The jumble in my head was fucking distracting, though, and made it hard to push the random thoughts back. My frustration was growing again, but there wasn’t anything I could throw at Ben and that just made me more of a bitch.
His faint smirk said he knew I wanted to pitch a fit, but he didn’t let me. Stepping close again, he moved against me, still ignoring the world around us. “Do that thing with your hips for me, pretty bird. You know what I want.”
God, he really had been watching me way too closely.
Barking out a laugh, I pressed closer and brought my lips teasingly near his. “Stalker.”
His grin widened, not looking shamed at all. “Only for you, pretty bird.”
The fact that I believed him should’ve had me questioning our sanity, but something about his delight and knowing that he already knew me so well had me pressing against him. It’d been longer than I wanted to admit since I’d danced with a guy I hadn’t ended up decking, but this was Lord Benedict the Crazy…regular rules didn’t seem to apply here any longer.
So I danced.
And I moved.
And I teased.
And I found myself wanting to trust again…I just wasn’t sure if it would be that easy no matter how Ben’s sexy gaze followed me and his touch aroused me…or how proud he seemed to get as every eye watched us hungrily and fed the exhibitionistic side inside of me.
I’d almost let myself stop worrying when the song shifted, slowing to something more romantic than erotic, and he pulled me back into his arms. Nuzzling against my neck, it wasn’t quite a kiss as he swayed with the music and spoke into my ear. “It’s time for my pretty birdie to fly. You always leave at this time.”
Stalker.
But he was a stalker who was right. The morning would come way too fucking early if I didn’t leave on time.
Taking his hand as I tried to frown at him, I led him toward the back of the club again. This time we had to weave our way across the floor as people finally lost interest in us.
When we were hidden in the hall out of sight but not out of shouting distance just in case, I stopped and tried to decide what to say…and to do. Ben kept hold of my hand as he stepped closer, reaching up to stroke my cheek but not touching anything else no matter how tempted he seemed to be. “What color are you, pretty bird?”
Swallowing, I decided to just fuck the worried voice in the back of my head and be as honest as I could to see what would happen. “What color is a worried green?”
His lips barely turned up at the edges. “Let’s call it chartreuse?”
Rolling my eyes, I let the ridiculous answer push my fears away again. “Just knowing that word has me questioning that serial killer thing again.”
For some reason he looked very pleased with himself. “At least you’re thinking about me.”
And I thoughtIwas an attention whore.
“Would it make you more green or more yellow if I asked to take you out this week?” He was trying to keep it light, I knew that, but the tension in his hand gave him away.
“That’s a very good question…but I guess a serial killer wouldn’t ask to meet me in public.” Narrowing my gaze at him, I paused. “Unless this is some kind ofcome see my dungeonkind of date.”
Laughter filled the hallway as he shook his head. “I’m a Dom, not Dracula…and I’m pretty sure dungeons are very last season…playrooms are all the rage.”
His overly innocent tone had me wanting to snort, so I had to glare at him again. “If I end up dead, I’m haunting your ass forever.”
“Deal.” His smile made him look like a kid at Christmas. “You’re not going to regret this, pretty bird.”
There was no way to know how stupid this was going to end up being, but first we had to get one thing clear. “I don’t kiss on the first date and I’m certainly not doing anything physical until I’m sure you know my name.”
His grin had me wishing I still had my water bottle.
“I’ll take those limits and raise you one as well.” He looked entirely too pleased with himself. “I won’t kiss you or try to seduce you or even try to get you so pissed off you throw something at me again, pretty bird. But…you have to try to submit to me after we have our traditional and very proper dinner date."
He was such an asshole.
“Deal.”
