Читать книгу A Very Merry Temptation: 'Twas the Season / Mistletoe in Memphis / Second-Chance Christmas - Farrah Rochon, Pamela Yaye - Страница 10

Chapter 3

“I made it, chica!” Startled out of her deer-in-the-headlights stare with Max, Nikki nearly jumped out of her skin when Tony spoke directly behind her.

Turning, she was caught up in a hug filled with the mixed scent of True Star and jasmine, Tony’s personal “signature” blend.

Although moments before she’d only had eyes for the man heading her way, the distraction of her friend’s surprise appearance had her grinning ear to ear.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it!” she said, pushing away and smiling up at Tony. She was used to having to look up at most people, but tonight, in the five-inch stilettos she was rocking, she was almost five foot nine, which would have put her closer to Tony’s height of five foot eleven.

If he hadn’t been wearing heels just as high. All in black except for the shiny silver vest and matching wedge-heeled shoes, he was...spectacular.

“Wow, you look great!” Nikki screamed.

“Oh, my God, no, chica, look at you! Hmm, mami, you look beautiful! A perfect ten!” he exclaimed, and Nikki gave him a fierce hug. A compliment like that from Tony was no easy thing, as he considered himself the guru of fashion. Around the office he had Nikki giggling constantly in his role as the self-proclaimed fashion police.

She spun around in a small circle for his full inspection, lightly curtsying and laughing. “So you like?”

Tony tilted his head to the side. A look entered his dark brown eyes, one that immediately told her he suspected something. “Uh-huh...and just who is this for?” he asked.

“This night is all about me,” she said breezily.

Unable to resist, she glanced in the direction Max had been coming from, quelling the disappointment when she saw he had vanished. She barely refrained from slumping her shoulders and pouting like a little kid who couldn’t find her favorite toy.

She quickly turned away, not wanting Tony and his discerning eyes to catch on.

Placing a purposeful smile on her face, she looped her arm thorough his and asked, “Can’t a girl just wanna look good once in a while?”

He tsked at her. “Hmm. I guess. I’ll let it go for now,” he said. That moment, the band began to play a new song, one that was a perfect rendition of a current pop hit.

“Ooh, let’s dance!” he continued, not missing a beat. “I told you this group was good, right?” he said, and before she could agree or disagree, Tony was dragging her onto the dance floor. As he did, she glanced over her shoulder in time to see Max, his gaze locked with hers as a woman she recognized from upper management touched his arm, speaking to him in earnest.

Nikki barely held on to the frustrated sigh. She knew she wasn’t the only one who had her eyes on Max Stele.

* * *

“May I interrupt?”

Breathless from the exertion of dancing to not one but three back-to-back songs, Nikki turned and nearly collided with the hard wall of Max’s chest.

“Oh, my,” she said, her hands touching the granitelike wall of his chest, her fingers sinking into the soft, silk fabric of his shirt.

For the past two hours, between Tony keeping her busy talking—aka gossiping his damn head off—dancing, eating and drinking, and basically having the best time she’d had in years, she had been unable to continue her “mission,” as she thought of it. That was probably a good thing, as after that first encounter Nikki hadn’t been within ten feet of Max.

After the first dance, she’d begged off dancing again and had searched out Max, only to find him again surrounded by a bevy of women. All looking beautiful, all with one look on each of their faces: lust for Max Stele.

Refusing to let that ruin her good time, she’d allowed Tony to drag her onto the dance floor again and even accepted dance invites from some of her colleagues as well as men who’d come to the party as guests.

Occasionally she’d catch glimpses of him in the party throng, but as the night had worn on, folks had gotten bolder and more liquored up and the office party had acquired an all-out club vibe: dancing, singing, drinking...and many, many hookups, she noted.

“And I ain’t mad at ’em...are you, boo?” Tony had asked her at one point when they’d caught several employees acting in a way she knew they’d be embarrassed as hell about come Monday morning.

But it wasn’t Monday morning, and everyone was having a goooood time, she thought, giggling, the free-flowing alcohol and great music agreeing with her as she nodded her head at Tony, cosigning on his statement. Nope. She was definitely not mad at anyone for enjoying the event.

So when she bumped into him, spinning away from her current partner’s arms and smack dab into his, she raised her eyes and her hands seemed to, of their own volition, come up and touch his chest. Her fingers widened, as did her eyes, when she felt the...strength of the hard wall.

Hmm.

The man was fine, she thought. And in the words of her friend, she most definitely wasn’t mad at that fact, she thought, and giggled.

He smiled down at her. Placed a thick finger beneath her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. “Having a good time, baby?” he asked.

Any other time, a man calling her “baby,” particularly one she didn’t know, would immediately turn her off.

But when Max called her that... She kept her eyes on his, unable to look away as she held her breath, feeling a blush warm her face.

“I’ve been watching you all night. Dancing, having a good time.”

“It’s...it’s been wonderful, all of this,” she said, breaking eye contact to glance around.

At that moment, the bandleader grabbed the microphone and announced a small break, and immediately the sounds of a popular, bluesy R & B song filled the ballroom. Couples began to sway together to the music.

She swallowed, unable to look at him.

But he wasn’t allowing her even that. He brought her face back around, locking his gaze with hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her even tighter, more flush against his body as he began to sway them in unison to the music.

The lights had been dimmed even more and although she knew no one could see her expression, she felt as though her lust for this man was on display for all the world to see.

Her lust made her feel vulnerable. Exposed.

“And seeing you having a good time has made me quite excited,” he murmured low, for her ears only.

Her eyes widened and she inhaled a sharp breath.

His shaft pressed hotly, thickly against her stomach while his hand moved up and down her back. She moaned, her eyes closing as she exhaled the long breath she’d been holding.

Damn.

He did this to her and they were both fully clothed. She was on fire for him....

“More,” he whispered, bending his head down so that their foreheads nearly touched.

Startled, her eyes flew open and glanced up at him, their gazes locking.

A soft frown creased her brows. “Excuse me?”

“I want you more.”

She gulped. It was as though he read her mind. There was no way she could hide from him.

She stared up into his beautiful emerald-green eyes, which blazed down at her. Watching her.... She read his need, one that matched her own.

She felt a rash of goose bumps feather down her legs, something that happened whenever she was sexually aroused.

It had been so long since that had happened, she’d forgotten the telling goose bumps appeared without fail when she was...wet.

She clenched her legs together, her core seeming to throb. Inhaling a deep breath, she broke eye contact with him, forcing herself to look away.

This is insane, she thought, her heartbeat racing out of control.

“It’s okay,” he breathed against her ear, again reading her mind. But it was as though he held some sort of key or magic wand, because as soon as he voiced the assuring words, she felt the tension begin to ease from her. When he hugged her tightly, she allowed her body to meld, once again, into his.

As they danced, their bodies moved as one, in perfect harmony, as though they’d practiced for years. They naturally seemed to catch the other’s rhythm with the ease of seasoned pros.

This connection...whatever they had was unlike anything Nikki had ever felt. Maybe it was the wine making her feel this way, she thought. Maybe it was her desire to let loose and enjoy. To enjoy being a woman and all that meant. Maybe it was the fact that he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Or maybe a combination of all of the above.

As she pressed her cheek against his chest, their bodies moving as one to the slow beat of the love song, she didn’t care what it was. She knew one thing and one thing only. She wanted this man to sex her up six ways to Sunday. And she wanted him in the worst kind of way.

A smile kicked up the corner of her mouth.

She moved her head from his chest, suddenly aware, afraid someone was watching, that someone would see what he was doing to her, even though her desire was not overt.

“I want you so damn bad, Nikki Francine Danes. In the worst way.”

And just like that, her desire and lust for him grew exponentially. His seductive pronouncement, whispered in her ear, made her glad she’d worn panties. If she hadn’t, her cream would be running down her legs right about now, she thought. She bit back a groan and restrained herself from grinding her body against his.

“Come with me, Nikki. I have a room in the hotel,” he said, and Nikki watched his sensual lips as they framed the words.

Without thinking, she lifted a finger to trace his mouth.

So sexy. Just like the rest of him.

He smiled. Her eyes were drawn to the sexy little dimple at the corner of his wickedly sensual mouth.

“Come play with me,” he said, and she moaned at the immediate response of her body.

Why not? Why not...play? The thought rushed into her mind. A naughty thought. One that, had she had a little less champagne humming through her veins, she wouldn’t dare to think. Taking him up on his offer would be unlike anything she’d ever done.

She was going to allow a man she didn’t really know to take her to his room and, God willing, have the best sex of her life. She wanted him to spank her ass...and make her like it.

She nodded her head and without a thought to anyone looking, she allowed him to guide her from the dance floor and away from the party.