Indigo Nights (Nights #3)(55)

I stood to the side to allow her to step into the cab and found myself transfixed by her creamy white legs inviting me to slide my hands higher and higher. The only thing stopping me was the audience at the door. I turned to wave, and they responded with a chorus of goodbyes. As soon as we pulled out, I grabbed her and slid her across my lap so she was straddling me.

That was better.

“Hello,” she said, cupping my face with her hands and placing a small kiss on my forehead. I didn’t know which part of her to touch first.

“Tell me it’s just you and me now for a few days.” I stroked my fingers into her cleavage, relishing her warmth and softness.

“It’s just you and me. I have food; I’ve baked. We don’t need to do anything but—”

“Fuck.”

She pressed her hands to my chest and swiveled her hips in that wicked way she had. She dipped her lips to my ear. “All night and all day.”

I knew it still wouldn’t be enough. “How long to your apartment?”

“Not long.” She grazed her teeth up my jaw, sending spasms of pleasure right to my rock-hard cock. To my surprise and disappointment, she climbed off and sat next to me, clasping my hand in hers.

“We’d better wait until we’re in private,” she said, staring at my crotch. The outline of my erection in my pants was hard to miss.

“I thought you liked an audience?” I raised my eyebrows. I wasn’t too keen on getting my dick out in front of the driver, but I wasn’t sure I’d fight her off if she insisted.

She laughed. “It’s different. I don’t want to see my audience.” She nudged me in the ribs. “So my brother liked you. And the others—well they were always an easier sell.”

“Good.” I grimaced, leaning my head back onto the seat, trying to focus on something other than the throbbing of my cock.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet him.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I wanted to. I want to know all the people who are important to you.”

She sighed. “It’s stuff like that.”

“What is?” She wasn’t making sense. I turned my head toward her.

“When you say stuff like that”—she shrugged—“it sounds like you mean it.”

I smiled and pulled her to my side. “Of course I mean it. I told you, I don’t lie.” I bent, dropping the softest of kisses on her lips. “I meant it when I said I’m serious. And I think you are, too.” We were on the edge of saying more, close to taking a final step onto more solid ground. The cab came to a halt and Beth glanced around. “We’re here.” She scrambled to open the door and climbed out.

We fought over who was going to pay the driver, which I loved. I won, of course, and I handed the driver some money and pulled out my suitcase. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when it came to Beth’s place. It seemed odd that we were so far along in our relationship in so many ways but I’d never seen where she lived. What would I discover? That she was into taxidermy and her walls were littered with pictures of old boyfriends?

We walked up a small ramp to some glass doors that slid open as we approached them. The lobby, all granite, glass and low lighting. The entire wall to our left had water trickling down it, lighting up the bumps and spikes of the granite.

“Hey, Barney,” Beth greeted the security guard behind the desk. “This is Dylan James. He’ll be staying with me, so he’ll be coming and going.”

I nodded at Barney.

“No problem, Beth. Have you kissed Sophia for me?” Barney said.

“My niece has a way of making everyone fall in love with her the instant they meet her,” Beth said to me before turning back to Barney. “I just saw her. She’s missing you no doubt.”

We made our way to the elevators and as the doors shut, I turned to her. “Does Barney go to dinner with you?”

“No, silly. Jake and Haven have a place here. The penthouse, of course. For years Jake and I lived together in his old student place, then we each bought an apartment in this building.”

That made a little more sense. “And they still use this place?”

“Less and less. It’s big, but not very child friendly. My place is teeny in comparison. It’s only got one bedroom.”

One was all we needed.

The doors opened and I followed Beth out. “Here we are.” She opened her door and kicked her shoes off as soon as she was inside. Goosebumps prickled my skin. Being here was the next step in our relationship. I liked her so much, loved her so much, that I didn’t want anything I found out to disappoint me, to make me like her less.

The floors were dark, almost black, and everything was sleek and modern.

Beth glanced behind her at me. “Is it what you expected? It came furnished.”

I nodded. I’d thought there was a bit of a disconnect; it didn’t feel like her. I’d expected more vibrancy and plenty of color. “It’s nice. Beautiful views.” It was nice, and it did have a beautiful view, but something was missing. I left my suitcase and headed over to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking west and south London.

“Do you know, I really love it? I didn’t expect to; I thought it would be more of a struggle to live alone than it has been.”

My gut twisted. I didn’t like the thought of her enjoying time away from me. Did she see us living together? And if so, where? Chicago? London?