Page 32 of Catching Mr. Right

She’s like sweet lemonade quicksand, and I am sinking into her kiss. I yank at the pink tie on her shorts while she pushes and tugs at my T-shirt. When I rear up to remove it, she fumbles with my belt until it finally comes free and she can get her hands on my fly.

“Sam,” she mumbles against my lips, her fingers hesitating on my zip.

I yank her shorts down past the paler skin of her hips and some alluring black lace. Bowing over her, I push up her shirt and press my lips to the spot above her navel. Below it. On the lace of her panties where I can smell her arousal. She’s taut skin over feminine curves, light gold and silver, sweet and tart under my tongue. “Mandy?”

Across the room my phone starts ringing. Then Mandy’s cell starts playing a tune of its own. She presses her lips together and tries not to laugh, her body shaking with holding it in. I huff out a breath as I sit up. Mandy Pearce is a man’s wet dream come true, and for one brilliant second I got a taste of that. My heart still beats so damn hard. My skin vibrates with the electricity of our stolen moment. If I was younger… freer…

“We should answer those,” Mandy props herself up on her elbows as both our phones continue to ring. Mine vibrates across the glass tabletop in a wave of thunder before nose-diving onto the carpet. Hers just doesn’t quit.

“Yup. Yeah.” I jump off the bed, crossing the room to pick up my phone. Summer’s name lights up the screen. “My sister. I should take this. Sum, what’s up?”

Mandy nods, tying her shorts before grabbing her bag. Her eyes widen and light up for a second and she smiles, then she frowns as she lifts her phone to her ear. It has to be him, doesn’t it? The creep, the sleaze, the guy she’s dating instead of me? The man she probably doesn’t realize makes her smile even after a shitty day and the stupid choices we were both about to make.

He doesn’t have my hang ups. He’s probably all in, and how the hell could he not be with a girl like her? I wish it was me. Except, I can’t in good conscience entertain any kind of future with her when this is the age during which she should be having adventures and enjoying herself.

So I try to take her to bed instead? While she’s in shock over her grandmother. What the hell was I thinking? What kind of asshole am I? Summer would kill me. She’d throw a cupcake at my head or something, and yell about how Mandy isn’t the type of girl one simply fucks with.

“Cas? Is everything okay?” She picks up her bag and slings it over her shoulder with a grimace at me and a quick finger wave at thigh level, then she heads for the door. “No, no. I’m okay. I’m fine. It was a shock. I just needed some time on my own.”

“Bye,” I mutter.

“Are you talking to me?” Summer asks.

“Of course. Why?” I try to pay attention.

“Because I asked you if you saw Mandy and you said bye.”

“Oh. Uh, I was talking to room service.”

“Right. You haven’t seen Mandy then? We’re worried about her. Her grandmother passed away, and I haven’t been able to get hold of her.”

“Nope. No.” I scratch the top of my head. Mandy didn’t mention she was with me when she was talking to Casper. It has to be because she felt guilty for what just happened, because she has feelings for the guy, right? And she doesn’t need one stupid moment where I may have taken advantage of her grief wrecking everything for her. So I probably need to keep the time she’s spent in my hotel room our little secret, for her sake. Even from my sister. Especially from Summer if I don’t want to answer a million questions about why I had Mandy alone in my hotel room when she’s vulnerable. “No I haven’t seen her at all today.”

“All right then. Call me if you see her, please.” Summer sighs.

“Will do.” I hang up and toss my phone on the bed. Not telling anyone that she was here with me is the smart thing to do. The only thing that we’ve done right this afternoon. Though we only kissed, but we were so close. I need to be more careful, need to make sure I use my head around the girl so it doesn’t happen again.

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