AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Then again, I reasoned, he may have felt he'd had little choice if the circumstance he'd found himself were true.
"Billie," I offered, deciding I was safe enough around the eighty or so other patrons in the wine bar to tell him my name. I blushed a little at the way my voice dropped an octave with my one-word answer.
"Of course, it is. Looking at you, it had to be something edgy and cool. I should have guessed," he said, playfully. Leaning across the table, he placed his large strong hand over mine that I had rested on the table. He patted it gently and flashed me a winning smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Billie."
My heart instantly fluttered uncontrollably with his natural gesture of familiarity, and when I felt his skin next to mine it was electric.
"I'm Sawyer, as I said earlier. Or Sawyer Michael Wild, as my mom always calls me when she's scolding me," he drawled in his unhurried, laid-back low tone with a chuckle.
For a long minute, I silently studied him further and noted the hard lines of his body. He had a strong body, one I felt was used to working out, and I shocked myself by fantasizing about seeing him naked and wondering what it would be like to have sex with a man built like him. A warmth grew in my cheeks with my wandering mind and I was thankful for the distraction when he spoke again.
"So tell me, darlin', is Mr. Billie going to storm through the door at any moment and bust my nose for hitting on his woman?"
When he called me darlin' I almost melted into a puddle on the floor, and although I kept telling myself he was a smooth operator, I couldn't help but feel flattered.
"Is that what you're doing? Hitting on me?" I blurted it out with a chuckle before my mouth had engaged with my brain.
A slow, sensual smile spread on his lips and he dipped his chin to his chest but shot me a look through his lashes at the same time.
"We could have fun with that if I wasn't hiding out here, feeling shit-scared of my stalker. I swear, I only ran in here to get that goddamned woman off my heels. I have no idea how she kept up with me because I kept doubling back and slipping in and out of stores. It's like she had planted a tracker on me because she followed me for over two hours around town. However," he stated with a wide wicked grin, "I figure if I had been looking for a beautiful woman to hit on, I couldn't have done any better."
"Oh, you're good. Very smooth," I said, scoffing in disbelief, but then I remembered how genuinely nervous he'd looked as he glanced toward the door each time someone came in. "You must have done something to make her believe you were interested."
When he gave me a devilish grin, I swear he had the decency to look slightly ashamed. And I felt myself blush because I’d guessed what he'd thought. "I guess the night we spent together mattered more to her than it had to me," he replied, cryptically.
"Really?" I scoffed again in mock disappointment. "Hmm, now this I have to hear. Tell me more, Sawyer Michael Wild," I replied playfully. I leaned forward, placing my elbows on the table.
Flashing a boyish smile, he raised his eyebrow in surprise, his contagious personality drawing me further to him as I drained my second glass. Despite all the wine, when he indulged me with a sexy grin, its effect made my throat bone dry.
Why on earth am I encouraging this? I'm way too old for him.With perfect timing, the little waitress sidled up to the table with an exaggerated swagger and slowly planted four new glasses of wine onto the table.
My sensible head told me if I drank one more of those large pours the staff served, I would be smashed. So what? You deserve a little attention, and the taxi fare will be worth it.
"Just a 'customer' I satisfied a little more than I should have," he said, using air quotes, as he hid another secret smile behind the long index finger he rubbed across his lips. I immediately got the sexual reference and felt mortified for promoting the exchange.
"Can I interest you in anything else?" the waitress asked as she interrupted, obviously deciding a guy who looked like Sawyer was no love interest of mine. When he turned to look at her, it allowed me to study his handsome chiseled jawline a little closer and decided this word didn't do him justice.
No, Sawyer was stunning with plump lips that promised soft, sensual kisses and hours of erotic pleasure for any lucky woman. But by then I'd become captivated by the glint of mischief in his enthralling, bright hazel eyes.
I shook my head at the thought and his eyes honed in on mine. I blushed at the notional idea that he may just have read my thoughts at that moment.
Without knowing anything about him, I was certain he could seduce in a heartbeat and melt the hearts of the iciest of women with his stunning appearance and easy beguiling charisma in mere minutes.
Apart from how he looked, he was sexually confident, and his most disturbing trait was the magnetic aura that had drawn me toward him.
When he caught me staring at him his sexy smile spread wider. "Nope, I think we have all we need right here, unless … " he murmured, leaving the question to hang in the air and held my gaze a little too long that I forgot to reply.
It had been years since a man had looked at me with desire, but I recognized the look of longing. An instant thrill that a man such as Sawyer could look at me at all ignited a spark of excitement that shot straight to my core.
"Unless?" I muttered, suddenly feeling brave. Perhaps it was the desperation of a sex-starved woman who had broken loose in me as I willed myself to hold my ground and stare back at him with defiance.
"Do you want something else, Billie?" I would have had to be naïve to have missed his double entendre, but I felt my confidence plunge to the floor when I figured he was toying with me. However, the familiarity in the way he used my name stirred more butterflies and my confused mistrust of men prevented me from flirting back.
"No, I'm good," I managed, my voice sounding flat as I squeezed my thighs together again. My panties were drenched and I imagined for a moment this was not just some game. That I wasn't just someone to amuse himself with, while he took refuge from the rain and some other woman.
A lopsided smile curved his lips as he casually slumped back in his seat, but continued to observe me intently with his big hazel eyes. A few moments later, they wandered leisurely over my body and he inhaled a deep breath.
Unnerved by his scrutiny, I focused momentarily on my fresh glass of wine and lifted it to my mouth. Conscious of the wicked sexy gleam in his eyes, I took a gulp and focused on setting my beverage back down on the table. I did my best not to look up at him.
