Tempted

Chapter 20

Colt

Taylor’s grown quieter and more withdrawn each time we’ve talked lately. Which hasn’t been much. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Nothing, just tired.” She stifles a yawn. “I went for a run with Reis earlier, then he left to go back home and I’ve been working on that case you gave me most of the day.”

Her voice sounds different. I know something happened, but I won’t push her. “Go lie down. I’ll talk to you till you fall asleep.”

“Colt, it’s only seven! I can’t go to bed yet. No one will be in there though, so I guess I could go relax.”

The sound of her voice and picturing her alone in bed gives me an idea. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.”

“Pull down the covers and get in bed, baby. I’ll help you relax.” She releases a soft sigh.

“Are you in bed?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Are you alone?”

“Yeah,” she breathes.

“Close your eyes,” I whisper.

“Why? What are you going to do to me?” she challenges.

I chuckle at her assumption. “Well I can’t be there to do everything I want to you, so you’re going to have to help me. Your hands are going to have to be my hands. I’ll tell you what I want. Is that…okay?”

She’s quiet.

Shit.

“This is weird.”

She’s thinking too much. As usual. “Let’s just try it, okay? I miss you so damn much my whole body aches.”

“Hm. Where on your body, exactly?”

I like that she’s playing along.

“God, you’re getting me hard already.” It’s a lie, but I see it’s done its job. She whimpers softly into the phone.

“Colt,” she whines.

“What do you want, baby? Tell me.”

“You,” she whispers back. “I want you to kiss me.”

“Imagine I’m kissing your neck and breathing in the smell of your shampoo. I’m kissing your lips, caressing your tongue with mine.

“Mmm,” she moans. “That’s nice.”

“Uh. Those noises are going to be the death of me baby. You’re killing me here.”

“Well you could always…” she stops herself.

I drop my voice an octave lower, barely above a whisper. “Tell me what I should do next.”

“Unbuckle your belt,” she whispers.

The sound of her voice works to rouse me. I undo my belt and the buttons on my jeans, and just for good measure describe what I’m doing. She moans into the phone. Just as I’m thinking up what to tell her to do next, I hear the telltale click of the hotel door being unlocked.

“Shit!” I curse into the phone before standing abruptly to pull my jeans up. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Bria laughs. “This is the living room…might I ask what you’re doing with your hand in your pants?”

I don’t answer. I reach for my phone, which has now slid under the couch.

“You were on the phone?” Bria laughs. “Phone sex operator? Nice Colt. If you were that hard up, you know you could’ve come to me,” she says, loud enough for Taylor to hear her.

I cringe, and press the phone to my ear. “Taylor?”

The line is dead. Either the call disconnected when my phone hit the floor or Taylor overheard Bria and hung up on me.

“Why do you insist on destroying everything?” I shout at Bria.

“Why do you insist on being someone you’re not for someone who doesn’t understand you?”

I weigh her words for a moment, but I know she’s wrong. I feel more alive, more whole with Taylor than I have in a long time. She makes me better, gives me hope that I deserve more. That I’m deserving of love. What I can offer her on the other hand, is still in question. She’s going to be pissed about Bria’s interruption. Which is exactly what Bria wants. And I still haven’t told her that our case is taking longer than expected and we’re going to be here a couple more weeks.

“Just stay out of it.” I close the door to my room, in need of a cold shower.