Nick’s laugh was deep, but his stare was no longer lazy. “Yeah, besides that,” he said, repeating my words.
“Um . . .” His thumb was moving up and down the neck of the bottle, and I couldn’t help but picture that hand on me, that thumb moving likewise. My mouth dried and my mind was skipping around in dirty, dirty places again. I lifted my gaze. “I’d have to say watching movies. I’ve probably seen thousands and thousands.”
“Interesting.” He eyed me over the opening of the bottle.
I set my beer aside and clasped the edges of the counter on either side of my hips, waiting for his next question. He was taking his sweet old time.
“You know what?” Setting his own bottle aside, he pushed away from the counter, and I straightened, my hands slipping off the counter. “I didn’t come here to play twenty questions.”
My head tilted to the side. “Well, no shit.” I smiled sweetly, even as a heaviness settled in my breasts and my blood felt like it thickened.
He was grinning that half smile again. “And you don’t want me here to answer questions either.”
I met his stare as he stepped forward, stopping right in front of me. Every cell in my body became super aware of his proximity. “If I say no shit again does that make me repetitive?”
“Only a little,” he murmured, leaning in and placing his hands on my hips. “So let’s say fuck the questions and answers and get down to what we both are anticipating.”
The flutter moved from my chest and then down, low in my belly. “You’re not the kind of guy to beat around the bush, are you?”
“Nope.” His hands settled on my hips and my eyes flew to his. He held my stare. “And neither are you. You’re done with these questions, too.”
“I am?” My breath caught as his grip on my hips tightened.
“Yeah, you are.” He lowered his head so that his mouth was near my ear. “Want to know how I know that? You started to get hot from the moment I said fucking was my hobby.” He lifted one hand and without breaking eye contact brushed his thumb over the tip of my breast, unerringly finding and grazing my nipple. “And these have been getting harder by the second.”
Oh, sweet Jesus. The bolt of pleasure shot out from my breast and scattered, lighting up every nerve. I was struck speechless, which was a new thing for me.
“And I just want to thank you for wearing this top.” Both hands were at my hips again. “I like it almost as much as I liked those shorts.”
I placed my hands on his chest and slid them down the length of his stomach, the tips of my fingers following the hard planes of his abs. “Then I think you might like what I have on under these jeans.”
A deep sound rumbled out from him as his hands slipped around to my lower back and then down, cupping my ass. “I cannot wait to find out.”
“Then don’t.” I tugged on his shirt, and his answering chuckle was rough. Glancing up, I let go of his shirt. “This is only about tonight.”
“Then we’re on the same page, aren’t we?” He stepped back and reached around to his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet, flipping it open. Out came a silver foil, and I had to laugh.
“A condom in a wallet?” I said. “So damn cliché.”
“And so damn prepared,” he replied with a wink. He tossed his wallet and the condom on the counter. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he tugged it up and off. Muscles along his shoulders and upper arms flexed and rolled as he threw the shirt to where he laid his jacket.
Good God, all I could do was stare. Boy took care of himself. His chest was well-defined and his waist was trim. His stomach was a work of art. His abs were tightly rolled but not overdone. He reminded me of a runner or swimmer, and I wanted to touch him.
“Your turn.”
My breath shuttled out of me. I wasn’t necessarily a self-conscious person, but my fingers trembled nonetheless as I wrapped them around the hem of the cami I wore. In a weird way I didn’t understand, the fact we really didn’t know each other made it easy to take the top off. Maybe it was because there were absolutely no expectations between us or because this was only about tonight.
Nick’s gaze slowly left mine, and I stopped thinking in general. The taut set to his lips and jaw was like stepping too close to an open flame, but the heat and intensity in his gaze was what started the fire. The look was hungry, and it was a punch to the chest, stealing the air right out of my lungs.
Silently, he lifted one hand and cupped my breast. The gasp that came out of me sounded strangled. He ran his thumb over the hardened tip and then he caught it between his fingers. My back arched and a smug half smile graced his lips.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, voice gruff. “I bet the rest is just as fucking stunning.”
My heart was pounding and my voice was throaty when I spoke. “You want to find out?”