Read His Five Night Stand Online

Authors: Emma Thorne

Tags: #Erotic Romance

His Five Night Stand (8 page)

BOOK: His Five Night Stand
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I took a sip of the blue cocktail. It tasted sweet and sour at the same time with a splash of bitterness. It warmed my belly quickly and I found myself smiling a little more easily.

“I need to attend to some of my other guests. But why don’t you get comfortable, enjoy your drink. Watch the crowd,” Odessa said. “It’s the best way to begin.”

“Begin what?” I asked.

Odessa just smiled and walked away.

I sat down on a large leather love seat that faced the couch where Billie lay with her beautiful partner. As they whispered and talked to each other he would lower his head and kiss her deeply and sweetly until it turned into something hungrier. I realized I was staring and looked away only to see Shea had Troy pressed up against a wall.

Music played, a mix of voices, sometimes men, sometimes women. I sat in my seat a warmth moving through my body with every sip of my Sapphire Blue, I realized I’d downed my drink in record time.

Bella stood on a table in the center of the room, a group of men and women had gathered around her. She held a mask in front of her eyes as she slowly twirled in beat with the music. Toying with the straps of her dress, she pretended to strip, raising her skirt as the rest of the people applauded until they turned to their partners to reciprocate. Men and women, women and women, men and men. Across from her a beautiful brown skinned man mirrored her moves, spinning in slow circles, his unbuttoned shirt revealing a taut muscular chest. They were so gorgeous, so sensual. I’d never seen a group of people so sexual, so free.

“Would you like another drink?” A low voice on my left made me jump though my reflexes were already a bit foggy.

Theo stood beside me offering me another Sapphire Blue with one hand; in the other he held a pint of beer. He wore black jeans again, and a black shirt unbuttoned just enough to make me curious. I wondered if he and Odessa had coordinated their outfits.

“May I join you?” he asked, his voice so charming, so totally irresistible.

“Yes please, to both,” I said, accepting the drink and scooting over. Seeing him I felt a mix of attraction, jealousy, and relief. Attraction, because he was ridiculously hot; jealousy, because he was Odessa’s lover; relief, because he clearly wasn’t my heartbreak medicine. “Thank you,” I said, taking a drink and wishing I was better at cocktail chatter.

“Are you enjoying the party?” He asked, turning to look at me. He took a drink from his beer. It was a simple question but I wasn’t sure how to answer.

“I don’t know. It’s kind of strange here,” I said, surprising myself by speaking the truth.

His eyes grew a little wider. “Interesting.”

“It’s beautiful, everyone here is actually. Is everyone you and Odessa know gorgeous?”

“Everyone here feels gorgeous, there is a difference.”

I looked at the crowd and in that moment I understood. The men and women who looked so radiant to me, so sensual, their arms intertwined with each other. They danced, their bodies pressed together as if they were holding the most beautiful person in the world. Looking closer they weren’t perfect, but clearly they felt perfect in the gaze of the other. I wished I had their courage. I felt beautiful when I crafted my look for hours. I felt a little embarrassed at how long it had taken me to get ready tonight. I wanted to look perfect and what did it get me? Nothing but anxiety. I had never danced with a man or woman the way these people moved together in public. Shea had turned from Troy and now pressed herself against a beautiful Asian woman. They slow danced while Troy watched until Shea turned back to him, her mouth opening to his kiss. She boldly ran her hand down his body lingering on his crotch.

“It’s so different than my life,” I whispered.

“Different from what?” Theo asked.

“I just broke up with someone,” I said, horrified I was bringing Henry into this room, the blue liquid loosening my tongue, stripping away my costume. They say alcohol gives you courage, I think for me it removed my defenses. It was like my red dress and shoes melted with every sip. Watching these beautiful sexy people make out and pass masks around the room I felt like a frumpy girl wearing a sweater set. “I dated him for years, we were engaged well kind of engaged, there was no ring, or a date, but it was understood and then poof! We weren’t and here I am. I have spent a lot of time at parties with men in suits and women in little black dresses.”

“I like little black dresses.” Theo shrugged.

“They didn’t look like these black dresses,” I said, as a leggy African American woman in a tight black dress with a thigh high slit walked by. “Is she a model?” I said, turning my head to watch her move across the room. “I think I’ve seen her in magazines.”

“Maybe. Her name is Veronica; she stays with Odessa when she’s in town. She models. She travels. I think she may be a spy, some sort of a government insider if you want to know the truth. It’s hard to keep track.”

“Are you serious?”

“Deadly.”

I could not tell if he was kidding or not. “Well, you see what I mean? Everyone here is interesting and mysterious, you can tell just by looking at them.”

“And you aren’t?”

He caught me as I took another swig of my drink, I almost spit it out. “Me?”

“Everyone has a story if you take the time to listen.” He had such a sweet smile and the way his blue eyes focused on me I suddenly felt like the only girl in the room. I also felt like an idiotic romantic, fresh off a heartbreak that I wanted to pretend didn’t matter.

“Oh, I’m fine. I mean I have a story. I have a job. I work as a designer, an assistant designer, and I’ve done some interesting things, but I’m not interesting. I mean I don’t have a self-esteem problem or anything, I’m just not flying in from France . . .”

“Flying in from France just means you spent a shit ton of time on an airplane. It doesn’t mean you’re interesting.” I loved the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, it was so joyful, so much sweetness wrapped in a package of total sex. He made me want to do a whole lot more than smile back. I seriously needed to pull myself together. This was another woman’s boyfriend.

I took another swig of my drink trying to make more small talk. “So do you and Odessa throw parties like this all the time?” I said, louder than I intended, my words coming out faster without a filter. “Beautiful people making out, everyone looks like they are about to have sex.” A couple stepped out of the bathroom together. “Like them, I think they just did, they just had sex. In a bathroom,” I whispered.

“You are probably right,” he said whispering back and then laughing. “I think a lot of people are going to have sex tonight.”

“Well, I’m not,” I said, taking another swig of my drink.

“Are you sure?” His smile was so playful, so flirtatious. It made me feel unsteady like the ground had tilted and slid my body a bit closer to him.

“Well, yeah,” I said. “I don’t know anyone. I mean everyone here knows everyone right and I just don’t do that kind of thing.”

“You don’t have sex?” Again that smile, it was as if he knew my secrets.

“No, I have sex. Lots of sex. With people I know. You know, people who know me.”

“Ah, so you have never made love to a stranger,” he said, moving closer. He didn’t touch me, his leg just a breath away from mine, I could feel the heat of him beside me as he looked me up and down. I felt a familiar wave of energy ripple through me. His eyes on my body. I felt my panties grow wet and that new but familiar aching between my legs.

“Do you?” I said, my drunken curiosity besting whatever good sense I had left.” Do you make love to strangers?”

“It’s been known to happen,” he said. He reached out and brushed a hair off of my face. “You mustn’t forget that you are a beautiful woman too, just as beautiful as the people in this room. You deserve to make love to anyone you want, as often as you want. Tell me what you want Callie. You’ll get it” He reached down and kissed me softly on the lips before standing. “I’ll be back.”

Holy Shit. Theo had just kissed me. Tell me what you want. Wasn’t that what the stranger in my dream had whispered? And Theo had just kissed me. It wasn’t a make out session but there had been lip to lip contact and it had felt good, it had felt very good.

But I knew the rules. You did not kiss another girl’s boyfriend. Was I about to get myself rejected by the girls’ club? I sat on the couch certain that my legs might buckle if I stood. The blonde fairy looking bartender passed with a tray of drinks and read my mind placing another one in front of me. My better judgement had departed with sapphire martini two, so I stupidly gulped this third drink down as a smarter part of my addled brain wondered if it was time to go home. The last thing I needed to do was be stumbling drunk in front of people I barely knew. I stood, a little unsteady on my feet, and walked towards the door. Odessa intercepted me.

“Well, what do you think?” she asked, her gold bracelet covered arm once again linking with mine.

“I think I should, go,” I said. “I’ve had too much to drink.” I took a step realizing I was more unsteady than I’d originally suspected.

“Theo will walk you then,” she said.

“It’s just next door,” I said. “I’m sorry I can’t stay.”

“I insist,” she said. Then she leaned over and whispered in my ear. “He’ll know exactly what to do with your broken heart. Trust me.”

Theo? He would know what to do with my broken heart? I wasn’t sure if I was confused from the alcohol or the situation. My mind felt jumbled and drowsy and sexed up from the party.

“Just don’t think too much,” she said. She took my hand and passed it to Theo, who was suddenly beside us.

“Honey, take her home. Callie needs you.” She kissed him on the cheek and walked away.

“I don’t need you,” I said. “I’m perfectly capable of walking . . .”

I swayed a little and Theo held out his arm. “You ready?”

“Ready for what?”

“Ready for me to help you home,” he said, his pale blue eyes locking on mine. I found my eyes traveling to the cut of his shirt, his chest smooth, I wondered if he was smooth along his abs and in other places. I swallowed.

“Let me walk you to your apartment, Callie,” he said. “I promise you, I won’t bite, unless you ask me too.”

“It is just next door,” I said, looking into his pale blue eyes, uncertain how to interpret his comments.

“Then we probably won’t get lost.”

I slipped my arm inside his. “Home then, please,” I added quickly. After all, I was nothing if not polite.

 

As we walked down the hall, I remembered I’d hidden my key in my dress. “Can you turn around?” I asked Theo when we reached my door. He didn’t even blink as I took a minute to fish that damn key out of my bodice. It had slipped down next to my right breast. I had to root around a bit until I could work it loose.

Finally, I unlocked the door.

“After you,” Theo said. He held open the door and then switched on the overhead light as we walked inside.

“Not that one,” I said, quickly flipping the switch. It was too bright, I felt exposed. I wanted to hide in the shadows. “The lamp instead,” I said, eyes adjusting in the darkness. I walked across the room switching on a small lamp on my new antique table. It emitted a low warm yellow glow. Theo looked around my apartment and smiled. “I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said. “You have a lovely eye.”

Even with his compliment I was self-conscious of my draped silk scarves, crooked table, unfinished bookshelf. “I haven’t really settled in yet,” I said, my eyes drifting from Theo’s gorgeous body to my futon in the corner of the room. Even though it was still set up like a couch, I was so aware of its functionality as a bed, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to fall onto the mattress with him. I realized I was staring. “I have more stuff, but I’m not sure if I want it anymore. Most of it’s at Henry’s, my stuff that is.”

“Ah, Henry,” Theo said, walking towards me. He stood close enough for me to wonder if he would reach out and take me in his arms, but he didn’t. He just watched me with those beautiful blue eyes. “So, the foolish man who didn’t know what he had has a name.”

“Of course he has a name,” I said, wishing we could stop talking about Henry. “He has a name and it should be asshole. He left me for his paralegal intern.” I laughed a little too loud; I could feel the alcohol racing through my veins. It made me feel bold and uninhibited.

BOOK: His Five Night Stand
12.45Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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