Chapter 7 #2
I stare at him, dumbfounded. Did I hear him correctly or has the booze gone to my head? “What did you say?”
Eddie clears his throat, running a hand along his jaw as a hint of color climbs his neck. But then he meets my gaze, unblinking. “Best. Ass. I’ve. Ever. Seen.”
Most women would return his flirtations with an equally coy overture. Not me.
My half-drunk forty-year-old ass pushes off the bar stool and pivots, desperate to catch a better glimpse of my rear end. “It’s not that great, actually—”
“Actually, it is.”
Do I think he means it? At this point, who the hell knows, but it sure doesn’t hurt to hear it.
With a nervous giggle, I drop my apparently fabulous ass back onto the barstool. “Thanks for making this old lady feel better about her age.”
“Hey, enough of that nonsense.” Eddie leans over, tipping my chin up to meet his gaze. “You are not an old lady, Kiki Wilder.”
Trust me, I’ve looked at Eddie before. Plenty of times, in fact. But it was sneaking glances on the down low, not this blatant, unapologetic stare that leaves my insides quivering like a thousand butterfly wings.
First thing I notice? The man has thicker lashes than me.
Second thing? I could stay lost in his eyes forever.
The bartender comes around, ending our unofficial staring contest and I shift on my stool, desperate to regain my emotional balance. Seems forty is really taking it out of me.
Total bullshit claim, but it’s easier than admitting the real truth—that I like Eddie. Way more than I should.
“Where is Billie?” I mutter. “Did she fall in the toilet or something?”
“Not exactly.” His fingers tighten around the beer bottle, a rivulet of condensation rolling onto his oversized hands. “She left.”
Wait a damn minute.
“She what? No, that’s not possible. She was my ride.” I grab my purse, frantically searching for my phone, hidden somewhere in its depths.
Eddie leans over and stills my hands. “Relax. I’m your ride now.”
I sag against the bar stool with a grunt. “Oh my God. Billie dumped me on you? I’m sorry, Eddie.”
A grin breaks across his face. “Don’t be. It’s my pleasure, although your cousin did have two explicit instructions regarding this evening.”
“Can’t wait to hear this. Let me guess—you’re to ply me with cocktails and compliments until midnight?”
“If that’s what it takes. She specified that you are to have the greatest evening of your life. High challenge to be sure, but she seems to believe I might be able to help out in that area.”
A flush spreads through my body, slowly at first, drifting from my core outward and upward, until I’m sure my face resembles a red rhododendron in full bloom. “How exactly do you plan to help?”
Trust me, I can think of a ton of ways, but there’s no way in hell I’m placing that kind of demand on Eddie, no matter how dedicated he is in fulfilling my cousin’s quest.
The smile crossing this man’s face should be illegal. He leans over, until his lips brush the shell of my ear. “You’re going to tell me about those dreams you’ve been having.”
Oh my God.
No, no, no, no.
My face flames, my jaw drops open, and I’m about two seconds away from leaping over the bar and racing toward the nearest exit.
And Eddie? He’s not smiling anymore. He’s smirking, this sexy, infuriating smirk that… only makes him even more kissable.
So not helping.
I take a long pull off my neon drink, determined to look in any direction but Eddie’s. “She told you? I made her swear not to say a damn word. That’s it, I’m hunting her ass down.”
I pop off the barstool, but Eddie grabs me around the waist, hauling me close. “Not so fast. I think, considering I play a major role in these dreams, that I should know the details.”
Wiggling from his grip, I grab my purse and sling it over my shoulder. “And I think we should discuss something else. Anything else, in fact. Sports, diseases. Your choice.”
I swear the smile hasn’t faltered on Eddie’s face since he dropped this bombshell. So glad he’s enjoying himself.
Eddie stands and for a second, I think he’s going to drop the matter.
No such luck. He slips my purse from my shoulder and deposits it back onto the barstool.
Then he crowds my space, inching me back until my spine hits the wall.
His hands rest on either side of my head, caging me in place. “You want me to drop it?”
Unexpected segue, but one I’ll cling to nonetheless.
“Please. That would be the best birthday gift ever.”
“Not even going to clue me in a tiny bit about my performance? Was I above bar? Average?”
What the hell does it matter, right? It was a dream, an event totally beyond my control. A glorious, multi-orgasmic dream.
I wonder…
No Kiki, you will not wonder about that.
“You’re blushing again.”
“Didn’t realize I’d stopped.” Feeling a spark of moxie, I plant a hand on my hip and dare to meet his gaze.
“What do you want to know? How good you were? You were fucking fabulous, okay, Eddie? Perfection. Ridiculously talented in every aspect. Can I crawl under the bar now for the rest of the night?”
“I don’t think so.” He bites his lip—an obscenely endearing move—and skates his thumb along the hollow of my throat. “Repeat after me.”
I swallow. “…Okay.”
“I am not too old for anyone.”
I roll my eyes, but he’s not moving. Not relenting. “I am not too old for anyone.”
His hand traces the neckline of my shirt, his fingers dipping along the curve of my breasts, where I’m certain he can feel my heart racing. “I am a stunningly, intoxicatingly beautiful woman.”
A nervous laugh slips out of me. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Say it.”
I lick my lips, nerves clawing through me as his touch lights up my insides. “I am… a stunningly, intoxicatingly beautiful woman.”
“Yes, you are. So fucking beautiful.” He ducks his head, nuzzling my neck, the soft slide of his tongue against my skin damn near breaking me.
A low moan slips past my lips as I ball my hands into fists to keep from ripping his shirt off.
He smiles against my skin. “There’s that sexy as fuck moan again.” Another nibble, his hand twisting in my hair to hold me still. “Last one, and you’re doing great so far. Ready?”
“Yes.” My voice is a breathy whisper.
He raises his head, his lips hovering against mine, so close I can almost feel them. “I want you to kiss me, and I don’t want you to stop. I want you to touch every inch of me. Show me how good you can make me feel.”
My tongue drags along my lower lip as his hand cups my jaw.
“Say it,” he growls.
But I don’t.
I slide my hands along his chest, his muscles taut beneath his shirt. I drag the moment out, the intensity building with every second. Every breath.
“Kiki.” Desperation curls around every syllable, and it’s enough. It’s more than enough.
As I gaze up at him, all reservations fall away. “Never stop.”
And then I capture his gorgeous mouth in a kiss.
“Fucking finally,” he rasps, his hands cupping my face, his tongue sliding against mine.
There’s no hesitation. No holding back now.
My fingers fist in his shirt, a contented moan escaping my throat as he drags me flush to him, his hard length pressing against me.
Hell yes. I need him.
The noise surrounding us fades. The bar, the music, the people—gone.
Nothing but Eddie, his mouth possessing me as his hands slide down my body, cupping my ass and lifting me. I don’t think, I react. My legs wrap around his waist, locking him in my embrace. His hands palm my ass as he presses my back against the wall, grinding into me.
Teasing me. Torturing me.
He tears his mouth from mine, and I run my fingers along his lips, writhing against him when he swirls his tongue along the tips.
His eyes lock on me, rabid intensity burning in their depths, his breathing ragged as he holds me hostage in his embrace. “You feel that? You feel what you’re doing to me?”
I nod, running my fingers over his hair and pulling him close. “Never stop.”
He groans, burying his face against my shoulder. “You say that again and I’m stripping you down right here.”
Will he do it? Bigger question is, will I?
I’m never forward with affection. Never make a show in public.
But with Eddie? I don’t give a damn.
It’s not the neon drinks or the loneliness or the fact that it’s my birthday. I crave him, and I’ll do anything to keep his hands and mouth on me.
I nudge his face up and capture his lower lip between my teeth, earning a low growl of approval. “Never stop.”