Page 15 of Tempt Me

A big line-up of people caught my eye, and I went over to see what the commotion was. As I neared, I discovered that Jack Gleeson, who played Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones, was at a table at the head of the queue, signing autographs. Whilst I loved Game of Thrones, I had no intention of lining up for him. If it had been Daenerys Targaryen, the Dragon Mother, on the other hand, I would’ve lined up until the blisters on my feet were large enough to need their own sneakers.

I ambled my way around one crazy impersonator after another, and the smell of food lured me toward a group of rowdy people in the seating area. My stomach growled as I joined the line that threaded toward the counter. As I waited my turn, I scanned the crowd and saw Batman from earlier today. He stood back from his group of mates who were sharing a joke that Batman didn’t seem privy to. He glanced toward me, and our eyes met. I nodded at him, and I couldn’t believe he actually looked around to see if it was someone behind him that I was indicating at.

When he turned back to me, I smiled, and when his jaw dropped, I laughed.

Batman didn’t know it yet, but he’d just become my next potential sexual conquest.

I ordered my food and carried my serving of hot chips and gravy over to him. He hadn’t taken his eyes off me since I’d smiled. Maybe he thought I’d vanish if he did.

As I neared him, he tugged out a chair, and when I sat, he sat beside me and the first thing I did was check his left hand. No wedding ring. Perfect.

“Hi. I’m Poison Ivy,” I said as I did my best to eat a hot chip dipped in gravy in the sexiest way possible.

“I’m Batman.” He ran his tongue over his lips, and I admired his nicely trimmed two-day growth and square jawline.

“I can see that.”

The blue Power Ranger came to Batman’s side. “Hello. Who do we have here?”

I chomped on my chips, deciding not to give the newcomer any attention.

“This is Poison Ivy.”

“Yes, you are,” Power Ranger actually purred, and I looked at him with uninterested eyes.

“Have you been to this before?” Batman asked.

“First time.”

“Then maybe you’d allow me to show you around.”

I pushed back on my chair. “I’d love that.”

With my tub of hot chips in one hand and my other hand hooked into Batman’s elbow, we started to walk away. Batman turned over his shoulder and said, “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

We left his group of mates with stunned looks on their faces, and I returned to nibbling on my chips. As we strolled side by side, up and down the aisles, Batman explained each of the stalls to me. His fascination with the comic scene was obsessive. More than half of the things he talked about were beyond me. It seemed to go on forever.

A deep voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing the expo was finishing in ten minutes. I glanced at my watch; it was four-fifty p.m., still four hours away from the start of my shift.

I smiled up at Batman. “Do you want to go back to your place?”

His mouth nearly fell to the floor.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s go then.” I tucked my arm into his again and directed him toward the exit.

I released my hold on him once we reached the stairs and reminded myself that I had to let him lead the way back to the hotel.

Batman placed his hand on the small of my back and, like a true gentleman, led me across the congested Gold Coast freeway. It wasn’t until we were on the opposite side of the street that he spoke again.

“So, what’s your real name?”

I quickly debated what to tell him. Was I Jane Nichols, Memphis, or Poison Ivy? I really did have a few screws loose. “Tonight, I’m Poison Ivy.” I grinned at him and when he smiled, I noticed faint laugh lines beside his eyes. He must be about my age or maybe just over thirty.

“Excellent,” he said. “I’m staying at the Hot Horizon Hotel; it’s only a couple of streets away.”

“Okay.”

Large high-rises blocked out the western sun, so the beach and walking track that ran parallel to the sand were now bathed in shade.

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