Read Online Bittersweet by Sareeta Domingo - Free Book Online Page B

to be thinking too hard. Speaking of hard—I know my seduction’s working now.
    “Cathy…”
    “Hmm?” I stand on my tiptoes and my lips find his earlobe. I suck, and he groans a little. I chuckle to myself, then move across his jawline and up to his lips, brushing gently over the place where he got hit. “Greg, let’s go inside,” I murmur against his mouth. He exhales, and I breathe it in. I want to slip my arms around him in that moment. He seems so … vulnerable. It scares me, the feeling that I want something more than just sex. I think about what he said in the cab…
    No. No thinking. “Please.”
    At that word, at the tone of my voice when I say it, Greg’s hands finally pull my hips forward, against him , and he kisses me fiercely, like he’s angry—at me, at himself. I break away and turn, my legs shaking as I walk off toward the hotel’s entrance, and he follows close behind me, reaching out, grabbing my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine.

Chapter Nine
    Greg and I walk fast through the lobby toward the rickety elevator, but a voice calls out.
    “Excuse me, sir?”
    We slow down reluctantly and Greg looks over at the concierge’s desk. I sigh as I recognize the woman behind it. Wanda Priddy was a year above me in high school, and for some fairly transparent reason she’d taken a dislike to me when I got together with Jeff. She looks at me disdainfully now and pulls down on her gray suit jacket.
    “You have another package here,” she says, her eyes flicking down to our joined hands. I wonder if she’s jealous now, too? I look up at Greg and think—who wouldn’t be? I smile a little to myself, but try to compose my face as we walk over to the desk.
    “Hey, Wanda,” I say as she hands over the envelope to Greg.
    “Cathy.” She nods curtly.
    I remember having heard she’d been doing some managerial shifts here. I’d seen the vacancy and half thought maybe it could be a good way for me to take a step up if Joe wasn’t going to let me stamp my mark on the restaurant. But I decided I’d just bide my time until I wear him down. I know it will happen eventually…
    I turn to Greg as he tucks the manila envelope under his arm. “All set?” I ask.
    “Yeah.” He glances over at Wanda. “You can just go ahead and slide them under my door next time.”
    She pouts a little, like she enjoyed having an excuse to talk to Greg. “Oh, OK. The lady was just pretty adamant I make sure they go directly into your hands.” She looks down again, noticing that he still hasn’t let go of my hand. I squeeze, and he turns and smiles down at me.
    “Let’s go,” I murmur.
    “Have a good night,” Wanda says automatically as we stride away across the lobby.
    “We will,” I can’t help throwing over my shoulder, petty though it is.
    We reach the old wooden elevator and Greg presses the button to call it.
    “ Playboy subscription?” I ask, nodding to the envelope.
    He smiles again at my teasing, but rolls it and tucks it into his back pocket without answering. I’m curious, and want to press him on it even though it’s not really any of my business, but then the elevator dings and the doors open. He steps inside and I follow.
    The doors have only just slid shut when he backs me against the elevator wall. It judders, and I wonder if this thing might break down. I don’t think I’d have a complaint if I got stuck in here with Greg though. His hands slip up my sides, under my shirt, brushing over the front of my bra, and his lips press against the sensitive spot right below my ear. My nipples push against the light tease of his thumbs.
    “Hey there,” I croak.
    “Hey,” he whispers, but then the creaking elevator stutters to a halt and the doors open. He steps back, and we get off. He stands in the hallway for a moment, just staring at me. I slip off my jacket slowly, deliberately.
    “Which way?”
    “Left.” His voice is hoarse.
    I stride away down the hall, pointing at doors and looking