by Amy Valenti
Scarlett stared at Wesley. He looked back at her with frank interest, the smile still playing around his lips. She bit her lip. After being insulted by Tyler and almost drugged by Kyle, did she really want to take a chance on going for a drink with another stranger? She remembered her plan the night Tyler left. She was going to have fun, prove to herself he was wrong. It was time to live a little and she might as well start now.
“Where?”
“There’s a little bar around the corner. Not far. We can walk.”
“And I can trust you not to put something in my drink, like Kyle?”
He held up his hands, smile widening. “I’m completely trustworthy. Nothing happens unless you agree to it. I was a Boy Scout. Besides…” Wesley leaned on the counter. “You know where I work.”
Scarlett had no choice but to smile. Nothing about Wesley set off any alarms, at least not with a bar between them and a roomful of people behind her. What he did set off was an intense warmth that washed over her entire body, that had nothing to do with the alcohol she drank.
“Knowing where you work doesn’t make you trustworthy.” She saw a hint of disappointment cross Wesley’s face. “But, yeah, I’ll have a drink with you.”
The smile she got in return sent a wave of excitement rush through her. He had dimples. Scarlett had never met a man with dimples. It made her want to say something to make him smile again.
“Just let me punch out and get my jacket, and we’ll take off.” He briefly covered her hand with his before he turned. She couldn’t help watching as he walked away, noticing his long legs, the way his jeans hugged him. He stopped for a minute, talking to a bald man at the end of the bar. They glanced at her and then Wesley disappeared through a door at the end of the bar and she breathed out a sigh. Maybe her prospects for the night had just gotten a little better.
A few moments later Wesley came back, moving smoothly through the crowd, his jacket over his shoulder. “Ready?
Scarlett looked up at him and grinned as she slid from the barstool. His smile was there, dimples and all. Wesley’s hand hovered near her back, barely brushing her skin as they moved through the crowd to the exit. Wesley nodded to the guy at the door as they stepped onto the sidewalk. The guy smiled at Scarlett.
The bar he took her to was small and quiet. Wesley installed her in a corner booth and then brought back two drinks from the bar. Setting them on the table, he slid onto the seat across from her. He looked at her, then nodded at the drinks.
“You can pick which drink you like, just so you know I didn’t slip anything into yours.”
Scarlett glanced at Wesley. He seemed sincere, didn’t seem to be scamming her. He’d barely touched her on the walk over, just a chaste hand on her back or elbow as he held the door for her.
And because he was so restrained, so nice, Scarlett found she wanted him. Really badly. A sweet dark heat had started deep inside her on the walk over and she let it build. It wasn’t hard.
Wesley was handsome in a way that contradicted how nice he seemed. He was all rough edges and smoldering dark eyes. He’d punched Kyle without hesitation. Scarlett wasn’t usually attracted to brute force kinds of guys, but she found that simple, direct action had its effects. But when he’d smiled, that tough-guy stuff melted, just enough to make her insides melt. Add the sexy-messy black hair and hint of dark stubble, and it all added up to shallow breaths and a fluttering heart for Scarlett.
“I choose this one.” She reached across the table, took the glass and drank half the drink. Wesley took the other glass, watching her over the rim as he took a swallow.
“So you’re out on your own tonight? No date meeting you? Not a girls’ night out?” He took another swallow and set the glass down. “So what’s your story, Scarlett?”
Her story wasn’t one she wanted to tell him. She couldn’t explain Wesley that her ex-boyfriend thought she was too fat for sex. It hurt just to think about it. And it was embarrassing. She took another drink and looked him straight in the eye.
“I wanted a night out, to have some fun. Some dancing, a little flirting.” She shrugged. “Just a girl out on the town. Nothing wrong with that.”
Wesley tipped his glass in her direction. “I’m all for girls having fun.”
Touching her glass to his, she smiled. “Then here’s to fun.” She tossed back the rest of the drink, the alcohol creating a pleasant burn through her stomach.
“Another?” Wesley was already sliding out of the booth, their glasses in his hands. She nodded, watching him walk to the bar. It was almost unbelievable that she was here with someone like Wesley. She grabbed her purse and slid out of the booth, coming up behind him. She rested on hand on his back, fingers itching to move lower. He turned and smiled at her.
“I’m going to the ladies room.”
He leaned down and kissed her, his lips brushing across softly across hers. “Hurry back.” His voice dropped, low and intimate, knocking the breath out of her. All she could manage was a nod. She turned and walked away.
As she washed her hands, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was flushed. Alcohol usually made her pink-cheeked, but her smile was clearly there because of Wesley. A little thrill ran through her. He was charming, nice…obviously he was sexy, very sexy.
And he was definitely interested in her. Her smile deepened and she did a little shimmy for her reflection. She was right and Tyler was wrong. She was desirable; Wesley found her desirable.
Wesley was waiting for her, sipping his drink. As she crossed the dim room, he looked up, saw her and smiled. Dimples flashing, he moved over in the booth, patting the seat beside him.
“Welcome back.” Wesley slipped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side. She picked up her glass, taking a long swallow of her drink.
He was warm, his arm strong, and he smelled amazing. She looked up at him. In the dark his brown eyes were almost black, heavy-lidded, one side of his mouth curved up in a smile.
Between the smile, the look in his eyes, and the warmth of his body, Scarlett gave in to the desire that swirled through her. Wesley set one finger beneath her chin, tilting her face to up his. He was very close and the intensity of his gaze was doing things, strange and wonderful things, to her body and her mind.
“I’m going to kiss you, Scarlett. That okay with you?”
Wesley hesitated as if waiting for an answer, but she could only manage to nod and part her lips in anticipation. He held her gaze and she lost herself in the depths of his eyes.
Scarlett pushed forward, tilting her face up to his, suddenly unable to resist the urge to kiss him. He met her, his lips still curved in a smile, touching her slowly, his mouth barely brushing hers. She could smell his aftershave, something spicy, and the scent of him, warm and masculine, like old leather and tobacco.
She pressed against him and his lips parted. He kissed her back fully, his tongue caressing her lower lip. Meeting his tongue with hers, she tasted the alcohol on his lips, different than hers, darker, not so sweet. She shifted in his arms, turning toward him, wanting to drink him in, explore his lips and mouth with her tongue.
His hands were on her back, caressing her bare skin, sliding down to the base of her spine. As his fingers slipped beneath the edge of her dress, pressing against her, she was hit with a jolt deep inside, as if he’d found the secret spot that unlocked her some primal response in her body. She moaned against his mouth, wanting more of him, aching for more.
When he broke the kiss she gasped as if he’d taken the air away. She looked up at him, saw the heat in his eyes, mirroring what she felt. Her body was practically vibrating with arousal. All she wanted was Wesley.
“Take me home with you.” Her words were more pleading than a request. Wesley tilted his head, brows drawing together slightly.
“Is that what you want, Scarlett? To go home with me?” He traced a line down her cheek and she turned her face, kissing the palm of his hand. “If that’s what you really want, let’s
go.”
She looked at him and nodded. He smiled and something clenched deep inside her, almost painful in its intensity. When he pushed against her, she slid out of the booth, grabbing her purse. The room spun for a moment and she caught herself on the table. She felt Wesley right behind her, his hand on her back, as she made her way to the door. Then they were outside, the cool night air like a different kind of kiss, and she took a deep breath, her head clearing for a moment. An involuntary shiver ran through her and she hugged herself.
“Here.” Wesley draped his jacket over her shoulders. It smelled like him, like his aftershave. She pulled the jacket around her and then his arm was there, and she was snugged up against him, his hip jostling her as they walked down the sidewalk.
The night sky was clear. Scarlett looked up, trying to focus on the moon overhead. It swam out of focus and she shook her head, stumbling against Wesley. His arm tightened around her.
“Sorry. I…oh, shit.” She shook her head again. “I think I had a little more to drink than I think I realized.” The sidewalk seemed to tilt upward at a crazy angle and she leaned against him.
“We don’t have far to go. Just around the corner. Hang in there, Scarlett.” His lips were against her ear, his breath tickling her skin, but he sounded far away. She closed her eyes, letting him guide her as they walked. He was so strong and she could feel his warmth, even through the jacket.
Suddenly his arm was gone and she was swaying. She opened her eyes. Wesley was turning a key in a lock, a door opening behind him. He turned, smiled, and held out his hand.
“Just a few more steps, Scarlett. Just a few more steps.”
Scarlett took his hand and he pulled her into darkness.
Chapter Three
Scarlett wasn’t standing anymore. And she wasn’t outside. It was warm and she was on a bed, with a sheet covering her. Her body felt light as a feather, as if she could float away. She opened her eyes.
The room was softly lit. Music floated through the room, wordless, just sounds, strangely repetitive but somehow soothing. Above her was a pale blue painted ceiling, with an ornate gold light fixture. The fixture swam in and out of focus for a moment and she squinted until it held still. It wasn’t her room and for a minute she drew a blank as to where she was. She blinked again, a vague sense of panic working through the fog in her brain.
The bed moved and she turned her head toward the motion. Wesley was there, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Wesley had taken her back to his apartment and she was in his bedroom. The panic dissolved and she smiled at him.
It all came back to her, along with a rush of heat that started somewhere around her toes and raced through her body, ending in a startled gasp through parted lips.
“Hey, beautiful. Did you have a nice nap?”
His voice was low, like she remembered, and the sound shot through her, made her hot, made her want him. But it was rougher, edgier. Like the voice he’d used when he talked to Kyle. The sound of him, his scent, all of it was almost overwhelming. She wanted him, badly, almost more than she could bear. She nodded.
“I…I’m at your apartment?” Her voice was just above a whisper.
“You asked me to bring you here. You remember? You had a little too much to drink and had a little sleep.” He leaned over her, brushing his fingers across her forehead. “But you feel really good now, don’t you?”
His mouth curled in that beautiful half-smile, his eyes heavy-lidded like they’d been at the bar. She let her eyes drift over his face, drinking in how handsome he was. He was still wearing the white shirt he’d worn at Diablo’s, unbuttoned now, un-tucked from his jeans. Her eyes traveled lower, across the exposed smooth skin of his chest, over taut stomach muscles, then lower. The top button of his jeans was undone and the fabric below was pulled tight. Her breath caught; he wanted her, he was just as excited by her as she was by him.
He was so close. She reached up for him. But her arms moved only a few inches from the mattress before they were jerked back down. She tried again, her hands again falling to the mattress.
Scarlett craned her neck, searching above her, twisting her head from side to side. Red silk ties bound her wrists to the bed frame. Her heart thumped hard in her chest as she strained against the ties.
She jerked her head back to Wesley’s face, breathing fast, eyes locked with his. His smile widened, the dimples deepening.
“I thought we’d play a little, if that’s all right with you?” He reached for the edge sheet, pulling it slowly away from her shoulders. “Is that okay with you, Scarlett?”
He pulled it lower and it dawned on her she wasn’t wearing her dress anymore. A tiny voice in her brain screamed this was wrong, that she was naked, with a stranger in his apartment. And she was tied to his bed.
But as the sheet slid over her breasts that voice died away in a roar of arousal. The fabric rubbing against her nipples was the most exquisite sensation she’d ever felt and when the chill air hit them, they puckered, pulling up almost painfully hard. She sucked breath through her teeth. Her body felt alive in a way she’d never experienced, blood rushing to her skin, as if drawn to the surface by his attention to her.
“You’re very beautiful, Scarlett.” His eyes drifted from her face, following the edge of the sheet, watching as he uncovered her body. His lips parted slightly and she heard him sigh.
The sheet slipped from Wesley’s hand, settling across her body, just below her breasts. He leaned forward, reaching for her, his fingers stopping just above her skin. She ached for his touch, and she drew a deep breath, arching her back, trying to get him to touch her. But Wesley pulled his hand back slightly, and she cried out in frustration. If he’d only touch her, do more than just look at her. The ceiling went out of focus again and the room started to spin. She closed her eyes, willing him to touch her, to stop teasing her, waiting for his touch, the music fading into disjointed chords.
“Scarlett.” Her eyes flew open. His voice had that edge again, harder this time. She turned to look at him, struggling to bring his face into focus. “Pay attention. You haven’t answered me. Do you want to play?”
She blinked, fear fluttering through her mind. She didn’t remember a question. But she wanted him. “Yes.” She breathed the word. Whatever he wanted, he could have.
He reached down, undoing another two buttons on his jeans, easing the stretch of taut denim across his lap, before shifting closer to her on the bed. His hip and thigh pressed against her and he leaned across, resting one hand on the mattress beside her body. The edge of his shirt brushed against her breasts, raising a flush of goose bumps on her skin.
Wesley touched her, finally, one finger circling her hard nipple. It was like he was drawing on her skin with fire. She breathed out a long sigh, closing her eyes. It was exquisite pleasure, such a simple touch, but nothing like she’d ever felt. She shifted on the bed, hips rising, her thigh rubbing against Wesley’s body.
“Such soft skin. You take good care of yourself, Scarlett. It shows.” He leaned down, burying his nose against her neck, his chest pressing against her breasts. “You smell just as good.”
Wesley raised his head and she opened her eyes. His gaze was focused on her breasts, following the path of his finger. Scarlett strained against her ties, wanting to hold him, run her hands over all that skin, to pull him back to her, to feel his body against her again.
“Please…”
“Please? Please what, Scarlett?” He lifted his gaze up to hers, a half-smile on his face.
“Please.” Her voice faltered. “Untie me.”
Wesley looked at her, eyes almost closed. He stopped circling her nipple with his finger, pressing his palm against her breast. Slowly he began kneading her flesh, caressing her with his strong fingers. She responded instantly, hips jerking as with each touch.
“When we play, Scarlett, there are rules.” He pulled his hand away and she sank back onto the bed. “Do you want to play by the rules?”
&nb
sp; She nodded, licking her lips. “Yes. Please.”
Wesley touched her again and Scarlett released a soft moan. He caressed her for a moment longer, then moved to the other breast. She was completely under his control.
Scarlett closed her eyes in bliss, lost in the sensations of his hand on her body, his fingers kneading her flesh. Her hips rose and fell, her legs moving beneath the sheet.
Wesley’s breathing grew faster and he shifted, pressing hard against her. Then his hand was gone and she opened her eyes in dismay. But he quickly dropped his head, his mouth coming down on her breast.
He licked her nipple and she cried out, her back arching, straining against the ties. The silk rubbed against her abraded skin and pain flared. For an instant her mind snapped into focus, followed by a wave of fear as her thoughts took over from pure sensation.
This was all kinds of wrong, no matter how amazing what he was doing to her felt.
“Wesley…” She struggled, tugging harder on the ties. “Please…”
He lifted his head. “You’ve said please already, Scarlett. You’re playing the game. No need to say anything.” His eyes were almost closed, his face relaxed.
“But…I’m not so sure…”
He looked down into her face, the dreamy expression fading from his eyes, his expression darkening. “You’re here because you asked to be here, Scarlett. You asked me to bring you here.” His fingers were back, caressing her, slowly, gently. Then the pressure increased, fingers digging into her flesh.
“I…I’m not sure anymore.”
“Don’t you like me anymore?” He leaned forward, licking the nipple of her other breast, eyes never leaving hers. “Don’t you like this?” His voice was low, hypnotic.
“Yes, but…” She did like it. She liked it very much. His tongue was hot, and then his fingers were on her, caressing her, pulling and rolling her nipple between his fingers.
“It’s what you asked for, Scarlett.” He moved his fingers up to her face, touching her cheek, his thumb sliding across her lips. She opened her mouth and he slid his thumb between them.