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He smiles as he straightens out his suit jacket, buttoning it in the center. “That will have to do as far as escaping discreetly goes,” he says, linking his hand in mine, redirecting me toward the table so we can make our exit.
“Should we go halves in the bill?” I giggle as we walk. I like the way he holds his hand to the small of my back, guiding me toward the reception desk.
“Absolutely not,” he says.
“I trust everything was to your usual standard, sir?” Bertram directs his question to Gray as we approach. They’ve been fussing all night during our courses. Lyle ensured that we were looked after all evening.
“Perfect,” Gray replies, and I see him slip a green bill into Bertram’s hand. “Charge everything to my room. Thank you for the Bollinger,” he adds.
“Anytime, sir.” Bertram takes it all in his stride and smiles at me like he has no idea what we’re up to, but surely he does. He’s just discreet. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Until next time,” Gray says, slipping Lyle a tip as well as we walk past.
I mouth a thank you as we leave. I’m a little self-conscious that they know we’re hooking up. I mean, is it obvious? Do these sorts of things go on at the Casa Cipriani? I guess Gray is holding my hand, so it is pretty obvious.
More importantly, what is this beautiful man going to do with me when he has me alone?
We walk toward the elevators. Once again, he guides me with a gentle touch, and I enjoy the sensation. I also realize, not for the first time tonight, he’s really tall.
“Do you think they suspect anything?” I whisper as we wait in silence for the elevator.
He turns his head. “Who?”
“Bertram, and Lyle.”
He gives me a strange look. “About what?”
“Us leaving together!”
“Who cares,” he chuckles.
I glance at him. Clearly he’s not worried.
“Don’t be concerned.” His eyes flick down to my chest and he mutters another unmentionable under his breath. “You’re gonna be the death of me, woman. Do you know that?”
“Let’s hope not.” I laugh, biting my lip while we wait. It seems to take forever, and I don’t want to share the elevator with anyone else.
He stands next to me, his hand still in mine until the elevator finally arrives and the doors open. With a simple gesture, he motions for me to go first and then he follows.
He swiftly closes the elevator doors with a press of a button and turns to look at me, folding his arms over his chest. “Did I tell you how beautiful you are?”
“I’m sure after a bottle of champagne and God knows how many?—”
He shakes his head and places his finger over my lips. Even that right there is totally seductive. I stop talking. “You’re beautiful, Hartley. Full stop. I noticed it long before I drank the champagne. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you all night.”
He pushes the Penthouse button and my eyes grow wide. We haven’t quite gotten to the discussion of whose room we’re going to. I guess it’s his.
“Do you do this often?” I breathe as the elevator slowly climbs for a few floors before he reaches over to the elevator buttons again and pushes the emergency stop, bringing it to a sudden halt. He walks toward me as I back up against the mirrored glass, holding onto the railing behind my back.
“Not often enough, it seems.” He glances down again, and my eyes have another feast as I see the front of his suit pants sporting a large, awkward bulge. “I can’t keep up with how many times you’ve turned me on tonight.”
I bite my lip again as he towers above me, pressing one hand on the mirror behind me above my head, the other placed on my hip. He leans in and seductively presses his lips to mine, softly at first, but it doesn’t take long for both of our urgencies to grow. His tongue seeks mine as he pulls me toward him, encasing me as his arm wraps them around the back of my waist. He has to bend down to reach me. Even my heels aren’t doing much for our height difference.
“Gray,” I murmur as I pull back, breathless. He smiles down at me, his thumbs run across my cheek bones as the pulse between my legs quickens.
“I don’t even think I can wait,” he says, running a hand through his hair.
“Me either.”
