Sweetest Venom (Virtue #2)(23)

I was wrong and a fool.

If anything, every minute and every second that I spend with her, I’m more and more consumed by this violent need. A need that won’t leave me alone and constantly calls for her.

“You know what I think?” Tony says.

“Go ahead.” I run my hands frustratingly through my hair.

Tony’s opinion is one of the few that I trust and respect without question. When my father and mother were too busy with their lives to pay attention to their son, it was Tony who was there for me. He taught me how to drive, how to throw a punch, and he made me feel loved.

“I think you’re in grave danger of falling in love … if you haven’t already.”

I’m about to reply when my cell phone begins to ring. I pull it out of my pocket, read the name on the screen, and take the call.

“Is everything all right, Laurie? I thought we were supposed to meet for dinner at our restaurant. I’ve been waiting for you for over an hour.”

I look at my watch and curse under my breath. “I’m terribly sorry. I—”

“It’s fine, I get it. Things happen. I was just worried because it isn’t like you not to show up. Actually, I don’t think this has ever happened before.”

As I listen to her voice on the other line, I become aware of one simple fact. For the first time since I met her all those years ago, I can’t quite recall what the woman on the other line looks like. The usual yearning for her that fills my chest like a burning fire has gone out, leaving memories slowly crumbling like ashes in its wake. Instead, it’s Blaire who inhabits my every thought. I feel a smile tugging at my lips as I think of our day together at the beach. Her contagious laughter echoes in my ears. The realization that I can’t wait to see her and hold her in my arms again takes hold of me.

“Laurie? Are you there?”

“Sorry. What were you saying?”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You sound … I don’t know—funny.”

I look out the window trying to focus on the passing cars, but it’s no use. All I see is Blaire. My fingertips tingle with the memory of my hands gliding across her skin as I kissed her. “I don’t know.”

“What’s the matter?” she presses, her voice soft.

The matter is that nothing is as it should be.

“I think I’ve lost my Goddamn mind.”





Blaire

THE NEXT MORNING, I’m toweling my hair dry when I hear the doorbell ring. After placing the towel on a nearby chair, I tighten the belt securing my silk robe before I go check out who’s at the door. I look through the peephole, my eyes widening, and smile a slow smile when I see him standing outside my apartment.

My blood rushing, I unlock and open the door as fast as I can. “What are you doing he—”

Before I can react, Lawrence steps inside my apartment, buries his fingers in my hair and pulls me close to him, pressing his body against me. His mouth seizes mine as I slide my arms instinctively around his neck and surrender myself to the onslaught of his savage kiss.

And what a kiss it is.

Weak-kneed, I’m barely able to stand straight by the time he pulls away. “Good morning, darling,” he says huskily.

“Whoa,” I manage to say in a daze, slightly shaking my head.

He tightens his arms around me, infusing my body with warmth. “Damn f*cking right.”

“Modest much?”

“I wouldn’t know.” He grins crookedly. “What’s that?”

“Impossible man.” Standing on my tiptoes, I grin and place a soft kiss on his chin. “Good morning … Wait, aren’t you supposed to be at work already?”

His gaze unwavering, he raises a hand, letting the back of his fingers trace the curve of my jaw. “Fuck work. Spend the day with me.”

“Again? So soon?”

He shrugs carelessly. “Why not?”

Oh, Lawrence, my friend, if you only knew how happy you make me. “And what would you like to do?”

He surprises me by scooping me up in his arms. As he nears my bedroom, Lawrence leans down so his mouth is close to my ear and whispers huskily, “You. All—day—long,” scattering shivers down my spine.

By the time he steps inside my bedroom, I notice that Dust to Dust by The Civil Wars is playing in the background. I step away from him once he places me gently on the floor. Suddenly feeling shy, I walk toward the windows to pull the curtains closed.

“Don’t,” Lawrence commands. As my hands grip the fabric, Lawrence steps behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. “I don’t want to miss a thing. Dance with me.”

I let out a shuddering breath. I nod and wrap a hand behind his neck as the other falls naturally on top of his, bringing our bodies much closer than before. And in this fashion, we begin to sway slowly to the melody. My room and everything inside of it disappears. Nothing remains but Lawrence and the feel of his arms around me.

Slowly he unties the belt securing my silk robe and spreads it open until my naked body is exposed to him. One of his hands begins to travel a leisurely path across my body, caressing my hips, his fingers sliding across my stomach, grazing the edges of my hot core, driving me wild purposefully. He cups my breasts, pinching my nipple as he bites into my neck hungrily, making me cry out in pain. His touch is teasing—taunting—divine—revering. Our breathing becomes labored, shallow.