“Keep your cool, girl,” Kelly murmured next to her. “You’re good at this game. Play it.”
Going deep into her resources, Hunter put her tried-and-true “I don’t give a damn” face on. In that moment, the couple perched on their stools requested another round, and she got busy with work.
The universe, however, had a strange sense of humor. As she strained the lemon drop martinis into their respective glasses, Aaron Miller made an inopportune and noisy entrance.
“I’m here.” He shifted on his feet as heads turned his way. “Sweet cheeks!” Everyone, including Joe, flipped her way.
“Fuck. Why me?” She sighed, closing her eyes.
Rinsing glasses, Kelly murmured, “You’re being tested, girl.”
“He’s not going to ask. Not with Aaron hanging around my neck,” she choked out.
“My sincere advice, Hunter? Resolve the Aaron situation before you start anything new. Make sure it’s all squared away.”
“Wise counsel.”
Hunter raised a defiant chin to both Aaron and Joe. Aaron, shuffling a bit unsteadily, didn’t read it. Joe tilted his head, acknowledging her. But then a lady at his table giggled and held his arm, and he broke eye contact with Hunter.
Fine. If that’s how it is, you’ll have to beg me.
Aaron, a huge grin on his face, made it to the bar at the same time a customer left his stool. He hopped on it right away. “Hello, there.”
She frowned. “I’m not serving you.”
“Geez, I only said hello.” Sadness clouded his smile. “Can’t we be friends?”
“Friend, yes.” She narrowed her eyes. “Nothing else.”
“Awesome. May I have a light beer?”
“Of course, as soon as you have a full glass of water.” Hunter drummed her fingernails on the bar top. “Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it.” The grin returned.
By the time she returned, Mark stood behind Aaron.
“Hey, Mark,” she said. “I didn’t see you come in.”
Mark gave a half shrug. “I dropped off Aaron while I parked. I’ll have whatever he’s having.”
Hunter chuckled. “A glass of water?”
“Hell, no. Bud light?”
“Right away.”
She swept past the freezer and took out a frosty mug. She worked the tap while tilting the mug to avoid a thick head and walked back. As she came around, she stopped in her tracks. Joe had joined Mark and Aaron at the bar.
Oh my. This could get ugly.
Readjusting her “I don’t give a damn” face, she moved past Joe. “Here you go, Mark. Open a tab?”
“Yes. Thank you, Hunter.”
“Sure.” She returned to the register, rang the beverage, and saved the ticket. Slowly, she addressed Joe. “And what can I get you?” She kept her tone extra soft.
Joe crossed his hands on the countertop as the tip of his tongue moistened his lower lip. Her stomach vaulted with excitement. Somehow she held on to her control.
“No beverage for me. I came for the answer to my question.”
Sitting next to Joe’s right, Aaron glowered. Joe didn’t react, just focused on her.
Aaron wouldn’t be ignored.
“Mark, who’s this guy?”
Hunter glanced from Aaron to Joe.
Frowning, he leaned closer to Joe.
“Dude, don’t I know you?”
Ice formed on Joe’s expression. His left iris gleamed clear blue. “One, I’m not ‘dude,’ nor are we buddies.” His words sliced the air. “Two. My name is Joe, if you care to use it.” He swiveled on his stool, facing Aaron. “Three. I’m speaking to the lady. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Listen, Aaron. Are you still interested in my dad’s proposal?” Mark, reading the tension between the two men, intervened.
Hunter could have kissed him.
“Your dad’s… Oh yeah, sure I’m interested.” Sidetracked, Aaron answered Mark and forgot Joe and Hunter, for now.
“So.” Joe smiled as if nothing had transpired. “When are you off?”
Don’t answer. Take your time. Change topics.
“Sundays,” she murmured, hating herself.
“Great night for dinner. I’d love to take you to Bentley’s, my favorite steakhouse in Winter Park. How does that sound?”
Hunter swallowed before speaking. Her answer had to come out steady, with no hesitation. “Good.” She folded her hands behind her back to hide their tremor.
“Okay.” He tapped the countertop. “How about dinner at six thirty. Not too early and not too late. Yes? No?”
“Y-yes.”
He stood. “Plan on leaving Saint Cloud around five thirty. I’ll call you at Costa del Sol to confirm the time and get your address.”
“Sure.”
She’d been reduced to single words.
“Have a great night, Hunter. I’m looking forward to Sunday.”
“Me too.”
Joe tapped his forehead and left.
Kelly came up behind her. Her hands fell on Hunter’s shoulder. “How’d it go?”
“He… He’s taking me to dinner on Sunday.”
“Where?”
“To Bentley’s in Winter Park.” Half turning, Hunter spoke over her shoulder. “Do you know it?”
“Sure do.” Kelly nodded. “It’s been around for a long time. Best steaks in Central Florida. Elegant and expensive.”
“Oh.” Hunter rubbed her cheek. “How elegant?”
“You’ll need a dress. Something classy. Think refined, nothing too glittery or trendy. Jackets are required for men.”
“I don’t own—”
Kelly squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t trouble your heart, girl. Do you work tomorrow at Soledad’s?”
“No. I’m free.”
“We’re going shopping. And I ain’t taking no for an answer.”
Joe was pleased. The slow but steady campaign had worked, weakening Hunter’s emotional reticence. She still held on to her cool façade, but if this gave her the illusion of control, he was fine with that. Let her pretend. He saw right through her. She’d softened inside. Plus a level of eagerness and curiosity had developed.
Perfect.
In the process of revealing her unexplored submission, showing her a truth or two about herself, and all the while gaining her trust, he intended to have an enjoyable time.
The better side of him protested. This is so wrong. Remember Kurt. It’s against the code.
He silenced it.
Hunter Giordano would face judgment. Same as Billy had faced death.
CHAPTER NINE
FOLLOWING HUNTER’S DIRECTIONS, Joe followed the flagstone walkway that led from a single-story home facing the street to a small, one-person cottage tucked around the back. He rang the doorbell and waited for Hunter to greet him. He swallowed when the door swung inward, unprepared for the vision behind it. Whatever he’d imagined didn’t come close to the stunning beauty wearing a black, long-sleeve dress that hugged her every curve.
“Well, hello, gorgeous.” He’d planned to be aloof when he saw her, offer her a few complimentary words, enough to give her ego a slight boost, and to sound polite and cordial. But the surprise tripped him, and his remark came out honest and real.
“And you. So handsome.” Hunter smiled shyly.
A cold spot in his chest warmed. He had to regroup in a hurry. This wasn’t going well at all.
“Welcome. Come in.” Her green eyes, flawless emeralds in the light, gleamed. “Do you like?” Her tone was hopeful.
He nodded. “I do.”
“Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Thanks. I’m good.” He glanced around the small living area. Nothing was out of place. Either she’d cleaned up or she was naturally tidy. “So this is where you live.”
“For now.” She folded her arms before her. “I hope to move soon.”
“Where to?”
“It’s kind of a long story. I
can explain over dinner.”
“Are you moving away?” Despite the sudden worry, he kept his tone cool.
“Oh, no. I just… I need a bigger place.”
Satisfied, he smiled. “Okay, you can tell me at the restaurant.” He glanced at his watch. “We should go.”
“Right. Yes.”
She turned to pick up her purse from the table, and Joe’s brain went blank. The front of her dress covered her body from the base of her neck to her knees. The back plunged to an inch above her waist. She revealed nothing and suggested everything.
Joe struggled with the impulse to clutch the auburn hair she’d piled into an elegant twist, press her firm buttocks against his crotch as he rolled down her black dress one inch at a time, revealing her magnificent breasts. His fingers itched with the desire to graze her nipples. Make them stand firm.
His cock stirred.
Frowning, he moved to the door.
“I’m ready.” She stood at his side. Her smile faded, and she tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh-uh.” Joe shook his head. Hunter had him so fucking aroused, he could barely utter a word, and that disturbed him even more.
By the time she locked her door and joined him on the walkway, he’d regained most of his self-possession.
“After you.” He extended his open hand, then fell in step next to her. In a standard gesture for him, he almost placed his palm in the small of her back. The first warning to back off came from her soft perfume. The heat radiating from her warm skin was the second warning. He made a tight fist and dropped his arm to his side. She still had him all revved up and ready for action.
He kept a safe distance on the way to his truck, wondering how he was going to survive the long drive to Winter Park, in a closed cab, with the AC running and her scent teasing his senses.
Hunter’s raw sensuality stirred up his primal libido in ways he didn’t recognize. Maybe he was as pedestrian and governed by his most basic desires as every other weakling male Hunter had come across. And he called himself a skillful dominant. Really?
Well, here he was, about to hit the point of no return, because once he turned on the engine, he had to go forward.
Sighing stubbornly, he pressed on.
***
This was going to be an unforgettable night. It had barely begun, and Hunter already knew it. For starters, she’d never imagined that a pickup truck as badass and fierce looking as Joe’s would be so comfortable. She climbed in with his help, and the bucket seat wrapped around her in a cushioned, protective embrace. She’d seen dashboards before, but this was polished high tech in action. Joe was damned hot and so was his transportation. Both appealed to all her feminine parts. Damn. If his assured demeanor—from the way he entered a room, to the way he folded his jacket—and choice of vehicle were an indication of his sexual prowess…
Whoa, girl. Calm down.
Settling behind the steering wheel, he glanced at her with that devilish grin that seemed to know every thought and every secret in the world. “I must tell you, I’m a lucky man tonight. Ready?”
She trembled more than nodded.
“Let’s go, gorgeous.” He chuckled, fired up the ignition, and the truck took off like a wild stallion.
As Joe drove on St. Cloud’s peaceful Sunday streets, their conversation was mostly light chitchat. But as he took the on-ramp to the turnpike, his answers lessened to single words. He focused his attention on high-speed traffic and Hunter remained silent letting him concentrate. He was all business, in full command of his powerful truck—maneuvering around cars and shifting lanes in his confident masculine style that made her whole body throb. An image of Joe handling and positioning her body in the midst of a wild sexual encounter formed in her mind, and she fell into the moment: the heady scent of musk filling her nostrils, sweaty skin gliding, heated bodies clashing, pounding, incessant penetrations, murmurs demanding more…more…more… In this scene, she almost didn’t recognize herself. The dispassionate woman of clay, engaged in deviant atonement, was gone. An eager participant, anxiously waiting for Joe’s every instruction, had replaced her.
Waiting? Instructions? These were weird and frightening thoughts. She’d never desired or allowed a man to control her pleasure. Not even back in the day, when she was innocent and stupid.
In a panic, she looked out the window.
The passing landscape of date palms, wild palmetto bushes, and speeding cars distracted her a little. When Joe drove through the cobblestone streets of Winter Park, with their bordering huge oak trees and stunning mansions, any remaining anxiety was pushed aside. Hunter had arrived in fairy-tale land.
Joe stopped the truck under the restaurant’s covered porch, and a young valet rushed to open her door and help her down.
“This way.” Joe gestured toward two huge glass doors. She walked next to him, taking the full experience in.
Everything moved quickly. Joe spoke a few words with the smiling hostess, and a solicitous waiter—appearing from nowhere—ushered them through an elegant dining room. Soft sconces illuminated the cherrywood paneling, and thick carpet muted their steps. A corner booth, its table covered with pristine white linens, had been reserved for them, and when she slid into her seat, she found a long-stem red rose angled over her place setting. The waiter draped a special black napkin to prevent white lint on her lap and presented her with the menu. He repeated his actions with Joe, then bowed and disappeared.
Hunter glanced around the room. “This is beautiful.” She made a point to speak softly, same as everyone else.
Leaning an elbow on his armchair, Joe half smiled—the body language of a man in a familiar place and very much at ease. “Do you like it, then?”
“It’s gorgeous. I’m a plain girl from a simple neighborhood in Brooklyn.” She sniffed the rose. “I’ve never been anywhere this fancy before. Thank you.”
“Your happiness pleases me.”
His voice deepened. His expression became intent. His light-blue eye was a magnet demanding her full attention.
Hunter blushed but returned the stare, standing her ground.
“You’re spoiling me.” She flicked a shoulder.
What the hell… You’re flirting, you idiot!
Too late for a mental censure, she’d thrown the glove and he caught it. A satisfied grin appeared on his face. Her face grew hotter. She’d never been good at this sort of banter. He’d have her for lunch if she kept this up.
“I’m only getting warmed up.”
He walked his fingers in a playful gesture across the table. Her breath hitched when he came within an inch from her hand. But when he circled the stem of her empty water goblet and walked his fingers back, she exhaled, deflated and frustrated with herself. This was his thing: he teased, tempted, and hinted, then veered off at the last minute. She shouldn’t be surprised.
“Hmmm.” He opened the menu, studied the list of entrées, then closed it again. “Do you trust me?”
Do I?
She had no reason to trust him, but something in his expression compelled her. A second passed, and a server filled their water glasses. The sound of clinking ice cubes boomed in her ears… Her lips parted. She nodded.
“Good. I’ll order for you.” He closed the menu, studying her face. “To be safe…I’ll start you at medium. Personally, I love my beef rare. That’s the tastiest, the most tender, and the juiciest. I have a thing for juicy.”
And she would agree to anything he said. The seductive movement of his lips, his expressive eyebrows shifting, adding to or even subtracting emotion from his face, the forbidding eye patch and mysterious scars underneath, the entire combination had her in a trance.
The waiter’s arrival broke the spell. Hunter pressed the rose’s petals against her nostrils as if the pretty thing could help her float to the surface. She’d gone into deep waters and had lost her footing.
“The lady will have a glass of the Chateau Vignot. I’m driving, so I’ll have Pellegrino.
We’ll share a large bottle. Thanks, Frank”
“Right away, Mr. Reid.”
Frank left with a bow, and Joe’s attention turned to her.
“Did I guess right?”
“You did. I have wine lovers on both sides of my family.”
“Both sides?”
Sounded like a question and a statement. Before she could explain, she needed liquid. Her mouth was so dry. She lifted her glass to drink, but Joe covered the top with his palm.
“Don’t drink the tap water.” He shook his head. “I’ve ordered Pellegrino. I see your wine is coming. Have that first.”
The silent server reappeared, placed a wineglass at her fingertips, then presented the front of the bottle to Joe. He nodded in agreement. The server poured the red liquid in her goblet, bowed, and walked away. Another server appeared out of nowhere; he opened the Pellegrino, poured the bubbly water, and took off.
“Geez, this is all so ceremonial.” Hunter circled a hand, indicating the table and room. “I’m not used to such attention and pampering.”
Joe’s good eye crinkled at the edge. “Is that a problem?”
“Well, no…” She sipped the perfumed ruby liquid. Flavor burst in her mouth as a warm trail descended to her belly. “My, this is delicious.”
“The way I see it, you’re in need of attention and pampering. A woman like you deserves that and more.” Joe hadn’t moved. His body language remained the same. Yet she felt him all around her. The suggestion in his words and tone was clear. If it came from another man, she’d prepare for a full frontal assault. But with Joe…
“So are you gonna tell me?”
Lost, Hunter gaped.
The amused crinkle returned. “About your family. Where they’re from. And where are you moving to?”
Hell no, she didn’t want to go there. “That’ll take time. Shouldn’t we order first?”
“Are you in a hurry?” He folded his hands on the table.
“Well, no…” Jesus, I’m repeating myself. “Won’t they need the table? I mean, for a second sitting?”
Joe propped his chin between his upraised thumb and forefinger. “Clients are never rushed at Bentley’s, if that’s a concern for you. The food is excellent and so is the service. In fact, we could sit here until closing time. ” His tone fluctuated, firm initially, then slow and gentle. “Relax. I’m taking care of you. Appetizers are on the way. Now, what’s the deal with those pesky relatives you’re not too keen on discussing?”
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