One Hundred & Four
Ally’s [POV]
I collapsed against my seat and slammed the door closed. Rain thrummed against the roof of my car. Again, I was sitting behind the wheel with decisions whirling in my head.
I’d walked away from him a few nights ago.
Okay, ran. I wasn’t proud of it, but my self-preservation instincts had been in full effect. And I’d been able to ignore him for the last few days. Moving out of my house and into Sage’s apartment had taken up some time. Falling on my face in exhaustion had been the only way to survive after Sunday.
Now I was right here again. Choices had been made. Panties had been surrendered.
I bounced my head against my headrest. I hadn’t even blinked, just forked them over.
I wasn’t that girl, dammit.
Or maybe I was.
I squirmed in my seat as rain and my own slickness soaked my dress and coated my inner thighs. The rain had activated the dryer crystals I’d splurged on and my entire car smelled like wet springtime and a hint of sex.
Harbingers of the night to come?
He’d promised to make me beg. And sweet Jesus, I believed him.
The pocket of my denim jacket buzzed against the side of my breast. I hissed out a breath and fumbled it out.
Just a single number.
Seventeen.
Was it wrong that Winger immediately popped into my head? And right now, I felt like an illicit seventeen-year-old girl making crazy decisions. Of course, things would have been a lot easier if I had lost my virginity at seventeen like most of the girls I’d known in high school.
But no, had to tack on another decade for me. Late bloomer times one thousand.
A second later, another text came through.
Countdown begins.
Trumpets were blaring in my brain. Europe’s “The Final Countdown” was on repeat. God, I needed to get a grip.
I curled my fingers around my phone and stuffed it back into my pocket. I couldn’t even come up with a pithy reply. All we did was swap barbs. That was what we did. And all I could think of replying was…
Okay.
Yeah, not even close to worldly. Just dumb. So I didn’t reply at all. Part of me wanted to race inside and get it over with.
I hadn’t been lying when I’d said that to him.
As insane as it would be to do this with Seth, I was so damn overdue that my ovaries and hormones would officially go on strike if I said no to this opportunity. I had a feeling my sanity would be added to that list as well.
I shouldered the door open and winced at the grinding metal on metal action of the hinge. Time to oil that one up again. I needed to make this car last a little longer.
The winters were rough on cars in this area of New York. Snow and salt were as stubborn and bitchy as my boss, Mitch.
And I was officially stalling in the worst way possible.
My phone buzzed again.
You’re dangerously close to being carried in here, damn the consequences.
Yeah, no. That wouldn’t do. I could walk-well, drive. I could just turn over the engine and drive home. He wouldn’t follow.
Maybe.
The heat in his eyes had been as thrilling as it was terrifying. There was no turning back on tonight. Honestly, there’d been no turning back for me the moment he’d let me know he was interested in seeing me naked babymaking or not.
I dashed out into the night and headed for the front door. I couldn’t get in the side entrance since I didn’t have a card key. Evidently, I hadn’t thought this out very well.
I kept my head down and skirted around the edges of the lobby. My hair hung in wet, ropy ringlets down my back. Not an inch of me was dry.
And I do mean not an inch.
At any second, it felt like everyone in the room would be able to tell I was sans underwear. The cute yellow dress had been a nice idea when I’d left the house, but now it was the consistency of damp tissue paper.
Good thing I’d made sure all the important parts were nice and tidy.
God, what a thought. Could people see my little landing strip through the skirt of my dress?
Would Seth when I went upstairs?
I dragged the edges of my jacket together to cover up my nipples, which were definitely on display. I’d worn a sheer bra so it wouldn’t show through the summery dress. Mistakes firing every-damn-where tonight.
I glanced up to get my bearings and the woman behind the counter made eye contact with me. I couldn’t remember her name, but she’d been in the diner. Everyone in the damn town had been in the diner at one time or three.
Fuck.
Quickly, I looked away and sprinted for the elevator, holding my skirt down with the other hand as I darted through the doors.
I slapped the button for the second floor, desperately happy there was no one else in the elevator. I should have taken the stairs, but the possibility that my ass could be on display if my skirt flared up had nixed that idea before I could even slot it in my brain.
The doors opened onto the ornate floor. The hotel was high-end with an ornate brocade runner over a finely stitched ruby carpet. The walls were a textured cream with paintings and sconces giving it a rich, old world feel.
Rich was the name of the game. New England money with a side of stately age.
Outside my comfort zone by miles. Hell, again this one could be measured by galaxies. All of this was Seth’s life, not mine.
Even his booty call couldn’t be normal.
Thankfully, the hallway was empty and quiet. I sure as hell hoped it was soundproofed to go with the fancy-ass decor. I glanced at my watch.
Evidently, I would have some begging to do.
Why did I find that so hot?
The feminist residing in my chest should have been appalled. Or maybe she’d request equal rights all around.
A little tit-for-tat on the begging. He could start.
Maybe.
Oh, who was I kidding? I would be the one standing there like a deer in headlights, praying he wouldn’t figure out just how much I sucked at this.
A fumbling accidental orgasm when I was nineteen was as close to experience as I had. And when I said accidental, it was the God’s honest truth.
Enough friction could eventually give anyone an orgasm, even if it was a depressing and awkward trip to the finish line. It wasn’t Craig Kimmel’s fault-well, not entirely. We’d just had no chemistry.
I couldn’t say the same about Seth. I’d felt the pull the very first day I’d laid eyes on him. Me making a mad dash for class and him amused at my graceless entry.
I wasn’t sure when I’d been slotted as the best friend. Maybe it had been that first day we’d met when I’d been wearing a shapeless sweatshirt over my pajama top and he’d instinctively saved me from a tardy slip on the second day of the school year.
Or maybe it had been when I’d laughed at him for checking out the chick in front of him as if her boobs were mana from heaven.
All I knew was I’d never had a chance before now.
And it was both hilarious and terrifying. I just wasn’t sure which one was going to win out.
I slowly crept down the hall as the numbers increased. Seventeen was at the end of the hall. A suite, I’d guess, with a huge bed with sumptuous sheets and class. And I was a drowned rat on her way to get laid.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
A testament of my life to date.
Before I could lift my hand to knock on the door, it flew open and Seth reached out to drag me into the suite. Good guess there. Everything was as high-end as the hallway, but right now, I didn’t care.
Right now, there was only him and me and a flashing need in his eyes that mirrored my own. His gaze dropped to my dress and the naked excitement went dark as his brows lowered.
I looked down at myself. In the brightly lit living space, there was no denying the see-through nature of my dress was even worse than I’d feared. My nipples pushed at the thin material of my bra and right on through to the cotton dress.
“You walked through the hotel like this?”
I lifted my chin. “Someone kept me out in the rain.”
He stalked to me and dragged my denim jacket off. My skin instantly flooded with chill-bumps, making my nipples even tighter.
His hands fisted at his sides and the muscle in his jaw pulsed. Didn’t he like what he saw?
I crossed my arms over my breasts, but he pulled them back to my sides. “No, don’t cover yourself.”
“Then why do you look like you’re about to go all T-Rex at the end of Jurassic Park?” My question became more a squeak when he spun me around to look at the back.
“Jesus fuck.” He fell to his knees and I yelped as his fingers raked up the outside of my thighs. “This perfect ass was on complete display to everyone?”
I tried to turn around, but he held me still. “Well, someone demanded my panties.” The reply ended in a growl of exasperation. I didn’t understand him at all.
My skirt rose as his touch grew bolder. When the cool air of the room hit my over-sensitized flesh, I had to bite back a whole different kind of growl.
His fingers went from my thighs to the heavy curve of my ass. He lifted my dress higher and I tried to move away from him.
“I know I?
? m not perfect.”
His grip intensified as his tongue flicked over the crease where my butt met thigh. I wobbled on my feet, but he held me still. “This ass is perfection.” He filled his hands and I wanted to die.
I could only imagine how much flesh overflowed even his big hands. No matter how much running around I did, I had a butt for days. Probably because of my deep and abiding love for ice cream.
Living over an ice cream parlor definitely wasn’t helping my affliction.
“Open your legs, Al.”
“Seth, I don’t need all this. I’m totally a sure thing.”
“Then open your fucking legs.”
My boots thudded on the carpet as I widened my stance. I felt ridiculous. On display in a way I’d never imagined.