“Two rib eyes, medium rare . . .” He studies me. “And dinner salads with vinegar and oil.”
“I’m not a big meat eater,” I inform him.
“Something we’ll have to remedy.” He grins.
I don’t know whether I should laugh or resent his sexual innuendo. I don’t mean to be a stick-in-the-mud, but I’m incapable of having a good time tonight.
“What happened, little bird?” Garrick reaches across the table and cradles my hand in his.
I know he can read me like a book. I’ve never been able to hide my pain. I can camouflage everything else. “Nothing.” I avert my eyes.
His grasp tightens and I study his hand. It’s the size of a bear paw and callused. I like holding hands—it’s as intimate as kissing.
“You can tell me anything, Robyn.”
I cross my legs. “Nothing ever turns out the way I plan.”
“What happened today ?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You’re a complicated woman,” he comments. “Did Craig . . .”
My gaze darts up. How does he know about Craig? “Stop it,” I snap.
“ You stop it,” he counters. “I bought Macey a drink a few minutes ago and she told me about Craig. Did he hurt you?”
Those four proverbial walls are closing in on me fast. I squirm. “He never hit me, if that’s what you mean.”
“I didn’t ask if he smacked you, Robyn. There are a thousand different ways to inflict pain. I asked if he hurt you . . .”
“Yeah,” I say, matter-of-fact. “He did.”
I’m staring at her lips. I want to suck on the bottom one while I pump inside her. I need to focus on something, anything except her words—I already wanna kill that son-of-a-bitch bouncer. Things will change next week.
“. . . We went to dinner a few months ago.” I curse myself for missing the first part of what she said. “Then we hung out for a week—the bookstore, a dorm party, the movies. Nothing serious, really.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah,” she says.
There’s a hitch in her voice. Maybe she’s holding something back.
“I never slept with him.” She shivers, and not because it’s cold.
I’m beyond aroused. I mentally try to control the animal urges rising inside me, but my dick has a mind of its own. I want to comfort and please her at the same time. I’m glad that asshole didn’t get between her legs. She has good instincts. Craig is a predator. I look around the dimly lit room. We’re alone. There’s a bouncer posted outside the door, but he doesn’t interfere with activities in the VIP. It’s all a front to pacify the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission—the state’s version of the morals police. Every so often there’s a spotlight on the local news showing “raids” on the strip clubs. Propaganda to appease the Bible thumpers on the city council.
If religion is the opiate of the masses, power is the aphrodisiac of Texas politicians.
The waitress delivers our meals and I hand her a credit card. “Keep an open tab.”
Robyn eyes the carnage on the plate in front of her. I laugh at her reaction. “You need a shot of protein.”
“I can drink a protein shake to get that.”
I’ll give her something to swallow. I growl, frustrated by what I can’t do to her here, and stab my steak like a barbarian. I cut a large piece and stuff it in my mouth.
“Your table manners are atrocious,” she says.
I laugh and chew at the same time. “So I’ve been told.”
I cut a second piece and stab my fork into it. I look up at her. She’s watching me—appalled and intrigued at the same time. I extend my hand across the table, offering her a taste of meat. “Try it.”
Her stomach grumbles and she goes red-faced. “See?” I taunt. “It’s completely natural. We’re carnivores.”
“No,” she denies. “We’re omnivores.” I enviously watch the fork slide in and out of her mouth.
“Is it good?” I ask.
She swallows and nods. “I hate to say it . . .”
“How long has it been since you’ve eaten red meat?”
“A
“I’m not a big meat eater,” I inform him.
“Something we’ll have to remedy.” He grins.
I don’t know whether I should laugh or resent his sexual innuendo. I don’t mean to be a stick-in-the-mud, but I’m incapable of having a good time tonight.
“What happened, little bird?” Garrick reaches across the table and cradles my hand in his.
I know he can read me like a book. I’ve never been able to hide my pain. I can camouflage everything else. “Nothing.” I avert my eyes.
His grasp tightens and I study his hand. It’s the size of a bear paw and callused. I like holding hands—it’s as intimate as kissing.
“You can tell me anything, Robyn.”
I cross my legs. “Nothing ever turns out the way I plan.”
“What happened today ?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You’re a complicated woman,” he comments. “Did Craig . . .”
My gaze darts up. How does he know about Craig? “Stop it,” I snap.
“ You stop it,” he counters. “I bought Macey a drink a few minutes ago and she told me about Craig. Did he hurt you?”
Those four proverbial walls are closing in on me fast. I squirm. “He never hit me, if that’s what you mean.”
“I didn’t ask if he smacked you, Robyn. There are a thousand different ways to inflict pain. I asked if he hurt you . . .”
“Yeah,” I say, matter-of-fact. “He did.”
I’m staring at her lips. I want to suck on the bottom one while I pump inside her. I need to focus on something, anything except her words—I already wanna kill that son-of-a-bitch bouncer. Things will change next week.
“. . . We went to dinner a few months ago.” I curse myself for missing the first part of what she said. “Then we hung out for a week—the bookstore, a dorm party, the movies. Nothing serious, really.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah,” she says.
There’s a hitch in her voice. Maybe she’s holding something back.
“I never slept with him.” She shivers, and not because it’s cold.
I’m beyond aroused. I mentally try to control the animal urges rising inside me, but my dick has a mind of its own. I want to comfort and please her at the same time. I’m glad that asshole didn’t get between her legs. She has good instincts. Craig is a predator. I look around the dimly lit room. We’re alone. There’s a bouncer posted outside the door, but he doesn’t interfere with activities in the VIP. It’s all a front to pacify the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission—the state’s version of the morals police. Every so often there’s a spotlight on the local news showing “raids” on the strip clubs. Propaganda to appease the Bible thumpers on the city council.
If religion is the opiate of the masses, power is the aphrodisiac of Texas politicians.
The waitress delivers our meals and I hand her a credit card. “Keep an open tab.”
Robyn eyes the carnage on the plate in front of her. I laugh at her reaction. “You need a shot of protein.”
“I can drink a protein shake to get that.”
I’ll give her something to swallow. I growl, frustrated by what I can’t do to her here, and stab my steak like a barbarian. I cut a large piece and stuff it in my mouth.
“Your table manners are atrocious,” she says.
I laugh and chew at the same time. “So I’ve been told.”
I cut a second piece and stab my fork into it. I look up at her. She’s watching me—appalled and intrigued at the same time. I extend my hand across the table, offering her a taste of meat. “Try it.”
Her stomach grumbles and she goes red-faced. “See?” I taunt. “It’s completely natural. We’re carnivores.”
“No,” she denies. “We’re omnivores.” I enviously watch the fork slide in and out of her mouth.
“Is it good?” I ask.
She swallows and nods. “I hate to say it . . .”
“How long has it been since you’ve eaten red meat?”
“A
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