Page 119 of Unfaithful

It was just him and me.

The sharp honk from the car behind us jolted us back to reality. Archie let out a quiet chuckle and drove forward, myhand still clasped in his. I leaned back against the seat, a slow, contented sigh escaping me.

It wasn't until he finally stopped the car that I glanced out the window.

"Where are we?" I asked, realizing I hadn't even thought to ask before we left. All I had said was,"I want to spend the night with you."

"The hotel where I'm staying," he replied.

I turned to him, brows furrowing. "You live in a hotel?"

"For now."

Before I could ask more, he slid out of the car, and I followed. He rounded the front, catching my hand effortlessly before tossing his keys to the valet, who snatched them midair. Then, without a word, he took off, practically jogging, pulling me with him.

We sprinted through the lobby, weaving past guests and staff until we reached the elevators. The moment one opened, Archie practically shoved me inside. Thank God, it was just the two of us. He jabbed the floor button, then the close button a dozen times as if willing the door to shut faster.

The second it did, he lifted me off my feet, pinning me against the wall, his mouth crashing into mine.

I responded just as desperately, my hands roaming over him, unable to decide what I wanted to touch first. His lips left mine, only to trail down my neck, and I moaned when he nipped at my skin. His hand slipped under my shirt, fingers skimming my ribs before cupping my breast over my bra.

And then—the elevator stopped.

The doors slid open.

A woman in a crisp hotel uniform stood frozen at the threshold.

To say she was shocked was an understatement. Her eyes widened; her entire body stiffened as she took in the scene before her. She clearly had no intention of stepping inside. And honestly, I would've been happy to hit the close button again, and I could tell Archie would've preferred to continue what we were doing. But with my face burning, I grabbed his wandering hand, yanked it out of my shirt, slid off him, and quickly stepped to the side.

"Sorry," I blurted, mortified. "That was... inappropriate. Please, come in."

Archie sighed, clearly frustrated, as he walked around me. But instead of letting me go, he pulled me back against him, his arms wrapping around my waist. And from the very obvious bulge pressing into me, I realized he had another reason for holding me close, which was to hide his very noticeableproblem.

Chrystal, as her name tag read, gave an awkward nod, lifted her chin with forced professionalism, and stepped inside.

"Mr. Lowe," she greeted stiffly.

"Chrystal," Archie replied smoothly.

Then, as if she weren't there, he leaned down, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to my temple and inhaling deeply. His hands trailed from my waist to my stomach before he pressed against me, grinding in a slow, subtle motion. A soft gasp escaped me as his warm, heavy breaths fanned against my ear.

Chrystal tensed even more at the sound I made. She quickly pressed a button—just one floor up—then locked her gaze on the doors, standing stiff as a statue. The elevator ride lasted only a few agonizing seconds but felt like an eternity. Themoment the doors slid open, she shot out as if her uniform were on fire.

Before the doors had even fully closed again, Archie's hands were back where they had been, slipping under my shirt.

"Archie," I exhaled, barely able to speak as he sucked on the sensitive skin of my neck from behind. "Wait until we get to your room."

He groaned in protest, his fingers reluctantly sliding away from my stomach. But he didn't put any distance between us. Instead, he kept kissing me, even as we stumbled down the corridor toward his room, his hands never leaving me.

Once we were inside, he kicked the door shut behind us while I slipped off my shoes and my coat. In one swift motion, he lifted me effortlessly, carrying me to the bed as if I weighed nothing. But when he set me down, it wasn't exactly gentle. More like he couldn't wait another second.

Then he stood there, watching me, his gaze dark and intense.

At that moment, the reality of it hit me.

My God, I'm in a relationship with Archie.

He let out a low curse, his eyes raking over me—sprawled out, legs parted, desire written all over my face.

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