Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology) (16 page)

“I just wish I had a key…”

“You could probably get one from the desk,”
Jamie suggested.

“I don’t know if I’m listed on the room. My
invitation was pretty last minute.”

“Oh. That sucks.”

“Just stay here.” Carly sat down at the top
of her bed and patted the space next to her. “We’re about to order
a movie.”

“A movie? What kind?”

“Oh, you know, something pornographic,” Mark
said with a straight face.

“Seriously? You guys are going to order a
porno?”

“Yeah? Is that a problem?” Jamie let a smile
slip.

“I’m not sure if you’re joking or not, but I
think I’ll pass.”

Jamie smirked. “You’re not drunk enough.”

“I’m not drunk at all.”

“I’ll remedy that.”

“With what? Whatever is in your flask? What
is this, high school?”

He tossed me his flask. “Just have some.”

I shrugged, trying to push aside thoughts of
mono and took a sip. It burned a little going down.
“Everclear?”

He laughed. “That was fast.”

“Maddy’s a bartender. She knows this stuff.”
Carly put an arm around my shoulder.

“I’ll go get the bottle.” Mark took off,
leaving the latch out so the door didn’t lock. He returned minutes
later, his room must have been close. While he was gone, Jamie
ordered a movie—a porno called
Eruptions
.

“So now on top of getting Colin’s little
sister drunk, I’m going to sit back while she watches porn with his
friends. Fantastic.”

Jamie laughed. “What does it matter? You’re
not even sure you’re his girlfriend, right? Besides, this one’s a
classic.”

I sighed. “This is why you never agree to go
to weddings with people.”

I started to get up, but Carly put a hand on
my arm to stop me. “Where are you going?”

“I don’t know. Somewhere.”

“Why?”

“As much fun as this is, I’d rather get out
of here.”

“She wants to hunt down Colin to get him in
bed, I bet.” Mark must have been drunk. That wasn’t the kind of
thing you said to a girl you didn’t really know—who was dating your
friend.

“She’s never slept with him.” Carly
giggled.

“Carly!”

“Sorry! It just came out.”

“That’s more of a reason for you to stay.”
Jamie grinned. “If you’re not getting some, you’re more in need of
the porn.”

I glared at him. “I don’t care about your
opinion on this subject.”

My phone vibrated in my purse. I hoped it was
something to get me out of that mess.

I glanced at the screen.
Where are you?
I’m so sorry.

“Is that Colin?” Carly asked.

I nodded before replying.
Can I meet up
with you and get the room key?

Where are you? I’ll meet you at the room if
you want.

I’m with Carly. Be there in a few.

While I texted, Mark refilled his flask.

“I’m going to go.”

“Fine.” Carly pouted.

“Have fun with your movie.” I started to walk
out, then realized what I almost did. Leaving Colin’s drunk little
sister to watch porn with two guys…yeah, not happening.

“Wait. You guys both out.” I pointed to the
door.

“What?”

“I’m not leaving you guys in here.”

“Why not?” Mark asked.

“Because if I was drunk I wouldn’t want my
friend to leave me with two guys to watch a porno.”

“But you live with two guys,” Carly
started.

Mark and Jamie turned to look at me.

“We don’t watch porn, and we don’t live in a
hotel. Out, or I call Colin.”

“I think we’re leaving. See ya, Carly.” Mark
hightailed it out.

“I’ll leave, but at least watch the movie. We
already paid for it.” Jamie winked before walking out of the
room.

I smiled at Carly apologetically. “Sorry to
ruin your fun.”

“It’s okay. I wanted to hook up with Mark,
but that wasn’t going to happen with Jamie here anyway.”

I laughed. “Yeah, probably not.” I had no
idea what Mark would or would not have done with Jamie around, and
I didn’t want to find out.

“Tell Colin I said ‘hi.’”

“Will do. Good night.” Satisfied that I’d
protected Carly’s virtue for the night, I headed upstairs to do
exactly the opposite with whatever was left of mine.

“How much do you hate me?” Colin leaned
against our door waiting for me.

“Somewhere between a little and a lot.” The
night hadn’t been a total disaster, just awkward on several
levels.

“I’m sorry.” He wrapped his hand around my
wrist. “Does that count for something?”

“I’m not sure yet. It depends on your
explanation.”

“I have a good one.”

“Then spill it.”

He inserted his key into the door, waiting
for the light to turn green before turning the door handle. There
is something about watching a guy do that that makes you feel kind
of naughty. It’s like no matter how old you are, walking into a
hotel room with someone means one thing—sex. This is especially
true late at night when you’ve both had at least one drink.

“So what’s your excuse?” I dropped my purse
on the desk chair and sat down on the couch that would be Colin’s
bed for the night.

“Gray got cold feet.”

“What? The night before the wedding?”

“Yeah. He was freaking out and threatening to
call off the wedding.”

“He wasn’t stupid enough to tell Dara that,
right?”

Colin looked uncomfortable. “Yeah, he
was.”

“Oh shit.” The curse flew out of my
mouth.

“Yeah, needless to say there was a mess to
clean up.” He sat down next to me.

“How’d it end? Is there still a wedding?”

“I left the bride and groom kissing in the
hotel lobby. I think it’s going to be okay.”

“Wow. She forgave him?”

“I think she was nervous too.” He slumped
down a little on the couch so he could lean his head back. “I’m
just glad that’s over.”

“Yeah. I bet.” I ran a finger over his
hand.

He shifted, pulling his leg up on the couch
so he could look at me. “But back to my original question. How much
do you hate me?”

“I don’t. Getting ditched wasn’t fun, but I
survived.”

“Good. I don’t want you mad at me.”

“I think your sister might be mad at me
tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I kicked her friends out of her room.”

He slipped off his shoes and removed his tie.
Watching him make himself comfortable like that was a new
experience. “Was there a particular reason for it?”

I didn’t want to get in the middle of
anything, and I owed it to Carly to let her deal with it herself
first. “I’ll let her tell you. It’s enough to say she’s alone in
her bed sleeping. She might not feel great in the morning
though.”

He shrugged. “It won’t be the first
time.”

I needed to move the conversation off his
sister. “On a positive note, the food was good tonight.”

“It was, wasn’t it?”

“Hopefully, that means the food will be good
tomorrow.”

“It should be. And as long as the bride and
groom don’t fight again, it will be a nice wedding.”

“If I ever get married, I really hope I’m not
fighting with my fiancé the night before.”

“That’s why I’m all about eloping. All the
fun without taking the time to consider the long-term ramifications
of your union.”

I laughed. “You are such a romantic,
Colin.”

“I am more than you think.” He stood up as
though he suddenly had somewhere to be.

I did the same. I figured he wanted to sleep,
and I needed to move if he wanted to.

He took off his watch, setting it on the
desk. “I promise not to ditch you tomorrow.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’ll
have to ditch me for most of the day.”

“No, the wedding isn’t until the afternoon.
We have all morning and then we’ll hang out the whole
reception.”

“We’ll see what happens.” I smiled. “Either
way, save me a dance at the reception.” I walked toward the
bathroom.

I listened to him set up his pull-out bed
while I unpacked my toiletries. He was lying on his bed when I came
out, still dressed. “Sleep well, Maddy.”

Sleep well, Maddy? Was that all he had?

I attempted to dial down my disappointment.
“Same to you. Good night.” I walked into my room, closing the door
behind me.

I held up the tiny nightie, regretting the
choice of sleep attire. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in what I had
to offer in that department, which made me wonder why he invited me
in the first place. Maybe making out and groping was all he wanted.
The last time a guy had settled for that without pushing for more
from me was middle school.

“Don’t give up,” I sighed, slipping into the
all too skimpy satin before getting under the sheets. Only after
getting my pillows situated I realized I’d forgotten to turn off
the lamp on the other side of the room. I took it as a sign that I
needed to get out of bed again eventually. I closed my eyes for a
moment before opening them.

I stared at the white door. Colin was on the
other side, and I was dying to know what he slept in. Was this all
because he was too much of a gentleman? Or was he not interested?
The latter seemed more and more likely as I struggled to come up
with a conceivable excuse to leave the room. The only good one was
the bathroom, but if I wasted it, I wouldn’t have it when I really
needed to go.

Ten minutes later I’d convinced myself I
needed to use the bathroom. I got out of bed and tentatively opened
the door. I looked over at him, he was sleeping, but he’d left a
lamp on. I appreciated the light as I made my way toward the ajar
door. I finished up quickly, taking a minute to check out my
appearance after washing my hands. I tousled my hair and tugged
down on my way-too-short nightie. Maybe by some luck Colin would
wake up and see what he was missing.

He looked too good. The sheet only came up to
his waist, and the way the light fell on him accentuated his toned
body. I stared at him without watching where I was going. I knocked
over a lamp.

“Maddy?” Colin sat up, the sheet slipping off
him in the process. Boxer briefs. He slept in boxer briefs. They
were blue ones that looked incredible against his tan skin.

“Hey, sorry for waking you up.”

“Don’t say sorry.” His eyes widened as they
moved up and down my body.

“Okay.” I refused to give in to the urge to
cross my arms. The whole purpose was to let him look. I wouldn’t
undermine myself.

“Can I ask you something?” He stood up,
giving me an even better view.

My eyes didn’t know where to settle. I forced
them up to his face. His eyes weren’t on my face. “Yeah.”

“Do you usually sleep in things like that, or
did you wear it for me?” His voice was gravely, low, and far sexier
than I ever imagined it would sound.

My stomach dropped in a mix of nerves and
excitement. “I wore it for you.” This wasn’t the time to be
bashful.

“God, I was hoping you’d say that.”

“I was hoping you’d like it.”

“Like isn’t a strong enough word.” He closed
the distance between us. “You’re always sexy, but this takes it to
a whole new level.” One of his hands slid up my leg, while he
cradled the back of my head with his other.

“I can say the same about you.”

He leaned in and kissed me, his lips smashing
into mine. His tongue demanded entry, and I eagerly welcomed it.
I’d get my cinnamon fix, and I’d get much more this time. His hands
moved over me roughly, his usual gentle touch was replaced by
something much more primal.

I broke the kiss long enough to get out a few
words. “You might be more comfortable sleeping in the bedroom.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

He picked me up, letting his hands move under
my nightie in the process. He carried me into the bedroom, and
slowly lowered me down on the bed. He followed behind, holding his
weight above me as he stroked my stomach with one hand. I reached
up and pulled his head down to mine again, needing another kiss. I
got lost in his taste, letting the kiss get frenzied. I pulled the
rest of his body down, loving the way his full weight felt on top
of me. His hand moved up, cupping a breast. I moaned, pushing up
against him.

He groaned. “I’ll be right back.”

I started to protest, but he returned with
his wallet.

“Are you planning to pay me, or is there a
condom in there?”

He laughed as he returned his hands to me. “I
think I tip you enough at the Grille.”

“True.”

“I’ve been waiting to see you naked from the
moment I met you.” He slipped the straps halfway down my arms.

“Yeah? You have a funny way of showing
it.”

He slowly slipped the fabric down farther,
exposing my breasts.

He inhaled. “And it was totally worth the
wait.”

I watched him, refusing to miss a moment of
his reaction. There is something incredible about watching a man’s
face when he sees you for the first time. It’s a total self-esteem
boost, especially when they look at you the way Colin looked at me.
I pushed aside the self-conscious thoughts that always plagued me
in those kinds of moments—he seemed happy with what he was
seeing.

He continued to undress me, pushing the satin
over my hips slowly, like he didn’t want to rush a moment. His
attentiveness was hot, and I reached out to touch his chest. It was
toned, hard, and unbelievably appealing.

Left only in a pair of black silk panties, I
let him look at me. “Did you wear those for me too? I always
imagined you were a cotton kind of girl.”

“I like sexy lingerie.” I did.

“Yeah? You are full of surprises.”

“I aim to please.” I closed my mouth,
realizing how that sounded. I supposed considering my position, it
didn’t matter.

He chuckled. “You and me both.” He kissed my
neck, before his lips traveled down to my breast. He took a breast
in his mouth while he fondled the other.