by C. A. Harms
I look away as he steps up before her and she reaches out to hook his belt loop. My gaze lands on the silver beauty, and I can’t help the grin that covers my lips when she tucks her chin toward her chest taking in a deep breath. “Don’t get shy on me now,” I say as I place my finger beneath her chin and force her to look up at me.
When her eyes meet mine, I am caught off guard for a few seconds, lost in the emerald color. They were a gorgeous shade of green, one I'd never seen before. “This is so unlike me,” she mumbles the words, but I still hear them.
“Yeah, I don’t make a habit of selling myself to the highest bidder either.”
She smiles, and I swear I feel that smile throughout my entire body. Her beauty is astounding, and I find myself drawn to her even more than before.
“I’m Nicholas Vaughn,” I hold out my hand in greeting, fighting the urge to be much more demanding of her touch than a simple handshake. “You can call me Nic.”
“Emerson,” she places her hand in mine, “Mansfield.” I couldn’t stop myself from focusing on how small and delicate her hand looked in mine. In fact, everything about her was small and fragile.
“What would you like to do tonight, Emerson?” I enjoy the sound of her name on my lips. I don’t miss the alarm in her eyes as she looks to her friend for help. Though her friend seems to be quite intrigued by Spencer who already has his arm wrapped around her waist as their lips hover only inches apart.
Emerson reaches out and tugs on her friend’s arm, causing her to stumble toward us with an annoyed look on her face. “What?”
“You talked me into this,” Emerson tries to whisper, but with our closeness, I don’t miss her plea. “If you leave me alone to handle this, I will shave your head the next time you pass out from excessive drinking.”
“Dramatic much?” The other woman narrows her eyes in annoyance. The entire display was quite comical.
“No.” Emerson glares right back. “Honest.”
“Fine.” The wild one looks at me then Spencer. “I presume the two of you are friends?” We both nodded. “Great, then you won’t mind if the four of us go somewhere for a few drinks and after that, we’ll see what happens.”
Did I want to tag along with Spencer and his new friend? Hell no, but I understood Emerson’s need to have her friend with her. After all, I was a stranger.
Emerson
“Both of you are detectives?”
I sit back quietly sipping my wine, allowing Gianna to interrogate both men. It is the perfect way for me to get to know Nic without actually having to be the one to ask the questions. We’ve been at Club Maroon for just shy of an hour, and from the moment we sat down at our table she kicked in with one after another.
“Nic is a detective with homicide, I work the Organized Crime Unit.” The other man who I now know as Spencer explains. “We were partners when we first joined the force, but after a while, we decided to go in different directions. We’ve been friends since high school, though."
“What is it you do?” I tense when I feel the brush of Nic’s fingertips over my shoulder. It wasn’t out of fear, not even close. It was more related to the attraction I felt for him. No matter how hard I attempted to contain it, it was boiling over, making me edgy and out of control.
“I work for my father,” I say and instantly hear the breathy tone in my voice. I lift my gaze to meet his, and he gives me that knowing grin I’ve seen him wear multiple times since I held up my paddle at the auction. This type of behavior isn’t me. I'm put together, I’m confident, and the daughter of a man who has hundreds of people working beneath him. I was the VP of Emerald, and the moment this man Nic offers me a smile, I fall apart at the seams. I’m like a sinking ship.
What the hell was wrong with me?
“She makes it sound like she’s a pencil pusher in a small office and answers phones.” I instantly shift my body to face Gianna and give her a pointed stare, only she chooses to ignore the warning in my eyes. “Her father is Hector Mansfield, CEO and founder of Emerald Hotels and Suites. She practically runs the corporation herself. Don’t let her fool you into believing she is anything less.”
I don’t look back to Nicholas, but I can feel his intense stare practically burning a hole in the side of my face.
“She’s a badass, but,” Gianna adds with a smirk, and I’m two-seconds from throwing my drink at her, “she hides behind her work and allows her father to direct her life. She needs tonight and many, many nights like this to follow.”
“Gia.” I grip my wine glass a little tighter.
She shrugs. “You’re the one that insisted we make this a group date. Are you now regretting my presence?”
I know what she’s doing. It’s her way of forcing me to put on my big girl panties and live a little.
“Come on Spence, let’s dance.” She winks at me before grabbing the guy’s hand and dragging him toward the dance floor. They quickly disappear into the crowd when I realize Nic still sits quietly at my side.
“I knew Mansfield sounded familiar.” I half expect to face Nic and find him wearing a somewhat dismissive look. It seems to be the most common reaction I get when men realize who my father is. Only Nic is leaning in a little closer, still wearing that grin of his. It’s almost mischievous, as if he had all kinds of guilty pleasures running through his mind.
My father is a complicated man, one who can get all the things he wants without hesitance. One thing he is sure of is that I will be married to a high-end executive one day, a man he single-handedly picks out and approves of. A man he can mold into his prodigy and in a sense, control. Nic didn’t fit the bill, not even a little bit. I can almost visualize the two of them going head to head in a battle of wills.
“Do I make you nervous, Emerson?”
I’m surprised by Nic’s question. Part of me wants to tell him yes, but I’ve been face to face with men like him before, the kind that thrives on holding power. So I go against every urge inside of me and square my shoulders instead. “No.”
He leans in closer and I can feel his breath fan out over my shoulder and neck. Chills cover my arms and legs yet I remain in the very same position. “I don’t believe you.”
I turn my head on instinct and have to pull back slightly to keep our lips from touching. “Believe what you want.” I inwardly cringe at the unsettled shakiness of my voice.
My eyes shift downward as his tongue rolls along his lower lip, and a massive part of me wants to taste his lips. “Maybe it’s more interest than nerves.” I look back up to find him watching me closely. “I think inside this quiet woman I see before me is a woman who knows what she wants. She’s just too scared to go after it.”
“I’m not scared,” I argue and narrow my eyes at him.
“Prove it,” he challenges me.
“I know what you’re doing.” I lean away from him, needing some space to clear the haze his closeness is causing. “This demanding forwardness you have going on. It may work for you often, but it’s not working now. I’m not that girl.”
“What girl?” Nic shows no signs of backing down and this only makes the nervous energy inside me multiply. I’m not used to this; who am I kidding? Most men I encounter bend over backward to do as I ask. They won’t dare challenge me without fear of consequences from my father. I hate it. I can’t stand the weakness of those men who are more fearful of my father than mindful of my own needs and desires.
“I’m not that girl that’s gonna fall at your feet and beg for your attention. I’m also not that girl that’s gonna fall for your cheap lines and demands.”
Nic holds my stare, a look of interest filling his eyes. “Is this your way of challenging me to prove you wrong?” Before I can stop myself, I smile and he once again closes the distance between us. “I’m not a bad guy, Emerson. I’m just a man that doesn’t scare easily.”
“Is that right?”
He nods his head and lifts his hand to cup my jaw. “Something tells me that you’re used to men backin
g away. Though you may attempt to deny it, I also sense that you’d prefer a man that is more persistent and eager. One that enjoys a good challenge.”
“Let me guess,” I whisper as I do something that surprises me. I lean in and brush my lips over his ever so softly before pulling back. “You’re the man that’s gonna give me all the things you feel I’ve denied myself.”
I arch my brow and wait for him to respond, only he doesn’t do so with words. Instead he slides the hand holding my cheek to the back of my neck and pulls me in close. Our lips are touching and he doesn’t kiss me as hungrily as I imagined he would. The kiss is soft and teasing with the gentle brush of his tongue over mine, the simple tug as he sucks softly. I swear I feel that kiss through every single fiber of my body.
“I’m gonna give it all I got,” he whispers, and I lift my hand to place against his chest, feeling it flex beneath my palm. He tastes so much better than I’d imagined. A hint of the beer he’s been drinking mixes with the sweetness of my wine. The tickle of his facial hair was something I’ve never before found so appealing.
The men I’ve dated were so prim and proper, so dull. They were nothing like Nic. He is dangerous in the best possible way and never before have I thought something like that would excite me the way it does. I’ve been programmed, it seems, to feel as if the only man who suits me is one my father approves of. I know without a doubt that Nic wouldn’t pass Hector Mansfield’s test. That should have me pushing him away and denying him the chance to go any further. It should have me ending this right here and right now, only I can’t. The idea of doing something my father would disapprove of suddenly becomes very addictive. The letting go and giving in to a desire so sincere and so powerful rushes through me in one big powerful wave.
“Dance with me,” Nic whispers as he pulls back to rest his forehead to mine, the two of us taking in one slow deep breath after another. I nod, suddenly wondering if I’ll even be able to stand on my now wobbling legs.
He takes my hand in his and stands, waiting for me to join him. As he leads me toward the dance floor with his hand resting on my lower back, I concentrate on reining in my desire, those feelings that have somehow in the last ten minutes overtaken every rational thought in my mind.
Suddenly I'm spun around, my body now securely pressed to his as he holds me close. I can feel every flex of his arms, the ripple of his chest, the firm grip he holds on my hip and waist. His lips skim over my temple and I take a few minutes to attempt to calm myself before I look up at him.
He has to be close to a foot taller than me and his size is massive. He is so built, so damn dominant. Nic is all man. He makes me feel so protected in his embrace. I didn’t even flinch when the hand that was on my waist slid lower and rested at the flare of my hips. Instead, I find my insides battling with my inner vixen, which is begging for him to go even lower.
“You feel good in my arms.” I look up into his eyes and know at that point, I’ve given him just what he was hoping for. His mouth finds mine once more only this time his kiss is hungrier. A deep groan escapes him when I slip my hand around the back of his neck to tug him closer.
Here we are on the dance floor, surrounded by so many people, yet I don’t care. For the first time in my life, I don’t think of who may be watching or what my father may think. Instead, I choose to feel. I decide to give in to what my body is demanding. Nothing has ever felt this exhilarating before in my life.
Nicholas
I stand outside of Emerson’s apartment, my body pressed firmly to hers, using it to hold her in place. I use my lips and tongue to taste the silky skin at the base of her neck, my mind screaming for more. I firmly bind her wrists above her head with my right hand. My body is humming with need as I fight the urge to take her right then and there. Gone is the woman who was timid and shy only a few hours ago, the one who had convinced herself everything in life has to be on the straight and narrow. Telling herself there is no room for error and no room for desire is a thing of the past. In that woman’s place is this vixen hidden inside Emerson.
“I should go,” I say, despite every single vision rolling around in my mind. What I truly want to do is follow her inside and give her everything she’s been missing out on over and over. I want to hear her scream my name. I want to keep her body writhing beneath mine as she chases her next release. I want her depleted and exhausted after hours of me pulling every ounce of pleasure she allows me to rob.
“I really should go.”
Emerson lowers her head, tucking her chin once more toward her chest like she is embarrassed.
“Don’t.” Once I say the word she looks up at me. “Believe me when I say that walking away now is nowhere near what I want to do. I’m just trying to be a good guy here.” She tilts her head, giving me a challenging stare. I know if she does test or push me there’s absolutely no hope of me walking away. “I’d like to see you again, Emerson…” she seems surprised, “…and soon.”
“I rarely have the time—”
“Make the time,” I interrupt her, refusing to let her back out of this now. She’d already gifted me with the realization of knowing she is just as into me as I am into her. Allowing her to convince me otherwise at this point was something I wouldn’t let happen. “Remember what I said before, I’m not a man that walks away from something I want.”
“What is it you want?” She finally asks as her eyes meet mine. I see the hunger there, the arousal, the dilated gaze.
“I want the chance to see where this attraction between us goes.”
“What if it doesn’t take us any further than tonight.”
“That’s not an option,” I assure her as I brush my lips to hers once more. “You can agree to see me again, or I can just harass you until you have no other choice.”
“This coming from a man of law.” A sweet grin tugs at the corner of her mouth. A playfulness dancing in her eyes makes my pulse quicken.
“Oh yeah,” I say with a matching grin, “and you should know now that I know just how to get away with it.”
“Should I be afraid?”
I chuckle because she looks anything but afraid. In fact, I would say she looks ready for the chase. “You should be very afraid.”
I kiss her once more and am about to leave as she hooks her leg up over my hip and uses it to pull me in closer. I know in that instant if I slide my hand over just a few inches there will be nothing to stop me from feeling her heat. The dress she is wearing barely covers her as it is, but in this position, I understood what it was revealing.
“You’re making it hard for me to walk away.” The husky hunger in my voice sounds more like a growl.
“I can feel something between us that’s hard too.” The comment seems so out of her realm, or at least that of the girl she tries to be. Instead of responding, I push my hips forward, and her head falls back against the wall behind her with a small thud. She bites her lower lip as she shifts her own body, rubbing her heat against my erection.
“Tomorrow,” I demand and she shakes her head, trying to move her body from mine. I reach around, cupping her ass in my palm and pull her tighter against me. “Tomorrow,” I repeat and her eyes open to meet mine. “I wanna take you to dinner and then I want us to pick back up where we left off tonight.”
“Why tomorrow and not now?”
“Because though my mind is screaming to take what you’re offering, I want to give you the opportunity to decide if it’s truly what you want.”
I finally step back and carefully lower her leg to the floor. Quickly, she straightens her skirt and lifts her gaze to meet my own once more. “What if the haze clears and I decide this was all a mistake?”
“I’m not worried,” I say, cupping the side of her face in my palm. “There is just entirely too much attraction here for either of us to ignore.” She doesn’t try to deny it, and I’m thankful. “I’ll be here tomorrow night at seven.” When she attempts to speak, I kiss her once more. “Seven,” I repeat and her eyes flutter op
en as her gaze locks with mine.
When I assume she’s going to argue, she surprises me and nods in agreement.
I step back further and against my better judgment, I walk away without a glance back. I know if I do look, there will be no way I would be able to leave this building without going against everything I just told her.
“How was your night?” I hold my phone to my ear and wait for Spencer to respond. “Hello?”
“Shit,” he mumbles. “Sorry man, I was a little busy.”
“Do I even want to know what you’re busy doing?”
When he chuckles and I hear a woman’s voice, I know he isn’t alone. “Probably not,” he says confidently. “I think the images it would inflict in your mind would do nothing but damage your innocent soul.”
For the first time in, well, forever, I envy my best friend. But then I realize I could’ve been waking up next to Emerson just as he is Gianna. I could have spent my night getting lost in a beautiful woman. But instead, I get to see her again tonight and that somehow seems denying myself was worth it.
“The fact that you’re calling me this early in the morning tells me that you struck out with Emerson.” I hear Gianna say something about me hoping for the good of my health that I didn’t hurt her friend, which makes me laugh.
“You can assure fireball there that I was a complete gentleman, unlike you.”
“Oh, I was a definite gentleman,” he says, and I can practically visualize his cocky arrogance. “Well, I started out gentle anyway, but this girl doesn’t like it slow."
“Okay, enough jackass.”
“Somebody is feisty,” he chuckles.
“I was calling to see if you wanted to hit the gym, but I sense that you have very little energy left.” I stand from my couch and move toward my bedroom. “I think I’ll just call Terry or Frank.”