“If not a bribe, Xbal, then what?”
He bent to brush his lips over her warm, moist, enticing mouth and whispered, “Foreplay.”
And the shiver that rippled through her was highly gratifying.
Chapter Two
Cassie wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the turn her encounter with Xbal had taken. It was one of those situations where you go in thinking you know what’ll happen but the script you have in your head turns out to be completely wrong. She’d been envisioning an immediate response—either a polite “no, thank you” or a crazy, gotta-have-it-now fuck on his couch or desk. Nowhere in her imagined movie was there banal conversation on the way to a restaurant, the prospect of lunch as a build-up to the actual deed getting done. He’d turned her plan on its head, and she felt as though she was upside down with it.
If she weren’t so completely rattled, the entire situation would be hilarious.
But she was rattled. Not to mention frazzled. Oh, and throw in a wild, inescapable side order of horny.
Yeah.
Hard to laugh when the sensation of Xbal’s lips on hers wouldn’t go away, when she kept remembering the timbre of his voice as he said, “Foreplay.” Then there was the slow, careful, terribly controlled way he’d closed her dress and tied the sash as she stood there trying hard not to tremble each time his knuckles brushed her skin.
Yes, it was all so ridiculous.
Yes, he was amazingly sexy.
Of course she’d wanted to sleep with him for years.
But, in the final analysis, it was still just Xbal, her friend and occasional business associate, a man she admired and genuinely liked. Just because she’d opened the door to them sleeping together didn’t mean any of that had changed, did it?
She glanced up from the menu she’d been pretending to peruse and another wave of need flashed over her skin and through her veins at the sight of him across the table. As though sensing her stare, he looked up too and smiled. Just a small tilt of one side of that beautiful mouth and her insides melted, need sending a hot, hard signal to her clit, which throbbed in response. Refusing to let him see just how affected she was by the entire situation and knowing from experience just how good she was at hiding these things, she smiled brightly back.
“So. What about this foreplay you promised me?”
Good. Nothing in her tone to indicate anything but light amusement. It was all she was willing to reveal.
Xbal waved an expressive hand, as though subtly brushing the words aside, and tilted his head a little, his eyes never leaving her face.
“We’ll get there, but I have a couple of questions for you first.”
“Oh?” Cassie tilted her head too, mirroring him, giving back as good as she was getting. “Like what?”
“Why me?” Nothing but curiosity in the words, but his eyes had darkened, his gaze turning sharp and probing. Cassie suppressed a shiver. Somehow that predatory stare was just so damn hot. “Why now?”
The urge was to look away, sever the sense of intimacy suddenly binding them together, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. She was about to lie to him, by omission if nothing else. Breaking eye contact would be too much an admission of…what? Insecurity? Dishonesty? Vulnerability? A mixture of all three?
She shrugged lightly, pushing those thoughts aside.
“Am I the only one to feel there’s a certain…” She lifted an eyebrow, drawing out the last word. “Chemistry between us? If I am—”
Again came that wave of his fingers, less subtle this time. “You know you’re not. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I set eyes on you, and you know it.”
No, she hadn’t really known it. She’d thought it, hoped it, even dreamed it, but he was such a cool customer she hadn’t been one-hundred percent sure. Hearing the words gave her an aching thrill she couldn’t—didn’t want to—fully suppress.
Arching both brows this time, she shook her head slowly. “Well, if that’s the case, what more is there to say?”
“A lot,” came the succinct reply. “Why me? Why now?”
By Sol, he wasn’t giving up, was he? What could she say to satisfy him that didn’t involve things like, “You’re on my bucket list” or “I couldn’t put it off any longer, lest I miss the chance”? The truth would lead to far more questions and admissions than she was prepared to allow. What could she say to fend that off and satisfy his curiosity? She settled on part of the truth.
“You’re a sexy man and I want to sleep with you.” There was some satisfaction in seeing eyes widen just enough to show surprise. “As for why now? It’s the right time for me, as I hope it is for you.”
His eyes still locked on her face, Xbal leaned back in the booth and, just from that motion, she knew he wasn’t satisfied with her answer. Mentally scrambling, she watched him for a second or two, waiting for him to start digging deeper, before inspiration struck.
“Of course, hearing you’re a master practitioner of sex magic doesn’t hurt.” She found herself licking her lips and didn’t stop the movement, knowing he’d seen the motion by the flicker of his gaze. When she continued she let her voice fall low, into a sexy whisper. “The combination of you and atraspa is too much for me to resist any longer.”
Now she had him.
Xbal’s stillness was complete, only his eyes flickering slightly, a big cat sighting his prey. Cassie suddenly realized she could hardly breathe, so caught up in the intensity of his gaze air seemed superfluous.
Foreplay. It occurred to her Xbal didn’t need to touch her, with hands or lips or magic, to turn her on. It was all in the eyes. The expression and concentrated focus.
Sol, he’s sexy.
There was a part of her wondering why she’d waited this long to initiate a sexual encounter with him, another urging her to run away. It was overwhelming, being the object of his attention in a way she hadn’t expected.
I didn’t expect any of this.
She’d thought it would have been over by now. The scenario seemed simple enough. He says yes, or no. They have sex, or she walks away. Now, mesmerized by the dark, compelling eyes, it all seemed a hell of a lot more complicated.
“Are you folks ready to order?”
Thankfully the arrival of the waiter gave her a moment to catch her breath, and diverted Xbal’s attention.
It also seemed to break the tension between them, and by the time they’d made their choices and the waiter left, they slipped back into the easy friendship they’d enjoyed for years.
Xbal leaned forward and took a sip of his raicilla-and-passion-fruit-juice cocktail before saying, “Hervé came to see me a few weeks ago. He wanted to tell me in person he wouldn’t be selling the Café after all.”
Cassie grinned just at the mention of her boss, mentor and friend who had recently, and totally unexpectedly, found happiness with a man from his past. “Isn’t it great?”
She’d been devastated when Hervé told them he’d be selling the tattoo parlor and entertainment venue he’d made such a success of, despite knowing she wouldn’t be around to continue on as a part of it for much longer.
Xbal’s lips quirked at her enthusiasm. “When he offered it up for sale, I was tempted to buy it. Actually, I was going to ask if you’d be interested in going into partnership with me.”
That rocked her and Cassie stared at him, shock stealing her breath and voice for a long moment. As far as she knew, Xbal’s businesses were one-man operations. The thought of him being willing to partner with her was somehow both amazing and flattering.
Xbal chuckled, obviously amused by the expression on her face.
“Why so surprised? I think we’d make a great team. You handling the tattoo side of the business and me taking on the entertainment side. Maybe hiring someone to manage the day-to-day operations so neither of us got too bogged down in the minutia.”
He paused as the waiter came with their meals, neither of them having opted for a starter. Once the waiter left he perused his pl
ate for a moment, seemingly with appreciation if his expression of near-lust was anything to go by. Why wasn’t she surprised he’d ordered a thick steak, rare, with sweet potato fries and a melange of mushrooms on the side, or that he was clearly a man who loved his food?
“Ula,” she said absently, still watching him as she picked up her fork, preparing to dig into her pasta.
Xbal looked up, knife and fork now poised over the plate. “No. Not unless she were willing to remain an employee. I wouldn’t take her on as partner.”
It didn’t surprise her when he immediately understood what she meant, but she was a little miffed by his dismissing the suggestion without considering it. No matter that it was all hypothetical at this point. “Why not? She knows that place inside and out. It would make sense.”
He shook his head with a firm, decisive motion. “Just you and me. No one else.”
And while she was trying to digest that, strangely warmed and gratified by his pronouncement, he turned his attention back to his food.
Neither of them said much for a while as they tucked in to the delicious meal. Partway through Cassie realized how nice it was to feel so comfortable with a man there was no pressure to make conversation, allowing her to enjoy eating the way she liked to.
As she was sopping up the last of her sauce with a heel of crusty bread, Cassie glanced up and found herself once more the focus of Xbal’s considered stare. Immediately, between one heartbeat and the next, her body went from contented to red-alert as a rush of awareness prickled across her skin.
“What?”
She knew she sounded both defensive and a little breathless, but there was nothing she could do to quell the knee-jerk reaction.
“So my ability with atraspa is what made you decide to proposition me today?”
It was just a bonus, a happy happenstance, but Cassie wasn’t going to admit that to Xbal—not in a thousand years.
She shrugged slightly, quirking an eyebrow at him, letting a hint of a sultry smile tip the edges of her lips.
“I’ll admit to being curious about how a master practitioner uses it. There aren’t that many around, are there?”
“No.” He was once more leaning back against the cushions of the booth, slowly twisting the almost-empty cocktail glass in front of him on the table back and forth between his fingers. From a distance he probably looked completely relaxed, but Cassie knew otherwise. The predatory gaze was unmistakable, and it took all her control not to fidget, to touch her hair or squirm beneath that look. “Not many people have what it takes to make it to master status.”
“Oh?” She made it a subtle goad, wanting to distract him, rile him maybe. Anything to break that unwavering stare. “And what does it take?”
“Control. Dedication. The willingness to keep at it, even when you think it’s impossible to go one step past where you are.”
“You make it sound so difficult.”
That made him smile, just a little, and he looked down at where the glass still twisted between his fingers. Cassie took a deep, silent breath, trying to recover from the force of his gaze while she had a chance.
“Learning the basics is easy enough, if you have the ability and the will. Mastering it, without allowing it to master you, is the hard part.”
She wanted to question him on it further but once more the waiter interrupted, bringing dessert and clearing away the used dishes. When he left, before she could pick the conversation up again, Xbal beat her to the punch.
“Have you ever experienced atraspa?”
Looking down at the decadent chocolate lava cake in front of her, Cassie quipped, “Shame on you. I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Tell me.”
The low, demanding growl took her by surprise and she looked up, was caught and effortlessly held again by his glittering stare.
“Once or twice.” Was mind control a part of atraspa, or was it just him, his presence and insistence, forcing her to answer?
“And did you like it?”
There was something in his voice, the set of his mouth, that released her from whatever spell he had her under and, with a fortifying, mind-clearing breath, Cassie was once more in complete control.
Leaning back against the padded seat, she replied, “It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either.”
Xbal seemed to relax as well, although he didn’t appear to move. “What was wrong with it?” He held up one hand. “I’m not asking for details, just your general impressions.”
Tilting her head, Cassie tried to read him, to see what he was getting at, but Xbal was giving nothing away. There wasn’t any reason to refuse to answer, so she mentally shrugged and said, “In one case it was…interesting, but didn’t last very long. In the other there was a sensation of it not being right, as though there was something lacking.” Picking up her fork, she stabbed at the cake with a wee bit more force than was absolutely necessary. “I don’t think he really knew what he was doing.”
She didn’t add that she’d demanded he stop and the warlock had gotten so angry he’d stormed out of his own apartment and left her there.
“I agree.” Xbal picked up his glass and drained the last little bit of his cocktail. Setting it down, he lightly pushed his untouched orange-sunflower gelato aside. “Atraspa should leave the one it’s practiced on sated and satisfied.”
“Huh.” She didn’t look up, not wanting to get snagged by his gaze again. “Jasmina told me the one time she tried it, she got a horrid headache.”
“Another amateur.” The inflection in his voice made it clear just how he viewed those who didn’t measure up to whatever mark of excellence he had in his mind. “If done correctly, a woman should scream and moan and beg for more, not for it to stop.”
The laugh that broke from Cassie’s throat wasn’t planned but she couldn’t suppress it. In fact it was such a relief after the strangeness of the entire encounter between them, she made no effort to rein in her mirth. Only when she was spluttering, using her napkin to wipe her eyes, did she suddenly wonder what Xbal was thinking of her amusement and felt a pang of guilt. If he were like most men he’d be glaring, annoyed she was laughing at him. Getting herself under control, blotting the last few tears, she peeked at him over the linen serviette.
Xbal was still leaning back, smiling—as relaxed as a big cat in the sun, as sexy as sin and twice as dangerous. Cassie’s breath hitched in her throat and she tightened her grip on the cloth in her hand, her stomach turning a slow somersault, every nerve ending jumping to electrified life. A sensation, akin to freefalling but scarier, came over her as she took in his posture, expression, the aura of complete and utter confidence surrounding him.
“What’s so funny?”
Goose bumps flared across her lower back, down her legs. Her brain screamed at her to end this now, tell him she’d changed her mind and walk away, although why this sensation of deep, dark jeopardy should suddenly assail her, she had no clue. It made no sense. She’d been the object of his predatory stare, his concentrated focus, but neither scared her as much as this seemingly innocuous smile. Never, ever before had she wanted a man the way she wanted him at that moment, and it was terrifying.
Yet the part of her urging retreat wasn’t stronger than her innate recklessness, or her desire. If anything the potential of risk beyond what she’d anticipated spurred her on.
Meeting his gaze, she lowered the napkin back to her lap and straightened in her seat, chin lifted, fully aware of the arrogance of her stance.
“I never moan or scream, much less beg.”
His eyes flared, her words hanging between them for what seemed like a very, very long time although it was no more than a second or two. Then his lids drifted down, masking his expression, but his lips were still tilted up.
“A silent lover, then?”
Cassie tilted her chin a little higher. “Pretty much.”
“Why?”
The question left her at a loss. It wasn’t something she’d ever really though
t about, and she had no intention of doing so now, for him.
“It’s just the way I am—how I’ve always been. No reason for it that I know of.”
Xbal’s smile seemed to widen infinitesimally. “Interesting.”
“Really?” She couldn’t resist poking at him, annoyance rising at his continued amusement. “What’s so interesting about that?”
His movement was so swift, so smooth, she could only gasp. One moment he was leaning back in the booth, the next his elbows were on the table and he was close enough for her to see how his pupils had dilated, his face had gone from amusement to near emotionless.
The predator was back and her body heated, softened, tightened all at the same time, lust heightening in a rush that almost left her breathless.
“It makes me wonder whether it’s a mark of your control or an indication of your former lovers’ lack of imagination.”
She sought a snappy comeback, was forestalled by the realization he wasn’t being funny, didn’t seek to bait her with his words. When she spoke, it was without conscious decision, the words simply flowing from between her lips in a teasing, taunting whisper.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“I’m inclined to find out.” The low rumble seemed to have a physical manifestation, brushing against her cheek, slicking across her lower lip, reminding her of the touch of his mouth on hers. “Let’s test it out, shall we?”
It wasn’t her imagination, Cassie realized, as the soft, sweeping sensation trailed along her neck and came to rest against the pulse now pounding at the base of her throat. The bastard was using his command of sex magic to reach across the table and touch her.
Her heart leapt, but Cassie gave him a challenging stare, even as her breasts ached and her pussy began to throb with the promise of what was ahead.
“Go for it.”
Chapter Three
Oh, she was a cool one.
Xbal grinned with almost savage joy, knowing such an expression would send the average woman running for the hills. But this was Cassandra, and she merely stared back at him, amethyst eyes snapping, even as a blush stained her cheeks.
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