“I’ve stayed in hostels before.” She crinkled her nose at him. “A standard room in a four-diamond hotel isn’t roughing it.”
“When did you stay in a hostel?”
“Around seven years ago.”
“But what kind of accommodations do you usually have?”
“Presidential suites and penthouses. Fine. I get your point. You don’t have to rub my nose in it. I never asked to live like a spoiled princess,” she said glumly. “So how do you rough it, Mr. Self-Made Millionaire?”
“I usually camp when I come to national parks.”
“Camp?” Her face held both horror and fascination. “Like as in camping? In the outdoors?”
“Wait a minute. You can’t be serious.” He turned to stare at her after parking the car. “You’ve never gone camping?”
“You probably don’t know a lot about my family, but my father isn’t exactly the type to load the family into the car and go camping,” she said a little wistfully. Colin shrugged to hide his discomfort, because he did know quite a bit about her family. Before he could think of an appropriate response, she continued, “But I do want to try it.”
“I’ll take you someday,” he said before he could think.
Did she think he was making her a promise? That they would be together long enough to reach someday? Maybe they could have their someday. He could come clean to her. Every moment he’d spent with her had been real. His every word and every touch had been true. But no. It was too late. She would despise him if she found out about his identity and how he’d betrayed her trust.
“Let’s see if I could survive a couple nights in a standard room,” Jihae said with a small, sad smile that broke his heart. “Besides, I don’t think Best Placed Bets has a camping scene.”
During the check-in, Colin requested adjoining rooms, so they could spend the night together without sneaking back and forth. When they got to her room, he was the perfect gentleman, opening the door for her and placing her suitcase just inside the entry.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, and left Jihae with her mouth gaping. Once he let himself into his room, he promptly found the entrance to hers and knocked. He heard shuffling and a muffled oof before she flung open the door.
“Hi.” He grinned at her wide-eyed expression.
“Is that your room or the rest of my room?” she asked, getting on her tiptoes to look over his shoulder.
He laughed, and stepped aside to invite her in. “Welcome to my room.”
“So this is the whole room,” she said, excited about the new experience.
“Sure is.”
Her eyes took in his room, identical to hers, in a quick sweep, then pressed herself against one wall. Then she took measured strides until she reached the opposite wall and burst out laughing.
“You could walk from one side of room to the other in less than twelve steps. It’s so small and cute.”
He walked over to her—in ten steps for him—and leaned down to nuzzle her neck. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Mmm-hmm. I do. It’s so fun.” She leaned her head to one side to give him better access. “And I love our connecting door. We could finally have a sleepover.”
He placed his hands on her waist and walked her backward until her back met the door that led to the hotel hallway. She gasped in surprise and stared at him.
“For real?”
“Hell, yes,” he said before he crushed his mouth against hers.
Jihae’s surprise was short-lived as she eagerly pressed her body against his and deepened the kiss, urging him to respond. He growled deep in his chest, his desire for her bursting into dangerous flames.
He reached between them and ripped open the blouse she’d carefully unbuttoned in the car. Impatient to taste her, he pulled down her bra until her breasts came free. He took her in his mouth until she moaned, digging her hands into his hair. He suckled deeply then moved greedily to her other breast, his hands reaching behind to cup her round backside.
Her hands tugged and tore at his shirt. He leaned back only far enough to pull it over his head, then reclaimed her lips. He shivered as she explored his chest and stomach, and smoothed her hand lower.
“God,” he groaned. “I need to be inside you.”
Rather than answering, she hurriedly unbuckled his belt and pushed down his jeans, then made short work of her own pants. He ran his hands over her naked body then stepped away to sheathe himself as quickly as his trembling hands would allow. Desperate beyond coherent thought, he wrapped her leg around his waist then lifted her up and brought her down on him, tilting his hip so he was buried inside her to the hilt.
“Colin.”
“Yes, baby. Talk to me.”
“Faster.”
Her breathless demand pushed him over the edge and he pounded into her again and again without even a pretense of control. He was so damn close, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last.
“I need you to... I don’t know if I can... Jihae, please.”
He shifted her in his arms to give her more contact where she needed it and pumped harder, willing her to come. Just as he thought he wasn’t going to make it, she screamed, tilting her head back against the door, eyes clenched shut. He joined her in climax and pushed into her one final time.
His limbs still trembling, he gently lowered Jihae’s feet onto the floor and leaned against her.
“I’ve been dying to do this to you for hours,” he mumbled against her warm, smooth neck. “You make me so crazy.”
“And I can’t get enough of you,” she said huskily, her hands moving up and down his sweat-slickened back, both soothing and arousing him.
“We’re going to shower first then I’m taking you to bed. Then we’ll order room service to replenish ourselves, and go again. I’m not letting you out of my arms until tomorrow morning. Thoughts?”
“Oh, just that we’re going to need to order a ton of food.”
Eleven
Jihae opened her eyes slowly, savoring the feel of Colin’s body wrapped around hers. Waking up next to him felt so right. She had never felt such warmth and security before. She wanted more, but this stolen night was the only chance they had to spend in each other’s arms unless they could plan more location hunts without making everyone suspicious. Not only that, it also wasn’t right using project funds to pay for their rendezvous.
She sighed, clutching at the arm Colin had wrapped over her. She shouldn’t be worrying about having more of him, but making the best of what she had now. And right now, she had a hot hunk of a man, naked in bed with her. Letting go of her desperate hold on his arm, she reached behind her and wrapped her hand around him. Mmm. She smiled with her eyes closed. He was already hard.