Page 26 of Not Your Average Vixen
Hell yes!
His inner caveman was prepared to throw her over his shoulder and sprint up the twenty flights of stairs to his penthouse suite. But he knew better. He nodded to the waiter, and the man stepped aside as he helped his petite vixen out of the booth. Hand in hand, he led her through the crowded restaurant and over to a bank of elevators.
“My room,” he said, and it wasn’t a question.
“What if I offeredmy room?” she countered, arching an eyebrow.
Two could play at this.
“What floor are you on?” he continued, biting back a grin.
She lifted her chin—a proud little thing. It made him want her even more.
“Five,” she shot back, unflinching.
He allowed the corners of his mouth to tip into the hint of a self-assured smile. “I think you’ll like my room better.”
Janine knew his tastes and hadn’t disappointed him in her choice of rooms. When he’d arrived, he’d been pleasantly surprised. There was no doubt that he’d be bringing back a conquest with him. That was without question. But now, he wanted her to see it.
“You seem pretty sure of yourself?” she parried back.
He held her gaze, which now, in the light, revealed not only a deep hue of brown but more of a rich mahogany.
God, help him. A man could get lost in those eyes if he weren’t careful.
He took a step toward her. “I’m sure about this.”
The banter between them, this spark that ricocheted back and forth, sent his pulse racing. He didn’t have fun with women. He slept with them. He partied with them, but he didn’t talk to them—not like this. What was the point? He didn’t want anything more.
Not only that.
He wasn’t capable of anything more. The vice that had gripped his heart since he was a boy tightened, but he ignored the yearning. Tonight, he didn’t have to worry about Bridget wanting more. She would play her game, and he would play his.
What were the chances their paths would cross again? He was headed to some bullshit tiny mountain town that barely showed up on the map.
The elevator doors opened, and they entered the snug space.
He removed his hotel key card from his pocket, then swiped it through the card reader, triggering the button for the top floor to illuminate.
“What’ll it be? Boring on five, or what I have to offer on twenty?” he asked, aching for their witty repartee to continue.
The best kind of trouble glittered in her eyes as she reached over and trailed her index finger along the column of buttons.
“Hmm, whatever will I pick?” she mused playfully.
He stared at her hand and took in her slender fingers. His cheek tingled where she’d stroked him, moments ago, as if she’d already worked her way into his muscle memory.
“We’re headed to the top,” she said, then pressed the button with that naughty glint dancing in her eyes.
But he didn’t take the bait.
“Now we have more time,” he remarked, feigning indifference.
Her brows drew together. “More time for what?”
“For this,” he growled, pressing her against the elevator doors as they began their ascent to the twentieth floor.
She gasped, surprised by the quick movement, which gave him the perfect opportunity to claim her mouth in a scorching kiss. On the brink of losing all restraint, he devoured its softness, reveling in the sensation. Bridget dropped her purse onto the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed into his mouth. The sensual sound sent a rush of urgency surging through his body.
