Pulling the bottle away, she used the back of her other hand to wipe her mouth. The water was refreshing, the hint of mint from her recent teeth-brushing making it feel even cooler than it probably was.
She put the lid back in place and returned the bottle to the fridge. With a partial turn, Cera leaned her lower back against the counter behind her. A forceful, frustrated breath escaping with a rough exhale.
Okay, fine. If the situation were different, if she and Ivan had met like normal, everyday strangers, she might have even asked him out.
But this wasn’t different. The situation was exactly what it was, and unless Ivan could find the man causing said mess, she’d likely never date anyone ever again.
Never date.
Never kiss.
Never lick.
Never feel a man’s hands on me the way Dream Ivan’s were.
Of its own accord, a steamy, erotic image filled her vision. Cera naked and on her back. Ivan’s head between her splayed thighs. His tongue swirling around her aching sex while his fingers worked her body toward a powerful climax.
She closed her eyes, the familiar scene from last night’s fantasy pulling her back into the imaginary moment. Her pulse spiked, and her lower belly tingled as she remembered losing herself beneath Dream Ivan’s touch.
Even now, even though it wasn’treal, Cera could almost feel his spine-tingling touch. His touch. His smell. His taste.
In her mind’s eye, she watched herself lick and lave and suck to her heart’s content.
Cera’s lips parted slightly, her breathing becoming shallow and rapid. The same ache she’d woke up to earlier returned ten-fold. Knowing there was only one way to ease the lustful need, she slid her right hand toward the buttoned clasp of her jeans.
She slid the button loose, her heart thumping inside her chest. But just as she was about to let her hand wander toward the source of her need, she remembered Ivan’s comment about the place being filled with cameras.
Cera froze. Her eyes flew open. A second later, she was pushing herself away from the counter as if it were a burning hot stove.
Rushing to re-button her pants, she swung her head in either direction, Her widened gaze searched wildly for the camera she knew had to be nearby. At first, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. But then…
There!
Hidden so well she’d nearly missed it, Cera spotted the tiny electronic device mounted atop the upper cabinet nearest the far corner of the room. She swallowed nervously as she grabbed the forgotten bottle of water from the fridge and exited the room.
As calmly and normally as possible. But on the inside…
What the hell were you thinking? You almost became an amateur porn star without even realizing it!
Yes. Yes, she had. Lucky for her, she remembered the cameras just in time. If she hadn’t, sexy Ivan would’ve gotten one hell of a show if he ever went back to watch that footage later. Andthatwould’ve been humiliation of epic proportions, a level from which she would never, ever recover.
The mortifying thought had barely entered her mind when a hard, powerful knock came from the other side of the suite’s rustic door.
“Cera?” Ivan’s deep voice seemed to resonate within her, despite the space and structure separating the two. “It’s me.”
Startled she threw a hand to her chest half-a-beat before hurrying out of the kitchen to the suite’s nearby entrance. Cera reached for the lock. She turned the metal latch between her fingers and grabbed the black iron knob.
Taking a final moment to compose herself, she closed her eyes and filled her lungs with a deep cleansing breath. And then she opened the door.
“Hey.” She greeted Ivan with what she prayed he’d buy as a genuine smile. Shifting to the side, she waited for him to enter. “Did you forget your key?”
“Mornin’.” He flashed a quick grin her way before stepping past. “And nope. Just didn’t feel right barging in on you without notice.”
Sexy, protective, and thoughtful.
See? Unicorn.
Cera’s heart gave a noticeable kick, her nostrils filling with an enticing male scent that did little to stifle her overactive hormones. It didn’t help that Ivan’s back was to her, offering up the perfect opportunity to ogle.