I think for a moment and shake my head.
“No, not really. I used to, but not so much anymore. I talk to my parents at least once a week, and they send me lots of selfies, and sometimes even let Eddie say hello on the phone. Plus, I could never go back to New Jersey now. My life is here, in Manhattan, where I belong.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” James rumbles, running his fingers over the back of my hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you around, sweetheart.”
My pulse zooms to a hundred in an instant, and my face starts to heat up. OMG, what is the billionaire saying? Is James hinting that he has feelings for me too, despite the fact that our relationship is fundamentally transactional?
Thankfully, I’m saved by the appearance of our server, and I order the chicken piccata while James asks for a rare steak with fries on the side. Our conversation is light and easygoing, and when the food arrives, it’s delicious. Each morsel is packed with so much flavor, it puts anything I could make to shame.
“Have some more,” my lovers says, offering me another bite of fry.
“Oh no, I couldn’t,” I giggle. “I’m stuffed!”
“There’s always room for more fries,” he intones before gently placing a kiss on my lips. “Especially when you’ve got a figure like yours, Simona. I want to keep you curvy and beautiful, and that means keeping you fed.”
I giggle because it’s true. My man adores my lushness, and has actually made me promise never to lose any weight. He doesn’t want me to lose my sex appeal, and I think having a Jessica Rabbit figure is very much part of that.
When we’ve had our fill, neither of us are ready to call it a night, so we hit up one of Manhattan’s clubs on the Far West side called the Shore.
“Have you been before?” I ask as we’re whisked by a velvet rope.
“You betcha,” my lover grins down at me, the shadows making his features look even more masculine and sharp. “Come on baby. You’ll have fun.”
The moment we step inside, a heavy bass thrums through my bones, making me shiver. Colored lights pulse as bodies slink and slither on the dance floor, almost making love in public. I’ve always adored dancing so I grab my man’s hand.
“Come on, dance with me!” I have to shout to be heard over the music.
James casts a skeptical look over the crowd of gyrating shadows but then shakes his head. “I don’t dance,” comes his low growl.
My eyes widen. “No, it’s fun! How can someone as well traveled as you not dance? You must have gone clubbing a lot when you were in Bangkok!”
But again, he shakes his head with an amused little grin. “Listen, I was busy doing something else that had nothing to do with dancing in Bangkok. But you go ahead, baby girl. I’ll get us some drinks, alright?”
I pout and nod, already shimmying in time to the music. Then, the gorgeous man kisses my forehead and heads to the bar to grab some cocktails. Almost immediately, I feel a large pair of hands wrap around my hips as I sway with the beat. The stranger whisks me to the dance floor with a low growl, and I let myself get pulled in by the music.
After a few minutes, my eyes open and I see James staring at me from across the room. Oh shit. He looks semi-angry, not to mention a bit aroused. I throw him a saucy wink before twirling seductively in the stranger’s arms. The man I’m with takes that as a sign, and runs his big palms up and down my sides in a gentle caress. He doesn’t touch anywhere private, but it’s enough to arouse possession in my benefactor. Drinks forgotten, James stalks towards us, those blue eyes flashing. His shoulders are stiff and expression threatening as he cuts between the stranger and me.
“Hey, what the?” the other man protests.
My lover merely turns his back and rasps, “Get your own girl, asshole.”
Then, he pulls me against his chest as I wiggle my assets against him, making him growl. “I bet you think you’re quite clever, don’t you honey?”
I throw him a look of mock innocence. “But my prince, you’re such an amazing dancer,” I say. “It’d be such a shame if you didn’t show off your moves.”
He snorts and then squeezes my ass possessively. “Oh really? My moves, huh? Well, two can play at this game. Are you wearing those panties I got you?”
I giggle. “Of course I am, my prince.”
He grins devilishly before leaning down to whisper in my ear, “Good, because you need to be punished. You know bad girls always end up paying a price.”
Suddenly, a jolt of vibrating pleasure courses up my body from my clit and I let out a breathy shriek. Good thing it’s loud in the club because I’m sure others would think I was having a convulsive fit. But instead, my panties are vibrating and my pussy gushes hotly as I moan, clinging to my man’s strong biceps.