by Amber Skyze
Spend the Night with Me
Amber Skyze
Book 2 in the Freedom Fantasies series.
Memories of her deceased fiancé no longer so painful, Brooke is determined it’s time to move on. She goes to Freedom Fantasies in search of someone who will rock her world—for one night only.
She’s not prepared for young, sexy, funny Liam. He’s wants to explore the limits of pleasures Brooke didn’t know existed. Their sexual experiments and seductions leave each other breathless. But Brooke still isn’t certain she’s able to let one night turn into many.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Spend the Night with Me
ISBN 9781419929526
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Spend the Night with Me Copyright © 2010 Amber Skyze
Edited by Helen Woodall
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication September 2010
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Spend the Night with Me
Amber Skyze
Dedication
To my wonderful friend Katalina Leon, one of my biggest supporters. Your kindness inspires me and drives to soar to greater heights. Thanks!
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Chippendales: Chippendales, LLC
FOB: Dexxon Groupe Holding
Google: Google Inc.
Chapter One
It’s time to put these away. I need to move on. It’s time for closure.
Brooke stared at the pictures scattered all over the floor. They’d haunted her for over eighteen months. Memories of what she had lost. Memories of what she should’ve had. The one and only love of her life. Carl.
He’d been gone for a long time. She would never forget that dreadful day when her future mother-in-law had called with the news. Carl had been killed by a suicide bomber. He was only days away from coming home. Instead he’d returned in a body bag.
It was time for her to get back to the living. She needed companionship. She wanted to feel a man’s strong arms around her again. The need to feel safe and secure grew with each passing day. And if she was honest with herself, she needed sex. Down-and-dirty sex.
She’d been lonely for so long. She wanted to remember how it felt to have a man ravish her body.
Kim, one of her best friends, had been offering to set her up in a room over at Freedom Fantasies forever. Freedom Fantasies wasn’t just any old place. It was a Manor where women went to live out their fantasies.
Paige, her other best friend, had recently rekindled her marriage there. Maybe it was time she had some fun—even if for only one night.
Looking around the apartment she’d once shared with Carl, she realized how much of him was still there. Pictures were everywhere. On the entertainment center, the end tables, even in the kitchen. There were constant reminders of their life together. It wasn’t healthy for her to continue to obsess over him. He was gone and he was never coming back. It was time she realized the truth.
Quickly, she got off the floor and started collecting all the photos. She placed them in a big pile on her bed. From the closet in the spare room she retrieved an old empty box she’d kept for future storage. This was the perfect time to pack away Carl’s photos. It was time to let go.
She stacked the photos one by one neatly into the box. Once they were all safe, she tucked the box away in the closet. She didn’t want to forget Carl, she just wanted to move on.
His closet had been emptied because his family wanted some of his belongings. She’d kept a few shirts, which she occasionally wore around the house. She liked having his scent lingering. His dog tags hung around her neck as a constant reminder of what they could have had—what was taken away by a suicide bomber.
She removed the tags and brought them to the closet where she packed them away with all his pictures.
As she passed the mirror, she stopped. When had she started to look so old? At thirty she wasn’t old. She looked tired and worn-out. She examined her reflection more closely. Her blue eyes were cold and empty. Her blonde hair appeared lifeless. Had she really been presenting herself to the world looking like this?
She rushed into the bathroom and turned on the shower. After giving her hair a thorough shampooing and conditioning she blew it dry. Using her large round brush, she added volume. She added makeup to her drab complexion.
Upon inspection she liked what she saw. She looked more her age again. She didn’t look old and beaten. It was time to put on some sexy clothes and hop over to the Manor. While she wasn’t going to have Kim set her up, she was going to mingle in the bar area. Maybe she’d find someone who intrigued her all by herself. There was nothing Brooke despised more than being hooked up.
While she was there she’d pop in on her friend and see how she was doing.
* * * * *
The crowd was sparse as she made her way to the bar.
“Figures,” she mumbled.
“Excuse me?” the bartender asked.
Brooke glanced up, ready to apologize for talking to herself, when she came face-to-face with the most delightful guy she’d seen in a long time.
“I… I was…”
“Talking to yourself?” he asked. Gold speckles flickered in his hazel eyes.
“Yes. Guilty.”
“I do it all the time.”
“It’s a bad habit. Sometimes I forget when I’m in a crowd.”
“Not much of a crowd tonight.” He gestured around the room.
“No. I’m surprised. I thought this place was always hopping.” Kim complained about how hectic things were. She never seemed to have a minute to herself anymore.
“It normally is. Actually what am I saying? It is! All the rooms are booked. So all the people you see lingering are hoping for one to open up.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“Uh-huh.”
“Hmmm.” Guess she wasn’t going to get lucky tonight. There was no room at the inn. Maybe she was better off calling Kim ahead of time.
“Liam,” he said, extending his hand.
So this was Liam? The bartender Kim raved about. She bragged about his good looks and fantastic personality. Kim hadn’t exaggerated. He was totally hot.
Kim claimed if he was a bit older and she wasn’t so in love with David she might consider spending some time with him.
The way Kim talked about Liam, Brooke felt she already knew him.
“Brooke.” She gave him
her hand and when they touched heat radiated through her fingers straight to the core of her stomach.
“Nice to meet you, Brooke. Can I get you a drink?”
He could get her a lot right now. She couldn’t believe how her body reacted to his touch.
“Sure. I’ll have a glass of white wine. No, you know what, I want something stronger. How about…” What could she have? She wasn’t much of a drinker.
“How about I surprise you?” He winked at her.
“How about that?” Was he flirting with her? He was cute, she’d give him that. He was really cute, but he didn’t look a day over twenty-one. Brooke didn’t do younger. She wanted a man, someone older than her. Maybe she could make an exception for one night.
Nah. Besides, he was probably just being nice. It was his job to make sure the paying customers felt good. How else would he get nice tips? Though Brooke suspected Kim paid her employees well. They were privy to some big secrets. This wasn’t the lifestyle for everyone.
“Like vodka?”
“I’ve had it a few times. Can’t complain.” She smiled against her better judgment. She shouldn’t flirt back. Not when she couldn’t act on it.
As she watched Liam mixing a concoction she wondered what kind of lover he’d be. Would he be slow and methodical or fast and hard? Did he like to use props or toys or was he too manly for that? She’d bet he was sporting quite the package in those tight slacks. His ass wasn’t too shabby. Actually it was the perfect size to hold in her hands.
“Brooke?”
“Mmmm.” Shit! She’d been caught staring at his ass.
“Try this.”
“What is it?” she asked, looking at the funky blue drink.
“A blue Hawaiian.”
She sipped the drink and had to admit it tasted great.
“This is fruity and fabulous.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I really do.”
“Great! Another happy customer.”
When he smiled he had a dimple at the top of his right cheek. It was small, but so cute and those eyes—they were mesmerizing. She could get lost in their depths.
“So what brings you to Freedom Fantasies tonight?”
That was a loaded question if she ever heard one.
“What’s my pleasure? Is that what you’re asking?”
“No, actually I was wondering why you’re here. This doesn’t look like your kind of place.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Did she look like some uptight goody-goody who couldn’t be seen in a place like this or did she look too old to be here?
“I’m not trying to offend you, Brooke. What I’m trying to say is you don’t look like the type who would come searching for a man. You strike me as the type who would already have a man prior to arriving.”
She sucked in a deep breath and contemplated his words. He wasn’t trying to insult her. He was just making an observation. She couldn’t attack him for that.
She shrugged.
“I’m not sure I’m looking.” Technically it wasn’t a lie. If someone found her or she found someone attractive then she’d see where things went. A one-night stand at the Manor wasn’t unheard of.
“Just checking out the place?”
“You could say that.” She didn’t want to tell him that she was best friends with the owner. He might not want to get too friendly with her if he knew.
“Well you give me a holler if you need a refill. I have to attend to some other customers.”
She nodded and saluted him with her glass. There weren’t many other customers, but there were two down at the other end of the bar who looked like they could use another drink.
Brooke scanned the room one more time to see if there were any potential candidates—nothing. Maybe she should head up to Kim’s office and see what she was up to. She could come back down and see Liam after if he wasn’t so busy.
He didn’t see her slip away as she left the bar area with her drink.
She knocked on Kim’s door, but there was no answer. She decided it was best if she called her. Digging in her purse she pulled out her cell phone and called her.
No answer.
“Strange.” Oh well, nothing she could do about it. She’d tried. Brooke returned to the bar.
“Where’d you go?” Liam asked, leaning lazily against the bar.
“Just for a little snoop around.” She knew there was only so far she could go, but Kim did allow visits to check out the scenery.
“Would you like a guided tour or a list of things you can see?”
“Nah, but I appreciate the offer. I’ve seen all I’m interested in tonight.” She pushed her half-empty drink toward him. “Thanks for the drink, it was the best.”
“Leaving already?”
She could tell he was disappointed.
“As you pointed out, this really isn’t my thing.”
“You could hang with me and I could get to know you better.”
His eyebrow raised and she wondered if he was propositioning her. The thought of spending a night with the sexy bartender wasn’t so bad. What better way to get the sexual gratification she was looking for? A one-night stand with a guy who could probably rock her world.
The best part was she felt like she already knew him. Kim gave him rave reviews. Being with someone Kim knew and adored was better than picking up a total stranger. Liam came highly recommended.
Brooke returned to her barstool.
“I guess I could stay a little longer.” It couldn’t hurt, right?
Liam watched the way she struggled with the idea of staying. She was definitely torn. He was thrilled when she said yes. She was gorgeous and not the type he ever imagined being at Freedom Fantasies—at least not actively looking. He couldn’t help but wonder if she’d squirm under his touch or if she’d be a vocal lover. Hearing her sexy voice crying out his name would render him useless.
He wanted to run his fingers through her sexy blonde hair and lick his way down the vee of her shirt, until he reached her creamy breasts. Dipping his cock into her sweet pussy was all he could think about.
“Can I get another drink?” she asked.
“Sure.” He smiled and walked away, trying to adjust his cock. It throbbed against his pants. Brooke was one sexy woman. He could just imagine her sprawled out on a king-sized bed, naked and waiting for him to seduce her any way he wanted before he fucked her.
He groaned.
What would his boss say if he fraternized with a guest? He’d never been in this situation and wasn’t totally sure of the answer. It wasn’t something they ever discussed before. Now he wished it were. He didn’t want to get fired for being with a paying customer, but technically she was only here for the bar area. She wasn’t paying for a room or meeting anyone who was. He could take her back to his place away from the Manor. This way he couldn’t be accused of mixing business with pleasure.
He returned to where she sat, his cock pulsing painfully against his pants. When she smiled he thought he’d lose his mind. He could imagine those lush lips wrapped around his penis, sucking him for every last drop of cum.
He bit back the moan that threatened to escape. He had to be careful with how he handled her. She wasn’t the average woman hitting on him for one thing and one thing only—sex. Liam had had his share of women who wanted to use him for his body only. Most couldn’t care less that he had a brain in his head. He sensed Brooke was different. His gut told him she’d have to get to know someone before she fell into bed with them.
“You from around here or visiting?”
“I live here. Been here all my life.”
“Me too. I love it during the winter when the tourism is down. Don’t get me wrong I love the fact that we draw people to our town, but I like when there’s not so much hustle and bustle in the streets.”
She smiled. “I understand. I’m not a huge crowd person. I enjoy walking around the shops when they’re not so busy.”
“Maybe we
could do that sometime.” What the fuck? Where did that come from? Liam Flannery didn’t offer to go window-shopping with women. Yes, he enjoyed the streets and the views, but shit, he didn’t care for all-day shopping excursions.
She tilted her head sideways and looked at him curiously.
“Are you serious? You like to shop?”
“Yes and no,” he confessed. He didn’t want to lie to her completely. Something about her made him want to be honest.
“Which is it?” She looked pointedly at him.
“I like window-shopping, but I can’t be dragged from store to store watching women try clothes on and asking if their butts look big.”
She chuckled.
He liked the way her laughter filled the room.
“I’m not big on clothes shopping. I normally know what I like and buy it without trying it on.”
“Seriously? I’m impressed.”
She shrugged. “I’m easy.”
He leaned against the bar.
“How easy?” he whispered.
“Are you hitting on me, Liam?” She batted her long eyelashes at him.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
He watched as she took a long drag off the straw. She was delaying answering his question.
Finally she released the straw and said, “What if I was?”
He wasn’t about to turn down a possible offer from this gorgeous woman.
“Then I’d say let me take you home.”
“What time do we leave?”
Chapter Two
Liam almost choked on his words when she asked him when they were leaving. She liked that she had the ability to cause such a reaction from him. He’d backed away from the bar and looked at her questioningly. He immediately asked if she was serious and when she told him she was he told her his shift ended in a few hours.
“Or when everyone clears out,” he’d said.