SIPPED HER WINE, the need for a little Dutch courage outweighing her dislike of the taste. The man in front of her was hot with a capital H—curly black hair, a sharp jaw and blue eyes that burned right through her...not to mention a pair of soft jeans that molded to his thighs like a dream—and she was flirting with him.
She didn’t flirt. Ever.
“I bet you’re a whiz at ‘Super Mario,’” Aiden said.
“What makes you say that?” She shifted on the high heels Alana had lent her, wishing that she was wearing something more comfortable.
Having a gorgeous guy stand so close to her was making her body haywire enough; she didn’t need to compound the effect with precariously tall heels. All that talk of sex and orgasms with Alana had her wound up tighter than a coil. Could this guy be the one to help her get back in the proverbial game?
She didn’t know him from a bar of soap...which was kind of the point. One-night stands didn’t end in betrayal because there were no expectations for tomorrow.
“You’ve got good gamer hands,” he said.
“Really?” She swallowed, curling her fingers into a fist to hide the chipped polish that she hadn’t had time to remove.
“Yeah, I can tell. Those are magic hands.”
She laughed and shook her head, hoping her face didn’t convey the electric thrill he’d given her. How was it possible for her to be so attracted to him so quickly? In the past it had taken her months of chatting to someone online before she would agree to meet and, even then, it would take several dates before she’d be comfortable enough to even fool around. Until she’d dated her ex...
She shuddered. No man had gotten close to her since. But two years had passed; she’d recovered. Moved on. And her libido had definitely returned.
“So tell me, Pink. What do you do for a living?”
Quinn took a swallow of her wine, stalling. She didn’t want to admit she was a lowly IT support officer, especially not when his job was so exciting. But she didn’t want to lie and say she was a tech-security expert, either, because that job wasn’t hers...yet.
“I, uh...” She swirled the wine in her glass. “I’m actually trying to figure out where I’m going.”
“That’s sufficiently vague,” Aiden said, laughing. “I get it. You don’t have any reason to trust me.”
“Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust Leafina, either,” she quipped.
“I’m going to be bold.” He drained the remainder of his wine and handed the glass off to a passing waiter. “I like you, Pink. You’re kind of fascinating.”
“Kind of?” Heat crawled up her cheeks as she looked out at the crowd, her eyes searching for Alana. She wanted to signal to her friend that she was about to make good on her plan.
“Yeah. You’re also kind of hot.” His words smoothed over her like a caress. “Okay, that’s a total lie. You’re insanely hot.”
“And you’re kind of smooth.” Her voice came out far steadier than she’d expected. “I bet that works on a lot of girls.”
“Is that your way of saying it’s not going to work on you?”
The last third of her wine mocked her. She brought the glass to her lips and finished it in one smooth gulp. “I didn’t say that.”
“You want me to work for it?”
“Damn straight.”
His arm snaked around her waist, drawing her closer. “That I can do. How about I take you for a proper drink?”
Could she really do it? Part of her resisted the idea of going for a drink with a man she didn’t know, but her attraction to Aiden sizzled, and no warning bells had sounded thus far.
“I’m a red belt in Tae Kwon Do.” She tilted her head up to him. “And I know a lot of scary people.”
“Pink, I’m not going to do anything that you don’t want me to do. If at any point you decide to call it a night, I will organize a cab and see that you get home safely.” His breath was warm against her neck as he lowered his head. The scent of aftershave and wine mingled in her nostrils. “If you don’t want to leave... I’m more than happy to oblige there, too.”
A delicious shiver ran up the length of her spine. “I’ll take you up on that drink.”
“Do you need to tell Alana where we’re going?”
“I’ll text her.”
Aiden’s hand found the small of her back as he escorted her out of the cocktail party and into the lobby of the hotel. Alana was nowhere to be seen. Her friend would understand, but she texted her anyway.
“Tell her my name is Aiden Odell, room two-thirty-two,” he said. “We’ll be having a drink in the Lion Lounge if she wants to come find you.”
Typing with her thumbs, Quinn sent the details through to Alana. Slipping the phone into her bag, she swallowed down any reservations and allowed Aiden to guide her toward the dimly lit bar on the other side of the hotel lobby.
Two hours later they were sitting on a leather sofa, surrounded by soft lighting designed for intimacy. They were also several Scotches down and in midargument about who was a more avid gamer.
“I got my first console at six years old,” Quinn said, gesturing with her glass, the last bit of liquid swishing precariously up the side. “I’ve kept every single one since then.”
“Console collecting does not make you a master gamer.” Aiden shook his head, his dark curls looking slightly wild and out of control.
Her fingers ached to run through them, to tug them until his head was right where she wanted it. “If you had one in your hotel room, I would prove to you right now that I could kick your ass in any game.”
“That’s a bold statement, Pink.” He leaned forward and braced his forearms on his thighs, nursing a crystal tumbler in both hands. “But it’s complete crap.”
“It is not!” She pursed her lips and tried to be mad. But truth was, she loved the banter and the fact that he challenged her. Most male gamers wouldn’t even bother; they’d assume she wasn’t their equal and move on.
“It is.” He rolled the glass between his hands, warming the last of his drink. “Because if I took you up to my room, the only thing you’d be playing would be me.”
Her sex clenched and she pressed her thighs together, failing to dull the throbbing. “How can you be certain I’m not going to thank you for the drinks and then leave?”
“I can’t.” He grinned, a wicked glint lighting up his vibrant eyes. “But if you’re half as attracted to me as I am to you...well, then it’s going to be fun.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
He leaned back in his seat, finished
