Chapter 5 #2
His eyes follow a man in a crisp navy suit with blond hair as he walks past. “Sometimes to my own detriment.”
I hold out my hand. “Maybe one day we’ll both get what we want.”
“Here’s hoping. Feel free to stop by for a drink any time.” He shakes my hand before heading back behind the bar.
When I turn around to leave, my breath catches in my throat. Standing just inside the entrance, looking like a skittish horse about to bolt, is the woman who has been haunting every goddamn dream, both asleep and awake.
And fuck me, my memories don’t do her justice.
She’s a vision in a white satin slip dress with a plunging neckline that shows a hint of the swell of her modest bust. Her shoulder-length hair is once again styled in loose waves that frame her gorgeous face.
“Pixie.” My voice is a whisper, but it’s like she hears me from across the crowded room, and her eyes lift to find me.
I raise my hand in a subtle wave, my lips tugging into what I hope is a warm and inviting smile, and not a creepy ‘I want to bone you in a sex club’ grin.
She releases a breath and walks towards me.
My heart races as she eats up the distance between us.
“You’re here,” I say when she reaches me, pausing a foot away. We’re too far away to touch, but the energy vibrating between us is intoxicating.
She bites down on that pillowy-bottom lip that I’m desperate to feel pressed against mine, and gazes up at me as if I’m an apparition about to disappear. “I wasn’t sure…”
My smile softens. “Me either. I was hoping you’d be here.”
Her cheeks flush, and my dick stirs to life. She’s so fucking beautiful it hurts.
We hover for a moment, and then I step forward and pull her in for a hug. She fits perfectly against my body, and I love that she melts into my touch.
A blaze of heat builds in my gut, and I tuck my finger under her chin, tilting her head to look at me.
“Hey, pixie.”
She smiles. “Hey, yourself.”
I lick the seam of my mouth. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss.”
“Me either,” she murmurs so low I’m barely sure I’ve heard her.
“What would you say if I asked to do it again?”
She stares at me, and I wonder if she’s about to turn me down, but in a steady voice she says, “I’d say go for it.”
My hand cups her face, my other bands around her waist, and I guide my mouth to hers. The first touch is electrifying, and I groan as I swipe my tongue over the seam of her lips. She opens for me, and time slips.
Her hands slide up my pecs and loop around the back of my neck, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss. Desire surges through my body, bringing to life nerve endings I didn’t even know existed.
This is what I’ve been missing.
Nothing can compare to the taste and touch of her, and I can’t get enough. I don’t even care that we’re in the middle of a sex club. Everything about her feels… right.
We’re both panting when I finally force myself to pull away.
I run my thumb over her swollen lips.
“My memories didn’t do you justice, pixie,” I murmur, peppering her jaw with kisses.
She blinks up at me in a daze. “How is this real? I was… I didn’t…”
“You’re here.” I rest my forehead against hers.
A throat clears behind me, and I huff out a laugh before glancing over my shoulder to meet Diego’s bright, toothy grin. “Can I get you two a drink? Maybe a private room?”
“Smooth, man,” I say, but there’s no malice in my tone.
Turning so we’re both facing the bar, I pull Pixie into my chest, wrapping my arms around her waist and pressing my lips to her bare shoulder. “What would you like?”
“A gin and tonic, please.”
Diego nods and looks at me.
“Another beer.”
“Coming right up.”
He moves away to make our drinks, and I take my chance to ask the burning question inside me.
“Why are you here, pixie? This isn’t exactly your scene.”
She twists in my arms, bringing her hands up to rest on my chest. I’m sure she can feel how fast my heart is racing, but she doesn’t mention it.
“Oh, yeah? What gives you that impression?” she teases, casting a glance around the room. “Maybe I enjoy—what is that?”
There’s no judgement in her words, simply curiosity.
I follow her gaze to a naked woman on the stage, suspended by her hands from ropes hanging from the ceiling, her partner tying her into an intricate position.
A soft chuckle comes from behind the bar, and we turn back to face Diego.
“It’s our Shibari demonstration,” he says. “Japanese rope bondage.”
“Huh,” she says. “Interesting.”
I reach for my drink, only to find a little black keycard next to it, the club’s golden logo staring up at me. “What’s this?”
“A complimentary gift,” he says with a shrug. “One night only offer. Let’s just say I have a feeling about you two.”
My stomach twists. Deep down, I know this is a one night only thing. I can’t give her anything else. There’s no future with me.
“You don’t have to do that,” I tell him.
He grins. “Perks of being in a situationship with the boss.”
I swallow, my gaze drifting to Pixie. She’s turned her attention away from the demonstration and is now focused on us.
“What do you think?” I ask, brushing my thumb over her cheek.
“I’m hoping you’re here tonight for the same reason I am—I can’t get that kiss off my mind, and it’s been driving me crazy to the point my friends are sick of me.
Give me tonight. That’s all I’m asking. No pressure, no expectations.
” I pause before adding, “It’s all I can offer you.
One night to explore this insane chemistry between us, and then we walk away. ”
Her gaze bounces from me to the black card, then back again.
“No expectations?”
“None whatsoever. We’re both free to leave whenever we want. I promise. I just want to spend some time with you in private. Talk.” My lips tug into a grin. “Maybe kiss the shit out of you and anything else you’re comfortable with, but I won’t pressure you into anything. That’s not who I am.”
Darkness creeps into my vision, and the sounds of her crying and begging him to stop rip through my subconscious. I suck in a sharp breath, trying to force those memories back into the recess of my mind.
“Hey,” she says softly, reaching up to cup my cheek. Her touch is like magic, rooting me back in the present. “I know that’s not who you are.”
Fixing my gaze on her, I shoot her a self-deprecating smirk. “That’s sweet, pixie. But I need to be honest with you. I can’t offer you anything more than tonight.”
I wait, knowing I’ve probably blown all my chances out of the water with that one statement.
To my surprise she nods. “Tonight only. Then we walk away.”