“Would you just shut up already,” she scolded. “Did you see yourself in the mirror before you left?”
“Yeah,” I moaned. I knew what was coming. Ishara was six years older than me. Having lived on her own since her parents split when she turned seventeen, she possessed the confidence of a lioness that didn’t hesitate to let people know she’d entered the building. “I wish I had half your beauty—”
Her impatience came through in the form of a string of curses before she calmed down. “Babe, half the secret to being attractive is self-confidence—”
“And I suck at it,” I groaned.
“No. You’re fucking gorgeous, you just don’t see it.” She let out a long-drawn-out sigh. “Need I remind you why you’re doing this? Would you prefer I paint a big red sign on your back that says cock wanted?” she mocked.
I exhaled on a frustrated breath. “No.” I needed to do this. It was the only way to safeguard against my father’s plans.
“If it’s any consolation, I didn’t want Rex to set you up with this date because I sort of thought Jake wasn’t good-looking enough for you. Plus, he’s the quiet type, not pushy, according to Rex. I figured he’d be perfect for your...um...needs, so to speak.”
I snorted out a laugh. “Well tell that to the hunk of pheromones sitting at the bar. Even my freaking feet are sweating from the heat he radiates.”
“Wait, are we talking about the same Jake?”
“You saw him so you should know.” I bit the corner of my lip. Despite our short intro, something told me that the man sitting at the bar andnot pushydidn’t fit in the same sentence. He looked like a man who didn’t demand, he took.
“Just go back, babe.” Ishara coaxed. I could hear her boyfriend say something in the background. “I’m sure he’s recovered by now and anyway, Rex says Jakes’s a down-to-earth guy, he’ll take your behavior in stride. Trust me.”
I shook my head then realizing she couldn’t see me, I slapped a hand to my brow. “Please, Shara. Call him and postpone.”
“Stop being a fucking prude, Ria,” she scolded.
“Fine,” I huffed. “If he’s not there when I walk out, I’m coming home.”
“If you do, you’re on kitchen duty every time you come over,” she warned.
“Whatever.” I disconnected the call, raked a hand through my hair, and opened the stall door. When I walked out of the bathroom, I glanced toward the bar and let out a silent whoop. My date had ducked too. Drawing in a sigh of relief, I strolled toward the exit. Outside, I inhaled deeply, shouldered my purse, and headed for my car parked on the side of the building.
“I can help if you want.”
The deep drawl startled me, and I spun around.Shit.My hot-bod blind date leaned against a pillar with an air of lazy masculinity that would no doubt attract even the freaking fireflies out of a forest. His head cocked to one side, he studied me for a second. Now that he was standing, I put him at six foot two or maybe three, I couldn’t be certain, and his build, even more, imposing and downright sexy. His crossed arms exposed a bulk of muscles that could lift me easily—
“With the shagging I mean,” his husky suggestion railroaded my thoughts, the level of sexy arrogance fascinated me, stirring up emotions of excitement and unease.
Ishara mentioned Jake was in his early twenties, yet the man looking at me now appeared older, mature. Beneath his languid façade lurked an undisguised ruggedness, that was both mesmerizing and menacing. Like my mother always said, ‘sometimes women are a lot more attracted to danger than they’re willing to admit.’ My skin prickled. I looked away, willing the disturbing emotions within my heated body to subside.
“Still thinking?” He pushed off the pillar.
I glanced at him. His eyes stayed on my mouth, watching me moisten my parched lips. God, the man was a ticking sex bomb and I so wanted to hit that detonator. He smiled and my insides melted. My heart fluttered so fast, I barely resisted lifting a hand to massage calm into it. The gentle evening breeze blew my hair across my face. My breath stalled when he took a step closer and tucked the brownish strands behind my ear. The soft touch burned like the tiniest licks of a flame, sparking a cadence of electric charges I fought to understand.
“Damn, you’re beautiful.” Eyes the color of liquid honey roved over my face.
“I could say the same about you,” I mumbled.
His throaty laugh caressed my skin, like a silken feather. “And so refreshingly uninhibited.Ca o zâna.”
Uninhibited?If he only knew. I frowned. “What do those words mean?”
“Like a fairy. Unbelievable but a breathtaking sight to behold,” he replied, his tongue trailing a slow path along his bottom lip as he inched closer.
I shivered, forgetting to ask him what language he’d just spoken or why he equated me to a fairy. My body was on complete meltdown from trying to act normal like his proximity did nothing. I failed. Suddenly, I didn’t care how careless my behavior would seem. I wanted to be brash and go with the mood. Forget the rules and moral dictations I’d adhered to, my entire life. For once, I wanted to be free with my mind, my heart, and my body. Risk be damned. All I wanted was to feel his hard body against mine, his cock deep inside me, filling me with that guilty pleasure Ishara talked about. Living a wild fantasy of sex with a stranger.
As if he sensed my surrender, one dark brow lifted, his confident gaze holding me in its grip. Slipping his hands into his pants pockets, he took a step forward and without thinking, I stepped back. He took another and I did the same. Every instinct told me to fear him, to put up my hands and tell him to stay back. Strangely, I couldn’t or didn’t want to. Our eyes locked, we carried on that toe-to-toe tango until the cool feel of metal against the back of my thighs broke his hypnotic hold on me. Still, I couldn’t look away and I didn’t know if I wanted to. My mother always warned me to be cautious, to be wary of strangers. Yet, watching this man watch me, I stupidly wanted to know what he saw when he looked at me, what he thought of me, what ideas sprang to that no doubt handsome mind. Attending an all-girls school, I hardly met boys my age and while I wasn’t sure what to look for or what I saw when I looked at him, I was certain that our reaction to each other wasn’t the norm. It was more than simple interest, a powerful magnetism I wouldn’t even attempt describing.
A muffled sound somewhere in the distance, had me glancing over my shoulder, taking in the sleek sports car at my rear. Light from the streetlamp bounced off the titanium coat. Before I had a chance to compliment the vehicle’s beauty, his hands fell to my hips, the grip tight, yet not unpleasant. Instant heat from his palms seeped through my dress, skating down to my core in one quick slide. Spicy cologne tinged with hints of spice and musk, usurped the night air stealing the limelight of the ocean freshness around us. Then his hard body pressed me against the car, every rigid muscle melding with my body. I couldn’t mute the soft groan when he moved, his rigid cock nudging my stomach. My legs buckled. If it weren’t for his large frame keeping me up, I would’ve dropped to the ground in a hot mess.
