Page 4 of Closing the Distance

I give her my own smile as my interest in her skyrockets. “No, you most certainly are not.”

THREE

As soon as the elevator doors close in his fancy apartment building, my body is crowded against the wall, and Ty’s lips crash down on mine. My whole body melts against his while heat licks across every nerve ending, setting my skin on fire with a lust I’ve never felt before. I’ve never wanted a man this badly, but after hours of flirting, all I want is for him to keep kissing me like he needs me to breathe.

All night long, there have been small touches between the two of us, steamy looks, and a growing tension like someone was pulling a rubber band taut until it was about to snap. But unlike Devon and Blaire, he didn’t kiss me at the club, which honestly, only made me want him more.

My hands grip his hips and pull him against me, grinding on his thigh while his hard bulge rubs against my belly.

“Fuck, Lexi,” he curses before his hands slide into my hair, holding me exactly how he wants me, and his tongue licks across my lips. I grant him entry, wanting nothing more than to feel his tongue against mine. My hips have a mind of their own and grind against him, seeking some kind of reprieve from the out-of-control desire coursing through my body.

The ding of the elevator breaks through my lust fog and he pulls away, clearly reluctant if the heavy sigh is any indication. “God, I can’t wait to get you naked.”

Same. But my brain is hazy and blissed-out from his drugging kiss, and no words come out of my mouth.

He grabs my hand, and I follow him out of the elevator, barely aware of our surroundings because I’m so distracted by him. His hair is disheveled and his clothes a little less perfect than they were when we met at the club, but he’s still sexy as hell with his strong jaw peppered with some scruff, and those tattoos that I want to trace with my tongue. And goddamn, can the man kiss.

He opens the door in front of us and allows me to walk inside. I already texted Blaire the address just as a precaution, but now that I’m walking in front of him and not distracted by how hot he is and how badly I want him, I’m suddenly very aware of how high-end his place is.

It looks like a professional did the interior design. It certainly doesn’t have the typical bachelor pad look I was expecting. Everything is white, black, and stainless steel. It’s modern, but perfectly placed rugs make it also feel comfortable. It looks like something I’d see in a magazine featuring a rich bachelor pad, and in this part of LA, given the sheer size of his place, there’s no doubt this guy is loaded.

The door shuts and I spin around to face him. He’s gripping his neck and staring around his place as if he’s embarrassed or something. I’m not sure what he could possibly be embarrassed about. It’s not even messy like I would’ve expected from a bachelor pad.

And then a horrible thought hits me, and I want to puke.

“You’re not married, are you?”

His brown eyes widen. “What?! No. Why would you think that?”

I glance around his relatively spotless apartment. “Because I’ve never met a man who keeps a place this clean unless he was married or in a very serious relationship.”

His shoulders drop and a small smile lifts his lips. “No relationship. Not for over a year now. But my mom would kill me if she discovered she raised a slob. I hire a cleaning service to come over once a week, and I maintain it the rest of the time.”

“Oh.” The frantic beating of my heart settles again.

“Oh? Nothing else?” he asks, walking forward, his heated gaze locked on mine and trapping me in my spot.

“No,” I whisper as he gets within a foot of me, staring down at me like he finds me endlessly fascinating.

And beautiful.

It’s there in his gaze, his attraction to me. It’s a type of focus I can honestly say I’ve never had from a man before. He’s been attentive to me all night, even when the waitress in the VIP lounge tried to flirt and show off her cleavage every time she dropped off drinks or food. He never once wavered in giving me every ounce of his attention. It made me feel special in a way that also makes me nervous.

This is supposed to be casual. He’s not supposed to make me feel anything besides sexual attraction. But there’s a weight to his stare that is definitely more than casual, and it’s right there on the tip of my tongue to ask him about his life. The desire to learn more about this man who came out of nowhere is strong, and it’s making me rethink my stance on how this night is supposed to go.

No.

One night only. I’m letting loose. That’s all. I don’t have time for a relationship anyway.

I ignore the pang of disappointment that follows that lie. Blaire’s the first person in a long time who put in the effort to climb over my steel walls and get to know me. I don’t let people in, but there’s a big part of me that wants to let this guyin, and that’s so terrifying, I banish the thought immediately.

This night with him has been perfect. Anything more and he’ll probably show his true colors like every other man from my past. And none of those colors were ever pretty. I don’t want to learn that Ty is like all the rest.So, one night is all we’ll have, and I’ll be able to cherish the memory instead of letting him taint it.

“Kiss me,” I plead.

“Gladly,” he murmurs before his lips are back on mine and he’s plundering my mouth with his tongue like he wants to learn every inch of it. I moan against him and sag into his body. His hands swoop me up into a bridal carry as he walks us somewhere farther into his apartment. I hope it’s his bedroom because I need to feel his naked body on mine more than I need my next breath.

He pushes open a door at the end of the hall and then sets me down on his bed. I frantically go for his shirt buttons, but he grabs my hands, stopping me. “Not so fast there, sweetheart. I plan to take my time with you, unless you’re in a rush to leave?”

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