by A. m Madden
My beer was placed in front of me. I glanced once more at the door before calling Cassie, and then she walked in. Her pretty eyes scanned the room, and when she spotted me, she smiled.
I stood for two reasons… one, it was the polite thing to do, and two, it gave me a better sightline to admire her. Rather than a dress, Cassie had on a pair of light denim jeans, a white sleeveless button-up blouse that hugged the curve of her breasts, and a pair of nude-colored stilettos that were meant to be worn while her legs were wrapped around my neck.
Fuck me.
“Hi,” she said as she slung her purse on the back of the chair. “I’m so sorry I’m late. My neighbor, who’s reaching eighty years old, couldn’t find her cat. So I spent an hour scouring the building and lost track of time.” Cassie sat with a thud in the chair across from me.
“Did you find it?”
The waitress walked up to us and greeted Cassie. “Can I get you anything?”
Cassie tucked her silky hair behind her ear. “Yes, please. I’ll have a cosmo.” When we were alone again, she resumed, “We did find the cat… in her apartment… sleeping under a throw pillow on the couch.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. It dawned on me that Cassie seemed to be a magnet for mishaps. “Well, I’m glad you found it.” She rambled on about her elderly neighbor for a few minutes. And the more she shared about her neighborly ways, the more I wanted to get to know her.
“Anyway,” she said, a bit out of breath. “Usually, I’m quite punctual.” My eyebrows arched. “You know… when I’m not in an accident or searching for a feline.”
“That’s what I thought.” I winked, and a light pink hue tinged her porcelain complexion. “Thank you for meeting me tonight.”
She nodded, picking up her cocktail, which had been set down in front of her. Beating me to the punch, she lifted her glass. “To do-overs.”
Hearing her toast to the reason I wanted to meet her tonight relaxed me. “To do-overs,” I repeated before gently tapping my bottle against her glass. “How was the rest of your day?”
Cassie sipped her drink, set it down, and grinned. “Good, thank you. The insurance adjuster called, and apparently the passenger in the other driver’s car made a statement. And in addition to Andre’s other accidents, it tipped the tables in my favor.”
“Sounds like that passenger is a great guy.”
She quickly shrugged one shoulder. “It would appear so.” Cassie leaned forward, causing the opening in her blouse to give my eyes a direct line to her cleavage… which I averted. Her soft warm eyes met mine, and along with a radiant smile, made my body go hard like it had earlier in my apartment. “Thank you for giving your statement. I would never want you to lie for me, but you saved me a lot of aggravation by doing so.”
The cool bottle against my lips did little to extinguish the heat running through my body. “It wasn’t a lie.” What she didn’t know, and what I didn’t understand, was I would lie for her if it meant she would be happy.
Cassie
Conversation was surprisingly easy with Dante. Truth be told, when Oscar the kitty was loose, part of me wondered if it was a sign that I shouldn’t meet him tonight. But now that we were there, sharing a meal together, I almost felt guilty for feeling that way.
“I’ve been by this restaurant so often yet have never walked inside.”
Dante grinned. “A couple of years ago when I was in New York, a client introduced me to this place.” He glanced around the room. “I like it here.”
“Me too. This is much different than José Ponchos. When the girls and I go there, we can hardly hear ourselves think over the music and crowd noise.”
“Then why go?”
Such a simple question deserved an equally simple answer. “Because they have the best margaritas.”
“So you don’t like loud music?”
“Not really. I’m not a fan of my ears ringing when I wake up in the morning.”
“That’s a shame.” His deep-brown eyes darkened, sending my pulse into overdrive. When I remained silent, he added, “There’s somewhere I thought we could go after dinner.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.” A shot of excitement coursed through me at the thought that our night wouldn’t end after dinner.
Throughout the meal, it took every ounce of self-control not to stare at his corded muscles that flexed each time he cut his steak. My mind drifted often, wondering what it would be like watching those arms support his body as he hovered over mine, how his slender hips would fit between my legs, and those lips… soft, full, and kissable.
“Cassie? Did you hear me?”
Shit. Was he talking? “Sorry, what? Did you say something?”
“Alessandro’s. It’s a hidden gem.” He put a few bills in the vinyl wallet containing our restaurant tab and stood. “Come on, I’ll take you there.”
I repeated the name, Alessandro’s, in my head over and over to try to spark a recollection, but none came. How was it that I’ve lived here my entire adult life and never heard of it, yet this guy visits a few times a year at best and knows the hot spots? Rationally, I should decline, but I didn’t want my night with Dante to end no matter how much my brain told me this was a bad idea. He made me feel things I never had, so why not go with him?
“Okay.”
Dante grinned, pulled out my chair, and with a firm hand on the center of my back led me toward the door. The thin fabric of my shirt did nothing to lessen the heat of his skin branding into mine. Even in a crowded restaurant, even though I barely knew this man, his possessive hold had me feeling like I did indeed belong to him. I felt every fingertip, the flat surface of his large palm, and the strong yet gentle pressure as his hand pressed into my back.
The part that shocked me speechless—the zing that traveled through me from his touch.
It could have been because of the unexpected contact. At least I tried to convince myself of that. Or my recent state of restlessness decided to mess with me a bit, not unlike the man who continued to hold me as we walked out of the restaurant. Whatever it was that caused the reaction from my body had my mind reeling with confusion.
Distracted, I wordlessly folded my body into the cab that he called to the curb with a raised arm. Before I knew it, we were sitting side by side heading toward Midtown. When our driver turned down a street that didn’t look like there was a bar in sight, my nerves spiked to new heights. Then the car stopped, and Dante swiped his card in the reader and got out.
When he stepped to my side and opened my door, I hesitated. He dipped his head down, held out his hand, and waited for me to take it. “Come on, it’s right down those steps.”
I accepted his help getting out of the car, glancing around and only seeing dumpsters, a stray dog, and litter scattered about. He again placed his hand on the center of my back, guiding me to steps that led to a black metal unmarked door… and once again my body reacted to his touch.
Forcing myself to snap out of it, I asked, “What is this place?”
“A club.”
My feet stopped moving. “You’re taking me to a sex club?” It may not have been an obvious question, but based on the location and its appearance it looked like something out of a BDSM book I had read.
Dante, a step ahead of me, craned his head back. “No, a dance club. Why, would you prefer me to take you to the other?”
“No!” I shouted louder and quicker than I intended. Dante started laughing, took my hand in his, and pulled me toward the door. Fear. That was the emotion that should have been coursing through my veins, but instead, that delicious zing again took hold… as well as anticipation and intrigue.
“That’s too bad,” he said with an exaggerated frown. Dante knocked on the door three times—reminiscent of a gangster movie. Instead of a burly man in a three-piece suit and a fedora answering the door, imagine my surprise when a tall, redheaded woman dressed to the nines did. Heavy beats from the music sounded from inside. Multicolored lights fla
shed, and the woman sized Dante up with a glint in her eyes.
“Dante Benedetto, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
Dante leaned down and kissed her on both cheeks. “Marisa, it’s good to see you.” He pulled me closer to him. “This is my friend, Cassie. Cassie this is Alessandro’s wife, Marisa.”
Why I was relieved she was married was unbeknownst to me, but I was. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Any friend of this guy’s is a friend of mine,” Marisa said as she patted Dante’s chest. “Come, Alessandro had to step out, but you know your way around. Go have fun.”
In a sexy move, Dante laced his fingers with mine. Marisa wasn’t kidding when she said he knew his way around. He weaved us through the small crowd until we reached the dance floor.
A disc jockey sat in an elevated booth on the right side, cradling one headphone between his ear and shoulder, while he pressed buttons on a keyboard. The music changed to a slower melody, and like robots, the couples dancing all slowed down. They didn’t stop, but rather than their feet doing most of the work, their hips were.
“Dance with me.” Dante’s warm breath tickled the sensitive spot beneath my ear.
Panic shot through me. I pointed to a woman who was bent backward, her partner’s thigh supporting her body as if they were connected. “I… I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can.” Without haste, Dante pulled me into the center of the floor. Couldn’t he have picked a less conspicuous spot? All the saliva in my mouth evaporated, and I was sure this was going to end badly.
“Dante…”
He placed his finger over my lips and brushed his scruff-covered jaw over my cheek. “Follow my lead. I’ve got you, Cassie.”
Chapter 5
Cassie
Dante took my right hand in his left, his right went to my lower back, and he pulled me toward him until our hips touched and our chests grazed against each other. I watched in awe as a couple gyrated next to us. It felt like we were in the middle of a Dirty Dancing remake, and the more I watched, the more I knew I couldn’t dance like that.
Suddenly, his hand lifted to cup my cheek, guiding my attention back to him. I worried my bottom lip until his thumb tugged and then stroked over where my teeth had been. Dante lowered his head, bringing his lips a breath away from mine. If I leaned forward one millimeter, our mouths would touch.
Maybe it was the music or the erotic vibe in the club, but my body screamed to be caressed—my lips begged to be kissed. He rested his forehead on mine, and when the music paused a beat, he said in a husky voice, “Dance as though you’re making love.”
The DJ raised the volume of the next song, and we were back in dancing position, except now I had sex on my brain. Dante slid his leg between mine, bringing the top of his thigh to brush against the part of my body that hadn’t seen any action in a long time. Instantly, every nerve ending pulsed to life from my head down to my toes. I felt it everywhere, and if I concentrated enough, I knew I could make myself come.
When Dante mentioned making love, he wasn’t kidding. The way he moved his muscular abdomen to create a wave as his hips followed the rhythm simulated sex so accurately, my panties dampened as a result.
There was no denying the man could dance. Hell, he was so good that he had me believing I could as well. I closed my eyes and let my body go, figuring I’d never see these people again, so why not? Dante’s hand went from my waist to the curve of my ass, where he let it linger a bit. At the same time, my free hand rounded his shoulder, traveled down his back, and because what was good for the goose… landed on his tight ass.
Despite him raising a suggestive brow, or how much I wanted to leave my hand there, I thought better of it. So instead, I dropped it until it rested on the side of his leg. Our eyes remained connected, and although I knew we were still moving, I no longer cared if I was doing it right. I had taken ballroom lessons, as most uptight families back home forced their daughters to do. But the rumba, or whatever we were doing, wasn’t part of the curriculum at Miss Carrington’s School of Dance.
Dante pulled me closer, not bothering to hide his excitement, which I could feel pressing up against my hip. He speared my hair above the nape of my neck, gently guiding me backward. My foot rose, and my leg curled around his. Balancing on one foot, he dipped me farther back into the position I never imagined pulling off.
When the song ended, and the DJ started announcing events that were going to happen in the upcoming days, we didn’t move right away. Instead, we stood in the center of the dance floor, staring at each other. Something passed between us—for me it was indescribable. It wasn’t long ago this man infuriated me. Tonight, I had never been so turned on in my life. I wasn’t sure if my body could withstand another dance like that without stripping him naked. Get it together, Cassie.
I rose on the balls of my feet. “Can we get a drink?”
Dante nodded, and hand in hand we walked through another black door. The dimly lit eclectic room was small, yet housed a bar, a few tables, and a couple booths. He led me to the one in the back, where it was quiet enough to have a conversation.
“I’ll be back.” He pointed to the bar. “Cosmo?”
“Yes, thank you.”
I watched him, as did many other females in the room. Dante’s dark hair, olive complexion, and sinewy body were difficult to ignore. The black button-down and black jeans not only fit his perfect physique like a glove, they gave him a dangerous edge. Soon enough, with his beer and my drink in hand, he began to make his way toward me.
A dark-haired woman stopped him, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and whispered in his ear. Dante’s eyes landed on me before pointing in my direction with his pinky finger. The woman glanced my way, and then shrugged and walked off.
Acting as if that was a common occurrence in his life, he merely continued to the table, set my drink in front of me, and sat down. “So what do you think? Cool place, right?”
I let the cold fruity liquid sit on my tongue before letting it slide down my throat. “Yes, and you seem to be quite popular here.”
His eyes flitted to the brunette before coming back to me. “She was only asking for directions.”
A laugh erupted from me. “Directions? To where… your bed?”
The corners of his full lips quirked up. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you sounded a bit jealous.”
“No, not jealous. The same thing would happen when I went out with Luca. Women acted as though I wasn’t in the room. It was annoying.”
An immediate frown furrowed his brow. “You dated Luca? I thought you were just friends?”
“We didn’t date. But the women who flaunted themselves in front of him didn’t know we weren’t a couple. I may as well have been invisible. Was I not pretty enough? Sexy enough?”
“Sweetheart, you’re the sexiest woman here.”
“Thank you, but I wasn’t fishing for a compliment.”
“And I wasn’t trying to score any points. You’re gorgeous. You might not have noticed, Cassie, but when we were dancing, I was the envy of most men in the room. You move like your body was made for sex. Plus…” He waggled his finger toward my blouse. When I looked down, I saw a few buttons must have come undone when we were dancing, revealing the lace of my demi cup bra as well as my cleavage. “That is hot as fuck.”
Dante
The blush that colored her creamy cheeks at my declaration was even hotter than her blouse being unbuttoned. I smiled at how she adorably fumbled to close the buttons with clumsy fingers.
This woman was such a contradiction to the woman I had conjured in my mind. There was the Cassie that my brother had told me about, who seemed so sweet, innocent, and one stop away from joining a convent. Based on his description, I had an entirely different image of what she looked like, a different assumption of how she acted. In all honesty, the Cassie I had heard about seemed boring.
This Cassie, this firecracker with a short fuse and an undeniable hunger in her
brilliant baby-blue eyes, might have had everyone she knew fooled… but not me. The way she pressed her body against my thigh, followed my lead so perfectly in the sway of her hips, and looked into my eyes like she wanted to devour me most definitely revealed an inner vixen.
The combination of kindergarten teacher by day and—if given the opportunity I wouldn’t doubt—siren by night caused my cock to harden against her hip. And when it did, she subtly pushed against me. Now that was fucking hot. Show me a man who didn’t have the naughty teacher wet dream and I’d show you a gay man.
“Do you always do that?” she asked, her eyes meeting mine over the rim of her cocktail.
“Do what?”
“Stare?”
“It’s kind of my profession, to admire beautiful women.” I leaned closer, resting on my bent elbows. “You can tell a lot about a woman by staring into her eyes, by watching her reaction to studying her.”
She placed her drink down and mimicked my stance. “Okay, what can you tell about me?”
“Well, I can tell you’re naturally curious. For instance, you’re dying to know about my piercing, because you keep staring at my shirt. Right?”
My question shocked her, as evidenced by the instant reddening of her cheeks. “I… well, I’m a teacher, and of course I’m naturally curious. I…” With another awkward pause, she stopped short of asking me what she wanted to know.
“It’s okay,” I said, letting her off the hook. “Ask me.”
She hesitated slightly before succumbing to that curiosity I pegged her to have. “Jude said it was on a dare. Who dared you?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it a dare. That’s just what I told the guys.”
Cassie opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. I was sure she wondered, if not a dare, then what? I half expected her to ask, but instead she changed course. “How badly did it hurt?”
“Bad.” Was she curious because she wanted her nipple pierced? That thought shot blood directly to my dick. I couldn’t resist fueling her curiosity. “But not as bad as my other one.” Lifting my beer bottle to my lips, I took a slow pull, watching her the entire time. The way she tilted her head to look at my ear almost had me laughing out loud. Instead, I glanced down and added, “It’s a bit more south than that. If you’re that intrigued, I’d be happy to show it to you.”