Page 17 of Beck and Call

I turned to look out the window, having lost the desire to fight. He had a point, and I supposed I shouldn't have been expected to cover unexpected expenses on a business trip.

"Fine, but later. I'm not hungry right now."

We went back to the hotel and stepped on the elevator. Beckett pushed the button for the fourteenth floor. Once he stepped back, I pushed the button for the twelfth floor.

"You still owe me that talk," he reminded me.

The elevator slowed to a stop on my floor. I started to get out, but he grabbed my elbow and pulled me back. "Now's a good time. We're going to my room."

Chapter Six

It only took moments for the elevator to climb to the fourteenth floor, and for us to stumble inside his room. As soon as the door clicked shut, he caged me against it. Then he gently brought both his hands up, framing my face. "Do you want space from me?"

My breath came in shallow pants. "No," I whispered.

"Then why did you get your own room? If you had a problem with the accommodations, you only needed to say something."

I scoffed. "Me? You're giving me whiplash. One minute you're coming on strong and then you're running away to the bar when you found out we were stuck in the same room together. I've just been trying to give you the space you seemed to need. I thought you had second thoughts and wanted to be alone."

"Remember when I said I needed a distraction when we met?”

I nodded.

“The paparazzi usually follow me everywhere I go, and they ended up bothering a friend of mine who doesn’t need to be bothered.”

“I understand why you need some privacy. I’ll make sure they grabbed my things and we can meet up at breakfast in the morning to go over your schedule for the day.”

Beckett pressed his body against mine. “Am I trying to get away from you now?"

I shook my head. My heart felt like it was trying to beat out of my rib cage.

"No, I'm not, and I'm not letting you run away from me either."

"Do you see me running?" I threw back at him.

His lips descended on mine, firm and demanding. One of his hands remained cradled against the side of my face, while his other hand trailed down my neck, to my shoulder, brushing lightly past my breast, and grabbed hold of my waist. His fingers dug into my flesh, pulling until my body was flush against his.

I felt desperate and needy, like I was burning from the inside out and only he could help me. Our mouths parted, and my head fell back to thump against the door. He began to trail light kisses down the side of my neck, making my body erupt in goose bumps.

I felt alive in a way I never had before. Instinctively, I put my arms came around him, holding him to me. The hand he had at my waist resumed its path down my body. Suddenly, he lifted me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist to steady myself.

With me securely wrapped around him, he walked us deeper into the room. Instead of walking to the bed, like I anticipated, he set me down on top of the dresser.

His hands landed on either side of me on the polished wood surface, and his head hung down, as if he was praying. When he raised his head his eyes burned blue fire. My breath caught in my throat, and I knew I was out of my depth.

I was ensnared in his gaze and didn't see him move his hands. Without warning, he grabbed both my knees and pulled them apart. My dress rose, exposing most of my thighs.

"You don't need this anymore." His voice dropped lower than it had been.

Pulling on the bow at my waist, my dress fell open, exposing the lingerie the personal shopper thought to purchase for me. It was sheer black lace and left nothing to the imagination.

He stepped back and began to undress. Slowly, he worked the knot of his tie until it fell open. It fluttered to the floor, landing near his leather shoes. Then his fingers plucked at each button on his shirt. It hung on either side of his chest, revealing muscles carved from flesh. With a twist, he unfastened his cuff links, and let his shirt join his tie at his feet.

My eyes feasted on the skin he exposed. In a suit, he was a refined global tycoon, but out of it he was a primal predator. A thrill coursed through me as I recognized the look in his eyes. If he was the predator, I was the prey, but there would not be a chase. I was completely ensnared by him.

Moving gracefully toward me, he grabbed my knees and pulled us together.

I gasped. My eyes locked on his, and some of the fog cleared out of my mind.

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