He reached across the table and ran his thumb over the corner of my mouth.
The urge to run my tongue over the tip, to suck his thumb into my mouth, twisted my stomach into knots.
The waiter arrived to clear our plates, giving me time to catch my breath.
Outside our little alcove, the restaurant was packed. The bar was to the left of us and several people stood waiting for their drinks. My gaze snagged on one figure, standing alone at the end. He had on jeans and a button down shirt and his ball-cap was pulled down low over his eyes, but I could feel his eyes on me.
My lungs seized and I couldn't take a breath in.
Jacob was there. It wasn’t possible. My hands shook so badly that I knocked over my water. Chills washed over me and I wrapped my arms around myself. The man had not moved. He just stood there, staring at me.
“Skylar, what’s wrong?” Madden asked.
I tried to speak but my voice was frozen. How had Jacob found me here? The sickly taste of bile coated the back of my throat. Too soon. I needed more time to disappear. I pushed away from the table so fast that my chair tipped over.
The floor under my feet tilted and I started to fall. Strong arms swept me up, cradling me like a child. I buried my face in Madden’s neck. His familiar scent enveloped me, helped to control the panic building inside.
I glanced back into the dining room, towards the man with the ball-cap pulled down low. He moved away from the bar to a table full of people, and when he tipped his head back, I saw that it wasn’t Jacob after all.
Tears of relief burned in my eyes. “Can you take me back to the room please?’ I whispered.
“Do you need a doctor?” Madden asked. His long strides ate up the distance between the dining room and the elevator. Curious glances shot our way but he ignored every single one.
“No, I just need…” What did I need? I let my head fall back and I stared up at Madden. I wanted to not feel scared. I wanted to feel pleasure to take away the sharp taste of fear. That’s what I needed. The elevator dinged and he stepped inside. We were the only ones there.
I closed my eyes and breathed in.
“I need you.” I pressed my lips to the column of his neck and his arms tightened around me. The stubble along his jaw scraped across my lips and I shifted so that my arms wound around his neck and I could reach his mouth. One tentative kiss was all I dared. I glanced up and found him staring down at me.
He slid my legs down until I could stand on my own, then he turned and crowded me into the corner. He was bigger and stronger, but he didn’t scare me.
It was just the opposite, in fact. Excitement danced up my spine. This was what I wanted to focus on.
“I don’t know what spooked you back there,” he said. “But if we’re doing this, I want you to be one hundred percent present with me. I will demand everything from you tonight, Skylar, and you need to understand that. Inside that bedroom, you are mine. Your body is mine. Are you ready for that?”
I wrapped my fingers around his wrists and dragged his hands down over my chest. When they covered my bre**asts, I let them go and dropped my arms. “Tonight, I am yours, Madden.”
A low growl came from his lips and he leaned in close.
Ding.
The elevator slid open but he didn't move. His hands were still cupping my bre**asts and he was close enough that I felt the bulge through his dress pants. What was he waiting for? “There’s something I have to check first. Something that has been making me crazy since the lobby.” He slid one hand down over my hip, then my thigh, until he found the slit in my dress and I felt his touch on my bare skin. Then ever so slowly, he moved up and under the material.
I jolted when he slipped his hand to my inner thigh. I dug my fingernails into his shoulders when he ran one finger between my legs.
“Fuck,” he hissed. “So wet already, Skylar?”
There was no barrier at all between his touch and my skin. I rocked my hi**ps, pushing myself along his finger. Shocks shot through my body. It wouldn't take much more to spin me over the edge.
“So close aren’t you?” His dark eyes glittered with desire and he swiped his finger over my cl**it twice. My back arched. Just one more touch. I could feel myself hovering right there, every nerve ending stretched to the limit, ready to let go. My legs trembled. Air staggered in and out of my lungs.
He squeezed my bre**ast and ran his thumb over my nipple through the fabric. It only tightened the bow further.
“Please,” I moaned. Too many hours of teasing had brought me to this point. I needed release.
“Not until I say you can,” he nipped the skin on my shoulder and pulled his hand free. My dress fell back into place and I stared blankly at him, unable to form a thought.