At the end of the dance she gripped his hand and silently dared him to let go. He pulled her to him and kissed her, long and deep, greedily devouring her. For an agonizing moment she refused to let reality into her mind and buried her hand in his hair, eagerly kissing him back.
The audience exploded in wild applause and catcalls, asking for more.
He finally ended their embrace and slipped his arm around her waist, leading her to the hotel elevators.
Neither spoke. When the elevator door slid shut he pulled her to him.
“Sweetheart,” he said, his voice hoarse, “I have to ask you to trust me that when we step out of this elevator, we leave the dance behind us. For tonight.”
She fought her tears but nodded. He pulled her to him and kissed her, his tongue gently stroking hers.
Then he held her, his lips hot against her neck. “Tonight is not the night for this. I promised you anything, but you must have faith in me.”
When the elevator opened, Tyler took Nevvie’s hand and led her to their room without further words. The mini bar carried a wide variety of alcohol and the well-supplied snack bar had a coffee maker and hot tea. He fixed her a mug of chamomile tea generously laced with bourbon. After she changed into a T-shirt and sleeping shorts he laid with her, holding her and nuzzling the back of her neck.
Nevvie felt its magic almost immediately. He knew her so well. She would sleep tonight. Not sure if he would, but at least she could dance with him through her dreams.
When Tyler knew Nevvie was sound asleep he called Thomas.
“Well?”
Tyler went into the bathroom and closed the door. “I could fucking cut diamonds with my dick. I think the party next Saturday will bring about quite a few changes.” He told Thomas about the evening.
Thomas was quiet for a moment. “Are you sure the party’s really necessary? I mean, why wait? Why didn’t you go ahead and do something tonight?”
“It has to be both of us together when this happens.”
Thomas didn’t reply.
“She’s asleep,” Tyler continued. “I made her a hot tea with bourbon and she’s out like a light.”
“Sound asleep?”
“Yes.” Thomas didn’t reply. “What?” Tyler asked.
“Go lay next to her.”
His heart raced, his pulse pounding. “Why?” he whispered.
“You’re smarter than that, Ty. She did this on purpose. The room reservation? It wasn’t an accident. She told Paterno to reserve one room.”
“What?”
Thomas laughed. “When I talked to her on the phone earlier I teased her about it, and she nearly shit herself. I think our girl has more of an evil genius streak than you, sugar.”
He stuck his head out the bathroom door. Stretched on her left side, her back to him, her auburn hair loose—his angel.
“Tyler,” Thomas insisted, “go lay next to her.”
“But—”
“She’s asleep, right?”
“Yes.”
“You know you want to. I want you to. I’m lying here, stroking myself right along with you. She won’t wake up, not if you made her drink strong.”
Tyler forced his feet to move. Had he danced with her earlier? Now he dragged two concrete blocks at the ends of his legs. He carefully climbed into bed, afraid of disturbing her.
“Are you in bed with her?”
“Yes,” he whispered. He stared at the nape of her neck, so close.
“Lay the phone by your ear so you can hear me.”
Tyler did.
“Touch her hair.”
“No!” he gasped.
“Shh.” Thomas paused. “Why do you want me to be first?”
Tyler squeezed his eyes shut. “Because I love you,” he whispered.
“When the time comes, I won’t do anything until after you make her come for us. She needs you to do that for her, and I want you to do the honors. Now reach out and touch her hair, sugar.”
With trembling fingers he did, imagining what she’d feel like stretched out naked next to him.
Thomas’ voice echoed hoarsely in his ear. “Stroke your cock for me. You know you want to. You know you want to come laying there next to her. Snuggle in close, right up against the back of her neck, that delicious little spot that makes her shiver.”
Unable to resist Thomas’ command he did, his breath coming in terrified, desperate gasps, wanting to please him, loving her, needing release.
“Run those talented fingers up and down your cock and think about what it’s going to feel like making her come for us.”
Tyler’s imagination ran wild, picturing her on the dance floor, praying when the time was right that she’d be hot and willing and ready—for both of them.
“I want you to come for me.” Thomas’ ragged, deep growl told Tyler he was close. He knew that sound like he knew the feel of his own cock. “You gonna come for me, lover?”
With a final gasp he did, rolling away and afraid he’d wake her, riding it out. He heard Thomas climax on the other end and took a deep, shuddering breath.
He grabbed the phone and staggered to the bathroom on shaky legs. “Okay.”
Thomas sounded out of breath. “Sleep good. Hold her tight. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Tyler cleaned up after he recovered, then peeked out the bathroom door.
She hadn’t stirred, had no idea what they’d done.
Moving carefully, he slid under the covers next to her, nestling his chin on her shoulder. In sleep she felt him and pressed her back tight against his chest, sliding her leg down his.
He put his arm around her waist and kissed her shoulder before settling into a deep sleep.
Nevvie woke before the alarm. They had a long day ahead and she needed to get Tyler moving, make sure he had time to eat a good breakfast and get coffee or he’d be a mess later.
As he shifted against her in sleep, the night before came back and she fought a wave of nearly dizzying melancholy. She thought she was past this, had reconciled this.
She was wrong.
When they got home he’d go behind closed doors with Thomas and get his rocks off, leaving her alone and working her way through an eight-pack of C-cell batteries.
Worse, they still had two more nights in New York. She’d have to ask the front desk to find alternate arrangements for her. She could go across the street, see if they had any rooms.
“Good morning, sweet,” Tyler whispered, kissing the back of her neck.
Nevvie squeezed her eyes shut. “How did you know I was awake?”
He rolled her onto her back. “I heard you.” He stroked her cheek. “The way you sound when you’re trying not to cry.”
She buried her head against his chest and sobbed while he held her.
“Let it out,” he murmured, stroking her back. “Don’t keep it inside.”
“I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t. I’m not strong enough. I can’t spend years loving you guys like this with nothing to show for it. It hurts too much.” She hated admitting it to him, knowing now she had to either figure out a way to deal with it…or figure out a way to let them go.
“Do you trust me?”
“This has nothing to do with trust.”
“Do you trust me, sweetheart?” His soft whisper quieted her. She knew his still waters ran deeper than the freaking Atlantic Ocean. What wasn’t he telling her?
Hating herself, knowing she wasn’t strong enough to ever leave them, feeling fucking pitiful that she’d willingly spend her life accepting the crumbs they threw her way, she said, “Yes.”
The emotion in his voice startled her. “I promised you anything. I bloody well know what you meant. You have to trust me.”