against her, touching her, all over her, every second they were together.
“This was a mistake,” he gasped when they almost fell over on the sidewalk.
“The drugs?” Valentine asked, yanking apart his tie. He shook his head.
“Coming here.”
“Here?” she asked, throwing the loose tie to the ground and then moving onto his shirt buttons.
“Coming here. Leaving my bed,” he explained, cupping her face in his hands. “We should never leave my bed. God, did you always feel like this? It's like ... sparks. Between our skin.”
“It was always like that,” she whispered, untucking his shirt from his pants.
A taxi pulled up to the curb and they somehow managed to get inside it without letting go of each other. Ari was just barely able to get out his address before Valentine straddled his lap and shoved her tongue down his throat.
“I never told you,” he moaned when she pulled away. “You taste ... you taste like ... expensive wine.”
“You turn cheesy when you're stoned,” Val laughed at him while she peeled his blazer away from his shoulders.
“Expensive wine, and glacier water, and .. and ...”
“Sunshine?” she guessed with a teasing laugh, pulling his arms out of the jacket's sleeves. “Candy?”
“Truffles.”
She burst out laughing and leaned away from him.
“Truffles?” she asked. “Like as in the fungus?”
“It's my favorite,” he said.
“You, Ari Sharapov, are such a ridiculous man,” she sighed, then she was kissing him again.
He was. He was ridiculous, but he couldn't help it. He didn't know the right words to say to explain all the feelings floating around in his brain, but he couldn't seem to stop talking.
He also couldn't seem to stop touching her.
“You were so fucking good tonight,” he groaned as he shoved his hand between their crotches, his fingers stroking against her panties.
“I tried,” she gasped, letting her head roll back. “I wanted to be. For you.”
“For me? Or for Evans,” he growled, shoving her underwear to the side and slipping a finger inside of her. She started to squirm on his lap.
“We can't do this here,” she whispered.
“We can do this anywhere we want.”
“I can't ...” she whimpered, and he chuckled. She was shy. Who knew?
She's so ... adorable. How come I never noticed?
“Oh, yes you can,” he whispered back. “You're Saint Valentine, and as such, you should never shy away from love.”
“What did you just -”
He grabbed her by the back of her neck with his free hand and yanked her in for another kiss. At the same time, he thrust a second finger inside of her.
She didn't complain.
When they got to his apartment building, Ari didn't even look in his wallet – just grabbed a handful of bills and shoved them into the front seat of the cab. Judging by the cheer the cabbie let out, he assumed he'd paid him enough.
He dragged Valentine onto the elevator, then pinned her against the side of it for the whole ride up, forcing his thigh between her legs. Gripping her breasts in his hands. God, he loved her body. It was like he'd sculpted a wet dream and it had come to life, and it was just for him.
Just for me.
Valentine was the one to get out a key – Ari couldn't let go of her long enough to search his pockets. While she struggled to get it in the lock, he yanked and pulled at her dress, trying to shove it down her body.
They fell into the apartment, him just barely kicking the door shut behind them. Then they were crashing into each other once again, ripping and tearing at clothing. He didn't stop until she was naked, wearing only her necklace. His key lay nestled between her breasts, and he leaned in close to kiss it.
“I wish ...” he sighed as they stumbled towards the bedroom. “I wish you lived here.”
“Ari, don't say things like that,” Val managed to laugh, her hands gentle as they combed through his hair.
“Why not?”
“Because ...”
“Because why?” he demanded, laying her on the bed before stretching out on top of her. “I wish you were always here. When you're not, it feels empty now. It never felt like that before. How did you fill it up in just a couple days?”
“Stop.”
“I like seeing you in my bed,” he whispered, kissing the slope of her breast. “I like seeing you in my shower. I like seeing you naked.”
“That's why you want me here,” she chuckled, then gasped when his teeth scraped over her hip bone.
“I like hearing your gasp and moan,” he