Vengeance Aside (Wanted Men 0.5)(15)
No wonder Samuel had laughed when Lukas had referred to her in such a way. He made a mental note to get Farah something nice for her birthday. Maybe for Christmas, too, because, apparently, his brother’s significant other knew Lukas well enough to have picked out his future wife.
“Excuse me, Nero.” Samuel shook the idiot’s hand as he came over. “I need to speak to Lukas before we begin.”
Leaving the over-weight son who shouldn’t have come here in his father’s place to find someone else to bore, Lukas allowed his brother to lead him a few feet away.
“I think you should go.”
That gained his attention. He pulled his eyes away from the way Dale’s new dress showcased the perfection of her body. Round, plump breasts. Her waist…fuck him. Small ribcage. Flared hips just begging to be gripped for any number of reasons. He would keep her naked for days. Weeks.
Forever.
To lose himself in. To care for and protect. To shelter. Not just to fuck.
But, oh, how they’d fuck. He remembered her immediate response to him during their kiss. Her lips had been pliable and eager as she’d welcomed him. Her tongue wet and warm as it had played with—
“Seriously, Lu. Get the fuck out of here and take her with you before something happens.”
Samuel’s concerned face came into focus, and Lukas patted his little brother’s jaw to reassure him all was well. “What could happen? And you were right. She grew up this side of poor, yet she still got herself through college with a place on the honor role.” Since learning she was Dale, he’d reread her very thin file three times. “Do you know her well enough to know if that’s because she’s book smart? I have a feeling her intelligence might impress me. You can see it in her eyes. Or it might not, and she could simply amuse me with foolish observations that make sense to no one but her. Normally, I find that irritating in a woman. But her…? Mm-mmm. I think I’ll enjoy it. I know I’ll enjoy her.”
Samuel was looking at him like Lukas had just pissed down the leg of his Tom Ford and was now proudly pointing at the puddle forming at his feet.
“What the fuck’s happened to you in the last two hours? It’s like Papa’s standing here with me talking about mom.”
The comparison made Lukas feel special. “Her father lives in Houston, but she doesn’t live with him, and only one friend—who works here—and an unnamed roommate were listed under acquaintances. Do you know what that means? I could take her tonight,” he said without waiting for a response as he had a habit of doing, “and the backlash would be minimal.”
Samuel’s sigh was quiet and long. “That’s not what I meant. You can’t steal the fucking girl from her life, idiot. No matter how boring it might sound to you. When I said take her with you, I meant to take her to the condo and talk with her. Let her know why you want to bring her to the hospital tomorrow. Maybe feed her while you get to know her. You don’t want it to be obvious to Papa that you just met.”
Dale had drifted back to the bar and was standing there looking edible. She didn’t needlessly wipe the clean surface in an attempt to appear busy. She merely waited, poised and ready.
He would have her do the same next to his bed. Tonight. Only she’d be naked. And she wouldn’t be wearing that indifferent expression.
Her eyes clashed with his then bounced away. She’d be wearing that one. The one that continued to crackle with interest whenever she looked at him.
She came back out and took another order. He watched her prepare it and then measured the swell of her ass when she went back and leaned slightly to place the drink in front of Tomas.
She touched his elbow. “Your drink is at four o’clock, sir.”
Tomas was blind, but it wasn’t apparent as the proud man had perfected the ability to look as if he were just bored, gazing here and there when in reality, he saw nothing. Dale had picked up on a hidden disability that had taken Lukas two meetings to recognize. Because she was attuned and observant?
“Did you tell her Tomas is blind?” The man’s byki was looking at Dale with a masculine appreciation that was forgotten when his boss began speaking with him.
“No, Lukas. I didn’t. Are you listening to me?”
“Then she’s observant. I’ll have to remember that.”
“Remember it on your way out.” Samuel’s gaze went beyond Lukas, and he suddenly looked perturbed, which had Lukas turning…
Nero had his empty glass in the air and was signaling Dale over with a curling finger and a wolfish grin.
Ah, so that was his brother’s concern. He thought Lukas was going to react badly when the others began noticing how much Dale had to offer a man.
Lukas watched the subtle sway of her hips as she answered the call and came their way. She didn’t look at him as she passed by within touching distance. As her decadent yet somehow innocent sweet berry scent trailed under his nose, he had the oddest urge to take the pins from her hair and let the locks fall down her exposed back. Not to cover her, because he enjoyed the sight of her bared too much, but to see how much length he had to work with. Would he wrap it around his fist once to yank her head back to expose her throat? Or twice?
“Hey, doll. Freshen this up for me, would ya? And not so much ice this time. I like my drinks the way I like my women. On the warm side.” Nero winked and handed Dale his empty glass.