right?”
“Yeah. The kids really love the somersaults, and Mumble-Peg preens under all that attention. It went well.” She searched for something interesting to add and suddenly felt ridiculous. Huffing out a sigh, she set down her fork. “Varion, what are we doing here?”
“What do you mean?”
Benni threw her arms wide. “Since when do you dress in a suit and like stuffy, upscale restaurants? Or does this have to do with your work as Rion Nach? Am I part of your cover tonight or something?”
“What?” He shook his head emphatically. “No, nothing like that.”
“Then why here? You’re usually all fun and excitement. This is so—”
“Boring?” His shoulders slumped, but his crooked grin held more amusement than disappointment. “It is, isn’t it? Maybe if we had a whole group of friends with us and a lot of alcohol … nah, it would still be a morgue in here.”
Another loud crack sounded off to their right, making her snicker. “So what happened between yesterday morning and tonight that made you think this was a good idea?”
“Mostly I got to thinking.” He made it sound like a confession. “This past week, I realized how much I don’t know about you. We always have a blast together, but we don’t exactly do much talking, if you know what I mean.”
Tickled and more than a little flattered, Benni smiled at him. “You want to communicate more? I thought that was the girl’s line.”
“What a disgustingly sexist thing to say,” he retorted. “I ought to scratch your eyes out.”
She laughed. “Does pillow talk count? Dirty talk?”
His eyes danced merrily, and she was happy to see him finally loosen up and lounge back in his seat. “It depends. What kind of dirty talk?”
“You want me to demonstrate now? Really, darling, we don’t want to upset the other diners. We might give them indigestion.”
“Or an embolism,” he added, but his expression turned considering. “We both think this whole scene is boring anyway. Why don’t we make things more interesting? Spice things up?”
Her blood heated beneath the sudden intensity of his gaze. “What do you have in mind?”
“Are you wearing panties?” Still leaning back into the deep cushions of his seat, he shot her a naughty grin.
“Lacy nothings,” she answered, which made him laugh.
“Give them to me.”
Benni arched one eyebrow in challenge, but she felt said panties grow damp beneath her. Now this was a good time. Of course, she had to toy with him a little.
“Give you my panties? That’s not the most original suggestion. I’ve read a few variations on this scene, and I think it was in a movie once.”
“Some ideas are timeless,” he said. “Exactly what have you been reading, though?”
“The kind of thing that’s even more fun to read aloud.”
He chuckled. “So how about it? Are you going to hand over that scrap of lace? I bet you’ve got it nice and wet for me.”
Although she wasn’t one to blush, she felt her cheeks grow warmer thanks to his remark. He had her pegged.
Very slowly, using the tablecloth for cover, Benni slid her hand down to her knee and then up the outside of her bare thigh beneath her dress. Her gaze never left Varion’s as she hooked her thumb in the waistband of her underwear and began to tug it over the curve of her bottom. A slight shift of her weight later and the fabric was coasting its way down her legs, over her knees, and all the way to the floor. She left it looped around one ankle so all she had to do was cross her legs to pluck the garment off her raised shoe.
Leaning closer as if she had something important to tell him, Benni slipped her balled-up panties into Varion’s palm. Although he tried to play it cool, she watched his pupils dilate and his breathing quicken. She wondered if he could smell her arousal on them. With a casual sweep of his hand, he stuffed her underwear into his jacket pocket.
“What about you?” she asked.
“Me?”
“I expect a
“Yeah. The kids really love the somersaults, and Mumble-Peg preens under all that attention. It went well.” She searched for something interesting to add and suddenly felt ridiculous. Huffing out a sigh, she set down her fork. “Varion, what are we doing here?”
“What do you mean?”
Benni threw her arms wide. “Since when do you dress in a suit and like stuffy, upscale restaurants? Or does this have to do with your work as Rion Nach? Am I part of your cover tonight or something?”
“What?” He shook his head emphatically. “No, nothing like that.”
“Then why here? You’re usually all fun and excitement. This is so—”
“Boring?” His shoulders slumped, but his crooked grin held more amusement than disappointment. “It is, isn’t it? Maybe if we had a whole group of friends with us and a lot of alcohol … nah, it would still be a morgue in here.”
Another loud crack sounded off to their right, making her snicker. “So what happened between yesterday morning and tonight that made you think this was a good idea?”
“Mostly I got to thinking.” He made it sound like a confession. “This past week, I realized how much I don’t know about you. We always have a blast together, but we don’t exactly do much talking, if you know what I mean.”
Tickled and more than a little flattered, Benni smiled at him. “You want to communicate more? I thought that was the girl’s line.”
“What a disgustingly sexist thing to say,” he retorted. “I ought to scratch your eyes out.”
She laughed. “Does pillow talk count? Dirty talk?”
His eyes danced merrily, and she was happy to see him finally loosen up and lounge back in his seat. “It depends. What kind of dirty talk?”
“You want me to demonstrate now? Really, darling, we don’t want to upset the other diners. We might give them indigestion.”
“Or an embolism,” he added, but his expression turned considering. “We both think this whole scene is boring anyway. Why don’t we make things more interesting? Spice things up?”
Her blood heated beneath the sudden intensity of his gaze. “What do you have in mind?”
“Are you wearing panties?” Still leaning back into the deep cushions of his seat, he shot her a naughty grin.
“Lacy nothings,” she answered, which made him laugh.
“Give them to me.”
Benni arched one eyebrow in challenge, but she felt said panties grow damp beneath her. Now this was a good time. Of course, she had to toy with him a little.
“Give you my panties? That’s not the most original suggestion. I’ve read a few variations on this scene, and I think it was in a movie once.”
“Some ideas are timeless,” he said. “Exactly what have you been reading, though?”
“The kind of thing that’s even more fun to read aloud.”
He chuckled. “So how about it? Are you going to hand over that scrap of lace? I bet you’ve got it nice and wet for me.”
Although she wasn’t one to blush, she felt her cheeks grow warmer thanks to his remark. He had her pegged.
Very slowly, using the tablecloth for cover, Benni slid her hand down to her knee and then up the outside of her bare thigh beneath her dress. Her gaze never left Varion’s as she hooked her thumb in the waistband of her underwear and began to tug it over the curve of her bottom. A slight shift of her weight later and the fabric was coasting its way down her legs, over her knees, and all the way to the floor. She left it looped around one ankle so all she had to do was cross her legs to pluck the garment off her raised shoe.
Leaning closer as if she had something important to tell him, Benni slipped her balled-up panties into Varion’s palm. Although he tried to play it cool, she watched his pupils dilate and his breathing quicken. She wondered if he could smell her arousal on them. With a casual sweep of his hand, he stuffed her underwear into his jacket pocket.
“What about you?” she asked.
“Me?”
“I expect a
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