Burn for You (16 page)

“A lot. Too many. During the off-agains of our on-again-off-again relationship, I practically lived like a nun—okay, maybe
nun
is stretching it—but still! You’re only in your twenties once, and I blew it.”

“I’m sure you didn’t blow it.”

“Well, I didn’t blow enough, I’ll tell you that right now.”

He let out another surprised laugh.

“You know what I want?” she asked.

“What?” Whatever it was, he was half tempted to try to move the sun and stars just to give it to her.

“I want to be with someone purely for the pleasure of it. I want to live in the moment and not get caught up in wondering where something’s going or what someone might feel for me. I don’t want to think about the future. I just want right now.”

“You want sex with no strings attached?” he asked, completely unable to believe his ears.

“Yes, exactly.”

“Well, why didn’t you just say so? ‘Cause if that’s what you want, I’m your guy.”

She smiled. “You are?”

“Absolutely. I specialize in casual affairs.”

“There would have to be rules though.”

“Of course. We don’t want any misunderstandings. No hurt feelings.”

“That’s right. Like you said, we don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

Warming up to the idea, he rubbed his hand up and down her thigh. “Rule number one: No sleepovers.”

“No sleepovers?”

“Sleeping over leads to cuddling and cuddling leads to all sorts of relationship-type things.”

“Oh, well we don’t want that,” she said, her tone serious. “Rule number two: No dinners together.”

“What about lunch or breakfast?”

“No, you’re right,” she said. “No meals period.”

“And especially not brunch.”

“Good God, no. Nothing says committed relationship more than brunch.”

“Rule number three: No movie watching.”

“Going out to a movie? Or staying in and renting one?”

“Neither. They’re both off limits.”

“Good call.” She smiled mischievously. “Rule number four: No peeing in front of one another.”

“Not a problem. Hadn’t planned on it.”

She laughed. “No one ever
plans
on it. But you get comfortable with someone, and they’re brushing their teeth and you gotta go, and it happens.”

“You’re speaking from experience?”

“Well, no, but that’s how I imagine it happens between couples. Any other reason would just be weird.”

“If you say so.” With her on his lap and in such close proximity, he couldn’t help nuzzling kisses at her neck.

“Mmm, Jason. It’s your turn,” she said, breathlessly.

“My turn for what?” He traveled up to her lips again, and kissed her slowly, savoring her sweet peach taste.

She licked at his lips but then pulled back slightly. “Your turn for the next rule.”

“Rule number five: Shut up and kiss me.”

Laughing, she obliged, and the enthusiasm with which she met his lips nearly undid him right there in the middle of the courtyard.

“Ahem.”

Jason ignored the interruption, too absorbed in the feel of Victoria in his arms—the perfect fit of her waist in his hands, the soft pressure of her chest against his, the warmth of her lips on his mouth.

“Ahem.” Someone coughed again, louder this time, and Victoria broke the kiss and slid from his lap.

“Graham,” she said, thankfully sounding none too thrilled to see him. “What is it?”

“Camille is about to toss the bouquet and she’d like all of her attendants to be there. Specifically though, she won’t do it until you’re there.”

“Oh.” She stood and smoothed a hand over her dress to quickly put herself back to rights.

Graham glared at him, and Jason nodded a cool greeting in return. He could give a fuck what this guy thought of finding him with Victoria. And fuck him if he decided now was the time to get interested in her. He’d had his chance, and he didn’t deserve Victoria if he was one of those guys who couldn’t appreciate a woman until another man came along.

Victoria turned to Jason. “We should go back inside.”

“Of course.” He offered her his arm and they walked inside behind Graham. When they returned to noisy ballroom and he was sure he wouldn’t be overheard, he leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “As soon as this part’s done, it’s you and me in a bedroom upstairs.”

Color high on her cheeks, she nodded and snatched a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. She tipped it back, emptying it in a few quick swallows. Raising the empty glass, she toasted him. “To fantastic sex and no complications.”

“That’s right.”

He gave her a playful tap on the ass as she headed for the dance floor. “Rule number six: Do not catch the bouquet.”

Chapter 13

Victoria did not catch the bouquet. Unfortunately though, the bouquet caught her. She knew there’d be trouble when Camille pointed the little bouquet at her and winked before turning her back to all the single ladies. Victoria even tried stepping to the side of the pack after Camille turned away, but a last second over-the-shoulder spot-check by Camille ruined that plan. The bouquet went sailing, and there was a suspicious lack of scrambling on the part of the other ladies to grab it.

It literally landed on her head.

Probably the most dejected bouquet catcher in the history of weddings, Victoria left the dance floor, finding Jason on the sidelines.

Grinning, he shook his head. “Seriously? That rule was enacted not five seconds ago and you’ve already broken it.”

She hit him in the chest with the bouquet. “You’ll notice I did everything in my power not to catch it. I can’t help it that my moussed out hair made a perfect landing nest for the damn thing.”

He laughed.

“I don’t know what you’re laughing about. You need to get out there and catch that garter.”

“What?”

“C’mon. Be a team player.” She tried to push him toward the gaggle of single gentlemen reluctantly gathering on the dance floor, but he was surprisingly immovable. “I don’t want to get stuck dancing with Stifler.”

“Who’s Stifler?”

“Oh, I forget his name. But that’s what I call that drunk groomsman.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “The one who was bothering you before?”

“Yes.”

He nodded once, a determined set to his jaw. “All right. Let’s do this.”

Standing on the edge of the dance floor, Victoria watched the single gentlemen act like they didn’t want to catch the garter but then start elbowing each other for a better spot once their competitive natures took over. Graham was front and center, right between Jason and Stifler.

Tony held the garter in his teeth, having just removed it from Camille’s leg with his mouth amongst much hooting and hollering from the wedding guests. He held it up, letting the men zero in on their white lace prize and then he turned his back to them and sling shot it backwards over his head.

Jason, Graham, and Stifler jumped up for the catch at the same time. Stifler fell to the floor empty-handed, almost taking two other guys down with him, but Jason and Graham came down right in the middle of some sort of scrum in the center of the parquet dance floor.

The DJ came out from behind his equipment, mic in hand. “All right, let’s see who the lucky man is.” He started pulling bodies off the pile, helping people up until only two remained.

Both Graham and Jason stood, each with a hand on the garter and staring at the other with unfriendly scowls.

“Looks like we have a tie here, folks!” The DJ raised the garter up and by default both Graham and Jason’s hands as neither would let go of the garter. “You know what this means? You both are dancing with…” He turned back to Victoria. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t catch your name.”

“Victoria.”

“Victoria!” The DJ motioned her forward. “Victoria, come here and meet your dance partners.”

The first bars of Marvin Gaye’s
Let’s Get It On
streamed out of the speakers, and the DJ pushed Graham at Victoria. “All right, let’s get all the couples out here on the dance floor. Come on folks, let’s get it on everybody.”

Graham smiled and took Victoria in his arms. “Shall we?”

“I don’t think the DJ will have it any other way.”

Not long ago, Victoria would have been beyond thrilled to be dancing with Graham, but not tonight.

“What’s the matter, Vic? You mad at me?”

The hurt tone in Graham’s question helped Victoria to clear the scowl from her face. “No, I’m not mad. I just don’t understand why you did that.”

“Did what? Caught the garter? You know how competitive I am.”

“Mmm-hmm.” She did, but it felt like a bit of a cock-block just the same. And where the hell was the guy who was so thrilled to see her supposedly settled with someone else?

“You can dance with your boy toy all night.” Graham said, his usual good-natured teasing tone in full force. “Can’t I get just one dance with my best girl?”

She bristled at the term boy toy, but then again, that’s exactly what she and Jason had agreed to. A for-pleasure only relationship. And quite frankly, Victoria was in a tad bit of a hurry to get started with it. She’d been a good girl for far too long and for what? Graham hadn’t noticed or appreciated it, and she certainly hadn’t gotten anything out of it. But tonight…tonight she was quite certain Jason would be giving her a night to remember.

In the words of Marvin Gaye,
let’s get it on
.

She stared at the boutonniere on Graham’s tux, lost in daydreams about what would happen when she and Jason got up to her room.

“I hope he treats you good, Vic.” Graham’s voice cut in on her thoughts. “You deserve it.”

“Thanks, Graham.” She smiled up at him, knowing he meant well. “He does.”

It was true, too. What she appreciated most about Jason was that he was honest with her. She didn’t have to guess where she stood with him. He was attracted to her, but he didn’t want a relationship. Totally fine. At least he was up front about it. Not like Graham, who said things like, “You’re the one constant in my life,” but in the next breath said something to knock her back into the purely platonic zone. Graham kept her on the end of a yo-yo, trying to guess what everything meant and where they were headed, and it was a ride she was so ready to get off of.

And okay, fine, she was horny. Years of near abstinence would do that to any healthy warm-blooded woman, and a night spent with Jason held the promise of scratching one very important itch.

“Excuse me.” Jason tapped on Graham’s shoulder. “I believe this is my half of the song.”

Graham nodded once and stepped back, allowing Victoria to step into Jason’s arms.

They danced closer than she had with Graham, one of Jason’s legs situated snuggly between her thighs, spreading warmth through Victoria’s center.

“This is an eerily appropriate song choice, is it not?” She could hear the smile in his voice, though she couldn’t see it while they danced cheek to cheek.

“I thought the exact same thing.”

The chorus thrummed from the speakers and Jason led with gentle pressure on her lower back. She’d never felt so sensual in all her life. Her hips rolled, naturally finding a rhythm perfectly in time with his, and she closed her eyes, losing herself in the music and the feel of his body moving with hers.

Jason’s lips brushed against her ear lobe, sending hot shivers down her neck. “When we get upstairs, I want you to dance for me.”

Her breath caught, and her entire body felt flush. “I’m not dancing for you right now?”

“Allow me to clarify.” He lowered his voice another notch, the bass of his whisper sending pleasant vibrations down her spine. “I want you to strip for me.”

“Oh?” She tried to sound bored, like a sophisticated flirt, but it came out as a breathy sigh.

“Mmm-hmm. I want to see you dance yourself out of this dress. Slowly. Torture me with how long it takes to see every inch of you.”

They were just words, but he somehow managed to make each one feel like a physical caress. Breathless and more turned on than she’d ever been in her life, she swayed with him to those three signature wah-wah-wah guitar chords while Marvin Gaye sang,
And givin’ yourself to me can never be wrong…

Whispering in her ear again, he said, “How important is it that we make it to the end of this song?”

She laughed low in her throat and leaned back in arms. “Not very. You want to go?”

“Please, God. Yes.”

She took his hand and led him through the maze of tables and chairs. For a little courage, she grabbed an untouched champagne flute from one of the tables and tossed it back like a shot then set it back down and continued to weave through the crowd.

At the elevator, Jason pressed the call button twice. When the doors didn’t immediately open, he pulled her toward the stairs.

“Impatient much?” she said.

“Woman, you have no idea.”

He pulled her into the privacy of the stairwell, and the second the door clicked shut behind them, he had her pinned against the wall, his lips devouring hers with hungry desperation.

She held his face with her hands, loving the rough feel of stubble on his chin. His tongue slid past her lips, meeting hers and stroking the inside of her mouth suggestively. Pushing his hips forward, he pressed his cock into her abdomen.

“You feel that?” he asked. “That’s what you do to me, Victoria.”

His words went straight to her core, making her ache and press against him in an effort to relieve the pressure building there.

She broke the kiss and met his blue-eyed gaze. “You realize if we’d waited for the elevator we’d be upstairs right now, right?”

“I invoke rule number five.”

She bit her lip, smiling. “And which one was that again?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

She nipped playfully at his lower lip, sucking it gently into her mouth and tugging it until he growled.

“All right. Upstairs with you.” He took her hand and pulled her up the stairs. “Which floor are you on?”

“Six.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

She shook her head, laughing.

“Fuck that.” At the next landing he led her out of the stairwell and to the elevator. Hitting the button four times with his thumb, he cursed under his breath.