Page 82 of Best Man Speaking
Her lips are swollen, cheeks are flushed, and I know I’ll never forget this moment. That I’d do anything to have a lifetime of moments just like it.
Disentangling myself from her limbs and throwing my legs from the bed, I head to the bathroom. I don’t bother turning on the light and simply clean myself up before taking a hand towel, dousing it with warm water, and wringing it out.
I’m grateful to see Hallie’s exactly where I left her, crisp white sheets pulled up to her chin.
When she catches sight of the cloth in my hand, confusion filters over her face, but it clears quickly.
She reaches a hand out. “Thanks.”
“No, Hal, let me.” The words leave my mouth gruffer than I intended, and I give her a small smile to relieve any sting I might’ve caused.
She hesitates a moment before pulling the sheet away from her stunning body. I get her apprehension; this moment feels more intimate than the one we just shared. Gently, I bring my hands back to her thighs, moving the warm material up her soft skin and between her legs.
“Feel okay?” I ask, wanting to check in, needing to check in.
“Yeah.” The word is soft and full of air.
I think there might be a sheen to her eyes, a glistening, but I can’t tell for certain in the low light of the room. Once I’m sure she’s comfortable, I quickly return the towel to the bathroom before making my way back to the bed.
I slip beneath the sheets, plumping the pillow behind my head.
“Come here,” I say, gesturing to the space beside me.
I close my eyes, giving her the privacy to make up her own mind. The bed shifts, and my heart gives a sigh of relief as her hot body presses up against the length of mine.
My mind is a whirl of thought. I no longer want Hallie to think, under any circumstances, that I want her to leave, not when the opposite is true. I know I need to tell her what I want, how I feel, and how it’s changed. The time to do it, however, is not right now. If my brain’s going a hundred miles an hour on its way to creating chaos, I can only imagine the state of hers. There’ll be a better time than this.
I trail my fingertips from her cheekbone to her breastbone, skimming gently over her satin-like skin. I pause at the space between her breasts where her tattoo lives, making a quick spiral shape before moving on.
Finally, when I think Hallie must have fallen asleep, she says, “That was amazing.”
Her voice is tender, and I’m glad to have kept the moment peaceful, without the jarring nature of spilled truths.
“You’re amazing” are the only words I can think of to reply.
Hallie moves my hand so that it cups her breast, the warm weight filling my palm. It’s not sexual, and it’s oddly soothing to be able to hold her like this, to have her want me to hold her like this. It’s intimate, and I like it.
I’m surprised when Hallie lets out a little laugh. “But you didn’t push your fingers inside of me afterward to?—”
I cut her off with a tweak of her nipple at the reminder of what I’d said to her on the plane, how I was looking forward to feeling myself inside of her.
“You’re filthy,” I growl softly in her ear, not failing to forget I kind of love the fact.
“But…” she starts in a whisper.
“Next time,” I say, cutting her off, because there will be a next time. I’ll make sure of it.
I leave our hotel room as quietly as possible as Hallie sleeps. I hate leaving her, curled on her side and tangled between a mess of sheets; it’s where I’d rather be. We’d never had the chance to wake up together, but now it’s something I want. Something I’m looking forward to.
For the last few weeks, I might’ve reminded myself that this time between us had an end date, that she wasn’t mine. But it hasn’t mattered. The truth is, I’m infatuated with her. Always have been, always will be.
The casinos are pumping as I make my way to my hotel and the suite I’m sharing with Jules. The door clicks open quietly, the ever-present glow of the Strip casting shadows along the walls and floor. The living space is a mess of empty beer bottles and half packs of chips, which I consider tidying as I get myself a glass of water. But a glance at my brother’s bedroom, where he’s likely asleep, has me leaving it to become tomorrow’s problem.
That’s until his door creaks open, and Jules emerges, still in the same clothes he’d been out in. Not asleep, then. Lucky me. I down my glass of water before filling it again, wishing I would’ve thought to put a full glass on the bedside next to Hallie.
“What are you doing?” he asks, leaning against the frame of his room.
“Well, I’d planned on getting at least a few hours’ sleep before we go driving expensive cars tomorrow,” I reply, nonchalant, undoing the buttons of my shirt as I head toward my bedroom.
