Ready or Not (23 page)

“Here you are, Miss Spencer,” Henry said from behind her. If she ripped the coat from his hands and tossed a “thank you, Henry” over her shoulder as she pulled Hope toward the elevator, it was only because urgency trumped manners in that particular moment. She would try and make it up to him later. He really was a good-hearted guy, if not the fastest with coat turn-around.

“You were anxious to get out of there,” Hope said on the elevator as she studied her curiously.

Mallory nodded, not really ready with words to explain away her actions, as the image of her father and his mistress played back in her head like some god-awful movie stuck on repeat. Hope seemed to accept this confirmation, and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

But Hope stayed close to her, passing her little check-in glances that made her feel safe, looked after, on a night when she felt things falling from her control. She filed that fact away for examination later. But they were nice, the check-ins. “You still up for that burger?” Mallory asked as they exited the elevator. She needed a distraction in a big way.

“If you’re coming with me, I’m up for anything.”

Mallory blinked against the words. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Hope smiled at what probably seemed like a weird question, but Mallory really needed to know. What did Hope see when she looked at Mallory? What was the draw? They had a physical attraction, sure. And maybe that was enough for Hope, but it would be nice to know.

“Because I happen to like you.”

“I like you too.”

When they reached the exit of the building, they were greeted with not just rain, but big wet drops that bounced into predominant puddles along the sidewalk. This was major rain, and for whatever reason, her parents’ doorman was MIA. Hope turned to her. “Stay here and be likable, and I’ll get us a cab.”

“Hope! Wait!”

“What is it?” Hope asked, turning back, just before stepping out into it all.

“You cannot stand out there on the sidewalk in your beautiful dress. We can wait it out. See if it lets up.”

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with here. Who said anything about standing? I’ll have a cab in 2.3 seconds. It’s kind of a gift.” And without another word, she was out the door before Mallory could protest further. And Hope did hail a cab rather quickly, but it took only a few seconds before the storm soaked her through and through.

Mallory, with heels in hand, then made the mad dash to the open door of the waiting cab and found herself laughing by the time she got inside. How was that possible? After what had transpired that evening? But she knew the answer. Something about Hope whisked her away from the world. Perhaps, it was how different she was from most of her friends and family. Whatever the case, she was a valuable escape on a night like this one, and that was so what she needed right now. To forget what she’d just seen and to push the real world far, far away before it crushed her. Mallory was known for her strength, but she was feeling anything but strong.

She turned her face against the backseat of the cab and studied Hope. Concentrate on Hope, she told herself.
Don’t think about the rest
. Hope pulled her hair out of the knot at the base of her neck, and Mallory watched the release as it fell freely around her shoulders, wet from the storm. Sensual, that was the word for it. The skin across Hope’s chest glistened with droplets, and the black dress clung to her in a whole new way.

“So what happened to 2.3 seconds?” Mallory asked, gesturing with her head to Hope’s condition.

“Flag on the play. We had storm interference.”

“I don’t think you can flag a conversation,” Mallory said, and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, you can,” Hope said in confidence. “Just did, in fact.”

“You’re kinda cheeky.”

“Cheeky? You sound like Mary Poppins. A very attractive Mary Poppins though, so bonus.”

“No one has ever made that comparison before,” she mused.

“Well, have you ever called them cheeky? Try it. See what you get.” The smile dimmed on Hope’s face. “So are you going to tell me what happened back there? I already know something did, so don’t try to downplay it.”

Discussion was not part of the plan. “If it’s okay with you, I’d rather not. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like?”

“How your failure at cab hailing has yielded…other rewards.” She let her gaze travel from Hope’s eyes to her lips, down the line of her slender neck, to the dip in her dress. Mallory’s body tightened uncomfortably as a consequence, and she adjusted in her seat out of necessity. Then and there, Mallory made an executive decision and met Hope’s eyes.

“I can do without the cheeseburger if you can.” Yep, this was exactly the kind of distraction she needed. She watched as understanding crossed Hope’s face and her lips parted subtly. It was all Mallory needed. She leaned forward to the cab driver and changed their course.

Her place, it was.

She was in control of her own destiny and it felt good.

While Hope still wasn’t sure what had gone on earlier in the evening to spark a change in Mallory, it was clear now that she was on a mission. It was a sexy mission, which was one of the better kinds, but it did leave her curious.

Mallory hadn’t said much since they exited the cab, and when they arrived at the apartment, her lips were on Hope’s before she even had the door open, stripping her of most of her capacity to think clearly. Hope had to admit, the wet clothes added a certain something, as the red dress Mallory wore was now a shade deeper, and her semi-wet hair framed her face in an intoxicating halo under the sconce light in the hallway. But it was her mouth that had Hope’s attention, all hot and insistent in the best way possible. Mallory pulled away but only to open the damn door that seemed to be in the way of everything good Hope could imagine.

And she wasn’t feeling very patient.

They stumbled into the darkened apartment, finding each other easily and meeting in a sexy exchange of lips, tongues, and touches, both light and firm. “Should we turn on a light?” Hope asked, between kisses.

“No light,” Mallory said easily. Moonlight crisscrossed the loft’s living room and illuminated the path that Mallory led them down to her bedroom, tugging Hope gently by the hand. The room was beautiful, from what she could see of it. The high ceilings of the living room extended into the bedroom. Mallory’s bed faced an expanse of unobstructed windows that invited the twinkling lights of the city to dance in front of them now. But the view a little closer to her was better. She cupped Mallory’s face with her hands. God, she was beautiful.

“Are you sure?” Hope asked.

Her answer was a searing kiss that had Hope forgetting the question and yearning for contact as her heart rate escalated and her arousal skyrocketed. Now. She needed more now. As Mallory kissed her into oblivion, she slipped a hand behind Hope and lowered the zipper to her dress. It fell to the floor, and with an intake of air, Mallory’s eyes roamed her body. She hadn’t worn a bra, and Mallory let out a little gasp at the sight. Mallory’s lips parted and she trailed a hand from Hope’s shoulder down across her breast, to her stomach, and inside the curve of her thigh, nearly bringing Hope to her knees. Hope couldn’t contain the murmur of pleasure that escaped her lips.

“Hope,” Mallory whispered, stepping into her space and kissing her neck, slowly, skillfully.

Mallory did everything well, Hope noted peripherally, and seduction seemed to be no exception. She eased Hope backward until the back of her knees brushed the bed before lowering her down entirely. From where she lay on the bed, Hope looked up at Mallory as the red dress came off, followed by the strapless bra, revealing the perfectly full breasts she longed to touch again. When Mallory lowered herself on top, skin on skin, Hope thought she’d come undone. She pushed up against Mallory and trailed her hands down Mallory’s bare back, enjoying the warmth of her smooth skin. They were moving together already, legs intertwined, as there was no way not to be.

Mallory was lost in the most wonderful sense. She kissed down Hope’s body, amazed at how soft she was, how wonderful she felt beneath her. Mallory was fully in control of the moment, and that’s exactly how she needed it to be tonight. Driven by need, she was shocked at how quickly her body responded to Hope, who was easily the sexiest human she’d ever come in contact with.

Hope attempted to reverse their positions, but Mallory had a goal and had yet to achieve it. She eased off Hope and ran her fingers up Hope’s inner thighs and lightly across the cotton of her panties between them, eliciting a moan, a hotly erotic sound that Mallory wanted more of. She refocused on her breasts, kissing, licking, sucking, pulling a nipple fully into her mouth and letting her tongue play. She could do this for hours, she realized, moving on to the next breast. She was aware of Hope straining against her, knew how wet she was, but Mallory wasn’t ready yet. Hope whimpered quietly, seeking some sort of release, but Mallory pressed on, tasting, caressing, pushing, and licking. “What do you need?” she finally whispered in Hope’s ear as she continued to massage her breasts and circled her thumb around each nipple.

“You,” she managed, her hips moving against Mallory’s thigh in a rhythm that told Mallory she wouldn’t last much longer.

“Soon,” Mallory assured her and stole a scorching open-mouthed kiss because it was too tempting to pass up. She spent some time on the slender column of Hope’s neck and found it a very sensitive spot for her, as it pulled another moan from Hope’s lips that only encouraged Mallory further.

Hope couldn’t believe the need she experienced. The attention from Mallory was beyond torturous, and she was about to ignite under her thorough touch. The buildup had been nice, but now she craved release in a way she’d never quite known. She was shaking for Mallory, unequipped to handle much more of the throbbing. Mallory kissed down her stomach, pausing at the waistband to her underwear before sliding them down her legs. Good God, the anticipation was excruciating. Mallory parted her thighs gently and placed an open-mouthed kiss on one inner thigh and then the next. “Please,” Hope managed, moving her head against the down comforter as the aching became incessant. “Mallory, please.”

Finally ready to comply, Mallory swiped across Hope’s center with her tongue, the sensation nearly levitating her off the bed. But Mallory held her in place and continued to explore, applying little bits of pressure to where Hope needed it most before pulling it back. It was diabolical, the things Mallory was doing with her mouth, but in the most wonderful way. Liquid heat moved through her veins, and she slid her hands into Mallory’s hair, still moving against her mouth. Mallory gave her what she wanted, but did so on her own schedule. When she pushed inside, Hope saw white. Mallory filled her expertly before retreating and entering her again. Her body, already on fire, erupted. Need tore Hope apart as the pressure rose steadily, climbing higher and higher with each flick of Mallory’s tongue until a powerful release shot through her with a shattering intensity. But Mallory didn’t stop and sent her further into a sweet oblivion before bringing her back down slowly, gently.

“God, I loved every second of that,” Mallory said, planting a soft kiss on the underside of her jaw and stretching out next to Hope. But all Hope could do was stare, still not fully a part of the here and now. She knew Mallory came with a certain quiet drive about her, but this experience had gone above and beyond. Overachiever? Yeah, she’d agree.

“What did you just do to me?” Hope asked, turning onto her side to better see Mallory, who brushed a strand of hair from Hope’s forehead.

“I think I just had my way with you,” Mallory said in satisfaction.

“Is that what you call it? Because I have a few other choice words.”

Mallory’s mouth formed a tiny outraged circle, and her eyes went wide. “Language, Ms. Sanders.” It was clear she was teasing, but it was the cute kind.

Hope raised an eyebrow. “After what you just did to me, I don’t think you have a lot of room to talk about manners and decorum.”

Mallory bit the inside of her cheek as she considered this point. “I did make you wait a bit, didn’t I?”

Hope stole a lingering kiss. “Ya think?”

“Couldn’t help it. I was busy,” Mallory said sweetly as Hope moved on top of her.

“I think I’m going to make you a drink. Do you have simple syrup?”

“Wait. You’re going to make me a
drink
?”

“That’s what I said. I make great drinks.”

“I’ve heard this. But we’re kind of otherwise engaged.”

“What? Did you want me to do something else right now?” she asked, tracing the outside of Mallory’s breast and watching as her eyes widened and her lips parted at the contact.

Mallory’s eyes fluttered closed and she bit her lip. “You’re a tease and you know it.”

“What?” Hope asked, feigning shock. “Never. Is that a no on the simple syrup?” She got out of bed then, which prompted a sigh from Mallory at the loss. Hope moved naked about the room, looking for something to put on that wasn’t a wet cocktail dress.

Mallory watched her movements with a lazy smile. “That’s a no on syrup. If you’re looking for clothes, that’s a shame because I’m enjoying this visual. But you’ll find a robe on the back of the door,” Mallory said. Hope slipped into Mallory’s blue robe, loving that it smelled amazing, like the hair she’d just nuzzled. “I’ve never seen anyone wear my robe before. I like you in it. I’m thinking it may look better on you than it does on me.”

“I completely disagree with that statement,” Hope said, resisting the very powerful urge to skip the drink and take what she really wanted. Mallory lying there nearly naked and looking sexy as hell was a temptation she was hard pressed to resist. But there’d be time, she told herself.
Plenty of time. And good things come to those who wait.
“You coming?” she asked Mallory before heading out to the kitchen.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Mallory said in amusement.

Hope opened the fridge and surveyed what she had to work with. It didn’t really matter. Give her some booze and she could make a drink out of anything, but it turned out she was in luck. “This is great news.”