“Your mind must be a beautiful mess.” He does that thing where his gaze drifts between my lips and myeyes.
All I can think about is what his mouth would feel like pressed to mine. Between my thighs—This is not who I am. For the love…“Something like that,” I say. “So, what areyourhobbies, ElijahBanks?”
“I told you inMexico.”
“Well, most of that night’s a hugeblank.”
“That’s too bad.” Gently, he takes my chin between his fingers and lifts, forcing my gaze to his. “You can’t remember…and I can’tforget.”
I find myself swallowing, shifting on the metal bleachers. My heart pounds. Words shouldn’t cause such visceral reactions, so I’ll blame this deep pull between my legs on his sultryvoice.
“And now you’re the one avoiding,” I manage.Good recovery, Charlie.“What are your hobbies,Elijah?”
“You seemed very intrigued when I mentioned it toyou…”
“Look, no matter how many times you allude tothatnight, I’m not going toremember.”
He smirks and leans in again. “I’m curious to see your reaction without the influence of alcohol.” The confident way he moves, the way he smells, it’s all too tempting. He inches closer. Closer. Until I canalmostfeel his mouth on mine. “I fuck for a hobby.” His breath heats my lips, and Iswallow.
“Isn’t that every man’s hobby?” I may sound confident right now, but I’m barely holding my shittogether.
Moving away, he tilts his head and grabs a tendril of my hair, twirling it around his finger. “I fuck people to make them break, to free them from the moral constructs ofsociety.”
I’m so going to lose it. Any second now… “So.” Deep breath. “What exactly does freeing one from the moral constructs of societyentail?
“I dowhateverthey want.Whereverthey want. Withwhomeverthey want.” The air around us charges with crackling electricity. “I’d love to showyou.”
“Well…” I shrug. “I’m pretty into the moral constructs of societyso…”
“There’s a party at the end of the month. I’d like to bring you with me. Toplay.”
I lift both eyebrows. “Play?”
“Yes, I want to play with you.” He drops the piece of hair wound around his finger, then sweeps his thumb across my bottom lip. “I’d fulfill your deepest, most intimate fantasy.” It’s hard to catch a solid breath, difficult to see anything past the filthy innuendos flickering in his hazel eyes. “Tell me, Demi. What’s yourfantasy?”
Anything he could give me.“I don’t—” Several women, whose arms are loaded down with shopping bags, take seats within earshot. “I’ve never thought about it,” I whisper, like they’re privy to ourconversation.
“You’ve never thought about having two men fuck you at once?” His question causes my face to light on fire. “Never wondered what it would be like undressing and inviting a man between your legs, all while others watch like you’re a high priestess they’re unworthy totouch?”
I swallow, trying to shove those thoughts out of my mind while pretending he’s not making mewet.
“We’ve turned sex into something wicked. We’ve tied it up with pretenses until it’s no longer free. Sex is meant to beuninhibited.”
“Oh.” I manage to break away from the spell of perversion he’s cast over me. “Yeah. You see, I’m not the kind of woman who does the entire letting-go, breaking-free thing. I’m super into playing thingssafe.”
“I’d beg to differ.” He bites at his lip. “Fuck, I’d love nothing more than to watch you letgo.”
My gaze drops to his mouth, and my imagination runs wild with thoughts of just how wicked his lips could be dancing on my skin. What he would look like slowly undoing that tie and shirt, slipping out of that suit.I shouldn’t be contemplating this.Maybe because the lights from Times Square are twinkling overhead like a beautifulwatercolor.
“How about…” He sweeps a finger over my cheek. “…we make abet.”
“Abet?”
A slow smile inches across his face. “Within four dates, I bet I could have you begging me to freeyou.”
Maybe it’s the buzz of the city or the slight mischief in his eyes that sends a thrill darting through me like a high-voltage shock. I shouldn’t agree to this, because God only knows what sordid things he may attempt to drag me into, but I find myself tilting my head and narrowing my eyes. “It’s not smart to make bets with strangers,” Isay.
“We’re not really strangers now, arewe?”
