The offer sent her nerve endings tingling and X-rated pictures flashing through her head, but she frowned. “This is only supposed to be one night, Pike.”
He leaned closer, all swagger and sex appeal, and a slow, confident smile curved his lips. “Baby, you’re not going to want to walk away after what I do to you.”
Her breath left her for a second, and the restaurant seemed to fade around them as their gazes locked. She swallowed hard. “Well, someone’s confident.”
His eyes creased at the corners. “Gonna find out if I can back it up?”
She didn’t break the eye contact. It felt like they were squaring off in a ring, challenge hovering between them. She’d promised herself this was a one-night getaway, but the thought of her and Pike trading power back and forth, pushing each other to new edges—no, she couldn’t think about that right now. That kind of temptation was dangerous. “Guess I am. For tonight.”
He looked like he may argue the one night point with her again, but then his expression smoothed and he gave a small nod. “Pick a safe word, Oakley. One that you can remember easily.”
The command startled her for a second, sent her thoughts scattering, but her body’s response was instant. “Why do I need one of those?”
“Because I’m not going to ask your opinion on our activities tonight. This isn’t going to be a negotiation. But I also want you to let me know if we’re about to cross a line you’re not willing to cross.”
She could feel her heartbeat in her throat. They were going to do this. She was going to give him the control tonight. If the theme of the night was bravery, she was about to bungee jump off a rocky cliff. She wet her lips and gave him the first word that came to mind. “Oklahoma.”
His brow arched.
“It’s where I’m from.”
“Okay. Use that word if you want anything to stop at any time tonight. But only use it if you truly want to pull the eject cord. You’ll enjoy this a lot more if you trust me to take you outside your comfort zone. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“And you understand that for the rest of the night, I’m making the decisions? The only control you have is that safe word.”
Blood rushed through her ears. “I do.”
“Excellent. Now”—he released her hand and slouched back in his chair, legs wide in that cocky man way—
“let’s see how much you mean that. The restroom is in the back right corner of the restaurant. Go in there and take off your panties.”
“What?” She’d heard him, but the knee-jerk reaction was impossible to stop.
He seemed unmoved by the shock in her voice. He pitched himself forward and crooked a finger at her. She leaned in close, their lips a hairsbreadth apart. He kept his voice low. “You heard me just fine. It’s a clean, private, one-person bathroom with a lock. Take the panties off, put them in your purse, and then slide your fingers into your pussy until you’re good and wet for me. I want you slick and ready. Once you’ve done that, you can come back out here and finish your dinner.”
She blinked. “You’re serious.”
He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “You have five minutes, gorgeous.”
Her face had to be red as a tomato. Hopefully, the other patrons in the restaurant would just assume she’d eaten too much green salsa. She’d been down with playing submissive at The Ranch where that kind of thing happened. But here? Now? “Pike, I—”
“Just don’t think too hard about it,” he said, his tone like a caress and his hand coasting over her knee beneath the table. “Trust that I won’t put you in a situation that would compromise your reputation or hurt you. You’ll be safe with me. You have my word.”
She rubbed her lips together, his promise resonating. She hadn’t known Pike for long, but all her instincts told her that he was telling the truth, that he wouldn’t do anything to put her at risk, and that his word meant something. She nodded and pushed back from the table. “Okay.”
The desire that sparked in his eyes when he saw that she was complying nearly had her stumbling in her heels as she stood. Prickling awareness tracked over her body as his gaze dragged along every inch of her.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said, managing to keep her voice steady.
He lifted his hand and wiggled four fingers. “You’re down to four minutes. Don’t make me wait longer than that. Can’t have our food getting cold.”
The sexy half-smile he gave her nearly undid her. Despite the shift in his tone, the playfulness she loved about him danced in his eyes. She had a feeling with that smile, he wouldn’t have a hard time getting her to do most anything.
He wanted to play.
And she was ready for the game.