“Carter…” I shook her hand while I studied her curves.Sunny, you’re a bombshell, I wanted to say, and while I was usually very articulate and able to be bold, the way she approached me had me taking a back seat this time. Her body language wasn’t overly aggressive, but it was suggestive. She found me attractive, and she was letting me know it by the way she moved.
“I’m glad to meet you, Carter.” She nodded her head at the door and passed me, and I followed into the hallway. It wasn’t that much quieter in the hall, but the twelve eyes staring at us lost their power the instant we were tucked into the darker space. “So loud in there,” she breathed, then she sipped her drink again.
She smelled like coconut and butter rum. The way her sun-kissed skin glistened, I assumed she’d been sunbathing, coated in oil and dripping with sweat earlier today. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. It wasn’t like me to be so attracted to someone so instantly that I’d consider devouring them on the spot, but Sunny had my attention.
My eyes trailed over her curves, only barely masked by the cover-up. I wanted to put my hands on them, taste every inch of her. She had my heart racing. “So, Sunny, are you enjoying the party?” I leaned closer as I spoke so I didn’t have to shout. A cluster of twenty-somethings passed by us, nudging me even closer to her. She didn’t seem to mind, and she didn’t back away.
“Well, I was sort of bored…until I saw you.” Sunny reached up and twirled a curl around her finger, and I smelled her breath—heavy with alcohol. I noticed her dilated pupils, the way her eyes looked glassy. Sunny was moderately drunk, maybe not enough to be considered illegal, but definitely enough that she shouldn’t be driving.
“Yeah? You like something you’ve seen about me?” I grinned at her as I took the final sip of my drink, and she snickered and smirked. As far as setups went, Rick had done his homework this time. I knew this was the woman he invited just for me, and based on how she was coming on to me so strongly, I figured he might have clued her in on the fact that it’d been a while since I was with a woman.
“I mean, have you seen the other guys here?” Again with the batting eyelashes. Rick really knew how to pick them. Sunny was hot and flirty, and not a bit shy about any of it.
“I haven’t looked at any of the men, no. I noticed a few pretty girls, but…” I left my words hanging in the air and she sighed, still twirling her finger in her hair.
“But?” Her eyebrows rose slowly; she took her last sip.
“But when the prettiest girl in the room looks at you, you sort of take notice.” My body was hot; I loosened my collar, grateful I hadn’t worn a tie today. Rick was off somewhere helping his buddy on the grill. Soleil, wherever she was, could wait. If the woman in front of me was this bold, I could afford to let myself indulge in the attention.
“You think I’m pretty?” she asked, and the smile on her lips made my pulse jump.
“Pretty doesn’t begin to describe it.” I lifted my arm and leaned on the wall over her while her head tilted farther to the side. This had all the makings of a great little fling, something to help me cut loose a little, maybe something more. I’d never just use her—women deserved to be cherished—but everyone needed a little nonsense in their life now and then.
She took another sip from her drink, her eyes never leaving mine, a sly grin tugging at her lips. She was clearly enjoying this, and I couldn’t blame her—there was something magnetic about the way she carried herself, even if she was a little drunk.
“So, Carter,” she said, her voice a little quieter now, but still playful, “what brings you to a party like this? You look like someone who doesn’t exactly need to be here.”
I smiled, leaning back against the wall casually. “I guess you could say I’m here for the…ambiance.” I shrugged, then gestured vaguely around the room. “The music. The drinks. The people.”
She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Uh-huh. So you’re just here for thevibe, huh? Seems like a pretty convenient way to avoid any awkward conversations.”
I chuckled, enjoying the playful push-and-pull between us. “Something like that. But hey, I’m not opposed to a little conversation…especially when it’s good company.”
She smiled wide, her eyes lighting up as she took another sip. “Good company, huh? And what makes for good company in your book?”
I let my gaze linger on her a little longer than necessary, feeling the chemistry between us. “Someone who knows how to have fun without taking themselves too seriously. Someone who can enjoy the moment.” I paused, my tone teasing. “And someone who’s not afraid to let loose a little.”
Sunny’s eyes twinkled. She set her drink down on the counter beside us and took a small step closer. “Well, I’m definitely not someone who takes things too seriously. In fact,” she leaned in just a bit more, “I think I’m ready to…let loose.”
I smiled, intrigued. “Oh yeah? How do you plan on doing that?”
She grinned, a little mischievous now. “Ever done something completely spontaneous just to break free of all the tension? Something totally wild?”
I raised an eyebrow, the corner of my mouth twitching upward. “Like what? What are we talking about here?” I started to get a hesitant feeling in my gut, but I didn’t draw back.
Her fingers brushed against my arm as she took another step closer, her voice dropping to a low whisper. “Something…uncharacteristic. Something a little reckless. Just to feel alive. Have you ever done anything like that?”
I took a breath, caught off guard by how the words she was saying made my pulse quicken. There was a challenge in her eyes, but also something else—something raw and hungry.
I leaned in slightly, meeting her gaze with a grin. “I’ve been known to have my wild moments.”
Sunny’s lips curved into a sly smile as she bit her lower lip. “Maybe I’m craving it. Maybe I’m looking for someone who can show me what it feels like to do something I’ve never done before.”
The air between us felt charged, like everything around us had faded into the background. She was leaning into me now, her body just inches away from mine, and I could tell she was on the edge of making a decision. A decision I wasn’t about to stop her from making, though my better judgment was telling me to put the brakes on.
“What do you have in mind?” Of all the times Rick set me up to go out with a woman, he had never once found one this daring or impulsive; not once was there a woman who seduced me within moments of meeting.
“Ever had sex with a complete stranger?” she asked, trailing her fingers down my chest. I gritted my teeth and held back a grunt of arousal as those same fingers slid down over my crotch and cupped my hard dick. This woman was serious, and it didn’t appear she’d be happy taking no for an answer.