Need You Tonight (5 page)

Her fists curled into her palms, the binding around her wrists tightening as she flexed.
And a sudden shot of nerves went through her. “Van, I’m going to come. People will
hear
.”

Because there was no way she was going to be able to keep quiet.

In the span of two seconds, Van lifted away from her and reached for something from
one of the bowls behind her. “Open and bite down.”

Her eyes widened, but she did what he said. He tucked a fat orange wedge between her
lips, then was back in position like he’d never paused. His tongue glided over her
center then he sucked her clit between his lips and tugged. She shattered. Her back
lifted off the table and she bit down hard on the orange, the juice squirting into
her mouth and dripping down the corners of her lips as she cried out. Van dug his
fingers into her ass to hold her in place and his mouth dipped precariously lower,
teasing a forbidden place that had never felt a man’s touch much less his tongue.
Light broke behind her eyes, splintering into color, and she groaned low and deep.

Her orgasm climbed another step higher instead of relenting, and the orange fell from
her mouth. She began to pant, trying to bank her noises, and her body shook with the
force of a release that felt like it’d been building for months. “I can’t, I can’t . . .”

Van was over her before her next breath. He clamped his hand over her mouth, his eyes
dark with desire. “Just let it have you, baby. I don’t give a damn who hears you.
But I’ll help keep you quiet if you want me to.”

She nodded. He moved his hand away from her mouth and yanked his shirt tails from
his pants, wiping the olive oil on it, then he pulled a foil packet from his back
pocket. He ripped the condom wrapper open with his teeth and undid his pants.

“Give me one more, beautiful. I know you have it in you.”

With that, he positioned himself at her entrance and pushed inside. A gasp escaped
her, the feel of him stretching her an exquisite shock to her system. Her body resisted
despite her slickness—the feeling almost foreign again. But the edge of discomfort
was the most decadent kind of pain. She wrapped her legs around his hips, trying to
open herself fully. She needed all of him. Right. Now.

“Lord, baby, you’re gripping me so hard,” he groaned. “Am I hurting you?”

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “A good hurt.”

The wicked gleam that flared in his eyes had her thoughts emptying.

“Mmm, my favorite kind.” He rocked forward, his eyes closing as his fingers dug into
her hips, and he buried himself deep. His body shuddered along with hers, the remnants
of her orgasm still sending aftershocks through her. “Oh, fuck, yes. You’re so hot
around me. I can feel your pussy trying to milk my cock.”

She bit her lip, the dirty talk an unfamiliar experience but not an unwelcome one.
To hear such a seemingly sophisticated man talk so coarsely did something to her,
made her feel like she was seeing the primal version behind the curtain. “You have
a filthy mouth, Van.”

“And you fucking love it,” he said, leaning down and licking the sticky orange juice
at the corner of her mouth, as he thrust into her again. “You blush, but your eyes
go hot. You’re not craving polite.”

She gasped as he angled just right inside her. “I don’t know what I crave.”

“Yes, you do.” He rocked into her harder and with more speed. “You said it yourself.
You want to use and be used. Come again for me, baby. Use my cock. Let me feel you
break apart beneath me.”

He braced one hand next to her head and tucked the other between them, stroking her
clit with every thrust of his hips. Her lids fluttered shut as the tide of sensation
built to a breaking point.

“Eyes on me, gorgeous. I want you to see who’s fucking you. And I want to watch you
go under.”

She forced her gaze upward, the intensity of his stare burning through her. His dark
blond hair had fallen forward and the twinkle lights sparkled above him, a fierce
lion with a gilded mane. Then he smiled. And she lost it. The cry that roared up her
vocal cords would’ve been loud enough to be heard at the restaurant downstairs, but
he levered down and kissed her, capturing the desperate sound before it escaped. She
poured everything she had into that kiss as her body went molten around him.

He pressed his palm against her bound wrists, pinning her to the table and pumping
into her hard enough to rattle the bowls behind her. Her orgasm rolled through her
in powerful, crushing waves and he tore away from the kiss, his groan of pleasure
raking over her senses as he sunk deep and spilled inside her.

“Fuck, baby,” he said, letting his forehead meet hers, his chest rising and falling
with panted breaths. “So much for the slow and easy evening I had imagined. I promise
I at least planned to feed you first.”

She laughed beneath him, overcome with some weird combination of euphoria and the
bizarreness of the whole situation. Here she was lying naked on a restaurant table
with a perfect stranger slathered in olive oil and orange juice and drifting down
from the best orgasm of her life. Who was this woman?

He chuckled along with her and reached up to untie her hands. “We’re a mess.”

“But my skin is now exceptionally moisturized, and I smell
amazing
,” she said, grinning.

“Indeed it is.” He pressed an openmouthed kiss to her sticky neck and inhaled. “And
yes, you do. Citrus and sex, let’s bottle that.”

Her stomach flipped at the words. Citrus and sex were what her kitchen had smelled
like after she’d found Doug. She’d thought she’d never be able to smell orange juice
again without thinking of that horrible day. But Van had rewired her associations
in a few mind-blowing moments. Now she wanted to roll around in that scent. “We’ll
make millions.”

“No doubt.” Van gave her another quick kiss then eased out of her. He turned to discreetly
strip off the condom and zipped up before looking back in her direction. “Remind me
next time to not take no for an answer on bringing you back to my place. At least
there I’d have a shower and towels to offer you.”

She rolled her wrists and then pushed up on her elbows, offering him a smile, but
knowing there would be no next time. That’d been their agreement, her one condition.
Tonight could only be an escape. A fantasy.

She couldn’t handle any more than that.

Especially with a guy who could make her feel like this. One who could make her feel
this wanted and sexy, this . . . special. She knew she was definitely not the latter
for him. Van was way too smooth and confident—a seducer. She doubted his bed was ever
cold.

He was a playboy.

He was a temptation she couldn’t afford.

FOUR

Kade Vandergriff smiled when he heard soft snores coming from his left. Oh, how quickly
a shitty day had morphed into an amazing evening. When he’d headed out tonight for
location visits, all his frustration from a completely useless session with his attorney
about their seemingly winless case had come along with him. It probably would’ve been
wise to go home afterward to let himself settle down. But he hadn’t been able to stomach
the thought of pacing the halls of his big, empty house for the night. The silence
and space would’ve made him crazy.

So he’d driven into Dallas to visit his restaurants, hoping to channel all the crap
from the day into a productive evening. But after only a few hours into his drop-in
visits, his frustration hadn’t gone away but had instead morphed into nebulous, growing
anger. By the time he’d arrived at Barcelona and discovered three of their most popular
dishes had been eighty-sixed because of the manager’s oversight, Kade had been on
the verge of a Gordon Ramsay moment.

But then Contessa had walked into the restaurant, chatting with her friend and looking
like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Kade had stopped midsentence in his lecture
to his manager and had forgotten why he was so damn pissed. He’d left his manager
without another word and followed Contessa into the dating event, having no idea why
he felt so compelled to follow her or what he was going to do once he got to her.
But when her name hadn’t been on the list, he’d jumped at the opportunity to step
in. A few minutes into their time upstairs, she’d made him forget every crappy thing
that had happened that day. He’d gotten lost in the moment, lost in her.

He glanced over at his dozing companion. Contessa had curled up on one of the sofas
in the bar to wait while he picked up the last of the food and dishes they’d used
on their rooftop “un-date,” but exhaustion had apparently gotten the better of her.
Or maybe it was the six-course meal, the three glasses of sangria, and the two bouts
of amazing sex. Even he was feeling weary on his feet, and staying up until three
A.M.
was not a rare occurrence with his schedule.

Not for the first time, he wished they were back at his place where he could strip
her down and tuck her into his bed for the night. Wake her up with his tongue between
her thighs because damn the woman was sexy when she came. It was like each time it
happened, she was surprised, like she didn’t think herself capable of that passionate
of a response. And for some reason, she thought she wouldn’t like kink yet had responded
to his commands with beautiful capitulation. Which, of course, only made him want
to find out just how out of her mind he could drive her. They’d only scratched the
surface tonight.

But he had a feeling he wasn’t going to get another chance. She’d laid it all out
up front, refreshing but brutal in her honesty. She’d wanted an escape tonight. She’d
wanted to use him for that, and he’d been happy to oblige. Hell, the one-night fantasy
had become his specialty lately. Not that he was complaining. He’d enjoyed playing
the third in a few scenes with his friends’ submissives at The Ranch, the private
BDSM resort he belonged to. And he’d had his fair share of casual encounters over
the past few years with kinky women, as well as vanilla ones. Fun nights. Exciting
flings. Wild adventures.

But in the end, the result was always the same. After the initial rush, he lost interest.
Since his divorce, even women who’d been open to considering moving the relationship
to a more intense level—the level he desperately craved—he couldn’t seem to muster
up the desire. Too often, it felt like those women were simply agreeing to his flavor
of kink because of all the fringe benefits. He’d been down that road. Nothing like
finding out the girlfriend you’re tying up and flogging actually hates pain and all
things kink and is only taking it because she wants you to buy her that Coach purse
or bring her on that trip to Maui.

But even the women who hadn’t been motivated for the wrong reasons had lost his interest
in a month or two. The lifestyles reporter at the local paper had taken to calling
him the Time Share Bachelor because his relationships had ended on such a predictable
schedule. He never strayed, but he never stayed either. Sometimes he wondered if his
divorce had rewired him to only be capable of the temporary. So perhaps it was best
for all involved that Contessa walked away from him tonight. Clean. Easy. No attachments
or regrets. Everyone could look golden in a one-night stand. A flawless fantasy night
for both their memory banks.

Kade sighed as he carried an armful of bowls into the kitchen to rinse them out, unable
to shake his desire for more time with Contessa despite his perfectly valid internal
arguments. They’d spent hours together. He’d taken her twice. It should be enough.
Plus, she was vanilla for God’s sake. This wasn’t like meeting some girl at The Ranch
where he could imagine all the dirty things they could try out and mutually enjoy.
Contessa, despite her little glimmers of bravado, had a shyness about her, like she
was almost awkward about sex. When he’d pinned her hands above her head, her eyes
had gone as wide as a virgin’s on prom night. She may’ve been married, but clearly
her husband hadn’t given her any more than the basics.

A damn tragedy, that. Because the kind of eager responsiveness she’d shown upstairs
proved the woman was built for pleasure, starved for it. And everything in his body
was giving a battle cry to be the man to feed her. But there was no way in hell he
was going to chase her for the chance. He didn’t chase. Period. He’d spent too many
years when he was a kid doing that crap, and it only got you humiliated. Chasing.
Pining. Fantasizing about girls he couldn’t have. Only to be turned down so she could
go be with the jerk who treated her like shit.

Never again. He’d learned. Girls who wanted to be chased, wanted to be in control
of you. And control is one thing he’d never relinquish again.

“Need any help?”

Kade looked up from dumping the last of the food into the trash bin, finding Contessa
wearing a sleepy-eyed half smile. He shook his head, his whirling thoughts calming
at the sight of her. “Nah, it’s been a while since I’ve been on clean-up duty in a
kitchen, but I haven’t forgotten how to do it.”

“So are you a chef?” she asked.

He smiled, amused that she hadn’t bothered to ask his position up until this point.
It was a nice change of pace. Most women knew his whole resume before ever saying
word one to him. “I went to culinary school, so technically, yes, I could be a chef.
But that isn’t my current position. I own this place.”

And many, many others. But he didn’t need to volunteer that at this point. He kind
of liked her not knowing the whole restaurant mogul aspect of his career. No matter
what, it changed how people interacted with him once they knew.

“Wow, impressive,” she said, though she sounded more wary than impressed. “So you
were totally cheating when you said you wouldn’t have to pay for anything. Technically,
you’re paying for everything, down to the electricity keeping this light on.”

He grinned. “Are you going to convict me on a technicality?”

“Totally.”

He sighed. “Tough jury. Well, I have handcuffs in the car. Let me finish cleaning
up and then you can take me in.”

She laughed. “Somehow I don’t think you’re kidding about having handcuffs.”

He sent her a sly grin but went back to rinsing off the last of the dishes. Actually,
he didn’t have any in the car, but at home . . . At home he had enough restraints
to bind her in a hundred ways and never repeat a method. “A gentleman never reveals
his secrets.”

She went quiet for a while after that, and he began to regret the off-the-cuff comment.
The girl had just gotten out of a marriage where her husband was keeping the biggest
secret of all, and here he was joking about secrets.

He wiped his hands on a towel and turned to her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean, with your
husband—”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head, cutting off his apology. “You’re fine. Truly, I wasn’t
even thinking about the situation with my ex. Just about our agreement for total honesty.”

Total honesty. Like not even giving her his real first name or the scope of his job.
He was doing stellar on that all around. But she was looking so pensive that he couldn’t
help but walk over to her. He put his hands on her arms, rubbing the chill bumps there.
“What’s on your mind?”

Her gaze slid to the right and down as if there was something eminently more interesting
on the floor. “I’m trying to fight the urge to ask you a supremely embarrassing question,
but one that I need an honest answer to.”

Uh-oh. That sounded like a no-win trap if ever there was one. But what was he supposed
to say to that? “Well, since you’ve already declared that we’re not going to see each
other after tonight, I’d say you probably have nothing to lose by asking.”

She took a deep breath, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip, and her gaze still
locked on anything but him. “When I caught my husband cheating. He told me it was
partly my fault, which I know is bullshit.”

“Total bullshit,” Kade agreed.

“But he said I was boring in bed,” she rushed on. “And I can’t help but wonder if
maybe—”

“That fucker.”

Her attention snapped upward, surprise in her eyes.

He cupped her face in his hands. “Baby, I don’t know much about you. I don’t know
your last name or what you do for a living. I don’t know if you take cream in your
coffee or if you prefer tea. But I can tell you one thing for sure. There is nothing
boring
about you. Tonight was amazing.
You
were amazing. And if that idiot ex-husband of yours didn’t know what to do with a
gorgeous woman and all that passion you have brewing right beneath the surface, then
that’s on him.”

All the tension sagged out of her, and she closed her eyes, nodding in his hands.
“Thank you.”

The soft response and her obvious relief nearly undid him. What kind of asshole made
a vibrant woman like this doubt herself? He half wished her ex was here right now.
Kade would let the guy watch as Kade took Contessa right in front of him, let him
watch how glorious she was when given pleasure by a man who knew what he was doing.

“Don’t give his words another thought,” he said, kissing her forehead and wishing
he could swipe the memory from her mind with the gesture.

“I know I shouldn’t, but it’s hard not to let doubt creep in. When you approached
me tonight, I almost chickened out because I thought I might embarrass myself. I’m
not that experienced. I married him so young and—”

“Contessa,” he said, frustration edging his words. “Stop.”

She blinked up at him, apparently taken aback at his change in tone.

He lowered his hands from her face, fighting the sudden urge to turn her over his
knee and spank her for even giving that jerk another second of thought. “Stop doubting
yourself. Inexperience does not mean boring. Boring is a woman who isn’t present with
you in the moment. Boring is a woman who lies there and doesn’t participate or who
isn’t open to trying new things. Boring is an attitude,
not
a lack of skill or experience. If you’ve got the desire, the rest can be learned.
Taught.”

All it took was a good teacher and a willing student. And right now, he was feeling
quite professorial.

“You think?” she said, looking unconvinced.

“Baby, nothing is sexier than a woman who wants to learn.” He moved forward, backing
her into the wall, loving the little gasp she made when his burgeoning erection pressed
against her. “In fact, it’s my biggest turn-on, showing a woman exactly what to do
to please me.”

She wet her lips, her nerves visible right there at the surface. “Sounds like kind
of a selfish way of looking at it. How to please
you
.”

He chuckled and slid his hand down along her hip. “Yes, but pleasing me reaps so many
rewards. I always repay with interest.”

When he snuck his hand beneath her skirt and upward, she tilted her head back against
the wall and groaned. “What would you teach me?”

He smiled with promise. She’d left her panties off since they’d been ruined earlier,
and his fingers easily found what they were seeking. “The list is long, baby. It’d
definitely take more than one night. I’m a kinky fucker.”

“Van,” she gasped, as he curled his fingers inside her, sliding deep into the slick
heat.

“Want to be my student?” He pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing in slow, tight
circles. “I promise lots of one-on-one attention.”

“Oh, God.” She rocked against his hand almost as if she was trying to resist the urge
but couldn’t stop the movement. Her voice went breathy. “I can’t—I can’t get involved.
With anyone.”

The words sounded like a plea instead of a statement. She was so close to the edge
already, even after her orgasms from earlier. God, he loved how hot she ran. Her arousal
coated his hand, her sweet scent filling the sterile kitchen. “I’m not asking you
to date me, baby. I’m not good at that anyway. I’m offering to show you what you’re
capable of, to teach you what you want to learn. To have fun.”

Her fingers twisted in his hair as she rocketed toward release with her eyes squeezed
shut and her head lolling from side to side against the wall. “Van!”

“Come for me,” he said, his voice going gritty with his own need to see her explode
again. “Fuck my hand and take what you know I can give you.”

Her shout was sharp and desperate as she shattered in orgasm, the sound winding through
the kitchen and empty restaurant. She called his name in a pleading prayer and melted
against the wall like butter on hot cast iron.

He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing deeply with his own desire pounding through
his veins. God, she was something to behold when she let go. No fucking way was he
going to let her get away with only tonight. He needed more of this.