“Just taking a ride for the hell of it then?”
When she remained silent, he glanced down, then up again, from her high heels and long legs to the short hem on her enticing nude-colored outfit. His hands itched to lift the bottom a notch and see if her undergarments looked as sultry and sexy as the lady herself. “No hot date?”
“Now, that depends.” She twirled a stray tendril around her finger. He’d bet the gesture was a deliberate attempt to be provocative.
It worked. Grace was doing a damn good job of working him up and keeping him captivated. No doubt about it, everything about her turned him on. “Depends on what?”
“You’re pretty hot when you’re not following me around like I’m a kid who can’t be trusted to go out on my own.”
He knew better than to get into the debate about why he’d tailed her. Instead, he addressed the more important issue at hand. “So, you think I’m hot?”
She tipped her head to the side. “I’m not sure I like that cocky smile.”
“Oh, I think you do.”
Her arousing laugh echoed inside the crowded car. “You’re all male, I’ll give you that.”
The subway jarred to a halt and a majority of the passengers disembarked at the stop, leaving them alone in the nearly empty car. “Want to sit?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’d rather stay here. This close to you.” Her hip brushed against him as the subway jerked forward once more.
His palms grew damp, making it difficult to hang on to the strap.
“Now, where were we?” She pursed those red lips in thought. “Oh, yes. You. Being all male.” The pucker turned into a grin. “From these strong eyebrows to those pouty lips, you’re one extremely sexy man.” She drew a line down the side of his face, then traced his lips with a newly polished red fingernail. Her finger lingered on his mouth for another few seconds before she rested her hand against her hip. Just looking at how the red on her nails matched the red on her lips caused a quickening in his gut.
He knew he’d have noticed if she’d worn that flaming red shade before. The color was sexy enough to bring a man to his knees. He glanced up, but he couldn’t tear his gaze from her smoky one.
Nor could he stop the pull running from his tingling lips to his hard arousal. “This is payback for following you, isn’t it?” His voice was rough with wanting.
/>
“Now, that would be petty.”
An evasive answer at best, he thought. And since the trip was obviously planned, he couldn’t help but wonder what else she had in store. Add to that she still hadn’t answered his question. “Are you hinting that I might be your date?”
A smoldering heat darkened her eyes as she leaned closer. “It’s a possibility—if you’ll agree not to treat me like a child.”
His gaze slipped downward to her cleavage, visible from his slightly taller vantage point. Her rounded flesh swelled over cream-colored lace, making him drool. “You’re anything but a child, Gracie.”
“Nice of you to notice.”
“You know, I had no choice but to provide backup for you, just in case.”
She averted her stare for an instant before touching his cheek with her hand. “Yes, I know. You’re a good man, Ben. You’re concerned about me and I appreciate that. But I want you to treat me like a woman. And that means I just might have to remind you how much of a one I can be.”
He glanced around. The only few passengers left were seated, involved in conversation or reading the paper. He and Grace might as well have been alone.
“Trust me, Grace, I have no doubt just how much woman you are.” Adrenaline rushed through him and his heart beat too fast in his chest.
“The question is can you handle me?”
“Oh, I think I’m up to the challenge.” Since she was taking full advantage, how could he not do the same? “Feel what you do to me.” He brushed up against her, making sure the rigidness of his cock pressed hard and insistent against her leg.
She sucked in a startled breath.
Turning the tables on her felt too good. He was enjoying this too much. But, at the moment, he didn’t give a damn. And, he reminded himself without listing the reasons again, he’d already made up his mind to go with her lead—and his desire.
He knew all too well where they were headed. And so did she, unless her shocked silence indicated she’d changed her mind.