Maura

Mac and his brother, Chase, own a successful wine touring company in Portland, Oregon. They take groups of people from restaurant to restaurant, showing their clients how to pair certain wines with different foods. Chase occasionally gives classes on wine as well.

And if I’d known in advance that Chase would be here, I probably wouldn’t be. This just proves that I need to ask more questions when I’m being set up on a blind date.

“How are you?” Chase asks. He’s ridiculously good looking. He’s tall, at least six feet, with dark blond hair and blue eyes that should come with a warning label.

Warning: may cause your panties to melt.

“I’m well, thank you.” I immediately take a sip of the wine Mac just poured me. It’s red, fruity, and dry. Just the way I like it. “And you?”

“Same.”

He winks and turns his attention back to Mac, and I finally take a deep breath.

“So, blind dates are awkward,” Kat says, wrinkling her nose. “But I thought you might like each other. Maura, I know wine is a hobby for you, and Chase certainly knows plenty about wine.”

“That’s a nice way of calling me a wino,” he says with a laugh.

“It’s not out of control or anything,” Kat adds with a wink. “I didn’t know that you already knew each other.”

“Not well,” I clarify. Chase is known amongst his family and friends for being a player. He’s as commitment phobic as I am, but the difference between him and me is I don’t fuck everything that shows an interest in me.

“I’m sorry to say this, but, she’s not really my type,” Chase says with a shrug and I can’t help but snort.

“Seriously?”

He shrugs again.

“So, I’m not your type, but you’ve asked me out at least sixteen times in the past two years.” I roll my eyes as Mac spits his water out in laughter and Kat sits back to watch us with a grin on her face. “I’d hate to see how you are around women who are your type.”

I tuck my blonde hair behind my ear and turn to face him. He’s not embarrassed in the least. Rather, he’s smiling down at me like I’m the cutest puppy he’s ever seen.

He irritates the fuck out of me.

“You know, it’s okay to just admit that a girl said no and move on with your life.” I cock my head to the side and wait for him to reply, but he just shrugs again.

“I really like her,” Mac says, laughing behind his green cloth napkin. “We need to keep her around.”

“I mean, I know your ego is probably fragile, and that’s why you kept asking me out after the third time when I told you to choke on a cork, but seriously, Chase. Saying now, in front of your brother and his wife, that I’m not your type?”

“You’re not,” he says again when the sushi is delivered. The guys must have just ordered an assortment, and it all looks delicious. “Doesn’t mean I won’t ask you out.”

“You’re ridiculous,” I reply, rolling my eyes.

“Just honest, sweetheart,” he says and takes a bite.

“I hope you choke on that California roll.”

“You’re quite taken with choking,” he says, watching me for a moment. “Are you into that sort of thing?”

I want to throw my raw fish at his face, but instead I just smile sweetly and reply with, “You’ll never find out.”

“This is entertaining,” Kat says to Mac, who nods. “We should have them over for dinner every day. We’d never have another need for a television.”

I can’t help but giggle at my friend. “Sorry, guys. I guess you could say that Chase and I butt heads a bit.”

“No need to apologize,” Kat says. “So this isn’t a love match.”

I immediately shake my head no, and Chase just simply laughs and takes a sip of his wine.

“That’s okay. Plan B is in full force.” Kat raises her glass. “Good food and wine and excellent conversation.”

“I can get behind that.” I clink my glass to hers. “How are things over at Seduction?”

“Fantastic,” she says with a grin. Kat co-owns one of Portland’s hottest restaurants with her best friends. She runs the wine bar and knows more about wine than just about anyone else I know. “We’ve been very busy and are about to start filming a new TV show for BestBites TV.”

“I watch that channel all the time.”

“Well, Mia’s getting her own show. It’s pretty exciting.”

“That’s wonderful.” I put my fist out for her to bump. “I’m excited for y’all.”

“What do you do, Maura?” Mac asks, and Chase’s gaze whips down to mine.

“What?”

“It just occurred to me that I don’t know what you do either,” he says with a frown.

“You know nothing, Chase MacKenzie.” I sniff and turn back to Mac, secretly enjoying the way Chase is laughing beside me. “I’m a teacher.”

“What grade are you teaching this year?” Kat asks.

“Fifth grade,” I reply and wrinkle my nose. “It’s not easy, but I like it.”

“And where is that accent from that I hear in your voice?” Mac asks.

“Texas. Austin, Texas.”

“What brought you up to Portland?” Chase asks.

“A job, and I needed to escape the heat. I wanted to see the seasons change, and I was tired of Texas. My family is there, so I visit a couple times a year, and that’s good enough for me.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Kat says with a smile.

The rest of the dinner is full of witty conversation and more wine, and when we’re ready to leave, Kat decides she’s too drunk to drive us home.

“I’ll ride with Mac,” she says, slurring her words.

“I can call a cab,” I reply, but Chase shakes his head.

“I’ll give you a ride,” he says.

“You drank too.”

“I had one glass. I’m fine, I promise.”

I stand on the sidewalk and stare at him dubiously. “I don’t know. I think a cab will be fine.”

He takes my hand, waves to Kat and Mac, and leads me down the sidewalk to his car.

Which is as sexy as he is.

Damn him.

“You have a ’68 Camaro?”

He stops and looks me over before answering. “Yes. Are you a gear head?”

“No, I’m a car lover, but I don’t know how to work on them. This is a damn sexy car.”

“Thank you.”

He gets me settled in my seat. I’m a little buzzed.

Or, you know, a lot buzzed.

And I know that Chase is not the kind of guy I want to fuck with. Not in a he might throw me in the river kind of way, but in a he sleeps with all the girls in the world and I don’t need to be another notch in the bedpost kind of way.

But now I’m alone with him. I’ve always been careful to not be alone with him because he’s sexy and I’m a girl with needs.

Sexy needs.

He gets in next to me and fires up the car, and my panties are immediately soaked.

I clear my throat. “How long have you had this car?”

“A few years,” he says and watches as I reach out and stroke the dash lovingly. I can’t keep myself from touching the vintage radio, the gear shift, the steering wheel. Now Chase clears his own throat, his eyes glued to my hand as I touch everything in my reach.

“I like it,” I whisper.

“Maura?”

“Hmm?”

“Put your hand on your leg.”

“On your leg?” I rest my palm on his thigh and feel every muscle in his leg tighten. “Like this?”

“Fucking hell,” he mutters and moves my hand from his leg to my own. “If you touch me, I’ll want—”

“What? What will you want, Chase?”

He turns those warning-label eyes on me and narrows them menacingly, and I know in this moment that although my mind screams don’t do it! my loins have other ideas.

I’m totally going to fuck Chase tonight.

“Chase?”

“You. I want you, goddamn it.”

A slow smile makes its way over my lips and I cock an eyebrow. “Seems tonight is your lucky night, Chase.”

“You’re drunk.”

“I’m not that drunk.” I shrug. “I’m a little buzzed and a lot turned on.”

“By my car.”

“The car helps.” I grin and lick my lower lip. “I’d very much like it if you’d take me home with you.”

“If you change your mind, I’ll take you straight home.”

Well, at least he’s not an asshole.

“So noted.”

He puts the car in gear and stomps on the gas. The car squeals out of the parking space, making me laugh. “If you kill us before we get there, we won’t get to do this, and that would be unfortunate.”

He just smirks and watches the road as he zooms through downtown and into the west hills. Finally, he turns into a driveway and stops in front of an enormous house that in this neighborhood had to cost him a fortune.

“Nice digs.”

He doesn’t reply. He unclips my seatbelt and leans in to kiss me, but he pauses when his lips are just millimeters from my own. “Are you sure?”

“Totally sure.”

“You don’t like me.”

“Truth.”

“But you want to have sex with me.”

It isn’t a question.

“I want to fuck you.”

His eyes flare and he presses his mouth to mine, devouring me. His tongue isn’t too hard or too sloppy. In fact, he might be the best kisser ever.

His hand glides up my bare leg under my skirt and squeezes my ass over my panties.

“Are we going to make it inside?” I ask breathlessly. He grins, and then he’s gone, jogging around the car to open my door and help me up. Most of the buzz from the wine is gone, replaced by this incredible sex buzz that’s even better.

He leads me through the front door, slams it shut behind me, and immediately drops to his knees, pushes my skirt up around my waist and my leg over his shoulder, and plants a kiss on my core, right through the panties.

“Holy fuck.” I gasp and grip onto his hair tightly, afraid of falling over. His finger hooks in the crotch of the black lace covering the prize. He pulls it to the side and touches the tip of his tongue to my very hard clit.

“Now, that’s pretty,” he says before he takes my entire labia in his mouth and sucks hard, making me cry out and see stars all at once.

“Jesus,” I mutter when he leans back and tugs my panties down my legs and waits patiently as I step out of them.

“You have great legs.”

He kisses my thigh, then my trimmed pubis and the other thigh before he stands and cups my cheek, staring down at me as I just concentrate on breathing. I lick my lips and the next thing I know, he’s lifted me fireman style on his shoulder and is carrying me through his house. It’s dark, so I can’t see much. I just catch glimpses of chrome and gleaming hardwood, and then I’m dumped on my back on a bed the size of Texas.

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