by Weber, Tawny
Curiouser and curiouser.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he offered.
She lifted one brow and then her hand to show off her glass. The same one she’d been holding all along.
So much for reeling her in. Luke grimaced, offering an apologetic shrug. “I’m usually smoother than this.”
“Yeah? What’s got you roughing it tonight?”
Her.
There was something intriguing, almost confusing, about her. She was familiar, but he’d swear he’d never seen her before. She dressed like a modern-day version of a ’40s bombshell movie star.
And she looked at him as if she wanted to suck Jell-O shots off his body, but she wasn’t making the typical moves.
Yeah. Totally intriguing.
“Maybe I’m having an off night,” he finally said in answer to her question. “Or maybe I’m not very good with women.”
She laughed hard, then bit her lip as if trying to hold back her amusement in case it offended him. She took a deep breath and, with her smile still wide, shook her head.
“No,” she said simply.
The music changed, slowing.
Perfect.
“Dance?”
She gave him a long, probing look at odds with her sexy persona. Then, as if she’d found whatever she was searching for, she set her drink on an empty table and took his hand.
Luke led her down the steps to the glossy floor, letting the crowd push them together as he took her into his arms, his hands sliding along her slender waist.
Her hands curled into his shoulders, her nails biting for just a second. Then she smoothed them higher to cup the sides of his neck.
Luke let the music and the noise of the crowd wash over them for a minute, focusing on their bodies. Their movements were perfectly in sync. As if she could sense his timing, match his rhythm.
He wanted her.
Desire wasn’t a new feeling. But desire this intense, bordering on craving…that was unfamiliar.
“So what brings you here?” he asked, needing a distraction from the demands his body was trying to make. Demands that’d have them both naked and putting on a floor show pretty damned soon.
“Here, where? To Vegas? To the Bellagio? Or to the club?” she clarified.
“All of the above.”
“Actually, I’m here to live out a little fantasy,” she spoke so quietly that her words were almost lost in the music.
“Yeah? What kind of fantasy?”
Her eyes were endless, with lush lashes so thick they were like a fringe and so much emotion in them that Luke felt as if he were drowning.
Emotion usually made him run. But whatever was going on with Vanna had him hooked.
She wet her lips, a quick swipe of her pink tongue over that glossy red.
Luke’s temperature spiked.
Horny as hell.
“Actually, my fantasy is of a sexual nature,” she told him, a flash of nerves in her big brown eyes before her gaze locked on his mouth.
The nerves, as much as the fact that her stare was like a caress over his lips, were a major turn-on.
“You don’t say. Is this a fantasy you’d care to share?”
“Maybe. With the right guy.”
“What’s it take to qualify?” Whatever it was, he’d do it.
“Imagination, boldness and the ability to follow directions top the list,” she said. Then, as if testing the strength of the passion between them, she shifted closer so her full breasts brushed his chest. “What do you think? Are you up for the job?”
His body hitting a flame hotter than he’d ever felt with clothes on, Luke grinned at the woman in his arms.
“Babe, I’m all yours,” he promised.
“You sure? Because I have a pretty specific outline of what I want.” Her words were light and teasing, and her eyes were hot and promising. But he could feel her fingers tremble against the back of his neck.
Luke’s hands swept down, cupping her hips so his fingers could curl along the sweet curve of her ass. He pulled her closer, bringing her body flush against his.
Her breath caught, doing amazing things to the glittery fabric of her bodice. The stare she gave him was part enticement, part hope. Luke wasn’t sure which was the bigger turn-on.
“I’m pretty good at implementing plans, as long as you’re open to a little initiative on my part,” he told her.
“Hmm, what kind of initiative?” A small smile played at the corners of her mouth and her eyes danced in delight.
Figuring he’d rather speak in actions than words, Luke leaned down. His eyes never left hers as he brushed his lips in a whisper-soft caress of her mouth.
“That kind, maybe,” he said when he straightened.
She stared, her eyes glazed with passion and her lower lip trembling just a little.
Then she gave a shaky breath and shook her head as if trying to clear it.
“I’m sorry. I can barely hear you in here,” she apologized, tilting her head toward one of the speakers surrounding the glassed-in dance floor.
“You want to go somewhere else?” he suggested. “We can talk.”
Her eyes were like smoke, hazed with desire and promise. Her lips curved, full and juicy, as if begging him to take a bite.
She gave a soft moan that he felt rather than heard. Then, untwining her fingers from the back of his neck, she slid her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, her nails scraping his nipples.
Going rock hard with just the flick of those fingers, Luke almost growled.
He didn’t have to hear her giggle to know she liked his reaction. The delighted look on her face said it all.
Then, giving him a wink and a tilt of her head toward the exit, she stepped away from his body. For a second, he wanted to pull her back. He wanted her closer. Tight against him.
She took a deep breath that did more amazing things to that dress, then slid her small hand into his and led him from the floor and out of the club.
Well, then.
Boredom definitely wasn’t an issue anymore.
Chapter Three
Girlz Guide Words of Wisdom…
When Girlz go bad, men fall at their feet.
Holy crap. Luke Monroe was staring at her ass. Not just staring, but staring as though he wanted to take a bite out of it.
The Girlz had researched his tastes, meshing Gia’s fantasy with the kind of woman Luke seemed to go for. And hey, check it out. It’d worked.
Gia was torn between giggling, doing a happy dance or trying to bite his ass right back. This was real. Her fingers itched for the cell phone she’d locked away in the hotel safe. Whether to text her girlfriends or to take a picture for posterity, she wasn’t sure.
“There’s a lounge downstairs,” Luke said once they cleared the club entrance with its long line of people waiting for entry. “Why don’t we get a drink there and get to know each other better.”
Her heart racing as if she’d just won a million-dollar jackpot and had to run from a burning building to keep it, Gia took a deep breath. Then, figuring she was as brave as she was ever going to get, she slowed to a halt, stepping aside on the plush carpet so party-hungry hotel guests could get past. Luke stopped, too, a look of friendly inquiry on his face. No impatience, no “Hurry up and get naked so I can get my rocks off with a stranger” eagerness.
She’d told him she was here for fantasy time, and she hadn’t been subtle about the nature of that fantasy. It was all about sex. No-strings-attached, free and easy, naked and wild sex.
She knew it.
He knew it.
But instead of pushing, pressuring or even assuming, he wanted to have a drink with her.
And talk?
Like…he really wanted to get to know her first?
Seriously?
All her doubts came rushing back.
“You want to go get a drink?” she asked, drawing the words out in case he wanted time to change his mind.
“Sure. Maybe someth
ing to eat if you’re hungry.” Amusement shone in his deep blue eyes, as if he knew she was confused and found it funny. Was he doing this just to keep her off balance?
Frowning, Gia searched his face.
For a second, she got lost in appreciation for how freaking good-looking the man was. The glittering light from the chandeliers highlighted his sharp cheekbones, his sculpted lips. Swept off his forehead, his black hair gleamed.
She’d always known he was gorgeous.
His sexiness had never been a question.
But she’d never been this close. Never known he might be fun and sweet and cute, too.
For the first time since she and her friends had concocted this plan, Gia was afraid. Not of playing dress-up and trying to seduce her fantasy guy. Not of the plan going all to hell. Not even of stripping naked and laying bare her every sexual fantasy with the hopes that he’d be interested enough to play.
No. For the first time, she was afraid of getting hurt.
What if she fell for the man, instead of just lusting after the hot body?
Or got hooked on the fantasy, only to find out that addiction wasn’t mutual?
That Luke wasn’t into average.
“I was suggesting we get a drink,” Luke said slowly, his smile a little dimmer as he inspected her face, “not that we bungee jump off the Stratosphere.”
“Well, that puts the offer in perspective.” Gia shivered at the idea of even going to the top of that pointy-needled building, let alone jumping off it.
“So why do you look so worried?”
She bit her lip. Luke’s gaze shifted to her mouth, his eyes narrowing. Heat flashed though her body. Desperate to keep the worry at bay, she fanned the flames, letting herself imagine what he’d look like naked, how he’d taste in her mouth. Suddenly, her worries didn’t stand a chance against the blazing desire.
Remembering the gettin’ it plan, clinging to her fantasy role, she took a step closer. Close enough for the energy to arc between their bodies. It was like getting zapped with an electrical shock, sparks zinging to all her girlie parts. Her nipples hardened; her thighs quivered. And there was still a good eight inches between them.
Wasn’t that promising…
Excitement swirled low and hot in her belly. She wasn’t giving this up. Nor was she delaying it for some unnecessary pre-sex socialization.
“I’m not worried,” she told him with a teasing look from under her lashes. “But I do have a couple of fantasy requirements.”
He flashed a grin and reached out to skim the tips of his fingers along her hair, just where it poured over her shoulder. Gia almost whimpered. If she got this turned on when he barely touched her, what was it going to be like once they had full body contact of the naked kind going on?
And why the hell weren’t they finding out? Like, now?
“What kind of requirements? Do they require the ability to tie knots or perform blindfolded?”
Images of him being tied to the bed, blindfolded, while she had her way with him filled her head. She had to swallow, twice, before she could talk.
“My fantasy outline moves pretty fast,” she said, giving in to the need and reaching out to press her hand against his chest. Her breath caught. Despite his mellow expression and chill body language, she could feel his heart pounding beneath her fingers. It made her feel sexy. Strong. Desired. “I’d love to fill you in on the details, but maybe somewhere more private than the lounge.”
His eyes darkened as her heart raced.
Emboldened, Gia closed the distance until there was only air between them. Biting her lip, she tilted her head toward the elevator bank and arched one brow. “I have a room.”
Looking as if he was fighting a major internal battle, Luke closed his eyes, clenching his teeth in a grimace.
“Vanna, you’re about the sexiest thing I’ve ever met. And I want you like crazy,” he said, looking at her again. “But I’m not really the slam-bam kind of guy.”
Awww. Gia’s heart melted a little bit. He was so sweet.
Sweet enough to start thinking crazy things about. Sweet enough to wonder what he was doing after Vegas.
And all that was crazy thinking. As much out of need as to slam the door shut on those kinds of thoughts, she shifted onto her tiptoes. The tips of her fingers pressed against his chest for balance, she leaned closer and brushed a gentle open-mouthed kiss over his lips.
So soft.
She trembled, desire pounding through her.
They had to do this.
Now.
Before she talked herself out of it.
“Come up to my room,” she invited again. “I won’t make you call me ma’am.”
Luke could resist sexy in a woman. And easy had lost its charm a long time ago. But ease, sexiness and a sharp sense of humor?
Oh, baby.
Add a sweetly curved ass and lips that begged to be kissed?
He was putty.
But putty didn’t mean slutty.
Standing behind Gia as she flashed her keycard in front of the door scanner, he stared at her perfect ass and wondered if he was doing the right thing. Did giving in to pure lust instead of pushing to find out the woman’s last name make him a dog? Or just one hell of a lucky guy?
Despite his reputation, Luke had always prided himself on knowing the women he stripped naked and worshipped with his tongue.
But there was something about Vanna.
She was irresistible.
Her back still to him, that glittery black dress draped low so as to draw his eyes right to her sweet ass, she looked over her shoulder at him. Her big eyes were wide and enticing, but he could see the nerves beneath the desire.
It was the concern in her gaze that silenced his own doubts. Despite her bombshell looks and vampy manner, this wasn’t business as usual for her.
They were both stepping outside their comfort zones. Which, for some reason, made it a much easier step to take.
He supposed if fantasies were easy, everyone would be acting them out. And the whole point of a fantasy was to push the boundaries, to slam up against your comfort zone and plunge beyond.
Luke watched those sexy hips sway as she crossed the threshold into the hotel room.
Then, like one of Pavlov’s dogs, he followed her right in, letting the heavy door slide shut behind him.
Since they were both doing something new tonight, they might as well see what else they could come up with. Maybe when they finished with her fantasies, they could try out a few of his.
“Nice room,” he said without looking around.
She tossed her tiny bag on the dresser. Neither of them even glanced over as it crashed against the mirror before sliding to the floor.
“It’ll do.”
“Do?”
“Do for this,” she said. Her eyes were unsure but her smile wicked as she reached down, crisscrossing her arms to grab the hem of her dress.
Before Luke could do more than breathe a grateful prayer, she slid the black glittery fabric up her body.
One glorious inch at a time.
His mouth went dry as the fabric skimmed rounded thighs, showing that she was a stocking and garter kind of gal.
Then the black glitter inched higher, and Luke damn near dropped to his knees.
She was also a commando kind of gal. Heart pounding, his eyes glued to that sleekly waxed thatch of hair, he missed the rest of the dress’s ascent.
His body throbbed, hard and needy.
His fingers itched with a need to touch. To sink into her warmth and see if she was as hot inside as she was out.
Then, still clad in sheer black stockings, a red satin garter and those heels, she stepped over to the bed. The move gave him a look at her butt, which was just as fabulous naked as it was covered in fabric. It also forced his eyes away from her thatch, so he could take in the rest of the view.
Oh, baby.
She was incredible. Full breasts tipped with pale pink nipples, and a dusting of f
reckles over her chest. Luke wasn’t sure what he’d done in life to deserve this fantasy, but he was damned grateful.
“I’m going to put this—” she held up a foil-wrapped condom that she’d grabbed off the bedside table “–here.”
She tucked it into the lace of her stocking. Not on her outer thigh, though. Her inner thigh. Right there, inches away from the heaven that beckoned behind that tidy strip of curls.
Luke moaned.
He’d seduced plenty of women over the years.
And he’d been seduced plenty of times.
But he’d never been reduced to pure lusting hormones, ready to beg for a taste, before.
“Well?” she asked, arching her brows so high they disappeared behind her bangs. Much like her dress had disappeared behind the chair.
Luke swallowed. Hard.
“Well?” he repeated, buying his brain enough time to decipher the sputtering warning signals it was trying to spout off. All he knew about her was that she had a rockin’ hot bod, a gorgeous smile and a wicked sense of humor. But it was hard to care about her last name or life details when his body was demanding a taste of the pleasure she was offering.
“Well, are you up for a little fantasy fulfillment?” she asked. Her words were low and husky and her expression filled with pure invitation. But her fingers trembled just a little as she skimmed them down her sides and over those sweet hips to the ribboned tops of her stockings.
“Your fantasy? Or mine?”
“What do you want to bet they are pretty close to the same,” she said, laughing.
Only one way to find out.
Luke strode forward, moving fast enough that her eyes rounded with surprise, then narrowed in pleasure just before his mouth closed over hers.
Her lips were so soft. Deliciously welcoming. His tongue swept over the edge of her teeth, gentle and teasing. She sighed, as if relaxing into the pleasure.
But relaxation wasn’t his goal here.
His tongue plunged.
Swift, hard, swirling.
He took her mouth in huge greedy gulps.
His hands tunneled into the silken mass of her hair, tilting her head back to meet his demands.
Their mouths danced together as if the kiss had been choreographed. Each move he made, she met perfectly. Every sound she made got him even hotter. His body tight as a spring, he teetered on the edge of totally losing control.