100 PROOF Page 11

  “Ahh, that’s how you caught his eye.”

  I laughed. “Not exactly.”

  He looked confused.

  “I, um, spilled soup on his coat. Almost ended up all over him.”

  “Oh, shit!” He broke out in laughter. “ I bet he was pissed. I would have loved to have seen the look on his face if it had spilled on him.”

  I fought a smile. “Yeah, well he started cursing and shouting a little, and I kept apologizing. It was a bad day for me. It was a long flight, and I was exhausted, and some of the passengers were so rude.” I sighed, gripping the cold glass. “My eyes started to water up, and I think he noticed because he calmed down and started apologizing to me. He told me it was fine, and he even cleaned some of it up himself.”

  “Smooth move,” he noted, but his voice was laced with sarcasm.

  “I thought it was nice of him.”

  “Yeah. I bet you did.” I met his eyes, and he was smirking.

  “Anyway, after we landed, he chased me down, and since we were staying in the same hotel overnight, he offered to buy me a drink.” Vin was silent. I didn’t look over. “Things just sort of took off from there,” I murmured. I wasn’t sure if I should have kept going. He seemed annoyed by the story now, his hand tight around his glass, his eyes focused on the countertop. I bet he was wishing something stronger was in that glass now.

  “He won you over just like that? With a couple of drinks?” he asked without meeting my eyes.

  “It wasn’t just the drinks,” I stated. “He . . . was sweet. He kept in touch. We started hanging out more and more outside of work and I realized he was a good guy.”

  “Yeah, that’s what he shows you. It’s a façade. Trust me,” he grumbled, then pressed his lips to the rim of his glass.

  “He has his flaws, same as you and I, and everyone else in this world. But I can handle him.”

  He quirked a brow. “You sure?”

  I inhaled deep and then released it, picking up my drink and downing it. When the glass was empty, I flagged the bartender down. I needed something more potent, so I asked for vodka on the rocks.

  “Whoa,” Vin laughed, shoulders shaking as I picked the drink up right away and took several sips. “You might wanna slow down there, Bob Marley.”

  I squinted my eyes at him over my drink, lowering it with a wet gasp. “I told you about that Bob Marley thing when you were stoned. How do you even remember it?”

  He grinned. “If I remember, I obviously wasn’t that high. It’s a funny story.”

  “Oh yeah,” I laughed. “The fact that I was born in my Nana’s dirty bathtub and she played Bob Marley’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” for my mother while she pushed, is funny?”

  “Hell yeah, it’s funny!” He busted out laughing while I tried so hard to fight mine. “Your mom named you Marlena, Marley for short, because of that song, right?”

  I nodded. “Yep.”

  He bumped my arm with his. “Your birth story is safe with me.”

  “It better be.” He looked me deep in the eyes, a soft smile on his lips, but then he lowered his gaze. He wanted to say something, I could tell. He had so much on his chest, but he didn’t want to ruin this, so he kept quiet and pulled away, looking up at the TV.

  He sighed, waving a hand for the bartender and ordering another soda.

  I sat up straight and slowly sipped my vodka. What the hell was I doing? This shouldn’t have been happening. Too many memories were resurfacing, the good times outshining the bad. I would never forget the bad, but right now, I didn’t care.

  It was good to see him again, though I would never admit it out loud. I couldn’t string him along or lead him on. This was probably going to be the only time we hung out alone. It wouldn’t happen again, I was almost sure of it.

  The wedding was coming up soon. The honeymoon next. This was happening, set in motion, and there was no stopping it.

  We didn’t talk much about Lloyd anymore after that. He came up during a few conversations that involved his mother, but it was minor.

  Vin had loosened up a bit more, or maybe I was just being less standoffish. He was smiling more, laughing more. His shoulders weren’t as tense. He was completely relaxed around me, and with the two more rounds I had, I was feeling like an entirely different woman.

  I felt freed.

  Content.

  I wasn’t stressing or worrying about the smaller things. I was just . . . me. A woman swimming in her own happiness.

  My head was spinning by ten that night. “Oh, God,” I breathed out as I checked my cellphone for the time. “I should go. It’s getting late, and I have an early morning.”

  “Marley,” he said, looking me over. “You’re drunk. You can’t drive right now.”

  “I am not!” Just as I said that, my hand went flying, and I knocked over my glass. The drink spilled right on my skirt, and I gasped, shooting to my feet. Vin stood up as well, laughing his ass off. “Aw, shit,” I cursed, stepping back.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he continued laughing. He took the towel the bartender handed him and bent down to start cleaning it.

  “I’m so sorry,” I apologized to the bartender.

  He waved a hand, totally dismissing it. I assumed I wasn’t the drunkest person he’d ever dealt with. Vin mopped up the mess and then wiped off the counter, returning the damp towel to the bartender.

  “My skirt is soaked,” I groaned swiping at the wet stain. “And this is one of my favorite ones too.”

  “I think I have some extra sweatpants up in my room. You can borrow them if you want. Want me to get them for you?”

  I looked up at him, eyes stretching.

  “You don’t have to go with me,” he laughed. “I’ll bring them down.”

  I pressed my lips, wobbling on my heels. There was no doubt I was drunk. It’d been a while since I felt this way. I couldn’t drive like this, but I also couldn’t stay here. Not with Vin. I’d sleep in my car if necessary.

  “It’s fine. I’ll come up and change in your bathroom.”

  “Suit yourself.” His tone was nonchalant. I couldn’t tell if he was really trying to help me or if he wanted to get me alone and was playing it cool. It didn’t matter. Nothing would happen. I’d change clothes and then return to the lobby until I sobered up enough to drive home.

  “I knew this was going to happen,” I muttered when we stepped into the elevator.

  “What?”

  “You letting me drink however much I want. Lloyd would have stopped me after the first one.”

  “Yeah, he’s a dick that way. And like I said, control. He thinks he fucking owns you, Marley.” His voice became serious as we rode up.

  “He does not control me,” I retorted. “I don’t know why you see it that way. Just because you used to let me do whatever I wanted, doesn’t make it control when someone slows me down.” I looked down at the tip of my heels. “That was my problem when I was with you. I didn’t know how to slow down. We didn’t know how to slow down. We just ran with everything.”

  “I don’t so much consider that a bad thing,” he responded.

  “Living with no cares in the world was fun for a while, but it was dangerous, Vin, and you know it.”

  “Oh, I do know it. That’s why I don’t live that way anymore. I also don’t regret it.”

  I looked at him through the corner of my eye as the elevator came to a stop. When the doors split apart, he walked out first and I followed behind him, my skirt clinging to my thighs.

  He stuck his key-card into the door and opened it. As soon as he walked in, he went straight for the suitcase. I shut the door behind me as he pulled the sweatpants out and then turned around, offering them.

  “Bathroom’s over there,” he announced with a bob of his head.

  Okay. Good. He was getting straight to business. No awkwardness. No stalling. No flirting. Good . . . I think.

  I walked his way and took the sweatpants, maneuvering past him to get to the bath
room. I pushed the door open and walked in, already unzipping my skirt from behind. As it slid down my legs and I unfolded the pants, I realized I left the door halfway open.

  From where I stood, I could see Vin pulling his shirt over his head, revealing his smooth, sculpted body. I paused for a second, watching as he raked his fingers through his hair and picked something up from the nightstand. He turned with a cigarette in hand and his eyes flickered up and found mine, but I jerked my gaze away quickly, tugging on the pants and standing up straight again.

  When I looked back over, he was no longer standing there.

  With a sigh, I twisted around and turned on the faucet, running my fingers beneath the cool water and bringing my fingertips to my flushed cheeks.

  I had to sober up, immediately. I had to go—do something. I couldn’t stay in this room with him, hell, not even this hotel. I was feeling too many things again, questioning my life and how it was now. Only Vin could make me do that. He always brought out the truth in me.

  I finished up and stepped out, shutting the lights off. It was dim in the room. He was nowhere in sight, but the smell of tobacco rolled past me. I looked toward the balcony door, and it was partially open.

  I could see him standing there, through the glass. He had his elbows on the rail, blowing out a chain of smoke, no shirt on. I hesitated. I wasn’t sure whether to say goodnight or to just take off while he wasn’t looking.

  Shit.

  Who was I kidding?

  I didn’t have it in me to just walk out.

  I walked towards the patio and knocked on the window. When he turned, I smiled. “I’m going to get out of here. Just wanted to tell you goodnight.”

  He held up a finger, coming my way and stabbing the cigarette in the ashtray. When he slid the door open, I stepped back. He was only a few steps away, much taller, his cologne and a hint of Marlboro surrounding him.

  I couldn’t believe he looked this way. I mean, two years ago he was losing it. He was thinning out, losing muscle mass. But now?

  It’s like he went to the gym at least three times a week, took protein and everything. He wasn’t bulky or massive, but there was weight and definition in those muscles. By the V that was carved into his pelvis alone, I knew he was doing something to keep in such great shape. I almost dared to ask, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t supposed to matter to me what he did during his free time. Not anymore.

  “You’re not sober enough to drive, Marley. You want me to drop you off in your car? I can always call a taxi to take me back.”

  My head shook before he finished speaking. “No, Vin, it’s fine. I’ll just take a walk, try and sober up. Maybe wait in the lobby or something.”

  “I’m not letting you wait in the lobby like this.” He walked around me and opened the mini fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. When he came back my way, he handed it to me. “Drink that for now and hang here for an hour or so.”

  I avoided a frown. He was just being generous but really, I couldn’t stay. Not alone with him.

  “You look good in those sweats, by the way.” He grinned, walking to the couch and flopping down. “Take the bed. Sober up.”

  I watched him for a moment as he scrolled through his phone, and then I caved. With a deep exhale, I sat on the edge of the bed, cracked the bottle of water open, and drank a few gulps.

  “I have a question,” I said, and he lowered his phone, eyebrows piqued with curiosity. “Was it hard not ordering a drink down there?”

  He huffed a laugh, sitting up and placing his phone beside him. “Hard? What do you mean?”

  “I mean . . . I don’t know. I know how much you used to love it. You’d have a glass of whiskey for breakfast.” I laughed a little and then winced.

  His lips pushed together as he fought a smile. “It’s . . . complicated. I could have had a drink. But then I would have wanted another. And another. I would have rushed you off and run up to this room to down whatever I could get my hands on.” He paused, eyes drifting. “Believe it or not, I don’t really miss it as much as I thought I would.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded.

  “Well that’s good, Vinny.” When I said that, I immediately clamped my mouth shut. Vinny. Fucking Vinny! I only used that nickname when I felt something—when I . . . wanted him. And he knew it. He knew what that name represented.

  His smile faded a bit, eyes focused on me. I pulled my line of vision away, pointing it towards the door. I had to get out of here.

  I stood up and grabbed my keys. “I really should go. I’ll take a small walk.” I started for the door and heard when he stood. As I gripped the doorknob, though, I felt heat sneak up behind me.

  “Marley,” he whispered, and his voice was so gentle and so deep. He pressed his firm body against mine, his nose in my hair. I still held the doorknob, ready to twist it open. Ready to leave. “Stay,” he murmured, dropping his lips to the shell of my ear. I clenched between my thighs, fire swirling in my belly. “Please.”

  “I can’t, Vin,” I whispered back. “You know I can’t. I shouldn’t even be around you.”

  “But you are. You have been all day. I know you don’t really want to go.”

  I released a tattered breath as he pulled my hair aside. His lips were so close to my skin. I could feel them. His scent consumed me. He was hardly touching me, but it felt like he had his hands all over me.

  His lips skated across my shoulder, feathery light. Warm. Soft.

  “I miss you every single day,” he murmured, kissing the top of my shoulder. I stiffened, gripping the doorknob tighter. “I started doing better, hoping one day I could prove to you that I am capable of change and that I can be a better man. I did it for you, Marley.”

  “Vin.” My fingers were trembling, legs shaking. I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, yanking the door open, but his hand came down on the door and he forced it shut again, twisting me around to face him.

  Before I could dare speak—or breathe or utter a word—he gently palmed the back of my head and brought his mouth down on mine. He kissed me hard, like he meant it—like he’d been waiting years to feel the prints of my lips again.

  He groaned behind it, and I let out a soft moan, pushing against his chest. He didn’t let up, even when I snatched my lips away. Instead, his mouth fell down and he started kissing my throat, the curve of my neck, and then beneath my chin. He dragged his lips all over my body and heat shot through me, soaking my panties.

  “Vin,” I pleaded. “You know we can’t. We shouldn’t.”

  He paused, holding back, looking me deep in the eyes. “Are you sure?”

  I blinked rapidly, sighing. “Yes.” I paused. “No. Ugh. Shit. I don’t know.” My head was swirling, my body swimming with desire. I was so drunk, so unstable, but that was no excuse. I knew what I was doing. I knew better. I should have been pushing harder—trying to resist him. I should have been running out of that door and down the hallway but I just . . . couldn’t.

  This was Vinny.

  My Vinny.

  I hadn’t felt his touch in years. I missed his touch. I missed his lips. I missed everything about him, and I hated myself for it.

  I had the urge to cry as he scooped me up in his arms, groaning as he sucked on my neck and then the lobe of my ear. It was like he couldn’t get enough. It was like he wanted to taste every inch of my skin—devour me whole and never let go again.

  I hadn’t been touched this way in so long. So possessively. So hungrily. I loved it. I loved it so, so much.

  Yes, I admit it. Lloyd didn’t touch me this way. He expected me to do all the work. He expected me to take care of him. Not once had I had an orgasm with Lloyd, but with Vin, I knew coming was a sure thing.

  “This is already so hard for me,” I moaned.

  “Well tell me no and I’ll stop,” he growled, clutching my hips, forcing my legs around his waist.

  He was hesitant, watching me for a brief moment, waiting for me to answer. I couldn’t form words. Go
d, I wanted him so bad—so bad it hurt.

  He tilted his head up, and his mouth brushed across my ear. “You don’t have to do a thing but kiss me, Marley,” he rasped in my ear, holding me tight. I squeezed him tighter, sighing. “You don’t have to say a word. You don’t even have to think. Just let me take care of you—let me show you.” His mouth ran over mine, and I sighed, craving, aching. “You know damn well you don’t belong with him. You’re supposed to be with me.”

  “Says who?” I breathed, doing all I could to try and hold my ground. But I couldn’t I was weak. Instead of pushing him way, I was pressing against him even harder.

  He tilted his head back. “No one has to say it. Look at us.” I looked down, at how close my breasts were to his chest. I didn’t even realize our fingers were tangled, his warm and gentle on my skin, with the backs of mine pressed on the door.

  Our eyes latched again and I caught the desire in his eyes, the fierce hunger and passion. It was just like old times—the way he looked at me, like he would do anything to have me.

  “There is no denying who we are, Marley. Let’s stop pretending we don’t have a past. Stop living this fucking lie and be with me.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “Maybe not for you and that’s fine.” He wrapped a hand around the back of my neck, cupping it, bringing my lips close to his. He skimmed his over mine, a sensation that sent chills down my spine. “Can I kiss you, Marley?”

  Without thinking, I nodded, way too eagerly.

  Our mouths sealed before I could even process what I’d just agreed to, and he consumed me whole again. I moaned behind the embrace, and he carried me to the bed. He was much stronger and quicker now.

  “Just this once,” I heard myself say, but he merely ignored me.

  My back fell on the comforter, and I hooked my arms around his waist. He groaned, sinking deeper, pressing his hardening cock on my pelvis. He tore his lips away, ravenous for more, sucking the sensitive skin on my neck, near my collarbone, and then back up again, nipping at my chin with his perfect teeth.

  He wasn’t making this easy for me. He was making it harder. Visit by visit, conversation by conversation, it became an internal war, one I knew damn well I would never win. I never should have come up to this room. I never should have agreed to drink with him.