Page 4 of Midnight Player

“Color me intrigued, Willa. Have you always wanted to be a writer?”

“Yes. It fulfills me in a way nothing else does. It fits me. I mean, it’s not a job for the faint of heart, but I guess you could say that about a lot of jobs. It’s ruthless and cutthroat. I spend most of my life in a fictional world. But it also means I get to work from home or anywhere as long as I have my laptop.”

He picked up a strand of her hair, his fingers rubbing the strand. “And erotic romance, why that genre? What attracted you to it?”

She stared and swallowed past her anxiety. Her heart pounded. She smelled him, this earthy, woodsy cologne that ignited a fire in her blood. His ruggedly handsome face was close. Kissably close. As if she was the only one he cared about in the bar. He couldn’t know what his undivided attention did to her because she’d never had a guy act this invested in her. Ever. Not even in high school.

And something inside her shifted. For whatever reason, this gorgeous hunk wantedher. She couldn’t begin to figure out why. But she decided at that moment that if he wanted her that badly and asked her up to his room, she would go.

The decision washed over her and allowed her to relax. Her smile came easier. She wouldn’t pretend she wasn’t interested. Because she was too aware of him and her body’s response to his nearness. She was primed and ready. When would she ever have another opportunity with such a gorgeous hunk of man meat?

She leaned in and whispered, “Because I enjoy being dominated in the bedroom. And through my writing, I’ve unearthed my fantasies and put them on paper.”

She retreated slightly.

Lust shrouded Jake’s features. He stared at her mouth with such rabid hunger she quivered low in her belly. “And how many of those fantasies have you acted out?”

“A few,” she admitted, but it was only because of her membership atThe Eros Pit. “But I’ve written twenty-four books, and each one has at least five love scenes that are all different.”

His gaze hooded further. His voice deepened, turned gravelly with desire. “You have a lot of fantasies to work through.”

Air shuddered from her lungs. “Yes. I do.”

“Tell me one.”

She glanced around the bar, worried someone might overhear. But everyone was lost in their own worlds.

“No one’s paying attention to us. Tell me.”

The demand skittered along her spine. He might not be a typical dominant from her club, but he was all alpha. And the submissive inside her recognized his inherent command.

She licked her lips. “I have this one where my partner is eating me out, edging me, until I’m writhing and begging him to fuck me. Then, and only then, he not only fucks me, but uses me for his pleasure like I’m his toy.”

“Fuck, sugar. Come with me.”

“Where?” She swallowed, even though she knew. Her panties were soaked. Desire swirled in a cacophony. And her ovaries cheered like they were at a rave.

“My room.” He stood and tossed a few bills on the bar, more than enough to cover both of their drinks. Then he held out his hand.

4

This wasn’t something Willa typically did—engage in a one-night stand. She was a wallflower, even atThe Eros Pit. She preferred eschewing the limelight. It was why she loved writing, or one of the reasons, because she didn’t have the spotlight turned her way.

When would she ever have another chance to be loved by a man like Jake? He was clearly aroused by her admission. She wrote her fantasies out in fictional stories for the world to read. And she hid behind them as fiction. But the reality was, she pulled the deepest, darkest parts of herself out for the world to see.

Willa knew without a doubt she would never get another opportunity like this. Because stuff like this just didn’t happen for her.

She might regret it. But the carnal heat in Jake’s eyes was enough to set her clothes on fire. She’d bet a night in his arms would be worthy of remembrance. One where she could live out her fantasies with someone with whom she felt an intrinsic connection.

And it’s why she slid her hand into his much larger one, the palm rough and calloused but so strong it left her weak-kneed.

Carnal victory illuminated his ravenous visage. Jake’s expression broadcast that he planned to eat her up one sinful bite at a time and she would thank him for it when he finished.

A one-night stand hadn’t been in the ballpark of her agenda for the weekend conference. But she was here for it.

Her entire body throbbed in exquisite anticipation. He might not be a Dom fromThe Eros Pit. But she’d never been this attracted or felt a man’s magnetic presence quite like she did Jake’s.

Intense desire rode her body. And he’d barely touched her. Would she survive a night with him? Or would she spontaneously combust from the intensity of desire?

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