“I’m not trying to embarrass you,” she assured him, keeping her voice low. “I just don’t want to go out with you.”
“I’ll pick you up at eight,” he said, cupping her cheek. “Wear that black lace dress, no panties, and those hooker heels I love. Fishnet stockings, too, baby.”
Kimberly waited until he walked away. He’d taken three steps, perhaps four, when she called after him. “I won’t be here. I said I have plans.”
“Eight o’clock, Kimberly.”
He only addressed her as Kimberly when he was pissed, but his anger was no match for hers.
“I won’t be here. I have a date.”
He stopped and slowly turned around. His shoulders were square. His head slightly tilted. Cold eyes stared back at her. “Cancel it.”
“I can’t,” she said, her gaze darting to the table where Wyatt and Mitch were seated.
“She’s right about that,” Wyatt said, choosing a perfect time to come to her rescue. “I’d hold it against her if she dumped me for you. Especially since it’s no secret how you’ve treated this lady for the better part of five years.”
“Wyatt, this isn’t your concern,” Jason said.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Wyatt stood. “Kimberly and I have plans tonight. If she cancels on me to be with you, I’ll have a problem and then it will be my concern.”
Jason’s nostrils flared. As if he couldn’t think of any lower punch to throw, he copped an attitude and said, “Hell, man, I don’t know why we’re fighting over her. Look around you. Her sisters and her mother have shared their bodies with a few good men. I see no reason why Kimberly wouldn’t share with several fellas, too.”
* * * *
An hour later, Kimberly held an ice pack to Wyatt’s swollen cheek. She removed the bunched bag and checked out the puffiness and applied pressure again.
“This isn’t necessary,” Wyatt said.
“You already have a shiner.”
“Let me guess, when your club patrons have a brawl, you hold ice against all their cheeks so you can minimize the evidence?” He grinned. “In case someone comes back and slaps you with a lawsuit.”
“I can’t be sued for a customer’s ignorance.”
“How about a brawl instigated by one of your ex-boyfriends?”
“How do you know he’s an ex?”
“Good news travels fast,” Wyatt replied, his lips twitching.
“You shouldn’t have thrown the first punch,” Kimberly said, easing the pressure when he flinched.
“He should’ve kept his mouth shut.”
“You could’ve killed him,” Kimberly said, remembering how Jason had doubled over in pain as Wyatt had delivered a series of rapid left and right hooks. “Sticks, stones, and a man with damning fists break bones, remember.”
“And the shit he dishes doesn’t hurt you?”
“No,” she replied, setting the bag of ice on the table. “I’ll get you something to drink.”
He grabbed her wrist before she made a clean getaway. “I was serious about that date.”
She stared at their connection, willing herself to meet his gaze, but unable to do so without his permission. Cursing herself for her submissive nature, she slowly lifted her head. “Why do you want to go out with me?”
His lips curved in a generous smile. “Because that prick of an ex-boyfriend of yours interrupted a mighty interesting conversation. I want to finish it.”
“And where would we pick up?”
“Where we left off,” he rasped, his voice laden with sex appeal.
“Where would we go?”
He winked. “Let me worry about that one.”
At the same time, Trixie and Mitch approached them. Trixie’s face was flushed, but Mitch acted calm and cool, as if he’d never thought of fucking in a public place, let alone followed through with the illicit act.
“Guys, we’re gonna have to meet up tomorrow,” Trixie said. “I completely forgot about Cazeron’s first riding lesson and Brock is pissed off because we aren’t there. How about four o’clock here tomorrow? Sound okay?”
“How about your place?” Kimberly suggested, hoping to avoid another Jason run-in.
“Perfect,” Trixie replied.
“See you then,” Mitch said, acting mysterious as he led Trixie away.
“Do you know what this is about?” Kimberly asked.
“Sort of…but no questions tonight.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Where I lack in fairness, I’ll overcompensate in other ways. How does that sound?”
“Enticing.”
“Oh, honey, that’s the understatement of the year.”
“So where are you going on your first date?” Ansley asked, giving her a glare of disapproval. “Don’t answer that. It’s obvious he’s taking you to a wake before you go out on the town.”
“Ansley,” Kimberly deadpanned, studying her choice of dress in the mirror. Maybe her sister was right. The dark dress she wore hung right above her knees.
“Don’t
Ansley
me. I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but Wyatt isn’t this good old country boy who wants everything left to the imagination.”
“How do you know?” Kimberly asked.
“Trixie,” Ansley quickly replied. “Just trust me. Those clothes have to go. You look like you’re attending a funeral or a boring board meeting.”
“I think you look very nice,” Tristan said, always ultracareful in dishing out compliments. “Ansley, we’re late. Bailey, Graham, and Elliott are probably wondering where we are by now.”
“I don’t feel good about leaving until she and Wyatt ride off into the sunset.” Ansley entered the walk-in closet, thumbed through a few clothes, and exited with her arms loaded down. “Now here you go…several choices to consider.”
Kimberly made eye contact with Tristan. “Don’t make me say it.”
“Your wish is my command,” Tristan said, wrapping his fingers around Ansley’s and pulling her to the door. “Have a good time tonight, sister-in-law.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Ansley sang, swinging the door wide.
“I’d be fucked every which way this side of raunchy if those were the only boundaries I had,” she called out, never bothering to look around the corner.
“Well there’s an idea.” Wyatt’s voice filled the room.
Kimberly ducked out of sight. She threw her arms over her head before raking her fingers across her forehead, listening to the greetings exchanged in her living room. Not one to put off facing the music, she cursed under her breath and peered around the bedroom wall. “I thought we were meeting downstairs.”
“Bye, guys!” Ansley exclaimed, laughter in her voice.
“Have a good time tonight,” Tristan said, shaking hands with Wyatt.
As soon as the room cleared, Kimberly fell under his scrutiny. Those chocolate eyes seemed to melt as they wandered over her, appraising her, summing up her attire. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her. Her gaze dropped to the floor as he walked around her, circling her like a predator.
“What were you and Ansley discussing when I walked in?”
“I think you heard enough.”
He stopped behind her. She could feel, literally feel, his hot gaze glued to her ass. He took a couple of steps forward, the creaks in the floor verifying how closely he stood.
Lifting her hair with one hand, he ran his fingers over the top of her zipped dress. “I didn’t hear the entire conversation.”
Her breath caught in her chest. Without thinking, she turned to face him. “What are you doing?”
“Turn around, Kimberly.”
“No.”
“I’m unzipping you.”
“Just because you walked in on sibling bickering, don’t think—”
He placed three fingers over her lips. “Why don’t we take one step at a time? Okay?”
Her mouth dried with his fingertips against her lips. Stunned silent, she longed to tease him as she’d taunted him earlier. She wanted to nick the pads of his fingers, bite playfully at the tips, but she knew better than to tempt the devil living inside this man.
The longing in his eyes made her a believer. Too much play before their date could result in a delay of game, a date night inside her loft apartment that would likely leave her bound to her bed with a man she shouldn’t seduce, a Dom she wasn’t even sure she could handle.
“Now, take a deep breath.”
She inhaled and slowly exhaled.
“Again,” he said, his expression raw and masculine as he focused on the rise and fall of her chest.
“Now, I’m unzipping your dress for a specific reason,” he assured her, moving behind her.
She stilled under his touch. Toying with the oblong zipper, he moved to her ear. “I recall Mr. Neely telling you to wear something he found particularly appealing. Do you remember?”
“Yes,” she replied. “But it’s too revealing for a first date.”
“Have you worn it in public before?” he asked, slowly releasing her zipper.
“To appropriate venues,” she replied.
His lips remained at her ear, curving in a smile. “We’re attending a party, Kimberly. I believe the stockings and everything you’d wear to complement those stockings will be appropriate for the evening I have planned for us.”
He slowly unzipped the dress. She held her breath, unable to move an inch as his fingers wandered over her exposed back. She trembled under his touch as her arousal peaked.
How often had she casually bumped into this man and thought about those large hands, that guttural voice? How many times had she asked Patience to call her if he made an appearance at the club on one of her off nights? How many times had she cased the club, using Clink’s surveillance equipment to her advantage so she could find out his precise location before entering the throng of patrons?
Now, his fingers were at her back. Her bottom lip was locked under her teeth and she shivered under his touch when he hooked his index finger between the lowered zipper and parted material.
“Are you afraid of me, Kimberly?” he asked, stepping around her.
She held her dress to her chest. “No.”
“Good. I never want to see that fear in your eyes, that angst I spotted earlier today when you tried to tell Jason you had other plans.” He gave her a wry smile. “Now, go change before I break all sorts of rules I’ve tried to live by.”
“Care to give me an example?”
He lowered his head to hers, but didn’t deliver the kiss she wanted. “I’m a man who respects his woman. If I don’t back away from you now, I’ll never be able to convince you. Now, Miss Cartwell, go find something appropriate to wear. We have an exciting evening ahead of us.”
While Kimberly had slipped on something sexy, Wyatt had made himself at home. He returned to the car, retrieved a garment bag, and made use of her half bath, changing into a tuxedo.
After he dressed, he hung the bag on the back of her bathroom door. Around the same time he heard the defined click of high heels tapping against the tile foyer floor. Smiling to himself, he slicked back his pecan-colored hair and stepped out of the lavatory to greet her.
No one could’ve prepared him for the woman before him. Instead of maintaining his composure, he was immediately humbled. “You know how to take a man’s breath away on a first date.”
Kimberly glanced over her shoulder. Shooting him a seductive smile, she said, “Speaking of which, you wouldn’t happen to know what happened to my escort for the evening. Would you? He’s about your height, six two or six three, has medium brown hair, and pretty dimples similar to yours. Last time I saw him he was wearing nice slacks and a red shirt.”
He winked before he could control himself, appreciating her humor and eager as hell to flirt for a minute. “I told you we’re going to a party. I had to bring a change of clothes since I was in meetings for the better part of the late afternoon.”
“Do I look okay now?” she asked, her fingers brushing down the black lace bodice of her short dress. Hugging every inch of her flesh, the material she wore was slit on both sides revealing plenty of hip on the left and right.
The fishnet stockings were an added pleasure, one that would undoubtedly provide a night of distractions. Four or five inches of high heels provided a suggestive platform for added sex appeal. Her entire presence made a man ache in places that could definitely showcase his lust. He immediately thought of those spikes digging at his back in the middle of a heavy petting session.
“Is it too much, Wyatt?” she asked, tucking a loose strand of hair in a pearl clip at the back of her head. “I can change. For that matter, my closet is like shopping at a department store. I’ve had more men in and out of there than—”
He arched a brow and she stopped talking.
“I have a few brothers-in-law,” she reminded him, smiling. “I don’t mind if you want to browse the closet and choose something for me.”
“I’ve met your brothers-in-law,” he fired back while opening the front door. Extending his arm, he said, “And you’re perfect. Shall we?”
“Are you always so proper? You don’t need to be. I’m a country girl at heart. You don’t have to work hard to impress me.”