Starstruck (6 page)

Her feet moved, reluctant at first, but she picked up her
room key and opened the door. She stood frozen inside her slippers then slowly
closed the door, banging her head against the back of it, once, twice, three
times.

Ouch!

I can’t do this. It’s just not me!

Her heart beat a mile a minute and the palms of her hands
were sweaty. She rubbed them on her jeans.

Move your butt, girlie, before he drinks himself silly
trying to forget about you. Get moving!

The last two words boomed inside her brain.

Shit, Nan…don’t have to shout. I’d better not regret
this.

Sam glanced at the clock on the table. “What if it’s too
late and he’s already asleep?”

She swiped the bottle of Jack off the top of the bar. “I’m going,
Nan. Would you please piss off now? I can’t do what I’m about to knowing you’re
hanging around.”

Aren’t you forgetting something, sweetheart?

Sam stopped and looked around the room, slightly bewildered.

The whipped cream.
Nan’s chortle rebounded in her
head.

Sam slumped and lowered her head, a smile on her lips.
“You’re a cheeky bugger, Nan. Give my love to Pop…’night.”

She closed the door behind her with the silent knowledge
that her grandmother had left London for the night. Swinging the bottle of liquor
at her side, she walked the short distance to room 803, trying to keep her
nerves from jumping out of her skin.

Chapter Four

Sam stood still as a statue outside his door for at least
five minutes, trying to talk her clammy hand into knocking. A devil sat on one
of her shoulders, an angel on the other, and they were about to kick one
another’s arses.

Music came from inside the room. She wasn’t prepared when
the door swung open.

Did I knock? I don’t remember knocking.

He was dressed in only dark blue jeans. Her eyes roamed from
his bare feet up to his face, soaking in the glorious view in between.

“Hey!” he said, rubbing the grit from his eyes. “Can’t sleep
either, huh?”

She tried not to stare at the small muscles that rippled
just above the waistband of his jeans, how they shifted beneath his skin with
each breath he took. Her gaze drifted down to his feet. Feet were safe, weren’t
they? He wiggled his toes as if reading her mind.

“Ah…I’ve disturbed you, haven’t I? I thought maybe…I mean
I…I’m sorry. It must be the jetlag…or something. Here, I think this was meant
for you.” She handed him the bottle of Jack Daniel’s, thanking her lucky stars
she’d decided to take it with her at the last minute. It was the perfect escape
for her now-cold feet. What had she been thinking? She couldn’t go through with
this.

“Thanks. Join me?”

Those two little words sent her insides quivering and her
heart racing. She glanced down the hall to the safety of her room, wanting to
run. “Ah no. I’ve really got to get some sleep, but we’re still on for
breakfast, right?”

He stared at her a long time. His face was relaxed with the
hint of a smile, but his eyes blazed with intensity. The strength of his gaze
made her uncomfortable and she shifted her feet. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning
then.”

She turned and stepped in the direction of her room, begging
her legs to be firm and not give away the extent of her nerves by trembling.

With uncanny speed he was right behind her, tugging at the
back of her cardigan, stopping her mid-stride. His warm arms wrapped around her
waist as he pulled her close to his chest and pressed his mouth to her ear. His
lips brushed down the side of her neck before he planted a soft kiss above her
collar.

With laughter hidden just below the surface, he said, “Your
body betrays you, Sam. You should say what you really mean. I think we’ve
wasted too much time tonight already, wouldn’t you say?”

He coaxed her through the door and closed it behind them.
She faced him when he let her go. With a smile, he sauntered over to the bar,
pouring them each a small drink.

Sam quietly exhaled the breath she’d held for far too long
and surveyed the room. “I can’t believe you gave me the bigger suite. You do
realize it’s larger than my entire house, right? I would have been just as
happy to take this one, you know. I’m not used to…all this.”

She sensed him behind her, her skin prickling with
excitement.

* * * * *

He curved his arm close to her waist but didn’t touch,
offering her a glass as he inhaled the citrus scent of her hair. She accepted
the drink, thanking him, and strolled to the window to look at the street
below.
I’m on Fire
came on the radio—one of his favorite songs.

“I love this song,” she said.

A smile spread on his face as his eyes explored her
silhouette. He’d only turned on the small wall light near the front door when
he’d first entered his room, choosing to bathe in the soft radiance from the
fireplace. In the glow of the fire, he envisioned her trim figure through the
tight clothes she wore. The fluffy slippers on her feet made him chuckle under
his breath. Her hair was damp and he admired the waves that fell down her back.
He moved closer, standing behind her, gazing at her reflection in the dark
window. She met his eyes in the glass and they stood silently, listening to the
music.

“What am I doing here?” she asked.

“We’re snowed in, remember?” he whispered, curling his arm
around her waist and gently rubbing his palm over her stomach.

“I’m sorry, Jesse…maybe I should go.” She tried to turn, but
he held her tight, pressing her back to his chest.

“Please stay.” He put his glass on the wide windowsill and
brushed her hair aside so he could nuzzle her neck.

He kissed the warm flesh between her neck and shoulder, ran
his tongue to her earlobe, sucking softly, absorbing the shudders that traveled
through her body. Her head fell back, resting on his shoulder, and a faint moan
escaped her lips. He untied the belt of her cardigan and slowly slipped it from
her shoulders, letting it fall to his feet. His hands came to rest on her hips
and he eyed the full length of her body. Her black t-shirt exposed her waist,
baring delectable inches of skin. He ran his hands over the smoothness, more
than pleased with her curves.

She placed her glass next to his and returned her back to
his bare chest. Although a little hesitant at first, she raised her hand to the
nape of his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, lightly scratching his
scalp.

That was the signal he’d been waiting for—her permission for
him to up his advances. He dipped his hands under the hem of her shirt, swept
them up her sides and over the front of her bra. He cupped her breasts,
exploring the firm flesh beneath the lacy material, his fingertips teasing her
taut nipples. He brushed his thumbs back and forth, enticing them to tighten
more, pinched them with a small twist and sucked on her neck. Her entire body
jolted in response. She breathed in deeply and sighed, placing her small hands
over his and pushing his palms harder to her skin.

He lifted his head and was transfixed by her reflection—eyes
closed, lips slightly parted and her body fixed in his arms. Just the sight of
her made his cock twitch against the inside of his jeans. He couldn’t control
the shameless urge and rubbed his hips against her firm butt. He ran his hands
down the sides of her stomach, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her
jeans. His fingertips stroked the dip between her legs and hips.

As her breath hitched, he whispered, “I want you, Sam…so
bad.”

After unfastening the button at her waist, he lowered the
zipper, lingering when the metal tag reached its limit. He brought his hands
back to the bare skin of her stomach, dipped beneath the denim and ran his
fingers over her cotton panties, pressing on her clitoris.

She arched against him, moaning close to his ear, clutching
the base of his neck with more force. He caressed her, adding gentle pressure,
circling the hooded pearl until her breath turned into short pants and her legs
trembled against his.

He spun her, one hand splayed on her lower back, the other
coursing through her hair to cradle the back of her head. Tilting her face, he
pressed his lips to her mouth just once, and then hovered over her plump bottom
lip, barely touching.

“I’ve thought about the softness of your lips all night.
You’re so beautiful,” he breathed into her. “I want to taste you,
every
part of you.”

Licking his lips, his tongue brushed her mouth. The
anticipation was killing him. When her breath caught, he knew there would be no
turning back, not for him. He closed his eyes and softly pressed his lips to
hers. He reached for her wrist and beneath the pads of his fingers her pulse
quickened and fluttered. Lifting her hands, he kissed each one before placing
them around his neck. He smiled when she twined her fingers through his hair,
trapping him in her arms. He wanted to feel her desperation, her hunger. He
continued the torturously slow onslaught of her mouth, cupping her jaw with
both hands.

The room spun and he never wanted the ride to end. He felt
the precise moment when her body completely surrendered, pressing harder
against him. His hands roamed as far as they could reach, memorizing every
curve.

He steered them toward the bed, pulled her shirt over her
head and arms and tossed it in the air, bowing to kiss the lace of her bra.
Skimming her nipple, he sucked it through the fabric, grazing it with his teeth
as it hardened between his lips.

“Jesse,” she breathed.

“Just for tonight, Sam, be with me. Be mine.” He didn’t wait
for her answer, alternated between kissing and licking her luscious skin.

She moaned, her head tilting back as he moved his lips to
the front of her neck, glided his tongue down her throat to the valley between
her breasts. He reached behind and, with one expert flick of his thumb,
unhooked the clasp of her bra. He ran his fingertips up the back of her
shoulders and tugged the straps down her arms, placing butterfly kisses over
her heaving round breasts. As he squeezed and fondled one, he licked the other,
teasing her, enjoying how quickly she responded. He enveloped her nipple with
his lips, gently nipped with his teeth. She trembled against him before he
moved to her other breast and repeated the action.

Backing her to the end of the bed, he stood to his full
height, looking down at her. “I want you, Sam. Any second thoughts, now’s the
time to speak up.” He glided his hands up her bare back and down again before
resting them in the back pockets of her jeans.

She kissed his shoulder, releasing a deep sigh. “I want you
too, but…I’ve only ever been with one man. This isn’t as easy as I’d hoped.” A
single tear trailed down her cheek. “What if—”

He braced her face in his hands and pulled her to him,
silencing her with his lips.

He kissed her deeply, slowly, allowing his tongue to calm
her fears. “I don’t care for ‘what ifs’,” he breathed into her mouth, jostling
them onto the bed.

He loved the sweet, honeyed taste of her and his tongue
couldn’t get enough. He pushed up and leaned back on his knees, his hands
drifting down her toned belly to her jeans. Tracing the length of her legs with
his fingertips, he dragged the denim with him, hopped off the bed and tugged
her jeans over her feet. Wearing only panties, she was a vision to behold.

He wanted nothing more at that moment than to make their
night special for her. For once, he didn’t care about his own pleasure, only
how he could use his body to please her.

She shuffled back on her elbows, moving to the head of the
bed as he stared down at her. His hunger grew as his gaze lingered over her
breasts. He licked his lips, his mind already one step ahead, imagining the
positions he would love to put her body in.

He ran his hands slowly up her legs until he reached the
sides of her underwear. He pulled them down with his thumbs and wiggled them
past her hips, over her toes, and let them drop to the floor. He crawled onto
the bed, kneeling at her feet. Starting at her heels, he slowly explored the
curves of her legs, brushing his thumbs up her inner thighs. Her legs parted
slightly, but he continued to her stomach, kissing, taunting, avoiding the area
he thirsted for most. He wanted their night to last. He needed her to
experience and enjoy everything he was capable of giving her.

He delved into her exquisite navel with his tongue, grinning
when she giggled. She arched her back, pressing her body into him, and he let
forth a guttural groan. He moved his hands beneath her back as she lowered to
the sheets. When he brushed his lips over the light patch of hair between her
thighs, she quivered beneath him, sending tremors down his own spine.

She cried out even before his tongue caressed her slick
folds, her essence his ambrosia. He drank from her as she pushed her hips
against his mouth, urging him on.

When she ran her hand through his hair, he raised his head
to look at her. She sighed when he slid his middle finger inside her and his
thumb found her clit. He made tiny circles on her button as he entered a second
finger, drew them in and out, meeting her hips as she gently thrust against the
palm of his hand. She bent her head back against the pillow, tilting her chin
to the ceiling and panting heavily. She was close, the velvet walls of her core
clenching him, but he didn’t want her to topple just yet.

He withdrew his fingers and ran his hands underneath her,
squeezing her ass cheeks as he cupped and lifted her, giving his mouth greater
access. He lavished her clit with flicks of his tongue and then pressed his
lips to her folds, sucking hard before releasing to gently lick again. She
whimpered, grew breathless, and it was sweet music to his ears.

Her hips rose off the bed and bucked rhythmically against
his mouth as he continued lapping her succulent pussy. He pushed her thighs
farther apart and pressed them into the mattress to keep her still. His tongue
showed her no mercy. His cock twitched, impatient, begging to be buried inside
her. Her whimpers grew louder, morphing into the most exquisite moan as she
arched off the bed and cried his name, her legs trembling beneath his palms.

With the pride of a lion, he slowly swiped his flattened
tongue between the folds of her pussy one last time. Grinning, he pecked quick
kisses from hip to hip as her breath steadied and she released a long sigh of
contentment.

She pulled at his shoulders, inviting him to join her on the
pillows. He eased over her, sucking her nipple as he passed before meeting her
lips, gently lowering his weight over her.

When he finally lifted from her mouth, she said, “We have a
problem, Houston.”

He tilted his head to the side. “A problem?”

“You have
way
too many clothes on.” She fumbled with
the button of his jeans.

Jesse jumped off her before sliding his jeans down and off
his feet. He dug into the pocket and brought out a small silver packet. After
ripping it open with his teeth, he pulled out the condom and positioned it on
the tip of his throbbing cock. Sam’s hand covered his and he shivered with
excitement as they rolled it down to the base of his aching shaft.

Poised between her legs, nudging them farther apart with his
knees, he grabbed both her hands and raised them above her head. He lowered his
lips to hers and pushed his tongue into her mouth as he simultaneously eased
the tip of his cock inside her, resting just inside her opening.