“That was a warning, Ace. Next time, you’ll be over my knee getting that cute bottom of yours roasted.”
“Oh.” A pretty blush stole across her cheeks, and he just barely resisted the urge to kiss her again. She was far too potent for his own good.
“Get dressed so we can finish eating, and I’ll call a ride for you.”
Disappointment flickered across her face, but it was gone so quickly he almost wondered if he imagined it. “You don’t want me to, you know. Return the favor?”
“Not tonight. But if you don’t have any plans for tomorrow…” he let the suggestion hang in the air, let it be her call.
Pulling her shirt on, she grinned over at him. “I could probably squeeze you in.”
Even though there was no hint of anything sexual in her words, his mind automatically conjured an image of her taking him in, her muscles milking his cock as he fucked her nice and slow, driving them both wild with need.
He was going to need something stronger than wine after she left.
They finished dinner, keeping the conversation light and casual by some unspoken agreement. To her credit, she completely avoided any more questions about his family or his job, earning her some silentgood girlpoints. Perhaps tomorrow he’d be able to focus on rewarding her, instead of the playful punishments he’d doled out during the evening.
Although, from what he could tell, Mina Ouranos was an incorrigible brat. No doubt she’d be giving him plenty of excuses to “punish” her during their time together. Which he couldn’t say he minded at all.
When the car arrived to take her home, he walked her to the door, further torturing himself by letting his fingers brush the exposed column of her neck, making her shiver. That simple gesture snapped the last bit of his control and he spun her around, jerking her to him for a hot, brutal kiss.
“Be good, Ace. I’ll see you tomorrow night, if I don’t see you sooner.”
“And what if I’m not good?” Mischief sparkled in her dark eyes. “Gonna spank me again, Daddy?”
Tightening his hold on her, he pulled her up, forcing her to rise to her tip toes despite the heels she wore. A dark thrill raced through his veins when she gasped at the unexpected movement. “Yes. And once your ass is the perfect shade of red, I’ll put you on your knees so you can swallow my cock. If you’reverynaughty, I’ll spend the rest of the night teasing your poor little pussy, and no matter how much you beg or whine or cry, you won’t be allowed to come.”
“Well,” her voice was breathless, and the sound of it nearly had him ready to pin her to wall and fuck them both senseless. “I can’t say you didn’t warn me. Goodnight, counselor.”
She pushed up further, pressing her lips to his in another searing kiss before breaking away and making a leisurely exit down the front steps to the waiting car. Long after the vehicle had disappeared around the corner, he stood on the front steps, letting the cool September air soothe his flushed skin.
And for the first time in years, he wondered if he was biting off more than he could chew with a woman.
* * *
The secondshe walked through the door of her apartment, she had her phone out of her pocket, before she’d even bothered to hang up her purse.
“Tell meeverything.”
Grinning at the demand in her bestie’s tone, she tossed said purse in the general direction of the hook it was meant to hang on. “It was fucking amazing.”
Nearly twenty years of friendship had taught her to expect Gabby’s eardrum-shattering scream, so Mina held the phone away from her ear until the noise quieted. “Oh my god. Did you have sex? You whore. How was it? God, I’m so jealous.”
“Not exactly. But let’s just say, Cyrus Banks certainly enjoyseating out.”
“Well, duh. He’s a single man, why would he waste time cook—oh! You aren’t talking about food, are you?”
Her cheeks were already starting to ache from smiling so hard, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “No. No I am not.”
“What about the rest of it? Was it just as good?”
“We didn’t get to the rest. But I’m seeing him again tomorrow.”
“You’re seeing this guy three nights in a row?” Surprise laced her friend’s words. “Sounds serious.”
“It’s not. I know better than to expect serious from a man like him. We’re just enjoying each other.” And if she discovered some interesting tidbits about him for her article, then that was just a happy bonus.
“Uh huh. That’s what they all say. Haven’t you ever read a romance book? The friends with benefits thing never ends well. Someone always ends up catching feelings.”