Page 61 of Under the Ink

“This is me right here,” he said, pausing at a room near the end of the hall. When he slid the card in the slot, he waited till the little light turned green and a tiny click indicated they could enter. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open, again letting Naomi enter before him.

When he switched on the light in the little alcove, she took in the expanse of the room—a suite complete with kitchenette, living room area, and balcony. No doubt her room was a standard arrangement of mostly a sleeping area.

One of the perks of being in the band.

This time, though, she didn’t say anything. Almost like she owned the place, she walked into the kitchenette and Sage flipped on another switch to illuminate the area. Really, all he wanted to do was sink his cock deep inside her, but he had the impression that, no matter how strong this woman was on the outside, inside she seemed to have a timid streak.

The last thing he wanted was for her to rabbit…which meant he should probably let her take the lead.

She started opening various cabinet doors, finally pausing at the one beside the refrigerator. “Do you mind if I get a couple of glasses out? To pour the brandy?”

In the phony British accent he’d always used with her, he said, “What? And act civilized?”

Mimicking him, she said, “Perish the thought!” Then she took out two short glasses and opened the bottle, filling up both glasses just shy of the rims. Handing one to Sage, she said, “Cheers.”

Finally dropping the accent, he echoed her sentiment. “Cheers indeed.”

Taking a long gulp, she said, “The irony isn’t lost on me, by the way. I’m pretty sure brandy was made for sipping and relishing—and didn’t you say they used it for, like, after a meal where they enjoyed it with a cigar?”

“I don’t have any stogies here, babe. But I thought it came before the meal.”

The way she arched her eyebrow—as if questioning why he’d called her babe—for some reason sent the blood swirling again. Goddamn it, he was like a middle school kid where even a simple breeze could make him grow stiff. And he didn’t know why the fuck he’d called her that anyway. Naomi didn’t seem to be the kind of woman who would appreciate a nickname like that.

“I wouldn’t smoke it anyway. I’m just saying…I know it’s not the typical drink of choice for people who want to get hammered.”

“It just makes you more sophisticated.”

After she finished laughing, she polished off the glass, all but slamming it on the counter. Jesus Christ in a whiskey bottle. Until that moment, Sage hadn’t realized how much liquor this woman could hold.

Maybe it gave her the courage she thought she needed—because after he took another swallow from his glass, she got close, placing her hands on his chest.

He didn’t need to be told twice. Setting the glass on the counter behind him, he placed his hands on her lovely pale cheeks and let the fucking blood in his body rush wherever it wanted to. This woman made him as hard as granite, and he didn’t care if she knew it.

Still, he had to hold himself back. He wanted to ravish her, take her, pound the shit out of her.

But this first time he just knew…he knew he had to take his time, tread lightly.

Unless, of course, she had other designs. Because that sweet tender kiss turned rough quickly. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him through the kitchen area. Pointing at the door just off the living area, she asked, “Is that the bedroom?”

“Yeah.”

As she pulled his willing arm toward the room, he had a fleeting thought that he wasn’t completely surprised that this woman would want a traditional experience. Underneath the harsh makeup and armor-like vibes, she was a fragile, vulnerable soul.

And he’d be sure to protect the shit out of her.

Just inside the door, she pressed him against the wall and kissed him hard. The way her tongue clashed with his made his breath quicken. Yeah, it might have been a while since he’d had a good fucking, but he got the feeling tonight was going to make up for all that shit.

Through his jeans, his solid cock could feel her warmth and he wanted nothing more than to plunge into her right now. And when he felt her hands on the zipper, he knew she felt the same way.

But, even though he was solely focused on the end game, it seemed like they should slow down. So although his lips were still locked onto hers, he reached for the light switch.

He wanted to see her whole body…and maybe kiss every inch of it.

Beforereleasing everything inside him.

But she said, “Leave it off.”

He got ready to protest—but even in the ambient light, her eyes spoke volumes. The way her pupils took up her entire eye—it could have been because it was dark in there…but it felt almost like fear.

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