She blinked up at him, all doe-eyed innocence despite the scrap of a dress. Her hair was dark and glossy, as were her eyes. Bee-stung lips that she was currently licking, the sight of her little pink tongue making his skin tighten. Her bare shoulders gleamed beneath the soft light glowing down upon her, and he wondered if they were as smooth as they looked.
He suddenly, desperately wanted to find out.
“Come with me,” he said, slipping his arm around her so his hand settled at the base of her spine. She stiffened beneath his touch, the air between them turning electric, and then she started to walk, following along beside him.
“Where are we going?” she asked. Her voice was low, sexy. Her hips swished when she walked, and it would take nothing for his hand to drop and settle on her ass.
But he kept it on her back, feeling like a jerk for even thinking such a thing. Hadn’t he had enough of easy one-night stands? Ever since he went professional—hell, in college too—women threw themselves at him. Everyone wanted a piece of him. It was all take, take, take and with nothing left to give…he was sick of it.
Had been sick of it for years.
This woman didn’t even recognize him. Looked at him as if he were a complete stranger when they were introduced, and wasn’t that something? He remembered back in the day when that sort of thing used to insult the shit out of him.
Don’t you know who I am?
Jesus, he’d been such an asshole.
Now he found her lack of knowledge refreshing. A relief, even. He’d been playing for a few years now and while he was on top of the world professionally, personally, he was sick of the crap.
So when Declan invited him to Las Vegas for the weekend, he’d thought, why not? Intense practices started soon, with the preseason following. Soon he’d get caught up in the regular season and have no time for any fun.
Andrea was perfectly normal. Stunningly beautiful, no doubt about it, but being around her for only a few minutes, he could tell she was grounded. Focused—and not focused on becoming an actress or model or someone famous, like so many of the women he was used to meeting. She was a nurse, for the love of God. That meant she actually wanted to help people.
He was down with that.
“We’re not leaving the party, are we?” she asked, sounding alarmed.
“No, I just wanted to find us some more privacy,” he reassured her, stopping when they were in the darkest, farthest corner of the room.
She glanced around, her teeth catching her bottom lip. Damn, that was sexy. She was sexy. “So. Are you a friend of Declan’s?”
“I am. We’ve known each other for a long time.” So long he could hardly remember how they met. Elementary school? That had to be it. Or maybe peewee football league. “Where are your friends?”
“Reagan took off with Declan almost as soon as we got here. I don’t know where Natalie is. I’m guessing James is keeping tabs on her.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.” He still hadn’t removed his hand from the small of her back, so he drew her into him, slowly. Subtly. She took a step forward as if she had no will over her feet, and he wanted to smile. “Were you really smelling me earlier?”
She nodded, dropping her head, a little smile teasing the corner of her lips. She had nice lips. Full and juicy and ripe for kissing. “Maybe.”
“Are you embarrassed?”
Andrea shrugged. “It’s not every day I get called out for smelling someone. It’s sort of weird.”
“You think so?” He pulled her in a little bit more and she took another step, lifting her head so her gaze met his. “Well, let me return the favor.”
Before she could protest, say a word, do anything, he leaned in, his face pressed against her neck as he inhaled deeply. Ah, Christ, she smelled fucking unbelievable. Sweet and soft and mysterious, and hell, was that his dick twitching in his pants?
Yep, it sure was.
Her soft gasp when he lightly nuzzled her neck with his nose told him she was just as affected by him as he was by her. “So?” she asked shakily, settling her hands on his chest as if to push him away.
He stiffened beneath her touch, withdrawing so he could meet her gaze once more. “So what?”
She curled her fingers into his shirt, her nails grazing against his skin and making him stiffen. “Do I pass the test?”
“What do you mean?”
“Smell plays a huge part in two people being—attracted to each other,” she said breathlessly.