Page 64 of Mr. Wicked

That was a slight lie.

He’d been charming at the restaurant.

And irresistible.

And ridiculously sexy as he flirted with me from the other side of the small table, our knees touching every time I recrossed my legs.

But there was no way I would ever say any of that to him.

“Come on, let’s go inside so we can get this over with,” I told him, opening my door and meeting him on the sidewalk.

Like the two previous times we’d walked in and out of restaurants, I figured his hand would press against my lower back to lead me inside. But as I took my first step toward the front of my building, his fingers linked with mine.

The gesture caught me off guard, and I found myself drawing in as much air as I could hold and not releasing it.

This was a different kind of power.

It was filled with lust.

Emotion.

A need that pulsed and radiated through my entire body.

When we got to the entrance, his hand dropped from mine to let me dig inside my clutch, searching for my set of keys. Once I found them, I waved the fob against the reader, and he opened the door for me. His hand then returned to mine, and we headed for the elevator.

“Top floor,” he said the moment I pressed the button. “Does that mean you have a penthouse?”

I laughed. His comment was actually hysterical. “Absolutely. Wait until you see it, it’s huge. Four beds, four bathrooms. We have the biggest unit in the building. It even comes with a butler who wakes us up with smoothies every morning and irons our sheets.”

“Maybe I need to fire my housekeeper. Sounds like she’s slacking compared to yours.”

I shook my head. “You probably would too.”

“Nah.” He smiled. “I don’t like smoothies.”

“Who doesn’t like a smoothie?”

“It does nothing for me. I need substance, like the smooth lips of a pussy or some scrambled eggs.”

“I just gagged.”

He moved closer, using his height and the broadness of his chest to back me up against the side wall. “No, what you did was remember the way I licked yours and instantly got wet.”

“You’re far too full of yourself.”

I was beyond grateful that the elevator arrived before he was able to reply, and I stepped around him and moved us through the opening and down the hall, using my key to get us inside my apartment.

“Hey, hey,” I called out to Sloane.

My plan all along had been to bring him upstairs, so before I left for my date, I’d already given Sloane the heads-up. This way, she’d be prepared and already wearing a bra, unlike the half-naked attire she usually lounged around in.

“Wine’s in the fridge,” she called out from the living room. “Bring me a refill, will ya?”

“I’ve got you,” I replied.

As I made my way into the kitchen, Grayson stood near the sink, leaning against the counter. “It’s good to see someone has the power to boss you around.” He wasn’t any louder than a whisper, so Sloane wouldn’t hear.

I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed the bottle from the fridge. “Want a drink?” I scanned the shelves. “I have an IPA. Two summer lagers. And white wine.”

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