A Voice Without Reason, page 7
“You’re going to let me,” Becca finishes my sentence and kisses me roughly.
I slide my hand into her hair to guide her where I want her. She may have made the first move but she lets me take control almost immediately. It’s raw, feverish, and all of this feels… right. My skin is on fire; I can’t get close enough to her. I strip off my tux jacket and toss it to the floor, returning my hands to each side of her face as I kiss the ever loving hell out of her.
She reaches for my belt and, as much as I’d love to sink myself inside her right now, I want to take my time. We have to leave in a few minutes; it’s not nearly enough time for me to worship every inch of her like I’ve been fantasizing about all week.
I grip her wrist, stopping her. “Later. If I only get tonight, as you requested, then I want you spread out on that bed while I feast on your… lady garden for hours before I fuck you so hard you can’t walk for a month.”
She throws her head back and lets out the most adorable laugh I’ve ever heard. It’s music to my ears. “You’re a fucking tease. Maybe I was right about you and you’re just a big flirt,” she says with a seductive smile. “You have me in your hotel room, wearing a scrap of fabric for a dress, and we’re not going to have sex?”
I tangle my hand in her hair and tug with just enough force that her giggles are cut short. I kiss her neck and whisper, “You’re mine for the night, my Becca. If I say you have to wait, you’re gonna be a good fucking girl and wait.” Goosebumps erupt down her arms and a soft whimper escapes her. I’m going to have far too much fun teasing her tonight. No matter how much I want to touch her, we need to leave. I release her and grab my jacket and toss it over my shoulder, holding it with my hooked middle and forefinger. “Ready?” I ask, offering my arm.
If I have any say in it, she’ll be mine for more than tonight.
The VIP tickets were sold out. I’m not a big-time narrator, so I wasn’t asked to attend in a professional capacity. But, a generous donation to the convention organizers guaranteed me entry. As much as I feel a pull to be near Becca, I decide that keeping my distance is a safer option and will give me the opportunity to rile her up a bit. She’s like a lioness in a cage right now—a little taunting will have her pouncing on me later.
I find a quiet spot away from her adoring fans but her eyes still find me through the crowd. Even from across the room, I see the blush on her cheeks. She turns away first, when a reader approaches her.
I can’t help but admire her from afar for a good fifteen minutes. The way she carries herself, how she gives each and every one of the readers her undivided attention, her delicious body that beacons me to touch her…
Fuck this. I can’t sit here and not be near her. I make my way through the hoard of readers until I reach my siren. I place my hand on the small of her back, relishing the feel of her naked skin against my palm. I lean in to whisper, “Sorry, I really did try to stay away.”
Becca’s cheeks flush and she clears her throat. “Have you all met Julian Evans? He’s my new narrator for Delivery of Fate.”
They all look at me. There’s a chorus of murmurs and whispers. One asks, “Could you read something for us?”
I raise my empty hand. “I didn’t prepare anything and, unfortunately, I can’t do a scene from Delivery of Fate since it's still in production,” I reply.
“How about Vacation with the Enemy?” a man asks. He hands me his copy. I open it to find it’s already signed by Becca, addressed to The Magnificent Ethan Barlowe. I chuckle and continue to flip through the dedication, content warnings, playlist, and table of contents, until I finally reach the prologue.
“Is this ok, Merlot?” I look at her before I begin to make sure she’s comfortable. Becca nods and I clear my throat. “Three weeks. I have three weeks to make Daphne see that I’m not who she thinks I am. Three weeks to win over the woman I’ve obsessed over for years. Three weeks to make her mine. There’s a fine line between hate and love; we’ve been straddling it for too long. I’m done letting her believe the lies. In three weeks, our toes will be in the sands of St. Tropez and I’ll be damned if it’s as enemies.”
Becca and I aren’t enemies but I’m now acutely aware that we, too, have a deadline… an expiration date. I have three weeks to record her book, then I’ll be back on a plane to California.
“He’s going to be perfect for Bryan,” one of the women coos, pulling me from my depressing thoughts. I’d correct her on the name change, but I leave that to Becca to address.
I glance at my watch. We have about an hour and a half before Becca can leave. I’ve made no plans for this evening and the clock is ticking. I excuse myself and head out of the ballroom, finding a quiet corridor to make a call.
Josh answers on the first ring. “Julian. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Money can only buy so much. I need access somewhere tomorrow. If I text you the info, can you make it happen?”
“Ask and you shall receive,” he replies with a chuckle.
Once we hang up, I send him the info and research where to take my Becca tonight.
“Ok, you got me here. Will you finally tell me how the hell you can afford all this on a narrator’s salary?” Becca takes a sip of wine and narrows her eyes at me.
I sigh and fiddle with the napkin in my lap. I really hate talking about money. Most women stay with me solely for the lifestyle. I don’t think Becca is that way, but it’s hard to divulge this kind of information to someone who is essentially a stranger. A beautiful stranger. But a stranger nonetheless; I’ve only known her a week. Taking her to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city probably was another hint at my wealth, but I wanted to treat her to an experience that she’d never forget. A rooftop terrace with incredible food and wine was a must.
“The simple answer is investments. The longer answer, I was part of a start-up in Silicon Valley and it took off. I let my buddy, Josh, buy me out. Now, I live comfortably and probably will for the rest of my life, as I’m smart with my money.”
My answer has her nodding along in understanding. “So, you’re some kind of secret billionaire and do audiobooks for funzies?”
“I don’t feel comfortable telling you exactly how much I have, but I can say that I am well off and like to keep it secret. And audiobooks? It was something I always wanted to do. You know when you were a kid, and someone would ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up, before you understood the realities of the world and money? I wanted to narrate. I grew up listening to books on cassette and CD before audiobook apps existed. I loved how the voice actors brought the stories to life and I wanted to do the same.” Why am I telling her all this? Talk about word vomit. Rein it in, Evans.
“I’m sorry. It was incredibly inappropriate for me to ask in the first place. I promise I won’t bring it up again. I get how awkward it can be. When my books took off, it was always the first thing people would ask me.” Becca pauses. “So, tell me about this vineyard you own in California. What varietals do you specialize in?” she asks with a smirk.
Looks like my Becca did her homework.
“Dinner was incredible. Thank you.”
Becca’s hand hasn’t left mine since we entered the limo. I lift our joined hands to my lips, pressing a chaste kiss to her knuckles. “Pleasure is all mine, my Becca.”
She chuckles. “Again with the my Becca.”
“You are. Even if you haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.” We’re finally alone, except for our driver, so I’m tempted to do the one thing I’ve been itching to do since the hotel. I raise the partition and kneel in front of her.
“Julian. What are you doing?” Her eyes are wild and it eggs me on further.
I slide my hands up her legs under her dress, savoring her silky skin until I reach the top where her sexy thighs meet her hips. Her eyes dart around, as if we could get caught at any moment.
“No one can see us,” I assure her. “Be my good girl and spread your legs for me.”
Becca listens beautifully. I settle between her legs and lift up to kiss her, keeping one hand firmly in place on her thigh, and gripping the seat behind her with my other. It would be too easy to unzip my pants and slip inside her. The idea of taking her here makes my dick twitch.
My voice just above a whisper, I ask, “Is it ok if I touch you?” She nods. “With my tongue?” She nods again, biting her lip. I reach between her legs, pleased to find her already wet for me, even through her lacy underwear. “Take them off,” I command. She hooks a finger into each side at her hips and slides them down her legs, kicking them off.
Her thighs press together. In a swift motion, I part them again and lower my face between her legs to devour her—just like I’ve been dreaming to do all night. The moment my tongue touches her clit, she lets out the sexiest fucking moan I’ve ever heard. She tastes too fucking good; I don’t know how I’m going to work with her. I’ll be craving her on my tongue the whole time.
I take my time teasing her. Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as she grinds on my mouth. I press two of my fingers inside her and, fuck, she’s so tight and wet. She gasps as I curl my fingers inside her incredible unnamed pussy. I chuckle at the thought and the vibration is enough to make her come all over my face. It’s the hottest thing I’ve experienced in my fucking life, feeling her pulse around my fingers as she moans my name.
I’m fucking ruined.
“That was…” Becca struggles to catch her breath.
“Oh, I’m not done with you yet. I want seconds.” I drive my fingers deeper, forcing another moan from her. “You’re going to give me one more before we get to the hotel. I warned you. You won’t be walking for a week, my Becca.”
I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want her. I’m torn between wanting to take my time and wanting to greedily consume her. She kisses me roughly, our tongues and teeth clashing, and I fucking love that this isn’t one sided—she wants me as much as I want her and neither of us can get enough.
As much as I love kissing her, I want another taste of her coming on my tongue before we arrive. I lower myself between her legs and spread her wide to feast on her again, circling her clit and teasing every inch of her delicious cunt. I test different pressures to see what she likes; there’s no reason to stick with one if I find four.
“It’s too much,” she moans.
I slow my pace and break long enough to tell her, “Are you going to be my good girl and come for me? Or… do I need to punish you later?”
Her breath catches. “Holy shit, you’re into that? I don’t know if I—”
“Becca,” I interrupt. “I’d never hurt you. I’d do just about anything to bring you pleasure, to hear you moan my name again. Name it and I’ll do it.” She lets out a sigh of relief and I go right back to work on her beautiful pussy, nipping at her clit just enough to make her yelp. It quickly turns into a soft whimper. Time is not on my side. I suck hard on her clit and graze my teeth against it, curling my fingers right where she needs me. Her hips buck up, seeking more from me and I deliver. Within moments, she shatters for me, screaming my name and coming harder than the first time. I savor every fucking drop of her as she comes down from her orgasm.
“I can’t move,” Becca whines with a satisfied smile. She sags against the seat and I kiss the inside of her thigh. Peeling her dress down from around her waist, I’m grateful she picked the black dress that can hide the mess we just made. I tuck her lacy underwear in my pocket—she’s not going to need them. “How do you expect me to ever have sex with another man after that?”
“We didn’t have sex, Becca. That was just an appetizer.”
14
JULIAN
When we arrive at the hotel, she moves to open the door, but I take her other hand to stop her. With a quick shake of my head, I release her hand, with the understanding between us that there’s no way in hell I’ll let her open her own door. The driver gets out at the same time, but I’m quicker, rounding the back of the limo before he can get to her. He chuckles and, with a nod, heads back to the driver’s seat. I open her door and offer her my hand.
“Such a gentleman,” Becca quips.
“Hardly,” I reply, kissing her knuckles.
I keep her hand in mine and lead us to the hotel elevators. I count no less than ten men who eye her as we cross the lobby. I thought for sure she would pull her hand away, but she must still be high from coming because she hasn’t figured out that I’m claiming her as mine for everyone to see.
There’s a comfortable silence between us as we wait for the illuminated numbers to count down from 36. Unfortunately, the comfortable part of the silence is cut short as I become lost in thought.
Am I ok with this being casual? No. Will I be able to work with her and not want to touch her? No. Am I falling for a woman who is basically a stranger…? Fuck.
Becca squeezes my hand once, pulling me from my freak out. “Are you ok?”
“Absolutely.” I smile at her, melting at the sight of her captivating green eyes. They haunt me when I’m not with her. I’m about to divulge my feelings when the elevator doors open with a loud ding.
We step in and I press the number to my floor. My internal conflict must be written all over my face when Becca asks, “Are you sure? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Shit.” She shakes her head. “You’re already regretting this, aren’t you? I knew us working together and sleeping together wasn't the best idea. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
I take her face in my hands and bring her lips to mine. She sighs against me. I trail kisses along her jaw and pull her closer, relishing the feeling of her bare back against my hand. I nip at the shell of her ear and insist, “I’ve been chasing you since the moment I laid eyes on you. There isn’t a single moment with you that I’ve regretted. I just—” The elevator door opens before I can confess what I really want from her. Fucking elevator.
“You just what?” Becca presses the button to close the elevator doors and pulls the emergency stop. The elevator bounces once, causing both of us to momentarily lose our balance. She looks back at me expectantly as lights flash around us.
“Are you needing a book-worthy moment, Merlot?” Her breath catches as I kiss her cheek. “You want to know why my chest tightens every time I’m in your presence? What makes my palm itch to touch you? What’s consumed my thoughts since the moment I took your hand on that plane and a fucking jolt of electricity coursed through my body?” I pause, taking all of her in—her pouty red lips, her fascinating emerald eyes, and a dusting of light brown freckles peeping through her makeup. She’s fucking stunning, but it doesn’t compare to her beautiful heart that I want to steal for myself. “I don’t want you tonight, my Becca. I want you tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.”
I swallow hard, fear creeping in that she doesn’t feel this, too. All I know is that, by some cosmic happenstance, we met… and now I need her, want her, and am going to do everything in my power to keep her.
“How can you be so sure?” she asks, her breath shaky.
“I’m not. The absurdity of it all should have me on the next flight to California. Instead, I’m here, begging for a chance to see where this goes.”
“If anyone found out…” Becca’s voice trails off but her eyes never leave mine.
“They won’t.”
Her eyes dart between mine. She sucks in a short breath, exhaling as if she’s about to counter me. She doesn’t. Instead, she reaches down and presses the emergency stop button. The elevator doors open but neither of us move. They close again and it begins to descend.
“Ok,” she whispers, breaking the silence. “We can’t be seen together, not like this. Not until the recordings are done. It was already too risky going to dinner together.”
“Always the voice of reason,” I tease, but hope fills my chest. If it were up to me, I’d have her in my bed every night until I go home. After reviewing the script, I’d be lucky if I could prolong this for a month. Two would be excessive. Three would be impossible.
Maybe she’ll come to California with me? No, that’s ridiculous… Right?
I take her chin between my thumb and forefinger and bring her lips to mine before she changes her mind. She whimpers against my lips.
“What have you done to me, my Becca?” The elevator doors open. “Want to go have an adventure?” I don’t wait for her answer; I take her hand, guiding her out of the hotel and onto the busy New York streets.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
Becca pauses then asks, “How long?”
“How long will you give me?”
She takes out her phone, scrolling and tapping various apps before replying, “48 hours.”
On the ride to the airport, we stop at her apartment. I’ve given her no clues as to where we are going. I had plans for us to leave in the morning but if I want to be openly with her, I need it to be where no one knows who she is. She runs upstairs, changes into comfortable clothing, and grabs her passport. I don’t want to give away my surprise by telling her what to pack, so I’ll order clothes to be delivered to the hotel when we arrive.
“You really aren’t going to tell me where we’re going?” She buckles her lap belt, looking up at me through her lashes.
“Nope,” I reply, popping the ‘p.’ “Trust me?”
“I’m not sure,” she replies, unable to hide her amusement. “A man I met a week ago whisks me off on a charter plane to an unknown destination. Sounds to me like the beginning of a dark mafia romance where a woman’s taken by some hot crime lord. Only, plot twist, she’s way too excited to go.” I turn before I give myself away. I would totally whisk her away and keep her for myself like some sort of mafia don if it wouldn’t kill her to be away from her work.
How can things be this easy with someone I hardly know?
