Hello, out of my league.
“No fork?” I asked a little breathlessly. He seemed the fork-and-knife-at-all-times type to me.
“Nah. Fingers are better. See?” He broke off another piece and lifted it across the table to me, not dropping so much as a crumb. “Lean forward.”
I obliged him and his fingertips brushed my lips as he fed me the treat. His voice was entrancing. I was afraid to imagine all the things he could make me do with just one of those husky commands.
&nbs
p; His eyes held me in his thrall so completely that I barely noticed the burst of lemon as I swallowed. The bars were a delicious mix of sweet and tart, but I probably wouldn’t have noticed if the dessert had been undercooked and bland.
“Good?”
I nodded and he repeated the move several more times. He wasn’t even eating himself, just feeding me. He had long, elegant fingers with a surprising bit of ink swirling down his hands. The bold Roman numerals and heavy, old typeface of a latin phrase were mixed with a bit of artistry.
So incongruous to the buttoned-up businessman. It somehow made him even hotter.
Once, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sage start to approach with the bill in hand. She took in what was occurring at our shadowy table, widened her eyes, and sped off in the opposite direction.
I would’ve laughed had I not been so turned on that I could barely think.
What was happening here? We weren’t even talking. Was this what occurred when under the influence of a lonely holiday meant for couples and some expensive champagne? I’d had a couple more sips in between rounds of Asher feeding me. Big, bolstering sips. The kind that made a normally shy, awkward woman feel bold.
“No ring,” I said casually—or so I hoped. I’d had plenty of time to see his hand as it came closer to my mouth. “You’re single?”
“Very. The kind of single that means I’m alone on New Year’s Eve, just as you are.” He lifted his thumb to his lips and licked off a stray crumb from the piece he’d just fed me. The movement was far more sensual than it had any right to be. “You are alone tonight, aren’t you, Hannah?”
Something about the question and his use of my name made my throat tighten to the point that if I hadn’t gulped more champagne, I might’ve choked. This time, I didn’t mind the floaty feeling that overtook my body, or the resulting wave of warmth.
“I’m alone far too much these days. But right now? No. Neither of us is alone.”
He nodded, lowering his head for an instant while his jaw locked. He finally took a few sips of coffee before he met my gaze once again. “I have a room upstairs. Just for tonight.”
Questions flitted through my mind.
Who are you, Asher?
Why did you pick me to talk to?
Was it just that I looked lonely, so I must be an easy target for sexual advances?
In the end, I didn’t really care. We were both alone, and no one was waiting for me at home. What did it matter if I chose this handsome man to spend the evening with? No one would be hurt. And I would finally be able to cross one thing off my bucket list.
Sex with a gorgeous man, check.
Sex, period.
But that didn’t mean I’d make it easy on him.
“Who were the flowers for?” I stroked the downy soft petals of the pink tulip on top of the bouquet in my lap.
“My grandmother.” He smiled wryly. “She thinks I need to get out more, so she’ll approve that I gave them to the most beautiful woman I’ve seen since…” He trailed off, looking uncharacteristically unsure. Even with only knowing him a very short while, I was quite certain Asher rarely faltered. “Ever.”
“I believe you don’t get out much after that statement.” I rested my cheek on my fist. “My hair isn’t really blond, by the way. I put in a rinse today. Truth in advertising and all that.”
“It doesn’t look blond. Not exactly. More like the color of honey.” His voice deepened. “Rich and luxurious.”
“Glorious Tones hair color thanks you.” I toyed with the stem of my now nearly empty champagne glass. “When is the last time you approached a woman with that line about your room upstairs?”