Stay Beautiful (3 page)

“That would mean we’d have to get dressed.” A frown creased
Jonah’s brow. “I don’t think I’m ready to let you do that.”

“Aw come on. I promise to get naked again after.” She sighed
when he fed her a raspberry. It was like being in a dream. “Tell me more about
you, Jonah. Do you have any siblings? What’s your favorite color? Favorite
band?”

“Slow down there, gorgeous. One question at a time.” Cocking
his head to one side, Jonah gave her a long, appraising look. “Do you really
want me to answer all that? Won’t it ruin some of the mystery?”

She thought about it and decided she didn’t care. She wanted
to know more about him. “It might. That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

“All right.” He watched her slowly lick the cream off a
strawberry before popping it into her mouth. “Damn, you’re sexy. Okay let’s
see. Two siblings, a sister and a brother. I’m the oldest and therefore was the
one always in charge of keeping the other two in line. My favorite color is
black but if you make me choose a real color I’ll say blue even though it’s
really orange. And my favorite band was Bon Jovi back in the day. I don’t think
I have one now. I like a lot of bands. How did I do?”

Violet stuck her tongue out in response to the goofy look he
gave her. “That was great. But I think I have twenty more questions for you
now.”

“No way. It’s my turn to ask the questions. So…do you have a
favorite movie? What kind of car do you drive? Are you single? What about kids?
Do you have any?”

The laughter pealed out of Violet in response to his
question topics. She couldn’t contain herself, especially when he was looking
at her warily, as if she were going to confess to being married with five
children.

“Um, favorite movie would be
Moulin Rouge
. I drive an
SUV. I have been dating someone casually, but technically I’m single. No kids.”

“Technically single, huh?” He kissed a drop of whipped cream
from her lip before she could lick it away. “I guess that’s a good thing. But
Moulin
Rouge
is a bit of a chick flick, isn’t it? Don’t you like a good action
movie? Horror? Anything?”

“
Moulin Rouge
is a love story. With music and
elaborately costumed dancing girls. How can you go wrong?” She feigned a look
of hurt, smiling when it earned her another kiss.

He took her hand and stroked a finger along the center of
her palm, sending a pleasant shiver up her arm. “It doesn’t exactly have a
happy ending though. Strange that it would be your favorite.”

“Is it? Yeah, it’s a tear jerker all right but it’s the
power of the love story I like. The ending just makes it that much stronger. I
longed for what they had, regardless of the outcome.” Meeting his enchanting
gaze, Violet suddenly felt too warm.

Jonah’s soft caress continued up her arm. “I guess some
loves are doomed before they really begin.”

“Maybe it isn’t about being doomed, but about those few
precious fleeting moments.” Her voice became breathy at the touch of his lips.
She watched as he kissed his way up her arm to the soft inner curve of her
elbow. “I guess I’m a silly romantic that way.”

Looking up at her from beneath a fringe of thick lashes,
Jonah merely smiled and said nothing. Violet suddenly wished she could snatch
back her last words. He must think she was a naïve woman looking at the world
through rose-tinted glasses. Although, what was so wrong with that?

Feeling flustered and awkward, Violet forced her tongue to
work. “So how about that walk outside? It will make coming back here to warm up
a real blast.”

Jonah glanced toward the window then back at her. His lips
curved in a sexy grin. “Snowball fight? Let’s go.”

The lobby was empty when the elevator doors opened. Music
still played in the bar but a glance inside revealed that the majority of
guests had retired to their rooms. Jonah followed Violet outside, bracing for
the blast of icy-cold air. He must be crazy to agree to this. The eager smile
she flashed him kept him moving when they left the warmth of the hotel.

The cold cut through him like a knife. He began to shiver
almost immediately. It was a vast difference from the sexual heat and fireplace
upstairs. He already couldn’t wait to get back up there. The promise of another
hot round of sex made the wait a little more bearable.

“Holy shit! It’s freezing out here. You’re crazy for wanting
to do this.”

The response he received was the explosion of a poorly
formed snowball against the front of his coat. Violet smirked and scooped up
another handful of snow.

“I thought you wanted to have a snowball fight. Don’t tell
me you’re chickening out.” She let the next one fly, cursing when it fell short
of its target.

Jonah chuckled. There was something about this woman that
made him feel youthful. Not that he was old at thirty, but watching her find
such joy in something everyone else was cursing made him pause to appreciate
the moment. As a child he had spent endless hours outside building snow forts
and snowmen. Now he barely gave the season much thought other than at times
like this.

“You’re asking for it.” Grabbing as much snow as he could
with both hands, Jonah ran after her and almost slipped on the slick sidewalk.

“Good Lord, don’t fall and break your neck. An ambulance
would take forever to get here in these conditions.” Violet could barely get
the words out amid her laughter.

Her laugh was a sound he could gladly listen to on repeat.
It was filled with genuine amusement that matched the sparkle in her eyes. He
came at her again, the snow too light and fluffy to form a proper ball spilled
between his fingers. It fell around Violet in a light dusting of white.

“That sucked. I guess I’ll just have to throw you in a snow
bank.” The perfect patch of snow covered the grassy area beside the sidewalk.
Before she could protest, he gathered her up in his arms and tossed her.

The surprise on her face when she landed was priceless. Her
eyes widened and she gasped before letting out a little shriek.

“Jonah! You ass!”

Every time she tried to stand up she would lose her footing
and land back on her rear end in the snow. The laughter came so easily. It was
natural and carefree. Jonah couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such
simple but genuine fun with a woman. Violet had a gentle nature and a
fun-loving quality he enjoyed. Getting stranded in a city that wasn’t his could
never have been better. It would almost be a shame when it came to an end.

Poor Violet. She was in snow up to her knees, shaking it
from her jacket with a frantic little dance. With her hair still in slight
disarray from their bedroom romp and the incredulous expression on her pretty
face, she was just about the most adorable thing he’d ever seen.

She trudged her way over to him and threw herself into his
arms, covering him with snow. He couldn’t resist kissing the tip of her nose.
It was red and ice cold. He moved to her lips, reveling in the heat of her
mouth. It was a delicious contrast against the frigid air that surrounded them.

“Sorry about that. Couldn’t resist.” Jonah drank in her
warmth, shivering against her.

In a swift motion Violet gave him a push, sticking a foot
behind his at the same time. They went down together in a heap. The snow was
thick and fluffy, cushioning their fall like an icy pillow.

“I didn’t see any reason that I should suffer alone.” A splash
of snow in his face accompanied her words.

They wrestled playfully, like kids without a care for who
may see or hear them. It didn’t take long for snow to find its way into places
that made Jonah’s insides shrivel. Hopefully he wouldn’t end up with the flu
after horsing around like this. Although it might just be worth it.

“I don’t know about you, but my ass is soaked and freezing.
Let’s take a quick walk and head back inside.”

They huddled together as they walked down the block. It was
hard to find areas that were packed down. Nobody had walked through in a while.
Violet pressed close, her hand finding his.

“You never told me if you’re single or if you have a house
full of kids to go back to.” She glanced up at him with a smile but there was a
serious glint in her gaze. “Or do I really want to know?”

“No wife and no kids. I do have an ex-fiancée though that
really likes to make my life hell. We’ve been apart for months now but we’re
still dividing up some shared assets.”

“Ex-fiancée huh? Dare I ask?”

Jonah hesitated. How much did he want to share with her? It
was easy to talk to Violet. A little too easy.

“We don’t have a big, crazy breakup story. We were both too
involved in our careers and over time, things just kind of faded.”

They stopped in front of the hotel doors. Violet looked up
at the sky and frowned. The snow had quit falling. She almost appeared to be
disappointed by that.

“Do you think it was real? I mean, do you think true love
can fade away?” With a shake of her head, she laughed. “Don’t feel like you
have to answer that. I’m just being nosy.”

“If we were meant to be, then we’d be. That’s the long and
short of it as far as I’m concerned. I love her, you know? But I’m not in love
with her.”

The quiet was shattered by the approach of a plow. Violet
and Jonah were cast in an orange glow as the flashing lights passed over them.
If the snow didn’t start up again, it wouldn’t be long until the city was
functioning properly.

“Have you had your fill of winter fun for one night?” Jonah
asked while unsuccessfully trying to hide how badly he was shivering. “I’m more
than ready to get back inside and into that warm, king-sized bed. Our fake fire
was pretty nice too.”

“It was. Yes, I’m done here. Let’s go in and warm up. I can
think of a few good ways to do that.” Standing on her tiptoes to kiss him,
Violet brazenly rubbed a hand over the front of his jeans. Immediately his body
responded to her, despite the cold chilling him.

“Get your cute ass moving before I decide I should fuck you
right here.” It was a gruffly spoken command. His dick stirred as the blood
began to rush south, abandoning his already chilled limbs.

Violet gave him an
I dare you
look and turned to go
inside. He watched her for a moment, admiring the curve of her behind. Yeah,
she was nice to look at all right. And damn did she ever feel good with her
legs wrapped around him and her hot pussy sliding along his cock.
Unfortunately, she was also amazing company.

He didn’t come here looking to meet an irresistible woman.
It had been his job that led him to the city and the weather had kept him
there. If he’d been more of a sap he may have thought there was a reason for
that.

The heated lobby was almost too warm for their cold, bare
fingers and frosty noses. They giggled and laughed their way over to the
elevator while the front-desk clerk watched them from behind her romance novel.
The hotel was otherwise quiet.

The mirrored elevator walls reflected their red cheeks and
snow-covered hair. The doors slid shut. Jonah shrugged out of his jacket and
hit the button for the twelfth floor.

“That was refreshing. Thanks for dragging me out there,
Violet. It’s got to be at least fifteen years since I’ve actually played in the
snow.”

“Really?” Violet’s jaw dropped. “You don’t do a lot of
outdoor activities? Or you just don’t do winter?”

“I don’t take the time to do these kinds of things. I
suppose I should.” Jonah briefly met his own eyes in the mirror. They were lit
up with a light he hadn’t seen in a long time. “I spend a lot of time at work.
It involves a lot of travel.”

He couldn’t help but notice how great they looked together
as he gazed at their reflection. Violet was an exotic beauty with her ebony
hair and sharp features. It was her love of laughter and positive personality
that captured his interest far beyond her looks. Would it be a dumb idea to
keep in touch with her after this? Or would that just be asking for trouble?

“What exactly do you do anyway? I don’t think you told me.”

Before Jonah could reply the lights flickered and went out.
There was a series of noises as the elevator jerked to a sudden stop, knocking
them off balance. Violet let out a little shriek followed by “Oh my God!” three
times in succession.

Jonah reached out to steady her, feeling blindly in the
dark. The sound of his heartbeat in his ears was rapid and deafening.

“Are you all right? The snow must have knocked the power
out.”

She clutched his arm so tight it hurt. “I’m fine. Just not a
fan of small spaces or plummeting to my death in an elevator shaft!”

“Stay calm. It’s not moving. I think it’s between floors.”
Jonah groped his way along the wall until he found the emergency phone. Dead.
“What the fuck? Since when do regular phones need power?”

“They don’t. Do you have your cell phone? I left mine in
your room with my purse.”

“No. Mine is up there too.”

“Oh my God. We’re stuck in the fucking elevator.” Her voice
held a note of disbelief though she shook with panic beside him.

“It’s going to be fine. Someone will know. There’s got to be
an alarm or something. It could just be a surge and the power will come right
back on.”

They waited silently as if it would do just that. It didn’t.
The darkness was consuming. It was impossible to see anything. Jonah pulled
Violet in close, hugging her to him.

“We should get these cold, wet coats off before we get sick
or something.” Violet pulled away. The sound of her jacket being unzipped and
dropping to the floor was loud in the dark quiet.

Jonah couldn’t help the thought that popped unbidden into
his mind. What hot-blooded male wouldn’t have thought of it? After taking his
coat off as well, he reached for her, finding her easily in the small space.
Her scent was stronger with the absence of sight and he breathed it in
hungrily.

“Outside sales rep for a software company.” Jonah laughed
when he sensed her confusion. “That’s the answer to your question, about what I
do.”

“Oh, right.” She rested her head on his shoulder. Her lips
brushed his neck when she spoke. “That sounds kind of boring. Do you like it?”

A smile crossed his face. He loved how she said what she was
thinking without sugar coating it. “I like the travel. I meet some amazing
people, like you. And I see some places I may never otherwise go. But the work
itself, no. I hate it. It was something I got into years ago. A friend of a friend
gave me a job and it paid well. I never left.”

“You still could, you know. Start over.” She made it sound
so simple.

“I wish it was that easy.”

Violet gave a deep sigh and ran her fingers through his
hair. “I wish we weren’t trapped in an elevator about to plunge to our deaths
at any moment.”

There was no holding back his laughter. Jonah was uneasy
too. It wasn’t his ideal situation either but he didn’t really believe they
were in any danger.

“We will be just fine. Let me take your mind off it.”

Jonah made sure her back was against the wall and then he
dropped to his knees before her. He started by sliding off her boots. They felt
like suede. Feeling his way along in the pitch black was exciting.

“Are you serious?” The utter shock in her tone made him grin.
“Jonah, you’ve got to be kidding me. Here? In the elevator?”

“Are you telling me nobody has ever gone down on you in an
elevator before?” He wasted no time stripping her of her leggings. It was a
delightful surprise to find she had left her panties back in the room with her
cell phone.

“Very funny.”

Despite her words she made no move to stop him when he
pressed his face to the cleft between her legs. The musky scent of her sex was
intoxicating. With one hand on her thigh, Jonah ran the tip of his tongue along
her slit, just barely touching. He continued to tease her with slight flicks of
his tongue until she moaned with the need for more.

He delved deeper inside to taste her warm honey. Just the
taste of her sweetness made Jonah’s cock ache to be buried deep within her.
Violet’s heavy breathing and soft moans were especially intense to Jonah’s
heightened focus on the sense of sound. He purposely avoided her clit, waiting
until she was beside herself with need. Just when he thought she was getting
ready to smack him for teasing, Jonah sucked the tender bud into his mouth.

Violet’s cry echoed in the confines of the elevator. One
hand held tightly to his hair. It hurt but in that great way that confirmed
success. Jonah grasped one of her legs and slipped it over his shoulder. It
gave him better access to enjoy all of her while he drove her over the edge.

She was close already. He could feel it. Her body tensed and
her breath came faster. Every flick of his tongue had her crying out. Jonah
held her securely with both hands on her sweet ass while he manipulated her
entire being with his mouth.

Violet’s body spasmed and she came hard. Jonah eagerly
lapped at her feminine juices, proud of himself for bringing her so fast and
hard. If only he hadn’t left the condoms in the room with everything else.
Fuck!

There was a sudden, startling noise as the elevator launched
into motion. The lights came on, blinding them momentarily. Violet snapped into
action, frantically trying to get her clothes back on before the doors opened.
The word “fuck” became her newest repetition and Jonah choked on a laugh.

Rather than continue its climb to the twelfth floor, the
elevator stopped at the nearest floor and the doors slid open. Nobody was there
but voices could be heard from down the hall. Jonah held the door while Violet
hastily shoved her boots on. She shot him a phony glare as they darted out of
the elevator.