“Reading.”
She arched an eyebrow and then seemed to think better of it, shifting away from judgment to curiosity. “What are you reading?”
There were many things about Charlotte that intrigued me, but her curiosity hit the top of my list. I loved the way I could see her puzzling things out. The way she’d watched me mix her drink. The questions she’d asked about the gin. I loved the way her mind always seemed to be working, and I’d fucking love to see what it was like to get her out of her head. To have her just taste. Feel.
“Harkness.Discovery of Witches. Or, rather,Shadow of Night, the second book in the trilogy.”
“The vampire-witch thing they made into a TV series?”
I could have told her I was reading actuarial tables, and I think she’d be less surprised.
“The very one.” I was used to people judging my taste in books. Ben gave me shit about it on a regular basis. Erik was the only one who didn’t seem to think there wasanything odd about my reading list, but I think that had more to do with his attraction to time travel romance than it had to do with me. I didn’t care. Vampires, when imagined right, were the ultimate sensualists. We were kindred spirits.
“I only saw the first episode, but it was gorgeous. Are the books good? I mean, of course they’re good. You wouldn’t be reading the second one if they weren’t.”
It was the first time she sounded unsure of herself, and I wondered if it was me or the books. Did Charlotte have a thing for vampires? She wouldn’t be the first or even the millionth woman to get excited by the idea of being at the mercy of a powerful creature who literally needed her lifeblood to survive. Who got excited at the very taste of her.
“They’re brilliant. A thousand times better than the TV series. Although I liked that too.”
“I’ll have to try them.”
I couldn’t tell if she meant the words or not, and it reminded me of something else she’d said.
“Why did you tell the dumbass you were an interior designer?” I still liked that she told me the truth, even if it was because she didn’t care about impressing me. I liked that later we’d already have that honesty between us. I was maybe counting on there being a later more than made sense at the moment.
“I’m pretty sure you can figure that out. When I lead with divorce attorney, one of two things happens. Either the guy tells me the intricate details of his divorce and wants free advice, or he’s so intimidated by what I do, he gets out as soon as he can. It just got easier not to tell them in the first place. It’s not like they stick around long enough for them to figure it out anyway.” She said it as if it were a matter-of-fact thing, but her eyes looked guarded, as if she were steeling herself against something.
“I don’t think it’s intimidating. I don’t know you, and I can already believe you’re brilliant. You see everything going on around you and ask smart questions. I imagine you put those powers of observation to work for your clients. That is something to be admired. Not hidden from men too stupid or weak to appreciate you.”
She blinked, and I had a feeling I’d managed to do something not many could lay claim to. I got Charlotte to pause and re-evaluate. Which honestly wasn’t much of an accomplishment, because I hadn’t done more than tell her the truth.
I waited to see if she’d comment. She picked up her glass and took a sizeable sip of gin, holding it in her mouth for a moment before swallowing. She’d taste the hit of bittersand the burn of the alcohol, followed by the juniper and hint of briny olive. I loved knowing what she was tasting and watching the experience play across her face. It was more than compensation for her unwillingness to talk about why she lied to other men. Because if they couldn’t see her for the queen she was, they were just pawns in someone else’s game.
“So does your love of the paranormal stretch to other books? Did you readTwilight?” She smiled at me—the real smile with just a hint of mischief.
It was another expression I could get used to.
“I did. All three of them. Classic Beauty and the Beast trope with the extra ‘nobody puts Baby in the corner’ thing.”
She laughed and swallowed quickly to avoid choking. “Dirty Dancingtoo?”
I tipped my head in acknowledgment. I liked surprising Charlotte. More than made sense.
“And did you like them?” she asked, the assessing gleam back in her eye.
“Like, yes. Love, no. They were quick reads, and I understand the appeal of the universal theme. I like my vampires with a little less sparkle.” I liked my vampires with a lot more sensuality and grown-up-surrender-to-me sex, but I didn’t want to lead with that.
Sex wasn’t the way to get what I wanted from Charlotte. I was pretty sure she had no problem with the idea of a quick hookup. Dumbass wouldn’t have gotten as close as he had if she did. And the comment about her profession and the guys sticking around led me to believe the emphasis was on the quick. A single evening, orgasms all around, and out her door: her choice as much as theirs.
I loved a quick fuck. Hands above her head, back pressed against the wall, legs wrapped around my waist with her panties shoved to the side because neither of us could wait the few moments it took to get naked. But I fucking adored the slow burn, layer after layer of pleasure, each touch waking nerves, building the fire higher and all the time in the world to blaze into ashes.
It was too soon to tell, but I had a feeling that wasn’t something Charlotte normally indulged in. I wanted to be the one to take her there, to watch her lose herself in pleasure.
“What about you?” I schooled my face, hoping my eagerness didn’t show. You could learn a lot about a person by the stories they read. I wanted to learn everything I could about Charlotte.
“Some paranormal. I’ve readTwilight—liked, not loved—andOutlander—loved.Anything by Jenny Crusie, Sylvia Day, Julie Kenner, Lisa Kleypas, and of course Nora Roberts. Too many others to mention.” She took another sip of her drink before fishing out one of the olives with a perfectly manicured fingertip.
I watched, almost hypnotized, as she bit through the salty flesh, her eyes drifting shut in pleasure as the creamy blue cheese hit her tongue.Jesus. I’d never fully appreciated that the olives were too big to eat in one bite before. I’d never take it for granted again.
