“All right then. And who is the lucky cock? And if I have to ask, I think I already know who you’re going to choose.”
“Well, by process of elimination, I’ve narrowed my potential conquest list down to one man. Drum roll,” I say, and Raya, sitting on her bed, slaps her thigh.
“Tony Amato.”
“I knew it,” Raya shouts. “But—”
“No buts. Oh, maybe butts will be involved. I don’t know yet.”
“And how, pray tell, are you going to seduce Tony Amato when he hasn’t even kissed you yet?”
“Easy. I’m going to come down his chimney.”
“Oh, that’s an interesting euphemism.”
“Huh? Oh.Oh. Well yes, I’m going to come down his chimney, then I’m going to come down on hischimney.” I raise my eyebrows, knowing full well I look like an idiot instead of some flirty seductress.
I should write that down, though: I want to come down your chimney, Tony. I need an arsenal of flirt lines if I want this to work.
“Okay, but for real, how?” Raya asks.
“I’m just going to show up at his penthouse.”
Chapter Two
Starling
Everything about my plan just falls into place like a dream.
“The last time I spoke to Tony,” I continue, “he told me he had a work dinner, which means he’ll be away from his apartment. That gives me a chance to get in and surprise him when he gets back. Happy Christmas. It’s so freaking perfect.”
“Starling, you’re a scientist, not a stealth ninja. You can’t break into his apartment; you’ll get arrested—”
“Who said anything about breaking in?” I ask mischievously. “I have no idea how we got onto this subject, but he once told me his family uses the code 'gli dei' for nearly everything. I asked him if that means I can get into his apartment if I use 'gli dei,' and he said yes, but after I press the letters, I’d have to hit the pound key for three seconds and then enter the numbers again, and I’ll be in.”
“I’m sure he trusted you not to break into his apartment.”
“I’m not going to steal anything… He’s going to give me ‘stuff’ willingly. It’s different, okay? I’m going to surprise him in my little temptress outfit, which I still need to buy, and he won’t be able to keep his hands off me. Trust me.”
If I want to know what it really feels like to have sex so wild that I won’t be able to walk straight for the next few days, Tony is my guy.
He’s gorgeous, smells nice, and at our first encounter at a mutual friend’s party, he caught me before I fell face-first to the floor. Textbook romance in the making. He’s my hero.
Then he looked at me with those sexy eyes and asked if I was okay, and my heart just went thud, thud, thud.
“You’ve had coffee with him countless times already, and you said he didn’t even try to kiss you, remember?”
“That’s because coffee is boring. It doesn’t lead to lip-locking or lower body entanglements. He doesn’t want the niceties. He wants to bang. I know guys like him.”
“Girl, you’re as clueless as I am about what guys like him want.”
“Trust me, I know a little.”
“You know what? Go get yours. You deserve it. I’m all in for you,” Raya says. “And if I didn’t know Tony was already a nice guy, I wouldn’t let you do this.”
“You love me.”
“You give me gray hair, and I’m only twenty-three,” Raya laughs. “So what happens now in your scheme to un-virgin yourself all over Tony’s goodies and before you get engaged?”
