Page 8 of Tempted

His gaze never left mine as his fingers moved in and out of my mouth, gliding across my tongue. He pushed them forward, reaching a bit too far, making me gag.

Leaning forward, he rubbed his nose against mine.

“I think you want someone to see you and to fuck your mouth raw.”

Before I could react, he claimed my mouth, his tongue sucking, his teeth biting. I shivered, keeping up with each stroke of his tongue, before he abruptly stepped back and looked down at me.

“I can tell you what to do because you love this. You’re curious. And you want more. See you in twenty.” He spun on his heel, grabbed his suit jacket, and strolled out of the bathroom.

I could hear him through the door, “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am. Can you believe I walked into the wrong restroom? I scared thatpoor woman to death and dropped my drink in my rush to leave. May want to watch your step as you come inside. I think I got all the glass, but I’m on my way to grab an attendant to clean up.”

I barely had time to pick up my jaw off the floor as someone breezed in and looked from the ground to me.

“Men,” she said with a laugh, heading for a stall.

“Yeah, men,” I breathed, holding tight to my somersaulting stomach and looking at my flushed face in the mirror.

Men in-fucking-deed.

I spent the next five minutes sitting in the very comfy chair conveniently placed outside of the bathroom. When I closed my eyes, I could still smell him, still feel his strong grip on my thighs, holding me open against the cold marble of the sink. My lips were still puffy and sensitive, I licked them again, enjoying the pleasure it gave me.

Hugh had given me a choice. Options that felt straightforward and simple, but he knew it wasn’t simple. Not with the way that we responded to one another. He woke up something inside of me that I didn’t know existed.

Dared me to think about myself, my pleasure, taking and giving control. Because control is what it was about. I was in charge all the time because I knew that the safety I craved most wouldn’t be found relying on anyone else.

Today, I felt safe, I gave in to something and it cracked open a door. I could shut it, or I could kick it open. I had to decide, and I had to decide now.

Taking a steeling breath, I stood, tearing forward, determined.

I smiled and waved as I walked, scanning the crowded room for Curtis. It took me a few minutes, but I finally spotted him.He was talking with a few of my colleagues, smiling and being the social butterfly, he was born to be. An hour ago, I would’ve charged over, hoping to prevent him from saying something that could embarrass me, but I sat back and watched him chat.

This wasn’t the Curtis that I saw every day. The one in sweats, gaming headset on, screaming into a microphone thirteen hours a day while the mess piled up around him. This Curtis was easy to smile and charming. When he spotted me, the smile faded, and he excused himself, walking over to meet me.

“You’ve been gone for almost forty-five minutes.” He said, his tone admonishing.

“A client has an emergency. We chatted about what they need, but I have to head back to the office.” The lie came easier than I expected it to.

“This was supposed to be our night. I’ve been looking forward to it.” Curtis slammed back the rest of his drink and I placed my hand on his arm. It was the same story as always, why was I ruining his fun?

No mention of the fact that he was late or that this party was for my career. It was my opportunity to connect with clients and further grow partnerships. Clients that I had to keep to pay for the electricity and Wi-Fi he gamed on all day while he “looked” for the perfect job.

My smile was wooden as I grabbed his empty glass from his hands and placed it down on a table. It wasn’t lost on me that when my hand grazed his there were no fireworks, no marching band was playing in my body, no flutter in my soul.

The party was still in full swing and would be until the early morning, but he didn’t need to know that. All he needed to see was the inside of a cab.

“I’m so sorry. Walk me out? Did you drive?” I pulled him gently, and he walked with me, side by side, through the throng of people and out into the cold night air.

“I took a ride-share,” he said, sounding affronted. Of course, he didn’t drive like we’d agreed.

“Let’s get you a cab.”

The city was breezy, whipping past me and making me shiver. I hugged my abdomen and thanked the heavens that a line of taxis was waiting across the street from the hotel.

I waved at the one closest to us. The driver waved back and hopped in, turning on the engine and doing a U-turn to pull up in front of us.

“I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I know your work is important.” Curtis sounded sincerely apologetic. But, as usual, it was for all the wrong things. I rubbed his arm as he opened the taxi door.

“We can talk in the morning,” I said.

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