Chapter 9
“I can’t go in there!” Faye hissed when his driver pulled into the parking garage of the Ambassador Hotel. “I’m supposed to be on sick leave, remember?”
Zantar glanced over at the hotel doorway, then down at Faye. She seemed genuinely upset at the thought of walking into the hotel. He wanted to reassure her that she wouldn’t be judged or condemned by the employees here. But was that correct? How would he view a staff member who called in sick, only to show up for a party? Which was essentially what Faye was doing.
“There is a private entrance and elevator,” he promised. “You won’t be seen.”
“Yes, but the penthouse staff will see me!” she told him.
He hadn’t thought of that. His memory flashed back to the previous day, when he’d snapped at the butler in the presence of the hotel general manager. Thinking quickly, he agreed that he was putting her into an awkward situation by bringing her here. He took her hands and said, “Love, I know that this is going to feel odd, but we have some issues we need to talk over. I don’t want to take you to a restaurant for fear that a reporter might overhear our conversation. If I promise to protect our privacy, will you trust me?”
She considered his words for a long moment, then nodded. “Yes. I trust you.”
The relief that surged through him with her assurance was strange. But also empowering! Because of her trust, he vowed to make sure that the penthouse staff were gone from the area before he brought her up. They could order room service and act as their own wait staff. No need for hotel employees to see Faye for any reason. Hell, maybe he should just move to a different hotel, so that they didn’t need to worry about these issues.
Making that decision, he nodded and stepped out of the SUV, then reached in to take her hand. “I’ll have my guards go up first and clear the way. They can then go down to the kitchens and get our dinner. Will that suffice?”
“That would be very nice,” she replied, but then hesitated. “Am I putting too much of a burden on your staff by being silly?” she asked, glancing over to one of the guards. “I’m so sorry! I’m being insensitive!”
“This plan would actually be easier for us, ma’am,” the guard assured her with a polite smile. “Fewer people to oversee.”
Her mouth fell open with that assurance, but she rallied quickly, nodding her understanding. “Well, then I appreciate your help,” she told the man, smiling shyly at him.
The man nodded and Zantar growled, taking her hand and placing it on his arm. “Stop flirting with my guards,” he warned her.
Faye laughed, assuming that he was only teasing her. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. “You know that I only have eyes for you.”
They waited for five minutes before the advanced guards texted that the penthouse had been cleared of all hotel employees.
Dinner that night was wonderful, although Faye couldn’t remember what they’d eaten. As soon as they’d stepped into the penthouse, Zantar had handed her a menu while stripping off his shirt. “Can you order us something for dinner while I change?” he asked.
Faye might have nodded, but she wasn’t sure. All she could do was watch him move up the stairs to the bedroom. When he came back downstairs moments later, wearing a pair of casual slacks and an open necked linen shirt, he looked magnificent.
“You’re staring at me as if you’d rather eat me,” he teased, taking her into his arms and kissing her. When he lifted his head to look down at her, they were both breathing heavily. “Would you like some wine? Maybe some champagne?”
Faye thought about the previous hour. Had it only been an hour ago that he’d given her the most intense pleasure? Surely it had been days ago. Because right now, her body didn’t want food. It wanted him! She wanted him to take her into his arms and make love to her all over again. But slower this time. This time she wanted to explore him.
So was it her fault when her eyes dropped to his chest? They were alone. He was gorgeous and she was hungry. For him!
With a growl, he pulled her right back into his arms and kissed her. How they ended up in his bedroom, naked and panting as they both touched each other with hands and mouths, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that his mouth covered hers, his hands cupped her breasts while his thumbs rubbed her nipples. She might have screamed, but his mouth kissing hers absorbed any shock at his touch. She arched into him, her body on fire once again and she wanted to scream with frustration because she couldn’t get him to enter her.
Finally, too frustrated to ask anymore, she pushed him against the mattress, then straddled him. She wasn’t exactly sure what to do here because he was so much larger than her two previous lovers, but she looked down at him, unaware of her hair flying every which way or her eyes devouring him. All she knew was that she wanted this man. She wanted to know everything about him. Kissing his chest, she tasted with her tongue, explored with her fingers and nibbled with her teeth in places she hoped he might like. When she reached that fascinating erection, her mouth hovered over him, her mind anticipating taking him into her mouth and tasting the essence of this powerful man. When she didn’t immediately take him into her mouth, he lifted his head up, his neck muscles straining.
The look in his eyes gave her a sense of power.
“You think so?” he growled, starting to pull her higher and do…well, whatever it was that he wanted to do to her. But before he could overpower her, she took him in her mouth and he went rigid for a brief moment before his head finally fell back onto the mattress. He groaned, his hands diving into her hair, tangling in the dark tresses as she moved her mouth up and down over that shaft. She was thorough and eager, trying to bring him to the brink just like what had happened earlier tonight.
Before long, Zantar growled and flipped their positions, grabbing her hands and lifting them up over her head. “Retribution soon!” he warned her as he slid into her heat. For a long moment, they savored the sensation of their bodies melding together. But then Zantar pulled out with a muttered curse and, leaning over to yank the bedside table open, he grabbed a condom. Ripping open the package, he rolled it down over his shaft.
“Now let’s try this again!” he said.
Before Faye had a chance to be shocked at the second lack of sanity that could have consequences, he was thrusting into her, her body shifting, wiggling and arching into his thrusts. He just felt so good and then…then it wasn’t good! It wasn’t enough and she grabbed him, shifting against him in an effort to find that relief. When it came, the sensations seemed to rip through her, drenching her in pleasure so powerful, it was almost painful and she simply held onto Zantar as he found his own release. Moments later, they tumbled together, arms and limbs tangled as they dragged precious air into their lungs.
When they finally ate dinner, it was a buffet of desserts that Zantar insisted on feeding to Faye. And in the end, he ate most of the whipped cream off of her body, starting the craziness all over again.