Page 3 of Here Be Dragons
"It's a great Midwest town, you know?" he said. "People from outside don't give it credit, but if you're from there, you love it with a passion." He took a sip on his nearly empty beer. "Where are you from?"
"Detroit," she said.
He gave her a teasing grin. "And let me guess: you love it with a passion."
"Damn right I do." She gave him a smile and finished off her drink, setting her empty glass down on the table. "And with that, I should probably head up for the night."
She watched as he drained the last of his beer and stood up as well. "I should head up too," he said. "Maybe we could have one last drink though. I'm assuming the hotel minibars are stocked pretty well considering how expensive this place is."
"That sounds nice."
And it did sound nice. Really nice. This is exactly what she needed tonight, but she didn't have to tell Shane that.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she did kind of feel guilty that she hadn't told him why she was really here. Normally, she was ruthless and determined and didn't care what men thought about her. But Shane seemed like a decent guy who actually asked her questions and was interested in what she was saying. He was probably just here at this stuffy hotel because he was watching out for his teammates and hockey friends during contract negotiations. So how would he react when he found out he slept with the enemy?
On the other hand, he was an adult and so was she. They knew what they were doing. They knew what they wanted tonight. Tonight was tonight and that would be it. Tomorrow was another day.
Ava grabbed her phone and key card off the table and walked out to the lobby and the bank of elevators, Shane following close behind with his hands tucked into his pockets.
He leaned forward to press the up button, his body brushing up against hers. Then he turned and gave her a teasing smile before standing a safe distance away from her as they waited. And when the elevator doors opened, his hand gently fell on the small of her back as he directed her in.
"Which floor?" he asked her.
"Whichever one you're on."
Shane pressed the button for the second floor and then turned back to her, giving Ava a flirtatious look that made her want to jump him right there in the elevator.
"You are definitely not like any woman I have ever met before."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked.
He took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall of the elevator, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. "I'm not sure yet, but I'm willing to find out," he said. "If that's OK with you."
She let her eyes blatantly wander down his body to make sure he knew exactly what she wanted. Because what she saw, she definitely wanted.
"It's OK with me."
Chapter Two
Shane squinted against the glaring sunlight filtering through the windows. Apparently, he only made a half-assed attempt to close the blinds last night before he went to sleep.
That's when he remembered why he was only able to get them sort of closed. He had been distracted by a woman.
He smiled, remembering the night he had with Ava, hoping that when he rolled over she would still be there. But the other side of the bed was empty. Normally, he wouldn't have a problem with this. Normally, he liked it when women knew when to leave and not linger. But most of those women weren't like Ava. That woman was something else. A force of nature. She wasn't timid or throwing herself at him. She was strong and knew what she wanted, and what she wanted was him. He was more than happy to oblige.
Ava let him take control, let his hands roam her smooth skin and his mouth explore her body. But there was a point when he realized that she was really the one in charge, and he didn't mind that at all. There was a confidence about her that turned him on in a way that he hadn't been turned on in a long time.
The last woman who had her way with him like that was his ex-girlfriend, Hannah. They were already several months into their relationship before he could finally let go and let her take over. Even then, it was good but not great. That may have also been because Hannah just wanted him for his money and his star power and not because she actually wanted him for him.
Ava actually wanted him.
Sure, it may have been for only one night, but there was a look in her eyes like she was hungry for him. It was such a turn on that Shane was surprised he was actually able to last as long as he did.
And those high heels? He bought Hannah a few pairs of those fancy Louboutins because he always had a thing for them. But she would take them off and put them in a box as soon as they walked in the door of his condo. Ava didn't. In fact, he remembered lying on his bed, watching Ava slip out of her shoes and strip off those tight black leggings of hers, the moonlight from the window reflecting on her silky skin.
"I wish you could keep those on," he murmured.
"My pants?"
