Page 150 of Now and Forever

Chapter 51

There was no going back inside after what I had just done. Cori might be wondering where I was, but I had a feeling that the boys would make an excuse for me. I didn’t have the willpower to face him, nor could I summon the courage to tell Drew where my thoughts were at the moment. We had just shared the most explosive sex, and I couldn’t bring myself to rock the boat.

Zipped up and patiently waiting, I took a moment to gather my bearings. Without a word from him, I could feel the weight of his gaze.

“Drew …”

He immediately closed the small distance between us, placing a finger against my lips with a soft look. “Shh, no more, not tonight … please. Let’s just be us, just us, just you and me. We have tomorrow for talking, but tonight, I want nothing else except you.”

Oh, Lord. When had he become such a hopeless Romeo? Had we really reached a place where there was no turning back?

“I don’t have my phone. My clutch is with the boys.”

“I’ll phone the bar on our way. Don’t worry, okay? I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay.”

From there, we hailed a cab. He took me to Mandarin Oriental Hotel, a place that was right next to Central Park, where he effortlessly booked the best available suite. Oddly, he seemed to know his way around here, as if he were quite at ease, so much so that the doorman greeted him by name. This was the shag spot where he normally brought his women, then. That had to be it— a fancy hotel for his pretty models.

Okay, I couldn’t help being such a bitch about his fuck shack, but I was getting better at zipping my loud mouth. He meant to have me all night long, and heaven, help me, I wanted it just as much, if not more.

Fuck the dark, sexy Cori’s of the world; this man was all I had ever wanted. He was more than enough. And as much as I hated the thought of him bringing women here, my arousal didn’t ebb. In fact, it escalated to a fever pitch.

“Tired?” He smiled, pulling me against him before kissing me slowly while I heard the elevator doors close behind us.

Coming up for air, I held on to him as I looked up at him. “Yeah, a little. And a little drunk.”

As he pressed his lips to my cheek, I could feel him smile against my skin. “Want to join me for a bath?”

“Need you ask?” I would do anything in a heartbeat to prolong this side of him.

He was pensive as he caressed my cheek. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight? I like this new look, but I prefer you without any artifice. Just you with your messy hair, that smile you make when I do something you like while you wear one of my shirts, waiting for me to join you in bed.” Despite his words, there was something in his tone that gave away how he wasn’t all that pleased.

“Are you saying you don’t like my hair? The dress? The makeup? That’s not what I heard tonight.”

He became tense as something flashed in his eyes. “I saw how he almost had you on the floor. If I didn’t interrupt, he’d probably have you in one of the bathroom stalls in thirty minutes tops.”

How long had he been there? The entire time? Had he been tracking me since I’d left the condo? Who knew when this sexy beast had turned into my stalker? It troubled me just as it amazed me how he had gone to such great lengths to get what he wanted—me.

I remembered how I had been with Cori and how welcoming I had been to his advances. Little had I known that this hot stalker had been there to watch my every move. It was overwhelming, but the ultimate die-hard side of me relished the idea that he was somewhat obsessive. He was jealous, and I didn’t pity him one bit, because I had gone through far worse, a harrowing experience endured for years. And in regards to Cori and my behavior … Well, there wasn’t much to be said.

He took in my silence before I heard a low growl from his chest. “You like him,” he accusingly stated.

I did. Anyone with eyes could see I did, so why keep harping on the damn subject? Why couldn’t he let it go? I was here with him, wasn’t I? Did it bruise his ego since Cori was the first man who had sparked my interest since God had granted this earth a Drew Cavendish? He best get over it and fast, because I wasn’t going to apologize.

I decided to opt out of responding, so I did what any other guilty person would—pretended I hadn’t heard anything I chose, instead, to mend the tiny gap between us by reaching up to kiss him on the lips and was unexpectedly greeted with a cool, reluctant response, which ticked me off more than I cared to admit.

“You saidto leave the talking for tomorrow; how about we stick to the plan?” I timidly pointed out.

Unpredictably, he gave a strained smile while barely looking me in the eye. “I need a moment. I’ll eventually get used to it.”

Without uttering another word, I minded myself while keeping close to him. His revelation was quite astounding, yet I wasn’t all that bit surprised. What shocked me was how casually he had confessed to it. He just wasn’t the type to divulge his feelings toward anyone, so for him to address it loudly, it spoke volumes.

Our suite overlooked Central Park and Manhattan’s skyline. Squashing the thought that he had probably done this to every woman he brought here, I dwelled on the scene below me.

Being with him made me feel alive. Never had I felt more attuned to my femininity, my body language, my surroundings, and even the air I breathed. My senses bloomed like a budding flower on a spring morning, vividly capturing the beauty around me and the very man who had bewitched me, lighting a fire within me, brighter than anything I could ever imagine. He awoke that carnal instinct that was deeply intrinsic within the walls of my restraint, igniting that animalistic part of me to come out and play. I felt unhindered, drunk in love, and we had barely begun.

While I gazed about the room, the powerful, magnetic heat of those devouring eyes followed me, waiting, preying.

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