Page 37 of Glorious Sinner

“Well, sweet definitely isn’t a word I would have associated with Tomas Mendoza,” Lulu said, a grin spreading across her face.

“He’s been so great. He’s kind and caring and…and sexy as hell…and…” I wanted to share like the others had. I wanted to be part of this group of women so badly I actually ached. I realized they’d all leaned in, waiting for what I was about to say. I leaned in as well. “He kisses like he’s making love to your mouth, and I swear, I swear if he kissed me long enough, I’d…”

“You’d what?” a low, rough-edged voice said against my ear.

Everyone jumped back, looking guilty.

Tomas stood there along with Zeke, Hunter, Neco, and Raul, and they were smirking.

“Nothing!” I said, shooting to my feet. Yep, too fast. I swayed a little, the room tilting with me. Tomas caught me around the waist, and his smirk turned into a grin.

“What are you grinning at?” I said.

“You drunk, Steph?” he said against my ear.

I shook my head, again with too much vigor, and, yep, swayed again. “Nope,” I said. “Just a little tipsy is all.”

“Uh-huh.” He kissed my temple, one of his hands sliding up my back and under my hair to loosely hold onto the back of my neck. It was possessive, but not in a bad way. I shivered, the alcohol having another effect on me besides all the swaying.

I looked up at him, and when his eyes met mine, a deep throb started up between my thighs. “I think I want to go home now.” My hand was on his chest and I slid it down to rest over his stomach. I could feel the ridges of his abs underneath and I shivered again. “If you’re ready.”

“Angel, you want to go home, I’ll take you home.”

I nodded and he took my hand. I turned to the table to say goodbye and the women there were all watching us. “I had a great night,” I said. The alcohol made me feel confident and I added, “I’d love to do this again sometime.”

Willa jumped to her feet and pulled me into a tight hug. “Absolutely.”

This was parroted by the others before Tomas started for the door. I waved at them all the way through the club until we hit the street. There was a car waiting outside for us and we climbed in. Tomas told his driver to take us home and sat back, pulling me in close to his side.

I rested my head on his shoulder. “Do you think they liked me?”

His arm was around my shoulders and he kissed the top of my head. “Of course. What’s not to like?”

I shrugged. “My last real friend before Willa was Sally Tanner. You remember Sally?”

He stilled. “Yeah, you went to school with her?”

I wriggled closer and breathed him in. “Yep. God, you smell good.”

He made a rough sound. “When was the last time you saw Sally?”

I waved a hand. “I don’t know, um, I think right after my wedding. So, yeah, a long time ago. I’m rusty with the whole friend thing…”

One minute I was on the seat, the next I was in Tomas’s lap, and he was cupping my jaw and looking into my eyes. “There’s no way they won’t like you. And anyone who doesn’t is a fucking idiot. I happen to know for a fact that none of those women are fucking idiots, so you have nothing to worry about.”

I giggled, grinning at him. “Wise words, as always.”

“No shit,” he said, grinning as well.

I stared into his eyes. They were so dark, intensely dark. I took in all that was Tomas Mendoza. The strong nose and jaw, that sensual mouth. My hand slid from his shoulder to where his shirt opened at his throat, where those tattoos snaked up the side of his neck, and I traced one of the swirls with my finger.

“You’re hot, like insanely sexy,” I said, the alcohol loosening my tongue, and right then I didn’t care.

“Glad you think so,” he said, his voice getting deliciously gruff.

“Oh yeah,” I said, following the ink on his neck lower to where it dipped below his collar. His skin was warm and smooth. “You must’ve been with a lot, like loads of women.” I looked up from what my finger was doing. “Have you been with loads of women?”

He said nothing, just stared back at me. Okay, I’d take that as a yes.