Mr. Wicked (Hooked)

PROLOGUE

Grayson

Two months ago

She’s coming home with me tonight.

That was the only thought in my head as I caught eyes with the waitress, easily one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. Since I came in with my best friends a few minutes earlier, I’d been watching her bounce around the bar. She hadn’t come close enough to allow me to read her name tag, but whoever this woman was, she had the most incredible body.

Tight, petite, like a distance runner, not a sprinter. A set of tits that would fill my palms and an ass just thick enough to squeeze.

She had every physical trait that I looked for in a woman, that turned me on, even down to the dark hair—hers was black—and deep blue eyes that pierced mine from the other side of the room.

Goddamn it, she was gorgeous.

And her lips—fuck me—they were plump and pouty, glossy, dragging my attention right back to them every time my stare dived down her legs.

I wanted her.

I wanted to know how perfect that body looked under her tiny shorts and tank top. What color bra and panties she wore underneath. Was light pink her thing, a shade that matched her rosy skin, or was she more of a magenta type of woman? Black or even dark green?

I wanted to know how she would smell when I bent down to inhale her.

The scent of a woman was one of my favorite things about them.

Floral. Fruit. Maybe something extra sweet, like dessert.

I would soon find out.

And I was positive that in order to make that happen, I’d have to approach her. I certainly wouldn’t be lucky enough to be sitting in her section of tables. But after about ten minutes of waiting for a server, of watching this hottie prance around the bar, of trying to get my hard-on positioned just right in my pants, I saw her begin to head straight for us.

A smile tugged across her lips, like she knew I was visually fucking her, and it stayed there, frozen, as she stopped at the back of Holden’s and Easton’s chairs. “Welcome to Olives, gentlemen. What can I get you to drink?”

“I thought we were going to have to fend for ourselves,” I replied.

She laughed, despite my sarcastic reply.

A sound that was light, cheerful.

Enticing.

And before she said another word, she locked eyes with me. There was something behind her stare that I was eating up. Maybe it was the intensity. Maybe it was that her smile had reached as high as her gaze. Maybe it was her confidence, a trait I found so sexy in a woman.

But within that silence, a long, drawn-out look seemed to pulse between us, hanging in the air, thickening, until she finally said, “I got tied up with an eight-top.” She shifted her weight as if the moment had hit her just as hard. “Sorry it took me so long to come over.”

“I think you need to make it up to us.” I glanced at my best friends, knowing their order without even having to ask. “Vodka on the rocks for all of us—but why don’t you make them doubles. For the wait. And you can also bring me a Coke. Can or bottle—but I prefer a bottle if you have it.”

“You don’t want a glass with ice?” she questioned.

“I want to hear the fizz when I open it. None of that fountain shit that’s stale as hell. I like my soda sweet and bubbly.”

She turned her head. “What did you just say?”

I couldn’t tell if she really hadn’t heard me or if she was just surprised by my request. “A Coke. I’d like one. Can. Bottle. Whatever.”

“No, no. I mean the latter part.”

My brows furrowed. If she weren’t so cute and coming across so charming, I’d be annoyed. “I like my soda sweet and bubbly.”

“That’s funny. Someone else I know always says the same thing. Anyway”—she shook her head—“can I get you anything else?” Although she was addressing the three of us, her eyes were on me.

They hadn’t left.

They were burrowing.

All the way down to my fucking cock.

I leaned my forearms onto the table, crossing my fingers. “Since you asked ... how about your number.”

Her cheeks flushed as she laughed again.

Red.

Now that was a color I really liked on her.

A color that would look incredible if it were in lace undergarments that I could tear off her with my teeth.

“My number,” she repeated. “That’s something you’re going to have to work for.” Before I could say another word, she added, “I’ll be back with your drinks,” and left the table.

Spunky.

Playful.

The opposite of me.

Easton put his hand up to his mouth, like he was about to cough, but chuckled instead. “Dude, seriously?”

“What?” I eyed him down, his dark hair spiked in the front, realizing we wore it the same way. “Don’t even tell me you’re about to give me shit. Before you started dating Drake, you were even worse than me. You were looking for chicks everywhere. Hell, you used to bang them in the restrooms of bars because you couldn’t wait to get them home.”

And since Easton had shacked up with our director of app development and engineering at Hooked, the dating app Easton, Holden, and I had founded, he and Drake were practically inseparable.

But Holden and I weren’t in the same situation.

We were single as fuck.

And fishing, a term we’d assigned to the courting of women we wanted to sleep with, was still a very heavy part of my life. The daunting step-by-step of small talk and drink buying and setting the agenda—all requirements for one-night stands.

“I was a dog, there’s no question about that,” Easton said. “But as for you, I’m surprised you want to shit where you eat—you know, since we come to this bar all the time, you’re going to have to see her more than once a week, and I know that’s something you won’t like.”

He was right. I wouldn’t like that.

But I would make an exception if I got to lick that body every time I came in for a drink.

Now that was something I could definitely get behind.

Holden nodded at Easton. “Everything you just said.” He glanced in the direction of the hottie as she waited on another table. “Jovana must be a new hire. I’ve never seen her here before.”

“Who’s Jovana?”

As Holden looked at me, he rolled his eyes, shaking his head. His hair constantly needed to be cut—golden, semi-curly strands that barely moved since they were already so windblown. Since becoming a single dad to Belle, the guy looked like the aftereffects of a permanently circulating tornado.

Not that it mattered, because women loved his messiness.

Where he was cuddly and approachable, I fucking roared like a lion.

“The woman whose number you asked for,” Holden replied.

I’d been so distracted by her presence and that beautiful face and achingly seductive body, I’d forgotten to look at her name tag.

Easton studied me as if he were looking through a microscope and my face was on the other side of the glass. “You didn’t even bother looking at her name.”

He wasn’t questioning me—he was judging me.

Teasing me.

They both were.

“Listen, motherfuckers, I was too busy looking at her lips.” As I thought about her mouth, my exhale sounded like air hissing out of a tire. “Sue me for being distracted.”

“Here’s what I can’t figure out,” Easton said, clasping my shoulder as though he wanted to be sure I was listening. “We own the largest hook-up app in the country. Why are you out here looking when you don’t have to?”

I could understand why he questioned my choice.

Years ago, while in graduate school at Harvard, the three of us had been in the middle of a bitch session, groaning about fishing, when the idea of Hooked was born—an app that would completely eliminate the need to fish. Since its launch, Hooked took only the completion of a psychological test and a few swipes of a finger before the user was paired with someone sexually compatible.

But the explosion of our business, the popularity the three of us had gained, was a problem we hadn’t foreseen.

We were celebrities in Boston.

So the days of matching with random women weren’t like they used to be.

“Out of the last three women I hooked with, all of them immediately recognized me. One asked if she could live stream our kiss on fucking Instagram. Another asked for a second date, even though I bailed on the first date the minute she asked for my autograph.” I pounded my fist on the table. “My goddamn autograph, can you believe that shit? And the third woman, while I was taking her clothes off, said she wanted me to be her baby daddy and told me not to wear a condom.”

That was why I’d returned to this method, in hopes that the women I met out in the wild, like Jovana, didn’t know who the hell I was.

Wouldn’t want to live stream our kiss or ask for my firstborn or want me to sign across her tits with a permanent marker.

Fuck no to all that.

“So, did you wear a condom?” Holden asked, grinning.

“You’re serious?” I stared at my boy like he had three heads. “You think I’d actually fuck her after she said that? Hell no.” I wanted to reach for my drink, but it hadn’t been delivered, so I slid my hand through the side of my hair. “Hooked worked when we were nobodies. Now that I’m a somebody in this city, I can’t take the chance.” I got to the end of my strands and started over, raking just to keep my hand busy. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the success, and once we launch internationally it’s going to get even wilder, but as far as hooking up through Hooked goes, I miss the old days.”

“You know what I find hilarious?” A sly smile lifted across Easton’s lips. “You were the inventor of the marriage arm of our app. A guy who can’t even fathom a second date, never mind a lifelong commitment. Out of all people, it was you. Now, how’s that for irony?”

When we were brainstorming ways to grow our business, I came up with the idea of a new division. The marriage arm was designed for users looking for long-term commitments that would eventually lead to marriage—as opposed to only hooking up—where they could hook with other like-minded users. Once that arm was established, Holden came up with the same concept for single parents and people open to dating other single parents.

Every new user had to choose which arm they wanted when they first joined the app, and as their needs changed, they could move between arms.

As owners, we just wanted to ensure that we were catering to everyone.

But ultimately, each arm added users, which then expanded memberships and, in return, increased revenue.

“Listen, fellas, I created a pathway to cultivate people’s happiness,” I told them. “That doesn’t mean I have to practice what I invent or even believe in it. Marriage isn’t for me, but it’s for you”—I used my chin to point toward Easton, and then shifted to do the same to Holden—“and probably you too.” I looked away to scan the room, finding Jovana at the bar. She was putting our drinks on a tray, preparing to carry them over, pointing her ass in my direction. The tightness of those heart-shaped cheeks. The way she was bent over, like she was positioned for doggy style. It all made my cock throb even harder. “What’s going to go down tonight with that one ...” My voice trailed off as she turned around, her nipples hard and showing through her tank, like my tongue had just left them. “Shit, it’s going to be epic.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Holden said.

With each step, I surveyed her body as if it were the first time I was seeing her.

And now that I was getting a better look, I was even more confident in my analysis.

Jovana was fucking perfect.

What I wouldn’t do to wrap that long hair around my wrist and tilt her neck back. To drag my tongue up her throat, tasting her scent, right before I turned her around and pulled her shorts down.

To check her wetness and make sure she was ready for my dick.

But aside from her perfection and adorable personality, there was something about this woman that gave me a raging hard-on.

That made me want to bend her over in a bar full of patrons.

That made me want her screams to fill my ears.

That made me think that having her once, like all the other women I’d been with, wouldn’t be enough.

“Jovana,” I said when she neared, setting the edge of the tray on the corner of our table. “Now that’s a beautiful name.”

“It’s my mother’s maiden name. She deserves the compliment, not me.” She winked, then placed double vodkas in front of Holden and Easton. When there was one left, she held the glass for several moments, smiling, before she gave it to me.

“I thought you were going to take a sip,” I said to her.

“And what if I did? Would it upset you if my lipstick stained your glass?”

I pushed my torso into the table, closing more of the distance between us.

She didn’t back up.

She didn’t cower either.

I wondered how she’d react if I told her the tip of my cock was where I’d rather have her pink, glossy lips.

Instead of testing that statement, I said instead, “You can put your lips on anything of mine, including my Coke, which you forgot to bring.”

Her eyes narrowed as she turned her head to the side, giving me a profile view. I could still see her brain going into full-force thinking mode. “I forgot nothing.” Her hand dropped to her waist, where she dug into her apron and pulled out a Coke, which she set in front of me. “Bottles are much better than cans.”

I untwisted the top, hearing the fizz. “I’m surprised you had one. Most bars only have cans.”

“You’re right, that’s all we have.”

“Where’d you get this, then?”

“I gave you the one I brought from home that I planned to drink later.”

She was already fawning over me like I’d given her an orgasm.

Very interesting.

She smiled. “What’s your name?”

“Grayson Tanner.”

The name she’d be shouting in a few hours when she got off her shift.

I held out my hand, questioning whether I’d made a mistake by giving her the truth when a lie would be less risky.

When she reached forward to clasp my fingers, the only look I saw staring back was of interest. If she was connecting the dots, she was doing a hell of a job at hiding it. But the moment we touched fingers, that look changed.

It deepened.

It grew to the point where the warmth on her skin began to turn hot.

And when her chest rose to take a breath, it didn’t lower. It stayed high, like she was holding in all the air.

“Nice to meet you, Jovana.”

She finally released my hand and inhaled once more before she said, “And you.”

With my other hand, I held the Coke toward her. “Yours. If you want a sip, that is.”

She sighed, the exhale like a song. “It’s all yours now.”

“How about a sip of the vodka?”

“If I wasn’t working, I’d take you up on that offer.”

“Then take the night off and join us.”

As she breathed out this time, she made no noise. There was just the rise and fall of her chest and a wide, honest smile. “You make that sound so easy.”

“Isn’t it?” I licked across my bottom lip. “What if tonight turned into one of the best evenings of your life and you missed the opportunity because you wouldn’t clock out.”

She nodded, and I couldn’t tell if she was in agreement or just following the beat pounding through the bar’s speakers. “Grayson ... you’re fun.”

“And you’re gorgeous.” I pointed at the space between Holden and me, a place that didn’t currently have a chair, but I could easily fix that. “Join us.”

She tucked the tray under her arm and put her other hand on her hip. “Here’s a little tidbit about me—and it’ll either make you rescind your question or want my number even more—but I fulfill my obligations. I don’t drown myself in regret. If it’s meant to be, you’ll be here at the end of my shift. And if you are, maybe I’ll join you and have a drink.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I won’t.” She glanced over her shoulder before reconnecting our stare. “In the meantime, I have six other tables that need me. Let me know when you’re ready for a refill.”

And just like that, she was gone.

“Damn. I like her,” Holden said. “She’s a little fireball.”

She was certainly that.

Confident as well. A woman who didn’t cave, like most of the others I fished. She was making me work for it.

I liked that.

It made me want her more.

“I hope she’s just as fiery in bed,” I told him.

“You need someone like her to keep your grumpy ass in check,” Easton replied.

“I don’t need anyone. But do I want her? Fuck yes.” I raised my glass into the air. “To getting shit-faced tonight.”

The guys repeated my toast, one I’d voiced just to change the subject, and we clinked glasses.

As I took my first sip, I knew what I’d just told them was a lie.

There was zero chance I’d be getting drunk this evening. Not if I was going home with Jovana. And after that little episode she’d just pulled, I was going to do everything in my power to make that happen.

When it did, I wanted to remember every single detail.

What that spicy mouth tasted like when it parted for me.

What she sounded like when she came.

That was why, even though I requested a second and third drink, I nursed them. And in between rounds, I munched on fries and then nachos, making sure I had plenty in my stomach to soak up the booze. An added bonus was that each time I placed an order, Jovana had to return to our table.

An excuse to flirt with her again.

To see that breathtaking smile cross her lips.

To watch the way my words affected the flushness of her skin.

I was positive she felt my stare as she bopped around the bar.

I didn’t hide it. There was no need to.

She had to be a fool not to know I wanted her.

So, when the end of the night rolled in, the guys tired and heading home, I saw Jovana walk toward the hallway of restrooms and I knew it was time to make my move.

I didn’t want her to think I was following her.

Shit, I wasn’t desperate.

I just needed a few minutes alone with her before she returned to her tables to make sure she bit the bait.

I waited, giving her enough headway to finish, and then I entered the hallway, timing it just right that she was coming out of the women’s room as I was going toward the men’s.

“I want to think this is a coincidence, but something tells me it’s not.” When she stopped, she blocked me from going any farther.

But that was with her body; her face told an entirely different story.

Her expression intriguing.

Her eyes enticing.

Her lips taunting.

This woman had powers like I’d never seen before.

“Everyone goes to the bathroom, Jovana. Even me.”

“Mm-hmm.”She crossed her arms just below her chest, the position making her tits look larger than they were. “But you’ve had all night to go pee and you just so happened to choose the same time as me.” She nipped her lip. “Looks a little suspicious, Mr. Tanner.”

Fuck, that sounded hot coming out of that gorgeous mouth.

What she didn’t know was that I was an expert arguer.

No one won against me ... unless I let them.

And Jovana, regardless of how fiery she was, wasn’t getting a pass.

I slid my hands into my pockets, so I wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. “Most people stop at the restroom before they’re about to leave. Makes the walk home easier.”

“But you haven’t paid your bill.”

“You haven’t brought it.”

Her arms dropped, and she began to play with the ends of her hair, fanning the strands across her fingers. “Hold on a second, let me see if I have this straight. You not only followed me in here, but you plan to skip out on your bill too?”

She was fierce, there was no question about that, but she was even sassier than I’d thought.

“Jovana, you don’t have any of it straight.”

“No?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Okay ...” She smiled. “We’ll have to agree to disagree, then.” She took a step past me, our shoulders barely grazing, but they touched just enough that I felt something. Something that made my heart pound even harder. She turned around after a few paces and said, “By the way, I’m about to clock out.”

“Are you saying yes to that drink?”

“Are you buying?”

Now that I was facing her, I stepped closer.

I needed to be nearer.

I needed to fill my nose with her scent.

Once I did, I was surprised at how much I liked it.

For someone whose comebacks bit like a habanero, her aroma was soft.

Lavender and vanilla.

I wanted to rub my nose across her neck and really take it in.

“Hold on a second, let me see if I have this straight.” As I used her words, I rubbed my palm across the side of my beard, my eyes leaving hers to take a dip down her body. “You’re accusing me of following you and skipping out on my bill. And you have the nerve to ask me to buy you a drink?”

Her lips puffed out like a duck. “Sounds about right.”

“What if I had a better idea ...”

As a woman came out of the restroom, Jovana moved out of her direct path by sliding over to the wall of the hallway. I followed, resting my shoulder against a spot about a foot from where Jovana was, positioning my body identically to hers.

The new placement gave us more privacy and less distance between us.

A win in my book.

“Tell me your idea, Grayson.” When she said my name, she sounded breathless.

“Well, first, where do you live?”

She huffed out a burst of air. “That’s forward, isn’t it?”

My cock was fucking aching to be inside her.

I didn’t have patience for this forward bullshit.

“I live two blocks from here,” I told her. “Are you closer or farther than me?”

She tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear, showing light-pink nails and gold rings on two of her fingers. “I’m about a fifteen-minute train ride and then five blocks from the train station.”

“That won’t do.”

She searched my eyes. “I’m confused.”

“Don’t be, Jovana. It’s simple. Why have a drink here when I have plenty of liquor at my place? Your place was an option until I heard how far it was. Fifteen minutes and a walk—nah, that won’t do.” My brows raised as a thought began to nag at me. “Unless you’re going to tell me you have other plans for when you get off work ...”

“And if I do?”

A grin wanted to come through, but I wouldn’t let it. “I won’t believe you.”

Although she checked her watch, I was positive she knew the time. She’d just said she was about to clock out, so she had a general idea, at least. I assumed she just needed a break from my stare. “I was going to go home.” She glanced up at me and took a breath. “You know, eat. Catch up on some things that I couldn’t get done because I had to work tonight.”

“There’s an excellent pizzeria on the corner, one block away. I’ll grab you a slice.”

“How do you know I even like pizza?”

She was turning into quite the challenge.

Most of the women I’d been with didn’t take this much finessing.

“Here’s something you should know about me, Jovana. I don’t compromise. Ever.”

“But you’re willing to stop and get me something to eat.” As those words left her mouth, I refused to comment. “Interesting.” She adjusted her stance, putting all her weight on her shoulder, and when she crossed her arms this time, she covered her chest. “And what are we going to do at your place?” Her mouth stayed unmoved, but her eyes were smiling.

Since my hands were no longer in my pockets, I reached forward, clasping the stray hairs that were teasing the corner of her lip, and slid them out of the way. When I did, I grazed her cheek.

That touch, that brief passing of skin, shocked me for two reasons.

The first was that she leaned into my hand, like she wanted it to stay.

And the second was how her skin felt. Not that I expected it to snap me. But I didn’t expect it to welcome me with softness and warmth to the point where I wanted to touch more.

I fucking needed to touch more.

And I saw no reason to hide that from her.

“The moment you walk through my door, I’m going to lift you into my arms and sit you on the island in my kitchen, where I’m going to strip off this tank top.” My hand lowered to her shoulder, bunching the cotton strap between my fingers. “Once that hits the floor, I’m going to remove your bra, and then your shorts, pulling them down your beautiful legs.” I leaned back, so I could get a better view. “That’ll leave you in just panties ... unless you don’t have any on?”

“I do.”

Two words that weren’t aimed to push me away.

They did the opposite.

They goaded me.

“While you’re sitting, I won’t be able to see your ass, and that’s something I’ve been admiring all night and dying to touch. So, after I spread your legs over the counter and lick you, I’m going to lift you into my arms again, and while I carry you to my bedroom, I’m going to feel your ass the whole time.”

Her body was lit.

I could see it.

Hell, I could smell it.

“Why?” She licked her bottom lip, paused, and swiped her tongue across it a second time, following the same route. “Why do you want me?”

“From the moment I saw you across the bar, before you even came to our table, I couldn’t stop thinking about how you would taste. And then the moment your lips parted, all I could think about was sliding my tongue between them.”

“No date. No small talk. No wine, even.” Her arms dropped. “Just my body.”

“I’ll give you wine, if that’s what you want.”

“Is that another compromise?” She smiled.

I needed to get her back on track. “For the record, I don’t beat around the bush, Jovana. I stomp right through it.”

“It’s a good thing I like that about you.”

But she still wasn’t convinced; I could see that in her expression.

My hand lifted to her cheek, and I took a step closer, our bodies aligned with just an inch of air between us. I pointed her face up at me, her scent even stronger now. “I want to kiss you.”

“Are you asking for permission?”

“I’m warning you.”

“Over a kiss?” She gazed at my mouth before locking our stares.

I rubbed my thumb over the corner of her lip. “If I just wanted to kiss you here, I wouldn’t give you the warning. I’d lean forward and ravish you.” My mouth now hovered above hers. “But these aren’t the only lips I want to kiss, Jovana.”

“Mister, you are wicked.”

“And you’re going to love that about me.”

“Maybe I already do.”

There was something else she was going to love, and that was how well I kissed—both sets of lips.

So I showed her, slamming our mouths together, holding her face to mine. As my tongue slid in, I inhaled the taste I’d been fantasizing about. The lavender hadn’t made its way to her breath. What was on her tongue instead was a sweetness, like she’d been sucking on a cherry candy.

It made my fucking mouth water.

I wanted more.

So much so that I had to pull myself away, panting as I continued to hold her, staring at a face that was red because of me.

“Say yes.”

She exhaled. “To what?”

“Everything.”

When she smiled, her tongue folded over her bottom lip. “But you still haven’t paid your bill.”

I reached into my pocket, grabbed my wallet, and thumbed through the slots until I found my black Amex. “Sign my name on the receipt and give yourself a two-hundred-dollar tip.” I pointed toward the exit. “I’ll be outside. Waiting.”

“Two hundred?” She laughed. “That’s what you think I’m worth?”

My palm slid down her back, holding her against me, knowing she could feel my hard-on. “And I’m getting you pizza and I’m giving you wine.”

“You haven’t even been with me yet and I’ve already changed you.” She winked. “What if I told you I was no longer hungry? Or thirsty?”

There was that mouth again.

The one I was finding myself unbelievably addicted to.

My hand lowered once more until it was around her ass cheek, the thickness, the shape, the feel—shit, this woman was going to be one hell of a good time tonight. “Hurry,” I growled, squeezing harder, nodding toward the bar. “Go.”

After she pecked my lips, she darted off to the bar, where I assumed she was going to close out my tab and charge my card. I went out the front entrance and moved off to the side, resting my back against the brick of the building. That was when I took out my phone and checked the notifications that had come in since I’d last looked.

Easton: Who owes who doughnuts in the morning?

Holden: Grayson hasn’t responded. I’m assuming that means you won, dickhead.

Easton: I told you he wasn’t leaving the bar unless he was with Jovana.

Holden: Yeah, yeah. Is a dozen enough or does your greedy ass want more?

Easton: More. Always more.

Holden: I might be late. I have a parent teacher conference at 9, but I’ll be in after.

Easton: Sounds like you better place an order for pickup. We don’t want them to sell out before you get there.

Me: Why are you talking about me like I’m not in the group text?

Holden: He responded! So???

Me: I can’t believe you bet on me.

Me: Holden, don’t you know by now that when I want something, it’s a sure thing? For the mere fact that you bet against me, I think you should bring in enough doughnuts for our whole staff.

Easton: Hell yeah, that’s my boy. Tell him.

Holden: I probably deserve that.

Easton: You do.

Me: I’ll see you in the morning, gentlemen ...

“Your card,” Jovana said, causing me to look up from the screen of my phone. “And receipt.” She placed both in my hand and I shoved them into my pocket, along with my cell, then wrapped an arm across her shoulders.

“I want to know something,” she said as we began to walk toward my building.

I hoped this wasn’t the start of small talk, something she’d mentioned that I hadn’t given to her.

I couldn’t stand a conversation that didn’t have a point.

In fact, as far as I was concerned, Jovana and I didn’t even have to talk.

Grunting, moaning, breathing—those were more than enough for tonight.

“All right . . .”

“Have you ever hooked up with anyone from the bar?”

That question, I could handle.

“Never. Why?”

“One of the other servers saw us in the hallway outside the bathroom and she mentioned you and your friends are regulars. But when she said it, she had a peculiar look on her face. Now, maybe I’m reading into things. Or maybe I’m not. I just thought it was important to ask and make sure I’m not stepping on anyone else’s territory.”

I laughed.

Hard.

“Territory?” I inquired.

Plenty of servers had eyed me down in that bar. None had enticed me enough to take her home.

And not a single one had anything on Jovana.

“Yeah, you know, like someone who may get jealous if they happen to find out we hooked up.”

I pulled her closer to my side, my nose pressing against the top of her head, inhaling her lavender-scented hair. “First off, I don’t kiss and tell, so no one is going to find out from me.” The only exception to that rule was that I told my boys almost everything. But they were a vault and once information went into their ears, it didn’t come out their mouths. “Second, I’ve never touched any employee at that bar.”

She glanced up, a clever smile spreading across her mouth. “Aside from me.”

“Aside from you.” I wondered how far and deep that conversation with the server had gone. I didn’t know if any of the employees were aware of who my friends and I were, but I certainly didn’t want this evening to turn into a live stream on Instagram. “Was that all she said?”

“Yes . . . why?”

“No reason.” Her expression validated her answer, and when I looked straight ahead, I pointed across the street at the high-rise on the upcoming block. “There’s home.”

“You weren’t kidding, you do live close.”

“And very soon you’re going to realize why I didn’t want to wait the fifteen minutes to have you.”

Hell, it was more than soon.

Because once we went into the elevator of my building, which would take us to the penthouse, I guided her to the back wall, pressing her body against it while I devoured her lips.

My hands rose high above her head, my arms extended, creating a cage.

One I wanted to keep her in.

But one that, if she wanted to escape, she could.

Except that was the furthest thing from her mind, because she was moaning into my mouth and tracing my chest, learning the curves of my pecs, the ridges of my abs, feeling over my shirt the trail of hair that led to my cock.

I tasted her exhales, swallowing each one, experiencing the heat lift through her body until a chime echoed inside the elevator, letting me know we’d arrived, and I rushed her into my condo.

I wasted no time lifting her onto my kitchen island, spreading her legs over the stone so I could stand between them.

The moment she was seated, she began to look around the space and whispered, “What a magnificent kitchen. I would die to cook in here.” As her gaze returned to me, it was filled with hunger and desire. “How about I make us a fabulous breakfast in the morning?”

I nuzzled her neck, moaning. “How about we just focus on right now?”

She giggled, and when I looked at her again, her gaze was filled with hunger and desire. “You’re a man of your word.”

“And I’m just getting started.”

I gripped the bottom of her tank and pulled it over her head, letting the fabric fall to the floor as I admired her bra.

Red.

Satin.

The same shade she’d turned when I kissed her at the bar.

I couldn’t have picked a better color myself. It looked incredible on her.

I unclasped the back, the bra joining her tank on the floor, and I instantly got to work on her shorts, popping the button, lowering the zipper, and shimmying the heavy material down her thighs.

Her panties matched her bra.

And my hard-on fucking raged.

Her body was even better than I’d suspected. Toned. Tanned. Tits that were small, perky, a size no bigger than my palm with light-pink, pebbled nipples begging for my tongue. A tiny, narrow waist with hips that dipped toward her incredible ass.

Curves I wanted to kiss.

Skin I wanted to lick.

A body I wanted to get lost in.

“My God, Jovana, you’re perfect. Spread your legs,” I ordered.

Her eyes hadn’t left mine since her first piece of clothing had come off.

“They’re wide—”

“Wider.”

She slid them apart more, and I took a step back to admire the view.

Bare.

Tight.

A pussy that didn’t just demand my tongue but deserved it.

“You’re like heaven.”

As if she were inside my head, hearing my thoughts, she bent her knees, rolling her toes around the edge of the counter to give me an even better angle to look at her.

“And Grayson, it’s all yours.”

I wanted it.

I wanted her wetness on my face.

I wanted her clit brushing my lips.

And, goddamn it, I couldn’t wait another second.

I gripped the insides of her thighs and dipped my face in between her legs. But before I gave her my tongue, I pressed my nose to the top of her clit, closing my eyes as I breathed her in.

The scent of lavender had made its way down here.

But there was something else.

A sweetness.

And, fuck me, that was where the vanilla came in.

This woman didn’t just look like a dream—she smelled like one too.

And now that I’d begun to lick, I knew she also tasted like one.

“Grayson!” She slipped her hand through my hair and pulled the strands. “Oh! Yes!”

I’d planned on stopping after a few licks.

This was just an appetizer, a way to satisfy my need, my craving to know how she smelled, to make sure she was extra wet and ready for me.

But now that I was here, I couldn’t get enough.

I needed to hear her scream.

So I licked until I made that happen.

Her clit hardened, her wetness thickened, and I flicked my tongue as fast as I could against that sensitive spot, earning the sound I wanted to hear, and it was just as hot and seductive as I expected.

“Grayson, oh my God!”

I thought her scent was perfection.

Her body.

But watching Jovana come was a sight I couldn’t even describe.

A sight more beautiful than words.

As the orgasm rattled her body, her stomach shuddered, her legs crowded my face, her nails stabbed the top of my head.

“Yesss!”She sucked in some air. “Fuck!”

I didn’t pause.

I didn’t even slow.

I licked until I was sure every wave had passed, and then I lifted her into my arms and carried her into my bedroom.

“What are you?” Her body was limp and bendable as I held it against mine. “Some kind of unicorn?”

I had plenty of faults.

By the morning, Jovana would know what those were.

“I’m just a man who loves to give pleasure.”

“Can I tell you something?” Her mouth was close to my ear, her breath warm on my skin.

“Yes.”

“You’ve met your match.”

My brows rose. “And why would you say that?”

“Because we share that trait.” She paused. “I’m a woman who gets off on giving pleasure.”

My match.

How fucking ironic.

I set her on the end of the bed, freeing my hands to take off my shirt. Once I had a few buttons loose, I lifted the button-down over my head and dropped my jeans. As I walked to my nightstand, grabbing a condom from the drawer, I slipped off my boxer briefs and stood directly in front of her.

“Grayson ... my God.” She looked slowly down my body. “I knew you were jacked. I could feel the muscles through your clothes, but I had no idea you looked like that.”

I chuckled.

“And I certainly didn’t know that was the size I’d be getting tonight.”

I pumped my cock several times while her gaze was still on it. “Do you want it?”

Her stare lifted, finally locking with mine. “Yes.”

“Show me how badly.”

As I used my teeth to tear off the corner of the foil packet, she surrounded the bottom half of my shaft with her hand and parted her lips over my crown.

“Fuuuck,”I hissed.

She could suck.

Harder and faster than I anticipated.

And she really did like to give pleasure, she wasn’t lying.

But if she kept this up, I was going to be coming in her mouth, and even though that sounded good as hell, it wasn’t what I wanted for this evening.

I let her have a few more bobs, watching her cheeks cave in as she took me deeper, her tongue swirling around my tip and down each side, using her hand to cover the parts her mouth didn’t reach, before I pulled out. I aimed the rubber at my tip and rolled it over my length, making sure it was in place, and then I stretched her legs over my shoulders, lifted her ass off the mattress, and pointed my cock at her entrance.

“I’ll go slow.”

Once again, that was a warning I thought she needed, because even if she had plenty of experience, Jovana wasn’t quite ready for me.

No woman was.

Her hand went to her clit, and she rubbed it as I entered. “Daaamn.”

I didn’t rush. I went gradually, listening to her sounds, watching her breathtakingly gorgeous face, looking for signs to make sure she wasn’t in pain.

But I saw none.

What I saw instead was need.

Want.

Desire.

And that was exactly what I felt as I inched my way in, her tightness and wetness taking hold of me. “Goddamn it,” I moaned, pausing when she had all of me. “You feel fucking amazing.”

I gave her a few short pumps before I dropped her legs and climbed over her, my arms at either side of her face, my hips rearing back to take a full plunge.

Jovana leaned up on her elbows and connected our lips, kissing me as I increased my speed.

“Don’t stop.” She wrapped her arms around my neck, where her nails found my shoulders and dug in. “Faster. Please.”

This wasn’t stopping.

This was lifting her into the air while her legs straddled my waist and carrying her to the nearest wall, where I could finish what I’d started.

With her back pressed against the hard drywall, her hands held on to me. And as I resumed the relentless climb with only one goal in mind, her mouth released moan after moan.

“Grayson!”

That goal was to hear her scream even louder than she had in my kitchen.

I was almost there.

“You like that . . .”

Her head banged into the wall as I thrust deeper into her tightness. “Yes. I want more.”

That was what I gave her—hard, relentless, agonizing strokes.

But while I watched her build and felt her narrow around me, there were sensations taking over my body. Alarms that were fucking ringing, enough so that I said, “You better come.”

“I’m already there.” By the time the last word left her mouth, her first yell was hitting my ears, her body contracting around my dick, and with that came a rush of wetness. “Ohhh! Yesss!” She filled her lungs and added, “Grayson!”

“Fuck!” I roared. The tingles shot through my balls and into my shaft, and with each dive, I could feel the condom filling more. “Yes!”

Our breaths mingled.

Our bodies were moving together.

Our shudders were rocking against one another.

And when the stillness took over, I set her on the mattress before I went into my en suite to trash the condom. When I returned to the bedroom, she was under the covers, propped high on a set of pillows.

Looking gorgeous as ever, but far too comfortable.

Before I climbed in next to her, I found my cell in the pocket of my jeans and brought it with me to bed, making sure the alarm was set for the morning.

“Jeez, that’s early.”

I looked at her, not realizing she was snooping on my screen. “I have a meeting I can’t miss.”

“I don’t even know what you do for a living. Obviously something very profitable because your condo is kind of outrageous.” She paused, smiling, assuming I was going to answer. When I didn’t, she said, “So, does that mean no breakfast? I know a great little place, probably only a couple of blocks from here.”

This was where things got sticky.

A meal would lead to her wanting another.

And another.

And feelings would be trickling in.

I couldn’t have that.

But I also couldn’t imagine never tasting her body again, never watching her beautiful face come.

That thought, that desire, took me completely by surprise.

Still, I chuckled and gave her the response that made me the most comfortable. “No. No breakfast.”

That wasn’t true. I’d be eating my weight in doughnuts once Holden arrived at work.

“How about dinner, then?”

She wasn’t going to give up.

That meant I had to address the elephant in the room.

I set my phone on the nightstand and reclined in bed. “I don’t do dinner either.”

“You’re telling me you don’t eat?”

“Oh, I eat.” I grazed her chin with the back of my hand. “I just ate you, didn’t I?”

Her cheeks flushed, her grin not even close to fading. “That’s not what I mean.”

“I know what you mean, Jovana.” I analyzed her expression, determining whether I had to tread lightly. I figured she’d appreciate my honesty over a bold-faced lie. “Let me tell you a little something about me.” I folded my arms behind my head. “I work. I travel. I live my life exactly how I want. But I don’t date.”

She searched my eyes. “I don’t understand.”

“This”—I traced the air between us—“will end in the morning. One night, that’s it, nothing more.”

The confusion was gone.

In its place was a look of shock.

And that was confirmed when she shook her head. “You’re serious?”

“I wouldn’t bullshit you.”

“Why?” She sat up tall, anger and disgust now building in her eyes. “Is it because I slept with you? Because I didn’t make you take me out for dinner—”

“Let me stop you right there. It’s nothing you’ve done. This is a me thing, not a you thing.”

And that was because I didn’t trust women.

I hadn’t since I was ten years old.

Not after what the only woman in my life—who mattered at that age—had done to me.

I should have been her whole world, but I meant nothing to her.

She completely destroyed me.

That was why this—a few hours, an overnight tops—was enough.

“Jovana, you’re perfect. I don’t want you to take this personal.”

“You just ate me out on your kitchen counter and fucked me and you don’t want me to take this personal?” She sat up off the pillows and folded her legs in front of her. In that brief amount of time, I saw a change. A reset. “Maybe ...” Her voice trailed off as she stared at me, her expression telling me she was deep in thought. “Maybe that’s the way you’ve done things in the past, never willing to compromise on anything, so it’s just been easy for you to move on. But I’m different.” She put her hand on top of mine. “I’m not like the others. Something tells me you know that.” Her warmth stayed until she moved her fingers to my chest, touching the center. It was a light graze, like a whisper in the wind, that I would have missed unless I was paying attention. “You feel it. I know you do.”

So many had tried to fix me.

To turn me into someone I wasn’t.

They’d all failed.

She’d fail too.

“That doesn’t change what I’m capable of—or in this case, what I’m not capable of.” She wanted a tomorrow, and I could only give her a right now. “I am who I am.”

“Which is?”

I took a breath, curious if this warning was going to earn me a slap across the face or if she was going to fight me with her words. “A man who doesn’t believe in commitment. Marriage. Or any of that shit.”

“What you are is an asshole.”

“But we had fun.” I’d rather she hate me than cry. Her tears were something I couldn’t deal with. “And there’s no reason for that fun to be over. I have”—I glanced at my phone, touching the screen to check the time—“six more hours until I have to get up for work.”

I would like nothing more than to devour her again.

To sink myself into her beauty and get the chance to savor her once more.

Something about her was so incredibly addictive.

She laughed. “Oh yeah, a straight-up fucking asshole. If you think I’d come anywhere near you after what you just said to me, then you must be nuts.”

“We had a great time—at least I thought we did. I don’t remember promising you anything but that and an orgasm. And I gave you both. I’m sorry if you felt this was going to turn into more.”

She shook her head, staring at me like I was unrecognizable, before she got up from the bed and disappeared down the hallway. She returned fully dressed less than a minute later. Standing in the doorway, she raised her hand, showcasing her middle finger. “See you around, Grayson.”

“You will. I’m at your bar at least once a week.”

She sighed. “Just my luck.”

“I’ll call you a rideshare—”

“Don’t bother.”

Before I could say another word, she was gone, and I heard the click of my front door.

Using the tablet on my nightstand, I called down to the doorman and told him to make sure my guest got into a rideshare and to text me once she was safely inside one.

Just because I didn’t do second dates didn’t mean I was totally fucking heartless.

Parched, I got up from bed, but before I went into the kitchen to grab a drink, I picked up my pants from the floor, grabbing my credit card and the receipt that I’d shoved into my pocket when she’d handed them to me.

For some reason, I unfolded the small piece of paper, my attention falling to the bottom, where she’d signed my name and written the total.

Her signature wasn’t even close to mine, but that wasn’t what surprised me.

It was that instead of the $200 tip that I’d instructed her to leave, she’d written zero, giving herself absolutely nothing.

“Jovana,” I said out loud, glancing toward my bedroom door even though she wasn’t there, “you’re right. You’re nothing like the others.”