Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
And in his eyes, I see what he means. We’re about to put our lives on the line to save Jack and the rest of the waitstaff at Aces Underground. We could be six feet under by this time tomorrow. We may as well live a little.
I turn back to the receptionist. “Okay, we’ll take the upgrade.”
“Excellent choice.” The receptionist smiles. “The luxury suite is truly something special. You’ll be quite comfortable. Will two keys be sufficient?”
“Yes,” I reply.
“Perfect.” She grabs two key cards, swipes them through another machine, and gives them to us in a small envelope. “You’ll be on the seventh floor. Have a wonderful first night, and please don’t hesitate to call the front desk if you encounter any issues.”
“Thank you,” I say weakly.
“Thank you, Ms. Royale. And welcome to the Gilded Rose.”
We take the elevator—it’s one of those old ones that’s controlled by an operator sitting on a tall bench in the corner—up to the seventh floor and Harrison swipes his keycard, letting us into our suite.
We open to a living space that’s lavishly decorated with nineteenth-century art adorning emerald-green wallpaper. Over the room’s light-pink carpet, two cream wingback chairs stand across from a loveseat in the same color, both outfitted with soft leather. They surround a dark cherry oval-shaped coffee table holding a golden vase with a bouquet of red roses. In the corner stands an elegant wooden desk with assorted stationery.
“Damn, this is nice.” Harrison plops down on the loveseat. “I should stay downtown more often.”
It is nice, but it does nothing to quell the goosebumps popping up over my arms. This may very well be the last place I ever sleep.
Harrison gets back to his feet. He walks over to me, brushes a finger over my cheek. “Everything’s going to be okay. You know that, right?”
I swallow, look down at my feet. “I’ll feel a lot better after tomorrow night.”
“Of course. We both will.” He tips my chin up and gives me a kiss.
It’s sweet, chaste.
And that’s the last thing I want right now.
I place a hand on either side of his head and kiss him back much harder.
His eyes pop open. “Babe?”
“It’s okay, Harrison. I want this. Everything might go well tomorrow, but just in case it’s our last night on earth—the end of the world—I want to… I want to make love to you.”
He blinks several times.
I didn’t say the three little words. But this is the closest I’ve come.
But the moment passes, and he crushes his lips to mine, prying them open with his tongue. I gladly let him in, and we stand there locked in each other’s embrace for an unending moment. Eventually he leads me to the loveseat, and I lie back. He crawls on top of me.
He breaks the kiss for a minute and caresses my cheek. “Fuck, Bianca. You’re so beautiful.”
“So are you,” I sigh.
He brings his mouth back down and unbuttons my blouse. Eventually I shimmy it off my shoulders, exposing my lavender bra. He fondles my breasts, still kissing me.
I squeeze his cock. Already he’s so hard for me, ready to fill me the way only he can. He moans as I tease him through his jeans.
He’s working my bra off now, and in a few seconds my breasts are free. He pinches my right nipple and brings his mouth down on the left.
And it’s heaven. Paradise.
He swishes his tongue over the areola and then wraps his lips around the nub, driving electricity directly between my legs. I unbutton his shirt and push it over his shoulders, exposing his hard chest. He groans against my sternum, sending vibrations through my entire body.
Now he’s unbuttoning my jeans, and he slides them off in a single pull. He whips my panties off and dives tongue-first into my pussy.
Stars. Planets. Celestial bliss.
And before I realize it, I open my mouth and a stream of words pours out.
“God, I love you, Harrison!”
16
HARRISON
I freeze in place, my tongue still deeply embedded inside Bianca.
Did she really say what I think she said?
I’m making things up. Or she didn’t mean it.
It’s too soon… Too…
But it’s not.
Because I feel the same exact fucking way.
I slowly rise, bring my gaze to hers.
Her face is beet red. “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I mean… I didn’t want to say it like that.”
I cock my head. “But you mean it?”
She bites her lip. “I mean… I wanted to say it in the right setting. Over a candlelit dinner, string quartet playing in the corner."
I chuckle—my first real laugh all day. “I don’t need a goddamned string quartet. I just need you, Bianca. Because”—I swallow—“because I love you, too.”
She widens her eyes. “You’re not just saying that?”
“I would never just say that.” I lean down, whisper directly in her ear. “I love you more than I could ever express. I love your beautiful long hair, the way it almost glows, that’s how light it is. I love your dark-blue eyes that are the color of the deepest sea, one I could happily get lost in forever. I love everything from your little button nose to your sweet, delicate toes. But more than anything, Bianca, I love your spirit. The way you lost yourself when you performed that song from West Side Story the night we met, and when I caught you singing in your apartment.” I lift my head, meet her gaze. “Suffice to say, I love you, Bianca. More than I will ever love another person for as long as I live.”