Page 11 of Blood Money

“You sound surprised.” He splayed his hand wider at the small of her back, tugging her even closer, and she didn’t resist.

She linked both her hands around his neck, and her breasts pressed more firmly against him. “I just mean that most men aren’t that comfortable slow dancing, but you have really good rhythm. You know just when to push, and when to pull back.”

That sounds like something a woman says to a guy about his prowess between the sheets.

“I’ve had lots of practice.” He grinned, feeling reasonably certain that she had no idea of just how much sexual innuendo could be perceived from her words.

She pulled away just enough to look up at him. Her eyes narrowed and the cutest little grin curved her lips. “Are we talking about dancing?”

“You tell me.” He lowered his head to brush a brief kiss across her lips.

She uttered a tiny gasp and gave him a slightly startled look. Then she smiled and snuggled against him again, chest to chest, thigh to thigh, as if they’d been dancing this way together their entire lives.

He was about to dip down for another kiss, when he glimpsed Eduardo delivering their dinner. He really should have tipped the kid in advance to give them more time alone. With a groan, he nodded to their table. “Hungry?”

“Starved, actually.” She placed a hand on her flat belly, and Gray reluctantly led them back to their table.

Forty minutes later, after their dinner plates were cleared, Eduardo handed them dessert menus. “I hope you have room for dessert. We have many specials tonight.”

“Hmm.” Alex twisted her lips as she eyed the menu. “There are so many wonderful things I can’t decide.”

“Allow me.” Gray handed both their menus back to Eduardo. “The chocolate fondue.”

“Excellent choice, Mr. Yates.” The waiter beamed a smile. “I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with the rest of your evening here at La Rosa. I have one ready to go and will have it out in less than a minute.” Eduardo disappeared through the double doors leading to the kitchen.

“I love chocolate,” Gray said as he reached for Alex’s hand. He also discovered that he loved dancing with her and wished they were back on the dance floor so he could hold more than just her hand. “It runs in the family.”

“As family traits go, that’s not a bad one to have. Along with your twinkle toes.” She winked at him.

“Very funny, lady.”

Eduardo arrived with a large plate and a small pot perched above a flame, which he placed on the middle of the table. Surrounding the warm pot of chocolate were thin wooden skewers and piles of raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. “Enjoy,” the waiter said as he once again scurried off.

“Wow. I’m impressed.” Alex’s eyes sparkled with delight as she wasted no time in skewering a raspberry and dunking it in the chocolate.

Gray couldn’t take his eyes off her as she lifted the skewer from the pot then twisted it back and forth to catch a runny drip of chocolate before popping the berry into her mouth. When she licked her lips and moaned, another image involving her mouth came to mind, and he about choked on his tongue.

“Try one.” Alex pointed with her empty skewer to the plate. “Eduardo’s right, you won’t be disappointed.”

Yeah, no kidding.

Gray shifted in his chair to accommodate the painful pressure against the zipper of his slacks. He skewered a strawberry, dipped it into the chocolate, then into his mouth. He chewed slowly, savoring not only the rich dark chocolate and sweet fruit, but the intimacy of the moment. And damned if this night wasn’t getting even better.

“You’ve got to try a raspberry.” She jabbed her skewer into the largest of the raspberries, drenched it in more chocolate than it could possibly hold, and held it out to him.

Gray leaned in and bit the berry off the skewer. He swallowed, eyeing the thin line of chocolate dribbling down Alex’s middle finger. He gently grabbed her wrist, took the skewer from her hand, then leaned over and closed his mouth around her finger. Locking gazes with hers, he proceeded to suck off all the chocolate.

When Alex licked her lips, his heart began to pound louder than the drum section of the police marching band. Shit, but he shouldn’t have done that. He was hard as a rock. They’d have to sit there for a good ten minutes before he could stand up in public.

“My turn.” He dunked a blackberry into the chocolate then held it out for her. Anything to keep his hands busy.

Bad idea.

His eyes were drawn to her lips as she captured the berry in her mouth and daintily sucked it off the skewer.

Holy hell, I am toast.

This time, a thin line of chocolate dribbled from her bottom lip, making slow, steady progress toward her chin. He reached across the table and captured it on the tip of his finger. When he would have pulled his hand away, Alex grabbed his wrist and delicately licked the chocolate off his finger. He swallowed so loudly he heard himself gulp.