A CONTRACT ENGAGEMENT

After tonight, she had to put an end to this thing with Julian, before it got out of hand and the rumors started flying around… Or worse…. someone got hurt. And she was one Hundred percent cure that hurt someone was going to be her.

Just one more night of passion with Julian, and she’d end it all. Things might not be exactly the same between them after this, but they’d get over it. She was sure of that. It’s not like they were in love with each other or something like that. Like Julian had said, they were adults, they could handle this.

A few minutes later, the driver pulled up to the sumptuous hotel Julian had booked for the both of them that night, bypassed the main entrance and stopped at the second pull in where her door was immediately opened by one of the hotel staff.

Maybe Julian had his own entrance. The thought amused her, but then he had so much money, it wouldn’t surprise her. She was immediately met by the concierge and was handed a keycard.

“Mr.. Martin wishes for you to go right up,” the older man said to her.

She blushed from head to toe. She knew well what it looked like. Like she was some hooker or mistress-precisely what she’d imagined on her way over-all set to have a clandestine meeting. She tried to push the thought out of her mind. She was here already. No need to go back now. Better to just get this over with.

She took the key card, murmured her thanks, and shot past the doorman and into the small hallway leading directly to the elevators. Thankfully she bypassed the lobby entirely. It seemed like everyone in the world knew what she was here for.

In the elevator, she inserted her key and punched the button for the top floor. She was whisked to the top in no time at all and stepped into the eerily quiet hallway. There were only a few doors. The rooms must be huge because she only counted four doors total. Julian’s door was on the very end, and she took a deep breath before inserting the key into the slot.

When she opened the door and stepped inside, she immediately saw Julian standing across the room, drink in hand, the other in his pocket, his eyes fixed on her. He’d been waiting. She could sense his impatience and see the triumph in his expression when she closed the door behind her.

But he stood there, unmoving, as he put his drink aside and smiled at her. The need in his gaze reached out to her, stroked her desire and sent a hum of want crashing through her.

“You came,” he murmured. “I was beginning to worry”

“I told you I would come?” she said when she was finally able to draw a breath, but she didn’t move either.

“I know you did,” he replied. “But you made it clear to me how you felt about us doing… This. You have doubts and concerns… And I was beginning to think that you would give in to those doubts and decide not to show up”

She shook her head, afraid this easy mood would be broken. “I can’t say that the thought didn’t cross my mind,” she said.

“But you still came. Why?” he asked.

Nina had a feeling he already knew the answer to that question, but he just wanted to hear her say it, and she wouldn’t disappoint him. So she said, “Because I need you tonight.”

“And I need you, Red,” he said, smiling at her. “And you have no idea just how much.”

Nina walked up to him then, noting the catch in his breath, the flaring of his nostrils, the darkening tinge on his cheeks. She removed her scarf and looped it around his neck and gave it a tug, and passion exploded in his dark eyes.

“Show me how much,” she said, giving the scarf a hard tug.

His eyes glittered, and his throat worked up and down as if he was trying to hold on to his control.

Julian set his teeth. It was damned near impossible to resist her when her eyes were blazing with desire. And why should he when this was exactly what he wanted? This was where he wanted to be.. Where he wanted her to be.

With an erotic growl, his mouth swooped down on hers. The kiss was a consuming fire, but Nina welcomed the heat, for she could taste his passion, feel his need pulse in his muscles and vibrate into her on a dulcet sigh.

She raked her fingernails down his back and held on tight as he backed her up against the wall. He let out a primal hiss, his pelvis grinding against hers. His tongue plundered, retreated and staked claim to her mouth again.

“I don’t want this to end,” she said, her fingers making short work of freeing his gorgeous length from his trousers, wanting him in her, desperate to hold on to him any way she could, for something had shifted in their relationship yet again, something that threatened to pull him from her… And she knew she had to let him go. Only that she didn’t want to.

“It doesn’t have to,” he said, his voice gruff with hope.

Had he finally succeeded in reaching her?

The thought of returning to his house knowing that she wasn’t going to be in his life this way sickened him. He was so damned tired of being without her. He selfishly yearned for her in his arms and his life. This was what he had wanted since they were in high school… And he couldn’t imagine not having it now. Not after all this. Not after knowing how amazing being with her felt.

She claimed she felt the same, that she didn’t want it to end, yet for all her protestations she was still placing her fears and concerns first. She was still pushing her away.

The thought went up in flames as she scraped her hands over his chest, and he marveled that he didn’t see sparks crackling in the dim light of the room. He was on fire for her, consumed with need.

Their lovemaking this time was not in the least bit tame. Nina tore at his clothes as he filled his hands with her breasts. He pulled the cups down and tweaked her nipples into tight points while she kissed him. Then he slipped a finger beneath the lace of her panty and began stroking her in that most sensitive of places. Nina shuddered and ground her hips against him.