Page 84 of Captivating Mr. Second Chance

“And I was really looking forward to the scallops.”

“I can’t go out like this,” he said, drawing her close again, pressing his hard cock against her hip.

She sighed, snaking her hand between them to tug on the belt loops of his jeans. “I guess we could spare a few minutes.”

Then she dropped to her knees, right there in the entryway of his apartment, and smiled up at him. “Happy birthday, Ethan.”

25

Once they finally arrived at the restaurant, Ethan and Laney gorged themselves on seafood and took their time sipping on a crisp Riesling, followed by a slice of chocolate cake, though Laney ate most of it.

“You should have the last bite,” she said, holding up her fork to him. “It’s your birthday.”

The corner of his mouth tipped in a half smile. “I know how you like your sweets. You eat it.”

“If you insist.” She lifted a shoulder and ate the last bite, licking the fudge icing off the back of the fork with the tip of her tongue, and he moved his leg so it leaned against hers under the table.

“Lane,” he rumbled, “when did you become such a tease?”

She widened her eyes, pressing her hand to her chest in innocence, and he lifted his brow, shaking his head ever so slightly like she’d pay for it when they got back to his place.

She hadn’t expected his reaction when he’d opened the door tonight. The dress had become a bit snug over the years as she’d gained weight, but it was too cute to waste in the back of her closet, especially when the weather was so nice.

“You ready to head out?” he asked, even though he didn’t require an answer since he was signaling for the check.

“You in a hurry?”

He only hummed an answer, not even looking at the bill when it came, simply offering up his credit card.

“I’m supposed to pay,” she said, flicking at his hand, and he grabbed her fingers, twisting them up to his mouth. He kissed her wrist.

“Whatever gets us out of here faster.”

A minute later, he was towing her outside with his hand on her back. He all but shoved her into his car and jogged around to his side. “If I had to look at your tits any longer in that dress, I’d be held liable for public indecency.”

She backhanded him as he started the ignition. “You’re ridiculous.”

He glared at her in fake outrage. “There is only so much a man can take. And,” he said, driving out of the parking lot, “there are only so many math facts to mentally recite.”

“Then I guess I shouldn’t show you this, huh?” she asked, presenting him with the small, nondescript black box that she’d stowed away in her purse.

He spared it a glance as he changed lanes. “What’s that?”

“Your present.”

“My present?”

“You said you were very interested in playing with it,” she said, and that got all of his attention when he stopped at a red light.

“You tell me thisnow?” He inhaled so loud and long, rubbing at his forehead, she couldn’t help but giggle. He sent her an anguished glare then drove on when the light turned green. “You want to hear about the two French mathematicians who are the fathers of probability and statistics?”

She snickered. “If it’ll help.”

He leaned his elbow on the console. “Not even your appetizer before we left helped.” Then he wrapped his hand around her thigh, squeezing it possessively. “So, okay, in the seventeenth century, these two guys, Blaise Pascaland Pierre de Fermat, were thinking about gambling.”

Laney leaned her head back against the rest and listened to Ethan drone on about games of chance and probability and something called Pascal’s Triangle until they arrived back at his apartment, where he stripped her of her jacket and wrapped her up in his arms, kissing her like she was his dessert. She certainly felt like it from the way he licked into her mouth, moaning quietly like she was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted. When he reached for the straps of her dress, she backed away from him, a little unsteadily. “Wait, hold on.” She stepped out of her shoes. “I need to use the bathroom and want to brush my teeth. I probably taste like seafood.”

He flicked at the skirt of her dress. “Not at all.”

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