Page 64 of One Kind Hand

“This next part is a choose-your-own-adventure situation,” Austin said as he nosed around in her hair, his breath ghosting over her hyper-sensitive skin. “We can spend the night in the city or we can fly back to Vermont and spend the night in my suite.”

“Hmm . . . I can’t help but notice both options involve spending the night.” She tugged on his tie then slid her hands under his suit jacket, running her fingers over his pecs.

“That part is non-negotiable.” He nipped at her bottom lip.

“I see.” She crawled onto his lap. “I choose flying back to Vermont then to spend the night.”

“Okay.” Austin relayed her choice to the driver and the limo pulled away from Wicked Gates after Charlie snapped a photo of the exterior to show Isabel later.

Much, much later. Because right now she had a limo ride’s worth of touching Austin to enjoy.

****

Why did an hour of air travel feel like a lifetime? Sure, Austin had taken every opportunity to touch Charlie in the limo and on the plane, but he was dying to get her out of that dress and into his bed. He’d planned to be at that stage of the evening already, but his . . . encounter with Cassandra had delayed things considerably.

Getting slapped like that had been a real shock. Austin prided himself on not being a man who caused other people to have that reaction to him. Many self-centered, entitled douchebags were in his line of work, but when he’d signed on with Cody back when he was nineteen, he’d made a promise to himself that he’d uphold all the values his parents had instilled in him. Their time on this planet had been short, but they’d done everything they could to raise children who weren’t complete assholes. Even his sisters, who were sometimes all about themselves, still knew how to care about other people and treat them with respect. They might be a little directionless, but they were never unkind.

Unlike Chad Zimmers who apparently had some beef with him if he’d go through the trouble of upsetting Cassandra as he had. Austin would be digging to the bottom of that.

But not tonight. He only had one objective left tonight and that was to get Charlie to orgasm. Repeatedly. He felt good about his chances of success.

They rode up the elevator now, her hand firmly in his and that minor contact had his body buzzing. In his other hand, Austin held Charlie’s bag—the one she’d packed in hopes of spending the night with him. He loved everything about that forethought.

“I’m boycotting Chad Zimmers movies completely,” Charlie announced as the elevator raced to the penthouse suite level.

“You’ll get no argument from me on that.” Austin rubbed his cheek. “Cassandra slaps pretty hard, by the way.”

Charlie leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Poor baby. I’ll make you forget all about that.” The doors opened and she tugged him into the hallway. Releasing his hand, she opened her purse and pulled out the suite’s keycard. “I know you have your key,” she said, wiggling the one he’d given her, “but if a girl is lucky enough to have the spare key to Austin Rayhill’s suite, she should be awarded the opportunity to use it, don’t you think?”

Austin gestured to the door. “Have at it. I’m a fan of anything that gets us in there sooner.” Because his self-control was slipping. Fast. Especially when Charlie’s gray-blue eyes were passion-filled and drawing him in deeper by the second.

She slid the keycard into the slot then opened the door. When she turned around and pulled him into the room by his tie, he knew he was about to enjoy tonight with every fiber of his being.

He dropped her bag by the door as she let her coat fall from her shoulders. Austin took the coat and hung it up. Then he rid himself of his suit jacket, draping it over the back of the couch. He reached out for Charlie, but she stepped back, shaking her head.

“Keep going.” She motioned to his clothes then sat on the couch as if she planned to enjoy the show.

Okay. He’d happily strip for her. As long as she returned the favor.

Austin unknotted his tie, snaking it from under his shirt collar and watching Charlie bite her bottom lip. Her eyes were wide and completely focused on him until she grabbed her purse and fished out her phone.

“This needs some tunes.” Her hair fell forward a bit as she bent her head over the phone. “How do you feel about 80s pop music?”

“Generally I like it, but not for a striptease.”

Nodding, she tapped her phone a few times and a bluesy guitar-and-drum piece filled the living room. She set the phone on the coffee table and waved a hand at him. “Continue.”

He liked her semi-bossy tone and was happy to oblige. Pulling his dress shirt from his pants, he started by unbuttoning the sleeve cuffs then set about the top button at his neck.

Charlie licked her lips, crossing her legs as if trying to contain the wash of heat that must have rolled through her if her cheeks were any evidence.

Austin traveled down the line of buttons then rotated his waist a little as he peeled the shirt from his shoulders and arms, being careful around the cuts and bruises on his right arm. He should have felt silly, but the way Charlie’s eyes darkened and she fidgeted in her seat told him she didn’t find any of this ridiculous.

She considered it foreplay.

Reaching back, Austin grabbed his T-shirt and shrugged out of it with one swift tug. He balled up the cotton, tensed his abs, and used the shirt to buff his stomach. That pulled a chuckle out of Charlie, but when he unbuckled his belt and slid his hands down his own pants, she let out a groan, uncrossing and crossing her legs again. What caught him off guard was how much doing this show for her got him turned on. His dick was rock solid in his boxer briefs and the thought that his length would soon be buried deep in Charlie made him exhale a shuddery breath.

He worked his pants and underwear down his legs, turning a little so his ass was on display as he bent to remove his shoes and socks. When he had everything off and stood totally naked in front of Charlie, his cock throbbing for her, she stood and approached him.