Once Upon a Dare (Risky Business)(4)

Olivia zeroed in on the TV above the bar as she waited for her drink. The Penguins and Rangers were duking it out in a particularly brutal looking third period. She didn’t have much time for sports and knew just enough about hockey to be dangerous in conversation, but it helped settle her frayed nerves nonetheless.

Nothing like a bunch of hulking, over-sexed guys slugging it out to set a girl at ease.

“How much?” she asked when the bartender returned with her liquid courage.

“No charge,” the blonde replied through suddenly tight lips. “The gentleman at the end of the bar took care of it.”

“Oh, well, thanks.” Olivia felt a slow flush creep into her cheeks as she turned and smiled at the sexy stranger. He dipped his head in acknowledgement and a wave of dark hair fell over his forehead.

Her pulse thundered.

And she’d thought he couldn’t get any hotter. So much for that. At least she had an opening now. After all, he’d just bought her a drink. It would be rude not to thank him personally, wouldn’t it?

Olivia made her way to the end of the bar. She chose the stool to his left and sat down without asking permission. He was alone and looking for company. The martini she held in her right hand was proof of that.

“Are you in the habit of buying drinks for strangers?” she asked, crossing her legs and bumping his in the process. Their knees brushed and a current of electricity flowed through her, reminding her just how long it had been since a man had touched her.

“Only the pretty ones,” he returned, with a cocky grin.

Worst. Line. Ever. Olivia burst out laughing, releasing the nervous energy that had collected in the pit of her stomach. He might be to-die-for gorgeous, but his pick up game could use some work.

“If that’s the best you’ve got, it’s no wonder you’re sitting here alone on a Friday night,” she teased, relaxing in spite of herself.

“You’re smiling, aren’t you?” he asked, raking a hand through his inky black hair and pushing the loose strand back from his forehead.

“Yeah, well, I don’t get out much,” she replied, holding his gaze.

Up close, she was surprised to discover his eyes were a startling shade of gunmetal gray. They were like nothing she’d ever seen before. The color was a sharp contrast to his fair skin and dark hair, but it had nothing on his smile. She’d always been a sucker for good teeth and dimples, and he had both behind that five o’clock shadow.

The devilish grin that he flashed hooked upward on the right side, and her pulse soared. She prayed he couldn’t feel the heat rolling off her. If a bump of the knee and a flash of dimples made her feel this way, what would it be like to really touch him? She wanted to find out. Whether or not she could handle it was an entirely different question.

“One of those all work and no play types?” His words hung between them, heavy with sexual suggestion. Any other day she would have dismissed the line, but not tonight. His boldness had her stomach churning and her heart racing. This was a man used to getting what he wanted and tonight he wanted her. It was a heady feeling unlike any other.

“Something like that,” she replied.

“Then it must be my lucky day. Cole Bennett,” he offered, reaching to shake her hand. “And you are?”

“Olivia Masterson.” She met him halfway, her delicate hand slipping inside of his as he enveloped her fingers in warmth. A tingle danced over her skin and she felt her cheeks redden at his touch. There was no doubt about it—Cole Bennett was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.

“Very nice to meet you, Olivia Masterson.” He released her hand, giving her a pang of disappointment. She wanted that tingle back, damn it! “You see, it’s my first night in the city, so it must be luck that our paths crossed, seeing as how you don’t get out much.”

“Oh, really?”

“True story,” he swore, placing his hand over his heart and drawing her eyes south to his muscular shoulders and broad chest. He wore an expensive Italian suit that reeked of money, but it did little to hide his solid torso. If anything, the tailored jacket emphasized his perfection. “I just moved from England,” he explained.

“And yet you have no accent,” she noted as she plucked an olive from her glass. “Too bad. Women love a man with a sexy accent. Find them irresistible, actually. I’d say a British accent would do wonders for your otherwise lacking pick up lines.”

Unable to resist goading him, she slipped the olive between her glossy lips and smiled, curious to see how he’d respond.

“Sexy and sassy. A dangerous combination in my experience,” he mused as he studied her.

She gave him her best “Who me?” look and sipped her martini.

“Can I tell you a secret, Olivia?” His tone was conspiratorial as he leaned in, turning his smoky eyes on her. She didn’t know much about the fine art of seduction, but she knew shrinking wallflowers weren’t sexy. Refusing to back down and determined to make good on the dare, she closed the gap between them, leaning forward until their shoulders brushed. She raised her brow in reply.

“I thought your friend was never going to leave.”

“Is that right?” she asked, smiling as she drew out her inner flirt. “Better watch your manners, Cole Bennett, or a girl might get the sense you don’t play well with others.”