imagined. Almost too fast.
But he couldn’t say no and live to look himself in the mirror again. A gorgeous woman was inviting him to her hotel. What guy on the planet could turn her down?
“Sure,” he said. “I’m cool.”
“I sense some apprehension, Andrew. Are you man enough for me? Or do I have to go back inside that club and pick up one of those Latino hunks who isn’t afraid of what I have to offer?”
“Where are you staying?” He threw the car into gear.
She laughed softly. “That’s my boy. I’m staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead. Across the street from Lenox Square.”
“I know where that is. Hang tight.”
As he drove, she kneaded his leg. He played in her hair.
But uneasiness continued to simmer in his stomach. He wasn’t the kind of guy who routinely slept with a woman on the first date. He liked to take his time and get to know a girl. Sex was more fulfilling with a woman with whom he’d established a meaningful emotional connection.
His take-it-slow philosophy, unusual among many of his buddies, also had prevented a lot of the messy drama that some of his boys always wound up in. He valued neatness and stability, in all aspects of his life.
If there was one lesson his mom had mercilessly drilled into him, it was: if you’re man enough to lie down with a lady, you better be man enough to raise her baby. She’d damn near had him terrified to have sex. He was a freshman in college before he lost his virginity, an age so much later than his friends that it had been too embarrassing to admit. As time passed, he still preferred to move slowly to the bedroom.
But Mika had changed his game plan. His attraction to her was nearly overwhelming. Her aggressiveness only made matters more challenging.
Nevertheless, the smart thing to do was to slow down. Take a little more time getting to know her. He’d only met her this morning. Their conversation had been great, and the date was going wonderfully, but he didn’t know her. Not really. The one thing he did know was that once a woman shared her body with you, you quickly became introduced to a more intimate side of her, which usually was good. But if she flipped the script and got crazy on you, it could be disastrous.
They arrived at the hotel. He cruised underneath the porte cochere, and stopped. A valet hurried to the car.
Take it slow, man. You’re rushing this.
He looked at her, at her soft, full lips. He remembered the rapturous sensation of those lips on him, sucking, kissing.
The valet waited beside his door. “Sir?”
Slow down, or you’ll regret it later.
Most times, it was wise to heed that quiet voice of conscience. But he felt good, overall, about Mika, about where this budding relationship might be headed. They had a powerful, mutual attraction. Fantastic chemistry. He wasn’t going to back out of this situation and ruin a great thing, based solely on a voice in his head.
He opened the door.
In the hotel lobby, a doorman nodded at them. “Good evening.”
“Hi, there,” Mika said cheerfully. She led Andrew to the bank of elevators.
The quiet lobby was opulently furnished. Regency and Georgian antique furniture. Crystal chandeliers. Marble tables. Eighteenth-century English paintings and sculptures.
“Nice place,” he said.
She shrugged, as if the sumptuous surroundings were no more remarkable than those found at a Days Inn. The nonchalance of someone accustomed to affluence.
An elevator beeped open. The car was empty.
“Go,” she said.
“Huh?” He frowned at her commanding tone.
She put her hand on his back and shoved him inside. He stumbled against the back wall.
She stabbed the button for the seventh floor. The doors slid shut, and the car began to ascend.
“You didn’t have to push me,” he said.
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Seizing his arms, she crushed her lips against his. He opened his mouth, and her tongue darted in, teasingly. Her lips tasted of sweet wine.
He ran his hands
But he couldn’t say no and live to look himself in the mirror again. A gorgeous woman was inviting him to her hotel. What guy on the planet could turn her down?
“Sure,” he said. “I’m cool.”
“I sense some apprehension, Andrew. Are you man enough for me? Or do I have to go back inside that club and pick up one of those Latino hunks who isn’t afraid of what I have to offer?”
“Where are you staying?” He threw the car into gear.
She laughed softly. “That’s my boy. I’m staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead. Across the street from Lenox Square.”
“I know where that is. Hang tight.”
As he drove, she kneaded his leg. He played in her hair.
But uneasiness continued to simmer in his stomach. He wasn’t the kind of guy who routinely slept with a woman on the first date. He liked to take his time and get to know a girl. Sex was more fulfilling with a woman with whom he’d established a meaningful emotional connection.
His take-it-slow philosophy, unusual among many of his buddies, also had prevented a lot of the messy drama that some of his boys always wound up in. He valued neatness and stability, in all aspects of his life.
If there was one lesson his mom had mercilessly drilled into him, it was: if you’re man enough to lie down with a lady, you better be man enough to raise her baby. She’d damn near had him terrified to have sex. He was a freshman in college before he lost his virginity, an age so much later than his friends that it had been too embarrassing to admit. As time passed, he still preferred to move slowly to the bedroom.
But Mika had changed his game plan. His attraction to her was nearly overwhelming. Her aggressiveness only made matters more challenging.
Nevertheless, the smart thing to do was to slow down. Take a little more time getting to know her. He’d only met her this morning. Their conversation had been great, and the date was going wonderfully, but he didn’t know her. Not really. The one thing he did know was that once a woman shared her body with you, you quickly became introduced to a more intimate side of her, which usually was good. But if she flipped the script and got crazy on you, it could be disastrous.
They arrived at the hotel. He cruised underneath the porte cochere, and stopped. A valet hurried to the car.
Take it slow, man. You’re rushing this.
He looked at her, at her soft, full lips. He remembered the rapturous sensation of those lips on him, sucking, kissing.
The valet waited beside his door. “Sir?”
Slow down, or you’ll regret it later.
Most times, it was wise to heed that quiet voice of conscience. But he felt good, overall, about Mika, about where this budding relationship might be headed. They had a powerful, mutual attraction. Fantastic chemistry. He wasn’t going to back out of this situation and ruin a great thing, based solely on a voice in his head.
He opened the door.
In the hotel lobby, a doorman nodded at them. “Good evening.”
“Hi, there,” Mika said cheerfully. She led Andrew to the bank of elevators.
The quiet lobby was opulently furnished. Regency and Georgian antique furniture. Crystal chandeliers. Marble tables. Eighteenth-century English paintings and sculptures.
“Nice place,” he said.
She shrugged, as if the sumptuous surroundings were no more remarkable than those found at a Days Inn. The nonchalance of someone accustomed to affluence.
An elevator beeped open. The car was empty.
“Go,” she said.
“Huh?” He frowned at her commanding tone.
She put her hand on his back and shoved him inside. He stumbled against the back wall.
She stabbed the button for the seventh floor. The doors slid shut, and the car began to ascend.
“You didn’t have to push me,” he said.
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Seizing his arms, she crushed her lips against his. He opened his mouth, and her tongue darted in, teasingly. Her lips tasted of sweet wine.
He ran his hands
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