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Alcohol was needed. All the alcohol. Lucky for me, my sister was a cheese ball and had an entire list for me to work my way down.
Mark reached up, his finger swiping at the corner of my mouth. “You have a bit of chocolate, just here.” He brought that finger into his mouth and sucked, his eyes on mine.
Mine were on his lips, wrapped around his finger. They were so full, the bottom one slightly fuller than the top, and I suddenly wanted to bite it. It was not a new thought; I’d imagined doing so a few times. He was an attractive man, I’d be blind not to have noticed, but the urge had never been that strong.
I leaned in, speaking softly so the other guests wouldn’t hear. “I told you to act like you would on a first date. Do you really lick chocolate off your dates from day one?”
While eye fucking them?I added on in my head.
“I would if I wanted to fuck them,” he said. His expression was teasing, but the heat and intensity in his gaze had my mouth going dry.
Acting unaffected, I raised an eyebrow at him and took a drink to buy a moment to respond, but he continued.
“You told me to pretend you were someone I liked well enough but knew the relationship had an expiration date,” he explained. “If I’m given one opportunity to sleep with a woman, I’m letting her know I’m interested.”
I took another gulp of my drink, finishing it, and waved at Beth with a pleading expression, asking for another.
“Okay. Your first dates are significantly different than mine. I hadn’t meant you needed to be so…” I hesitated. “The guys that take me out aren’t so…They don’t act so…”
“So…?” He chuckled, and it set the butterflies off in my stomach like it always did, teasing a smile out of me despite my discomfort.
“You're just touching me a lot, and you kissed me.”
“Your dates don’t kiss or touch you? No wonder you don’t like to go out. You’re clearly dating the wrong men.”
“You know what I mean! I asked you to be my date, not act like you want to fuck me.”
“You told me to convince Emory we had sex.”
“Yes, if she asked,” I hissed. “She was asking me all kinds of questions and feeling guilty for leaving me ‘all alone’ in Philly. I just want her to think we’re having fun together so she’ll back off. Don’t need the whole wedding thinking you’re imagining me naked.”
“Well,” he leaned in, placing his mouth close to my ear, his sandalwood scent coming with him. “If I’d seen you naked, there’s no doubt I’d want to see it again.”
I laughed that off, but there was no convincing my vagina that he wasn’t being serious. The warmth of his breath on my neck and bare shoulder sent goosebumps down my spine, and my core pulsed at the words.
“You know what I mean. You don’t need to pretend quite so hard. We don’t need to bethatconvincing.”
I needed to work with the man without thinking about the smolder. Or sleep without dreaming of it. I’d had way too many dreams about him when he was normal Mark. I didn’t need to add this version to my collection.
He eyed me as he took a drink, his thick lips wrapping around the rim. When he pulled the glass away, his tongue peeked out to clean away the liquor and my mouth dried up.
A bright pink drink appeared on the bar top. I nodded my thanks and took a healthy pull from the straw as I scanned the reception hall.
Guests had finished dinner and started dancing. The lights had dimmed. Candles and miniature red and white LED lights spread throughout the rustic ballroom provided a classy but fun Valentine’s Day ambiance. Couples huddled together on the dance floor, swaying and soaking in the love.
Barf. The initial high wasn’t worth the pain.
But dancing I could do. And do well.
“I’m dancing,” I said, standing.
I teetered, the alcohol not liking my four-inch heels, and fell into Mark. My hands braced on his shoulders and my chest pressed against his. I moved to step back, but his hands had reflexively gone to my waist to steady me, and I found myself held against him.
The position put us at eye level, and I stared, wide-eyed.
He stared back, his eyes dark, neither of us moving for a moment.
“You smell good,” I said without intention, my brain fuzzy from the alcohol and his masculine scent.
