by Robyn Amos
“Very sexy.”
Ronnie’s cheeks were on fire once again, but this time for a different reason. She’d never had a man tell her she was sexy before.
Feeling almost giddy, Ronnie disappeared into the dressing room and put on the next dress. This one was a royal-blue strapless that hid nothing from breast to hip. The fabric was beautifully draped with ruching at the waist, but Ronnie feared it was too revealing.
As soon as she stepped out of the dressing room, Ace and the sales girl began oohing and ahhing.
“Ronnie, you look incredible in that dress.”
“That’s the perfect color for you,” the sales girl said, “and it really compliments your figure.”
Ronnie immediately discounted the clerk’s opinion because Ronnie knew the girl wanted to make a sale. But Ace’s appreciation was written all over his face. He looked like he wanted to scoop Ronnie up and rush her back to his room.
Suddenly this shopping experience had taken a turn for the better. Ronnie went back into the dressing room and put on dress number three. It was a black lacy number with spaghetti straps and a frilled hemline.
“This dress looks great,” Ace said when she came out of the dressing room, “but the blue one’s my favorite. It, um, showed off your best assets.”
Ronnie eyed him up and down. “My best assets? And what would those be?” she teased, enjoying watching him squirm.
For a second she saw him racking his brain for a politically correct answer until he saw the evil glint in her eye. They both laughed.
She put her hand on her hip. “I don’t know. The blue dress may be dangerous to my virtue. Maybe I ought to shop around for something more conservative?”
Ace waved off that suggestion. “Nah, you hate shopping. The blue dress is perfect. If you don’t buy it for yourself, I’m buying it for you.”
Ronnie felt her heart float with feminine pride. “You like it that much, huh?”
He winked at her and she suddenly felt as though she was standing before him naked. “Okay, fine, I’ll buy the blue dress.”
“Maybe you should get the red and black, too. After all, I’m going to want to take you out in Hawaii and Paris.”
Ronnie sighed. Not only was he making it clear that he planned to spend a lot of time with her in the future, he was also expressing confidence that she’d make it to the final round of Food Fight.
She was riding so high from all the positive feedback, Ronnie decided she would buy the other dresses, as well. After all, it couldn’t hurt to be prepared.
Ace walked her back to the hotel and they parted ways to get ready for the evening. She’d been so consumed by the shopping trip that she hadn’t even asked him what show they’d be going to see.
Later, as Ronnie slipped into her blue dress, she thought about her most recent dating history. It had been a long time since she’d been on a date. But now that she’d allowed herself the indulgence, she was going to make sure she enjoyed it.
Seeing Andre at the press junket yesterday had reminded her of what a fool she’d been. But what she saw in the mirror today reminded her that she wasn’t that person anymore. Why couldn’t she have a good time with an old friend? Sure, he was a notorious player, but she wasn’t ready for anything long term anyway.
Ronnie decided she was going to revel in this relationship for as long as she lasted in the competition. She’d enjoyed watching Ace’s eyes pop out of his head when he’d seen her in that blue dress.
Leaning forward, she applied a hint of sparkle to her eyelids. Tonight she wasn’t above tempting him a little further. And if things progressed between them, she wasn’t going to hold herself back.
Ace waited in the lobby for Ronnie, anxious to get the night started. When she stepped off the elevator, hesuddenly sucked his lungs full of air, as if he’d just been punched in the gut. Even though he’d seen her try on the dress in the store, nothing had prepared him for the full effect with hair and makeup. She’d pulled just enough hair back from her face to show off her bright, shimmering eyes and a pair of glittering earrings. The rest of her hair curled down her back in soft waves, just above her shoulders.
Without any other jewelry to disrupt his view, his eyes traveled down her bare neck to her ample cleavage and got lost there. A second later, Ronnie snapped her fingers in front of his face.
“Hey, Ace, my eyes are up here.”
“Yes, but I’ve seen those before.” Then his skin heated as he realized he wasn’t acting like the gentleman he’d set out to be. “I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud.”
Fortunately, when he raised his eyes to hers, he saw that she didn’t look angry. In fact, her eyes held a flirtatious glimmer as she reached up and touched his cheek.
“Getting fresh on the first date?” she asked.
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, inhaling her soft floral scent. “You can’t blame a guy for trying. I mean, look at you. It’s not my fault that I temporarily lost control of my common sense.”
Ronnie laughed. “Saved by the charm once again.”
Ace took Ronnie to the brand-new luxury hotel on the Strip where the show Le Nu was playing. He’d had the concierge make reservations at the five-star restaurant there.
As the host led them to their table, Ronnie turned to look at Ace, her eyes flashing with anticipation. “I’ve heard so much about the chef of this restaurant. I’ve been dying to try his seafood risotto. You must be really connected to get last-minute reservations.”
Instantly, Ace knew he had a way to redeem himself for his lecherous behavior earlier. When Ronnie went to the ladies’ room, he signaled the waiter to send a message to the chef.
When she returned, they shared a crab cake appetizer and found themselves laughing about Ann Le Marche’s cursing fit during the competition.
When it was time for their entrées to be served, Ace could barely hide his smile as he saw Chef Telloni headed in their direction.
Ronnie’s back straightened and her eyes opened wide as the chef stopped at their table. “I hear you would like to try my seafood risotto,” he said, after introducing himself to her.
“Yes, I would.” She looked across to Ace. “How did you know?”
Chef Telloni clapped Ace on the back. “Ace and I are old friends. And he tells me you’re a remarkable chef yourself.”
“Does he, now? I can never get him to admit it to me, but I’m glad to hear that he knows it.”
“Come this way, and I will give you the VIP tour.”
The chef led Ronnie back into the kitchen, put her in an apron and showed them how he made his seafood risotto. Of course, with some of the ingredients already prepped, his real secrets remained intact. But Ace knew Ronnie was thrilled with the experience.
When they returned to their table, the waiter served them the very dishes they had just watched Chef Telloni prepare, and Ronnie was on cloud nine.
“Do you have room for dessert?”
Ronnie looked wistfully at the menu. “I’m going to have to get up early and work out twice as hard if I do.”
“Come on, a little chocolate never hurt anyone.”
She shook her head. “Speak for yourself. A little chocolate here and a little chocolate there, and picture me eighty pounds heavier.”
Ace knew she was probably sensitive about her weight, so he wasn’t sure of the best way to respond. Fortunately, she continued on her own.
“I’m sure you understand. You didn’t get that buff in your sleep, did you? If you tell me your muscles just sprout out of nowhere because of your naturally fast metabolism, I’m going to get up and leave.”
“No, you’re right. I try to do some form of exercise every day. I slacked a little while I was traveling, and I had to spend more than a couple of weeks in the gym to get back into shape.”
She smiled. “After all, the Sexy Chef has a lot to live up to.”
“How about I make you a deal? We’ll split a dessert, and I�
��ll work out with you in the morning.”
“You’ll work out with me, huh? Just what kind of exercise did you have in mind?”
Ace grinned. She was flirting with him again. “Any kind you think you can handle.”
Then the waiter came and interrupted them before things got out of hand. Ace ordered a fruit-and-sorbet platter for them to share.
Before the waiter could walk away, she said to Ace, “Wait a minute. I thought you wanted a little chocolate.”
He gave her a puzzled look. “I thought you wanted to be health conscious.”
“But this restaurant is famous for its Grand Marnier cake and chocolate gelato.”
He gestured to the waiter and changed their order.
Ronnie shrugged. “If I’m going to have to double my workout, I may as well make sure it’s worth it.”
Minutes later the waiter returned with their dessert and the two of them wasted no time tucking into it.
“Uh, Ace, you have whipped cream on your cheek.”
He winked at her. “Want to lick it off for me?”
Her nose instantly wrinkled. “I’m sorry, but you may as well know, despite the fact that I’m a chef, I don’t go for all that licking food off body parts. It grosses me out.”
Ace wiped his cheek with his napkin. “Are you kidding me? You don’t like a little chocolate and whipped cream in the bedroom?”
She wrinkled her face again, shaking her head vigorously.
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said, licking his fork clean.
“I’m sorry but food tastes best when eaten off plates. Once you mix in salty skin, the whole recipe is thrown off.”
“Maybe you just haven’t tried the right combination of person and food.”
Ace hadn’t meant to let his thoughts go there, but suddenly in his mind’s eye he saw Ronnie spread out and covered with whipped cream, chocolate and strawberries, and his entire body went hot. He had to focus on his breathing so he wouldn’t start panting and give his thoughts away.
“I have too much respect for food to treat it that way.”
His eyes narrowed with skepticism. “You’re making it sound like you’ve never even tried it.”
“I don’t have to. When I was seventeen, my best friend Cara and I snuck into this racy movie that was famous for its sexy love scenes. Well, in one of them, the guy puts the girl on the floor in front of the refrigerator and just starts pulling stuff out and smearing it all over her.”
Ronnie absently licked her fork as she spoke passionately. “Trust me when I tell you, it was not sexy.”
Tell that to my pants, Ace thought, chewing on the inside of his mouth to rein in his libido.
Not only were her words sexy to him, she wasn’t even aware of the way she’d taken a bite of cake and then licked every speck of chocolate off her fork with the tip of her tongue. Even the most proper gentlemen would have had trouble resisting that image.
“And,” Ronnie continued, “if I’m reading your face correctly, let me just warn you now, do not take my words as a personal challenge. You’ll never convince me otherwise. The whole idea makes me sick.”
Caught in the act, Ace made a show of looking at his watch. “The show will be starting soon. We’d better finish up.”
Grateful to have a safe topic to focus on, his amorous thoughts eventually began to abate. After starting off this date with such a sexually charged conversation, it would be a great relief to clear his mind for a couple of hours during the show.
Ronnie walked with Ace through the hotel to the theater where the show would take place. As they approached the doors, she saw a series of posters with performers covered in elaborate body paint inside flaming rings, suspended in swings and walking tightropes.
“Le Nu?” she asked. “I don’t think I’ve heard anything about this show. What’s it about?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. But Garett said that it’s the hottest ticket in town.”
She shrugged. “I guess I haven’t heard anything about it because it’s a new production.”
An usher escorted them to their seats three rows fromthe stage. “These are great seats. I guess it’s all about who you know.”
“In that case, I know Garett, and he knows everyone else.”
Ronnie laughed and relaxed back into her seat. It amazed her how easy this date was. Normally, even when she tried her best to relax, she found relationships to be a lot of work. Granted, they were only a few hours into the date, but Ace was courteous, complimentary and seemed genuinely attracted to her. There was no chance that at the end of this date he would tell her he just wanted to be friends.
On the contrary, the sexual tension between them seemed to be mounting quickly. She couldn’t believe that they’d gotten comfortable enough to actually talk about sex. Thank goodness they had this show to keep their minds on neutral ground for an hour or two.
After several minutes, the theater went dark and a ringmaster stepped through the curtain to begin the show. As he began introducing performers, Ronnie started to realize that, despite the fancy body paint, all the performers were naked.
The body art was done tastefully, and the circus acts required skill and training, but the nudity created a sensuality that was normally absent from similar performances she’d seen in the past.
Ace leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Ronnie felt her skin flushing profusely. “It’s okay.”
“I just heard the guy next to me tell his wife that le nu means the naked in French. I’m going to kill Garett when I see him.”
“Really, it’s okay. The show isn’t raunchy or tasteless. Let’s just enjoy it.”
But as the show went on, Ronnie found it increasinglydifficult to focus on the performance. Instead she was excruciatingly aware of Ace’s every move beside her. Anytime his hand or arm brushed hers she felt her skin burn.
On the stage, a male and a female with perfectly sculpted bodies entwined and contorted as they swept around in a sultry dance.
Ronnie felt like her entire body was on alert. Finally, it was clear that Ace had given up pretending he wasn’t affected by the titillating sights before them. He slipped his arm around her and began caressing her shoulder.
She leaned into him as much as she could despite the armrest separating them. Her nipples had constricted so tightly they were almost painful.
As she concentrated on not moaning in pleasure at his caress, his fingers glided up from her bare shoulder to slip beneath her hair. He rubbed her neck in soft little circles that caused her eyelids to close involuntarily.
It seemed like an eternity passed before the show was over. Ronnie watched, half-distracted by Ace’s presence as a sensual array of music and beautiful bodies assaulted her senses.
Neither of them said a word as they left the theater. Ace hailed a cab back to their hotel, and during the short ride, they sat close to each other, still barely speaking.
Even though it had been hours since she’d had any wine, Ronnie felt drunk. Her entire body was heavy, from her eyelids to her legs. They felt as though they’d been weighed down with lead.
They walked through the lobby and rode the elevator together. Ronnie punched in her floor, and Ace made no move to choose his own.
Her heart began to pound in her chest with anticipation. Part of her felt like she should slow things down, or weighthe pros and cons of the moment, but that part of her was receding tonight.
Ronnie pulled out her key, and Ace followed her into the room. Before she could get too far, he lifted her against his body and crushed his mouth over hers in a long, deep kiss.
Chapter 9
When the kiss broke, Ace smiled and said, “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”
Ronnie leaned into him. “Then next time, don’t wait so long,” she said, running her tongue across her upper lip. Their kiss had ended her fast and now she wanted more.
She lifted her face to h
is, but his head was already lowering again. This time, his lips pressed hers at a much less urgent pace. Inviting his slow exploration, she let her lips part naturally so his tongue could slip between them.
Hunger fully awakened, Ronnie was feeling a sense of urgency. These kisses were just an aperitif, and she wanted to skip to the main course. Three years of celibacy were now working against her as her supersensitive skin tingled for his touch.
Ace’s mouth continued its slow, gentle brushes against hers. Pressing back with more force, Ronnie had to restrain herself from devouring him like a woman famished.
Reaching up to hook her arms around his neck, she let her fingers trace upward to his cleanly shaven head. The movement pulled her body tighter against his. The material of her gown scraped her aching nipples as her generous breasts threatened to pull free from the dress.
But suddenly her clothes no longer mattered. Ace was fingering the zipper under her right arm. With a quick downward flick, the dress fell to her feet, leaving Ronnie in nothing but a pair of panties and heels.
She hadn’t been stripped bare before a man since she’d lost weight. Resisting the urge to cover herself, instead she splayed her arms as though she were an all-you-can-eat buffet. Whether Ace liked what he saw or not, it was too late for her to make any changes. And she had too much pride to cower under his heated gaze.
Lifting her chin to bolster confidence, she raised her eyes to take in his reaction. To Ronnie’s relief, if she were an all-you-can-eat buffet, Ace was a man with a hearty appetite.
His eyes drank her in and his lips parted as though his mouth watered for the taste of her. A guttural sound escaped his throat. “My God, you’re sexy,” he growled.
Ronnie, trembled slightly, wobbling on her heels. Could it be that this beefy hunk of man really wanted her?
As his hooded gaze burned over her, the bulge in his slacks grew, confirming the truth of his words.
Ronnie had never felt so beautiful or powerful.
He reached out and touched the jewelry in her belly button. “This is a surprise.”