Shane had every intention of being a gentleman when Alyssa showed up. Pull out her chair, buy her a drink, make some sort of conversation that didn’t involve telling her how badly he wanted to fuck her. He may have been rough around the edges and more than a little direct, but he wasn’t an asshole.
All those good intentions went out the window when she came in through that door. Staring at her, watching her cross the restaurant, he just couldn’t fucking move. She’d looked good at the wedding, not to mention naked on the hotel bed, but Alyssa was born to wear a little black dress.
Her hair was no longer tied up, instead tumbling over her shoulders the way it had when he’d arrived at the hotel, and his fingers tingled at the thought of tangling in those curls again. The dress covered more of her chest than her bridesmaid’s dress had, but he liked that look. Only the faintest hint of cleavage, with the wide straps drawing his attention to her collarbones.
It was her legs that got him, though. Shane loved every part of a woman, but he was a shameless leg man, and Alyssa’s had him coming unglued. And black nylons. Fuck. Had someone tipped her off about how to push all his buttons? Nothing tantalized like a sheer layer of black under a skirt that short on legs that long.
His tie was suddenly much too tight. He could barely breathe and resisted the urge to loosen the damned thing.
Their eyes met as she strode across the room on those suicidal heels.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” she said when she was within earshot.
Oh, you’re well worth the wait.
“Not long at all.” He stood and put a hand on her waist, and as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, he murmured, “That said, it’s just as well there’s decency laws in this city.”
She raised a pencil-thin eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
He grinned. “Because then I have a reason not to bend you over this table and fuck you.”
The tiniest catch of her breath made his pulse jump, and when she returned the grin, he decided now was a good time to take their seats before those decency laws became an issue.
As he pulled her chair out, she whispered, “Is that a not so gentlemanly way of saying this dinner is just foreplay?”
This time it was his breath that caught. She gave him a triumphant smirk, and made a slow, demure gesture of easing into the chair he’d pulled out.
He gathered her long hair and laid it over her shoulder as he leaned down to whisper, “I recommend going easy on the wine tonight.” He kissed between the thin black strap and the base of her neck. “I want you sober so you remember everything.”
Another faint catch.
“Every little detail,” he added. Another soft kiss on her skin, and then he went back around to the other side of the table. He sat across from her and took a deep swallow of ice water. Which didn’t help at all. Not when he met her eyes, and saw a gleam in them that dared him to blow off dinner altogether and get the hell out of here. Or the way her face and neck were ever so slightly flushed.
He set his glass down. “So I’m guessing you aren’t interested in catching a movie after dinner?”
“Not unless it’s a pay-per-view porno in a hotel room.”
He almost choked.
Alyssa grinned. She reached for her own water glass and narrowed her eyes slightly, as if to say two can play at this game, my friend.
He took another drink to cool himself down. “So you said you like it kinky.” He leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. “Besides playing with my belt, how kinky are we talking?”
“Well, I tend to think sex isn’t worth having if the sheets survive intact.”
Shane gulped.
Alyssa smiled, batting her eyes. “I seem to have your attention, don’t I?”
“Oh yes. You definitely do.”
“Good.” She licked her lips. “Well, let’s put it this way.” She leaned forward, her gaze drilling right into him and making his body temperature soar. “Sometimes I like a guy to play the Dom. And sometimes, I like to put him on his knees and make him beg to do whatever I want him to.”
Shane gulped again. “Is that…is that right?”
She nodded slowly, the faintest hint of a grin tugging her lips. “What about you?”
Say the word, and I’ll be on my knees right here in this—
He cleared his throat, wondering when his tie had gotten even tighter. “I, well.” He coughed again. “A little vanilla sex is fun sometimes, but I really like it crazier than that.”
“Oh, we’re definitely going to get along.”
“So what’s your favorite thing? In the bedroom, I mean?”
She pursed her lips for a moment. “I like being fucked.” She inclined her head slightly, fixing her intent gaze right on him. “I like being fucked every way. And sometimes, I even like to return the favor.” Her eyes narrowed just slightly. “If a guy can take it, that is.”
Shane gulped. “That…would be something I’ve never experienced.”
Her eyebrow arched, silently asking if he’d be game.
He shifted in his chair. “But I’m more than happy to fuck you any way you want it.”
“Good.”
“So you said you enjoy pain.” Just broaching the subject made his heart race, even though she’d made it clear she liked pain. In part because he was nervous—some women bolted at this point—and in part because the mere thought of making Alyssa cry out was enough to raise his body temperature.
The grin that spread across her lips almost turned him inside out. Then she lowered her voice and said, “Are you asking about giving or receiving?”
Oh God. Oh my fucking God.
“Don’t know. Which do you prefer?”
“Depends.” She half shrugged, the subtle motion letting her black satin bra strap peek out for a split second. “Does the man I’m with know how to dish it out, and can he take it in return?”
“Yes, and hell yes.”
This time she was the one to shiver, and when she bit her lip, Shane’s whole body tingled.
The toe of her shoe ran up the inside of his leg. He gasped, and his heart raced as her foot inched higher. Dangerously close to his erection, she rubbed her toe against his thigh. “Is something wrong, Mr. McNeill?” The most devious grin he’d ever seen spread across her lips. “You seem…flustered.”
“Nothing at all.” He slid his hand over her foot and traced the stocking-covered shape of her ankle, then her firm calf. “Just trying to decide if your mouth is that smart when I have a handful of your hair.”
Her face didn’t change, but the muscle beneath his fingertips gave her away, tensing just slightly before goose bumps pressed against her stockings.
She picked up her water glass, the ice clinking quietly and betraying that hint of unsteadiness in her hand. “Well, speaking of mouths, I hope you’re planning on putting your money where yours is.” Raising the glass to her lips, she narrowed her eyes and added, “Because I’d be very disappointed if you didn’t.”
He slid his other hand over the top of her foot. “I wouldn’t dream of disappointing you.”
“Good.” She winked.
With his free hand, he went for his water again. “You should know I don’t do this with most women.”
“What?” She grinned, pressing her toe into his thigh just enough to make his breath catch. “Feel them up under the table at a nice restaurant?”
Shane laughed, running a fingertip along the back of her calf. “Oh, I’ve been known to do things like that. But in this case, I meant”—he started back down again, just letting the edge of his nail press in through her nylons—“meeting up for this kind of sex at every opportunity.”
“Well, there’s—” Her breath caught as his nail teased above the strap on her ankle. “There’s a first time for everything, isn’t there?”
“Mmhmm.” He curved his hand over the front of her shin and slowly ran it upward. “I don’t know what it is about you, but you won’t hear me complaining.”
“L-likewise.” She closed her eyes. “God…”
“If touching your leg is turning you on this much, what’s going to happen when—” He gasped when the toe of her shoe gently traced the edge of his hard-on. Without even thinking about it, he pushed against her foot, the pressure against his dick blurring his vision.
“Looks like it goes both ways, doesn’t it?” She was as out of breath as he was. Shit.
He glanced around, scanning the groups and couples at other tables and the servers wandering in between, but nobody seemed aware that he and Alyssa were even there, never mind what they were doing to each other. The tablecloth hid his hand on her leg and her foot against his cock, and not a single soul in the restaurant could’ve known how hard he was as he traced her slim calf, or how hot her skin was beneath his fingertips.
He met her gaze again. Though it may have been the room’s dim, intimate lighting, he was sure at least some of the blush in her cheeks and throat hadn’t been there when she’d arrived. And her pupils definitely hadn’t been that big.
“You look like you’re getting a little…warm.”
“I’m…” Her eyes followed his hand as he brought it out from underneath the table, and they widened a little when he dipped his fingers into this water glass. As he fished out an ice cube, her lips parted.
As his hand went back under the table, Alyssa exhaled. He touched the ice just above her ankle, and she hissed sharply, straightening in her seat. Her leg tensed, but she didn’t pull away.
“Figured I should cool you down,” he whispered, sliding the ice along the curve of her calf. “So I can get you hot all over again.”
Alyssa whimpered so softly, he barely heard her. “I’d call you a tease if I didn’t think you’d follow through.”
“You know I’ll follow through.”
“Mmhmm. I know you will.” She squirmed, biting her lip again. “And you should know I’m kind of thinking I could skip dinner.”
“Oh really?” Shane grinned, sliding the ice along the back of her calf. “I can’t say I’m all that hungry for anything on the restaurant’s menu.” What the hell had gotten into him? He’d had every intention of wining and dining her, not out of any need for romance, but to get her worked up and turned on before he took her to bed. He enjoyed seductive games. The thrill of the hunt.
But not with her. Like no other woman before her, Alyssa brought out a hunger in him that didn’t like to wait. If there was one thing he was absolutely certain of in that moment, it was that he didn’t dare go near her without at least one condom in his pocket, because there was no telling when he’d have to have her right here, right now.
And goddammit, he did need her right here, right now. Forget the thrill of the hunt—he wanted her body, her pussy, her. Now. How the fuck was he going to make it through dinner without going up in flames?
He traced her Achilles’ tendon with the ice. “Hmm. This is melting. If I keep this up, someone’s going to be all wet.”
Judging by the way she squirmed and fought to keep a poker face, he was pretty sure the “wet” ship had already sailed. Perfect.
He set what was left of the ice on the edge of his plate and dried his hand on his napkin. “Maybe we should get out of here.”
She leaned forward, clasping her hands beneath her chin. “Don’t you want to have a look at the dessert menu?”
“No.” He leaned closer and whispered just loud enough for her to hear, “I already know what I want.”
She flashed a mouthwatering grin. “Then let’s get out of here before they have to call the fire department.”
God, yes.
He flagged down the waiter to pay for his drink. “Check, please.” Then he turned to her again. “I took the liberty of renting a room a few blocks away,” he whispered. “Any chance I could talk you into—”
“Why aren’t we there already?”
Holy fuck.
Shane swallowed. “Let’s go”