Southern Seduction (72 page)

“Sorry,” I mumbled. Thank goodness it was too dark for him to see me blushing. I turned and hurried back around the corner. JR’s voice calling after me.

“It’s back the other way.”

“Thanks.”

“Maddie, wait.” I stopped. “I’ll take you.”

Shit
. Not what I wanted at all. First off I didn’t need a restroom I needed to find Wesley (I had some questions for him). Second I didn’t need another ice bath. And I so did not need the butterflies storming in my stomach right now. JR lead me further down the hallway to a staircase. He climbed and I followed constantly looking over my shoulder in case Wesley was following.

He wasn’t.

On the second landing JR stopped in front of a set of towering mahogany doors. He opened one door and ushered me inside. The room was dark until JR flipped a switch. Recessed lighting overhead turned on.

“It’s through that door,” he pointed to a door on the other side of the room right beside a king size bed. I hurried into the bathroom and shut the door. I braced myself against the marble countertop and exhaled. There was a bottle of Armani next to the sink. I picked it up. Mmm smelled like JR.

Besides the cologne was a jar of Palmade. I turned away from the counter and leaned against it. The butterflies fluttering in my gut needed to calm so that I didn’t do something stupid. Like hanging out in a bathroom smelling cologne wasn’t stupid.

That’s when it hit me. This wasn’t any bathroom, it was JR’s. The butterflies turned into a storm and I struggled to breathe. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, flushed the toilet, washed my hands and opened the door.

JR was standing by the bed, his back to me. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the bed. As he turned around to face me he pulled of his bow-tie and tossed it on top of his jacket.
“Hey.” He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his tux shirt.
Ignore the fact you can see the start of his collar bone.
Get out.

I let go of the doorjamb and stepped into the bedroom. “Thanks,” I said. As I passed by him I made sure too keep my eyes on anything but him. Mmm, I could smell the Armani on him. One foot in front of the other. Halfway to the door his voice called to me, “Maddie …”

“Yeah” I turned the doorknob. I would not let butterflies or my desire to kiss him keep me from leaving this room. Even if he smelled really good. “I should get back to the party.”

“I’m sorry.”

I let go and turned around. “Sorry for what?”

He ran his hands through his hair. His brown locks sticking up. “Is it true?”

“Could you be more specific?”

“Do,” he paused, dropped his hands to his side, “did you …” he made a fist, flexed it, his words came out in a rushed whisper, “… did you really talk to Wesley, can you really …?”

“Yes,” I whispered in answer. He stared at the carpet. So did I. No reason to lie, not to him at least. “That’s who I was going after when I bumped into you.”

“I see him too.”

“What?” My eyes snapped to his.

“That’s why I booked it the other night. When you told me about Wesley,” he sat down on the bed, elbows resting on knees hands clasped together, “you confirmed I wasn’t crazy and I freaked.” He dropped his head into his hands and sighed heavy.

I sat down beside him, “Okay so that explains the other night.”

With his elbows resting on his knees he turned his head to look at me, “Why do you sound pissed?”

“Because I’m not sure you aren’t messing with me.”

“Why would I mess with you?”

“Because it’s what guys like you do.”

“Guys like me?” He sat erect, “I think I’m insulted.”

I sat more rigid too, I was about to remove my mask for him and it scared the shit out of me. I took a heavy breath and exhaled, “Being ghost girl has never won me any favor. And you’re all over the place, one minute you act like you sort of like me and then in the next it’s like you can’t get away from me fast enough. I don’t know who told you about my disability but you’re making fun of it,” I stood up, “and I can’t help what I can do. Have a good night.”

I got the door halfway open before JR’s hand came slamming down next to my head shutting it. “I’m not making fun of you—” he put his other hand against the door caging me in, “—I like you a lot, Maddie. Too much even, so I would never make fun of you.”

I wasn’t listening. His chest was pressed into my back, and his breath tickled the back of my neck.

With his arms on each side of me his scent filled the air around me. All I could think about was him. His lips.- His lips placing soft kisses all over my body.

“I’m sorry, Maddie, forgive me?”

I nodded.

His hands slipped from the door to my waist turning me around to face him. He delicately pulled my chin up so I was looking at him. He didn’t wait for an invite before kissing me. As his lips caressed mine I could feel my body melting into him. My hands entangled in his hair pulling him closer to me. Our kiss, deepening, almost panicked like there wasn’t enough time.

His body pressing into my front, the door pressing into my back, his hands squeezing my sides, his mouth exploring mine made me lost. Lost in him.

He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me over to the bed where we fell together in a heap, him on top. He trailed kisses down my neck. Along my shoulder pulling my dress strap down with his kisses.

For some reason my brain chose that moment to remember my brother was waiting downstairs for me. I sat up pushing JR off me. “Brayden.”

“Huh?” JR said. His breaths unsteady.

“He’s waiting for me.”

JR sat up besides me wrapping his arms around me, “Okay, call him and let him know you’re with me.”

“I didn’t bring anything with me.” I shot off the bed, “I have to go.”

JR grabbed me around the waist pulling me backwards onto his lap. “I have a phone.” He reached over to a dresser near his bed and grabbed it. He rubbed the back of his neck, “Unless you want to go.”

I snatched the phone out of his hand, pushed him back on to the bed and straddled him. “I want to be right here with you.” I started a text to Brayden while JR did his best to distract me by kissing a trail up my neck.

“Are you done yet?”

I pressed the letter R and hit send. “Yes.”

“Finally,” he took the phone from my hand and pushed me back onto the bed. He kissed my lips then moved across my cheek and down my neck. One of his hands slid up under my dress gripping my thigh tight while his mouth explored my neck. His kisses were gentle. The hairs on my neck tickled each time he exhaled warm minty air across my skin. It tingled.

I started unbuttoning his shirt. “You drive me crazy,” he said. His voice was gravelly, turning me on. Before I could get the last three buttons. He sat up and stood before me, “Come here,” he said and grabbed the back of my legs pulling me towards him. When I reached the edge of the bed he wrapped an arm around my waist pulling me off the bed to him. He turned me so my back was to him then very slowly he started to unzip my dress. He slid each strap over my shoulder and down my arms, his fingers gently caressing my skin. Next came my panties.

Kisses rained down along my neck, my shoulders, my back. His hands splayed across my front pulling me to him. Fingertips danced along my skin. Warm breath along my neck. Wet tongue behind my ear. He cupped my breasts, tugged at my nipples and gave them a little twist. I could feel his erection growing harder. Feel myself getting wetter.

He turned me around, picked me up and carried me over to the bed, “If I recall correctly I promised to make you scream.”

I couldn’t find my voice and simply nodded. He lay me down on the bed as he stood over me looking at every inch of me. My skin heated beneath his gaze. I took the moment to admire his muscular physique. “See something you like?” I purred ready to see those muscles in action.

His voice was hoarse when he said, “Yes. Very much,” then climbed onto the bed. “Fuck.”

“What,” I said. Please don’t tell me he was going to go cold fish again that what I wanted to happen wouldn’t happen.

“I just can’t get over how beautiful you are.” He bit his lip and shook his head, “Fuck.” He started at my knee trailing kisses up my thigh while his hand took my other leg and wrapped it around his waist. He sucked on the top of my thigh. I moaned. His tongue trailed down the inside of my thigh and then …

“Oh god!” I cried. One hand fisting the comforter the other entangled in his hair.

His mouth continued its assault, my back arched off the bed, my breathing growing ragged, my vision blurring. My body was humming. Every inch of a live wire ready to … “JR. I’m … Oh! God!” My body exploded.

Before I could gather my thoughts his kisses moved upward over my stomach. When I came down and opened my eyes his grey eyes were watching me, that smirk in place. “I knew you were a screamer.”

My face caught fire. Didn’t get a chance to retort because he resumed his kissing assault. His fingertips caressed my thighs, my stomach, his lips caressed my breast sucking on my nipple giving it a playful bite. I moaned. Getting wet again. He repeated the same thing on my other breast. He broke contact for one-second removing the final barrier between him and I.

He was magnificent. I bit my lip. His lips trailed across my chest up my neck and paused. Hovering above me, his pupils wide the grey barely a line, he said so much without saying anything. I wanted him. All of him. I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him down to me. We kissed and he rocked his hips pressing his erection against me.
Fuck
…

His voice was husky, low, “God, I want to be inside you, Maddie.” He was big, hard. I needed him inside me—too.

When he pulled away for a moment I managed to huff out, “Do you have a … a
condom
.” I said the last word in a whisper. I did not want to think about him and any of his flavors of the week doing what we were doing right now. I closed my eyes trying to remove the image of the brunette who chose then to pop into my head.

He stopped squirming and stilled, “Shit. No. What about—”

I shook my head answering his unfinished question. “What about your truck?”

“What about it?”

“You don’t maybe have one …” Again I trailed off as that brunette without a name came to mind.

“No. I don’t have any anywhere.” Great so he was a bareback rider. Fuck me.

I couldn’t help the edge of irritation in my voice, “So mister flavor of the week doesn’t keep condoms? That seems like poor business.”

“There hasn’t been reason to, I haven’t been with anyone in over a year. There is no flavor of the week, just you.” Without a second thought I pulled him to me and kissed him fiercely. When I pulled away we were both breathless. “That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Cocky half-grin. “You sure, because there’s a lot more I could say.”

I nodded and kissed him again and mumbled against his lips, “I’m on the pill.” His eyes widened, the grin gone. He was hard and I was ready. And then …

My whole body shuddered as he pushed inside me. From this moment on JR owned me.

Snoring forced my eyes open. It took a minute to adjust to the darkness. Then I remembered I was laying in JR’s bed and instantly warmed. I sat up on my elbows and looked over to my left—JR. He was faced towards me, eyes closed (men shouldn’t have such long lashes), a half-smile on his lips. As sexy as he was awake, he was even sexier asleep. I took a moment and admired.

Moment over I needed to touch that perfectly sculpted …

Bang!

What the hell was that? JR didn’t stir. I sat all the way up and looked around the room. Nothing looked out of place. Besides, the Rutherford’s had money, so I’m sure their security was as tip-top as my dad’s.

Bang!

What the fuck was it? Bang!

Someone was knocking on the bedroom door. My heart started to pound and my hands trembled. Oh god what if it was one of his parents. Maybe I should wake JR up just in case …

Then, without warning, the bedroom door opened and he appeared. Wesley in his black and white plaid shirt, stared at me. I stared back. Then he was motioning me over with his pointer finger before he ducked out JR’s bedroom door. I slid out from under the covers and pulled on JR’s shirt from last night. Mmmm it smelled like him. Like cloves, soap and musk. I pulled the fabric to my nose and took a deeper breath.

Last night was perfect. I couldn't remember ever orgasming that much. There was a knock on JR’s bedroom door reminding me why I’d put the shirt on in the first place.

Wesley.

I buttoned the shirt and made my silent way into the hall outside JR’s room. Wesley was standing there, his back to me, leaning against the railing. I came up and leaned against the railing beside him. We stayed like that for a few minutes. I wanted to give him some time to tell me why, but then I remembered I wasn’t at home and who knew how the Rutherfords, or their staff would handle seeing an unknown, half-naked woman in their hallway.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said breaking our silence.

“I only have one question for you,” I said making sure to keep my voice low, “why?”

“You’re gonna need more than that, Maddie.” Wesley’s deep voice should have been clue numero uno that he was a ghost. There was a definite gravelly deepness to it that wasn’t earthly.