Page 4 of Twin Babies For The Grump

“How come you are here alone, King?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t,” I say and glance to where my friends are still seated.

By the looks of it, Jimmy has managed to consume more than enough alcohol, while Carmen and Tom are busy with each other. “But my plans changed.” I gesture at her. “I’d rather show you the best San-Fran has to offer.”

“I’m going to guess that you live local,” says Tess, ignoring that last comment. She smiles and tucks a strand of beach-curly hair behind her ear.

I wrap an arm around her shoulders, steering her to look toward the east end of the balcony. She’s wearing a strapless dress, and I’m seriously lamenting the fact that I’ve got my jacket on right now, because fuck, I want to be touching skin-to-skin.

With my free hand, I point toward one of the high-rise apartments, only distantly visible. “Top floor, right there.”

“Oh,” says Tess, sounding significantly impressed. “Top floor, huh? That’s got to be an amazing view.”

“It’s stunning,” I say. “Of course, some views are better.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Tess asks though she doesn’t sound like she got what I’m alluding to.

“Well, the one right here, for starters,” I say, staring straight at her.

Her cheeks go even darker, and the flush creeps slightly down her neck.

Tess slips out from under my arm, but she doesn’t go far. There’s a swathe of glittering black fabric on the rail. She snatches it up, draping it over her bare shoulders, and then locks her gaze at the dark expanse of sky above us.

There’s so much light pollution in San Francisco, it’s impossible to actually see the stars. Tonight’s no different.

I shoot a quick text to Edward so that he’s on standby.

“Do you travel a lot?” I ask. Tess doesn’t look like she’s used to messing with strangers but I’m not going to pass on her. I just need to keep the conversation going.

Tess laughs at my question. It sounds like bells. I’m instantly smitten and thinking about what other noises I can draw out of her.

The cleavage on her red dress leaves little to the imagination, and while she’s a bit shorter than me, her curves are absolutely killer.

“Not really. Work is a priority at the moment. But I figure a little fun like this —” She gestures at the veranda, and the bar around us, “is needed. When in San-Fran, might as well act like I’m in San-Fran.”

“That so?” I question, unable to keep my gaze off her. Or my hands.

Tess glances up at me as I reach out and run my fingers on her cheek even though there’s no hair to brush aside.

“I could show you a different type of fun,” I goad, lowering my other hand to her hip and tugging her close to me again. “Something more interesting. More pleasurable.”

“That so?” she asks, her voice a low purr. “You’re so certain that it’s going to be a good time?”

“Oh, I’ll make sure it’s a great time,” I say, my own voice dropping down, hungry and impatient.

I lean in and kiss her, a brush of lips first to make sure that she’s as interested as I think, and then when she hums into the action, a firmer press. Her glittering lip gloss—strawberry scented—makes it a smooth glide.

She leans into the kiss and when I lick at her lower lip, she opens her mouth and lets me inside. It’s about as hot and heavy as you can get at a place like The Dot.

When she pulls back for air, it’s with a shuddering sort of breath and an even darker blush staining her skin.

“Alright,” she says with another laugh, breathier this time. “Show me, King.”

“Let’s go then.”

I curl an arm around her waist and lead her into the main bar and then outside. Behind us, the loud music and the talking fades away, and soon, it’s just me and Tess.

And that thought is delightful.

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