again she couldn't fathom what it was. She reached for his belt. He caught her hand.
"Maybe you should familiarize yourself with the ink on my back first. The one on my hip might be too much for you to handle."
She chuckled. "Oh really?"
"There's no way to show it to you and keep my cock in my pants."
She snorted with amusement. "Oh no, I definitely wouldn't want that."
Gabe turned slowly and faced the wall. When the gorgeous phoenix tattooed over the entire surface of his back came into view, Melanie's breath caught. Wow. The work was stunning. The skin it decorated, irresistible. Melanie approached him, splaying her hands over his enticing flesh. She didn't know what she expected tattooed skin to feel like. To find that it was as warm and smooth as regular skin surprised her. Gabe's muscles twitched beneath her palms; an excited rasp laced each rapid breath. The scent of his body beckoned her and she stepped close, inhaling deeply. Her tongue begged to sample his flesh, to determine if he tasted as good as he smelled.
"I love it," she said. "The details in the feathers are amazing." She took a closer look. "The eyes look so realistic. Why a phoenix?"
"It's a symbol of my rebirth," he told her. "From the man that everyone wanted me to be into the one I was meant to be."