Satisfaction Guaranteed(36)

She snaps her fingers, aw-shucks style. “But that would be quite a feat.”

“If pasta is the key to coming, you can find me at Olive Garden for the rest of my days.” I take a drink of the wine. “You want to know why I picked this food?”

“Because it’s my favorite?”

I nod. “Brains and beauty. Yes, it’s really that simple.”

“But you know I’m a sure thing tonight. You don’t need to buy me a fancy meal to get in my pants,” she whispers conspiratorially.

“I don’t?” I feign surprise.

Laughing, she indulges in a sip then sets down the wine. “Seriously though. The meal was amazing. Thank you.”

“Good. The last thing I want on your mind in the heat of the moment is how long till you can grab a slice of pizza or a ham sandwich.” I shudder. “I mean, I’m good. But I don’t want to have to compete with a ham sandwich.”

“Or with New York’s best cheese pie, for that matter. Let’s be honest—if I have to choose between Famous Ray’s and sex, that’s a tough call.”

I scoff. “Please. Choose the pizza. Every time.” I set down my wineglass and take a moment to enjoy the view. Blonde hair, swept up. Skinny jeans. A top that keeps giving me the most tantalizing peek at her lingerie.

And those lips.

Dear God, those bee-stung lips.

She licks them, looking a little nervous. “Hi,” she whispers.

“Hi.”

“Thanks for inviting me over tonight.”

“Thanks for coming.”

She smiles. “I thought about it most of the day. Even when . . . maybe even especially when . . .”

She doesn’t need to fill in the blanks. I know exactly what she means. “Was that weird for you? When your dad called us in?”

“A little. I felt a tiny bit . . . naughty.”

“Same here.”

She inches closer. “But I’m still here. It didn’t deter me.”

“Didn’t deter me either.” I swallow roughly. “With you, I’m not sure anything can.”

She nibbles on her lips. “It’s the same for me.”

It’s as if someone turned the thermostat to high. I’m burning up already, on fire for this woman. She scoots closer, threads a hand through my hair, scraping her nails across my scalp, delivering a jolt of lust straight to my groin. “Love that,” I tell her.

Her eyes light up, blazing with desire as if I’ve said exactly the right thing. “Yeah?”

“You did it the other night, and it gets me going.”

She hums, then does it again, dragging her nails through my hair. “I like turning you on.”

“Then this ought to work out quite well for both of us.”

She drops her mouth to my jaw, kissing me, making me groan. Climbing onto my lap, she straddles me. “So I’m dying to know,” she murmurs, “what’s the next course?”

I kiss the corner of her lips and tell her a little of what I have planned.

Her eyes sparkle with excitement. “I’m ready.”

I run a finger under her bra strap. “Then I’m going to need to see the pink lingerie you’re wearing. That strap has been driving me crazy all night. Why don’t you get up and strip for me?”

She slides off me, ready and eager. And I’m pleased as hell that she’s taking the lead right now.





30





Pink is definitely her color.

Then again, she looks good in anything. She looks great in nothing. She looks amazing taking everything off.

Standing in front of me in my living room, she slowly steps out of her heels. Unzips her jeans so deliberately it’s torture. Shimmies them down her legs, making my mouth water.

Then she strips off her top, revealing herself in all her pink-lace beauty as I gaze at her from the couch where I’m enjoying the show.

“It’s new,” she says.

When she flicks her thumb over the candy-pink bra strap, I stand, stalk over to her, and run my hand down the lacy fabric of her bra. “Did you buy this for me?”

A coquettish jut of her hips is my first answer. Then a coy question: “What do you think?”

Sloane might have issues in the bedroom, but shyness is not one of them. She’s definitely not lacking in the confidence department, nor the flirtation one either. She’s bold, and it’s outrageously enticing.

“Let’s see,” I answer as I slide my hand down to her waist, savoring the feel of her soft skin. “I bet you went shopping. I bet you looked for something incomparably sexy.” My palm travels to her ass, cupping a cheek over the pink lace. “Maybe you even brought a friend along.” My hand slinks lower, my fingers sliding along that fantastic line where her ass meets the top of her thigh. “Maybe you tried on a number of different lingerie sets. Am I getting warmer?”

Her shoulders rise and fall, and she lets out a smoky, sexy sigh. “I’d say you’re getting hot. Getting me hot.”

A groan rumbles up my chest as I let go of her ass, pressing a kiss to her neck and brushing her hair away. I slip my palm between her legs. Heat. So much delicious heat. The way she responds is a thing of beauty, a total high.