Sinful Ever After (Sinful Serenade Book 5) (30 page)

He shakes his head.

"How long will it take to get there?"

His eyes go to the clock. Then to the sign on the side of the road. "Another twenty minutes."

Between that, whatever it is we're doing, and the return trip, that's a long time until we'll be naked in our hotel room.

He looks so fucking hot in his tight v-neck. And the eyeliner.

God damn, I created a monster. He wears it every day now. I can barely look at him without taking off my panties.

Pete chuckles. "Jess, how many times do I have to remind you? If you're gonna have dirty thoughts about me, you should do me the decency of describing them to me."

"You're driving."

"And?"

"And I still want to get there alive."

He smiles. "I like you confident."

"You like me flushed and wanting."

"You don't?"

"I plead the fifth."

***

S
omehow, I'm even more flushed and wanting when we pull off the freeway. We're in Henderson, a city known mostly for its proximity to Las Vegas.

What the hell are we doing here?

Pete keeps his hands on the steering wheel. He offers no clues except a mysterious smile.

We've lived together for months, but the man is still quite the enigma. I like the way he's always surprising me, but I crave a better read on his head and his heart.

After a few minutes of driving around the city streets, we pull into the parking lot of a warehouse type building. According to the sign, it's the factory for a popular chocolate brand.

What the hell?

I like chocolate as much as the next girl, but I haven't got a clue why we're at a factory well after business hours. The building doesn't even look open.

And why would I want to see inside a chocolate factory?

Pete turns the car off and unbuckles his seat belt. His eyes meet mine. He cocks a brow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask.

He shrugs as if he has no idea what we're doing here.

"You're up to something."

"Not yet. But it won't take long if you make due on those threats to suck me off in the car."

How does he say it with such an even voice, like he's talking about the weather?

It still shocks me, what a filthy mind my fiancé has.

It still shocks me, the way I consider taking him up on all his offers. My eyes pass over him—from his messy black hair to his narrow waist, all the way to his all-black Converse, then back up again.

I want to take him up on his offer.

Badly.

But, for some reason, there are other people here.

I undo my seatbelt, grab my coat, and open the door. "Later."

He chuckles as he gets out of the car, locks up, and makes his way to me.

It's cold tonight. I pull my coat tighter. But that doesn't warm me up nearly as much as his arm around my waist.

His body feels so good next to mine.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of him holding me.

He leans down to press his forehead to mine. Then it's his lips.

We've kissed plenty since we've reunited—we've spent most of our free time kissing, touching, or fucking—but my lips still miss his.

Dammit, he tastes good.

When he breaks the kiss, I'm panting.

I look into his dark eyes and run my fingers over his cheeks and chin. "Can we do this all night?"

"Always."

Why did we get out of the car? We could be naked already.

A car in the parking lot turns on with a roar. Oh yeah, there's the little matter of us having an audience and me not wanting to get arrested for public indecency. That would end my career as a lawyer before it began.

I force myself to take a step backward so I won't be tempted to mount Pete. "Okay, let's do this." Whatever it is we're doing here.

"Let's." He takes my hand and leads the way around the building and through the entrance of a gated courtyard.

There are lights everywhere in every color of the rainbow. Most are white and red. They're adorning all the plants in the courtyard.

All the cacti.

It's a cacti garden. A cacti garden decorated with Christmas lights. There must be a thousand adorned plants here.

It's the best thing I've ever seen.

I squeeze Pete's hand. "I love you."

His hand isn't enough. I nearly throw myself into his arms. I press my lips to his, a peck at first then something longer, deeper.

He groans as he kisses me back.

I'm acutely aware there are other people here, but I need the affection that's pouring between us.

It's just a kiss. If people object to a couple in love kissing, that's their issue.

A Christmas cactus garden is perfect. No one else would have found this for me. No one else even notices my love of the prickly plants.

I slide my arms around his, soaking up the affection in his dark eyes. "I love you so fucking much."

"You love me or the cacti more?" He smiles, teasing.

"There are a lot of cacti and only one of you."

"That put me at an advantage or a disadvantage?"

I shrug in my best attempt at playing coy.

He runs his fingertips over my cheek. "Baby, you're going to hurt my feelings."

"No, I'm not."

His lips curl into a smile. "No, you're not."

"You know I love you more than anything else."

"Even law school?"

I nod. My voice is honest, open. It feels good not holding anything back. "Of course, I love you because I know you support me and you'd never try to come between me and school."

"Diplomatic answer."

"Am I wrong?"

He shakes his head. "Just appreciating what a shark you are already."

"I've been practicing."

"How about you practice in your pencil skirt and blouse next time?" His lips press together, his eyes filling with desire.

The look in his eyes makes me feel hot as hell.

"You like me in a suit?" I've only worn my suit around him once or twice. It's hard to believe it made much of an impression.

He nods, his eyelids heavy. "You all prim and proper? Fuck yeah."

"You want to debase the prim and proper law student?"

"You want something different?"

I shake my head.

"Fuck, the ideas I had about tearing off that blouse and pushing that skirt to your waist." His voice is low, nearly a growl.

He presses his lips to mine. Then his tongue is in my mouth and his hand is between my legs.

He presses his palm against me. Just like in the car, my tights and underwear are in the way.

My body aches for his hands. My body needs more of him, needs to make up for all this lost time.

I break our kiss. "Pete, this is a nice place."

I groan though my flimsy objection. The truth is, I like when he touches me in public. I like the way it makes me feel dirty and naughty.

He pulls back enough to look me in the eyes. "You want me to stop?"

No, I want him to go. I want him to press me against the wooden fence and fuck me until I'm screaming.

But this
is
a nice place, and there
are
people here.

I break the kiss and look into his dark eyes. "You think about anything besides sex?"

He takes my hand and leads me down the courtyard path. "Besides you?"

"And besides the bass guitar?"

He chuckles. "Don't do this to me, Jess. Don't use that tone of voice talking about the bass."

I laugh. "I did not use a tone."

"Understand if you're jealous, but I'd rather have my hands on you."

"Really?" I have no doubts about how much he enjoys touching me, but the man fucking worships that instrument.

He nods.

"I apologize to the bass guitar for any offense. I must have been jealous. It's had your hands for most of the month. I've been missing out."

He smiles. "And I'm the one who can't think of anything but sex?"

"Absolutely."

He slides his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

The garden is amazing. I let the lights wash over me. A tall tree is decked in white. The tiny cacti that surround it are dressed in purple. A succulent is lit up in green.

The cold air can't do anything to chase the warmth from my body. It's not just the heat of desire—though God knows I can feel that. It's the warm embrace of affection and love.

It's still hard to believe it's possible to love someone like this, to trust someone like this.

He has my heart, and I trust him to take care of it.

We do three circles around the garden, walking hand in hand the entire time.

I'm shivering when we stop. I don't feel cold, but I can't deny the goosebumps on my arms and neck. I can't deny the way my shoulders are shaking like they're desperate for warmth.

Pete pulls me into a tight embrace. That helps. I'm still shaking, but now half of it is from desire.

He brings his mouth to my ear. "There's a single-stall bathroom in the lobby."

I have to laugh. He points out every bathroom where we can have sex.

"Don't tell me you aren't thinking about it." He slides his hand under my coat then under my skirt. His fingers skim the seams of my tights, sending a dizzying rush of pleasure up my spine. "I can tell you're wet even with all this fucking fabric in the way."

"I'm thinking about how you were fucking that slut in the red dress when we met."

His voice drops to something low and demanding. "When we met?"

"When I broke up your slutty bathroom sex."

"Baby, you sound judgmental."

No. Maybe. Okay, a lot. "I don't like thinking about you with other women."

He smiles. "You're jealous."

"Maybe." Definitely.

"Maybe?"

"Okay, I'm jealous. Are you satisfied?"

"Yeah. You're cute jealous." He chuckles. "Does it help that I didn't enjoy it?"

That does help. I nod.

"I don't think about anybody but you." His lips skim my neck. "Don't you want to destroy all my previous memories of bathroom sex with how fucking amazing this is?"

I laugh. "You should be the lawyer cause that's a hell of a spin."

He chuckles. "That right?"

"Yeah."

"Don't have a college degree. Can't go to law school."

"You're smarter than half the people at law school."

He kisses his way up my neck. Then his lips are on my earlobe. "That's just priorities."

"Priorities?"

"Getting you off comes first."

"Let me guess, then the bass?"

He nods. He's teasing but he's dead serious at the same time.

Again, I have to laugh. The tension that's been lingering in my shoulders for this entire trip melts. He makes me feel easy and free.

He makes me feel alive.

For once, I'm seriously considering this bathroom sex thing.

I rise to my tiptoes so I can press my forehead to his. "You're like a comic book character sometimes."

"Which one?"

I raise a brow.

"Oh? Mr. Peter Parker?"

"Of course."

"Then, baby, let me shoot my web all over you."

I laugh. "Ew."

He teases. "You want it here." He runs his hands over my hair and cheeks and neck. "Here. Here. Here. You want to be all tangled up in my web."

I shake my head. "This is your worst seduction to date."

His voice is a playful challenge. "Is it?"

I nod.

He steps backward and takes my hand. "Then don't follow me to the lobby."

The man knows how to call a bluff.

I try to hold off enough to tease him. The sight of him is still thrilling. It's been too long.

I hate him being away. I know he lives for his music, and I'd never dream of getting between him and the band, but I fucking hate him being thousands of miles away.

I take my time soaking him in. His long bangs fall to one side of his eyes. And the eyeliner... God damn, the man belongs in eyeliner. It frames those gorgeous coffee-colored eyes, highlighting every hint of emotion in them.

Those eyes light up as he smiles. "Don't make me get started without you."

"You don't mean you'd touch yourself in the bathroom?" I bite my tongue. Of course he means that.

He nods, his smile getting wider.

Damn, he'll do it too. He'll probably take pictures in the mirror and send them to me to torture me.

As much as I'll enjoy that torture, I can't allow it. I need his body again.

He takes another step backward and raises a brow. "Last chance."

I'm only human.

––––––––

J
ess

Six months ago, I was a normal girl with a normal life.

More accurately, I was a miserable, lonely girl who had just decided to abandon everything she was used to—her home, her family, her ex-boyfriend, her friends—to start over in Los Angeles.

But I certainly wasn't the type of girl who entertained the idea of having sex in a public bathroom.

Yes, this is a particularly nice bathroom. It's small. It's clean. It's secluded.

But it's still hard to believe I'm utterly without reservations about screwing my fiancé in a public bathroom.

The heat racing through my body collects in my core. There isn't a single part of me that wishes things went differently.

Pete turned my life upside down. He turned me upside down. But then he put everything back where it belonged.

He leans against the wall. His eyes pass over me slowly, drinking me in.

His deep voice gets rough, commanding. "You want me to fuck you, baby?"

I nod.

"Say it."

"Fuck me."

"How?"

"Put me up on the counter and fuck me until I'm going crazy that I can't scream your name."

His eyes flare with desire. I can barely believe the stuff that comes out of my mouth now.

The man is an excellent teacher.

"God damn, Jess." His hands go to my hips. He lifts me and places me on the counter.

Then he's on one knee. He unzips one of my wedge boots and pulls it off my foot. Then the other.

His dark eyes stay glued to mine as he drags his hand from my ankle to my knee, all the way to my inner thigh. The thick tights do little to dampen the heat he builds.