Taking Chances (Learning to Love) (8 page)

"Hey," he said with a nod, taking in a better look of me in the brighter light.

The little voice in my head wanted me to tell the idiot to get his hand off me and back the fuck up. The thing was, my body, which tingled under his touch, liked his hand on me and wanted more.

"Hey," I said and tipped back the shot of tequila.

The bartender glared at the stripper and huffed, then moved on to the next victim sitting halfway down the bar.

"I'm Sam." He smiled as he moved his seat closer and our legs brushed.

The jolt of electricity that passed between us left me momentarily unable to respond. He trailed his fingertips from my shoulder, down my arm, past the skirt of my dress, and onto my thigh. My breath caught, starving my lungs of oxygen. He chuckled and pulled his hand back, which allowed my lungs to function again.

"Lexi," I whispered, failing at my attempt to sound confident.

"Mmm, I like that. Listen, babe, I gotta get back for the next set but I wanna see you later." He leaned in, millimeters from my lips and continued. "Come play with me," he whispered against my lips as he placed something in my hand. My mouth hung open as he walked away.

I looked down at the item clutched in my fingers. It was a hotel room key stamped with the logo from the place across the street. A stripper wanted me to meet him. At a hotel. I motioned to the bartender for another shot, shocked. I was in totally uncharted territory.

***

I slid back into my seat next to Kat just in time to see Sam walk out onto the stage dressed as a fireman, swinging a long hose between his legs. I tried not to look. I didn't need to be further tempted by everything he had to offer, but I couldn't keep my eyes off him.

I wonder what Sebastian would look like half naked, dancing on that stage.

I blinked my eyes a few times, dragging myself back to reality.

Whoa, where did that come from? Get a grip Lexi.

I was actually considering going over to that hotel for random stranger sex with some stripper. Not to mention I was fantasizing about seeing another guy naked I not only just met, but threw myself at a day ago.

What is happening to me?

"You okay?" Kat yelled above the music into my ear.

I considered lying to her, but she would know. I pulled out the key card and handed it to Kat.

"Wow. Where did you get that?" She eyed me curiously.

I glanced over to Sam up on the stage, finishing his act with some fire props that had all the ladies screaming in delight.

"Oh. My. God. The stripper? Are you serious?" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She held the card up like it was the last golden ticket and Willy Wonka was standing up on the stage.

I was sure Sam caught on to what was happening, because he broke out into a dazzling smile and winked at me.

Again, I was thankful for the low lights. I didn't think I had blushed as much in my whole life as I had that week. The alcohol didn't help the situation, bringing a stinging heat to my cheeks. Jamie and Becca shot us funny looks, clearly not wanting to miss any gossip.

"Keep it down, please," I begged. "I don't want everyone knowing."

"You're going to go, right? I mean, you have to go. He's so totally hot ,and you haven't been with anyone since Marcus." She was literally bouncing in her seat with excitement, and if she hadn't been dating my brother, I would have suggested she take the card herself.

"I don't know, Kat. I don't think it's a good idea." Even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. The truth was, I was actually considering going. She was right. He was totally hot, and I could use a little fun, but still I hesitated. Hooking up with random guys was just not something I did.

"Come on," she demanded, pulling me up and toward the bathroom.

"This really isn't necessary," I insisted, once the door closed behind us.

"Oh, but I think it is. Listen, hon, I know this has been a crappy year for you, but maybe it's time for a change. If you do the same thing over and over, you will get the same result. It's time to try something new. Do something different, starting with fucking that hot ass stripper."

I looked in the mirror and took a breath. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time for me to make some changes, take some risks. She handed me back the card key that was still in her hand.

"Anyway, I'm so jealous, so you have to go. I need to live vicariously through you for some dirty, stripper sex," she said, giving me one of those signature Katarina looks that told me she knew she was only millimeters away from breaking through my frigid wall of denial and self-doubt.

I shoved the card into my purse, just in case. "I guess I can think about it."

Kat touched up our makeup, and we headed back into the thumping music. I thought about hiding in the bathroom for a while. The thought of one more perfect specimen of man taking his clothes off and body rolling his way across the stage was too much. My body wanted more, regardless of what my mind thought was right.

We watched the rest of the show without incident, thankfully, and hung out in our little VIP section, drinking and laughing. The alcohol calmed my nerves as the music blared through the space and everyone started to dance. I lost myself to the feelings and shut off my mind. Legs moved, arms swayed, the beat of the music was my guide. It was the most alive I'd felt in longer than I could remember and I liked it. I wanted more.

Antonio brushed up against me as he squeezed by to clear empty glasses and drop off new drinks. The innocent touch set my skin on fire. Rationally, I wanted to fight the feelings and stay safely in my comfort zone, but my rational side was losing the battle. I had needs that couldn't be satisfied by my brain. Other parts of my body were grabbing the reins and taking over.

I grabbed Jamie by the arm and pulled her close so she would hear me above the music. "Don't be mad, but I'm gonna head out early."

"After that hangover, I'm surprised you made it this long," she yelled into my ear. "Feel better. I'm going to need you tomorrow!"

I pulled her into a hug and squeezed tight. Then grabbed my purse and waved at the other girls. I winked at Kat and flashed the card to let her know I made up my mind.

Oh my God. I'm actually doing this.

I stopped by the bar for one last shot of tequila. Too much alcohol would land me in the same situation as the night before, but not enough and I was afraid I'd get in my car and drive straight home. That last shot was just the right amount, so I made my way across the street. I stopped at my car to toss in my purse, only taking the card key with me and tried to ignore the butterflies doing back flips of Olympic training proportion in my stomach.

CHAPTER SIX

As I went up the elevator, my courage waivered and I wished I'd taken another shot or two. The room number on the card key was at the end of the hall. I forced my feet down the carpeted floor one step at a time, trying not to turn and run for it.

I took a deep breath as I approached the door.
I can do this
, I told myself. I started to put the card into the door, but froze. My hand refused to comply and I was ready to escape. Panic shot through my body like a lightning bolt. When the door slowly creaked open from the inside, I almost turned and ran.

"Come in," was all he said, welcoming me into the dark room.

I took a step back, thoughts raced through my mind. I tried to quiet them. This wasn't a big deal and I needed to stop making it one. I wasn't about to be led to slaughter. I was going to get naked and have a great time with a hot guy. I knew he wasn't going to stand there and wait all night. I just needed to take a step.

Just. One. Step
.

I took a deep breath and walked into the room, leaving my inner coward in the hallway. The only light came from the moon shining through the curtains. It was dim, but enough to make out his outline.

Once inside the room, he pushed the door shut and immediately spun me around to face the door. We stood there in silence just inside the room for several minutes, neither of us moving. The only sound I heard was breathing and the pounding of my heart.

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound was deafening and I was sure he could hear it, or at least feel it, through my back. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect next. One night stands weren't exactly a hobby of mine. Just when I worked up the courage to speak, a soft piece of silky fabric settled over my eyes and was tied in place.

Arms at my sides, I stood there, still clutching the card key. He was so close that I could feel the energy charged between us. His hot breath on my skin sent chills down my spine in a crazy shiver-hot paradox.

With his hands on my waist, he gently turned me around to face him. Hot breath brushed my cheek and I wanted to reach up to feel his lips on mine. Before I had the opportunity to act, he brought his hands up to my shoulders and slid them slowly down my arms, until he reached my wrists.

He brought my arms up to face level, bent at the elbows, and pushed me back against the cold metal door. He paused and stepped back from me. I imagined him standing there, looking over me, and deciding on his next move.

He took a step forward, only an inch or two from me, enough to feel his breath once again. The air rushed from my lungs as fear and excitement overwhelmed me. I had no idea what he was about to do, but the anticipation was torture as he held me captive against the door.

"Sam, I..." I tried to speak, but he released one arm to bring his thick finger up to my mouth.

He trailed that same finger past my lips, down my neck, and chest to the apex of my dress. After he released my other hand, he reached behind me and pulled the zipper of my dress down, inch by torturous inch. His hands moved back up to my shoulders before slowly pushing the thin straps over them and down my arms. The dress fell to the floor, leaving me standing there in only my bra and panties. I shivered, but not because the room was cold.

He took a step back and I could no longer feel his warmth beside me. I imagined him standing there assessing me with his eyes. It made me feel bare, even more bare than I already felt standing there in my underwear. I thought about reaching out, to see where he went, what he was doing. I opened my mouth to speak, figuring that even if he stopped me like before, he would be touching me and my whole body screamed out for that touch.

Long moments passed, the only sound in the room was my breathing and the fast thumping of my heart. I felt the backs of his knuckles brush over the strap of my bra and down the fabric over one breast. My breasts swelled and pulled the material taut as his hand grazed over the delicate lace. The thin material was a hindrance, making me wish I hadn't bothered to wear it. He repeated the process on the other side, only briefly letting his fingers move over each nipple for just a bit of what they so desperately craved.

When I thought I might just take the bra off myself, he reached around, easily unclasping and pushing it down my arms, letting it fall to the floor. My first instinct was to clamp my arms over my breasts to cover myself, but before I could move my hands, he had them pinned back up against the cold door.

"No," he growled, his voice low in this throat, heavy with need.

He was breathing faster now, the heat of his breath against my neck, scalding my bare flesh. Leaning in closer, he took my bottom lip between his teeth, biting it just enough to sting, then swirled his tongue over it, erasing the pain, leaving me wanting more. I leaned forward as he pulled back, wanting more, but he moved just out of my reach. Even though I couldn't see him, I sensed that he was enjoying teasing me. I however, was about ready to scream with frustration. I did
not
want to play that game anymore.

I needed more.

As if he sensed my desperate need, or could no longer wait himself, he brought his mouth down hard on mine, crushing my lips against his. His tongue swirled against mine and explored my mouth, before backing out to nibble at my lip. I moaned in soft protest.

He rested his forehead against mine, his breathing fast and hot, and waited, for who knew what. I started to worry that he was having second thoughts, or that he didn't want me as much as he thought.

What was I doing?

He was a stranger. A guy from a club. I came to his hotel room for one reason. Sex. People did it all the time, so it shouldn't be such a big deal, and I wanted it. Sure, I was conflicted about the whole thing, and still, scared as hell, but I didn't want it to stop. I didn't want him to change his mind.

I leaned forward and pulled his lip into my mouth, coaxing him to continue. He exhaled a sharp breath and slammed his body into mine, taking over my mouth with his. Our tongues moving against each other sent sensations traveling down my body, settling down low, between my legs.

His mouth traveled lower and nibbled along my neck, as he pulled my arms up over my head, grasping them with one hand, leaving the other available to roam. His free hand danced down my arm, tickling past my ribs and over my belly. Thick, rough fingers grazed along the band of my panties, sliding ever so slightly under, then back out.