Page 29 of Inarticulate

Chapter Eleven

Within seconds Savannahwas on the phone, insuring reception gave Keenan a card to gain access to the elevator. They weren’t going to mess things up this time. They would see this through. There would be no interruptions from meddling cousins, no misunderstandings. She would have him. No words, no doubts, just no-strings, high-cardio sex that she could shove back in Spencer’s face.

“Oh, shit.”

Her heart rate increased from excitement to horror. She was naked under the robe, her face was probably a smudged mess of mascara and foundation, and she wasn’t even sure if her legs needed a decent shave.

“Oh, fuck.”

Breathe.Relax. She’d just bathed, her body parts should be prime frangipani goodness. But her hair… She ran to the hall mirror and the air left her lungs in relief at her reflection. Her mascara was tight, her cheeks flushed, and her hair pulled up in the butterfly clip had a messy, damsel in distress vibe going that didn’t look all that unappealing.

It would have to do. She wasn’t going to pull out the girlie card and leave him standing at the door so she had a few more minutes to impress him. Yeah, he was sexy. Yeah, he was mysterious as all hell. But she wasn’t going to hyperventilate over imperfection. Not any more than she already had.

She turned back to the room, skimming her vision over the perfectly made bed, the messy table with her laptop and notes scattered everywhere, and finally rested her glare on the disaster that was her suitcase.

A knock sounded on the door behind her, loud and authoritative. The noise ricocheted through the room, her chest, and settled in her heart.Thump thump, thump thump.

She padded down the short hall, an extra sway to her hips, and opened the door. She stood tall, barefoot, and surrounded in fluffy, white material, while he held an air of cool, calm, and collected. His hands were in his pockets, short wisps of his hair falling over his forehead as he peered up under his thick lashes at her.

“Hi.” She tried to clear the arousal from her throat. Tried and failed. His eyes were intense. Dark silver depths holding her against her will.

“I…um…”

He raised a lazy finger to his mouth, demanding silence in the simplest of actions. He stalked forward, once, twice, and even though she didn’t want to retreat, the pure confidence ebbing off him had her sliding from reach. His presence frightened her. It also invigorated. The mere sight of him placed her on a roller coaster rife with sharp bends and terrifying dips.

She’d never been nervous around men, yet Keenan wasn’t merely a man. He was above and beyond. He was one in a million, someone unique and fascinating.

The door drifted shut as he continued to stalk her into the middle of the room, the bed to her right, the television to her left. She was running out of space. Running out of oxygen.

She planted her feet, raised her chin, and swallowed over the palpable chemistry flittering through the air between them. He stopped, too, mere inches from her. His gaze raked her body like a feather, deliciously soft, gliding over her skin, lingering on places she wanted him to touch. To taste.

His hand rose, the calloused palm moving to cup her cheek and steal her breath. There had never been a moment in her life when she’d wanted to be controlled. Not at work. Not in previous relationships. But in this moment, every part of her ached for his mastery. She wanted to be commanded by his eyes alone. To be manipulated by the strength in his grip and the fierceness in his expression. She didn’t need his endearments or his compliments. She didn’t need words at all.

He glided his fingers to the back of her hair and released the clip. Strands fell to her shoulders and tickled her neck as he placed the hair piece on the television stand, his focus never leaving her.

She had no power to look away. No strength. She was at his mercy.

Willingly.

Wholeheartedly.

He cherished every part of her face with his scrutiny, taking in her appearance like she was a puzzle he wanted to not only complete, but immortalize. With each breath he inched closer—his legs, his chest, his lips.

Time quickened with the rapid pulse of blood in her ears, and the outside world ceased to exist. There was no Rydel or Grandiosity. No Penny or Dominic. There was only Keenan and the chilling, steel eyes she would never forget.

The heat of his exhalations brushed her lips. It was an excruciating tease, a caress of awareness that lasted a lifetime before his mouth descended, taking hers in a kiss so gentle and soft she whimpered in sensation overload.

She closed her eyes at his expertise and placed her palms inside the opening of his jacket to rest on the hard planes of his chest. He parted her lips with his tongue, deepening the connection, manipulating her emotions. They were one, their bodies fused with anticipation, their mouths molded in passion.

It was just a kiss, not unlike any other in physical form, yet everything inside her was different. Her heart was rampant, her lips tingled.

She wanted more.

Sheneededmore.

There would never be enough.

His fingers continued to hold her, his grip tightening in her hair. The palm of his free hand came to rest on her waist and slowly descended. She could feel the trail it made as if he were burning her beneath the robe. From her hip, then slowly to her ass. He palmed her flesh in his grasp and ground into her, making her moan at the distinct hardness of his erection at her abdomen.

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