Seductive Guest (9 page)

“That depends. What do you mean by
dinner
?”

“As in, a home-cooked meal. What else would it mean?”

“Judging the way you keep kissing me, I assumed dinner was either a make out session on your couch or a passionate round of sex.”

“If that’s what you want…I’m not going to say no.”

She glared at me but there was amusement deep in her eyes.

I chuckled. “I really meant dinner. Cooking is a hobby of mine.”

“Yeah?” She seemed impressed.

“Yep. So, what do you say?”

“I’m not going to say no to free food.”

“Good. You want to head over now?”

“Sure. But I have a question.”

I stared at her, noting the green color of her eyes. “Yeah?”

“Why are you inviting me at all?”

I shrugged. “I like you. Is there a problem with that?”

“And what does that mean, exactly?” She watched my reaction.

“You’re reading too much into it.”

“I would agree with that if you didn’t keep kissing me.”

“Does it bother you?” I asked. I knew it didn’t.

“No…but you know I’m in love with some other guy. And I hired you to help me get him. I just hope you don’t think this is going anywhere.” She watched my face. “I don’t say that to be rude or offensive, and I’m not assuming anything. But, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“I think you’re really cool and pretty. I wouldn’t mind if this went somewhere physically. There’s a chance nothing may happen with Nathan. And I have needs and so do you. If it went somewhere, I wouldn’t be against it.”

“So, this is another one-night stand situation for you?”

How did I answer that? If my answer was no she might push me away out of guilt. But if I said yes, she might think I’m a pig. Either answer might screw me over. “I guess.”

“Because I don’t see this ever going anywhere, River. I mean, I like kissing you because you’re drop-dead gorgeous—”

“Why, thank you.”

She kept going. “But you mentioned you were looking for something serious. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression and hurt you. Honestly, I’ve been hooked on Nathan for years and I don’t think that will ever change. If you’re looking for a happily ever after, it’s not with me.”

Her words stung and I wasn’t sure why. I guess I’d never had a girl tell me she didn’t want something serious with me. It seemed to always be the other way around, where women were begging for a monogamous relationship. I really didn’t know Meadow that well so there was no way I could want something like that with her. But it hurt anyway. “You’re reading too much into it, Meadow. Just come over for dinner.”

She relaxed. “Okay. I think you’re a conceited jerk but I also think you’re really sweet. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m made of titanium,” I said. “You can’t hurt me.”

“Then what’s for dinner?”

***

“What are you doing?” I asked as I watched her slice the asparagus.

“Um, slicing and dicing?”

“You don’t wash your vegetables before you eat them?” I asked incredulously. “You could get sick that way. It’s just like raw meat.” I turned on the water then ran the asparagus underneath it.

“Look, I don’t cook much. Well, except for Top Ramen.”

“That shit ain’t food.” I patted the asparagus dry then returned it to the cutting board.

“It is when you’re broke.”

I returned to the chicken and mixed it with the sauce.

“What are we making anyway?”

“Thai chicken with noodles.”

“Sounds fancy…”

“If I weren’t a escort I’d probably be a chef.”

“Maybe you can do both,” she suggested.

“No, I don’t have time for that.” I stirred the pan then added the asparagus to it.

When everything started to sizzle, Meadow sniffed the air. “Man, that smells good.”

“Me?”

She chuckled. “The food, River.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I wear Armani.”

“Well, they both smell good.”

I turned off the stove then poured the food onto two plates. “I’m glad I taught you a few things. Now when you make dinner you won’t make that shit you call food.”

“Stop hating on Top Ramen,” she said. “There are a million college students living off of it right now.”

I set the table then sat across from her. “And they all have elevated levels of salt along with high cholesterol.”

“Are you one of those annoying health freaks?”

I looked down at myself. “You think I look like this from eating crap?”

“I assumed you look like that because you don’t have a life and spend all your time at the gym.” There was a teasing note to her voice so I knew she was joking.

“You’re one to talk. A girl doesn’t have legs like that unless she’s active.”

“I like to bike outside the city.”

“Cool.” I knew she did something.

“I have a gym membership but I never go,” she said. “There’s always too many people and I could just go to the bar next door and order a drink…that sounds like more fun to me.”

I chuckled. “That sounds like the better choice anyway.”

“And you’ll never guess what they just put in on the other side of my gym.” She had an irritated look in her eyes.

I shrugged. “Another bar?”

“No. A damn bakery.”

I tried not to laugh.

“With cupcakes and treats on display through the window. Like it isn’t hard enough for people to lose weight, but then you put a bakery next to a gym?” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Who does that?”

“Have you been inside it?”

She shrugged with a guilty look on her face.

“I’m not judging you.”

“They have the best pecan pie in the world,” she blurted. “And they have mini pecan pies. It’s so good.”

I chuckled. “That’s cute.”

“What? The small pies?”

“No. You.”

She cocked an eyebrow while she ate. “That I have no self-control?”

“No. Just picturing you in a small bakery is cute to me.” I couldn’t really explain why.

She continued to eat. “Wow, this is really good, River.”

“Thanks,” I said. “But you helped, remember?”

“I didn’t wash the asparagus,” she said with a laugh. “I could have killed us.”

“Nah, I have the stomach of a bear. I can eat anything.”

“Well, if I ever cook Top Ramen for you that will give me peace of mind.”

I shook my head. “You couldn’t pay me to eat that crap.”

“Have you ever tried it?” she asked as she looked at me over her plate.

“No.”

“Then don’t rag on it unless you give it a try.”

“I’ll pass,” I said.

“I’ll make you try it eventually,” she said. “Just wait and see.”

“That’ll only work if you’re on your knees or your back.”

She cocked an eyebrow while she looked at me. “Meaning…?”

I smiled because she was so ignorant. “That was a nice way of saying you’ll need to give me head or let me fuck you before I’ll eat that fake food.”

“Oh…” Her cheeks blushed. “Gotcha.”

Her innocence was cute. I liked the fact she wasn’t slutty. It seemed like girls gave it up too easily. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“You’ll ask me anyway if I say no.”

“Good point,” I said with a chuckle. “If you’ve been hung on this guy for so long does that mean you haven’t been around much?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that,” she said. “I’ve been with a few guys. The sex was…okay. But I guess it wasn’t memorable because there were no real feelings there.”

“And you think if you have sex with Nathan it’ll be magical?” I asked.

“I would hope so,” she said. “He’s the only guy I’ve ever really cared about.”

I was really starting to hate this guy who I didn’t even know. He had the love of a beautiful woman and he didn’t even want her. How did he pull that off? If I were a billionaire would she notice me? If I ignored her would she pay attention to me? Why did I care?

“How about you?”

“What about me?” I asked, forgetting what we were talking about.

“How are your conquests?”

“I have too many to count,” I said honestly.

“I can imagine,” she said. “Women must throw themselves at your feet.”

I stared into her eyes. “Not all.”

“What made you want a serious relationship?” she asked.

She asked me this before but I didn’t really give her an answer. “It’s just lonely. I see what my friends have now and they are really happy. I want a wife to come home to and kids. I can’t have kids without a wife. They kind of go hand-in-hand.”

She nodded. “True.”

“And it seems like the sex is better when it’s with someone you actually care about. But I haven’t found any luck finding someone. And every time I tell a girl that’s what I’m looking for, they throw themselves at me. An honest request becomes a pick up line.”

She chuckled. “I didn’t foresee that problem.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m the problem,” I said. “How can every girl I meet not be the one? Maybe I’m just not marriage material. Maybe I’m forcing it when it’s just not possible.”

She dropped her teasing humor and turned serious. “That’s not true, River. The only reason you haven’t found someone is because you don’t settle. And that’s not a bad thing. Wait until you know you’ve found the right girl. If there’s any doubt, don’t pursue it. And these things take time. They don’t just happen overnight. Be patient.”

“Well, I’m almost thirty. I’m running out of time.”

“There’s always time,” she said.  “Don’t stress about it.”

I continued eating until I finished.

Her teasing tone came back. “Although…maybe you can’t find someone because you’re an arrogant jerk that kisses every girl he sees.”

I chuckled. “Maybe. But I doubt it.”

She finished her plate then released a sigh. “Man, I’m full. That was really good.”

“We make a good team.” I cleared the plates and dropped them in the sink. Meadow turned on the water and grabbed the sponge. I turned off the water and steadied her hand. “No. Leave them.”

“You cooked and I’ll clean.”

“You’re my guest.” I grabbed her elbow and pulled her away from the sink. “Forget it.”

“Bossy like usual…”

“I just know what I want. There’s a difference.” I guided her to my living room and turned on the TV.

“I like your apartment,” she said. “It’s definitely masculine but not a total man cave.”

“Thanks. I like it too.” I sat on the leather couch.

She moved to the spot beside me. “But could your TV be any bigger?”

“No,” I said honestly. “I got the biggest one.”

She chuckled. “Until the next model comes out…”

“I have the guys over a lot so a big screen TV was necessary.”

“That’s cute,” she said. “Are they your best friends?”

I rolled my eyes. “Guys don’t have best friends. They just have friends.”

“Well, would you consider them to be your best friends if someone asked you?” she pressed.

“I’m not a girl.”

She nudged me in the side. “Come on. You love them.”

“Now you’re just making me sound gay.”

“I love my girlfriends and I’m not afraid to admit it.”

“But if you were gay that would be hot,” I said honestly. “And I would love to see that first hand.”

“Typical,” she said under her breath.

I flipped through the channels. “What do you want to watch?”

“I’m surprised you asked.”

“Why?” I asked. “I’m a gentleman.”

“I just figured you were going to make out with me the whole time.”

I turned to her with a grin on my face. Then I tossed the remote on the other couch. “Well, if you insist…”

She laughed then tucked her hair behind her ear. She was clearly nervous.

I snatched her then pulled her onto my lap. I knew she could feel my hard-on but I didn’t care. I was proud of my immense size. I was much bigger than she was so I pulled her against my chest. She was lighter than air. Then I pulled her lips down to mine and began a slow kiss.

My hands gripped her hips then moved up her sides. I stayed in appropriate zones because I knew she didn’t want anything more than an innocent embrace. Her chest pressed against mine and I could feel her voluptuous tits. I hoped we would do this all night. Maybe she would forget about Nathan if this went on long enough. We clearly had the right chemistry. I’d experienced a lot of good sex in my life but I’d never been content just making out with a girl, not since I was fifteen.

A knock on my door interrupted our kiss.