His curvy craving, p.11
His Curvy Craving, page 11
Hannah pressed her thumbs between my brows and pressed up to my forehead. Instantly, I felt the tension that was building there.
“It isn’t an easy thing. I have never been through either. But I have faith and believe the people who want to help us will always be there. Sometimes we have to ask, though. That’s the hardest part.”
I nodded. “It is. So hard.”
Hannah laughed softly with me and continued my facial. She cleaned my pores and my skin felt tight and fresh and so good. Before I left, I hugged her and thanked her. She returned the gesture and wished me well.
Karissa walked out of her room at the same time I did. We walked back to the locker room and changed into our clothes.
“What now?” she asked.
“Let’s get out and explore a little.”
She nodded, a smile tilting her lips up. “Sounds great to me.”
We went back to our room and bundled up. We left the hotel and walked to the Falls first, taking pictures and marveling at the sight. It was stunning, but it was really damn cold.
We found lunch at a small cafe, then wandered the streets and did some shopping. Before we went back to the hotel, we had dinner at a local restaurant that boasted the best pizza in town. We left not willing to argue. It was damn good.
The hotel was busy when we walked in. People were going to dinner and checking in and milling around, talking. We carried our bags to the elevator and hit the button. We turned to look back, and Karissa froze.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
The elevator dinged behind us, but she made no move to get on it.
“Karissa?”
“Yeah? Huh? What?”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded and looked back into the crowd. “I thought I saw someone I used to know.”
“Who?”
“Xavier.”
“Your ex from college?”
She nodded again. “It was just a profile. I’m sure it wasn’t him.”
“Do you know where he lives?”
She shook her head. “No, but I’m sure I was wrong. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. Let’s go to the room and get changed. We’re going dancing tonight.”
I nodded and pasted a smile on my face. Xavier broke Karissa’s heart. I wondered many times if she was still in love with him or if he was just the one that got away. Looking at her haunted expression, I still wasn’t sure.
We waited for the elevator again and got on. We walked into our room and tossed all our purchases on the beds. Karissa went through the things she’d gotten and decided on her new dress for the night.
“What are you going to wear?” she asked me.
I still refused to buy maternity clothes, so I was left with a few dresses I had that were roomy and comfortable. Maybe not great for going out dancing, but comfortable and soft. Exactly what I needed.
“I think I’m going to wear my red dress,” I told her.
“I love that one. Do you want to shower before we go? We have time.”
“Good plan. Movie, shower, and get gussied up.”
Karissa laughed. “I’m good with that.”
When we left the room, it was after ten. I couldn’t remember the last time I went out that late, but it was good. Until we got downstairs and saw the snow falling in thick chunks.
“Well, crap,” Karissa said. She looked at me, her eyes wide.
“We’re not going out in that.”
“I know.”
“Let’s go back up and get rid of our coats and go to Pulse.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I said I’m not letting him dictate anything, and I’m not. We’re going.”
Coats and purses away for the night, Karissa and I followed the pulsing beat of the music from the moment we stepped off the elevator. The club was dark and loud, but it was stunning. Soft lighting hung from overhead, giving the entire place an ethereal vibe. The servers and bartenders were dressed in white, making them glow under the low lighting in the place. The bar was three deep and the dance floor was a mass of bodies.
It was exactly what we needed for the night.
12
Trent
Going to Pulse was not planned. I couldn’t even explain what made me decide to go there. And then she walked in.
I saw her immediately. I was watching the door, debating on leaving, but then she was there. The red dress hugged every single one of those curves that I couldn’t stop thinking about. It had been months, and I hadn’t been able to get her out of my mind.
It was even worse when I saw her checking in to my hotel. The look on her face made it clear she had no idea it was my hotel. For some reason, that bothered me. I wanted her to want to be near me. Instead, she was horrified when she found out. Like I was a disease she was desperately trying to avoid.
She was the opposite. She was everything I wanted. I craved her in a way I’d never wanted a woman before. And seeing her belly round, knowing she was actually pregnant and quite possibly carrying my child… Fucking hell, I wanted her again.
I had already started planning another trip to MacKellar Cove. It was reckless and crazy, but I couldn’t resist her. I wanted to see her again. And then she appeared at my hotel.
She looked around the club, saying something to Karissa. They held hands and went straight for the dance floor. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She shook her hips and sang along with the music. She turned and twisted and laughed. She didn’t know I was watching her.
I stayed in the shadows, out of sight. My cock hardened as I watched her every move. My eyes devoured her, the same way my body had all those months ago. The proof of that pressing against the red dress that held her.
I don’t know when I changed my mind and decided she hadn’t been lying, but when I saw her in the lobby, I knew she was telling the truth and the baby was mine. Not just the baby, but the woman. The thought of another man ever touching her made my skin crawl and my fists clench.
Karissa pointed to the bar and motioned for a drink. Finley nodded and pointed the other direction, toward the bathrooms. I couldn’t stop my feet from moving me in the same direction she was going.
The hallway that housed the bathrooms was small and dark with lights along the floor. Two doors led to men’s and women’s bathrooms with a third at the end that led to the staff area. It was empty when I arrived, which meant Finley was already in the bathroom.
I waited, leaning against the wall, for her to walk out. When she did, I said her name.
She jumped and spun toward me, her hand on her heaving chest. When she saw it was me, those brown eyes lit up with fire. “What do you want from me?”
I let my gaze slide down her body. When I lifted it to hers, I didn’t hold back how much I wanted her.
She gasped and took a step back.
“Why are you here?”
The lust that started to pool in her eyes vanished, leaving the fire behind. “Screw you, Trent.”
I pushed off the wall and stalked toward her. She could run if she wanted, but she didn’t. She stood there, pressing herself against the wall while I crowded her. I rested my hands on either side of her head, loving the way her chest rose and fell between us. Her dress was tight across her chest, giving me deeper glimpses of her cleavage with each inhale.
“Did you come here to torture me?” I asked.
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” she breathed.
“At my own hotel?”
“I didn’t know it was yours. And everything else is booked. I—”
“Is this guy bothering you?” a man asked as he walked out of the bathroom.
Finley and I both turned to look at him. I caught the flash of gratitude on her face before she smiled for him.
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to do anything he doesn’t want you to do.”
Finley nodded and put her hand on my chest. Reluctantly, I moved away, letting her sneak past me and disappear into the crowd.
The guy glared at me. “No means no, dude.”
I glared back at him, unable to speak. The guy had no idea who I was, or what our relationship was, but he had more care for her than I did. I nodded, then turned and stalked away. I pushed through the staff door and made my way around the kitchen and out of the bar without going through the dance floor or seeing Finley again.
My suite was quiet when I made it back upstairs. The entryway light was on, but the lights in X and J’s rooms were off. I resisted the urge to stomp my way across the suite and slam my door, instead choosing not to wake them up. I called for Kenny to follow me to my room and closed the door softly behind us.
I was still wound up and hard as fuck, so I turned on my shower and let my mind see Finley. As I took myself in my hand, I closed my eyes and imagined her there with me. On her knees with her lips around me, bent over a couch with her ass in the air, on her back with me pounding into her. I didn’t care how I had her, as long as I had her again.
I came hard, falling to my knees and grunting her name as thick ropes of cum streamed out of me. I put my hand on the wall and sucked in my breath.
“Fuck,” I whispered. Just thinking about her was enough to send me to my knees. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I actually had her again.
I finished my shower and went into my room. I collapsed onto the bed naked and passed out, dreaming, as always, of Finley Jameson.
Morning came far too early. I had a busy day, and it was going to be long with how little sleep I’d gotten. Plus, it was New Year’s Eve.
First order of business was finding Finley and finishing the conversation we started the night before.
I’d never used my position as the owner to manipulate a guest. Doing it now would mean letting my employees know Finley was not just a regular guest. I wasn’t willing to fill any of them in on who she was just yet.
If I was lucky, I would find her somewhere in the hotel. I checked the spa, but she wasn’t on the schedule. I went to the shops and didn’t see her there. I looked for her at the restaurants and struck out there, too.
By lunch, I was feeling a little desperate. I was close enough to her last night that I could feel the heat from her body, and since then, I felt like a crazy man. I needed to find her.
Then I saw her. She was alone, walking across the foyer. She carried a small bag from the gift shop. And she was heading toward the elevator.
I hurried to get there right after she did. She hit the button and stepped back, not noticing me as I stood behind her. When the elevator opened, I thanked God that no one else was around.
She gasped, her eyes widening when she saw me step onto the elevator with her. She pressed herself against the wall and stared at me.
“Finley,” I said simply. I hit the button for her floor and waited for the elevator to start moving. Then I hit the button to stop it.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
I turned to her and leaned against the wall. I crossed my arms over my chest and appraised her. Without even a word, I hardened. The cameras in the elevator would capture our entire interaction, but I was still tempted to claim her right then and there.
“Just let me go, Trent,” she said quietly.
Her defeated tone caught my attention. The woman I knew was feisty and fierce. She was not one who would give up. But that was how she sounded.
“I wanted to talk to you,” I said simply, even though I knew that wasn’t entirely true.
“Our lawyers are the ones handling everything, Trent.”
“I don’t want it like that,” I confessed.
“I don’t have a choice,” she said softly.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not a billionaire! I don’t have unlimited funds. When you come after my child, I’m going to lose. So I have to do everything by the book. I am not giving up my baby.” Her hand cupped her belly protectively. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She cowered in the corner.
“Finley,” I breathed. How did I explain to her that I had no intention of taking the baby from her? That I wasn’t who she thought I was? The custody talk was strategic, intended to prove to a court one day that I wasn’t walking away from my responsibilities like her lawyer was likely to use as proof that I shouldn’t have visitation or custody.
“I didn’t ask for any of this. I know you think I did it on purpose, but I didn’t want a child like this. But now that it’s happening, I’m not going to let you take my baby. I know what you think of me, and I know you don’t believe me. I just—Oh, God.” She clutched her stomach and froze.
“Finley? What is it? What happened?”
“He kicked,” she breathed.
“What?” I asked, moving to her without a thought.
“I’ve felt flutters before, but never a kick that hard.” She moved her hand and her lips lifted into a smile.
I put my hand on her stomach, wanting to feel the baby, our baby. She clutched my hand in hers and moved it. We waited, both still, until the baby kicked again. The soft thump against my palm was like a kick to my heart. My eyes snapped to hers, and we shared a smile.
“That’s the baby?” I whispered.
She nodded. “He’s been getting more and more active. My midwife said I should talk to him, but I feel weird.”
I crouched, then looked up at her. She nodded, staring at me. “Hi, baby. It’s nice to meet you. I’m your daddy.”
As soon as the words were out, she pulled back from me. She shielded her belly again, her gaze going cold and hard.
“Finley.”
She shook her head. “No, Trent, I can’t. You made it very clear that you don’t believe me. I can’t deal with a back and forth. I just can’t. Please, let me go.”
The pain in her voice and her eyes sent me to the far side of the elevator. I hit the button to make it move again, not saying a word until we reached her floor. As soon as the doors opened, she moved to run out, but I grabbed her arm.
She turned back to look at me.
“I’m sorry,” I said, the words sticking in my throat and coming out as a whisper.
She held my gaze for a long moment, then nodded once.
It pained me to let go of her, but I did. And she didn’t look back as she ran.
Her face haunted me for the rest of the afternoon. I stared at my computer, reading the same documents over and over again without processing the words on the page.
Frustrated, I slammed my laptop shut and paced across my office. I needed to do something. Apologize to her. Make sure she knew I wasn’t the man she thought I was. I’d never given her a reason to think I was anyone else, but that was going to change. Now.
Before I could second guess myself, I called Jeffrey. I explained what I needed. He listened patiently and didn’t ask questions before agreeing to what I asked.
I hung up with a satisfied smile. She would get it. She would understand who I was. She would see that I was trying to be a good man. That I believed her about the baby now. She wasn’t like Michelle, who told me she was pregnant when she wasn’t. And Finley wasn’t chasing me down and asking for money. She’d refused every penny my lawyer offered. The only thing she wanted was me out of her life.
That was not going to happen.
Jeffrey was going to call me back when everything was done, so I sat and waited for his call, a satisfied smile on my face.
Over an hour went by before my phone rang. I snatched it up quickly. “Is it done?”
“Yes, but Ms. Jameson would like a word with you. She asked to know where you are.”
“Bring her to my office, Jeffrey. I’m happy to speak to her.”
“We’ll be there shortly.”
I hung up and smiled. I stood, straightening my tie and smoothing down my suit. If she wanted to thank me in person, I was happy to accept it.
A knock on the door alerted me to their arrival. I called out for Jeffrey and Finley to enter. Jeffrey opened the door, his face apologetic and curious. That made no sense. Until I saw Finley’s face.
Fire spit from her eyes. Her mouth twisted into a scowl.
Oh, shit.
“Mr. MacKellar?” Jeffrey said, caution and apprehension in his tone.
“That’ll be all, Jeffrey. Thank you.”
I kept my gaze locked on Finley while Jeffrey hurried out of the room. I wondered what she said to him that made him afraid of her. I had no doubt he’d have as many answers as he had questions later.
As soon as the door closed, I got an idea.
“Who the fuck do you think you are? I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“A free upgrade to a suite for the two of you, your bill taken care of, and anything you need for the rest of your stay?”
“I don’t want anything from you,” she spat.
“I’m trying to apologize to you.”
“I don’t want your apology. Or anything else. I want you to leave me the hell alone.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
She glared at me. Her chest rose and fell with each deep breath she dragged in and pushed out. Her brown eyes were lit and wild. Her hair swished around her shoulders with each jerky movement. Her entire body was wound tight with tension.
And all I could think was how badly I wanted her.
“Just give us our room back and pretend we aren’t here. I’ll stay out of your way. We can go back to how things were before we saw each other. Complete strangers.”
She turned and walked toward the door like she’d decided what was going to happen and I would just go along with it. She had no idea who she was speaking to.
“No.”
She stopped at the harsh tone of my voice. Her hand was on the door. After a minute, she let go and turned back to face me. “Excuse me.”
I shook my head and moved around my desk. Slowly, I stalked her, keeping my gaze on hers as step-by-step I moved closer to her. Her breathing hitched with each step I took until I was standing right in front of her.
