Page 44 of The Player in New Zealand
The song ended, the music shifting back to an upbeat song, and I let the tension go. Tane bent his head toward my ear. “Ready to go?”
“We can stay longer if you want,” I offered.
“Nah, we’ve been dancing awhile and, maybe it’s because I’m not drinking, but I’m getting tired.” I hadn’t had much to drink either, just two glasses of bubbles.
I nodded and Tane tugged me out of the dancing crowd and back to our table. We made the rounds to say goodbye and within ten minutes were in the elevator zooming back up to the rooms.
Tane leaned his head against the wall opposite me and caught my eye, a smile slipping over his lips. The space between us felt forced now. This wasn’t right—he shouldn’t be all the way over there. I wanted him all the way over here.
My eyes drifted down to the open collar of his shirt, the beads of sweat cooling on his skin. His suit jacket was draped over his forearm, the tie held loosely in his hand.
Okay, the sexual tension was getting to me, because right then I really wanted to climb Tane and rub myself all over him.
I was sex-deprived. Obviously. And overstimulated. When was the last time I’d had sex? I did some mental math while the elevator whisked us up. One year and six months, give or take a week or two.
I nearly shuddered. Thank God for vibrators. Granted, since I’d packed light for New Zealand, I had only that small bullet, which was, stupidly, back in the hostel in Wellington.
While thinking, my eyes had wandered back up to Tane’s. And as if he knew what I was thinking, they were full of heat and intensity.
I clenched.
Goddamn it. I was going to sleep with my boss.
“Claire?” Tane pushed off the wall and his hand touched the small of my back for the millionth time today. I realized the door was open and he was waiting on me to exit.
“Sorry,” I said, quickly stepping out and pausing while I tried to remember where my room was. An awkward second later I turned right and strode down the hall, taking a deep breath and trying to get my head back on straight.
We stopped at my door and I fumbled with the key card. The light flashed green and I cracked the door open, turning back to Tane. He stood, arms crossed, an intense look on his face.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m wondering how terrible of an idea it would be to kiss you again.”
My breath caught in my throat. “The other times weren’t terrible ideas?”
“They were practice. This would be real.” He shifted on his feet, a quick break in eye contact. “I’m your boss. And I wasn’t sure if you—” I shut him up. Or, I tried to, anyway. With one hand yanking him by the front of his shirt, and the other on the back of his neck, pulling him down, I got his attention.
Maybe it was because our kisses had been light and gentle up to this point, but this one was decidedlynot.Tane’s mouth opened over mine, his tongue invading, his body crowding me until I was pressed up against the doorjamb. He tasted of salt and sugar and heat.
His hands came up to either side of my neck, thumbs pressing gently into the soft skin of my chin and tilting my head up farther. His fingertips splayed as he groaned and pressed harder, kissed fiercer.
Until he disappeared, a full step away before I could even open my eyes. He swallowed audibly and averted his eyes. His chest rose and fell, his breath coming hard as he licked his lips. Tane cleared his throat, and for a half a second I was ready to invite him in.
But he turned away before I could open my mouth. “Good night, Claire.”
I was left panting and gasping, watching him walk into his room three doors down.
What the hell?
FOURTEEN
I slept like shit.Vigorously rubbing myself last night hadn’t been successful and I deeply regretted leaving my vibrator in Wellington. What the fuck had I been thinking? Spending a weekend with a hot man, dancing, kissing. No shit I’d be horny.
Gah.
Despite the closed curtains, light was beginning to creep in and I knew I’d have to eventually get up, give up on sleep and hating on my own body, and find food.
And Tane. He needed to explain what was going on inside his head, but whatever it was, I didn’t think I was going to like it. Perhaps in my flustered physical state, I was a little angrier than I should have been. I was sure Tane thought he was being a gentleman, taking it slow. He probably also thought I’d gotten myself off last night. In fact, he’d probably gotten himself off. Lucky bastard.
