Dirty Rogue: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance(69)
My irritating inner voice is drowned out by Alec’s deep, smooth voice.
“Well, Jessica,” he says, and for the first time I register his British accent. “Can I start by buying you a drink?”
The suggestion in his voice sweeps me away. This is where it starts…but not where it ends.
Chapter 6
Alec
Even from across the bar, she’s incredible.
The black skinny jeans hugging the curve of her ass, the kitten heels giving her just a little extra height, the lacy black halter top that gives me a goddamn amazing view of the curve of her shoulders and arc to her collarbone—the ensemble works for her like you wouldn’t believe.
Her body is perfection, lithe with delicate curves, and her face knocks me out: big expressive blue eyes that track my every motion as I navigate the crowd, full lips that part slightly when she notices me watching her as closely as she’s watching me.
But what I see is nothing compared to what I feel standing a foot and a half away from her, leaning in close to be heard over the din of the bar.
Assured confidence radiates off of her, but there’s a hint of uncertainty there, too, that I find absolutely irresistible.
The only thing that saves me from turning into a quivering mess of nerves in front of her is the years and years of practice I’ve had in the public eye. I silently thank my * father for insisting that we get lots of experience in front of crowds, because my heart is racing a million miles an hour just looking at her, but I don’t let my anxiety show on my face.
“Hey,” I say, looking down into her wide eyes. Standing this close, I can see that they’re a startling shade of blue, a rich blue that reminds me of deep water. “You’re Jessica0607?” Her username on the dating app was startlingly innocuous for the most gorgeous woman on the planet.
“Yeah,” she answers, an easy smile forming on her face. “It’s not the most creative name, but it works for the Internet.” She swallows and then bites at her lower lip before continuing, leaning toward me so that she can speak into my ear. “You’re AlecToday?”
It’s not until it comes out of her mouth that I realize what a goddamn stupid username it is, but what else can I do but play it cool? I laugh like it doesn’t matter, because in the face of this incredible beauty, almost nothing else does.
“That’s me. But you can call me Alec.”
“Jessica.”
Her eyes are locked on mine. There’s a slight hitch in her breath. Exhilaration zings through my entire body, from my spine to my fingertips, and I know instantly that there’s something different about her.
Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen.
For now, I have to get to know her a little more.
Maybe a lot more.
“Well, Jessica,” I say, and her lips quirk in a smile like she’s hearing me speak for the first time. “Can I start by buying you a drink?”
“Start?” she says, a sly grin lighting up her face. “You can start with that. But I hope our night ends with something a little more exciting.”
My breath catches in my throat, and my cock jumps to attention, just from the way the word “exciting” rolls off her tongue.
It only takes a single drink for both of us to settle in, but during that time, the sparks that flew between us when I was walking across the bar toward her have accelerated into an inferno. I’m happy to let it burn me alive.
It starts when she lingers next to my ear and says the word “exciting” like she’s devouring a hard candy made from possibility and lust. Her hot breath on my neck has my cock twitching blatantly inside the cage of my jeans.
Then, Jessica banishes any uncertainty she was feeling by taking control of the situation. That’s a new experience for me. I can’t say I hate it.
When she leans away, she looks back up into my eyes and seems to make a decision. “Let’s keep it to first names, okay?”
It’s not really a question. “Agreed.” Perfect, I think. She’ll never know my true identity, and I can move on in the morning. A little voice in the back of my mind disagrees with this pact, but I shove it aside. Now that Jessica is so close to me—and even hotter than her profile picture suggested, which is pretty f*cking hot—I want her lips on mine.
I want her body on mine.
I want….
We’re crammed close together by the bar crowd, and I feel the electricity crackling between us as she sips the cocktail I bought her—something sweet I didn’t catch the name of—and answers each of my questions with just enough information to leave me tantalized and wanting her even more.
“Is this your favorite bar?” I ask, taking the opportunity to slip my arm around her waist. She doesn’t resist my advance and instead smiles up at me.
“Now it is.”
“What was it before?”
“What’s it matter, Mystery Man?”
“I want to know all about you.”
“There are better ways to do that.”
“Like what?”
She turns in my arm and steps an inch closer.
“There are lots of ways to get to know a person. It doesn’t even have to be in a bar.”
“No? Where’s your favorite place to get to know someone?” Her smile is the embodiment of sheer seduction, even though she’s making sure we’ll never truly get to know each other by limiting her answers to my questions.