bartender came and took his order, a scotch, neat. She shook her head when David offered to refill her martini. This was no time to hide behind an alcoholic haze. Just being near him was a bit intoxicating, and if she threw in the fact that their suite was waiting…
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. Smiled. “I didn’t think you’d be here, either.”
He smiled back, making her want to lick his lower lip. “I’m not sure why I did come,” he said. “I, uh, don’t usually…”
“Go out with women who bite your ear?”
Even in the dim light of the bar, she could see him flush. A man who blushed! What a treat. What a rarity. How delicious.
“I confess, that was a first for me.”
“Me, too.”
“So nibbling on ears isn’t your standard ice-breaker?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Hmm. How did I get so lucky?”
Susan took a slow sip of her drink, stalling for time as she made her decision about the next few minutes. She liked him. The chemistry was undeniable, and he had a sense of humor, too. He wasn’t at all the kind of man she wanted for a one-night stand. But maybe this didn’t have to be. Maybe, if she was a clever girl, this could be a prelude. To what, she wasn’t sure. But, despite the risks, or maybe because of them, she was going to find out.
She put her glass down, then turned to him with her most wicked and enticing smile. “If you think that was lucky…”
3
DAVID FINISHED HIS SCOTCH in one gulp and managed not to choke to death.
Her words still shimmered in the air, their meaning sinking in one vivid image at a time. He struggled for focus, finding it when his gaze met her lips. Full, lush lips. That would look incredible wrapped around his—
“Maybe not that lucky,” she said, her low voice tinged with humor.
He cleared his throat, troubled that his expression had been so unguarded. “Okay,” he said, amazed he sounded somewhat normal. “How lucky?”
“You’ll see.” She caught the bartender’s attention, nodded, then slipped off the bar stool. She picked up her purse and coat from beside her, then turned to him. Her lashes lowered, shyly, then she opened her eyes and met his gaze. The invitation in her gaze told him most of what he needed to know.
He stood, then went for his wallet.
“It’s taken care of,” she said.
“Wait a minute—”
“Don’t worry about it. Tonight’s on me. I invited you, remember?”
“I don’t—”
She put one finger on his lips. “We can talk about money for as long as you like. Or we can go upstairs.”
He took her wrist in his hand, then headed for the elevators, pulling her along after him. Forcing himself not to run.
He was in. Committed. To whatever was going to happen.
Charley would be shocked out of his mind. Jane would understand completely.
This wasn’t his normal modus operandi. When he dated, which wasn’t that often anymore, he always did the right thing. Maybe a kiss on the first date. Flowers. Three, maybe four dates later, if it ever got that far, there would be sex. Safe sex. And not just because he used a condom. It was safe in every way. He never truly let go, too afraid to upset the very nice women he found himself with. Sometimes, they’d get a little wild, like sex in the shower, or on the kitchen table.
But the sex, even when it was very good, had never been enough. Not that the women he’d met weren’t great. They were to a one. But none of them had been right. One was too flighty, one too prissy. Kathy had been close, but the woman hadn’t read a book since high school. Allison never shut up. Kim, no, Kerry, she’d been fine in the bedroom but awful in public. Her laugh had been loud, garish…
Tonight, none of that mattered. Tonight, he wasn’t Dr. David Levinson. He was a stranger. Meeting a stranger. Who could be anyone.
The ideas tumbled inside him, one more enticing than the next. He was already hard, and they were still in the lobby. He’d have to slow himself down if he wanted tonight to be everything it promised. He said a silent prayer to whoever was listening. Please.
Susan clutched her coat, each step making her more and more aware of what she was about to do. In very short order she was going to be in a room, which was primarily a bed, with a man she hardly knew. A man whose touch made all sorts of unpredictable things happen inside her.
They were across the lobby in no time, then he pushed the button for the elevator. He hadn’t let her go, and she became terribly aware of his hand circling her wrist. He was long and lean, a runner or a swimmer she’d guess, and strong. She felt his banked energy in the way he held her so carefully. As if he could break her.
Her gaze met his, and her own curiosity was echoed in his eyes.
“Sue,” he said softly, trying her name out.
Unfortunately, she hated being called Sue. It rankled each time she heard it, which wasn’t in the game plan for the night. “Susan.”
He nodded slowly. “Better.”
The elevator arrived, and he led her inside. They were alone, they could have talked, but they didn’t. The only thing that happened was that David rubbed the inside of her wrist with his thumb. No biggie. Just a slight caress. But the ripples it set off were very big, indeed. Straight up her arm to her chest to her tummy to her thighs and every place in between. A tightness, an electricity, a chemical reaction that made it difficult to breathe.
The tension broke as the door opened on the fifteenth floor. It was her turn to lead. They went all the way to the end of the hall. He let her go so she could get the card key from her purse. Her fingers shook as she slipped the card in, and she almost laughed. She’d thought the tension in the elevator had been bad.
He pushed open the door and as soon as she walked inside, he followed, closed the door and locked it. Susan’s gaze went straight to the bedroom.
It was a beautiful suite, an eclectic mix of oriental and European sensibilities with stunning modern art that somehow made the whole thing work. The space was large, for Manhattan, with a nice sitting room, a wet bar, and, of course, the bedroom. She could see the bed from there. Unique for a hotel because of the wrought iron head and baseboards, it was also a California king, big enough for three. Not that she’d ever know that firsthand. Oh, God. Maybe this was a mistake. A colossal error in judgment. There was still time to back out.
She turned to David, and his excitement fairly vibrated. Which made sense. It was exciting. And dangerous. And wicked as all get-out. Well, if she was going to go down in flames, she wanted to do it with this man. He was extraordinarily beautiful, in a completely masculine way. Granted, his jaw was too square, his nose too big, but that added to his attractiveness.
