Page 10 of Show Me How
“I don’t need to. It stinks.”
My laugh falls out, encouraging her to narrow her eyes at me. “Just try it, Millie. You might surprise yourself.”
Hesitating for a moment, she reaches behind her to tug at the ribbons looped through the back of her dress. I watch curiously, piecing together that it’s a corset. With a sigh, she sets her hand back on the bar and stretches her upper body.
“If I try it, you’ll let it go?” she asks.
“Absolutely. I’ll order you a glass of the fanciest wine they have here instead.”
“You’re stereotyping me again.”
I shove my sleeves up to my elbows before resting one on the bar and turning to face her fully. I’m aware of how intimidating I can look, especially when I want something, so I try to keep my expression light. If I spook her now, she’ll take off before I can get to know a damn thing about her besides her name.
And I wanna learn a few things about this woman, even if it’s obvious that she’ll be long gone tomorrow morning.
“Prove me wrong, princess. Just one sip.”
“This is peer pressure,” she argues, but it’s weak.
I hide my grin when she takes the bottle into her small hand and holds it in front of her face. It’s unnecessary to push her any harder because in a blink, she has the bottle in her hands. In a move that yanks a disbelieving laugh from my chest, she slamsthe cap against the bar and sends it sliding down past me. Then, she brings her lips to the bottle and takes more of a gulp than a sip.
Even the simple rise and fall of her throat as she swallows is just as dainty as she is, and that’s more than enough to convince me to keep my ass seated right now. I’m intrigued, and I’ve been chasing this exact feeling for a while now. The rapid pulse in my veins and excitement stirring in my chest that only comes when I meet someone who I know will keep me on my toes. I crave the rush that comes with having to put work in to grab a woman’s attention, and Millie’s giving me more than that already.
Her eyes flicker, and then she’s staring at me. Slowly, she lowers the bottle to the bar and shifts on the stool. We’re facing each other now, and I let my grin free.
“You liked it, didn’t you?”
Her cheeks turn pink. “It wasn’t so bad.”
“You looked good drinking it.”
“Don’t flirt with me,” she warns lightly.
I let loose a laugh. “Is that a hard rule for you?”
“It is for men who look old enough to be my dad, daddy.”
“We both know that isn’t true, but if you’re into a bit of daddy play, I could be too,” I rasp, focusing on not getting a goddamn hard-on at the idea of that.
Her eyes flare wide as she yanks her beer back to her mouth. I chuckle, extending my leg to rest my foot on the bar beneath her stool.
She swallows loudly. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.”
“Do you always flirt like this with women you don’t know?”
“Are you trying to see if I’ll tell you how special you are, Millie?”
This time, instead of blushing, she grows a bit fiercer, her posture straightening further.
“No. I’m just trying to see if I was right about my judgment.”
After taking a sip of my beer, I ask, “What judgment was that?”
“That you’re a playboy,” she snips, reaching behind her to claw at the ribbons again.
Her frustration is obvious when she can’t seem to do what she wants to. She huffs, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before inhaling deeply.
