Secrets (24 page)

“Are you okay?”

The deep sexy-as-sin voice shot straight to
her core. Damn. Now visions of tangled sheets and long nights ran
through her mind with the voice. And she hadn't even seen the body
it came from. Sitting straight in her chair, she eyed him while she
rubbed the side of her face.
Damn, he's fine
.

“I'll live.”

“Can I get you another drink?” The dark eyes
pinned her to her chair. A flutter of interest rose in her
breast.

She nodded, her pussy tingled at his look of
interest.

“What're you drinking?” He smiled. And
Veronique defense attorney extraordinaire, swore the sun came from
behind a dark cloud since her world seemed brighter. Sappy, but
true.

“Oh, a glass of Zinfandel will be fine.” Any
buzz she'd had earlier evaporated under the heavy dose of lust
that'd swamped her. Although he wore jeans, his shirt was
professional grade. Could he be in the gray area? A professional
with blue-collar tendencies. Hmmm, watching him weave through the
crowd, she marveled at his size. Tall, broad shoulders, dark hair
and eyes. All around nice package. Her lips puckered and smacked
wanting a taste.

God, please let him have a halfway decent
conversation. No matter how hot and horny he made her, she'd long
past the stage where she screwed dumb men. Even brief flings had to
bring more than solid meat to the table. Placing her shoes into her
large Coach bag, she watched him maneuver the crowd holding her
wine and a beer.

He handed her the glass as she sat next to
her. “Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm Veronique by the way.” She
looked at him from beneath her lids as she took a sip of the cool
liquid.

“I'm Frank. Your name's different. Are you
from Philly?” He took a pull from his bottle. The weight of his
gaze warmed her.

“No, I'm here for a conference. Two more
days to go.” She gazed at his dark eyes, the heat singed her core.
His eyes blazed as he watched her lips on the glass.
Yep, he was
he interested
. “Is this home for you?”

“I live an hour away, had some business in
town and came in here to unwind before heading out.” He looked at
her and winked. “Glad I did.”

Me too.
“How about that? I was on my
way out when you bumped into me. Must be kismet, huh?” She smiled
as he placed his bottle on the table, leaning toward her.

“Yeah, kismet works for me. Let me buy you
dinner before you leave. You seem like an interesting person,
Veronique. I'd like to know you better.”

Tingles shot down her spine when he said her
name. “I am.” She stood, picked up her purse.

He followed. “Is there anything you
prefer?”

“Lean meats.” She smirked, her eyes roved
slowly over his muscular frame. Did she say he was fine?
Regardless, his body demanded another bravo for finess.

He placed his hands in his pocket and walked
behind her. “Lean meats? Hmmm, lean and juicy, I hope.”

“Juicy works. Nobody likes dry meat.” She
stopped and looked around the hotel lobby for the name of the
in-house restaurant. Spotting it, she headed in that direction. “We
can eat here.”

“Sounds good. I like lean and juicy myself.”
He grinned. They walked to the entrance and the hostess sat them in
the back after she explained her problem with her shoes.

After they'd been seated, she glanced at him
over her menu. Damn. The man was handsome. Thick, dark shiny hair
touched his collar, a small close-cropped beard, and a nice smile.
He reminded her of Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson combined in a
delicious package. A package she planned to unwrap before the night
was over.

Frank O'Connor slid the bulge in his pants
in search of a comfortable spot. The woman sitting next to him had
his mouth watering, an unusual occurrence for him. Her smooth
chocolate complexion reminded him of his favorite candy, Milky Way.
He couldn't wait to taste every delectable inch of her. Her hair
was pulled up in the back showing her long neck, while curls framed
her face. It seemed like a lot of work to bring attention to a
beautiful face. Large eyes stared at him with a teasing challenge
that ripped into his calm facade.

This woman seemed secure enough to take him
on for the short time she'd be in town. That rocked for him.
Without her shoes, the top of her head reached his nipples. The red
dress accentuated her curves, especially her ass. Nice. High, round
and firm looking, his cock twitched in excitement. Black women's
ages were always harder to gauge. He'd placed her in her
mid-thirties, much younger than his forty-one. Sharp, intelligent
eyes peered from her heart shaped face. A full lower lip, slightly
larger than the upper teased his imagination, he wanted to taste
all of her right now. Patience. What was it about her that drew him
like an infant to a nipple? Sitting across from her, he pretended
to read his menu. He'd have the steak dinner, he'd had it before.
She'd be dessert, he had to convince her to be on the menu.

“Have you eaten here before?”

No, I've never been between your legs,
but I hope to real soon
. “Yes, the steaks and chicken dishes
are pretty good. Can't go wrong with those.” He moved to get
comfortable.

“Thanks. I think I'll have the chicken
picata with a salad.”

He nodded as the waiter placed two glasses
of water and a basket of warm rolls on the table. “We're ready to
order.” The waiter nodded and took out his pad. Frank waved at her
signaling she should go first. He wanted to hear the huskiness of
her voice again. It called to something in him. Made him sit his
big ass down in a bar, when he knew he needed to leave before
nightfall. He'd been in too many late night driving accidents, it
wasn't his favorite thing.

Yet, something dark, primitive unfurled when
he gazed down at her near the floor. His mind drew all sorts of
erotic images. Seeing her so close to his cock in the bar had
sealed her fate for the night, he liked the visual and decided her
lips around his rod was the right thing to do. He hadn't counted on
her being so damn sexy and hungry. Her full lips tilted at the
corners at his stare, letting him know having her in his bed
tonight wouldn't be automatic. He revised his strategy. Now they
sat at dinner and all he could see was his cock between her breast,
in her mouth and then the tight sheath beneath. Conversation,
although a necessity, bore him. Action, the need for it, prompted
him toward civility and the niceties. His twin brothers were
Dominants, and lived an alternative lifestyle. While he didn't want
a slave or submissive twenty-four, seven, he recognized all of the
O'Connor men were dominant to a point.

There was a baseness in them, almost
primitive, that pushed them to conquer. As the oldest, he'd like to
think he was more level headed, more polished, more flexible. Then
there were times like this when all he wanted was to pick this
woman up, sling her over his shoulder and take her to a quiet spot
and fuck the challenge out of her. The need burned in him. The more
she acted as though it didn't matter, as if tonight might not
happen between them, the harder his need pressed to prove her
wrong. Damn. He was in trouble. In the few minutes of their
acquaintance, he knew they'd butt heads.

“Sir?”

Frank heard the waiter over the rushing wind
of his growing need. “I'll have the steak, medium rare – juicy.” He
winked at her. “Veggies, no potato.” He handed the menu to the
waiter, took a sip of water to cool his raging hard on. The pain in
his groin increased. There was no more room in his pants. A quick
glance around the near empty room eased his tension. Fewer eyes to
see his condition. It'd been years since anyone evoked such a
strong reaction from him. For that alone, he owed her a good, solid
fuck.

They sat staring at each other as if they
were in a poker game. Neither moved nor spoke. A loud crash from
their right broke the stare-fest.

“What are your plans for the evening?” he
asked, although anything other than being with him was the wrong
answer.

“I'm going to get some rest; it's been a
long day.” The huskiness of her voice soothed and aroused him.

Although her mouth spoke, his eyes fastened
on the twin pointed peaks on her chest. “Tired?”

“Not really.”

“Good. I'd hate for you to be worn out so
soon.” He smiled as her brow rose.

“So soon? It's been a long day.” Her lips
tilted at the corners letting him know she was game, but he'd have
to work for it.

“Perhaps, but the day wouldn't be complete
without seeing some of Philadelphia's better sights.”

She leaned forward slowly, licking her lips.
His eyes followed the trail of moisture glistening in the dim
light.

“Better sights; is that what they're calling
it these days?” The teasing glint in her eye set off a spark in
him. He liked this one.

“Yeah, you should see Liberty Hall at
night,” he said straight-faced. “There's nothing quite like
it.”

“I have. And you're right, it's ridiculously
beautiful. Oh well, since I've already seen it my night will be
less eventful.” She glanced up as the waiter placed their drinks on
the table.

“Part of the beauty is buried in the guide,
the one that unleashes the untapped depths of our relics. You
haven't seen anything in Philly, if you haven't seen it with me.”
He trapped her with his gaze. Tonight belonged to them, his eyes
dared her to refuse.

Veronique enjoyed the cat and mouse banter
with the hunky stranger. For a moment, she felt young and carefree.
It'd been a while since she'd been so ardently pursued; it did
wonders for her ego. Most of the men of her acquaintance lacked the
hard-core alpha appeal that rolled off her dinner date in waves. No
one she knew would throw out such a challenge.

“You're probably right,” she agreed.

He nodded and visibly relaxed. “I'd like to
spend more time with you tonight.”

Really? I hadn't guessed
. “Are you
married?”

He frowned and held up his hand. “No.”

She waited a beat. “Aren't you going to ask
me?”

He shook his head. “You're not the type to
cheat. I think you'd say fuck it, and walk away.”

Since he was right, she didn't comment.
“Children?”

“Not yet.”

“I'm here for two more days. What do you
think you can show me that I haven't already seen?”

His eyes darkened as they stripped her
naked. Exposed, she battled the panic rising inside. It wasn't fear
that he'd hurt her physically, she wouldn't have accepted his
dinner invite if she'd picked up those vibes. It was his uncanny
ability to pinpoint her need that rattled her. Tonight, she needed
a strong assertive man. Someone confident in himself to chart their
course and give her what she desired. So far he'd hit the ball, the
only thing left was to reach the bases.

“Veronique.” His voice deepened. Her thighs
clenched. “I'm not sure if two days between your legs tasting and
pounding your pussy will satisfy your hunger for this cock I plan
to give you tonight, but it'll be a start.”