Читать книгу One Night With A Seal - Tawny Weber - Страница 14

4

“WHAT THE HELL?” Vivian cursed, yanking herself free from the jerk that’d rammed into her.

One arm pinwheeled as she tried to keep her balance, the other clutching the box of her latest creations close to her chest. For one second, she thought she had a chance as the stiletto heel of her sandal found cement.

But she was no match for gravity.

She hit the ground.

The box hit the air.

It rained chocolate. Freshly molded confections flew high in the air before gravity brought them down, too. Squealing, Vivian threw out her hands, trying to catch as many as she could from her prone position.

“Don’t let them—” she huffed “—hit the ground.”

Groaning as they did just that, Vivian dropped three pieces she’d rescued into her lap, then shoved at the hair curtaining her face. The better to glare as she cursed the man who’d knocked her on her ass.

That was when she got a good look at him.

Oh.

Vivian’s breath caught in her chest. She was pretty sure there was some surprise mixed in there, but mostly what was running through her system was pure lust.

“Zane? Zane Bennett?”

“Damn, sorry about that.”

He didn’t sound sorry, though.

He didn’t look it, either.

He looked sexy. So, so sexy.

Those dark eyes, the chiseled jaw and, oh, baby, that bad-boy smile of his. It was enough to melt what was left of Vivian’s chocolate.

“Hi,” she breathed as he helped her to her feet. Realizing she sounded—and probably looked—like a wide-eyed groupie, she cleared her throat and found her pride. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Do we know each other?” he asked, his eyes narrowed as if he were trying to remember where from. Vivian bit her lip instead of answering. She didn’t want him seeing her as Mike’s little sister. Something about that designation had always seemed to make her invisible in the past.

And invisible was the last thing she wanted to be around Zane.

So she took a deep breath, thrust out her breasts and offered her sexiest smile.

“We’ve never actually been introduced,” she said truthfully. “But everyone in town knows who the Bennett brothers are.”

“Is that so?” he murmured, his voice dropping one sexy decibel.

“That’s so.” Vivian cocked her hip to one side and lifted one hand to tick them off, one by one. “The Bennett brothers facts. Twins. SEALs. Football heroes reputed to have scored even more off the field than on.”

His grin widened.

“The Bennett brothers can never refuse a dare, never back down from a challenge. Xander holds the Little Creek RBI record, but you, Zane, won three pink slips racing your Chevelle on Old Marsh Road. Nobody has ever broken your doughnut-eating record, but one of this year’s graduates got within touching distance of taking Xander’s role as chug-a-lug champ.”

“As always, our reputation precedes us.” His laugh faded into a wince as he looked at the mess at their feet. “I’ve got to say, this is the first time I’ve plowed into a gorgeous woman so hard that she lost her...” He glanced down again with a frown. “Is that candy?”

Sexy-lingerie bridal shower candy, as a matter of fact.

At her silence, he knelt down to help her gather her ruined chocolate. After scooping up a few, he glanced at them and laughed.

“Is this a bikini top?”

Actually, it was a bra. It went with a thong. Vivian bit her lip to keep from blurting that out.

“Sure,” she said, since bikini was easier to explain than lingerie to a gorgeous man who made her breathless with need. Vivian scooped fast, snagging tiny chocolate nighties, baby dolls and corsets. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Zane to see her undies, but maybe not here on the street.

“I had no idea Little Creek Bakery was quite so imaginative,” he said, grabbing another piece, lifting it high to see the details in the streetlights. “Whoa, is this a garter belt?”

Hoping the cloak of night hid her embarrassment, Vivian wet her lips and fought the urge to grab the candy out of his hands.

“How many styles have you got here?” he wondered, bending down to scoop up another handful. Instead of tossing them into the box like she was, though, he took time to inspect every one of them. “I’m impressed. There might be some here I didn’t know existed until now.”

Yeah, right. She was willing to bet that Zane Bennett knew just about everything there was to know about women’s sex wear.

“If rumors are anything to go by, though, you have plenty of personal experience to call on. Maybe I should ask you for advice for my next batch?”

“Sweetheart, I wrote the book,” he teased. “You want suggestions, I’m your man.”

Vivian was proud of herself. Her breath only shuddered a little and she managed to keep her moan of delight in her head.

“So what’s the deal?” He lifted another piece of candy, this one a little bigger than the others, and frowned. “A chocolate homage to Victoria’s Secret?”

“They’re an experiment,” she explained. “Um, there’s this bridal shower and after making the cake, I had this idea for party favors.”

“And I ruined them,” he realized, not looking the least bit sorry. “Guess you’ll have to make another batch. You want help?”

Oh.

Vivian’s mind went blank. Mouth dry and heart racing, she could only stare. She wanted to think there was a double entendre in that offer, but the dim light wasn’t enough to judge his expression.

“Do you have any experience?” She waited a beat, long enough for his eyes to meet hers. The look in those dark depths made her want to squirm. Oh, yeah. He had plenty of experience. She took another moment to steady herself before adding, “With making chocolate?”

“Making...chocolate?” He smiled suggestively. “What do you think?”

Oh, God.

She tried to come up with a witty comeback. Or, hell, she’d settle for a lame one if she could just get the words out of her mouth. But how was she supposed to think with all this lust pounding through her system?

“Chocolate is tricky to work with,” she babbled. “It’s better to do favors like these at night when it’s cooler.”

And when the bakery was empty.

“A lot of things are better made at night,” he murmured.

He was flirting with her.

Vivian wondered if it was bad form to do a butt-wiggling victory dance in the alley this late while surrounded by chocolate lingerie.

“You’re melting.”

“What?”

How’d he know? Before she could figure it out, Zane angled the hand he captured up so the streetlight shone on it. Her heart pounding at the feel of his fingers on hers, Vivian caught a glance of the streak of chocolate.

“Um, yeah. It’s warm,” she started to say.

Then he shifted her hand to his lips.

And sucked on her finger.

“Delicious.”

Desire, hot and needy, coiled tight in her belly, making Vivian want to moan.

“Oh. My. God.”

She didn’t know she’d spoke the chant out loud until a wicked smile flashed over Zane’s face. Not sure if she should be embarrassed or grateful for the invitation in that smile, Vivian reluctantly pulled her fingers away from those tempting lips.

“Do you live nearby?”

Oh, yeah.

Her arm was in the air, ready to point toward the stairs that led to her apartment over the bakery. Inside her apartment was a bed. A big, comfy, private bed.

But something made her freeze midgesture.

Dozens of stories ran through her head. Stories about Zane Bennett and his legendary skill with women. The only thing more legendary was his inability to refuse a challenge.

Ding.

Vivian lowered her hand, letting it rest on his shoulder, her fingers tracing little circles on the back of his neck to buy time as her mind raced.

She took a step closer, so their bodies nearly brushed, but not quite. Then she gave him her sexiest smile. She sighed, deep, so her breasts skimmed over his chest. And watched his eyes blur.

Good, she thought as she stepped back enough to let him miss the contact. She had his attention.

“I have some damage control to do here,” she said, lifting the box of ruined chocolates and giving it a shake. “Why don’t we meet somewhere tomorrow?”

“Somewhere?” he repeated, his eyes boring into hers as if he could see all the way to the depths of her soul where her secrets were hidden. “Where did you have in mind?”

Oh, so many possibilities came to mind.

A hotel. A motel. Hot Tub Heaven. A mattress store. The back room of the bakery, where there was an ample supply of chocolate to pour over his body, then lick off.

“Drinks,” she said, shoving the words out fast before any of those other ideas could escape. “We could get a drink.”

“A drink sounds good.” She had to give him credit. He didn’t look upset about being put off. “Does Carvellos still have great appetizers?”

She’d figured on meeting at the pub, with her thoughts on easy access to her apartment. Vivian’s breath caught, delight pouring through her. With its moody lighting, private booths and piano bar, Carvellos was the go-to spot for romantic dates.

And he wanted to take her there.

Oh, my.

“They still have an amazing appetizer menu,” she said, blaming the giddiness in her voice on the fact that he wanted to romance her. Romance. Her. That was worthy of another “oh, my.”

Vivian bit her lip, her gaze shifting toward the stairs and her apartment. No, she scolded herself. Stick with the plan. She wanted his attention for more than one night. Now she had it, along with an invitation for drinks at the swankiest spot in town. “Is six okay?”

“Perfect.” His smile was like a magnet, pulling her closer. Vivian didn’t object when he reached out to slide one hand over her hair, his fingers tangling in the strands as he cupped the back of her neck.

Staring into her eyes with that hypnotic gaze of his, Zane slowly lowered his head until his mouth was a breath away from hers. Vivian was sure her heart stopped. She was pretty sure the world stopped. She tried to tell herself to keep her expectations somewhere in the realm of realistic. Just because she’d spent years dreaming about Zane’s kissing prowess didn’t mean it’d be like she’d imagined.

Then his lips slid over hers.

A soft, gentle glide just a hint stronger than a whisper.

Her breath released in a slow shudder as she sank into the sweetness of it. Almost as sweet as her Bavarian cream. She started to relax, some of that tense anticipation drifting away as he shifted angles. Just the tiniest shift.

His tongue caressed her bottom lip. So, so sweet.

Then he nipped, a scrape of teeth over the full softness of her mouth. Desire shot, sharp and hot, through Vivian’s belly, sparking a desperate need.

She gasped.

His tongue plunged.

It swept over hers, coiled and danced. Vivian melted. She straight-up melted into a puddle of desire as he took the kiss from hot to incendiary with his magic tongue. She might have kissed him back; she wasn’t sure. Everything became a tangled blur of desire, edgy need pounding through her body, settling deep in her belly. Her breasts swelled, nipples beaded with passion.

Vivian had never felt so much.

The kiss might have lasted a minute. It might have lasted forever. All she knew was that she didn’t want it to end.

But apparently Zane didn’t hear that silent plea, because he pulled away. Slowly, he eased back. One last press of his lips against hers and he lifted his head.

Feeling as if her lashes weighed a ton, Vivian had to force her eyelids open. It took longer to swallow the knot blocking her airway and breathe.

Zane’s expression was intense. He stared for a long moment, first into her eyes, making her want to squirm. Then his gaze shifted to her mouth. His eyes darkened; his head shifted just a little. Vivian held her breath, wondering if he’d kiss her again. Then his eyes met hers again.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, his hand releasing her neck, leaving her feeling cold without the pressure. He stepped back, watching.

Waiting.

For what? she wondered. Until he realized he was being a gentleman. He was waiting for her to go wherever she was going, to make sure she was safe.

She couldn’t go upstairs to her apartment. Mike might have mentioned that his little sister lived above the bakery. Besides, knowing he realized where she lived might be too much temptation. What if he walked her to her door? There was no way she’d be able to resist yanking him inside with her.

So she dug her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the bakery door. Nothing to resist here, since no amount of sizzle could inspire her to do him in the same place that Mrs. Enid indulged in her daily cruller. A girl had to have some standards, after all.

As she pushed the door open, Vivian looked over her shoulder. Zane stood at the edge of the sidewalk, both hands in his pockets as he rocked back on the heels of his motorcycle boots. He wore a hint of a smile on his face and his eyes were hot with appreciation as he stared at her butt. Finally, his grin widening, he met her eyes.

“Tomorrow,” he said again, giving her a jaunty salute by tapping two fingers to his brow.

“Tomorrow,” she echoed, hesitating before she stepped through the door. He waited, she noticed, until she’d turned the lock behind her before he headed for the alley. He must be staying with Lenny, Vivian realized with a groan. She had to force herself not to chase after him.

As soon as he was out of sight, she dropped into one of the padded ice cream chairs, letting her box of ruined chocolates fall onto the table with a thunk—quickly followed by her head.

What had she done?

She’d had a chance to have hot, wild, rock-the-walls-and-make-the-roof-shake sex with Zane Bennett.

Something she’d been dreaming about since she was seventeen. She’d heard plenty of stories. Oh, not like Mike came home boasting about the Bennett brothers’ sexual exploits. But there’d been plenty of things she’d overheard him and his little circle of friends say, usually in tones of awe. And the women in town were more than vocal in singing their odes of delight to the wonder that was Zane’s sexual talents. They probably sang about Xander, too, but Vivian’s focus had always been on Zane.

So she knew that he was a man who loved a challenge. One who thrived on a dare. Which gave her an easy option if he balked at getting naked. The only downside to the dare option was as soon as he stepped up to the challenge, he was done.

She’d seen it plenty of times.

Guys loved the chase. But the minute they scored, they were off to the next challenge.

But Vivian wasn’t sure she wanted to settle for only one single round with Zane. Oh, she wasn’t thinking she wanted forever—who could make that kind of decision before sex and a playlist comparison? But she knew she wanted more than one time.

And the only way she’d get more than one was to keep Zane interested.

Intrigued.

Challenged.

Vivian gave the box of chocolates a little shake as she headed for the kitchen.

Oh, yeah. This was going to be fun.