Paradise Lost (Private 9)

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lifting her cylinder clutch. "We've only attended this party a thousand times before."

"Last-minute desperate attempt to reland her man," Noelle confirmed. "And as much as I love the girl, I'll be the first to call it. Time of death of her relationship with Upton? The second Reed arrived on St. Barths."

She yanked open the door and held it for the three of us. I took one last look in the mirror, my grin spreading so wide I thought it might break my face. Upton really was mine. All mine. Noelle laughed behind my back as I sashayed past her, but I ignored it. Let her think what she wanted to think. I didn't care anymore. My heart was officially pinned to my sleeve.

Or it would have been, if I'd had any sleeves to pin it to.

As I rejoined the party behind my friends, they dispersed to the various tables and games, but I hung back. Standing near the door, I could take in the entire room. I saw Noelle join Dash at the roulette wheel, slipping her arm under his jacket and around his back. Saw Kiran sidle up to the craps table, where she blew on Graham's dice for luck. Saw Taylor grab the chair next to Tiffany's at blackjack and toss down the last of her chips with a clatter. But where was Upton? My breath grew shallow, labored. I had to find Upton.

Then, as if he felt me searching, Upton got up from one of the two poker tables and looked around. My eyes caught his and the room was on fire. I felt choked up. Like I wouldn't be able to breathe until he touched me. He crossed the room so quickly, I knew he felt it too. His hand went right to my wrist, and my breath caught all over again.

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"I can't take this anymore," Upton whispered in my ear. "I need to be with you."

My brain went all fuzzy as one word escaped my lips. "Where? " His hand closed around mine. "I know a place," he said. And we were off.

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CHAPTER 37 OPEN OCEAN

Upton opened the door to a small yet luxuriously appointed stateroom and let me slip inside first. The queen-size bed, covered in red velvet and gold silk, took up most of the space, and the crystal chandelier overhead tinkled with every shift of the ocean. My first thought was that creepy Mr. and Mrs. Ryan slept here. But I decided to let that go.

"I don't think anyone saw us sneak off," Upton said, closing the door quietly behind us.

"Yeah, I don't care if they did," I said.

I grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss that would have knocked his socks off, if that were in any way physically possible. Caught off guard, Upton just managed to slip his hands around my waist before we tripped back onto the bed together. I laughed through our kiss, ridiculously giddy, an

d slid backward, away from him, until my head met the huge feather pillows.

"God, you look gorgeous tonight," Upton said, shedding his tux

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jacket and loosening his tie as he crawled across the bed toward me.

"That was the plan," I replied.

"The plan?" Upton asked, eyebrows raised. He ran his hand up over the waistline of my dress, let his fingertips skitter ever so gently over my breast, and then cupped my cheek. I had to bite down on my tongue to keep from giggling over the thrills that went through my body.

"Yes, the plan. Look gorgeous, make you salivate, lure you to some private locale, and have my way with you," I said with a grin.

"I like this plan. I very much approve of this plan," Upton said.

"Good." I rolled onto my side and gave him a quick shove so that he was flat on his back. "Then let's get on with it."

As I leaned in to kiss him, Upton looked both amazed and impressed. I knew the feeling. I couldn't believe how totally take-charge I was being. But why not? This was what I wanted. Right here, right now, in this moment, Upton was all I wanted. And I was going to go after what I wanted from this moment on. No more hesitating, no more sniveling, no more begging or pleading. I was a new Reed. A lucky Reed. And Upton was about to reap the benefits.

I leaned back, my lips buzzing from Upton's kisses, and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. My hands slid over his perfectly taut stomach, and I leaned in to kiss his chest--something I had never done to any guy, ever. Upton let out a little moan and reached for the side zipper on my dress. I let him tug it down and felt the fabric fall open. Nothing was exposed yet, but the chill of the air rushing in over my skin made my breath catch.

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"Come here," he whispered.

Then he grabbed my upper arms and pulled me on top of him. His hand found the back of my neck, and he pulled me into the deepest kiss yet. My hands could not stop searching his body. His arms, his waist, his face, his shoulders. I just wanted to touch every part of him. Feel every single part of him.