Dirty Sexy Saint (Dirty Sexy #1)(23)

When he returned to the table, she was counting out the tips she’d made, and had created two separate stacks of dollar bills.

“Here, you need to eat,” he said, setting the plate of food and drink to the side before taking the chair across from her.

“Thank you. I will in a minute,” she replied, her focus on the task in front of her. “I just want to get this counted out.”

He leaned back in his seat, enjoying the quiet moment of just watching her. Her brows were furrowed in concentration, and when she absently bit her bottom lip, a distinct heat pooled low in his belly. This morning’s memory of how she’d brazenly nipped at his own lip and tugged it between her teeth flooded his mind, followed by the sweet taste of her mouth and her uninhibited response to his aggressive kiss.

He wanted to kiss her again. Badly. Hell, if he was completely honest with himself, what he really craved was the feel of her soft, curvy body straining beneath his as he held her down and drove his cock hard and deep inside her, claiming her completely. He ached to wrap his hands tight in her hair and hear her whimper and moan and beg for him to give her the release she so desperately needed. And he’d make damn sure she came long and hard, until she was weak and sated and sore in the best way possible so she’d forget every pansy-ass bastard who’d come before him.

His cock pulsed at the erotic fantasy playing in his head, and he shifted in his chair. He’d never had such an instantaneous attraction to a woman as he did now with Samantha. And he’d never had to struggle so much to keep such a tight rein on his desires. Samantha made him want to lose control, in her and with her, and that scared the crap out of him because it would lead to complications…and the kind of strings he didn’t allow in his life.


“I had no idea what to expect tip-wise since I’ve never done this before, but this is way more than I’d anticipated,” she said, drawing him out of his private thoughts.

A hint of pride threaded through her voice, and she pushed the larger bundle of cash across the table toward him. “Here’s part of what I owe you for the clothing and toiletries I bought today. I kept a little bit for myself for incidentals, but if I do this well every night, I should have you paid off in a few days, and then I can start saving up for another place to stay and be out of your way.”

He opened his mouth to say he didn’t mind her being there, then closed it before the words could come out. What the hell? How was it that in just one day he’d become attached to her and didn’t want her to leave? Jesus, he was so f*cked.

“You did well tonight,” he said instead, indicating the money she’d made.

She gave him a smile, and there was no mistaking the gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. “You sound surprised.”

“Maybe because I am,” he admitted with a shrug. “You picked things up pretty quickly for not having any experience.”

She tucked the smaller amount of money back into the pouch in her waitress apron, then moved the plate of food so that it was in front of her. “Just because I’m blonde doesn’t mean I’m ditzy,” she teased as she picked up a potato skin loaded with melted cheese, bacon, and sour cream. “I’ll have you know I graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University with a degree in political science.”

He watched her polish off the appetizer in two hungry bites, appropriately impressed by her education. He knew she wasn’t bragging, just stating that she wasn’t a slouch. Not that he’d ever thought she was, nor had he doubted her competence. She was beautiful and a billionaire heiress, but in the short time he’d known her, he’d already come to the conclusion that she was also intelligent, not to mention a woman who prided herself on being independent—something she apparently hadn’t been allowed while living at home.

Curious, he asked, “So what have you used that fancy, illustrious degree for?”

She finished off a chicken finger, the lighthearted glow in her eyes dimming at his question. “Nothing,” she said quietly. “I attended a private university because that’s what had been laid out for me, and paid for, since I was child. I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I went with political science to challenge myself and because government and world events interest me. I thought about going to law school, but my parents nixed that idea. Allowing me to pursue any ambition might have hampered their plans for me to marry well. And soon.” She drew a deep breath. “In the end, the degree was all for show, and my parents were able to brag about the fact that I graduated at a prestigious university with the highest honors.”

“You wanted to go to law school?” he asked, surprised once again.

She shook her head. “In the end…no. I think I wanted to have something for me. But that wasn’t allowed. After all, what did I need a further degree for when I was expected to get married, be some man’s arm candy, and stay home and have babies?” Her voice dipped lower, a hint of disgust in her tone.

He raised a brow. “You don’t want to get married and have a family?”

“Of course I do,” she replied indignantly. “With a man who I fall in love with, not one who is hand-picked for me. But I want, and need, more out of my life than being married to a man for business reasons and to secure my father’s company.”

That, he could understand. And he respected her for being strong enough to stand by her convictions, which obviously meant defying her parents. “I get your need to be self-sufficient, but I’m sure you don’t want to be a waitress for the rest of your life.”