Perfect for You (17 page)

"Nope. I love the beaches. And how can you disparage any city where you can catch Hugh Jackman walking down the street?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Hugh Jackman?"

"Only one of the sexiest men alive today." At his bemused look, she clarified. "Wolverine, in X-Men?" When he didn't look any more clued in, her mouth dropped open. "You don't know Wolverine?"

He shook his head. "I never saw that movie."

"You missed out. It was great, and I'm not only saying that because he was half naked through most of the movie."

"Are you saying that you'd watch a movie only to catch a glimpse of this man's bare skin?"

"Hell yeah. I don't think you understand the appeal of that body."

He folded his arms across his chest. "But if you had the choice wouldn't you rather see, say, me in the flesh rather than this actor?"

She mimicked his pose. "You or Hugh Jackman?"

"Yes."

"You're kidding, right? Give me an actress you think is hot."

"Helen Mirren."

"Seriously?" She shook her head. "To each his own. Anyway, don't tell me you wouldn't drop everything and follow Helen Mirren if she suddenly turned up on your doorstep and told you she had to have you."

"I'd probably take her to high tea first." He grinned as the waitress set their orders in front of them. "Ah, saved by the food."

Freya watched Connor attack his tuna roll with great enthusiasm, only to stop after several chews, his eyes wide with what she thought looked like stunned disgust.

Exactly. Poking her avocado roll with her chopsticks, she asked, "How do you like it?"

"It's unlike any sushi I've ever had," he replied diplomatically.

"That's for sure." She poked the roll again, edging off a few grains of rice, which she practically inhaled so she wouldn't have to taste them. She hadn't known you could ruin sticky rice.

Connor scowled at a piece of sushi and then quickly shoved it in his mouth. After he managed to swallow, he gestured toward her plate. "Is your dinner okay?"

"It's fine," she assured him. "I'm just not hungry."

He looked down at his own plate, which was still half covered with offending maki. "I don't seem to be hungry anymore either. Shall we head out? It's early still. What do you say we catch a movie?"

She really just wanted to go home. She was hungry, and Connor would probably pick something artsy and boring. Also, frankly, Greg's presence was overshadowing their date, even more effectively than him actually being present.

She wondered what he was doing. How had he spent his day? Where was he tonight? What was he wearing? Or not wearingÉ

Stop
. She shook her head. "I think we should call it a night." Then because she felt bad for not having her complete attention on Connor, she impulsively added, "Though we could have a night cap at my place."

He brightened. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

"Take me home then." She pushed back from the table, trying not to list excuses to end the evening after one drink.

It turned out she didn't need an excuse. They walked upstairs to find Anna lounging on the couch, playing with her cell phone.

"Oh hey." Anna glanced up at them before returning her attention to the screen. "I didn't expect you back so quickly."

She'd never been so happy to see her little sister. She was tempted to go over there and give her a big kiss. But for Connor's sake, she frowned as she set her coat on a chair. "I thought you were going out on a date."

"Not till later." She tapped a few things and then closed her phone, giving them her full attention. "So how was your date, children?"

Freya rolled her eyes and turned to Connor. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "I understand all about family. I'll take a rain check."

Walking him out, she gave him a quiet kiss goodnight and locked up behind him. Sagging against the door, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she ran upstairs again. "He's gone, now tell me what you're doing here. And are you wearing my sweater?"

"It's not too big, is it?" Anna stood up and modeled it. "I mean, I know it's a little big, because I'm not a giant like you, but it looks okay, right?"

Freya rolled her eyes. "Do you really have a date?"

"Yes," her sister all but yelled, hopping around. "And he asked me out!"

"As opposed to a monkey asking you out?"

"No, as opposed to me manipulating him into asking me out."

"Do you have to manipulate a lot of boys?" she asked with a frown. "Because that's not a good thing."

"Most boys I only go out with for a free meal. I'm actually excited about this one."

"Who is he?"

Anna clammed up. "No one."

"He's not no one if you're so excited about him."

"He—"

The phone rang.

They both stared at it.

"Are you going to answer it?" her sister asked.

"I'd rather grill you." She walked across the room and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Are you busy?"

At the sound of Greg's low, sexy voice, a foolish grin spread across her face. She turned her back on Anna's avid gaze. "No."

"Good." There was no mistaking the masculine satisfaction behind that word. "Come see me."

A booty call. She bit her lip. She'd just had a date with another man. What did it say about her that she was contemplating hooking up with a different man right after?

"Freya?" he prompted, and she knew there wasn't really a decision to make. She wanted him.

"I'll be right there." She hung up and started reaching for her coat before she realized she wouldn't need it. "Lock up on your way out."

"Where are you going?"

"To see
no one
." She shot Anna a mocking grin and ran downstairs.

Before she could so much as lift her hand to knock on Greg's door, he opened it. Wordlessly, she stepped inside into the entryway, fully intending to greet him with some sultry, come-hither salutation.

But then she saw him and a flirty
Hi
seemed so vanilla, so she plastered herself against him, fastened her lips to his, and kissed him all the way down to his toes.

He pressed her into the wall behind them with his body. When her hands tried to work under his shirt, he took hold of them and pinned them next to her head.

This.
This
was right.

Excited, she hooked her leg around his and pulled him closer. As he thrust against her, they both groaned. He raised her arms higher so that he could grasp them in one hand, causing her back to arch. He ran his other hand down to palm her breasts. When he pinched her straining nipples she gasped.

"More," he murmured, lifting his mouth from hers. He pushed both her shirt and bra up in one motion and latched onto a nipple, giving it a savage suck.

She cried out, arching her back in silent supplication to him to take more.

He did. He took as much of her into his mouth as he could, sucking while he tongued her nipple. Slowly he pulled back until her nipple popped out of his mouth. He plied her other breast with the same delicious torture.

She was so caught up in the sensation of him devouring her breasts that she didn't notice he'd undone her pants and had begun working them down. "Off," he said.

Shimmying them down, she kicked them off and out of the way so she stood in her panties. Hungry for him, she slipped her hand out of his loose hold, gripped his hair, and brought his mouth to hers as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Groaning, he gripped her butt. "If you keep that up I won't make it upstairs."

"Okay."

He moved his hand down to finger the folds between her legs. His touch was light, and the cover of her thong created one more barrier she didn't want. She whimpered and squirmed, trying to bring herself some relief. "I need more."

He raised his head. His eyes glittered so dangerously blue that her heart sped up.
Holding her gaze, he slipped his fingers under the band of her underwear and tugged it down. She lowered her legs and let the underwear drop to the floor, stepping out of them. She unzipped his pants and reached in, gasping when her hand came into contact with silky flesh.

She raised her brows at him. "No underwear?"

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes as her fingers gripped him firmly. He was hot, almost scalding.
She stroked up the long length of him, and when she got to the tip she massaged the slippery wetness she found there all over, rubbing her thumb up and down over the slit to encourage more moisture.

He buried a growl in her neck. "Condom. In my pocket."

Reaching in, she quickly tore it open and covered him. He didn't waste a moment before lifting her up and positioning himself against her. "Help me in."

Yes
. She reached between them and took him in her hand. Rubbing him against her, she moaned. Slowly she wriggled against him, sliding on and off him before lowering herself all the way onto him.

"God. Damn," he huffed. Supporting her with one arm, he pushed back her hair to see her face. "This is good."

She was breathing just as heavily, and her reply came out in a weak gasp. "Yes."

"More?"

"Hell yes."

He moved slowly at first, a lingering slide in and out. But with each deep plunge in, his intensity increased. She held onto his hair and eagerly met each thrust, rocking against him.

"Come," he commanded against her mouth as his hand snaked between them and pressed down on her clit.

She threw back her head and screamed, dizzy with it. Greg followed almost instantly, roaring in satisfaction with one more deep lunge.

He lowered her to the floor, bending his knees to keep himself firmly inside her. His hand slid into her hair and massaged her scalp. "Does it hurt?"

"What?"

"Where you hit your head on the wall, as you came."

"Is that why I saw stars?"

"No, that was all me."

She grinned. "Prove it."

"With pleasure," he said, backing her up toward the stairs.

They only stumbled once on the way to his bedroom, but since their mouths didn't come unglued neither of them really cared.

It nearly killed her to wait until midnight. Anna tried reading, but she couldn't concentrate. Playing dress up with her sister's clothing didn't take that long because Freya was so much taller than her. It did yield a cashmere sweater she put on over her tank top. She hoped it'd inspire Max to pet her.

Next she used Freya's makeup to tart herself up. Then she wiped it all off and put on a more subtle face.

She wished she could talk with Greg and Freya, but she figured they were probably getting it on. Like she wasn't going to notice where her sister went. She rolled her eyes. She'd been watching from the window—not that she'd seen much, because they'd closed the door too quickly.

She was daydreaming when she heard Max come home. She looked at the time. 11:40. She wanted to run down and hang out with him, but she realized he probably needed a little time to get ready.

Torture that it was, she managed to wait until 11:56 before she ran down.

Max answered the door barefoot, in jeans and a T-shirt, his hair wet and slicked back. He silently let her in.

The nerves hit her suddenly. It was such a foreign feeling she had no idea what to do, so she ducked her head and took her jacket off. Setting it on a chair, she took a deep breath and turned to face Max. "I—"

He stepped up to her, cupped her face, and kissed her.

Sweet and sultry, slow but intense, his lips played over hers. She leaned into him, her knees weak, as her heart pounded.

He brushed her lips once more. "Good evening, Anna."

"Hi." His voice gave her chills, the good kind that made her want to rub herself all over him.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as he ran his hands over her arms.

"I'm starved."
Thank you, Freya, for the cashmere
.

"Come." Max took her hand and led her into the kitchen. He took her by the waist and lifted her onto the counter. He touched her face and then pulled out two wine glasses.

She watched with interest. "I get wine tonight?"

"Yes." He opened a wine refrigerator she hadn't noticed the last time and inspected a few labels until he found one that pleased him. Expertly, he uncorked it and poured for them both.

"Why?" she asked as she accepted her wine.

"Because you aren't driving anywhere tonight." He watched her over the rim of his glass.

She blinked, caught off-guard. Then she smiled wide and raised her glass. "
Salud
then."

He smiled. "
Salud
."

"I was so nervous before," she said, taking a sip. "I mean, this is such a different thing for me."

Max pulled out a pan. "How is it different?"

"I don't usually have guys cook for me." She wrinkled her nose. "I'm lying. That's not it at all."

"What is it then?" he asked, pausing to study her.

"I don't usually like a guy as much as I like you."

"That's honest."

"I probably shouldn't be so honest."

"Why do you say this?" he asked, pulling out a couple things from the fridge.

She shrugged. "Honesty seems to scare most men off."

"I'm not most men."

"No, you aren't. I like that about you." She settled into her seat. "So how was your day, dear? Good day at work?"

He shot her an amused look as he began his magic on the stove. "It was too busy, but my kitchen help all showed up, so, yes, it was a good day."

He looked occupied, so she watched him cook as she nursed her drink. He looked so focused, it was mesmerizing. What would it be like to be the focus of that much intensity?

She was going to find out tonight.

She shivered, and then she sighed. "You really love to cook if you elect to do it after a long day."

"I love to cook." He nodded and adjusted a burner. "But tonight I cook only for you."

"Because you want me to stay?"

"No, because I want you to be happy." He frowned at her. "You don't have to stay, you know. I would love it if you did, but it's your decision. And you should know, we won't have sex tonight."