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She eyed the deep, low armchairs we sat in, then stood beside Benedict’s without sitting.
“Hey there, Plucky Piper,” Ibrahim greeted her, his white teeth flashing against his dark brown skin in a broad smile.
“Hey,” she said, the breathless sound of her voice shooting straight to my groin. Yeah, as much of a goner as Ibrahim was, I was right there with him.
Benedict’s eyes softened. “You made it.”
When she bit her lip, I hardened, imagining taking that lip between my teeth and sucking it until she moaned with need.
“You sound surprised.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her as close as he could with the chair’s arm between them.
“I wasn’t sure,” he answered, low and gravelly.
“You look great,” I told her, knowing she’d blush prettily, but gratified all the same when her cheeks turned rosy.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling at me. “What’s for dinner?”
“Lady’s choice,” I said, taking her arm and gently tugging her away from Benedict.
“Steak,” she answered. A woman after my own heart. She wrapped her fingers around my elbow and I tried to ignore the sparks lighting up everywhere she brushed against me. Her free hand strayed to her hip and tugged the skirt down.
“Don’t,” I murmured.
Piper gazed up at me through long lashes. “I get the feeling you’d enjoy it if the entire hotel lobby got a view of my panties.”
I grinned. She had my number. “I would. But I was going to say that you look absolutely stunning. The skirt isn’t riding up. Just enjoy knowing you’ve got every man in the lobby salivating over your legs, and stop fiddling with it.”
Her breath caught, and then she slowly, deliberately, drew my arm around her waist. She set her left hand on top of mine where it lay on my hip. “Okay,” she said, her voice light and breathy. “Okay.”
I struggled to keep my eyes on her face and not dip to gaze at the undersides of her breasts bared by her strappy top.
She grinned as we walked into the hotel restaurant. “It’s okay, James. I know what I’m wearing.”
“Oh, thank God.” I stopped at the entrance of the restaurant, turned her toward me, and checked her out from top to bottom, not missing the way her nipples pebbled under the stretchy material of her shirt. They were begging for my lips to close around them, and I didn’t know how I was going to make it through this meal without having her for dinner.
“You’re fucking gorgeous, Piper. I’m thrilled you’re coming to dinner with us.” I leaned toward her to whisper in her ear, “And you should have seen the looks on Ibrahim’s and Benedict’s faces, staring at that perfect ass as they followed us from the bar.”
Her eyes flew to mine and once again she flushed that adorable shade of pink. “James,” she said, her voice scandalized.
“I thought you should know how sexy you are,” I continued, running my lips over the curve of her ear. She shuddered against me.
Benedict brushed past us and asked for a table for four. Spoilsport. It was an open kitchen concept, big, but Benedict requested a table in an alcove, half hidden from the rest of the diners.
Piper frowned. “We won’t be able to watch the kitchen from here.”
Benedict’s eyes snapped to hers, his lips curving up into a dark and hungry smile. “The kitchen isn’t the main show tonight, sweet woman.”
Piper’s eyes widened to small saucers, dominating her heart-shaped face. She didn’t know what to do with us. Silently, she took the seat he indicated, smoothing that short skirt over her hips and bottom as she sat. Her position hid her from most of the restaurant. The hotel was practically empty two days before Christmas, save for a few other stragglers no doubt stuck here just like we were.
I took the seat beside her, sandwiching her between Benedict and I. Our knees knocked together underneath the long tablecloth. Possibilities began turning in my mind as I gained a new appreciation for Benedict’s discretion and the hidden location of our table.
“May I see the wine list?” Piper asked. The waiter looked at Benedict for confirmation. Piper’s face tightened.
Benedict just raised an eyebrow. When the waiter didn’t hop to it, he snapped, “She asked for the wine list.”
Piper gestured to the way she dressed, her laugh bitter. “I don’t look like someone who knows their wine, I guess.”
