All I Ever Need Is You (The Sullivans #14)(26)

“I wish I could use glue and staples to fix this situation.” Even though Adam knew his father was right, that didn’t make it any easier to stand by while Kerry got hurt.

A few minutes later, after his father had gotten into his car and was about to drive away, he rolled down his window. “I’m not sure I was as much help as you’d hoped I’d be, but if you need anything else—”

Adam could easily finish his father’s sentence. “You’re always there.”

CHAPTER TEN

That evening at the hotel, Adam checked his phone half a dozen times for a message from Kerry. But at forty minutes past seven there was nothing—no email, no text, not even in response to his. He hoped she hadn’t bailed on him, even as he worried that something might have happened to hold her up. Something worse than just a meeting that had gone on too long. An accident or—

Thank God, she came in from the sidewalk just then, her long dark hair blowing back as she moved quickly toward him. “I’m sorry I’m so late. The traffic was horrible. I could have gotten out and walked here faster if not for my heels. And my stupid phone was dead.”

His only response was to grab her hand, taking her overnight bag in the other.

“Adam?”

Despite the question in her voice, she let him pull her past the reception desk and the bar and into the elevator that was conveniently open for them. He jammed in the room key that would take them straight to the penthouse suite.

The doors were closing as she asked, “Is everything okay?”

“No. But it will be soon.”

His hands were already in her hair, and he caught the flash of surprised pleasure in her eyes just before he slammed his mouth against hers.

There was no sweet ramp-up tonight, no gentle whispers. Only the rawest, hottest need.

In both of them.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and met his kiss with such fierce passion that he groaned into her mouth. “More.” He could barely wrap his brain around anything other than that right now. “I need more of you.”

“Yes.” She tore at the buttons on his shirt, and a few popped off and landed on the marble floor of the elevator. “God, yes.”

Permission granted, he put his hands on her hips and lifted her so that she could wrap her legs around him. She was wearing something pretty and likely expensive that he knew he shouldn’t tear off her. But when her skirt caught on her thighs, there were just way too many layers of fabric between them.

And he wanted her naked.

Now.

The back seam of her skirt tore open with one hard tug of his hands, and she immediately took advantage of the freedom, wrapping her long legs around his hips. The heat of her—and the soft press of her curves against every inch of him—made everything flash to white in his brain for a few seconds. And when one of her hands moved from around his neck to his belt buckle, he nearly lost it completely, right then and there in the elevator.

The soft bell that rang as they made it to the top of the building almost wasn’t enough to pierce through. Lust had never held him so tightly in its grip before, but he’d worked on enough of these buildings to know that there had to be a video camera in the elevator. The last thing he was going to do tonight was share Kerry in all her gorgeous, naked beauty with the guys in the security room. Especially when he knew she would be the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen.

She was his, damn it.

Only his.

Fortunately, like last week’s hotel, theirs was the only penthouse suite, so all they needed to do was make it out of the elevator and in the door. And then he would tear off her clothes and devour every inch of her.

But he couldn’t make himself move away from her. Not yet. Not when she was rocking her hips into him and he knew how close she was. So ready for him that all it would take was the barest brush of his hand inside silk to take her over the edge.

From the moment he’d left her house on Saturday morning, he’d wanted this. Wanted to have her in his arms. Wanted to lick across her skin. Wanted to hear the sweet sounds she made when she came apart. Wanted to be inside of her more than he needed to take his next breath.

Tearing his mouth from hers on a rough curse, he yanked the key card out of the elevator, then covered the open seam at the back of her hips with his hands so that the security guys couldn’t ogle even that. “Hang on tight.” He carried her out of the elevator and to their door, nearly kicking it open when the card wouldn’t read at first.

Finally, the damn thing opened up, and in a matter of seconds he had it closed again and locked behind them with Kerry pressed against it. The words, “I’ll buy you a new outfit,” were barely out of his mouth when he tore again, this time from her neck down. The belt at her waist was the only thing holding the fabric up anymore, but even though a part of him was frustrated that she still wasn’t naked, another part of him needed to stop and drink her in.

The first time he’d set eyes on her, though she’d been glossy and elegant and perfect, he’d seen her like this in his mind’s eye. Her hair tangled from his hands. Her mouth swollen from his kisses. Her skin flushed with desire as she begged him to touch her. To take her.

But with her hands deftly yanking open his belt, he knew now wasn’t the time to stand back and stare. Later, he promised himself. Later tonight, he’d look his fill as she lay naked and soft in his arms.