Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
“I need to call my friend first,” I tell him. It’s what you’re supposed to do in these situations, right? I’m not sure because I’ve never had a casual hookup. Or any hookup at all.
“Good girl,” he croons.
My panties melt right there. There’s something about his deep, gravelly voice praising me that makes me want to be his. An image of the two of us wrapped up together in hotel sheets flashes in my mind. He’s got a beautiful body and I want plenty of time to examine every inch of it.
“Do it now,” he commands roughly.
I realize I’ve been standing here and fumble for my phone in my bra. I try to remove it as carefully as I can, so he doesn’t get a peek down my tiny tank top and realize I don’t have boobs. They’re more like marbles. I hate that. Being called marble tits in high school sucked.
Scarlett answers on the first ring and she’s laughing. “Tell me you’re under that piece of man meat right now.”
My whole body heats up as I hope he didn’t hear anything but we’re standing too close together. There’s no way he doesn’t know what my best friend just said. “Listen, we’re going to…”
“The hotel across the street. On foot. No cars,” he answers in that growly tone of his. “You’ll text her with the room number in ten minutes.”
Scarlett knows this isn’t like me, so I’m not surprised when she asks, “Are you sure about thi—?”
He pulls the phone from my hand. “Grab a napkin and write this down.” He rattles off a number before saying, “That’s my driver’s license. I’ve danced here before. They know my name and where I live. Yeah, no. I’m not going to take her to the woods and chop her up. I’m going to take her to a hotel and give her the tongue lashing of a lifetime.”
My pussy clenches and another wave of heat rolls through my body. If I stand here much longer, I’m definitely going to combust. I scramble for the phone, but he holds it out of my reach, smirking at my expression. “Yeah, you’ll hear from her later.”
He hangs up and offers me the phone. He’s still smirking, and I don’t know why I find the expression so damn attractive on him. “Under threat of dismemberment, I’d better return you to her safe and sound.”
I snatch my phone and glare at him.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Don’t be mad at me, firecracker. I still have filthy plans for that tight little body of yours.”
“You don’t have to take over and be bossy,” I answer, trying and failing to hold onto my annoyance. His dark gaze is captivating and haunting. I’d follow this man into the depths of hell if he told me to in that deep growl of his.
“Bossy is what I do best. Besides you like it,” he answers with the casual assurance that only comes from pure alpha maleness. He takes my hand and presses a gentle kiss to my knuckles before threading our fingers together. “Follow me.”
I stop walking when we’re in the parking lot. “What’s your name?”
“Fireman Stern.” He hesitates a beat too long before he says it. He’s lying to me. It’s a stage name and even though I shouldn’t be disappointed that he won’t give me his real one, I am. “What’s yours?”
“Scarlett.” The lie comes easily to me. I did say that I wanted to be here tonight and going off alone with a stranger for some dirty sex is definitely something she’d do. Besides, he’ll never see me again after this.
We stand there underneath the parking lot lights staring at each other for a long moment before he finally asks, “You coming?”
“I really hope so,” I say, channeling my best friend. I feel wild and carefree and naughty tonight. For the first time in my life, it’s fun to do something that’s just for me.
He slings an arm around my shoulder. “There will be lots of coming tonight.”
We take the short walk to the hotel in silence with his arm around my shoulder. I like the weight of it and the way he keeps running his fingertips along the bare skin that my tank top has left exposed.
“Wait here,” he says in the lobby before he approaches the front desk.
I take the opportunity to pull off the birthday sash and toss it in a nearby trashcan before I text Scarlett that I’m at the hotel. It’s the same one we’re staying in but I’m not going to tell him that in case he turns out to be weird or creepy. Not that I’ve gotten that vibe from him.
If anything, my instincts are telling me that I’m safe with this man. The way he encouraged me to call Scarlett and then gave her his driver’s license. All of that tells me that he’s concerned for my safety and committed to making sure I feel comfortable with him.