Stay Beautiful (4 page)

“You ass! I know you think this is funny.”

“Hell yes I do.” Relieved their elevator experience had been
short lived, Jonah kissed her with a passion fueled by a growing affection.
“Let’s take the stairs.”

A few people stood at the opposite end of the hall
discussing the power failure. Jonah and Violet took the nearest exit to the
stairs, laughing and talking with the excited tones of two people soaring on an
adrenaline rush. Taking the stairs from the seventh floor wasn’t fast or
convenient but they didn’t mind.

When at last they burst through the door to floor number
twelve, they were breathless and tired but still laughing. Violet turned to him
when they stood outside his hotel room door, a wary look on her face.

“Please tell me one thing you do have is the key to this
room.”

Jonah dug through the pockets of his jacket, finding
nothing. “Oh, shit. No wait.” A search of the inside pocket revealed the key
card. “There we go.”

Violet slumped against the wall. “Don’t scare me like that.
Good Lord I need a drink.”

“Water or wine?”

Jonah shoved the door open and they all but fell inside.
He’d never been so grateful to see the inside of a hotel room.

“Both. But make it whiskey.”

He went to the mini fridge in the corner and retrieved two
bottles of water. Studying the remaining contents of the fridge, Jonah found it
to be lacking.

“I didn’t come as prepared as I should have. There’s whiskey
all right. There’s also vodka, rum and tequila. This thing is stocked with
about fifty of those small two-shot bottles.” Jonah looked up from the
refrigerator to find Violet disrobing of her damp clothing. She wrapped her
lithe frame in the hotel bathrobe and sat on the end of the bed, eyeing him
expectantly.

Her lips curved into a sexy grin and she raised a brow.
“Wanna play a drinking game?”

“Have you ever played the ‘Never Have I Ever’ game?” Violet
picked through their drink options, wrinkling her nose at the rum. “Do you have
any preferences here? I’m not a rum drinker myself.”

“Nope. Haven’t played it. But I know the one you mean. I
know how it works. And no, I have no preference. I’ll drink anything you don’t
want.”

It was almost two in the morning though Violet didn’t feel
tired in the least. Their little adventure outside and on their way back up had
both sobered and awakened her. She was charged now and looking forward to
enjoying more time with Jonah. Especially now that they were back in the room
where they could enjoy each other in private.

They sat facing one another on the bed, the small mountain
of miniature liquor bottles piled between them. They were each clad in a hotel
robe with nothing beneath. Violet was comfortable with him. Entirely at ease.

“Want to go first? Remember, you have to drink if you’ve
done it. ” Violet tossed a bottle at him at random, claiming a whiskey for
herself. Jonah indicated that she should go first. She had to ponder that for a
moment. “All right. Never have I ever slept with a coworker.”

She waited, watching Jonah closely. He met her gaze then
looked down at the bottle in his hand.

“Dammit.” Lifting the tiny bottle to his lips, Jonah tossed
back the entire thing.

“I knew it!” Violet declared with a giggle. “These are two
shots. You don’t have to drink the whole thing at a time.”

“Good call. I don’t want to get whiskey dick.” Jonah eyed
her for a moment. “You really haven’t slept with a coworker?”

“Never. Your turn.”

“Let me think. Hmm. Never have I ever been given oral sex in
an elevator.”

The stare he gave her smoldered with sex. She tried to
muster a dirty look but it only ended in a snicker. “No fair, Jonah. I think
that’s cheating.” Opening her bottle, she drank back half of it and grimaced.
“Never have I slept with siblings.”

“Ha!” Jonah leaned forward to capture her lips in a quick
kiss. “I haven’t done that. But I bet you thought you’d get me on that one
too.”

She reached to hold him close, kissing him again, a slow
slip of tongue. “I thought it was a possibility.”

“Sorry, lovely lady. I’m smart enough not to screw more than
one chick in a family. Better luck next time.” There was a mischievous glint in
his eyes. “Never have I ever had a same-sex experience.”

Heat rushed to Violet’s cheeks and she quickly looked away.
“Shit! I should’ve seen that one coming. For the record, it was only once. And
it was awesome.” She tossed back her shot and threw the bottle aside.

“Very hot. I was hoping to get you on that one.” Jonah ran a
hand up her leg to stroke a finger along the inside of her thigh. “I don’t
suppose you’d like to tell me all about it. In great detail, of course.”

Violet mustered a coy look. “But nice girls don’t kiss and
tell.”

“Don’t try to convince me you’re a nice girl, Violet. I
won’t buy it.”

Capturing the hand that caressed her inner thigh, she
brought it to her lips and sucked his little finger into her mouth. She swirled
her tongue around the tip before releasing him.

“It wasn’t one of those college experiments if that’s what
you’re thinking. It was one of those things that just happens even though it
seems unlikely. She was the sister of a friend. We ran into each other out one
night, had some drinks and like they say, one thing led to another.”

“Yes. Go on.” Jonah’s tone was strained, his gaze locked on
her lips.

Hoping to tease him a bit, Violet ran her tongue slowly over
her bottom lip. “She had beautiful breasts, all natural. One benefit of being
with a woman is that they are guaranteed to know a woman’s body. She touched me
almost like I touch myself. That was one experience I’ll never forget. I’m sure
you can imagine the rest.”

“Would you say it was your best sexual experience?”

“Is that a trick question?” Violet lightly traced a finger
down her neck to her cleavage in a slow, seductive motion. Being with Jonah
made her lose her inhibitions in a way that even alcohol couldn’t do. He was
entrancing. “No it wasn’t the best though it was one of the best. Hey what
happened to our game? I think it’s my turn.”

“I’d like to hear more about your night with a woman.”

“Moving on.” Violet laughed. “Never have I ever slept with
someone who was married.”

Jonah’s jaw dropped. He reached for a bottle. “You’re
determined to expose me as a total pig, aren’t you?”

“Seriously? Oh my you are a bad boy, Jonah. I really wasn’t
sure about that one.”

He took a shot from a tequila bottle and made a face of
disgust. “Allow me to defend myself. It was a moment of weakness. I knew she
was married. I admit it. It was at my ten-year high school reunion. She was my first
girlfriend back when we were teens. Seeing her after so long…we got to talking.
She was married but unhappy. Like you said, one thing led to another.”

Violet studied him, noting the shadows that passed across
his face. He’d loved that woman.

“So, what happened after that?”

He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was
thick with repressed emotion. “She regretted it instantly. It was a big,
dramatic breakdown that ended with her crying and begging me not to tell her
husband because she loved him and wanted to make it work after all. I left and
never saw her again.”

“Wow.” It was hard to look at the pain he tried to hide.
Violet felt like an ass for leading the conversation down that path. Still, she
found it endearing that Jonah had laid his heart on the line for one night with
a woman he loved. She couldn’t help but see him a little differently now. “I’m
sorry to have brought that up. I didn’t mean to send you down memory lane.”

“It’s no big deal.” The smile that snapped into place was
forced. Jonah leaned in close to kiss her, lingering to bury his face in her
hair. “I’m focused on the here and now. And let me tell you, it’s looking
good.”

It felt fantastic to be there with him. Closing her eyes,
Violet concentrated on the heat of his skin and the way he felt next to her.
She could get used to this.

Her eyes popped open at that thought. Was she insane? That
would never happen. They didn’t even live in the same country. For the first
time all night, she was seeing that as a bad thing.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this.” She paused, her
inner voice telling her to shut up. “But I almost wish we could see each other
again. You know, after all this storm nonsense is over. Is that wrong? It is,
isn’t it?”

Jonah gazed into her eyes, searching for something. Did he
find it?

“I wish this night would never end. Nobody has made me feel
the way you do, Violet. It started with just the sex, which was amazing by the
way. But getting to know you has been special. You’ve got me thinking about
things, the things that really matter. Like the art I’ve neglected and the
loves I’ve lost. I can’t tell you the last time I took the time to ponder
anything that wasn’t work related.”

His admittance made Violet beam. It warmed her insides to
hear him say that. It was reassuring to know she hadn’t imagined their
connection. Jonah felt it too.

“Do you think we should stay in touch? Or would that ruin
it?” The last thing she wanted to do was spoil the memories they’d created thus
far. “I don’t want to do anything to destroy the way this feels.”

“Let’s just play it by ear. We’ll make that decision when
the time comes. For now, I just want to enjoy you.” Jonah’s mouth was hot
against her neck. The rough touch of his teeth on her sensitive flesh made her
shudder. He pulled back suddenly, leaving her breathless. “My turn. Never have
I ever joined the mile-high club. Though I’d sure as hell like to.”

“I’m not a member of that club either.” Violet winked at him
from beneath a curtain of dark hair. “I imagine the moment I started getting it
on in that tiny-ass bathroom, something terrible would happen with the plane
and I’d spill out with my pants around my ankles for everyone to see.”

“Pants around your ankles, huh?” Jonah seemed to ponder
this. “So in your ideal mile-high scenario, you’re taking it from behind.”

She lay back against the pillows piled before the head board
and smiled. “Yeah, I guess so. Okay, let me think. Never have I ever made a sex
tape.”

There was a long moment of silence. Jonah gave a dramatic
sigh and grabbed a bottle of rum. “This is getting embarrassing. You’re going
to think I’m a total man whore.” He took his shot and smirked. “Let me tell
you, I learned my lesson on that one. You think it’s the women that are afraid
of those suckers being put on the internet? Not always. My ex-girlfriend held
our tape as blackmail material for a year.”

“Are you serious?” Violet was shocked. She covered her mouth
with a hand to stifle laughter. “That’s not cool. I shouldn’t laugh. What did
you do?”

Jonah looked a little smug when he said, “I broke into her
house and stole it. I’m not sure if she was smart enough to make copies. I
moved from Chicago to New York shortly after that.”

“That’s pretty ballsy. I guess you do what you gotta do.”

“I’m going to be drunk off my ass while you sit there sober
and mocking me.” Jonah tossed a little plastic whiskey bottle at her. “You’ve
got a streak of bad girl. I know you do. Let’s see. I think I know one you may
have over me.”

“All right then.” Violet gestured for him to continue.
There’s no way he would pick out her juicy secrets. “Let’s hear it.”

Jonah seemed sure of himself, as if he suddenly had her all
figured out. “Never have I ever had a threesome. Bet you didn’t see that
coming. It’s true though.”

Violet didn’t think her cheeks could possibly burn any
hotter. She was going to have nothing left to hide by the time this experience
came to an end. She expected to be more embarrassed than she was. Strangely,
she didn’t feel judged by Jonah like she would with some people.

“I’ve done it once.” The shot of whiskey burned as it slid
down her throat to warm her. A pleasant tingle through her limbs quickly
followed. “It’s actually pretty hazy in my memory. It happened after a rock
concert. My friend and I went with a group of our friends. She left with one
guy and I ended up staying behind with the other two. It wasn’t as good as one
might think.”

“Well that sucks. Two men and they couldn’t keep you happy?”
With a shake of his head Jonah reached for her. He started at her feet, taking
one in his hands and stroking his fingers along the ticklish sole. “They’re
unworthy.”

A soft gasp escaped Violet as Jonah bent to place small
kisses along her ankle. He was gentle and tender. She melted beneath his touch.
There was a sensual quality to his caress that she felt in a place that wasn’t
physical. Violet watched his hands glide over her skin, up over her knee to her
thigh. His soft kisses followed and she giggled when he found a spot behind her
knee that made her jump.

A swell of emotion burst up from deep down in her core,
flooding her with a storm of sudden and unwelcome feelings. She looked at Jonah
and felt things she shouldn’t feel.

“Never have I ever had a one-night stand,” she blurted. “I
mean, not like this. I know I said before that I don’t usually do this. Usually
pretty much translates into never. A hook-up with a stranger that I never saw
again… This is my first.”

Jonah looked up, confusion etched on his handsome face.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Drink your shot. I know this isn’t your first one-night
stand.” Violet forced her face to move, her lips curving into a smile. “I’m
fine. Sorry. Just got lost in thought for a second there.”

Jonah did the shot and then with a great sweeping gesture,
shoved all the liquor bottles onto the floor. “No, this isn’t my first. I’ve
definitely sought nothing more than a warm body beneath me, a face I’ll forget
and a name I didn’t even ask for. But this isn’t the same. I don’t think it
ever was.”

Violet stared at him, speechless. He began his ascent up her
body. The return of his lips to her bare leg caused her pulse to race faster.
She watched him press affectionate kisses to the top of her knee and heat
rushed to her groin. She’d gotten herself into this, thinking it would be a
great way to pass the night and fulfill her hunger for adventure. It wasn’t
supposed to be like this. She wasn’t supposed to like him this much.

“I feel like I’ve known you longer than a night. It’s crazy
and a little confusing.” She squirmed when he reached to untie her robe.
Anticipation began to build fast.

Jonah paused just long enough to slip out of his own robe.
His bare chest and well-muscled back drew Violet’s gaze. She drank in the sight
of him, following every inch with her eyes. He was magnificent. She couldn’t
wait to have him again.

“No need to be confused, lover. Tonight you are mine.
Nothing else matters right now.”

Jonah slipped his hands beneath her to grip her hips. He
lowered his face to her navel and gave a long, slow lick down her abdomen to
the neatly trimmed triangle of hair between her legs.

“I love the way you smell,” he murmured. “The way you feel.”
Closing his eyes, Jonah rubbed his face along her belly.

She slid her fingers into his hair. It was thick and soft,
shining in the dim firelight. Violet let her gaze travel around the room. From
the silly fireplace to the mini-fridge and the final few hours of night beyond
the window, it was all so false. If only she could make it last just a little
longer. She feared waking up at home in her own bed next week, struggling to
keep the memory of this night fresh in her mind always. Eventually it would
fade.

Violet concentrated hard on the details. The exact shade of
Jonah’s hair was a rich brown with highlights of gold, caught only when the
light hit it just right. The dark undertones gave it the illusion of being
darker than it was. Color like that would never be found in a salon.