Command Performance

She looked up at him and felt her building sense of oh-God-what-have-I-done fade away. His George Clooney eyes said I want you, while the laugh lines around his mouth indicated he wanted to play a bit first.

She couldn’t feel the vodka anymore, but her sense of daring, the one that had driven her to wear the skinny jeans even though she’d sworn she’d wait until she lost a few pounds, returned. She leaned forward, watching his gaze fall to her chest. “Yes. About twenty minutes away.”

“Favorite color?” His eyes never left her breasts.

Maggie set her water on the table and leaned back, clasping her hands behind her chair as she pretended to consider his question. Her cotton shirt pulled tight against her nipples and she swore she heard him mumble a curse. “Green.”

“Favorite food?” he asked, his voice low.

“Linguine Alfredo.” Most of which went straight to her thighs. But she didn’t give a damn about that right now. All she cared about was his eyes on her chest and the warm rush it sent down her body. If he didn’t hurry up with his questions, she might explode right now before he even touched her.

He drew his dreamy gaze up to her face. His eyes locked with hers. “Where do you like to be kissed?”

“Everywhere,” she whispered.

“Be specific,” he demanded.

“The back of my neck.”

He nodded. “A good place to start.”

The nerves on her neck tingled in anticipation, and lower down her body ached. How had he pushed her so close to the edge of an orgasm without even making contact?

“One last question.”

She nodded.

“Do you like...”

He paused and Maggie leaned toward him, drawn by the unbelievably sexy sound of his voice.

“Nachos?” he asked.

Maggie blinked, falling back in her chair.

“You know, chips drowning in fake cheese?” He smiled. “I thought we might go for a walk around the grounds before we started working on your orgasms. I remember seeing a nacho stand near the picnic tables.”

Oh, you’ve already started working. Her body hummed with anticipation. Between his eyes, his body and his enticing voice, this man could probably seduce just about any woman. Talk about finding a one-night stand with experience.

“Sure,” she said.

“Great. I like a girl who isn’t afraid to eat fake cheese.” Hunter pushed himself out of the chair in one fluid move. He reached for her hand and drew her up. Wobbling on her heels, Maggie held on tight when he began to release her. She curled her fingers around his much larger ones, enjoying the feel of his strong grip. Her own hand seemed delicate by comparison. So what if he was a soldier? If the old saying about a man’s hands offered any indication of what waited for her in his pants, this man’s equipment would deliver.

He led her through the exit into the hot, summer night. The sound of voices, mostly male, and engine parts filled the air, both men and parts still visible in the bright evening sunlight. Seven o’clock, give or take a few minutes, in the evening on a July night in upstate New York. It would stay light until nine—perfect for a car show, but not so great for her courage.

Away from the dimly lit tent, reality came crashing down. What was she doing wandering off with a virtual stranger? What if he was some kind of psychopath? He’d admitted he was a soldier and Maggie knew from personal experience that some of the men who returned from war zones had...problems.

She pulled free from his grasp, pretending she needed both hands to shield her eyes from the sun.

“I left my sunglasses in the car,” she mumbled.

Hunter nodded and hooked his thumbs through the belt loops on his jeans. “The nacho stand is just beyond the hubcaps.”

Nachos. They weren’t hopping into bed yet, just grabbing a bite to eat. If he turned out to be crazy, she could ditch him and race back to her car. Not that she’d be able to figure out if he was an ax murderer over chips, but she could ask a few more questions.

Falling into step beside him, she said, “So what do you do in the army?”

“Honestly—” he looked down at her with an apologetic half smile “—I can’t tell you much.”