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As if I was the only female left on the planet.
Warmth crept up my face just like it had already pooled between my legs. Now I was uncomfortable, not only because I could read his lurid thoughts but because of mine. I’d never had a one-night stand. I’d been tempted once, but my memory of the man paled in comparison to the hunk sitting only two feet away.
“What do you think you’re going to find in the Wild West?”
I hadn’t thought of it that way. “I don’t know. Maybe salvation.”
He laughed, the sound as bitter as anything that had come out of his mouth. As soon as the girl slid the drinks in our direction, he grabbed his glass with gusto, lifting the cheap tumbler several inches. “Let’s have a toast, Sassy. To both of us managing to find salvation.”
I longed to find the right words to ask him about whatever pain he’d gone through, but the subject had been shut down, padlocked, the key tossed into a volcano a long time ago. What was left was a shell of a man who’d managed to lose his identity as well as whatever peace he might have experienced before.
The sizzle dancing across my skin was nothing in comparison to the way it felt when our fingers brushed together, the immediate jolt pushing a slight moan.
He curled his upper lip before taking a sip, savoring the cheap liquid as if it was a fine wine. Everything about him screamed of power. I was taken aback, thrown into the deep end of a pool and I didn’t know how to swim. Our intense attraction to one another had nothing to do with repayment. This was primal, two broken creatures longing for the touch of another.
I had a difficult time breathing, my pulse skipping. Every subtle move he made screamed of sensuality, his body language dominant. Swallowing, I forced myself to look away just as the singer headed to our table.
“Come on, you two. It’s obvious just how much in love you are. I’ll play a special song.” The strange voice grated my nerves instantly.
The crooner beckoned as he backed away, moving forward a second time when we didn’t respond right away. Meanwhile, I also spit out the sip I’d taken. Love? I’d never allow myself to fall in love and Savage was the perfect name for the man sitting in front of me. He would take what he wanted for as long as he hungered. Then he would toss the person away as far too much emotional baggage. And God knew I had plenty of that.
The look Savage gave the singer should have drilled him into the ground. I had to give the poor man some credit, he refused to stop.
“Come on. One dance. I’ll make it special,” he insisted.
“If it’ll shut you the hell up then fine,” Savage snarled as he jerked to his feet. It was almost comical how much taller he was than the crooner. I thought the guy was going to pass out.
Then he had the balls to shift his attention in my direction, winking.
I wasn’t certain what Savage would do, but I certainly didn’t expect him to extend his hand. I’d never been a shy girl, not really, although knots had always formed in my stomach every time I went on a first date. Since I’d gone on a lot of first dates but rarely second ones, I had a heck of a lot of experience in anxiety.
The knot forming in my stomach was the size of a boulder. I counted to three after he gave me a look that splashed warm chocolate over every inch of my body. Then I placed my hand in his. There was no mistaking his need to control every situation. He whisked me onto the floor and directly in front of the crooner’s microphone.
How was I supposed to do this? I gingerly placed my hand on his chest near his arm, immediately forced to take scattered breaths. Why was the chemistry we shared so explosive? Had I suddenly lost my mind and enjoyed being browbeaten by a surly, egotistical jackass? That wasn’t fair. I bit my inner cheek. He’d just covered himself in armor, which is exactly what I’d been forced to do.
The grip on my fingers was firm, but gentle, and as he slid his arm around my waist, pulling me closer, the heat of our bodies was enough to burn down the restaurant. I tried not to look into his eyes, but he was demanding in such a way I couldn’t bear to glance away.
Even as the singer had decided to sing ‘Love Me Tender.’ Of course he would choose that song. We both turned our heads exactly at the same time, glaring at the man hatefully. As with every move Savage made, he slowly returned his gaze and it never left me for the remainder of the song.
Within seconds, he’d pulled me closer, allowing me to slip my arm around his neck. My mouth was dry but everything else was wet and tingly. As I lifted my head, I could swear the man was going to kiss me. When he hesitated, I closed my eyes, trying to remind myself that not only was this supposed to be one dance, it also couldn’t mean anything. I couldn’t risk getting my heart crushed and we’d never see each other again. This wasn’t a match made in heaven.
When one song turned into two, I could no longer breathe. When the second song ended, I was positive he would leave the dancefloor disgusted.
I was wrong.
He continued dancing, which I suspected confused the crooner. Savage’s breathing was as ragged as mine, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I was running out of excuses why I shouldn’t sleep with him. It was for only one night. What could it hurt? We were both consenting adults, the attraction unlike anything I had ever imagined was possible.
As I continued arguing with myself, I was shocked when he gripped my chin between his thumb and forefinger. While there were no illusions as to what this was, there was also no transparency. He could be anybody. But at that moment I didn’t care.
He lowered his head, crushing his mouth over mine. The kiss immediately left me breathless, my heart pounding. No man had ever kissed me with such vigor, his desire burning all around us like a wildfire. I was dragged into a surreal moment where all light and sound vanished. There were no rowdy customers, no annoying Elvis impersonator. Just two people who needed something so desperately they were willing to trust a stranger.
If only for a single night.
The moment of intimacy exploded into a roar of unbridled passion. I clawed as his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair, consumed by his masculine scent. Hunger roared into every cell and vein, turning my world upside down. As he slid his hand down my back, the hold became possessive. No one would dare try to come between us.
He was so dominant in his hold that my brain short circuited as the man branded me with his tongue. Then all the breath left my body as he shifted his hips back and forth. The move wasn’t blatant, just a subtle yet powerful statement about what I could anticipate.
As he parted my lips, his hunger increasing, I clung to him, darting my tongue inside. When he growled, the sound was magnified. My nipples ached to the point I longed for him to suck them, easing their pain. The rush of adrenaline was overwhelming, the electricity shorting like a live wire dancing in the middle of a tropical storm. And the taste of him was sweet and tangy. As he dominated my tongue, I shuddered in his arms, no longer able to feel my legs.
