Exquisite by Ella Frank Page B

thirty three.”
    Lena swallowed then bit her bottom lip looking around wondering what he wanted her to do.
    “Why don’t you put your bag down then come back here and tell me what you want to drink.”
    Moving away to the table she placed her purse on the edge. When she turned to walk back to him she noticed he was standing with his hip leaning against the bar watching her. She made a conscious decision right then not to let him intimidate her. She was who she was, he knew that and had still asked her out. So she was just going to be herself and see what happened and that started with finding some of that damn confidence she knew she had. Locking her eyes with his she walked back over to him.
     
    Mason didn’t know what’d just happened but whatever it was, he was enjoying it. Lena had seemed a little hesitant at first and he was wondering how this was going to play out but as she walked back toward him he could tell something in her had shifted, she’d decided something. She looked amazing in red, that was the decision he’d come to and when she finally reached the bar he pushed back off it and placed his hands on the top in order to stop himself from reaching out and tracing the curve of her cleavage that kept peaking out at him.
    “What can I get you to drink?”
    “Just a wine is good for me Langley.” she hitched herself up on the chair then placed her elbows on the bar resting her chin on one hand as she watched him reach for the bottle and uncork it. “Red good?”
    She nodded, “Red’s great.”
    “Oh yes it is.” he grinned then pushed a glass toward her while he picked one up himself. She lifted it and sipped slowly seeming to swirl it around in her mouth before she swallowed it down. That was an erotic act all on it’s own, he thought as she tilted her head and sniffed the air.
    “Hmm, dinner smells amazing.”
    Smiling over at her he couldn’t help but reach across the bar and twist a curl around his finger. Looking over at him with sparkling eyes she smiled as he answered with a slow. “Thank you.”
     
    Lena didn’t care about any promises anymore, she’d decided that she had to kiss this man. She watched him as he let go of her curl and picked up his glass, taking a sip. The air was heavy with tension. She could feel it coming off her body as it itched to get closer to him. She picked her own drink up, not taking her eyes away from him, and took another sip. One for courage, then asked.
    “Don’t you think we should just get the obvious over with?” What could she say? She’d never claimed to be subtle.
    He placed his wine glass down on the bar and moved away. As disappointment mounted inside her she was shocked to see him walk around the end of the bar and come toward her. Swiveling on the stool to watch him as he approached the only way she could think to describe the way he was watching her was, hungry. He looked at her like a starved man would a meal. Stopping so close to her that she could feel the fabric from his pants brush her knees he reached out and gripped the bar’s edge with one hand and tried for a casual pose. It didn’t work. He looked as tense as she felt. “And what Lena, is the obvious?”
    Swallowing and placing her hands in her lap she straightened up and answered him the way he’d told her, honestly. “The first kiss, you know? The awkward one. The one where..” she trailed off abruptly because he’d moved his hand and it was now gently squeezing her bare knee that was crossed over the other. Looking down at it then back at him she was mesmerized by his eyes which were now close to incinerating her they were burning so hot.
    “You think our first kiss will be awkward?”
    “Ahhh..” she stammered a little because he was now stroking circles around her knee cap. “Stop.” she said softly.
    “Stop?” he questioned and stepped closer until she had to uncross her legs to sit taller. His hard thighs were now pressed to her bare knees and his fingers were