“Lady Liberty, the Empire State Building, a play on Broadway, for starters.” She slides her hands up my chest, clasping her fingers behind my neck. “But most all, I want to see you.”
The noise of the crowd dulls to a faint buzz as she tips her head up and tugs on the back of my neck. I bend to meet her, pulling her in tighter against me as our lips meet and the rest of the world ceases to exist. I tug her hood up to cover her face and part of mine, as we stand there for far longer than is socially acceptable, kissing in public. By the time we part lips, the crowd has thinned to a trickle.
I thread my fingers through hers. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat. I bet you’re sick of ship food.”
“I haven’t had a decent diner burger in six whole weeks. Tell me you can hook a girl up?”
The first place I take her is one of the best, classiest crappy diners I know. Despite it being breakfast hours, they make a concession, and Cosy orders herself a burger and onion rings, but holds the raw onions on the actual burger, which seems like a good sign. Afterward, I take her to the Empire State Building, and we visit the Statue of Liberty. By the time we’re done, it’s already two in the afternoon.
She climbs into the back of the waiting car. “What next?” I ask as I slide in beside her.
She bites her bottom lip as she checks the time on her phone. “We don’t have a lot of time for much else.”
“Not if you’re planning on leaving at six, no.” I hit the button for the divider and the driver glances briefly in the rearview mirror before returning his gaze to the windshield. As soon as it’s closed, I turn to Cosy. I don’t get a word out before her mouth is glued to mine.
I sink into the kiss, but when her hands go to my belt, I still them and pull back.
Cosy frowns and her eyes go wide. “He can’t hear or see us, can he?”
“No, but I have a suggestion.”
“If it isn’t about having car sex before I leave for Vegas, I don’t want to hear it.”
“What if my suggestion means we could have comfortable sex, not in a car, and have it more than once.”
That gets her attention. “Go on.”
“You don’t need to be back to Vegas until Monday. You could stay in New York for a few days; we could have more time together.”
“But my ticket’s already paid for.”
I point to my chest. “Billionaire heir, remember? I can buy you a new one. I can actually buy you your own jet, but I don’t think you’d appreciate that, so maybe you’ll settle for a plane ticket and a few days in New York with me instead?”
She’s still chewing her lip. “Where will I stay?”
“With me if you want, and if you’re not comfortable with that, I can set you up in a private suite in my building. Or a hotel close by. Whatever you want, Cosy. I just want more time with you, clothed and naked. I’d also like to take you to a Broadway play, but we’re currently under a bit of a time constraint.”
“You don’t need to rent me a suite.”
“New York is stupidly expensive. You’re not footing the bill yourself.”
She arches a brow. “Hostels are cheap.”
“You’re staying in a hostel over my dead fucking body.” That comes out way more aggressively than I mean it to.
That arched brow rises higher. “Do you think I stayed in penthouse suites on my trips across the US?”
“You told me you slept in your car, with mace.”
“Sometimes. Or tents if there was a campground, and if I was feeling glamorous, I’d splurge on a hostel.” There’s a challenge in her tone.
The thought of a twenty-year-old Cosy checking into a hostel in her short shorts makes me pretty much homicidal. However, that kind of reaction isn’t going to go over all that well, so I tone down my rebuttal.
“I understand if staying with me is too much too soon for you, but I’d at least like you close by, in the same building if at all possible. If you’re staying, that is.”
“I’ll stay.”
“I’ll get you a room, then.” I pull out my phone slowly, hoping she’s going to stop me from making the call.
She covers my hand with hers. “With you, I mean. I’ll stay with you. It’s a waste of money to get me a room when you know you’re going to convince me to stay at your place anyway.”
I give the driver the go-ahead to take us home. When we pull up to my building, I have to do some serious rearranging to avoid anyone noticing the issues in my pants. Cosy thought the best way to pass the car ride was to make out. I’m about done with the foreplay bullshit.