But it wasn't enough. I needed to be inside her. I needed to fuck her. To drive my cock into that hot pussy. Deep and hard. Over and over until she screamed my name. Until I lost myself.
Until nothing else mattered except the two of us.
I reached down and undid my dress pants, shoved them down to my hips until my aching cock sprung free. There was a single condom in my wallet and I managed to snag it free, to open the packet and sheath myself with hands trembling from desperate need. Then I was on my feet, my mouth swallowing Addy's cries as I lifted her. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I braced her against the wall, holding her in place as I wrapped one hand around my cock and teased her wet pussy with the tip.
Then I drove into her, burying myself in her wet heat. She cried my name, the sound sharp and filled with the same need pulsing through me. Nails dug into my shoulders and somewhere in the back of my mind I realized I was still dressed. That I was still wearing my suit, tie and all.
I didn't care. Not now. Not when I was driven by a need that seared every inch of me.
I eased my cock from her pussy then plunged inside her again. Over and over. Harder. Faster. Deeper. Driving into her again and again until she screamed my name.
Until my vision wavered and grayed.
Until my own release surged through me, leaving me weak and breathless.
Until there was nothing but Addy. Nothing but us. Here. Now.
Until I realized I could never have enough of the woman trembling in my arms.
Chapter Eighteen
Addy
I paced back and forth in my room, the phone held to my ear as I grabbed one outfit after another and another, tossing them from the sitting chair to the bed. Nerves knotted my stomach, the tiny little balls of tension growing larger with each step I took.
Going out for dinner wouldn't matter because there was no way I'd be able to manage even a single bit, not even a spoonful of turtle soup.
My throat closed at the thought of eating anything. I stopped my pacing, pressed the palm of my hand against my stomach, and squeezed my eyes shut as I sucked in a deep breath then another. Jacqui's voice droned on in the background, the words nothing more than noise.
I sucked in another breath and forced myself to focus, finally caught the tail end of whatever she'd been saying.
"—even for you."
"What?"
"I said: that's pushing the limits, even for you. Didn't you stop to think of the potential consequences at all before you said yes?"
"The only thing I was thinking at the time was that Nathan asked me out to dinner."
"Mm-hm. And where exactly were you when he asked?"
In his bed, drowsy with sleep and sated with sex—but I didn't tell Jacqui that. "It doesn't matter. And I didn't know where he wanted to take me until he told me this morning."
"And you weren't thinking clearly enough even then to tell him what a bad idea that was?"
I lowered myself to the upholstered chair and tilted my head back, staring at the detailed fresco on the ceiling above me. My long sigh was answer enough for Jacqui, and her own sigh was all the response I needed.
This was a bad idea. Worse than bad. But I'd sensed Nathan's excitement when he said he had reservations tonight and I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I wasn't sure why he seemed so determined to go to that particular restaurant when there were literally hundreds of fine dining options within a twenty-mile radius of us. Was he trying to impress me? I couldn't imagine why he'd feel the need to do something so foolish but even if he did, why did he have to pick there? Yes, it was well-known and had an international reputation for its aqua blue facade and genteel atmosphere and superb cuisine. It was also renowned for its location right here in the Garden District.
Just two blocks from where I lived.
This truly had disaster written all over it.
"You need to cancel, cher."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can. It's easy. You just pick up the phone, call him, and tell him you can't make it."
"But I can't, Jacqui. I just—" I sighed and pushed to my feet. "He was so excited about getting a reservation. I don't want to disappoint him."
"Tell him it's nothing more than a tourist trap and you don't feel like dealing with the crowds."
"He won't believe me."
"Then you better think of something because you're just asking for trouble if you go through with this."
I shook my head, more to convince myself since Jacqui couldn't see me. "No, it'll be fine. It's a Thursday evening, it won't be that bad."
"You keep telling yourself that, cher. And what are you going to do when you run into one of your daddy's business associates? Or your father himself?"
"That won't happen. Daddy has one of his meetings and you know they always run late."
"Because they all tend to go out for their bourbons and Scotch to pat themselves on the back for working so hard."
I ignored the bitterness in Jacqui's voice, along with the urge to agree with her. My father's business interests were many and varied and while I knew he had worked hard when we were younger, most of his work now involved shuffling things around on paper or, more often than not, having one of his staff members do it for him.
"It'll be fine," I repeated. "I'm sure of it."
"At least tell me you were smart enough to meet him there instead of having him pick you up."
"Yes. He wasn't happy about it but I made some silly excuse about parking."
"Hmm. I just hope you know what you're doing. And you know I'm here if you need me when the shit hits the fan, cher."
"I know but it won't come to that. Just remember to clear your calendar for tomorrow and Saturday. Marie's coming home tomorrow afternoon and I have things planned for just the three of us."
"The three of us? What about your hockey boy?"
I grabbed one of the discarded outfits from the bed and held it in front of me, studying my image in the mirror as I answered. "Nathan will be on the road for his games and won't be back until Saturday night."
"At which point, Marie and I will be relegated to the corner."
"I would never—"
"I know you wouldn't, cher. Just be careful tonight and remember that I'm here if you need me."
I ended the conversation by assuring her again that everything would be fine and I was even proud of how convincing the words sounded. Jacqui didn't believe me any more than I believed myself but there was nothing I could do about that now except cross my fingers and hope I didn't run into anyone I knew.
But honestly, how bad would it be if I did? They wouldn't know who Nathan was, would have no idea that he was one of Daddy's players. And I had seen Nathan in a suit, several times in fact. He wore one like he was born to it, with the expensive blends tailored for a perfect fit. He looked a hundred times better in a suit than a lot of Daddy's friends did. If we happened to run into anyone I knew, Nathan would fit in perfectly.
Was that why he was insisting on this night of fine dining? Was he trying to impress me? But why on earth would he want to do such a silly thing?
The haunting thought stayed with me during the short walk to the restaurant, taking my mind off the regret of refusing Nathan's offer to pick me up. It wasn't a long walk by any stretch of the imagination but navigating the uneven ground in high heels wasn't one of my favorite things to do. At least the humidity had lessened during the last few days and I wouldn't arrive at the restaurant with my makeup melting from my face. I'd still have to freshen up but I'd have plenty of time to do that before Nathan arrived.