all.”
His face fell, and Callie’s heart twisted
at the forlorn expression on his face. “Don’t be silly,” she said, placing her
palm against his cheek. Day-old stubble teased her palm as she gently stroked
his face. “Of course I want to be part of your life, or at least to try. I may
not be used to this new side of you, but I know that you’re still in this suave
new exterior.” Smiling, she rapped her knuckles gently against his forehead.
“I’d love to see your place.”
“Then you shall.” Face brightening once
more, he pulled her onto his lap for another kiss. Pressing her lips against
his, she inhaled his scent greedily, enjoying the way he seemed to surround
her, cocooning her with the warmth of his presence. His hands slid up and down
her bare back, sending goose bumps rippling down her neck and arms, and she
shifted, feeling his erection press against her once more.
Insatiable. The word echoed through her mind as she
wrapped her arms around his neck, sliding her tongue between his lips, but
instead of shrinking away, she embraced it. As far as this man was concerned,
she was utterly wanton and proud of it. His hands slid beneath the back of her
dress to touch her between her legs, and she lifted her ass to give him better
access, loving the way he set her on fire and made her burn for his touch. She
moaned as two of his fingers slid into her, pushing against her g-spot and
sending sizzling currents of electricity through her. Were they going for round
2, right here in the car? She’d never had sex in a limo before, but it was
definitely something on her bucket list, maybe even something they could check
off right now…
The car slid to a halt, then, and Brendan
withdrew his fingers, smoothing her dress back into place. Giving her one last
scorching kiss, he gently set her back down on the seat, then sat back as the
driver opened the door. Flushed and trembling, she took a breath to steady
herself, then took the driver’s hand, allowing him to help her out of the car.
As Brendan bid the man a good night, she
tilted her head back to stare up at the black skyscraper that disappeared up
into the night sky. “Which floor did you say you lived on?” she asked as
Brendan took her by the hand to lead her inside.
“The penthouse.”
Holy shit. She tried not to gape as he led her
through the brass doors, stepping into a lobby dominated with white marble and
gold. A uniformed guard manned the reception desk, and he greeted Brendan with
a friendly smile that told her the two of them had known each other for some
time. She watched as the man crossed the lobby over to a bank of elevators,
then swiped a card key to grant them access.
“Have a good night, Sir, Ma’am.” The
guard bobbed his head as the elevator doors closed behind them.
“What happens if the guard isn’t on duty
when you come home?” Callie asked, but Brendan was already pushing her against
the elevator wall, pressing kisses against the collar of her throat.
“I have a card key if he isn’t here,” he
mumbled between kisses, “but he likes to open the elevator himself when he’s
around. Gives him something to do.”
“Makes sense.” Callie gasped as he bit
down on the tendon above the hollow at the base of her throat. She moaned as he
began sucking the spot, her hands sliding through his hair to hold him in
place. The elevator dinged then, causing her to let out a frustrated groan, but
Brendan didn’t miss a beat; he scooped her up into his arms, wrapping her arms
and legs around him as he continued to suck and lick at her neck.
He walked through what appeared to be
another lobby area, this one done in white walls and white-veined black marble
tile, an obsidian table with a huge arrangement of fresh flowers and fruit
gracing the room with the only splash of color. He led them through a pair of
white and gold French doors, and Callie caught a glimpse of a sprawling living
room done in black and white and red, the walls
Emily Carmichael, PATRICIA POTTER, Maureen McKade, Jodi Thomas