She shoved him towards the bathroom. ‘I wouldn’t have had four glasses of champagne if I knew you’d be here. Bingo is apparently what Ma and Pa Kettle call Band Boy. If you tell him, I will have to kill you before Leah kills me so keep that to yourself. Get out of those clothes and into the shower. I can’t say I’ve ever had a thing for homeless, urine-stinky men, even ones who can blow me until I scream.’
She brought back a glass of champagne just as he was getting out of the shower.
‘Thank you.’ He drank it in two swallows, put the glass down and hauled her to him for a kiss that left her tingly, shaky and breathless. ‘That’s better. I looked like I slept on the sticky floor of a Greyhound bus because we spent last night at the ever so lovely Penny Pincher motor court about five miles from here with hot and cold running hookers with two-day beard growth and fishnet stockings in the lobby. By the way, he offered us a freebie. They had hourly rates. Brandon’s feet hung off the end of the bed. Which crinkled from the plastic lining on the mattress. My skin is still crawling. And here you are staying in the motherfucking penthouse suite at the Palisades! Why do you look so good? You smell like mango. Your hair is all soft and straight. Your breasts are very fetching in that blouse. What the fuck have you been doing?’
‘A guy I saved from a very nasty legal situation a few years ago works here. They had a last-minute cancellation. It’s swank, no? I look rested because I am. I slept until eleven the last two mornings and I had breakfast served at the table out there while Leah and I leafed through magazines. Yesterday we shopped and lunched and went dancing. Today we had a spa day which included a massage, a facial, skin treatments including mango body butter, a manicure and a pedicure. Oh and I got my hair done. In between those things, we had sushi for lunch and flirted with servers. I also masturbated three times for no other reason than I could and I knew Leah wasn’t going to burst in without knocking and pretend she forgot I was in here. Why are you here? And most importantly, is Pickles with you?’
‘You test me, woman. You wouldn’t tell me where you were. I wanted to be with you. You promised me this entire winter break and I’m here to collect. Take those clothes off.’
She grinned. ‘How did you find me?’
‘Bingo has hotel connections. My God, your tits look good.’ His hands replaced her bra and she arched into his touch.
‘I have a suggestion.’
‘I’m all ears and erection.’
‘We owe each other a blow job, let’s start with that first.’
8
BRANDON SAID NOTHING as he watched Dix and Kate disappear into the bedroom. Without waiting for Leah, he stalked into the other bedroom. Her breath had left her at the sight of him in the hall and hadn’t quite returned. She took a moment to run a hand over her hair, soft and smooth from the special conditioner they’d put in it at the spa. Then she followed him.
Leah wished she was wearing high heels instead of soft ballet flats. A skirt and a tailored blouse instead of the yoga pants and T-shirt. She wished she’d pulled her hair into a bun or a braid, something tight and controlled. Because the way Brandon was looking at her right now made her feel anything but in control.
She closed the door behind her. He took a step towards her and, though she hated herself for doing it, she stepped back. His eyes flashed. Those big hands, the ones that knew every inch of her, curled into fists. He looked angry, and she didn’t blame him.
He took another step towards her and this time she managed to stand her ground. Brandon would never hurt her. Leah lifted her chin, meaning to say something, anything that would break the awful silence between them, but his mouth stopped her words before they made it off her tongue.
His hand slid beneath the weight of her hair and held the back of her neck. The other went to her hip, pulled her close, ground her against his groin. Fuck, he was hard, and she moaned into his open mouth before she could stop herself.
Leah broke the kiss and pulled away. Not far. With each word her lips brushed his, and she knew in another minute she would have to taste him again.
‘I told you not to come after me,’ she breathed, still pinned against him by his grip.
‘I didn’t listen.’
‘How did you find me?’
His half-smile didn’t quite erase the glitter of anger in his eyes. ‘I made a few calls. Asked some friends who had friends who knew people.’
‘You went to a lot of effort,’ Leah said.
Brandon’s hand tightened on her hip then slid around to cup her ass and grind her just a little bit harder against the thickness in his crotch. He opened his mouth, but said nothing, just gave a small shake of his head that made the hair fall over his eyes. She liked it that way, though he preferred it shorter.
‘Did you really think I wouldn’t?’ he asked in a low voice, dark and deep.
Surprised at the tone, she tried to move away but Brandon’s grip held her tight. Her hands went to his chest to push at him, but he was like rock, immovable. ‘I told you not to.’
‘And I do whatever you say. Right? Isn’t that right?’
Leah blinked and pushed at him again, but Brandon held her fast. She straightened her back and shoulders. Lifting her chin, she fixed him with the sort of steely glare that had lesser men quaking, but Brandon didn’t quake.
‘That’s the way I like it, yes,’ Leah said in a cool, even tone. ‘Brandon.’
Heat flashed
