“More than I care to remember, but it means a lot coming from a lovely woman like you. I would like to continue this conversation somewhere more private. What do you say we have this conversation at the hotel across the street?"
I raise my brows, wondering how many women he had propositioned in nightclubs like this and on this very night.
“Is this how you usually ask a woman to accompany you to a hotel?”
“No, it’s the women that do the inviting.”
“Oh,” I say to his bluntness.
“So, what do you say? I have a suite reserved for—different occasions. We can have a drink, and then you decide how far it goes. I promise you, I can take no for an answer.” His features form severe angles when he says this.
I bite my bottom lip and shake my foot. What was I supposed to say? Hell, what was I supposed to do? I have never picked up a stranger in a nightclub or even had a one-night stand. Even if what I’m about to do is considered cheating on Chris, I’m planning to break up with him anyway. Chris’s attention has been directed elsewhere for a while. So, I do something far from the normal me. I drain my glass, pick up my purse and say, “Let’s go.”
His mouth curves up into a sexy grin. We head out into the warm night.
"Good evening, Mister—” the doorman starts to greet Sterling before he abruptly cuts him off.
“Abe, nice to see you again." He nods, and keeps walking, taking my hand in his. He leads me past the front desk without stopping for a keycard.
“Don’t you need—” I start to say, but I’m cut off.
“Like I said, I have a reserved spot at this hotel. So, I don’t need a keycard. I have a personal code to enter the penthouse."
“Oh.” I feel more puzzled by the minute. So, maybe that’s how the rich live among us commoners.
Sterling and I ride up to the penthouse on the glass elevator, and we step into the luxurious Carrara marble-floored living room hand in hand. The large windows catch my attention. They remind me of a mall front with lights from across the city gleaming from the darkness.
My hand slips from Sterling’s, and I walk over to the bank of windows. The city of Memphis seems far away, making me feel like I’m in another universe. This is another first for me. “Oh my God, this place is magnificent. I’ve never been in a penthouse,” I say with too much excitement.
I glance back, and my gaze clashes with Sterling’s where he is sitting on the couch. I notice that he’s discarded his suit jacket, and his silk tie hangs loosely around his neck. His sleeves are rolled up to his forearms.
Wow, he really is gorgeous. It should be a shame for a man to be that beautiful. I pass my tongue along my bottom lip, and I quickly close my mouth to stop myself from salivating.
The attraction I have for this man is off the charts. So much so that a pulsing tingle throbs between my thighs. Sterling seems like a man who breaks through walls to get what he wants out of life. A man who is as solid as a rock and doesn’t back down. A man who’s in complete control over every aspect of his life. He’s as different from Chris as night and day.
“Come here,” he commands.
I don't think of disobeying his command. Instead, my eyes trace along his strong jawline as I slowly make my way over on four-inch heels. I mentally imagine how he would feel deep inside my core.
“Don’t be nervous, Ayana.” Sterling’s voice is like smooth silk. Suddenly he stands to his feet and leans to press his hot mouth against mine. I gasp, and Sterling breathes me in as his hands go to my hips, digging into the dip of my curvaceous frame. "God, you smell fucking divine. I can’t wait to taste your deliciousness.”
“Mm, what?” I ask, feeling flushed all over.
Sterling’s gaze holds a mix of desire and dominance. “Oh, I think you heard me, sweetheart.”
He pops open my blouse buttons one at a time. he tugs the silky shirt off me and throws it on the floor, exposing the flesh of my bare stomach. I fill my lungs with his scent as he places a soft kiss against my neck. Citrus with a hint of spice impales my senses—all male. I quiver when I feel the nip of his teeth against my flesh. Then he takes my lips, my mouth opens to receive his plundering tongue, and I moan. “You have fuckable lips,'' he says just before his whiskey scented mouth slams against mine, and my hands go to his hair, disheveling the mane as I sift my fingers through it. He pulls his head back and slides his tongue across the fullness of my bottom lip, and I let out a moan.
It's nirvana feeling his lips pepper kisses across my face. I slide my hands down his chiseled chest then work my way back up it, loosening each button of his dress shirt. My hands rake over the soft fine hairs on his chest. Sterling inhales deeply when my fingers strum over his tight abs. I love how hard and firm he feels against my touch. This man is a piece of art, and I want him to have his way with me.
“So sweet,” he murmurs against my mouth. “I'm going to eat you up.”
I let out another moan. The thought of him devouring me makes me wetter than I already am. Finally, after endlessly kissing me, Sterling pulls away. I follow as he backs away and undoes his tie.
“Finish undressing," he directs me. Within seconds, he's shirtless and is a vision of rippling six-pack abs and sculpted shoulders. He throws his clothes on the floor, then reaches for his belt buckle and slips the belt from the loops before disposing of his slacks.
I'm hypnotized by his body—by his raw masculinity.
“Just beautiful,” he says as I strip out of my skirt and down to my pink bra and panties. “Off with the underwear. I want to see all of you.”