“Fine, then we’ll do it at the same time. I’m not going to stand here naked while you stand there fully clothed gawking at me.” My brow raised.

  His eye narrowed as he studied me for a moment.

  “I do have morals,” I spoke.

  He let out a chuckle. “If you had morals, you wouldn’t be in an airport about to have sex with a perfect stranger.”

  “Same goes for you,” I spoke.

  “I never said I had any morals.”

  Shit. He just made himself a whole lot sexier.

  “Dress off,” he commanded.

  “Pants off,” I commanded back. “Judging by the bulge down there, I’m thinking you need to release it ASAP.”

  He took in an irritated breath. “Who the hell are you?”

  I shrugged. “Apparently a woman you want to fuck.” I smirked.

  “Damn it,” he growled as he fumbled with his belt, stepped out of his pants, and hung them on the hook that was attached to the door.

  I reached behind me and unzipped the short black sundress I was wearing, letting it fall to the ground. Maybe not such a good choice since we were in a public restroom. His eyes raked over me in my black lace strapless pushup bra and matching black lace panties, as mine did over him in his black boxer briefs with a bulge that made me swallow hard.

  “You are one hell of a sexy woman,” he muttered as he took a couple steps towards me.

  “And you are one hell of a sexy man,” I replied.

  His fingers went straight to the sides of my panties as his lips met with mine. My body tingled from head to toe as our tongues met and his finger dipped inside me. Taking his free hand, he reached behind me and unhooked my bra with one swift movement. His fingers went right for my hard nipples as he played with them.

  “You’re getting wetter by the second,” he muttered in between kisses. “I love how excited your body is.”

  His mouth left mine and his tongue trailed across my collarbone and down to my breasts that were so freely staring him in the face. His mouth gently wrapped around my hardened peak as he lightly bit it and then soothed it with the softness of his tongue. My body was in freaking overdrive and I wanted him like an animal in heat. He was teasing me, and as much as I appreciated it at first, I was ready to get down and dirty. His finger explored me, hitting the spot that sent me into a rapid orgasmic state. His arm held me as I threw my head back and let out subtle sounds of pleasure and my legs tightened around his masculine hand.

  “That was just the appetizer.” He smiled.

  As I tried to catch my breath, I quickly took down his underwear and stared at his neatly trimmed package and large sex toy that stood full attention.

  “Does it meet your expectations?” he asked in a low voice as he held his cock in his hand.

  “Oh yes.” My heart rapidly pounded.

  I got down on my knees, the cement floor digging into them, as I curled my lips around my teeth and slowly placed my mouth around his tip. A groan erupted in his chest as I dipped my head and took him in all the way. My fingers swept across his balls as my head moved up and down. I didn’t think he could get any harder than he already was, but he did. Several moans escaped him as he grabbed my hair and held it in his hands.

  “Enough,” he commanded. “I don’t want to come yet.”

  I stood up and licked my lips as he reached inside his pants pocket and took out a condom. Ripping open the foil as quickly as he could, he rolled the latex over his cock, picked me up, and set me on the long counter next to the sink. He pulled me to the edge as his mouth devoured my pussy, making sure I was wet enough to take him inside me.

  “Are you ready for the entrée?” he asked. “I’m not going to lie, it might hurt a little.”

  “Give me all you got.” I arched my brow with a smile.

  The corners of his mouth curved upwards as he placed his hands on my hips and thrust inside me. His lips met mine as I welcomed him, and he pushed himself inch by inch until he was buried deep within me. My nails clawed his back as he rapidly fucked me like a beast. In and out, fast, but with smooth strokes. My skin heated like a blaze of fire and my heart rapidly beat as my breath became shallow. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his mouth smashed into mine. Our lips tangled, and our tongues twisted as we both let out carnal sounds of pleasure.

  “Is this what you wanted?” he asked. “Is this what you needed?”

  “Yes,” I breathlessly spoke as I threw my head back and his tongue stroked my neck.

  “Goddamn it, you feel so good,” he whispered.

  My legs tightened around him as my body sank into another mind-blowing orgasm. He wasn’t far behind as his thrusts became slower for two more pumps and then he halted inside me, moaning as he came while his hands tightened their grip on my hips. He looked at me before resting his forehead against mine, both of us out of breath. I had no words for what I just experienced. For the first time in my life, I was speechless.

  He pulled out, tossed the condom in the trash, and began to get dressed.

  “Here.” He winked as he handed me my panties, bra, and dress.

  “Thank you.”

  “Have fun in New York,” he spoke as he buttoned up his shirt.

  “So far, I am.” I smiled.

  “It was nice to meet you—”

  “Names don’t matter, remember? And I’m sure you meant it was nice to fuck me.”

  “Right. That too.” He grinned.

  He walked over to the door and placed his hand on the knob, hesitating for about twenty seconds before turning it and walking out. Once the door shut, I turned around and placed my hands on the sink while staring at myself in the mirror.

  “It was only sex, Laurel,” I spoke to myself. “It doesn’t matter if he was the best thing since apple pie. He was nothing more than a one-day stand, and you’ll never see him again.”

  I took in a deep breath, grabbed my purse and my carryon, and walked out of the bathroom.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When I climbed into the cab that was parked at the curb outside the airport, I gave the driver the address to the Airbnb. I couldn’t stop thinking about sexy godly man and how disoriented he left me. I needed to talk to George, so I dialed his number and prayed he answered.

  “Hey, Laurel. I’m in a meeting with Eric. Can I call you back?”

  “No. I need to talk to you now. It’s important.”

  “We’re in a meeting, Laurel,” Eric’s voice spoke.

  Shit. George must have had me on speaker.

  “Take me off speaker, George,” I spoke.

  “Whatever you have to say to George, you can say to me. Make it quick, though.”

  Rolling my eyes, I sighed. Oh well, it was only Eric.

  “Fine. I just had sex with this amazing guy in the airport.”

  “Whoa!” Eric exclaimed. “Go, George. We can continue this later.”

  “What do you mean?” George spoke in a low voice.

  “I met this guy, well, I didn’t get his name, but he was on my flight. He sat in the aisle seat across from me. George, the physical attraction was unreal. And the sex, holy shit, I can’t even describe it.”

  “Why didn’t you get his name?” he asked.

  “He said names weren’t important. This guy, this man, he was—”

  “Laurel, this doesn’t sound like you.”

  “I know and it’s freaking me the fuck out. What do I do?”

  “You didn’t get his name, so there’s nothing you can do. It’s not like you can find him again in a city with millions of people. Just try to forget about it and remember why you’re in New York.”

  “That’s the problem. I don’t want to remember why I’m in New York. He was a distraction, and I just found out on the plane my whole family is here already.”

  He let out a long sigh. “Laurel, sweetheart, you know I love you, but I don’t know what to tell you. You’re just going to have to try and forget about him. It was only sex, just the way you
like it.”

  “I know. Bummer.”

  “Well, look at it this way, you’re on cloud nine right now, so dealing with your family should be a breeze.”

  “I’m not so sure about that, George. Anyway, I just arrived at my Airbnb. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye, love. Try not to stress. You’re in New York. Have the time of your life. It’s already starting off on a good foot.”

  I ended the call, grabbed my suitcase, and went up to Apartment 6B. When I arrived, the door was slightly opened.

  “Hello.” I lightly knocked as I walked inside.

  “You must be Laurel.” A tall woman with long blonde hair greeted me.

  “And you must be Carol. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too. Let me show you around.”

  The apartment looked even better than the pictures online and I knew I made the right choice by staying here instead of a hotel. Plus, this place had a washer and dryer and I needed to do some laundry. After I put the last load in the dryer, my phone rang, and it was Bella.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Hey. Are you in New York yet?”

  “Umm. Yeah. I just stepped off the plane.” I lied.

  “Great. I’ve made reservations for all of us at seven o’clock at Patsy’s. Mom is craving Italian. We’ll see you there. I’ll text you the address.”

  Great. Dinner with the Holloway clan. I could hardly wait.

  “Okay. I’ll see you at seven,” I spoke.

  “Which hotel are you staying at?” she asked. “We can come pick you up.”

  “I’m staying at an Airbnb. I’ll just meet you there.”

  “Oh. Okay. I’m super excited to see you. It seems like it’s been forever.”

  “Me too. I’ll see you guys at seven.”

  I ended the call and took a seat on the couch, bringing my knees up to my chest and thinking about sexy godly man. I hated this. This was not what I did. This was not me. I laid down for a while and took a nap, hoping that when I woke up, he would be nothing but a distant memory. It didn’t work, so I got up, showered, and began getting ready for dinner with the Holloways.

  I was fashionably late by ten minutes when I walked into Patsy’s and told the hostess that I was meeting my family. I took in a deep breath while she led me over to a large round table where they sat.

  “Laurel, sweetheart.” My dad smiled as he stood up and kissed my cheek.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  I walked around and kissed the cheeks of my brother and sister, and last but not least, my mother.

  “It’s good to see you, Laurel. It’s been quite a while,” she spoke.

  “I know. I’ve been crazy busy with work.”

  “Who’s the new man in your life?” she asked as she picked up her drink.

  “I’m not seeing anyone right now,” I replied.

  “You’re twenty-seven years old, Laurel. Don’t you think it’s time you thought about settling down?” my father asked. “Look at Alfie here.” He hooked his arm around him. “He’s going to propose to Celia on her birthday, and Bella has been dating Thaddeus for a year now.”

  “And give up my many one-night stands?” I grinned. “Never.”

  My father didn’t say a word and my mother cleared her throat before kicking back her tequila.

  “I don’t know why you aren’t staying with us at Bella’s apartment,” she spoke.

  “Because I’m not sleeping on the floor. By the way, what are you all doing here so early? I figured you wouldn’t be flying in until Friday night.”

  “Your father has a meeting here tomorrow, so we thought we’d fly in early and take in New York.”

  Lucky me. I should have stayed in L.A. for a couple more days. I heard my phone chime, and when I pulled it from my purse, I noticed a text message from Alfie.

  “Hey, is it okay if I stay with you at your Airbnb for a couple of days?”

  I looked up as his brow arched in a begging sort of way.

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks. I owe you.”

  “Alfie, Laurel, put your phones away,” my mother spoke. “You know I don’t like phones out during dinner.”

  I rolled my eyes and set my phone back in my purse. As I sat there and listened to them talk amongst themselves, my mind kept diverting back to sexy godly man.

  “Laurel, Bella has rehearsal all day tomorrow, Alfie is meeting some friends, and your father will be in meetings, so how about we do some shopping on Fifth Avenue?” my mother asked.

  The way she put it was as if I was her last choice because she would have nothing else to do. Against my better judgment, I told her yes. Once dinner was over, Bella asked me to come back to her apartment to hang out for a while.

  “As much as I’d love to, I’m exhausted. It’s been a long day,” I spoke.

  “Oh, okay. Well, tonight is the only night I had free.”

  I could sense the disappointment in her voice and a part of me felt bad.

  “I’m going to be here for a few more days anyway on business. We can catch up then?”

  “Okay.” She smiled.

  Once we were outside and I was saying goodbye to my parents, Alfie lightly took hold of my arm and whispered in my ear.

  “I’m going to grab my stuff at Bella’s and then head to your place. Text me the address.”

  “Sure thing,” I spoke.

  I climbed into a cab and took it back to the apartment. About an hour later, Alfie was at my door.

  “Hey, thanks for letting me stay here.”

  “No problem. What did Mom and Dad say?”

  “They were cool with it. I’m heading out to meet a friend of mine. Don’t wait up.”

  I laughed. “Have I ever waited up?”

  “No.” He smiled as he kissed my cheek. “We’ll catch up in the morning, okay?”

  “Okay. Have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” I pointed at him.

  After I took a long hot bath and climbed into bed, it was midnight. I was tired, and as much as I tried to sleep, I couldn’t get him or the sex out of my mind and it drove me insane.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The next morning, I was woken up by the ringing sound of my phone. Reaching over and grabbing it from the nightstand, I saw Eric was facetiming me.

  “Hello,” I sleepily answered.

  “Did I wake you?” he asked as he sat behind his desk.

  “What do you think?”

  “Well, you need to be up anyway. Where’s my article on Craig Pines?”

  “I was going to send it as soon as I got up.”

  “Good, you’re up, so send it now.”

  “For fuck sakes, Eric. Can I get a cup of coffee first?”

  “Fine. Get your coffee and send my article.”

  I looked over at the clock and noticed it was nine fifteen.

  “Why are you in the office so early? Isn’t it six fifteen there?”

  “It sure is. The early bird always catches the worm.” He grinned.

  “You’re a real go getter, Eric. Give me a few minutes and you’ll have your article. Now don’t bug me anymore until Sunday. I’m officially off work time.”

  “I know. I know.” He put his hand up. “Enjoy New York.”

  “Thanks.”

  I ended the call, climbed out of bed, and walked towards the kitchen. I gasped when I passed the pullout couch and saw Alfie lying there with some girl wrapped in his arms. Shaking my head, I popped a k-cup in the Keurig and waited for my coffee to brew. I also made it known that I was in the kitchen by being exceptionally loud.

  “Oh hey. I’m Ari.” The perky brunette smiled. “You must be Alfie’s sister.”

  “I am.” I stared her down.

  “Hey, sis.” Alfie yawned as he strolled into the kitchen.

  “Really, little brother?”

  I picked up my coffee cup and took it over to the table where my laptop was sitting. Opening it up, I glanced over the article one last time and
hit the send button. One down, one to go.

  “I have to get going. It was nice meeting you,” Ari spoke.

  “You too.” I nodded.

  Alfie kissed her goodbye and took a seat at the table next to me.

  “What are you doing, Alfie? You’re proposing to Celia.”

  “So? I’m not married yet.” He smiled.

  “You’re a pig,” I spat. “And you have no respect for women.”

  “That’s not true. I love Celia. I think.”

  “What do you mean you ‘think’?”

  “I don’t know, sis.” He sighed. “I just feel like it’s what I’m supposed to do. Settle down, start a family.”

  “Why? Because that’s what Dad wants you to do?”

  “Maybe.” He shrugged.

  “If you truly loved Celia, you wouldn’t be banging Ari. Don’t do something because it’s what’s expected of you. Be your own person, Alfie. Live life on your terms. Not Mom and Dad’s.”

  “You mean like you?” His brow arched.

  “Yes, exactly like me.”

  “But the difference is you left. I can’t, and I’m constantly under their thumb. Plus, Mom and Dad love Celia. They said she’s perfect for me.”

  “Is she perfect for you? Do you believe she is?” I asked as I placed my hand on his.

  “I don’t know. She has social status. She comes from a good family and she loves me.”

  “You don’t marry someone for their social status. Look at our parents. Is that really the kind of life you want to live?”

  “If I can have my cake and eat it too, sure.”

  “Ugh. You’re impossible. I have to go get ready to meet Mom.”

  “Good luck with that.” He laughed.

  “Thanks.” I brushed my hand over his head.

  ****

  Shopping with my mother was an adventure. Let me tell you. I’d heard it all.

  “Laurel, why can’t you find a good man? Laurel, why don’t you get your hair cut in a shorter style? It’ll make you look more professional. Laurel, I’m noticing some lines in your forehead. Have you considered Botox? Men like a flawless face. Laurel, have you considered getting your breasts enhanced?”

  OH MY GOD I was ready to rip my hair out. Everything about me with her was negative. I had yet to hear her say one positive thing. After we ate a late lunch, I was more than ready to get back to my Airbnb.