Melted by a Man (Sun Steer Tech #2)

Prologue

JACQUELINE: MANY MONTHS EARLIER

My name is Jacqueline Williams, and I was going to have a one-night stand.

I wanted a one-night stand, which was the most important thing.

I was a warm-blooded woman who enjoyed the consensual touch of someone who desired me.

Other women did this all the time, I wasn’t special for trying this out.

“Who are you staring at?” My brother, Marco, asked as he brought his cheek against mine to see where my gaze landed.

“Him,” I replied with a nod. My nerves were skittering in my veins from simply acknowledging who my attention was focused on.

“Oh, good choice.” Marco nodded in approval. As twins, we were close. As a gay man and straight woman, we were even closer than normal. Talking about boys was something we did as early as teenagers before he officially came out to our father.

Since coming out, Marco had found his confidence.

Whereas, I still hadn’t.

“Thanks,” I grinned, looking back and rubbing my sweaty palms on my skater skirt. I felt like a fraud. Like I wasn’t dressed like the thirty-year-old woman I was. Was I even allowed to dress sexy? I desperately wanted to. Something about slacks, pencil skirts, and business casual just got old.

“What are you going to do?” Marco asked. He sipped from his old-fashioned as he stared at the back of the man’s head. He sat at the bar, so I couldn’t see his face entirely. I had caught glimpses of his profile in the hour we had been sitting here scoping out possibilities for a no-strings-attached hookup. His back looked handsome, though. He wore a black leather jacket with dark jeans. I also decided on him because he looked about my age, which was difficult to find here. Either it was all college-looking students (hard pass) or much older men (hard pass).

“I’m not sure yet,” I said, pressing my lips flat together, trying to channel even a fraction of the confidence Marco had shown before approaching the dark-haired man at the bar. “Do you have any pro tips?”

“None that would apply to you,” Marco quipped, giving me raised eyebrows when I frowned at him in disappointment, “Gay men are very direct. Very little talking takes place. Dating apps have ruined basic communication skills.”

I sighed, determined to see this through even if my brother did not help me.

“What if I just ask for his name? A fun fact?” Most of my social skills consisted of what a professional like me would say to employees. I hadn’t had a casual, outside-of-work, flirty conversation with a man in a very long time.

“His name is not a bad start, but a fun fact feels like an interview,” Marco raised one perfectly manicured dark eyebrow at me, “While you are technically interviewing him to ensure he qualifies for entry under your skirt, you don’t want to make him feel like he’s in an interview.”

I nodded, trying to seem more…chill.

“How about—”

“How about you start by walking up there and sitting on the empty stool next to him?” Marco emphasized his advice with a dramatic shove, making me almost fall out of my seat in our booth.

“Okay!” I whisper-hissed as I shoved him away from me and fixed my skirt to ensure no part of my butt was falling out of it. I brushed my hands over my top to flatten any wrinkles. I wore a long-sleeved crop top, just enough crop to show an inch of skin on my waist. Nothing dramatic. The high-waisted flare skirt I wore helped me feel more comfortable with the look. The neckline was square and much lower than I normally wore, but I was both excited and nervous about dressing so provocatively with intention.

This was about taking charge of my sexuality.

About me practicing confidence.

“Just remember,” Marco grabbed my wrist before I turned around to make it over to the handsome stranger I hoped to seduce tonight, “ You are the catch. He’s the one who should be lucky and grateful to have an opportunity to touch you . If he isn’t interested, it is his loss.”

I gave my twin a nervous smile and nodded. Then, standing straight, I took a deep breath to steady myself.

I was the catch .

I had worth, and value, outside of looks and confidence, and sexual experience.

“Go get ‘em,” Marco released my wrist and nodded to encourage me to get a move on, “I’ll be keeping an eye out in case you need help.”

I exhaled a nervous breath before tucking my loose hair behind my ears. I usually wore my hair up for work because it was one less thing to worry about during the busy workday. Having it down and styled in loose waves was outside of my comfort zone but in a good way. I forgot how nice my brown hair looked. How I had natural highlights from the near-constant sun exposure living in southern California.

I tried to channel the confidence I usually felt while listening to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Cut To The Feeling” as I strode across the bar to approach the stranger. I hadn’t propositioned someone before. I had personally been propositioned many times, but I never took charge like this.

I nervously pulled the stool out, sat, and tried to sit as a calm, collected woman would. Casual, but with an air of authority. I leaned forward and rested both of my elbows on the bar top, hopefully showing off the curve of my back and the low cut of my long-sleeved shirt.

“What can I get you?” The young bartender asked. As he approached, I noticed that his eyes dropped to sneak a glance at my cleavage. It was so fast, it felt almost accidental. I smiled at him as I pretended to think for a moment.

“A pina colada would be nice,” I replied, still building up the nerve to look to my right where the handsome stranger still sat, sipping…something. I couldn’t tell what it was yet in my peripheral vision. I figured that if I ended up striking out with this man, at least I would have a fun fruity drink to help me get over the rejection.

“Coming right up!” The bartender rapped his knuckles on the counter as he stepped away and started to work.

I just sat there; my muscles taut as I rested my elbows on the bar top. I turned to admire the bar towards my left, kicking myself for not even looking at him yet. C’mon, Jacqueline. Just start with a glance. You don’t even need to say hello, yet, just basic eye contact would be a good start .

I inhaled through my nose and held my breath as I slowly forced my neck to comply with my plans. I turned slowly, pretending to glance at the young bartender who was mixing my drink on the right side of the bar.

And that’s when I got my first full, real look at him.

He was already staring at me, a glass of beer at his lips as he met my wondering gaze.

The breath released out of my lungs in a woosh, and I immediately panicked about whether he noticed that or not.

I hadn’t seen a man that took my breath away in a very long time, and yet, here he was.

Perhaps I set my sights a little too high tonight. He was undeniably gorgeous. Maybe even out of my league.

Damnit , I scolded myself, I’m the catch. I’m the one he should be thanking for this opportunity I’m about to give him .

“Hello.” The man set the glass down after taking a sip, his clear blue eyes on me in a way that immediately made me feel vulnerable.

“Hi.” It took every muscle in my body to make that a friendly, small greeting, and not a wheeze from his direct attention.

He had dark, almost black hair that was casually styled but may have had his fingers run through it a few times. His icy blue eyes were lined with thick lashes, supported by high cheekbones and a sharp nose that pointed towards light pink, hydrated lips that didn’t have any evidence of nervous chewing or skin peeling.

Must be nice , I thought to myself.

Thankfully I hadn’t nervously picked at my lips recently. I even wore lip-plumping chapstick tonight because I had very high hopes for myself.

His jawline was perfectly defined against his neck.

I could see a hint of collarbones sticking out of a Henley-styled shirt underneath his open leather jacket, and I realized right then, in that very moment, how viscerally attracted to a nice set of collarbones I was.

“Do I have something on my shirt?” The man asked, glancing down at himself before meeting my eyes again. His lips were twitching, as if he was hiding a smile.

“Nope,” I replied, but my brain halted a little bit at the British accent he had just spoken with. It wasn’t a Mr. Darcy-sounding British accent like I heard in movies and TV shows. It was a little messier and more casual. I wanted to guess that he had a cockney accent, but I wasn’t quite sure.

I wasn’t prepared to be completely knocked off my game. Attractive men were one thing, attractive men with British accents were almost unfair. I fought the urge to toss up a peace sign with my fingers and run out of the bar in embarrassment.

“You’ve just…been staring,” the man replied, humor lacing his tone.

My blush crept up my neck, into my cheeks. I prayed that he didn’t notice, but I was already on the verge of sweating. He probably wouldn’t be excited about no-strings-attached orgasm exchanges if I was already sweaty.

“Just…enjoying the view,” I replied. I locked onto those clear blue eyes of his, shocked that I dared to say such a thing. Who was I? This was Marco, not me . But I didn’t take it back, I didn’t apologize. I just met his gaze and waited for his reaction.

His lips finally pulled into a smile then, and my heart stuttered at the sheer beauty of this man.

I almost fell off of my barstool when he shifted his weight and held a hand toward me to shake, “I’m Leo.” Marco’s words immediately filled my head, First things first, does he have a moanable name?

…I thought, I could moan “Leo”, but I couldn’t let myself focus on that for too long.

As I took his hand, I smiled back at him, probably too widely, but I was living off of the insanity that I managed to make him smile. “I’m Jacqueline.”

“Lovely to meet you, Jacqueline.” His gaze quickly swept over my body sitting on the stool next to him. I wasn’t too familiar with flirting with men at this point in my life, but when he rested an arm on the bar next to us and set one of his booted feet on the rung of my barstool, I wanted to punch the air with the success that he, too, must have liked what he saw.

“Any fun plans for tonight?” I asked, twisting in my seat as well and crossing one leg over the other. The movement rode my skirt up my thigh a little bit more, and I fought the reflex to tug it down.

“This is it, unfortunately,” Leo replied. He rubbed his thumb against his bottom lip as he studied me, “I’m only in town until tomorrow night.”

“That’s perfect,” I whispered, making his dark eyebrows jump up.

“And why is that?” Based on the smirk he gave me, and the way his hand made a fist so he could rest his cheek against it in a way that had no business being as sexy as it was, my jig was officially up.

“I…um…” Well, at least I knew when my air of confidence had officially run out. I drummed my fingertips on the bar top, a movement Leo clocked as he waited for my response, “I was wondering if you could help me with something—no pressure though.” I pressed my lips together to keep myself from blurting out more. To keep me from saying something like, Are you interested in getting freaky tonight, good sir? Perhaps a bit of canoodling to release some pent-up stress? You know what? I’m sorry to bother you, I’ll see myself out .

Game, to no one’s surprise, was something I did not have.

“I’m happy to be of service,” Leo replied, not pronouncing the h in “happy”. He was so calm. I suddenly felt so put on the spot. What did I say now that didn’t turn him off or scare him away? Would it be this easy?

“Are you sure?” I asked, leaning closer as I checked my surroundings to ensure no one else was listening to this train wreck of a seduction, “It’s a little embarrassing.” I bit my lip and blushed harder when I saw Leo’s eyes land on my mouth.

“I doubt it,” Leo replied to my lips. He didn’t pronounce his t’s half the time either, but I enjoyed the sound of his accent. If I wasn’t specifically attempting to learn how to orgasm with a casual partner, I would have loved to stay here and hear him talk as much as possible tonight.

“It’s not something I like to brag about,” I added, licking my lips and internally squealing at how he mirrored the movement with his own, “But I’m feeling a little bit…lonely.”

“Lonely.” His gaze lifted to meet mine again; something sparked behind it and heated my blood.

“And I’m trying to put myself out there,” I continued, glancing down at my nervously twisting fingers. I looked back up and saw that I still had his full, undivided attention.

“I see,” was his only response. He didn’t give me any more than that; he just sat there, confidently resting one of his feet on my barstool, one elbow on the bar top with his cheek resting on his fist. Not a care in the world.

I wondered what that was like.

“So…if you’re interested…” I started to clam up, swallowing around a nervous lump in my throat. I stopped my fidgeting as soon as I saw his hand reach forward and wrap around both of mine, halting my movements.

I glanced up to meet his gaze again, and his expression was a mixture of emotions my frantic nerves made difficult to read.

“Not to be too forward,” he responded, gently squeezing my fingers with his hand, the warmth of it seeping into my skin, “but I am very interested, Jacqueline.”

The grin that pulled at my cheeks was instant, something about the immediate validation from him filled me and made me straighten my spine a bit more. Leo smiled as well, continuing to hold my hands in his grip when I didn’t pull away.

“That’s…good.” I nodded.

And then we just sat there in silence.

“Just so we’re clear,” Leo leaned forward, casually scooting his stool a little bit closer to me, “You’re trying to pull me, yeah?”

I furrowed my brows at his terminology, “Pull?” The visual I had was immediately filthy, and part of me wondered if I even remembered how to give a hand job. It couldn’t be that hard, right? Like riding a bike, or something?

“Sleep with?” he explained, as his gaze fell to my lips again.

Oh.

“Yes.” I nodded, leaning in a little bit more when his gaze lingered on my mouth.

I needed to wear this plumping chapstick way more often.

“Good to hear,” he nodded, his grip on my hands loosening just enough for him to trail his index finger over my knuckles, “Though you should probably take the lead, love.”

Oh my god, he did the thing . He did the English guy thing, using “love” as a term of endearment. Even though this was a hookup, I felt my insides turn to goo. This man was dangerous to someone with as little experience as me, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. Somehow, the stars were aligning and Leo was picking up what I was laying down. He seemed just as enthusiastic as I was on the inside.

“Oh…” I spoke, glancing to the side nervously to figure out what the next step could be. My forgotten pina colada was sitting in front of me, and I wondered how long it had been there, “Do you…want to try kissing me first?”

“Try?” Leo asked with a note of humor in his question.

“Well…” I lifted a shoulder, “We should probably see if we like how the other kisses, before exploring this…further.” I winced a little. Was I being too analytical about it? Was this professional Jacqueline sneaking in, interviewing him like an employee and not a person I was interested in fooling around with?

“Ah, very practical.” Leo nodded as he sat a little straighter, releasing his grip on my fingers and shaking his hands out. He even went as far as to crack his neck and relax his shoulders, as if he was preparing for a type of athletic activity instead of just kissing me.

“Are you good?” I asked through a nervous giggle.

Leo intertwined his fingers and stretched them out in front of him, winking at me as he replied, “I’m just preparing myself. I don’t want to miss out on anything if I don’t do this just right for you.” He pronounced it like “any-fing” which was oddly adorable, for a man I wouldn’t describe as adorable in any way. He was attractive, sexy, and confident. Everything I wanted to be.

My lips parted in surprise.

I’m the catch , I repeated to myself as I grinned at his theatrics.

“Take your time, as long as you don’t slobber all over my mouth, we should be good.” I played along, my nerves easing the slightest bit.

“Got it,” Leo nodded, making a face as if he was taking a mental note. He pulled one arm across his chest to stretch, closed his eyes, and said, “You’ve got this, mate.” I laughed again, covering my mouth to smother the sound, “You’ve done this before. You know how to kiss a woman. Don’t psyche yourself out just because she’s gorgeous.” I blushed, rolling my eyes at his little act. “Why she even singled you out of all the blokes here is none of your business,” he continued, his brow pinched in concentration during his pep talk, “Just kiss her.”

“She’s waiting,” I replied, amused with the show.

He opened his eyes and grinned at me, a grin that promised things . Things that made my insides fill with butterflies. Things that lit up nerves and stirred a warmth in my lower stomach.

“My apologies.” He shook his hands out one last time and settled in his seat, sitting with a straight back with his hands planted on his thighs, “Lay it on me.”

I immediately felt insecurity creep into my spine again, but with a hopefully subtle shake of my head, I mentally slapped myself to get it together.

Just kiss him .

Just take his face and…put your mouth on his. How do you expect to do anything else if just kissing a man intimidates you this much?

I leaned forward, waiting for him to lean in as well to meet me halfway, but he just sat there. A friendly, open expression on his face as he waited ever so patiently.

“Actually, um…” I blinked, trying to calm my racing heart, “I think you need to kiss me.” Leo’s brows twitched up, before nodding and reaching forward to take both of my hands in his again.

“Is this, okay?” He asked. His thumbs brushed smooth circles on the backs of my hands. It was embarrassing how little contact with him sent my heart into cardiac arrest.

“Mhmm.” I nodded. He smiled as one of his hands slowly started traveling up my arm, the brush of his fingertips created goosebumps on the skin underneath my long sleeve as he slowly made it to my shoulder.

“And this?” He asked as his eyes held me hostage. He leaned closer, his long legs resting on either side of mine.

“It’s good,” I whispered, my breath caught in my throat as he leaned even closer, using his other grip on my hand to tug me a hair closer to his body.

Damn, he smelled amazing. It wasn’t a strong smell, but the smell of a man who bathed and washed his clothing often, thank god . Soapy, with a hint of clean linen. His hand on my shoulder barely brushed the exposed skin from my wide-neck shirt. His fingertips teased me as his warm hand slowly came up to cup the side of my neck, his thumb resting on my jaw, “…And this, Jacqueline?”

“It’s, um,” I inhaled through my barely parted lips, desperately trying to control my breathing, “Really good.”

“Good,” he murmured, leaning in, and using his grip on my neck to angle my face for him. We were an inch or two apart now. My hands rested on his thighs as he guided my movements. He had hard muscles underneath his denim. My own fingertips flexed as I struggled to wrap my head around how turned on I was simply from his touch.

“Are you ready?” Leo murmured as his eyes became hooded.

“As I’ll ever be,” I whispered. His lips pulled back in a quick grin, before he finally, finally closed the distance.

I held my breath when his lips first pressed themselves against mine. I was frozen, every muscle in my body aware of his touch and his lips as I adjusted to their smooth warmth. It was probably only a second or two before he brushed his lips against mine again. He adjusted the kiss so that my bottom lip was tucked between both of his, nipping gently.

I didn’t recall closing my eyes, but I was thankful that my body thought to do so, allowing me to focus on how amazing this simple kiss felt. I removed one of my hands from his thighs to clutch the open panel of his leather jacket, tugging him closer to me as I responded to him.

I wondered if he knew that he was teaching me with this kiss.

Letting me know just how slow or fast to kiss back, and how much pressure to apply.

His grip on my neck flinched when I tugged him closer again. His other hand came up to cup the other side of my neck, angling my head to deepen the kiss.

When I tentatively tasted his lip with my tongue, I heard a low sound rumble in his throat at the contact.

And that was when I pulled away just a hair, just enough to create space and for our eyes to meet so close together, “…Was that good?”

He blinked, his eyes hooded and darker as he stared back at me, murmuring something that sounded a lot like “fuck me” before he placed his lips on mine again.

I groaned at the additional pressure he added this time. I opened my mouth and met his tongue with my own. I forgot all about being in a very public, crowded bar. How my brother was probably still in that booth across the way, watching to make sure I was safe. None of that mattered, all that mattered was Leo’s mouth on mine. The way his tongue slid sensually against mine. How his grip on my neck and jaw felt like the most natural, wonderful feeling in the world.

How good it felt to simply be held .

Without thinking too much about it, I slipped both of my hands underneath his open leather jacket, resting them on the sides of his cotton shirt and feeling the hardness underneath.

“Are you enjoying this, Jacqueline?” Leo asked against my mouth, nipping at my bottom lip once again before I had a chance to respond.

By some miracle, I was able to mumble some form of, “God, yes,” against his lips.

He smiled against me, before pressing a firm kiss against my lips once more and pulling back. His hold on my neck dropped as he trailed his fingers down my shoulders and arms again. He rested his hands on my wrists, gently removing them from his sides.

I was panting.

I was in way over my head.

But I didn’t care. That was the whole point of tonight.

“Want to get out of here?” I was pretty sure I gasped the question.

In response, Leo abruptly stood and pulled his wallet out to throw some bills down on the bar. Oh crap , I forgot I had ordered a drink and never touched it. I started patting around in the pockets of my skirt for some money to pay, but he shook his head at me before taking my hand and pulling me off of my barstool, “You’re covered.”

I smiled and mumbled, “Thanks,” before tugging against his hold, “Wait, wait.” I almost forgot the most important part. And part of me panicked, wondering if I was about to ruin this before we got to the fun stuff, “I need to take your picture.”

Leo lifted an eyebrow before a grin took over his sharp features again, “For safety?”

I nodded and took out my phone, laughing when Leo dropped my hand to pose with both of his hands on his narrow hips, his boyish grin doing things to my insides.

I sent the picture to Marco, with Leo’s first name. I also added a “British accent” mostly to brag. Once I pocketed my phone, I took Leo’s hand again and let him lead me out of the bar.

“This is going to sound a little tacky,” Leo spoke as stepped out into the warm night. Summer was going to end soon, but the warm days would last well into November, “But my hotel room is only a block away.”

“No one else is staying with you?” I should have asked beforehand, I realized. What if he was married? What if he had a partner waiting for him?

“No, I’m alone,” Leo replied. He still held my hand but waited for me to engage. To let me lead the way. I grinned, looking down at how large his hand was in comparison to mine, how his fingers interlaced with my smaller ones. I hadn’t held hands like this in a very long time, and it was both heartbreaking and rejuvenating to relearn just how much I loved this kind of casual intimate touch.

With a deep breath filling my lungs for confidence, I took the first step forward, silently encouraging Leo to take the lead.