I suppressed a shiver.Sweetheart.Pet names usually made me roll my eyes. Not that I was ever with a man long enough for him to feel comfortable calling me a pet name; but in general, men calling me baby, or babe, was a major red flag. I hated being infantilized. It was on a par with older men calling youdear.It’s often used to keep you on a different level than them. And if a man ever called me baby in bed, it was a sure-fire way to make me drier than the Sahara. Yet this broad chested, sexy-as-sin man had called me sweetheart three times, and I hadn’t felt the urge to castrate him.
A horrifying, uncharacteristic desire to hear him mumble that word all over my body as he thrust into me had my cheeks flushing and thighs clenching.
The lust must have been written all over my face, because a slow, sexy smirk pulled on his lips. His hand inched closer, tracing his thumb in maddeningly unhurried circles on my waist. My pulse quickened.
‘You want to get dinner sometime?’
His question caught me off guard. I blinked a few times as the fireworks sparking in my veins did their best to stay alight.
Wetting my lips, I said, ‘Why would we go out for dinner?’
Yeah, the instant furrowing of his brow was warranted. I’m sure most people considered being asked out on a date with a sexy giant to be the equivalent of striking gold.
‘Uh, to eat,’ he said with a smirk, like I was odd. ‘To get to know each other.’
‘We are getting to know each other.’ I trailed a finger down the white buttons of his shirt. His eyes didn’t detach from mine as he stared at me curiously. ‘And we could continue to get to know each other, back at my flat. Unless you’re not into orgasms.’
Humour pulled at his features. ‘Are you always this blunt?’
‘Yes.’ No point in sugar-coating it. Plus, if all went to plan, I wouldn’t be seeing this guy after tonight, so I didn’t feel the need to endear myself to him. Something twisted in my stomach at the thought of not seeing him again. But that was probably the shots we’d done earlier.
‘I’m not really into one-night stands,’ he mumbled, popping the bubble of hope that had the audacity to swell under his heated gaze. ‘But I’d happily lose every game of pool for the rest of my life if you’d agree to dinner.’
Heaving a sigh, my shoulders sagged. I patted his firm chest. ‘Oh, what might have been.’
His brows raised at my dismissal. ‘You don’t eat dinner?’
‘Not with men.’ Those full, soft lips opened, ready to ask one of the many questions I saw whirring behind his eyes. I pressed a finger to his mouth. ‘You sure you don’t want to accept my offer?’
‘Not until you accept mine.’ A warm hand circled my arm. He pressed a soft kiss to my inner wrist, pulling my hand away.
‘You’re making this a lot harder than it needs to be,’ I huffed. My petulance could be blamed on Drunk Rosie. She got a tad bitchy when denied the mind-altering orgasms this man promised with his easy confidence.
The warmth that softened his features, as if he found me adorable, had my brows pinching.
‘You’re not following the script.’ I swatted his chest, leaving my fingers to tangle in the material of his shirt.
‘What script?’
‘Okay, if I must ruin the illusion for you.’ I rolled my eyes like I was performing a great service. ‘Here’s how it usually goes.’ I pulled my fingers from his chest and ticked them off as I went. ‘I flirt with you, and my utter sexiness lures you in.’
‘I can tick that one off for you right now,’ George interrupted, pushing down one of my fingers. My skin warmed under his touch, feeling an electric current between us before he pulled back with a grin.
‘Then I push my tits or arse, depending on what kind of guy you are, in your direction, and you lose your mind with all kinds of dirty thoughts.’
He took over, slotting another one of my fingers down.
‘Then I say something flattering and you take that as your cue to ask me if we’d like to get out of here.’
His hand hovered over mine, ready to push another finger down. Only when I finished speaking, his hand lowered to rest on my hip.
‘Ah, so I’ve put a dent in your plan.’
I sighed dramatically. ‘Big one.’
‘Wanna hear about my plan?’
‘Only if it involves us naked.’
