Page 34 of Taking the Pitch
I pull away from her lips and trail soft kisses over her jaw and down her neck. God, she tastes so good. She arches into me when I hit a spot on her neck, her legs clamping down harder around me. Softly biting the spot, a deep moan erupts from her, making my already rock-hard erection painful. I’m moving further down to her collarbone when theDing!of the elevator startles us.
We both stare at each other, chests heaving before I set her down just as the doors open. She pulls my hoodie back down that rode up when I had her delicious body pinned up against the wall. Running a hand through her mussed hair, she looks at me sheepishly. “Guess we should get off before the doors close.”
“I was trying, but the elevator interrupted us,” I tell her jokingly and not at the same time. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted someone as much as I want the five-foot nothing spitfire in front of me. If I didn’t witness how much she drank tonight, I would suggest we go back to my place and finish what we started. But tasting the whiskey on her reminded me she is under the influence, and I don’t want anything impairing either of us when I make her mine.
Her cheeks redden at my comment and a soft chuckle leaves her. Placing my hand on the small of her back, I guide her out of the elevator. She turns to me, fidgeting with the sleeve of the oversized hoodie when we reach her door.
“Thank you… for everything tonight,” she says, ducking her head.
Her hair falls forward when she dips her head down. Without even thinking, I push the lock of hair out of her face and trace my finger along her jaw. I can’t help myself. Touching her is like breathing, it just feels so natural. I drop my hand from her jaw and stuff it in my pocket. “There’s no need to thank me. I enjoyed going out with you three.”
A little crease forms between her brows when she looks back up at me and my hand fists in my pocket. It’s all I can do to keep myself from reaching up and smoothing it away. “You enjoyed watching us get drunk and dance with other guys while you had to stay sober and play bodyguard?” she asks skeptically.
I shake my head and take a step forward, leaning against the hand I place above her head. “I enjoyed watching you let loose and have fun. Something tells me you don’t do it often, and that’sa damn shame because you looked sexy as hell out on that dance floor.”
Her teeth graze her bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth. Reaching with my other hand, I tug it free, running the pad of my thumb over it. Her heated gaze falls to my lips, then back to my eyes, silently pleading with me for another kiss. Just as I’m about to fulfill her wishes, a loudthumpfollowed by giggles, then not so quietshhh, sounds from the other side of her door.
Amelia covers her face in a groan and thumps her head against the wall. Chuckling, I gently grab her wrists and pull her hands from her face. “Guess that’s my cue to leave.”
I drop her hands and step back, giving her room to move. She turns towards the door and reaches for the knob, but stops and turns around. “I still have your hoodie,” she says, turning around and reaching for the hem.
Placing my hands over hers, I stop her. “Keep it.”
“No, I couldn’t. It’s yours.”
“Keep. It. I have more.” Closing the short distance between us, I grip the back of her neck, extracting a gasp from her and whoever is on the other side of the door. I cover the peephole with my other hand and lean down, whispering into her ear. “Besides, I like seeing you wear my name.”
I give her a kiss on her flaming red cheek and back away, giving her a wink before turning and heading back to the elevator before I’m tempted to do more. “Goodnight, Amelia,” I call to her over my shoulder.
I hear a faint “Goodnight” before reaching the elevator. Hitting the call button, I rock back on my heels, waiting for the car to reach the floor.
Goodnight indeed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
amelia
Four days.
I’ve been able to successfully avoid Judd for four days. I woke up the day after Halloween full of self-loathing. How could I have let him slip past my defenses like that?
Because he’s safe.A little voice chimes in.
I snort to myself while lacing up my running shoes. More like I was drunk and had a momentary lapse in judgment.
But he rescued you.
Shut up!
I let out a huff and grab my water bottle, phone, and keys off the kitchen island. I need to get this anxious energy out and since Mother Nature has decided to give us a big ‘fuck you’ and dump three to four inches of rain on us over the next couple of days, I have no choice but to use the gym that’s located on the main floor down the hall from the front desk. It’s either that or I drive myself crazy in my apartment, replaying that kiss over and over.
I lock up my apartment and head to the stairs with Bruno in tow. I’ve been avoiding the elevator at all costs. Allowing myselfto kiss Judd was a monumental mistake, but one I can’t get myself to regret, no matter how hard I try. Because I haveneverbeen kissed the way Judd kissed me. His lips were surprisingly soft, and it took everything in me not to bite down on his full bottom lip.
When he hit that delicious spot on my neck, my knees nearly buckled at the jolt of pleasure he extracted from me. If it wasn’t for the elevator announcing the arrival to my floor, I can’t say I wouldn’t have stripped him down right there in the elevator and had my way with him. I blame seeing him shirtless at the club and my utter weakness for tattoos, andJesus,is he tatted. The black swirls and designs of ink running up his entire right arm and half of his left nearly made me combust on the spot. What I wouldn’t give to run my tongue all over them.
The bang of a door brings me back to the present and I look around, realizing I’m already out of the stairwell and at the gym door.
I’ve been doing that a lot lately. Spacing out and not noticing I’ve arrived somewhere until I’m actually there. It’s disturbing, and I blame Judd. I was fine until he entered my life. Okay, so I wasn’tfine, but at least I wasn’t this distracted.
