Six Naughty Nights: Love in Reverse, Book 2 (36 page)

Toby followed her gaze and laughed at the sight of Charlie dancing, encouraged by one of the little girls, who’d taken him under her wing. “He’ll sleep well tonight.” His gaze moved back to her. “Which will please my parents. Unless you’d rather keep Charlie in your room.” He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. “It’s up to you.”

She swallowed, suddenly uncertain. Maybe he’d changed his mind. “Do you still want me?”

He studied her. “Do I still want you?” Impatience lit his eyes. “You really have to ask me that? Standing there wearing not a stitch of underwear beneath that slinky dress?”

She couldn’t stop the smile stealing onto her lips. “I take that as a yes.”

“Yes, Esther Tyler.” He touched his lips to her temple. “Yes, whether you’re wearing slinky dresses or jeans and a T-shirt or nothing at all, I’ll always want you.”

She closed her eyes. It was just a figure of speech.

“Besides,” he murmured, his breath now warm on her ear. “We have our Naughty Night role-play to carry out.”

“Mm.” She was getting distracted. His hand had slid onto her butt. And in spite of her wish to stay distant, her nipples had hardened where they brushed against his chest.
 

“Guess what I brought with me,” he asked softly.

“I’ve no idea…” She shivered as he nibbled her earlobe.

“Silk scarves,” he whispered. “To tie you up while I torture you for information.”

Her eyes flew open. “Toby!”

“What?” He gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look. “Don’t you like that idea?”

Her heart pounded at the thought of being completely at his mercy. “Um…”

He kissed her. “I want you,” he murmured. “Stay with me tonight.” He kissed her again, his warm lips lingering on hers. “Let me pleasure you.”

She was going to melt into a puddle at his feet if she didn’t stop this soon. It was all about sex, she told herself. And that she could cope with.

“Okay.” She slid her hand into his hair and kissed him back. There was never any question of her refusing him. Although she hated herself for it, she’d always take what he was willing to offer of himself until he decided it was time to move on. And once she accepted that, maybe things would go a little smoother.

Chapter Forty-Two

The rest of the evening passed in a blur with the promise of what was to come hovering over her. When Charlie finally crashed, she went up to Martha and Graham’s room with them to settle him. They decided to retire themselves and took him into bed with them, turning the TV on and cuddling up together to watch
The Simpsons
. Charlie cuddled Bear and waved goodbye to Esther, and she left with a smile, touched that he felt so comfortable with his grandparents, and that they seemed to love him so unconditionally.

She returned to the hall and rejoined the party, and spent a pleasant couple of hours with the others, dancing and eating and drinking until the hour grew late.

Gradually people started to make their way to their rooms, and the party began to wind down. Dan and Eve weren’t leaving for Rarotonga until the next morning, so they stayed until the end, saying goodbye to their guests. Faith went up a bit earlier, worn out and with aching legs, but Rusty stayed to make sure everything was in order and those guests who weren’t staying had successfully found themselves taxis.

Esther stood in the foyer and removed her shoes, flexing her aching feet as she waited for the others to say goodbye to Eve’s old grandparents. Her body ached a little and the alcohol was beginning to have an effect on her, but the thought of going to bed with Toby kept the adrenalin pumping.

He joined the others at the doorway, and she leaned her head on the doorpost and watched him fondly, wondering if Charlie would grow up to look like him. How often would she get to see him once he started university? Obviously only during the holidays, and he’d have to split those between time with her and the rest of his family up in the bay.

The group of them at the door finished saying goodbye to the guests and came into the foyer.

“Oh well, I guess that’s it,” Eve said sadly. “My special day’s finally over.”

“We still have breakfast with our guests tomorrow,” Dan reminded her as he put his arms around her. “And besides, the evening’s not over yet.” He whispered something in her ear and squeezed her butt, and she giggled.

The rest of them laughed. “Come on,” Rusty said, “let’s go up to our rooms. I want to check on Faith.”

Toby and Esther crowded into the elevator with the rest of them—Dan and Eve, Rusty, Carla and her partner, and a couple of others including Toby’s brother Felix, who’d turned up for the reception. Rusty pressed the button for the floor where they were all staying. Toby leaned against the wall and pulled Esther to him, her back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and she relaxed contentedly while the elevator ascended. If she didn’t think about it too much, she could almost imagine they were a married couple, and that she belonged here, with his friends.

It was a nice fantasy.

The elevator dinged and they spilled out into the corridor. Dan bent and lifted Eve into his arms, a pile of white lace and satin, and she squealed. “Dan!”

“I’m going to carry you over the threshold,” he explained. “Behave.”

Everyone else led the way to their suite, laughing, and Toby swiped their keycard and opened the door for them. Dan carried her in—just missing hitting her head on the post by an inch—and then he stopped and they both stared at the confetti-strewn duvet littered with pillows in the shape of love hearts, cuddly toys with “Happily Married Couple” embroidered on their clothing, and balloons tied to the end of the bed.

“Enjoy,” Toby said, smiling.

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.” Rusty winked as Dan smiled wryly, and he closed the door on them.

“Did you two do that?” Esther asked them.

“Some of it. We—” Toby stopped as, from behind the door, Eve gave a huge squeal and yelled “We’re married!” and they all burst out laughing.

“I’m off to find my wife,” Rusty said. “I miss her.”

“Yeah, you’ve been apart all of fifteen minutes.” Toby grinned and held out his hand. “I enjoyed today. Glad you were there.”

“Me too.” They shook hands. Esther swallowed, touched at how close they were.
 

Rusty waved to the others. “Good night.”

Carly took her partner’s hand and said goodnight too. Felix sighed. “Well, I guess I’m off to bed. Alone again, naturally. I thought there’d be a bridesmaid to cop off with, but no luck. They’re all taken.” He raised an eyebrow at Esther. “What are you up to? Need someone to scrub your back in the shower?”

Esther giggled as Toby glowered at him, and she patted Felix’s arm. “Don’t worry, there’s someone out there for you.”

“Yeah, some girl who’s escaped from a mental institution,” Toby grumbled.

Felix gave him the finger and walked off, muttering to himself. Toby laughed, grabbed Esther’s hand and pulled her toward their room.

“Poor Felix,” Esther said. “He’s a nice guy—he deserves a nice girl.”

“He’s very rarely short of company,” Toby said, swiping his keycard. “Don’t feel sorry for him. Besides which, he has a practiced right hand, don’t worry.”

“Toby!”

He chuckled and opened the door. “After you.”

She went into the room and he followed her. The door shut behind them with a soft snick.

Immediately, her heart began to hammer, but she kept her cool and tried not to act nervous. She placed her shoes by the bag she’d brought up earlier and turned on the soft lighting over the bed. Toby went over to the fridge and extracted a bottle of wine. He poured two glasses and brought them over to where she stood with hands folded in an attempt to stop them shaking.

She took the glass and sipped the cold Sauvignon, hoping the alcohol would help her to relax a little. The several glasses she’d had during the course of the evening didn’t seem to have affected her at all, and she could really do with some Dutch courage.

Toby stood before her, hand in his pocket, and took a swallow of his wine. He was so much taller than her when she took her shoes off. She looked up at him to see him surveying her. He’d hung his jacket over the chair, and her fingers itched to touch his silver waistcoat, then slide underneath and feel his muscles through the white shirt. His dark hair was ruffled, and his eyes had the sultry look of a man who’d drunk enough glasses of whisky to let the naughty side of him out.

“Stop smirking,” she said uncomfortably.

“I’m not smirking. I’m amused.”

“At what?”

“You. You look nervous.”

“I am nervous,” she said nervously. “You make me nervous.”

“Even after all we’ve done?”

“Maybe because of that.” She took another hasty swallow of wine and licked her lips, not missing the way his gaze fell to them. “And because you keep doing that.”

“What?”

“Looking at me like you’re lost in the desert and I’m an oasis.”

He chuckled, finished off his wine and placed his glass on the table. Then he bent to place his lips against her throat. “I can see your pulse racing.” He touched his tongue to her skin, and she shivered. “Mm,” he said. “Do that again.”

“I thought you were supposed to be interrogating me.”

“Oh, I will.” He kissed up to her jaw, then along to her lips. Sliding his right hand into her hair, he cupped her head. “But I’ve been waiting all night to kiss you properly.”

“Oh…” That was the last word she could utter, as then his lips were on hers and all thoughts fled her mind. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him, and kissed her. First his lips were gentle, placing light butterfly kisses on her lips and cheeks. She let him, trying not to sigh, enjoying the way he overwhelmed her with his masculinity, from the brush of bristles against her cheek, to the taste of whisky in his mouth, to the firmness of his muscles beneath her free hand where she pressed it to his chest.

And then, when he brushed his tongue across her lips, she opened them to welcome it inside. And it seemed to fire something up between them, causing his fingers to tighten on her butt and knot in her hair as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. They both groaned, and Esther couldn’t stop herself pushing up against the hard length that pressed on her stomach. She needed him inside her. There was no point in denying it. Whatever he wanted, she’d comply, like a remote-controlled toy to which he possessed the controls.

He lifted his head, eyes gleaming in the dull light. “God, you’re sexy,” he murmured, running his hands down her body. “All night I’ve thought about the fact that you’re not wearing any underwear beneath this. It’s been driving me crazy.”

“I’m glad,” she said, breathless. “Because the sight of you in that suit has driven me nuts.”

He chuckled and pulled back. “So we’re even.” He cupped her cheek, and bent and kissed her lips lightly. “Maybe I should keep the suit.”

Bitterness made her clench her hand on his chest. What was the point when she was going away? She lowered her gaze to her fist and forced herself to relax, smoothing her palm against the silky waistcoat. She had to concentrate on tonight, nothing more.

“So,” she said lightly. “Where do we start?”

Chapter Forty-Three

Her heart increased its rate again as the heat level rose in Toby’s eyes.

“Hmm,” he said. He walked over to his bag and rummaged around, then withdrew an item and turned to show it to her. It was a weird hat, like an army officer’s peaked cap but made out of a shiny silver fabric. It looked like something Peter Cushing might have worn in
Star Wars
.

He pulled it on, raised an eyebrow and waited for her reaction.

She giggled. “Where did you get that?”

“Rusty got it from the drama department at his school.” He pulled the peak down a little. “Now, Miss Tyler, I understand you know the secret code to the rebel forces’ hidden base.” Clearly he’d also thought that the hat looked like something George Lucas might have designed. She had to bite her lip to stop the giggles.
 

Tossing back her hair, she gave him her best rebellious stare. “Yes, and we’re going to destroy the Empire’s Death Star. What are you going to do about it?”
 

Warmth spread through her as he smiled. Or was it the alcohol finally beginning to have an effect? No, it was definitely the look in his eyes.
 

He ran his gaze down her, lingering insolently on her breasts before returning to her face. She’d thought the hat looked funny at first, but oddly, as he continued to study her and a look of determination replaced his smile, she didn’t have much trouble imagining what he would have looked like as a real bad guy. Her amusement fled as she began to wonder how he was going to torture her.

She swallowed the remainder of her wine, and he took the glass and put it on the table next to his own. He moved away, leaving her standing there, put his hands behind his back and surveyed her silently.

She fidgeted, picking at her fingernails, uncertain what he wanted her to do.

“Stand still,” he said.

Her heart slammed against her ribs at his soft but authoritative tone. She dropped her hands, and he nodded with approval.