by JM Stewart
Maddie, God bless her BFF, had cornered her first thing when she’d come into the shop this morning and pelted her with questions. She played devil’s advocate. Any other time, Hannah appreciated Maddie playing the role. Her best friend was a “take no prisoners” kind of person, brave and up front. Where Hannah tended to be shy, Maddie often gave her the kick in the pants she needed. Now, however, it filled her mind with memories she didn’t want to think about. Namely, her “date” with Cade the night before.
Ironically, the book she’d picked up was the second in the erotic series that had drawn her and Cade together in the first place. When the shop first opened, they’d dedicated the place to rare, out-of-print, or hard-to-find used books. The website also brought in a lot of traffic, people looking for specific titles. Last year, however, she and Maddie gave up the fight and decided to start carrying some of the new books coming out. More than a few people had requested this exact series. She’d made a killing off of it by advertising it in the front window. Sex sold. And well.
Maddie turned back to the stack of posters laid out on the counter in front of her. “Dane was a selfish jerk. You’re better off without a man who doesn’t have the balls to end one relationship before starting another. Those guys in college were asshats as well. Boys, the lot of ’em. What you need is a man, sweetie. I’ve told you that.” Maddie plucked the largest poster from the pile and strode around the counter, heading toward the front window display. “So, is he? I take it the scars didn’t bother him if you spent the night with him.”
Hannah’s gaze paused halfway down the page as the memory filled her mind. The fifteen minutes or so Cade had spent paying homage to each of her scars flashed through her mind. Her panties dampened, and a luscious throb began. Hannah squirmed on her stool.
Embarrassed warmth rushed up her neck and into her cheeks. The exact reason she tried not to think about him. The mere thought of him had her looking forward to the next time she’d see him. The way she reacted to him was dangerous at best. He made her heart beat a little faster and anticipation fizzled through her blood like a new drug she couldn’t get enough of.
Maddie glanced back over her shoulder and grinned, her bright red braid falling back off her shoulder. Her best friend had Irish ancestors. Her grandfather, the man who’d raised her, had come over somewhere after World War I. Maddie had the classic look—pale, almost porcelain skin, dotted generously with freckles, gorgeous deep-red hair, and pale blue eyes. Her luxurious mane had always made Hannah jealous. It was thick and soft and even fresh out of bed, she always seemed to look stylishly tousled. Today, it hung in a neat brain down her back, and those shrewd eyes pinned Hannah with a mischievous glint.
“I’ll take that as a no.” Maddie set the poster on the windowsill and moved back toward the counter, reaching for the tape. “I think it was a good move to give in and order these books. They’ve…”
The front door’s digital chime beeped, announcing the entrance of a customer, and Maddie’s words trailed off into nothing. Her best friend’s sudden cease in conversation told Hannah without a doubt someone of the male persuasion had walked through the door.
Maddie confirmed the thought when she kicked Hannah’s shoe again, her voice a hoarse whisper in the space between them. “Dibs.”
Hannah smiled but didn’t look up. Nothing turned Maddie on more than a guy who read. If he had good looks on top of it, the poor guy didn’t stand a chance. Which meant any halfway decent-looking guy who happened upon their little eclectic store got the once-over and a smile to charm the pants off the pope.
She and Maddie had chosen this particular spot for their shop on purpose. They sat almost dead center of the downtown street, a few blocks from Pike Place Market. Next door was a small bakery. The man who owned it had earned a spot on a local television show for “the best chocolate chip cookies on the West Coast.” Two doors down sat a chocolate shop. The woman had garnered a reputation for making the most divine handmade chocolates. Which put their store in a prime location. Tourists often wandered in off the street in their tour of the city.
Like her, Maddie didn’t date. She’d met too many of the wrong kinds of men. It was what had drawn them together in the first place. She’d been lamenting Dane’s constant lack of attention. Unlike her, Maddie had taken a firm vow of celibacy. Deep down, her best friend was a hopeless romantic and a shameless flirt. Maddie, of course, hoped Prince Charming would one day waltz in and sweep her off her feet.
“Good morning! Welcome to Second Chance Books.” Maddie shot around the counter like a bee on too much caffeine.
Hannah didn’t need to look to know her best friend’s smile would put the sun to shame. Maddie’s enthusiastic tone said it all.
Hannah lifted her gaze, curious to see the poor unlucky soul who’d happened upon their little store, only to freeze on her stool. Her heart leapt into her throat and beat like a jackhammer. Oh God. Cade. In a full business suit no less. A crisp, white shirt and charcoal-gray slacks topped by a jacket in the same shade of gray, complete with a little splash of blue peeking out the pocket on his left breast.
The sight of him in all his splendor did nothing for the dry state of her panties. She’d never seen him in a suit before, had always pictured him in jeans and a leather jacket, but she had to admit, he looked spectacular. The suit hugged his body in all the right places, accentuating his broad shoulders and long, muscular legs. He looked sophisticated and intelligent, completely contradicting his biker-boy persona online.
His head turned left and right, his gaze taking in his surroundings as he strolled, casually, into the store. As if he were a tourist who’d happened to find them on his way through downtown. “Nice place. Quaint. It suits you.”
Hannah swallowed past the lump stuck in her throat and sat up, closing the book and setting it on the counter in front of her. She ran a shaky hand through her hair. Thank God she always put on makeup in the morning. “W-what are you doing here?”
He fingered the edge of the display Maddie had set by the front windows, then turned to the hardback books seated in their place and flipped open the cover, those shrewd eyes scanning the page.
“You invited me to look you up, so I did. Turns out, you weren’t hard to find, either. When you said you were downtown, I didn’t realize you’d end up being so close.” He turned his head, finally meeting her gaze, and crossed the space between them in three long strides. He leaned in front of her, his gaze on the book lying on the counter. He tapped the cover before glancing at her. Wolfish delight glittered like diamonds in his eyes. “I haven’t read this one yet. Is it any good?”
The heat in his eyes filled her mind with memories of their initial encounters, of the e-mails and chat messages shot back and forth over that first book. Have you ever been spanked during sex? You should try it before you decide you don’t like it. The heated conversations his questions had led them to made her clit throb all over again.
She swallowed hard and repeated her question. “What are you doing here?”
He turned his hand over on the counter, palm up, and stared at her. “I thought you might like to have lunch with me.”
His scent invaded her nostrils every time she inhaled. Alarm skittered up her spine, and her hands trembled, out of physical need and nerves. After the intimacy they’d shared the day before, she hoped to put some distance between them, reset those boundary lines. He’d changed the rules—again—and it set her off balance. Damn him.
It worked. The gleam in his eye and his suggestive tone had every inch of her sitting up and taking notice. She yearned to lean across the counter and wipe the smug smile off his face by pushing her mouth into his.
She averted her gaze instead and moved down the counter to the pile of paperwork near the register, pretending to busy herself. “We agreed no dates.”
“This isn’t a date. It’s lunch. We both have to eat, and I’m starved.”
Darting a glance out of the corner of her eye, she found him watch
ing her. The gleam in his eyes, the subtle flash of heat, sent a shiver of the same down her spine. She wanted to send him back out of the shop, but her thighs clenched, her clit throbbing to life and begging for the stroke of his oh-so-talented tongue. It didn’t help she had the distinct impression he didn’t mean food.
Somewhere off to her left, Maddie cleared her throat.
Hannah swallowed hard, heat flooding her cheeks. Oh God. She’d gotten so caught up in him she’d forgotten Maddie entirely. That wasn’t a good sign.
She turned to flash her best friend a sheepish grin, only to get a saucy one in return.
Hannah turned to Cade, extending a hand toward Maddie. “My business partner and best friend, Madison O’Riley. Maddie, this is—”
“Cade McKenzie.” He pushed away from the counter and extended a hand, offering a charming smile. “Mind if I borrow your cohort for an hour or so?”
Maddie slipped her hand into his, shaking it firmly, and flashed him a thousand-watt smile.
“Oh no. Please. Borrow her for as long as you like.” Maddie winked at him. “She could use a break.”
The heat in Hannah’s cheeks deepened. Maddie’s sassy little wink told her without a doubt she’d caught the hint in Cade’s tone as well.
“I appreciate it, thanks.” Cade turned back to Hannah, took the papers from her and set them on the counter, then held out his hand. “It’s only lunch.”
Hannah stared at his hand, because if she met his gaze, she’d give in. Obviously, Cade McKenzie didn’t take no for an answer. A million thoughts shot through her mind, things she ought to say to him. He’d changed the rules, damn it, and he hadn’t discussed the change with her. She would not be a pawn in somebody else’s game.
Except the memory of the ecstasy she’d had at the mercy of those large, soft hands and his wicked mouth wouldn’t leave her thoughts. Her hand slipped itself into his, and a flood of warmth infused her every cell.
He threaded their fingers, waited as she grabbed her purse, then held their combined hands over their heads as she rounded the counter. He turned to smile at Maddie. “I’ll have her back in an hour. Scout’s honor.”
He made a gesture with his fingers, making her wonder if he really had been a Boy Scout, then pulled open the door and tugged her outside with him. Maddie flashed a too-pleased grin as they stepped onto the sidewalk and the door dinged shut.
A heady buzz followed them down the street and anticipation fizzled in her veins. When they reached the end of the block and stopped to wait for the light, she glanced at him. “Are we really going to lunch?”
He turned his head and cocked a brow. “Do you trust me?”
She let out a nervous laugh and shook her head. “I don’t know you well enough to trust you.”
His smile fell. The light turned, but he pivoted to her instead and took both her hands in his. He used the purchase to pull her close and leaned down, brushing his mouth over hers. “You know me better than you think you do. How much of what you told me during our chats was a façade?”
Caught in the brush of his body against hers and his warm breath on her face, Hannah couldn’t remember if she breathed. “Not much.”
Cade was easy to talk to and always had been. The lure of the anonymity of the Internet had pulled things from her she might not have told him otherwise.
“Exactly.” He brushed his mouth over hers again, so light and electric a shiver ran the length of her spine. Her hands curled in his, and she leaned into the soft press of his lips.
Cade flicked his tongue against her mouth and leaned his head beside her ear. He murmured against the sensitive lobe, his breath hot on her neck.
“I know we didn’t agree on this, but I made plans for you. I’m hoping you’ll enjoy them as much I will. I’m asking you to trust me.” When he pulled back again, heat flashed in his eyes. “I had to see you.”
His kiss made her knees wobble and promised more where that came from. His hot gaze did the same. His erection pushed into her stomach, promising orgasms lay in her future. It would no doubt get her into trouble one day soon, but Cade McKenzie had her eating out of the palm of his hand. She’d follow him anywhere for the pleasure that instinct said she’d have at his hands.
God help her.
Hannah nodded. “All right.”
He pressed another kiss to her lips, this one a hot promise.
“You won’t be sorry.” He released her and stepped back, holding her away from him. His gaze flicked down her body. “Though I do wish you were wearing a skirt.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, Cade sat across from Hannah in a small booth at a pub down the street. She looked gorgeous. Her black and white striped blouse skimmed her body, and her dark-washed jeans hugged every luscious curve. She sat on the other side of the booth and not beside him because he flat out didn’t trust himself not to touch her. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her all damn morning. Lunch was little more than an excuse to see her.
He’d chosen this place on purpose. A client had recommended it a few days prior as a good place to grab lunch. It had a dark, intimate, old pub look about it, and the place had gathered a decent crowd. Surely they wouldn’t be missed if they disappeared for, oh, say, five minutes.
He picked up his phone from the table, punched in the text he’d planned earlier, and hit SEND. Then he waited. Across the booth, a muted buzz came from the vicinity of the bench seat beside Hannah. In the process of studying the menu laid out on the table in front of her, she lifted her gaze, the question in her eyes.
He set his phone on the table and sat back. “Answer it.”
Watching her dig her phone out of her small clutch and read the text exerted more patience than he had. He’d been hard all morning. The thought alone made him want to laugh. He’d always prided himself on being professional. The job always came first. He’d earned his position through hard work and dedication, often to the point of ignoring basic needs. These days, work provided a much-needed escape from the mess Amelia had entangled him in and the hurt and mistrust she’d left behind. He hadn’t intended to date again anytime soon.
Since he’d met Hannah six months ago, he spent a good majority of his day with a hard-on. Thank God for long suit jackets. Luckily, he’d spent this morning in meetings, seated behind a boardroom table going through paperwork and last-minute details.
Hannah looked up from her phone, eyes wide with alarm. “Here?”
The disbelief written in her tone made him want to laugh. His head hadn’t been in the game this morning because of her. The problem had started when he woke without her. Waking alone ought to feel natural. After all, he did it every morning. Not to mention they’d agreed her staying would complicate their arrangement.
Except he’d hated waking alone. Her softness beside him in bed last night had been a lure he missed when he woke without her. It nudged the loneliness in his gut, a feeling he needed to ignore. He loathed the monotony of his life. His entire world revolved around contract negotiations and legal documents and dating women who’d be assets to his family’s good name. Waking alone every morning had grown tiresome. He longed for one woman who’d see him, who’d fill the empty space within.
When a two-hour window opened for lunch this afternoon, he found himself researching Hannah online. Turned out, her bookstore sat a few blocks from where his business took place. Halfway here, he passed the same streets they’d walked when they left the Space Needle the day before. Their conversation that day had filled his thoughts and an idea had grabbed him he hadn’t been able to resist.
Of course, this little lunch escapade meant he’d begun to dream up excuses to see her.
“Here.” He nodded and looked down at his phone, typing in another message.
CMcKenzie: Are you afraid?
Okay, call him a rebel. He spelled out his texts. He loathed shorthand. He understood the need, but he refused to use it. It made the sender look unintelligent. He’d rather take his time.<
br />
He hit SEND, then lifted his gaze, arching a brow in challenge.
Hannah looked up from her phone and darted an anxious glance around, then sat straighter in her seat. “No. Just nervous.”
This time, a becoming soft pink suffused her cheeks. Her fingers trembled as she typed a return message.
Hannah: We’ll get caught
Cade suppressed a smile as he punched in a quick reply.
CMcKenzie: That’s the thrill, baby. You have no idea how hard I am. Bathroom. I’ll order, then follow.
Hannah hesitated, staring at her screen. He pushed her limits, but the thought of her hot gaze locked on his, eyes hooded with desire as she watched him in the mirror would be the ultimate payoff. He typed in another message.
CMcKenzie: Do you want me?
Heat flashed in her eyes, answering the question, but her fingers flew over her phone’s tiny keyboard.
Hannah: Badly
Cade stifled a groan as he punched in another message.
CMcKenzie: And does the thought of me fucking you here arouse you?
He sat back in the bench seat and arched a brow. “Tell me the truth.”
The pink in her cheeks deepened. She didn’t answer but dropped her gaze to her lap.
Hannah: I’m so wet and my clit is throbbing.
He growled. She had a sexual appetite that burned him from the inside out. The thought of her sitting over there, hot and wet, had his cock thickening behind his fly. His hands had begun to shake with need.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Go. I’ll order.”
Five minutes later, he waited in the hallway outside the women’s bathroom. Standing there, unease sifted through him. He had to admit he hadn’t thought this out well. Fucking her in the bathroom was high school kid stuff, not to mention risky. Christ, if he ended up in the paper for this, his father would flip. His father had an image he wanted to uphold and strict rules all the lawyers in his firm were expected to follow, him included.
He had no idea how they’d even carry it out. People packed the place. Four people had passed him in the minutes he spent waiting in the hallway. An older gentleman exiting the men’s bathroom didn’t as much as glance in his direction. A woman in a business suit exited the woman’s restroom next, however, and came up short at finding him waiting outside.
