"So you seduced a married man? I guess you're not as sweet as you look in that sexy white lace." Owen winked at her.
"Well, no. I didn't realize he was married at the time. And for the record, he seduced me."
"Perhaps he could offer me a few pointers."
"You're doing fine so far." He smiled again, and her heart flopped down into the pit of her stomach.
"Would you like a drink?"
She was a tad overheated but said, "I think I'd better keep my wits about me."
"Now where's the fun in that?"
"I'm not going to send you away if that's what you're worried about. I came here to get laid, just like everyone else."
His eyes widened, and he laughed. "I guess that is why everyone is here, and everyone knows that's why we're all here, but we don't really discuss it. It's more fun to pretend there's a challenge."
She felt like a fool because she didn't know the rules. Didn't know the rules because she'd never played the game. "Oh. I didn't mean to offend you."
"I'm not offended. Just a little surprised by your straightforwardness."
"Why?" No one she knew was surprised by it, but then she wasn't exactly dressed for her usual role as CEO and head engineer of Starpower Industries. There she was unequivocally confident and master of her domain. Here she was nervous, out of place, and utterly attracted to this guy. Maybe he didn't like strong women? She hoped she didn't intimidate him. Perhaps she should pretend to be meek, timid, and afraid, because she was feeling all those things at the moment and it rattled her to her core.
Owen stared at her for a long moment and just when she thought he was going to get up and leave her, he said, "Would you like to meet my friend Kellen? He's over in the corner booth waiting for me."
Caitlyn looked in the direction Owen indicated with a nod of his head. She could see silky black hair on the crown of Kellen's head, but the rest of him was concealed by the high-backed booths. Caitlyn immediately realized what this was about. The good-looking one, Owen, captured unsuspecting women for his homely friend Kellen. It explained perfectly why he was coming on to her in the first place. Wouldn't they be surprised when she turned the tables on them and rejected them both? She didn't like to be taken for a fool.
"Sure."
Owen rose from his seat, and she couldn't help but notice the hard cut of his body and how his perfectly pressed shirt clung to his shoulders and chest. How it tapered down to be tucked into a pair of well-made slacks that accentuated his narrow hips. A leather belt drew her attention to his trim waist. She'd seen pictures of guys built like this, but wasn't sure if she'd ever encountered one in real life. It took her a moment to realize he was holding his hand out in her direction. She slid her palm into his, finding it warm, strong and, apart from the calluses on his fingertips, smooth. She couldn't help but wonder what those fingers would feel like against her skin.
She slipped from her chair and stood on the spindly high heels she'd purchased at the club's basement shop. They were white patent leather and made her pretty white negligée seem a little less innocent. She'd chosen the piece of lace lingerie because they wouldn't let her in the club wearing her tweed and denim and it was the least trashy of the items they offered. Plus, the short teddy came with a thigh-length gauzy robe which, though transparent, gave her the illusion that she wasn't showing so much bare skin to strangers. She wondered why the one man she wanted to see naked had been allowed to bypass the no-street-clothes rule. Owen was dressed all in black, except he was barefoot. Every other person in the room was at least partially undressed, and a few were entirely naked.
Clutching her transparent robe at the waist, she took a hesitant step. While she didn't wear heels in the lab, she wore them in the boardroom, but she'd never worn a pair four inches high until tonight. She was so busy concentrating on not breaking her neck that she didn't realize Owen had stopped until his hand touched her arm. She froze in midstep and looked at him in question. What had she done wrong this time? She was so not used to this scene.
Owen's eyes raked down her body. "Mmm. You must realize I asked you to stand so I could get a better look at you," he said.
Anywhere else in the world, she'd have been pissed by his blatant come-on and told him to go fuck himself, but here, she was expecting it. In a strange way, hoping for it. She was going to let this happen tonight. Tonight, but probably never again.
"And?"
"Even better than I'd fantasized. Stunning. Now walk that way so I can check out your ass without you noticing." He winked at her, and she burst out laughing.