And he’s the right guy?
“What do you want from me?” I whisper, kind of frightened at his intensity even as I’m curious as hell and turned on like nobody’s business.
“I want…” He glances to the side, sighs. He keeps his gaze averted as he says. “I want to show you how hot you are. I want to have a good time with you. I want you. My dick hasn’t deflated since I saw you. But you need to know who I am. I—”
“I know who you are,” I say.
He looks startled. “Good. Awesome. Well, a man in my position can’t offer you anything more.” At my confused look, he says. “I can’t have a relationship. Can’t date you. So if you want a boyfriend, then you can walk away from this table right now. No hard feelings. Too much is at stake.”
His money, I guess. He doesn’t want to get involved with any girl and then face a scandal.
“I understand,” I begin, but he stops me, squeezing my hand.
“No, you don’t, because it’s not that simple. Believe me. But it’s the way things are. There are bigger issues than my personal pleasure at stake here. So if you come with me to the hotel where I’ve booked a room, and we have great sex together, that’s it. That’s all I can offer you.”
I ponder this. He’s honest, I’ll give him that. Doesn’t try to lure me with promises and sweet words. He’s straight with me, and I won’t deny what he promises for tonight is already good.
If nothing else, it will take my mind off Chance and the ugliness he caused.
“I understand,” I say again and squeeze his hand back. “I’ll take your offer, Jamie Fleming.”
His grin turns boyish, and his gray eyes soften. “Call me Hawk.”
Chapter Two
The hotel he’s booked into is a block away, and we walk, hand in hand. It’s not dating, but then why does it feel so much like it?
“So… you don’t live here in Baltimore?” I ask, when the silence becomes too much as we cross the street.
“I do.”
“So why the hotel room?”
He glances at me, his mouth curling up in that easy smile that sends bolts of heat through me. “I called and booked a room when I saw you sitting at the restaurant. Just in case.”
I huff. “Confident, much?”
And he hasn’t answered my question, not really.
He shrugs. “It was a wishful thought. Besides, in my line of work, you have to be bold.”
I bet you do. And through the sting of annoyance, the heat flares stronger than ever.
He hoped to get into bed with me. He wished for it.
Holy crap, Batman.
His hand is tight around mine, and a good thing too, as my heels are too high to be walking down the street. Hey, I was only supposed to walk from the car into the restaurant and back, but they are the perfect heels—matching my lilac dress in tone and sheen, its hem peeking under my black coat. I wanted to be pretty for Chance, and then I was glad I did when he dumped me.
Better look pretty when your boyfriend of two years dumps you for a tramp and another man invites you over to his table, right? Look at all the things I learned tonight.
Right this moment, though, I am thrilled that the hotel is right in front of us, with the promise of taking the shoes off at last.
The shoes, among other things…
Glancing up at the tall man beside me, I lick my lips and warmth floods my face when I realize I’m doing it. But how can I help it? This feels unreal. He’s just too gorgeous with his powerful built and those gray eyes… That arrogant air when he stops in front of the reception desk and asks for the key to the room, then sends a smirk my way, his eyes half-closing, a speculative gleam in them.
A gleam that says he’s already undressing me in his mind, and that is so damn sexy my whole body tightens with excitement.