Page 7 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

“I must say, that sounds like somethingIwould say. I like it. And, although I’ll deny it if you tell Max, I agree. Now, why not go take advantage of him?”

“Anna, I couldn’t do that.”

Anna studied her for a moment. “It isn’t because he’s black, is it?”

“Oh no. It isn’t that. Although, I can imagine what my family would say about it.”

“Then what is it?”

“Other than Max, there has only been one other guy, and I didn’t like it with him, either.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “You didn’t like sex with Max?”

“I don’t like sex, period.” She shrugged with the familiar feeling of rejection and failure. “It has to be something with me.”

Anna crossed her arms beneath her breasts and frowned. “You know, maybe it has to do with the men.”

“Oh, come on. First of all, you seem pretty happy with Max.” Anna smiled at that. “But I wasn’t. And the first one, Brett Simmons—well, he let me know when we broke up that I was a cold fish.”

“What I meant was that maybe because these were men your father picked out for you, you weren’t attracted to them. Maybe you need someone your father would disapprove of.”

“But I don’t know anyone like that.”

Anna opened the door and led them out of the bathroom. At the end of the hallway, both Chris and Max stood waiting for them. Max frowned. Chris’s mouth curled into a small smile, and Cynthia’s heart flip-flopped. Her entire body warmed at the idea of seeing that smile tomorrow morning.

Anna leaned closer. “There’s someone who could really show you a good time, and I would say he’s someone your father would not suggest you date.”

“He lives in Honolulu.”

“Even better—a one-night stand.”

Cynthia tried to disapprove, but something about the idea excited her. She had never been a one-night-stand kind of woman. It just wasn’t done. As she studied Chris, his gaze slid down her body and back up again. Heat flared from her stomach and spread to her sex. She shifted her legs, trying to get rid of all the tingles. It only made it worse. Her damp panties rubbed against her sensitized skin. Her knees went weak.

Lordy.

Anna nudged her in the ribs. “Come on, Cynthia. How often do you get a chance like this?”

“I need a few drinks.”

“Tell you what,” Anna said as she pulled Cynthia along with her. “Chris needs a ride back to the hotel. Take him, along with a couple bottles of champagne.”

Anna released her and seized Max, dragging him off. She heard Max asking questions and Anna telling him to mind his own damn business.

“Anna says you need a ride.” When Chris’s smile widened, she realized what she’d said. “B-back to the hotel.”

He nodded. “Are you offering me a ride?”

The way his voice deepened over the wordridemade her lose her train of thought. The idea of sitting on his lap, riding him… She swallowed.

“If you’re interested.” Dang, when did her voice go all husky like that? And when did she start using the worddang?Lord, she’d drunk too much.

His lips twitched. “You bet.”

“Let me pick up a couple of things, and I’ll meet you around front.”

He nodded again. As she walked away from him, she felt his gaze on her, sending another jolt of arousal into her blood. Her nipples tightened against the fabric of her blouse.

She grabbed a bottle of champagne and her purse, and released what was left of her sanity. For once, Miss Cynthia Myers was going to go with instinct rather than upbringing. As she rounded the corner of the club, she saw Chris leaning against one of the columns. For just a second, she panicked. What the hell was she thinking? This was completely out of character for her. She shouldn’t be doing this, or even thinking it. Being homeless, jobless—those things were important. Jumping the bones of the most delicious man she’d ever met was not.

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