Here With You (A Laurel Heights Novel) - By Kate Perry Page 0,30
felt.
It felt wonderful.
They stopped swaying to the music despite the people gyrating around them, bumping into them. The noise of the room faded until the only thing she heard was the beat of her heart heavy in her head. Nothing else existed—just Grif and the touch of his lips.
His arm snaked around her waist, anchoring her to him, while his other hand cupped her face, his fingers trailing over her as if he was trying to memorize her.
She pressed herself closer, feeling him hard and insistent between them.
She'd dreamt of kissing him again. She'd spent hours thinking about it, imagining it—praying for it, if she were being honest.
The reality of the kiss now was nothing like she'd imagined.
His fingers slipped into her hair, massaging the base of her skull so she felt like purring. She pressed closer—she needed to be closer.
He kissed across her cheek, to her jaw, and then whispered in her ear. "Unless you want to be on the front page of People Magazine tomorrow we should take this party someplace more private."
More private. She shivered, knowing what he was suggesting, knowing he was asking for her consent. "And then what?" she said.
He gazed at her soberly. "Whatever you want, Nicole."
That was the problem: she wasn't sure what she wanted, though at the moment she was pretty sure it involved more of his talented mouth on various parts of her body.
Grif rubbed his thumb along her jaw. "Doubts?"
He knew her too well. "Yes."
"We're not eighteen, Nic." He brushed her hair aside. "We're going into this with our eyes open, right?"
Her eyes may be wide open, but she wasn't sure what she was seeing. "We're crossing a dangerous line, and we won't be able to go back. What if sex sucks?"
Smiling slowly, he touched the corner of her mouth. "If our kisses are any indication, sex might kill us but it definitely won't suck."
"True." She nodded. "Get me out of here."
"Let's go."
The car was waiting for them outside. The driver hopped out to open the door for them, and they slid in.
Grif turned to her. "Where should we go?"
She almost said her place, because they were both staying there after all, but then she thought about the logistics. Susan was there, and did she really want a strange man in her bed?
Well, granted, it was Grif, not a strange man. But she'd never brought any man home. She'd never had sex with anyone in her bed, not even the guys she dated. It seemed so personal and, frankly, she never stuck with them for very long. So she said, "Hotel."
He didn't bat a lash. "Which one?"
Was it odd that he didn't question her choice? "Any hotel. Pick one."
He pulled out his phone. In a few seconds, he motioned to the driver. "The Four Seasons."
It was only a few blocks away, on Market Street, so they were there in minutes. She looked out at the subtle placard on the hotel's entrance as a doorman opened her door for them. Fancy. She shrugged. If you were going to have an affair, why not the Four Seasons?
Grif took her hand and led her inside. Nicole knew she should have felt mortified at checking in at a hotel—a really nice hotel—after midnight, with a well-recognized celebrity no less. But she was more excited than anything. This was romantic in a big way. No guy had ever done this for her.
No guy had ever treated her the way Grif did. Flowers. Singing to her. Kissing her so amazingly. Yes, she knew he wanted something from her, but he knew he had her help. Bribery wasn't necessary.
Except she knew deep down in her heart, he wasn't trying to bribe her. Griffin Chase didn't need to resort to bribery. He'd never done anything he hadn't felt compelled to do.
Slipping his sunglasses on and making sure his cap was firmly on his head, Grif stopped at the front desk and smiled at the woman sitting there. "I'd like to check into a room, please."
The woman melted under his smile, of course, although based on the fact that she hadn't started drooling, she obviously hadn't see beyond his disguise. "Do you have a reservation, Mr...?"
"Gallagher. Roddy Gallagher." He pulled out an American Express card out of his wallet.
As he handed it over, Nicole glanced at the name. Sure enough, it had the fake name Grif used. She arched her brows at him.
He squeezed her hand and focused his charm on the woman.
Who batted her eyes shamelessly. "Thank you,