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“No.” He smiled. “I’m saying I’ve never received flowers from a man, either.”
She laughed. “Looks like I just put my foot in my mouth. Well played, big guy.”
He stepped toward her. “By the way, just because I haven’t had a one-nighter yet doesn’t mean I’m a romantic.” He was practical if anything. And the way this woman was looking at him, like a treat she was ready to sample, he couldn’t bring himself to care about responsibility, manners, or anything but the desire to feel her skin against his.
Maybe it was time to give in to the devil sitting on his shoulder…and the devilishly sexy woman before him.
Whitney had never been so turned on in her life. She didn’t miss the way his gray eyes lit up like molten steel when he said he hadn’t experienced a one-night stand yet. It had her body zinging with anticipation.
She was game for one night with this man, but he was playing by rules she didn’t know, because while Ryder was clearly all things alpha, he was also a gentleman. But there was a buried darkness that she was dying see. Maybe he needed one more nudge to get that calm demeanor of his to break.
Time to initiate Social Engineering 101: talk in a way that gains an advantage and gives you what you want. Right now, she wanted to tap into Ryder, in more ways than one.
“Maybe we should take baby steps,” she said, taunting him just enough to get that silver spark in his eyes to glint. “I wouldn’t want to frighten you with my wild ways.”
He raised a brow. “Me? Frightened of you?”
She shrugged, but the way his body moved made the hairs on her neck perk up and pay attention. He stalked behind her and stood tall so that she was caught in his shadow. His hands moved ever so slightly as if he could snatch her in a single second and do what he wanted with her.
And she’d let him. Because the raw power that dripped from him was engulfing. So that was what it took to bring out his wild side—a challenge he couldn’t refuse. And boy, now she had to wonder if she’d gotten more than she’d asked for. He exuded a dominating presence that refused to be ignored.
“You looking to taunt me, little girl?”
“Just looking to learn you.”
That made him stop. Shit, had she said the wrong thing? This was only for a single night. But she wasn’t going to bore him with her plans for the summer—make some money so she could move on to the next place. This guy wasn’t even from around there. Looking to “learn him” had been a poor choice of words for a man she would never see again. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to back down from her statement. She only had tonight with him, but she planned to learn everything she could about how to give him pleasure.
“What is it you think you’ve learned so far?” he asked.
“You’re polite, but I think you have a wild streak just like I do.” She tapped her chin, revving up that alpha instinct he was keeping a tight hold of.
Push just a bit more.
“I wonder…” she said. “Do you ever get to act on that wildness?”
“What makes you think I don’t?”
“You’ve never even gone skinny-dipping.”
“Maybe because I’ve never gotten the lady out of my bed long enough to make it to the lake.”
That got her attention real quick. He was good. Very, very good. And while she was certain he was also a nice guy, it was becoming clear there was an intensity to him that he rarely, if ever, got to explore. And she wanted to tap into that wicked darkness he was caging up.
Push…just…a…bit…more…
“I’ve never had sex with a cowboy in his truck,” she said.
He unleashed the sexiest grin God had ever gifted a man, and he took one more step until he was toe-to-toe with her.
His breath hit her lips when he said, “Like I said, sweetness, I’m no cowboy. But I do have a truck.”
Done!
She was about ready to scream the word and rip his clothes off. Instead, she finished her drink and tried to keep her body from buzzing out of control. Calm and seductive. Maybe even a bit coy. That wasn’t exactly her game—she preferred being direct—but if that was what Ryder needed, she was all too willing. She was game for anything and refused to cower behind inhibitions. Just looking at Ryder had her thinking that the few interactions she’d had with boys in the past were nothing compared to the man that stood before her.
She finished her drink and set it on the edge of the pool table. His eyes were locked on her, silent and waiting. He didn’t have to pretend at control, he owned it. That much was clear from the stillness in his frame and the confidence in his stance.
There was a back door out of the billiard room. She slipped her hand into his large one and tugged him to follow her. He did, and right when they hit the small hallway, his grip tightened and he spun her around to face him.
