to settle back in that armchair he had upstairs and let him go to town. A favor I would return with enthusiasm.
“Should I even ask what’s in the bag? More gum?” I leaned forward on the bar, glad that I had left one extra button undone tonight. I was gratified by the way his gaze darted down and then held. My skin burned, his stare so intense that I could feel it sliding down my cleavage. Was it hot in here or was it just us?
Finally he lifted his eyes. “It’s better than gum,” he told me.
My eyebrows went up. “Better than gum? Impossible.”
He grinned at me. “Well, let’s hope this is comparable to gum,” he said and pushed the bag across the bar towards me. “For a woman who knows how to appreciate the better things in life.” Oh, I could appreciate the better things in life. I could appreciate them. All. Night. Long.
I reached for it, but his hand stopped me before I could see what was hidden in the brown wrapping. His touch made my pulse jump in my throat. Or maybe that was my stomach. Or my heart. No, I pushed that possibility aside immediately. Definitely not my heart. That was the one part of my body that was completely off limits. The rest of me, however, oh boy. He could do whatever he wanted with it. I wouldn’t put up a fight. Unless he wanted me to.
His hand was still on mine as he guided it back to the bar, next to the gift. “Wait until later,” James told me. “Let it be a surprise.” His eyes never left mine. “Do you like surprises?” he asked, the question full of possibility.
“Oh yes,” I breathed. Would anyone care if I leapt over the bar, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him upstairs? I glanced around the room, finding it full of mostly women, all of whom were not even bothering to hide their interest in James. Not that I could blame them. They might care if I mauled him in public, but I had a feeling they would totally understand.
I cast a quick glance at Maya, who was shooting me mental thumbs up from the other side of the bar.
“Think of it as an apology,” James said, drawing my attention back to him.
“An apology?”
“For my presumptiveness the other night,” his accent was intoxicating, the meaning of his words slowly puncturing the sexual haze that seemed to surround us. I didn’t understand. What was he trying to say? “I just wanted you to know that I completely understand wanting to keep our…encounter simple and uncomplicated. Limiting it to a single night is probably the most effective way to uphold that.”
WHAT? No. Wait? He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying. Was he rescinding his offer from the other night? Had he brought me a gift to soften the blow when he blew me off?
Then I saw a smile curling the corner of his mouth. He was fucking with me! I tried to be angry, but I couldn’t even muster annoyance. I supposed I deserved to be messed with a little, especially considering how I had turned him down before.
“Unless…” His hand had found its way across the bar again, his fingers now brushing against the inside of my wrist, the touch so simple and so seductive that my knees buckled. Still, I tried to keep my expression neutral. If he wanted to play games, I could play games. Hell, I was made for playing games.
“Unless?” I batted my eyes at him and his grin grew wider. He was such a fox.
“Unless you think it’s possible for two people such as ourselves to enjoy each other’s company in a casual, yet attentive fashion.”
“Hmm.” I put a finger on my chin, as if I was thinking. Then I gestured for him to come near. He leaned in, and I put my lips close to his ear. “If you’re asking if we can fuck all night and still say goodbye in the morning, the answer is yes.”
His fingers stilled against my wrist. He leaned back, his expression all hunger, all desire. I wasn’t sure that he wasn’t going to grab me and kiss me right there. But then, someone cleared their throat.
The spell was broken and we
“Should I even ask what’s in the bag? More gum?” I leaned forward on the bar, glad that I had left one extra button undone tonight. I was gratified by the way his gaze darted down and then held. My skin burned, his stare so intense that I could feel it sliding down my cleavage. Was it hot in here or was it just us?
Finally he lifted his eyes. “It’s better than gum,” he told me.
My eyebrows went up. “Better than gum? Impossible.”
He grinned at me. “Well, let’s hope this is comparable to gum,” he said and pushed the bag across the bar towards me. “For a woman who knows how to appreciate the better things in life.” Oh, I could appreciate the better things in life. I could appreciate them. All. Night. Long.
I reached for it, but his hand stopped me before I could see what was hidden in the brown wrapping. His touch made my pulse jump in my throat. Or maybe that was my stomach. Or my heart. No, I pushed that possibility aside immediately. Definitely not my heart. That was the one part of my body that was completely off limits. The rest of me, however, oh boy. He could do whatever he wanted with it. I wouldn’t put up a fight. Unless he wanted me to.
His hand was still on mine as he guided it back to the bar, next to the gift. “Wait until later,” James told me. “Let it be a surprise.” His eyes never left mine. “Do you like surprises?” he asked, the question full of possibility.
“Oh yes,” I breathed. Would anyone care if I leapt over the bar, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him upstairs? I glanced around the room, finding it full of mostly women, all of whom were not even bothering to hide their interest in James. Not that I could blame them. They might care if I mauled him in public, but I had a feeling they would totally understand.
I cast a quick glance at Maya, who was shooting me mental thumbs up from the other side of the bar.
“Think of it as an apology,” James said, drawing my attention back to him.
“An apology?”
“For my presumptiveness the other night,” his accent was intoxicating, the meaning of his words slowly puncturing the sexual haze that seemed to surround us. I didn’t understand. What was he trying to say? “I just wanted you to know that I completely understand wanting to keep our…encounter simple and uncomplicated. Limiting it to a single night is probably the most effective way to uphold that.”
WHAT? No. Wait? He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying. Was he rescinding his offer from the other night? Had he brought me a gift to soften the blow when he blew me off?
Then I saw a smile curling the corner of his mouth. He was fucking with me! I tried to be angry, but I couldn’t even muster annoyance. I supposed I deserved to be messed with a little, especially considering how I had turned him down before.
“Unless…” His hand had found its way across the bar again, his fingers now brushing against the inside of my wrist, the touch so simple and so seductive that my knees buckled. Still, I tried to keep my expression neutral. If he wanted to play games, I could play games. Hell, I was made for playing games.
“Unless?” I batted my eyes at him and his grin grew wider. He was such a fox.
“Unless you think it’s possible for two people such as ourselves to enjoy each other’s company in a casual, yet attentive fashion.”
“Hmm.” I put a finger on my chin, as if I was thinking. Then I gestured for him to come near. He leaned in, and I put my lips close to his ear. “If you’re asking if we can fuck all night and still say goodbye in the morning, the answer is yes.”
His fingers stilled against my wrist. He leaned back, his expression all hunger, all desire. I wasn’t sure that he wasn’t going to grab me and kiss me right there. But then, someone cleared their throat.
The spell was broken and we
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