Page 82 of False Evidence

It was a good question. She was the first woman he’d dated who more than made it clear she wanted to use him for sex and walk away. That absolutely had secured his attention.

Before that, she had been the fierce woman who’d invited him to her hotel room to assert her bodily autonomy. But he knew that deep down, she simply hadn’t wanted to be alone. She’d chosen him for that. And she’d let him comfort her. Without sex.

Tonight, however, the last thing he wanted was to remind her of the night they met, because this relationship, if it were to go anywhere, would be based on this good, wild energy they generated. The trauma that followed their first meeting would only be a footnote.

“You had me when you challenged me at the bar, assuming I thought you didn’t work for Talon & Drake because you’re blonde.” He leaned in and ran his lips over her neck. “When you questioned whether or not I had a penis.”

She tilted her head back as he kissed her neck. “Am I finally going to learn the truth?”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. “You tell me.” He was hard against her belly, his cock thickening by the second.

“I want to taste you.”

His mouth found hers, and he kissed her deeply. Her arms circled his neck, and her fingers threaded through his hair.

She let out a soft moan as he explored her mouth with his tongue and stroked her ass, holding her firm against his erection.

He wanted to take her straight into the bedroom and bury himself inside her. It took a great deal of restraint to end the kiss. He raised his head, and her mouth moved to his neck. “Don’t stop,” she whispered as she kissed him, sliding her tongue across his collarbone.

“We need to order dinner before the kitchen closes. Santa needs to eat before his big night.”

She stopped kissing him and muttered against his neck. “Crap. I suppose it’s important to keep up your strength.”

“Even elves need to eat.”

“So, we order the food, then sex?” she asked hopefully.

“I’m not rushing the first time we’re together because room service might interrupt.”

“Promise you’ll put out after the food arrives?”

“You make it sound like you only want me for my body.”

“I said what I said.”

He kissed her nose. “Sweetheart, tonight I’m going to give you everything you want and a few things you didn’t even know you needed.”

She laughed.

Damn, she was beautiful.

He placed their dinner order and was told they had a forty-five-minute wait.

To avoid temptation, he turned on the TV. TBS was showingA Christmas Storyon repeat. He set the remote on the coffee table and settled back. “One of the greatest movies ever made. I, um, hope you like it. Itcouldbe a deal-breaker.”

She laughed. “No worries. I love this one. I even remember seeing it in the theater. I was four, so my memories are vague. But it was still fun.”

“I was ten—a year older than Ralphie. I had a BB gun that my new little stepbrother coveted.”

“Aww. I bet you two were adorable together.”

“Eh, he was already taller than me.”

She snorted. “You must be joking.”

“Yeah, but hewasalways tall, like his dad. He didn’t pass me until he was fourteen or fifteen though.”

Ralphie was still on his quest for the ultimate Red Ryder when the food was delivered. JT tipped the server, giving a hefty cash bonus as a thanks for working on Christmas Eve, then closed and locked the door.

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