Monroe, Marla - Hot and Bothered (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Monroe, Marla

  Women usually enjoyed going out with him, so much so that they tended to hang on when things were really over with. His last girlfriend had actually tried breaking into his condo when he finally had to tell her to leave him alone. He thought he would lay off dating for awhile, but once he saw Savanna, he knew he had to have her. Not just for sex, but to find out what made her tick. He wanted to know what was important to her and how she felt about things like Chinese food and who her favorite author was.

  Now, he would be lucky if she agreed to a second date. He needed to resist having sex with her this time. It wasn’t just all about the sex for him. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He wasn’t looking for a one-night stand. Nor was he looking for a commitment. He just wanted to date her and see how things went. She was a lovely woman, but he knew next to nothing about her. Sure, he knew what made her scream, but what made her smile?

  He had another long day ahead of him tomorrow before he could even think about taking her to eat. The prospectus on one of the businesses he had been thinking of investing in was flawed, and he wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or just an honest mistake. He used a firm in town to put together his projects before he looked into them. He needed to make a visit to them and find out what had gone wrong on this project. He had never had a problem before.

  The paperwork listed all of their assets, with one being a warehouse near the river. It hadn’t said that the warehouse had a second lien on it, so it wasn’t a clear asset after all. Either they’d just failed to find it or they failed to disclose it. He wanted to know which it was. He didn’t like doing business with a company that was sloppy or on the take. Which one they were, he needed to find out. They would be his first stop in the morning on his way in to work.

  Dustin bent over and untied his shoes before kicking them off to the side of the bed. His socks soon followed. He stood up in his bare feet and unsnapped his jeans. He patted into the bathroom and turned on the multi-head shower. He pulled off the jeans and stepped into the steamy water and let it pound against his flesh. He started bathing, and his thoughts wandered to what it would be like to have Savanna in his shower with him.

  He could aim the heads in any direction he wanted. He would aim them down so that he could hold her nipples under them. The torrent of water would stimulate them until she begged for him to make it stop. He wanted to soap her up from head to toe by hand. Explore each inch of her body with his fingers and mouth. Once she was all soaped up, he would detach one of the showerheads and use it to rinse her off, one inch at a time. He would end it with the stream between her legs hitting her clit. She would scream for him to stop as the orgasms continued until she couldn’t stand up. He would turn off the shower and wrap her in a towel before carrying her to the bed.

  There he would dry her off first, then pet that poor used pussy until it perked back up. He would ease inside of her, inch by inch until he was fully seated inside her hot depths. Then he would move slowly in and out until she began moaning for more. He would pick up the pace until they both exploded. Then he would curl up around her and go to sleep. He shook himself and realized the water was getting cold. Crap, he was doing it again. He needed to get her out of his head if he were going to get any sleep, much less work, done.

  Early the next morning, Dustin arrived at the office of the Lambert Company, which researched and compiled the information in his briefcase concerning the companies he had been considering investing in. He introduced himself and asked to see Martin Sherman.

  * * * *

  Savanna was worried. She hadn’t been able to talk to Karen all day. She kept saying she was too busy and would talk to her later every time she called. Then, when they usually got together for their normal Friday after-work kick, she was working overtime and just couldn’t make it. She never missed a Friday after-work meet unless she was home in bed sick.

  It was nearly six-thirty, and she still needed to finish getting dressed for her date with Dustin. She tried Karen’s cell phone one more time but hung up without leaving a message since she had already left four. Something was going on, and that worried Savanna. She would go see her tomorrow. She couldn’t do anything about it right now anyway. She had less than ten minutes to finish dressing and be ready before Dustin knocked on her door…if she were lucky.

  Savanna pulled on her favorite navy blue sweater. She pulled her hair back at the nape of her neck to make wearing a helmet easier than if she wore a ponytail. She didn’t wear much makeup but did apply some lipstick and a little eye shadow. She had no idea where he would be taking her, so she hoped she would do dress-wise. There weren’t a lot of places you could go in jeans and a sweater. Then she didn’t expect him to take her anywhere nice. He probably didn’t make enough money for that.

  She jerked when the doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting it. He had knocked before. She hurriedly checked her lipstick in the mirror and ran for the door. This time, she checked the peephole to be sure and was shocked to see he was holding flowers. She unlocked the door and threw it open.

  “Dustin?”

  He smiled and held the vase of flowers out to her. “I hope you like them.”

  She took the vase and buried her nose in the bouquet of daffodils and lilies.

  “Thank you. I love them. Come in while I put this on the table.” She turned and walked back into the living room. She placed the vase on the coffee table and bent to smell them once again.

  “How did you manage to get them here on a bike?”

  “It wasn’t easy.”

  She laughed.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Let me get my jacket.” Savanna grabbed it off the chair where she had laid it earlier so she wouldn’t forget it. “I’m ready.”

  He waited for her while she locked up and slipped the key back in her pocket. Then they walked to his bike. He already had his extra helmet out and waited for her to put it on. She let him fasten the chin strap. She climbed on behind him and held on as he drove out of the parking lot of the apartment complex. She didn’t have a clue where he was taking her, so she just leaned into him and enjoyed the ride.

  They must have ridden for about thirty minutes when he finally turned off the highway and pulled into a nearly full parking lot outside a softly lit building. There were sconces with lights in them all around the outside of the building. It gave the place an old-world feel. Dustin pulled off his helmet and fastened it to the handlebars on the bike. He helped her take hers off, as well, and secured it in the saddlebag.

  “I think you will like this place. I eat here fairly often. They have the best Italian and Greek food you can find anywhere in the city.”

  “I love Italian. I’ve never had Greek, though.”

  “We’ll have to remedy that tonight,” he said.

  They walked inside and were immediately greeted by a well-dressed mâitre d’. Savanna wondered at the cost of the place and the validity that Dustin ate there on a regular basis. Then, the maître d’ called him by name when they walked up. She hadn’t even known his last name till right then.

  “Mr. Liguori! It is so good to see you with us again.” He held out his hand and shook Dustin’s. “And who have you brought with you tonight?”

  “This is my friend, Savanna McKinney.”

  The other man held out both of his hands for hers. “Such a pretty name for a pretty lady.” He patted her hand and released it. “Come, let me show you to your table.”

  Savanna followed him with Dustin behind her. His hand rested at the small of her back as they weaved around tables to one in the very back next to a fountain. It provided some measure of privacy, and with the tinkling of the fountain, it would be hard to overhear their conversation. Once they were seated, the maître d’ handed them their menus and wished them a wonderful meal.

  “How did you know my last name? I never told you.”

  “I saw it on your phone bill lying on your counter. I wanted to know your phone number, so I snooped.” He didn’t sound the le
ast bit embarrassed by the fact that he had been nosey. She couldn’t be mad at him.

  She shook her head and turned her attention to the menu. The prices were fairly reasonable if the food was as good as the place suggested. Still, how did someone who worked like Dustin did afford a place like this with any regularity? Even she wouldn’t eat here more than once or twice a month at most.

  “See anything you like?”

  “Lots, actually. I’m not sure what to choose.”

  He smiled. “Try something new for a change. Be adventurous.”

  “I would think I’m already being that,” she said, looking pointedly at him.

  “Maybe you are,” he said, laughing.

  “I think I’ll try the veal. I’ve never eaten any before.”

  “Good choice. It will go good with the goat cheese dish I’m going to order for you to try. It’s Greek.”

  “What are you going to get?” she asked.

  “Lasagna, of course.”

  “Now who isn’t being adventurous?”

  “I’ve had everything on this menu at least once,” he said. “You’re going to love the veal.”

  The waiter interrupted them to take their order. Dustin ordered for her and ordered a bottle of red wine, as well.

  “I hope you like wine. It will go great with your meal.”

  “I love it. Thanks.” Savanna smiled across the table at him. “So, did you work behind a desk this week?”

  “Yep, for the most part.”

  “Which do you prefer? Driving a truck or working in an office?” she asked.

  “Actually, I like doing both. That’s why I go back and forth between the two. I don’t want to have to settle for one thing. I like to change things up some.”

  Savanna decided that was code for “don’t expect to be dating me long.” He got bored easily. Funny, so did she. Maybe that was why the spa worked so well for her. There were so many different parts to it and different kinds of people who came to it. She never knew what to expect from one day to the next. It kept her interested in handling the day-to-day aspects of it. Yet, if she wanted to, she could turn all of that over to one of her managers and take an extended vacation somewhere. If she wanted to. She never had.

  “How are your friends? Karen and Ben, right?”

  His question caught her off guard, and she had to stop and think for a second what to say.

  “They are…” she began, then stopped. Should she say they weren’t a couple anymore or just lie and say they were doing fine.

  “Actually, they’re having some problems.”

  “Oh, that’s bad. I’m sorry. I thought they really cared for each other.” He seemed genuinely sorry about it.

  “Yeah, I thought they did, too. I’m not sure what happened.” She began worrying about Karen all over again.

  “Sometimes two people just don’t look for the same things in a relationship and they have to go their own ways.”

  “You seem to know a lot about relationships.” Savanna cocked her head.

  “Every time you get into one, you learn something new about them.”

  “That’s true.”

  The waiter returned with the wine, and after Dustin approved the bottle, he poured them each a glass and left them alone again. Savanna wasn’t sure what to make of Dustin. He seemed to know a little bit about a lot of things. He worked when he wanted to at what he wanted to do. He was a god in bed, and he had good taste in wine and food. Did it really matter that much? She was just having a fling with him, right? He wasn’t relationship material in her book.

  “So what has you looking all serious all of a sudden?” he asked.

  “Um, I guess I was just thinking about my friend. Wondering what is going on with her right now.”

  “I take it she isn’t talking about it.”

  “Well, we really did talk about it, and I know what happened, but something else is going on with her, and it has me worried.”

  “Anything you want to talk about?” Dustin asked.

  “Thanks, but no. I think it involves her job.”

  “So, tell me about managing a spa. I would think it would be fun.”

  “Actually, it’s a day spa, so everyone goes home at the end of the day. I like that part.” Savanna grinned across the table at him. “I really enjoy it. There is always something different to deal with, so it keeps me interested.”

  “Never gets boring then.”

  “Nope. I get frustrated sometimes. But you get that way with any job you have, even if it is a dream job.”

  Dustin started to say something, but the waiter’s return with their food interrupted him. The veal smelled delicious, and the odd-looking goat cheese dish smelled odd, as well. She dutifully tasted it and found she really liked it. Dustin laughed at her when she admitted she liked it.

  “Thought you weren’t going to, didn’t you?” he said, waving a fork in her direction.

  “Well, it looks and smells kind of funny. I wasn’t expecting it to taste so good.”

  He scooped up a forkful of lasagna and held it out to her. “Here, you need to taste it. It is the best lasagna you will ever have a chance to eat.”

  Savanna opened her mouth and let him feed the lasagna to her. He was right, it was the best she had ever eaten. She nodded and swallowed.

  “Delicious.” She cut a piece of veal and forked it up to pass to Dustin.

  “I’ve already had it. I know how good it is.”

  “But you haven’t had it off my plate. It tastes much better from my fork.” She bit her lips, trying not to laugh at the face he pulled.

  “Okay,” he said and took the fork from her to spear the veal into his mouth. “You’re right. It does taste better off your fork.” He winked at her.

  They finished up their meal and split a dessert. The tiramisu was delicious and even better because he fed it to her. She couldn’t remember ever having such a good time simply eating dinner. She hadn’t expected to enjoy being with Dustin. She wasn’t looking for it. Instead, she expected the sex to be wonderful and the rest just okay. She would have to keep reminding herself that he wasn’t relationship material. Maybe they just didn’t need to go out. How to approach that, though?

  “You ready to go?” he asked.

  “Yes. That was wonderful. I’m stuffed.”

  He laughed and took care of the check using a credit card. Then he guided her back to the front, where the maître d’ wished them a good night and to return soon. Outside, he helped her on with her jacket. It was cooler than when they had gone inside earlier that night. Dustin unlocked the saddlebag and handed her the helmet to put on. After he fixed his, he snapped hers for her and mounted the bike. Savanna got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. It felt good to rest her cheek against his back. They headed back towards the city and, more than likely, her apartment.

  Savanna was looking forward to the after dinner part of the date. She hoped he was, too. She smiled and raked her nails down the inside seams of his jeans.

  Chapter Five

  Dustin nearly wrecked the bike when her nails ran down his jeans. Then she lightly scratched over his cock. It roared to life, fighting against the restrictive material. Fuck! He was going to die before he got her home. He heard her muffled laughter behind him. She knew what she had done to him. The witch had done it on purpose. He would make her pay later, though.

  As soon as they reached her apartment and she had got off the bike, he stood up and dismounted, relieved to be able to ease the tight cloth over his cock. He adjusted himself so he could walk and shook his head when he caught her laughing at him.

  “Sorry?”

  But she didn’t sound sorry one bit. Dustin put his arm around her and pulled her close. He kissed her, and then, when she settled in to the kiss, he bit her bottom lip.

  “Ow! What was that for?” she demanded, running her tongue along her lip.

  “For laughing at me.”

  She huffed out a breath and walked to her apa
rtment door. He walked right behind her. When she unlocked the door and turned toward him, he smiled and raised his eyebrows.

  “Do I get to come in for some coffee tonight?”

  “I shouldn’t let you.”

  “No, you shouldn’t, but you will, won’t you?”

  In answer, Savanna stepped back from the door and let him walk in. She closed the door behind them and locked it. Dustin backed her down the hall toward the bedroom.

  “I thought you wanted coffee?” she said.

  “I do. In the morning.”

  “Pretty damn sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  Dustin smiled and caught her around the waist. “If I run my hand inside your jeans right now, would you be wet?”

  “As wet as you are hard,” she countered.

  “Then you’re soaked. Why pretend.”

  She might have said something, but Dustin pulled her hard into his arms and kissed her. It took her by surprise with her mouth open, and he didn’t waste an opportunity. He slanted his mouth against hers. His mouth ate at hers, sucking in her tongue and tickling along the roof of her mouth. She moaned. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth and teased it with his tongue. She tried to wrest control of the kiss from him, but he wasn’t going to allow it. Instead, he ran his hands under her sweater up her back to her bra. He unhooked it all in one movement.

  She gasped and attempted to pull away. He refused to let go of her. He ran one hand around the edge of the bra and cupped her breast with it. He mounded it and then tugged on the nipple until she relaxed into his arms. He chuckled and drew the sweater over her head. The bra slid off her shoulders without his help. She stood before him in nothing but her jeans and shoes and socks. He smiled at her heavy lids. He loved seeing her lose herself in the feel of his hands on her body.

  He held her at her waist and bent down to lick at her nipples. He drew first one, then the other, into his mouth and sucked. She moaned and wrapped her hands around his neck. When he nipped at them, she tugged on his hair. It made him smile. Then he remembered his initial plan to not have sex after their dinner date. It wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t resist her. There was just something about her that made it impossible for him to walk away. He didn’t even want to walk away. No, he wasn’t going to stop everything now and go back home to his empty condo and even emptier bed. She might not have the nice bathroom and shower he did, but she was here, not at his place. One day he would have her at his place, though. One day soon, he hoped.