Stewart laughed. “God save me. I hear that’s an addiction it’s hard to kick.”
“Actually, it’s a pretty decent investment. You’d be surprised how much I could get for one of my bags on eBay.” Anne was only half teasing. She did have a handbag fetish. It had driven Paul absolutely batty, although she didn’t have rooms full per se.
“It’s getting pretty late.” Stewart looked at his watch. “I have to show property first thing in the morning.”
Anne’s heartbeat began to speed up. Was he going to want to kiss her? Did she even want him to? “Fortunately it’s not a long walk to my building.”
Who was she kidding? Of course she wanted Stewart to kiss her good night. She wanted to see what kind of potential there was in this relationship. If she were lucky, his kiss would be so hot he would knock Gabriel right out of her thoughts.
She should be more careful what she wished for.
They climbed the steps to the side door of her building. Anne was utterly aware of every move he made. His steps were slow, as if he were sorry to cut the night short. He was just tall enough that she would be able to look up at him when he kissed her. That was a plus.
Stewart gazed beyond the set of pristine double glass doors to the bank of elevators. “Do you want me to walk you up?”
“Um, there’s no need unless you just want to.” Anne wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to say or not.
He had firm shoulders beneath his sport jacket. She wondered what they’d feel like if she wrapped her arms around his neck when they kissed. Did he do pull-ups like Gabriel did?
Ugh! She had to quit thinking about Gabriel.
She was wishing she’d done something different with her hair. The stupid frizzy mess couldn’t possibly look sexy when it flopped around her face. She should’ve put it up. Maybe then he would’ve kissed a nice little trail down her neck to her collarbone.
“I had a nice time tonight, Anne,” Stewart said. “Can I have your number so we can do it again soon?”
He pulled out his smartphone, and Anne rattled off her cell number so he could put it in his contacts. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he’d be interested in attending a little retirement party for her father until he leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. A brief brush of his mouth against hers and it was over. No thrill, no fireworks, and no stomach-flipping arousal sweeping over her. More like thanks for stopping by.
He straightened and smiled. “I’ll e-mail you tomorrow, all right?”
“Sure. That sounds great.”
He didn’t even wait for her to buzz into her building. He turned around and walked away with a spring in his step. She could even hear him whistling.
What the hell?
Anne punched the code into the door with an unusual amount of force. Feeling confused and more than a little cheated, she stomped into the building and into an elevator that was smart enough to open right away when she nudged the call button.
Everything had been going great. She knew it had. Why hadn’t he kissed her like he meant it? Had she somehow sent him a mixed signal that made him think she didn’t want him to?
The elevator dinged, and she stepped out into the foyer separating her loft from the other one on her floor. She groped in her purse for her keys. It took her two tries to get the door open.
“Maybe it’s the money thing?” she asked the room at large.
She stalked through the living room and thought back to that odd little piece of their conversation. If he had any thoughts that she was somehow after him for his money, he might be inclined to hit the brakes. Right?
She flopped onto her bed and growled at the coffered ceiling. “Who am I kidding? I have no experience with any of this!”
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to calm the swirling thoughts in her head. Things had been going so well. She’d found a fairly handsome, intelligent man who was interested in seeing her again. He just apparently liked to take things slow.
Heat uncurled in her belly. Memories of another man, one who had never taken her on a date, slipped into her mind. His hands, his mouth, the way he stroked her into a frenzied fit of desire and left her feeling more sated than she could have ever imagined possible.
Stewart was great. He might even eventually be someone she could have a relationship with. Now though, she was unsatisfied with how her evening had ended and completely uncertain how to fix it.
She sat bolt upright on her fluffy striped duvet, an unbidden thought taking shape in her mind. Stewart hadn’t wanted to go the Phoenix, but that didn’t mean Anne couldn’t go visit Jessa on her own.
Bouncing off the bed, she stared at her reflection in her full-length mirror. She’d worn her typical full skirt and blouse for her date with Stewart, but that just wasn’t going to cut it for another night at the Phoenix. She wanted more. She wanted to look like more. But she could never look like more than that sassy redhead unless she was comparing dress size.
No, but Anne could do better than what she currently had going for her. Gaze narrowed, she shoved open the door to her walk-in closet and stalked inside. The first thing any woman should know? There were things in life that could only be fixed with the right clothes.
She shoved aside a huge quantity of hangers filled with conservative suits, long boring skirts, and blouses. There were dozens of dresses hanging in the back, still draped in bags. Anne pulled them gently to the front and began ripping away the plastic.
Shortly after her divorce was final, she’d treated herself to a therapeutic shopping spree. She’d tried on all kinds of things she normally wouldn’t have touched. Stuff meant for someone with a build a little less generous than hers. Of course, after buying the clothing she’d squashed it in the back so she didn’t have to feel bad about owning it. It was “rainy day” clothing. Also known as stuff-I’ll-wear-when-I-lose-forty-pounds.
Now though, she wanted to put on something that was maybe just a little more daring. Gabriel kept dropping hints about how much he liked large women. As far as she was concerned, it was time for him to put his money where his mouth was.
Did I actually buy this?
The dress was sassy in a sexy way. The buttery-soft material clung like a glove, but the pleated style promised to be more flattering than revealing. The sea-foam green would be a huge deviation from her standard black or patterned clothing, but Anne was feeling almost reckless.
She stripped out of her skirt and top right there in the middle of her bedroom and pulled the dress off the hanger. The knit was soft against her skin when she lowered the dress over her head. It skated down her abdomen and settled into place as if it’d been meant for her. The bottom of the skirt sat just above her dimpled knees. Anne had a moment’s misgiving until she turned and looked in the mirror.
“Oh my.”
The brilliant color brought out the reddish highlights in her brown hair. Instead of looking scraggly it made a tousled frame for her round face. Her eyes appeared large and soft, almost sexy. She nibbled her lower lip, watching herself do it in the mirror.
Jessa had once told her that clothing mattered. Anne was starting to get what her friend had meant. There was something about looking—well—looking good! It gave her just a tiny boost of confidence. Enough to make her think that a trip to Phoenix Rising was going to make her evening plenty interesting.
CHAPTER NINE
Gabriel much preferred working the door outside to standing around inside the bar. He knew he’d been hired on after an unfortunate incident between Connor and a few customers that had ended in bloodshed and a trip to the police station. Jessa hadn’t been hurt that night, but Connor wasn’t able to keep an eye on her while working the door on busy nights. The man had never forgiven himself for the oversight, hence Gabriel’s presence on the Phoenix staff.
Nights like tonight didn’t really require much supervision. The bar was more or less full, but the patrons were quiet. They were happy to indulge themselves in the plentiful liqu
or and seek a release with a willing partner in some back corner. They weren’t there to make trouble.
Gabriel sighed and shifted his stance, keeping his back to the wall. He wondered whether or not Anne was out on a date with some wanker who would never appreciate her. From the corner of his eye, he saw Connor swing the cage door open so a woman could enter the bar.
Sudden recognition made his belly clench and his dick sit up and take note. Even though the woman looked nothing like she usually did, every instinct in his body told him Anne was the goddess who’d just walked in. She’d been hiding a succulent, full-breasted, loose-hipped diva under those horrible drapes she called clothes. He just hadn’t realized what a knock in the teeth she’d be when she decided to wear something else.
I love green.
The color enriched the red highlights in her gently mussed brown hair and made her eyes look luminous. It brought out a warm, healthy glow in her skin and gave him decadent thoughts about what it would taste like. The dress hugged her curves as if inviting him to stroke each one. Playful gold heels lifted her plentiful backside until it was practically begging him to take hold and nestle his cockstand against the softness of her full mound.
He was hard. Hell, there was already a wet spot on his belly beneath his cargos. He’d never seen anyone more attractive in his life. She was perfect. Everything Gabriel looked for in a woman, and more.
She sauntered toward the bar, casting a sideways look in his direction. On purpose? Was she actually challenging him somehow?
Every resolution he’d ever made about not getting involved with a woman pounded against his skull when he watched her walk through the middle of the room. She was a physical temptation. A woman he wanted to touch, to feel. He wanted to experience her heat when he sought release between her legs. He wanted to bring her with him, fuck her until she came screaming his name.
He could feel his control fraying, thread by fragile thread. As long as she stayed up at the bar he could maintain the charade that he was unaffected. He had to focus on work, on the room, on anything but the possibility of being in close proximity to a woman whose scent and taste he had already burned into his memory.
She threw her head back and laughed at something Alex said before turning and looking right at him.
“Bloody hell,” Gabriel muttered.
Anne slid off her barstool and started toward him with a definite swing in her step. He would have prepared himself for the upcoming confrontation, but he couldn’t stop staring at the way her hips swayed from side to side as she moved. He imagined what they’d look like astride his body, his cock buried deep inside her cunt as she rode him to oblivion.
“Hello, Gabriel.”
He managed a grunt, unable to articulate a single coherent word. She smelled amazing. Like flowers and honey. Like home.
She made a point of looking around the room. “I don’t see your redheaded friend.”
“Sasha is just another customer.” Finally, his intellect kicked into motion. “Did you enjoy your date this evening?”
Her eyes widened just a fraction before she got her expression under control. “Yes, actually. It was very nice. Unfortunately he didn’t have time to join me here this evening.”
Gabriel wondered if the sneer that twisted the side of his mouth looked as ugly as it felt. He didn’t like the idea of her sitting across the table from some toff while the guy schmoozed his way beneath the snug skirt of that dress. Imagining her walking into the Phoenix on someone else’s arm unleashed something wild and primal deep inside his gut.
“Jessa said you needed an escort to a party this weekend.” Gabriel couldn’t believe the words had come out of his mouth. Was he subconsciously trying to cock up his whole life in one go?
Her confident facade wavered for an instant. “Oh, well, I was thinking I’d ask Stewart to go with me. It would probably be more his thing than yours.”
“Is that right?” Gabriel growled.
He watched her deflate right before his eyes. She brushed a few strands of hair away from her cheek. “Well, yes. It’s just…”
It had been years since Gabriel had felt drawn to a woman like this. It went beyond sexual compatibility, beyond attraction, deep into the core of what it meant to be part of humanity. Had he made a conscious decision to stop being involved? Or had he simply come to the States to heal and let hiding become a way of life?
“It’s a retirement party for my father.” The column of her throat moved as she swallowed uneasily. “He and my ex-husband are partners in the same psychiatric practice.”
Click. Another piece of the puzzle slid into place. The bastard she’d divorced had been a bona fide shrink who worked with her father. The guy had probably used his professional expertise to keep his wife where he wanted her while undermining any sort of healthy relationship with her family.
“The divorce was final over a year ago.” She straightened, doing her best to look blasé. “I’m over it, but he’s remarried and it’s always easier to attend these things with a date.”
“Then take me.” If she looked astounded, he felt it. What had possessed him to beg an invitation to some soiree that would probably leave him feeling annoyed with the whole human race?
“I couldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
She crossed her arms, looking defensive. “Jessa probably told you to go with me. That’s embarrassing enough.”
He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop himself from touching her. He cupped her cheek and ran the pad of his thumb over her full lower lip. “Jessa meddles, but she can’t make me do something I don’t want to.”
“You want to go with me?”
“My only concern is that I’ll be unable to control the urge to touch those sweet curves during the evening. You have a way of doing that to me. And I hardly think your father’s party is as forgiving of public displays as say…” He made a gesture to encompass the whole of Phoenix Rising. “In here nobody will think twice if I do this.”
He slid his hand away from her cheek to cradle the back of her head. His fingers tangled in the soft silk of her hair. She made a tiny noise in the back of her throat when he bent his head and captured her lips in a kiss.
Her hands found their way to his chest, her fingers twisting in the cotton of his T-shirt. One lick of her lower lip was enough to make her open for him. She bloomed like a flower, and he dipped his tongue inside her mouth, rubbing it alongside hers until she was moaning against him.
It had been so long, too long. Gabriel sank deeper, wrapping his arms around her and molding her plump curves to the hard angles of his body. She felt soft and welcoming against him. He splayed his palms against the gathered knit fabric of her dress and considered taking the garment off.
She broke away, gasping, but not trying to leave the circle of his arms. “I thought you only liked to watch.”
“There are times to watch and times to act.” Gabriel cupped her left breast and thumbed her nipple into a hard little point. “Then there are times when you get to do both.”
“Both?”
“Do you see the couple at the table all by themselves in the corner?” He led her with his gaze to their left.
“Oh God.”
The breathless quality in her voice told him she saw exactly the couple he’d meant. The blonde didn’t have quite as many voluptuous curves as Anne did, but she was full figured and attractive all the same. At the moment she was enjoying the attention of a slim man who currently had his face buried between the twin mounds on her chest.
Gabriel tugged Anne closer, until her back was flush with his front. He let his fingers slide along the plunging neckline of her dress. “There’s nothing better than getting lost in a gorgeous set of breasts.”
Anne made a tiny noise when his fingers disappeared into her cleavage. He gently teased the sensitive area, loving the heat of her skin and the feel of her arousal rising to meet his own.
“What’s he doing?” Anne squirmed aga
inst him, her butt sliding across his painfully erect cock.
Gabriel hissed, trying to force down the desire to bend Anne over the nearest table and take what he wanted. “She’s wearing that nice loose skirt. Propping her leg on the chair means he can get a hand on her pussy.”
The woman across the room moaned. Her lover pulled up her skirt and delved into her hot cunt to find her center. She shuddered, her hips jerking when her partner hit a particularly sensitive area.
“It looks like it feels so good,” Anne murmured tightly.
“Do you want to know what it’s like when your lover slips his fingers into your hot sheath and then slides them back out again?”
Gabriel could sense her thinking this over, still skittish about her own sensuality. Carefully, he began pulling the hem of her dress higher, higher still, until the bottom of it rested at the tops her shapely thighs and he could get his hand beneath it.
His first feel of her full ass was enough to make him groan. He covered the noise by pressing a kiss to the base of her neck where it met her shoulder. She shivered, but didn’t protest the moment he delved between her cheeks to seek the heat of her crotch.
“Watch him touch her,” Gabriel told Anne. “She enjoys it. The way he kisses her while he fingers her sweetness. The same way I’m going to enjoy yours.”
She turned abruptly, forcing him to remove his hand or rip her dress. “In the park you made me come.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you want the same?”
The simplicity of the question scalded him. His cock leaped for joy, reminding him that it had been too long since he’d allowed himself a release. He gazed down into her doe-brown eyes. “What would you suggest?”
Indecision warred with curiosity for control of her expression. He waited, wondering what her choice would be. He’d never been wound this tight before in his life. Still, the animal hiding beneath his civilized exterior wanted to protect Anne as much as it wanted to claim her. He’d do nothing to destroy the budding confidence he sensed growing inside her.
Phoenix Flying Page 7
