Inked in the Steel City Series(63)

Imaginary or not, the sensation had him hard as a rock.

“There,” she said when she pulled away a full minute later. “I haven’t been drinking. Well, okay, I drank at a winery this morning, but that was hours ago.”

She was still right up against him, which left the hard rod of his erection stiff against her belly. Her gaze dipped in that direction momentarily, then she met his eyes. “So where does this leave us?” Her lips were swollen from contact with his, and they quirked in a knowing smile – like she knew he couldn’t feign resistance.

“I don’t know, but I like where we are right now.” He rocked his hips just a little, barely able to suppress a moan when his dick slid against her belly. So many layers of clothing between them, and still, the distant friction threatened to kill him with desire. It had been so long, and Karen was like a dream come to life, with her insane curves, swollen lips and pin-up girl red hair…

But she was more than that, too. She was someone he cared about, someone who did not deserve to be dragged down onto a floor that had apparently been violated by the canine star of a recent photo shoot. He pulled away, ignoring the part of him that ached when he lost contact with her body. “If you really want to do this,” he said, meeting her eyes, “we should do this right. Can I take you to dinner?”

Her eyes lit up in a way he’d never seen them do before. “Yes.”

The part of him that knew he wasn’t who she deserved had drowned in her allure, in the reason-crushing hotness of her kiss. And as she slipped one hand into his and grabbed her purse with the other, he couldn’t deny that this was exactly what he wanted.



* * * * *





“Can I interest either of you in one of our new after-dinner drinks?” The waiter gestured toward a small fold-out menu propped on the table. “The sweet blackberry wine is—”

“No thanks,” Jed said without glancing at the menu. “Just coffee. And maybe some dessert?” He glanced in Karen’s direction.

Karen’s heart skipped a beat, as it always did when they made eye contact. “Sure.” Would it always do that, or would she become used to his company, to his attention? Maybe if she really got to know him, her nerves would settle down. Thoughts of exactly how she might go about doing that invaded her mind, vivid and persistent.

As it turned out, neither of them was picky. They settled quickly on the cheesecake.

“I hope you don’t mind that I said no to drinks. Whatever happens – I want it to be because you want it, and I don’t want to have doubts afterward.”

A wave of disbelief crashed down on her. Did he really worry that if she had a glass of wine, she’d have some epic lapse in judgment and end up in some intimate situation she hadn’t really desired? If only he could read her mind… “It’s fine,” she said simply, aware that they were surrounded by dozens of other people. “I’d rather have cheesecake than drinks anyway.”

It was no lie – cheesecake was dessert gold, as far as she was concerned.

He smiled a little at that. “Me too.”

She grinned back. “See? We really are compatible. I don’t know what you were worried about.”

The platter the waiter returned with held the single biggest piece of cheesecake Karen had ever seen. Even shared between a couple, the portions were generous. At first she wondered whether they’d finish it, but her doubts evaporated as soon as the first bite touched her tongue.

The cheesecake was rich and silky, so dense that just one bite felt heavy on the end of her fork. And the sweet-tart strawberry sauce that had been spread across the surface… “Oh my God, this cheesecake is amazing.”

“It’s pretty damn good,” Jed agreed a moment later, and they slipped into a comfortable silence.

After Jed paid the check and they left the restaurant, the sense of decadent pleasure inspired by dessert remained. When he pressed a hand gently to the small of her back, the feeling gained an edge of blistering anticipation.

Was all this really happening? After months of fantasizing, tiptoeing around and generally hoping to hell that something more than conversation would unfold between them…

“Where to?” he asked when they slipped into his car.

Karen looked him in the eye and gave him her best attempt at a seductive smile. It felt more awkward than siren-like, and her cheeks heated, but she held his gaze. “I’m open to suggestions. And I’m not ready to go home.”

The moment of silence that followed was so heavy she could feel it weighing down on her shoulders, her breasts – her entire body. The pressure was teasing and inspired thoughts of what the weight of Jed’s body might feel like against hers.