Joel pulled up outside an elaborately carved stone mansion that was obnoxious in size and overwhelming in its opulence. I looked over at Joel to double-check that we were in fact at the right address. I knew Joel had money, but hearing about that kind of money and seeing it were two very different things.
“Ready?” Joel finally looked at me, somehow acknowledging my astonishment with just that one word.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and followed Joel into his palace.
Chapter Nine
Joel’s home looked like something you’d find overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, with its tiled roof and stone and plastered walls. Terra cotta pots filled with succulents and tropical flowers lined the walkway. Outlining the front door were large beige columns, and archways accentuated the height of the two-story windows. The front doors were made of the same dark wood that matched the four-car garage.
After unlocking the front door, he pushed it open for me to enter. A large chandelier hung above a marble pedestal table, shining light on a vase holding a bundle of tropical flowers. The floor was made of some stone that shone like diamonds beneath the crystal teardrops of the chandelier. From the front door you could see the iron staircase leading up to the second story. Beyond that, there was a large window with an impressive view of the backyard and lagoon.
Sitting atop a hill, Joel’s home overlooked the city. I moved closer to the window to get a better view.
“The view’s better on the second story. Come, I’ll show you around.”
He held out his hand for me like he’d lose me if our hands weren’t interconnected. I couldn’t deny my body craved the touch of his skin against mine. When his fingers reached mine, it sent a signal through my body, a spark that made me hyper-aware of the heat radiating from his palm. He smiled as my fingers slid in his, and like a child eager to show his new friend all his toys, we dashed through the house. With wide eyes, taking in the splendor of all the rich woods and beautiful stone, I admired each incredible view from every room. Red Rock Canyon was visible from every window in the front of the house, while the back of the house displayed panoramic views of Vegas. The whole first floor was a blur as we dashed from living room to kitchen, office to den. He led me up the stairs and showed me a home theater and gym, three bedrooms with amazing bathrooms and glorious bathtubs, large enough to seat up to four people easily.
“You stay here all by yourself?” I asked as he led me to the end of the hall, to the room with the only set of double doors—what I imagined to be his bedroom. I swallowed the lump that seemed to be building in my throat. The tour would come to this point, I knew that, but seeing those formidable doors and the man of the house standing before them, it felt like too much. There seemed to be much more weight behind the act there in his home than there was back at mine—where everything seemed so light and frivolous. Perhaps that was because at my house we imagined we would go our separate ways as soon as the storm let up. At his, there were no more excuses. This would mean we were moving beyond the realm of one-night stands and dangling in the precarious waters of a quasi-relationship.
He released my hand and the absence of it elicited a visceral response, one that echoed a familiar ache that had taken up residence over the past several weeks.
The doors opened to a king-size bed, with sheets that looked like a cloud of white marshmallows piled at the edge of the bed, demonstrating last night’s usage.
A nightstand sat on either side of the bed, and a wood platform was positioned at the end of the bed, holding a TV that seemed entirely too big for the room. Beyond the left side of the bed was a hallway with clothes lining both sides of the wall. At the end of the hallway, you could see a glimpse of a sunken tub, lined in a darker shade of the travertine tile that seemed to be in the rest of the home.
I didn’t know what I was expecting from his home, but despite the castle-like appearance, the home was filled with modern yet casual furniture. I’d almost expected to find velvet-lined couches and silk-paneled curtains, hideous plaid colors, Persian rugs, or those cognac-colored leather club chairs that always seemed to find their way in homes such as these, but I’d yet to see one.
“So, this is your bedroom?” I asked moving to the window that overlooked the backyard. A rainbow of colors cycled across the pool, highlighting the kidney-shaped pool and the little waterfall that seemed to flow over a large boulder down into one side of the water, opposite a Jacuzzi. Lush flora decorated the grounds, enough to keep a gardener busy every day of the week, unlike my yard, which only saw the gardener once every two weeks.
With my back facing Joel, I didn’t see when he approached, but I still felt the heat from his body long before he touched me. Those few minutes stretched out to an eternity where he left me waiting, hoping, and silently pleading for just a touch that would fuse our bodies together.
His hands fell across my shoulders before rising beneath the nape of my hair, massaging the tension I didn’t even know lingered within every muscle. I rolled my shoulders, and his fingers crept beyond the collar of my blazer, dragging my jacket back until the fabric brushed my fingertips before falling to the floor. The last of my reservations dropped like grenade pins, signaling the imminent explosion. I held my breath as the heat from his hands made me feel naked beneath his touch. It was only befitting that Joel remove all of my clothes, stripping me down bare until nothing remained between us—that had been his goal from the moment he saw me. He said so himself.
The last thing I expected when I woke up that morning was to be seduced by Joel, but now I was there in his home with his hands caressing my skin and his mouth hovering nearby. He kissed me in the dip where my shoulder met my neck. His lips were soft and gentle, something else I didn’t expect from this man who had more secrets than Area 51. Every touch, every kiss, every breath seemed laced with a reverential depth I didn’t think Joel was even capable of. With one hand on my waist, he used his other hand to push my hair past my shoulder, gaining access to my neck. I tilted my head and he descended without further invitation. His hands may have been gentle and patient, but his mouth was quick and needy. He kissed and licked his way up to my ear where he nibbled. The glass fogged as the breath from my whimper beat against the pane.
His hands felt like magic as he moved up the length of my arms, causing a wave of goosebumps to erupt in his wake. My shirt slid from my shoulders before I realized he’d even unbuttoned my blouse. His hands cupped my breasts from behind, pressing so tightly against my lace bra that I was sure he could feel my stiffened nipples beneath the fabric separating us. He squeezed and kneaded, tugging an invisible wire with direct access to the space between my legs that throbbed for his attention. Could he feel my heart racing between his clutching palms? Did he know the effect he had on my body? Did he know the response his touch garnered?
“Your body is so beautiful, Blaire. How could you try to keep this from me?” His fingers trailed down the center of my stomach, and I tried to tighten the muscles there so he wouldn’t feel the quivering of my body, begging to become his chew toy. That still didn’t stop the moan that fell from my lips like glass breaking against the stone floor, the sound echoing around the room, hitting us twice as hard from every angle.
My body grew stiff as his fingers crept beneath the band of my skirt, slipping past the resistance of my underwear.