Tease Me, page 27
The room was familiar, yet it was different. When a rumbling noise shattered the silence, I eased up on my elbows and stared at the man beside me. Corben was naked, flat on his back, his jaw ajar as he snored loud and deep.
Oh faaaaarrrrk. I’m in his room!
As I ogled him, I tried to piece together what happened. My furry tongue reminded me of the different drinks we’d had. I recalled dancing. Laughing. Hot sex up against the wall. Bits and pieces came back to me, but there were so many blank spots.
Trying not to wake him, I rolled off the side of the bed. The room whipped around, and as my eyes tried to keep up, my stomach lurched. I made a dash for the bathroom and just managed to reach the toilet before I threw up.
Oh, God. I forced back tears as I heaved over and over.
When the contents of my stomach were gone, I stood and leaned on the bathroom sink. My eyes were as red as one of the cocktails we drank last night. I filled a glass with water and gulped it down. Poking my tongue out, I cringed at its ghastly gray color and drank another glass of water.
The rumbling noise coming from the bed confirmed Corben was still asleep.
I need to get out of here before he wakes up.
I tiptoed from the bathroom and searched for my clothes. I found my G-string and jeans and pulled them on, but I couldn’t find my bra and top.
My feet froze to the floor. Oh shit! I tore them off in the elevator!
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Corben let out a loud gurgling noise, and I braced for him to wake up. I watched, mesmerized, as his muscles bulged and flexed, and he rolled onto his side to face away from me. I had a fine view of his broad, muscular back and his perfect ass.
I pranced to his closet and pulled open the doors. There wasn’t a single item of clothing hanging in there. Feeling like a petty thief, I went to his overnight bag and lifted the lid. A blue tank top was at the top. Sighing with relief, I pulled it out, tugged it on, and just about burst out laughing.
The arms on the singlet were so low that each of my boobs poked out of them.
Yanking it off, I rummaged through the rest of the case, but it was pointless. He only had two tank tops in there and a scrunched-up work uniform. I was tempted to take the uniform, but he might need it today.
Squeezing my temples, I begged my brain to think.
But other than attempting a topless streak to my room, I was out of options.
This calls for desperate measures.
I fished in my bag for my phone and sent a text to Lolita.
Fancy rescuing Memphis again?
HA HA hell yes
Thanks. Come to my hotel, room 45 - BUT DON’T KNOCK Text me when here. And bring me a shirt please
Cryptic. YAY. B there in 20
The twenty minutes were like twenty hours, and each time Corben’s snoring hit a new crescendo, I expected him to wake. By the time my phone vibrated to announce Lolita’s arrival, I was a nervous wreck.
I opened the door a couple of inches and poked my head out. “Hey, thank you.”
“Let me in.”
“Shhh.” She had no idea how loud she was. “I can’t.”
“Who’s in there?”
“It’s Corben.”
“Mr. Universe? Come on, I want to see.”
“No. Give me the shirt.”
“Awww, not until you let me see.”
“Lolly,” I hissed at her. “That’s blackmail.”
“No.” She wriggled her head. “It’s girlfriend code.”
I cocked my head. “Can I have the shirt, please?”
“What the fuck are you girls doing?”
My stomach threatened to hurl again at the sound of Corben’s deep voice.
Lolita pushed on the door and winked at me as she strode past. I watched wide-eyed as she strode right up to my naked Corben and held out her hand.
“Hi, I’m Lolita. Jane’s best friend.”
Corben glanced at me, then without covering himself, he shook Lolita’s hand. “Did Jane invite you over?”
Lolita made a show of checking Corben out, and he didn’t seem to mind one bit. “Well, sort of. She asked me to bring a shirt—apparently, she can’t find hers.”
Corben chuckled. “That’s because she tore it off in the elevator.”
Lolita jiggled from foot to foot and clapped. “Ha, that’s gold.”
As Corben sat up and planted his feet on the floor, Lolita mouthed ‘wow’ at me.
I stifled a giggle as Corben stood. But a flush of embarrassment blazed my cheeks as Lolly boldly ran her gaze over his body.
“’Scuse me for a sec.” As Corben strode to the bathroom, both Lolita and I watched the glorious spectacle of his physique.
“Holy shit, babe, you’ve hit the fucking jackpot.”
“Shhh.” I giggled. The sound of Corben peeing was just as embarrassing as her blatant perving, and I tried to ignore it as I pulled on the ridiculously tight T-shirt Lolita brought for me.
Corben flushed, and moments later, he emerged from the bathroom with a towel slung low on his hips.
A towel! Damn, I could have used that to get back to my room. Why didn’t I think of that?
“Anyway, thank you for a wonderful night, Corben.” I hooked my tote over my shoulder. “We need to get going before Needledick gets on the prowl again. Especially if he found my bra in the elevator.”
“Needledick?” Corben frowned.
“Her boss,” Lolita scrunched her nose. “He’s caught her a few times.”
“Yeah, I remember him. That’s how I met Jane.”
“Ahhh, she told me about that. Hey, oh my god.” Her eyes bulged, and her voice shot up a few notches. I dreaded what she was about to say. She clicked her fingers. “I have a brilliant idea.”
I groaned.
“No. Trust me, babe. You’re going to fucking thank me big time.” She strode toward me. “We’re going to your room for a bit. Corben, you stay here. I’m going to need you.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
“This is going to be so good.” She hooked her arm into mine and marched me out the door.
My head was already in a fog, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear her brilliant plan.
As we waited for the elevator, I moaned.
“Jeez, babe, how much did you drink?”
I shook my head and instantly regretted it. “I don’t know.”
“Ha. I love it.”
“I don’t.” With her arm hooked into mine, we made it to my room. She dragged me to the bathroom and turned on the shower taps. “Strip, woman. You need a shower.”
I groaned again, but knowing it was pointless to argue, I undressed and hopped under the cascade. As the tumbling water pummeled some breath back into my weary body, I watched Lolita through the shower screen, rummaging through my makeup kit.
By the time I’d turned off my taps and stepped out, she had a thick layer of makeup on, my purple contact lenses in, and my crazy black wig that scrambled in all directions on her head. I burst out laughing despite it hurting like hell. “What’re you doing?”
“You’ll see.” She tossed me a towel. “Now I need you to go for a walk or something, but you have to come back at exactly”—she glanced at her watch— “nine-thirty.”
Knowing full well she wasn’t going to give me any more info, I rolled my eyes. “Okay.”
I toddled to my bedroom and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.
“This is going to be such a hoot.” Lolita emerged from the bathroom wearing just a G-string, showing off the perkiest boobs ever. “Now, off you go. But remember, you must be back at exactly nine-thirty.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Ewww, don’t call me that.”
I grabbed my sunglasses and bag, and she pulled me in for a hug. “Go get yourself a bottle of water, okay?”
“Okay.”
In a thick haze, I rode down the elevator and was grateful Needledick was busy with customers as I made it outside the Hot Horizon Hotel. I crossed to the beach and sat on the park bench for a bit. I had twenty minutes to kill and went in search of that bottle of water and something to eat.
At the Blue Haven Café, I devoured a macadamia and white chocolate muffin and drank two bottles of water before it was time to leave again. “Here we go,” I mumbled under my breath as I stood and pushed my chair in.
I arrived back at the hotel two minutes early and waited on the bottom step for a bit. Then, with a huge breath to calm my racing heart, I did as I was told and re-entered the hotel at exactly nine-thirty. The lobby was quiet and unsure of what I was supposed to do, I headed toward the elevator. Halfway across the room, Needledick waved something around.
I gasped. It was my bra. “Did you lose something?”
My feet froze to the floor, and my mouth fell open.
The elevator doors pinged open, and Lolly and Corben strode from the elevator arm-in-arm. She was in my Poison Ivy green satin corset, my black lycra workout pants that looked totally hot on her, and a pair of my killer black stilettos. The wig was huge, the makeup eccentric, and Lolly pulled it all together like a true performer.
“Hey.” Damn, she was loud. “There he is. That’s the guy who grabbed me.”
With their hands clasped together, Corben and Lolly strode to the reception counter.
I, however, remained dumbstruck in the middle of the lobby.
“Hey, that’s my bra, you creep.” Her voice echoed about the marble expanse.
Corben stood with his feet apart, his clenched hands making his award-winning biceps bulge even further. “You been touching my woman?”
Needledick looked from me to Lolly, his jaw ajar, his eyes bulging. “I arrrr . . .”
I had to get a closer look and convinced my feet to take me to the counter.
“You what?” Corben sounded evil.
“He’s the one who grabbed my arm.” Lolita pointed a long fingernail at Needledick. “That’s when I kicked him in the balls.”
“You’re lucky I don’t kick you from here to Perth. Never touch her again. Understand?”
“Yes.” Needledick shook his head so fast it was a wonder it didn’t fall off.
“Give me that.” Lolly launched over the counter and grabbed my bra. She screwed her face up at Needledick. “Asshole.” Lolly hooked her arm into Corben’s. “Come on, honey, let’s get outta here.”
They strode past me without glancing in my direction, and halfway between me and the glass doors, Lolly squeezed Corben’s butt cheek.
It took all my might not to burst out laughing.
I turned to Needledick. “Looks like you found Memphis.”
His shoulders slumped, and he splayed his hands on the counter as if he needed it for support.
I folded my arms across my chest. “You thought it was me, didn’t you?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“You need to get a life. Asshole.” I strode to the elevator.
By the time I was in the mirrored cube, I couldn’t hold back my laughter a moment longer. I giggled all the way to my room and was still laughing when I flopped onto my bed. I grabbed my phone and texted Lolly.
God. I love you!
That was so much fun.
He should leave me alone now
I know. Told you it was perfect
You were right
OMG babe. Corben’s a total hottie
I told you.
I want all the details on Tuesday—got it?
Of course
Luv ya
Love you too
I put my phone on my bedside table and picked up my diary. I turned to the 28th of September, and at the top, I wrote Corben Benson, Room 45. I detailed our night out, everything from the yummy hotdogs to dirty dancing in the nightclub.
I detailed our sex and wrote how Corben seemed to last forever, so long in fact that, for me, it was too long. Maybe it was because I’d been so drunk.
Maybe it had only been a minute or two.
At the top of the page, I wrote Marathon Man. Giggling, I closed my diary.
I slid off the bed and headed into the kitchen.
I needed food. Eggs and bacon. Lots and lots of bacon.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“I still can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me.” The fact that Lolita could even talk, despite running at a frightening pace, was a testament to how fit she was.
I frowned. “What?” I spoke between breaths. “No, I haven’t.”
I was pretty certain she was still punishing me for making her eat that cheesecake a couple of weeks ago. Even though it had only been about five mouthfuls, I’d learned my lesson. Never force-feed Lolita.
“You never told me Corben was that hot.”
“Yes, I did.”
She played with the buttons on her treadmill, and the spinning tread raised to its highest elevation. The crazy woman was running at maximum speed and maximum elevation, yet she could still talk as if she were merely taking a stroll on the beach. I loved and hated her right now.
“You said he was hot. That doesn’t even begin to describe him. Now that I’ve met both Billy and Corben, I know you’re holding out on me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Your descriptions fall way short of the mark. I mean, Corben was a total fucking babe. Either you give me all the details”—she waggled her finger at me—“or photos. You choose.”
I shook my head; it was impossible to speak anyway. After a couple more seconds, I decided I’d had enough and jumped off the spinning tread. “I’m done.”
“No, you’re not. Get back on there.”
I turned to her and cocked my head. “Nope.” That was the first time I’d ever defied Lolita, and she scowled at me.
“No cake for you this morning, then.”
“Watch me.”
She gasped, then burst out laughing. How on earth she could laugh and run at the same time was beyond me. I turned off my treadmill and wiped the sweat off my forehead with a towel.
As I sipped my water and waited for her to finish her run, I summarized everything we had to talk about this morning. By the time she jumped off, I decided I’d need a large piece of cake to get through all the topics.
A quick glance in the mirror confirmed my cheeks were as flushed as they felt. Lolita, on the other hand, looked like she could do it all again. We grabbed our things from the lockers and headed to the Blue Haven Café.
Spring was out in all its glory, and the sun was a blazing white ball high over the ocean. The red and yellow lifesaver flags were far apart today, indicating the ocean was behaving itself, and based on the number of people in the water, I assumed it must be fairly warm, too.
While Lolly sat at our usual table, I went inside to check out the cake selection. My mouth salivated as I glanced from one delicious-looking treat to the next. In the end, it was the chocolate Jaffa cake that spoke to me the loudest.
I returned to the table and sat so I could see both Lolita and the beach.
“How’s Needledick been?”
“Weird, as usual. It’s like he still doesn’t believe what happened but has no choice. I don’t care anymore; I’m over him.”
“Good. He doesn’t deserve your attention anyway.”
“True.”
Matt arrived, and we placed our orders. The second he left, Lolita tapped her fingernail on the table. “So, tell me all about Corben. He’s fucking hot.”
I giggled. “I know.” As we waited for our meals, I detailed the unusual date I’d had with Corben. I started with what I wore and moved on to his choice of meal.
“A hotdog stand?”
“I know, weird, huh? It was yummy, though.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Of course you’d enjoy it.”
“I had fun. We sat in the middle of the mall, and as we ate our hotdogs, we watched the people go by. I didn’t mind, and you know what? It suited Corben. I couldn’t imagine him doing fine dining.”
A frown drilled across her forehead, and then she squinted at me. “I think you like Corben. A lot.”
Matt arrived with our food, and as he placed our dishes on the table, I thought about her comment. There certainly was a lot to like about Mr. Universe. But was he the man for me? I didn’t know.
“So, do you think he’s the one?”
I stabbed my cake with the fork. “He’s the one for now.”
She burst out laughing. “Ha, you’re a riot.”
“Thank you.” The Jaffa cake was everything I’d hoped for—moist and delicious, with hints of fresh orange complementing the rich dark chocolate. Every forkful was a party in my mouth.
“So, who else are you really keen on? What about Billy?”
I sighed as I thought about my hunky cowboy. “He’s really lovely. They all are. Every one of the men has been amazing in their own way.”
“Okay, which ones are at the top of your list?”
“What? Out of all of them?”
“Yeah. Which are your favorites?”
“Okay, well, one of the guys at the top of the list is Henry.”
She cocked her head. “The old guy?”
“He’s not old.”
“Whoa, calm down. It’s my way of remembering these dudes. Okay, so he’s not old. Why do you like him so much?”
“Well . . . he’s incredible. His body is amazing. He’s smart, funny, suave, and oh my god, does he know how to please me.”
“What’d he do this time?”
I cringed at the thought of telling her and instantly regretted it.
“What? Tell me.” She reached forward and clutched my arm.
