“Let me see it.” I stood and approached a decidedly red Willis.

“No way.” He backed toward his bedroom.

“What’s in the box?”

“Nothing.” He feigned nonchalance, but kept backing away.

“Sounded to me like there was something extra special in there.”

“Nope.” He made it to the door of his bedroom, the box behind his back.

“Oh, come on. At least let me see it before you shove it up your—”

“Hey!” He gritted his teeth.

I followed him, enjoying our game. Though, honestly, I was more than a little interested to see just what had the delivery guy so excited. “I’m not judging.”

He shook his head, his glasses going charmingly askew again. “It’s not for me.”

A sliver of jealousy shot through me. “Then who’s it for?”

The backs of his knees hit the foot of his bed, and I walked right up to him. I was playing the aggressor, but there was no denying he was far bigger and, from what he’d shown me the last time we met, totally cool with taking charge. Maybe I wanted him to do it again. Kissing him was no hardship.

“Just forget about it.”

“Not a chance.” I pushed him so he sat on the bed, then straddled his lap. Because I’d always had a problem with impulse control. “Who’s it for?”

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “You’re pushy when it comes to sex toys.”

I nibbled my bottom lip. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

He sighed. “I could give a longer explanation. But I’ll just say that my best friend works for Jizzlywinks—”

A laugh burst out of me. “I’m sorry. I must have had a stroke or something right then. Did you say Jizzlywinks?”

He cleared his throat and placed one hand on my hip. His palm was warm, the heat seeping through the thin fabric of my dress. “Yes. They’re one of the top sex toy manufacturers in the country. My friend does advertising for them as well as some research and development.”

“That still doesn’t explain what’s in the box.” I clasped my hands together behind his head. Hello Fire. I’m Scarlet. I’d like to play with you for a while. Not like anyone could get burned, right?

“What’s in the box is the newest product he’s come up with. It’s called”— he flinched, but continued—“the SquickyLube.”

My laughter returned, bubbling out of me like I was Old Faithful and it was time to blow. He deadpanned as my giggles subsided, but he rubbed his thumb back and forth across my hip. Tingles, so many tingles.

“Okay.” I cleared my throat. “Okay, so why did he send it to you?”

“He didn’t. Not really.” He pulled the box from behind his back and slid it open. “He sent it to you.”

I stared down at the bright purple dildo with the lifelike head and shaft. At the tip, a small slit—also lifelike—oozed a little, hinting at the “lube” part of the name. “How does it work?”

“Really?” He met my eyes.

“Yeah. Let’s see it.” I pulled it out of the box and a note fell into Willis’s lap. I reached down for it, and brushed against his erection. Damn. That was more than a mouthful.

“What’s the note say?” His voice had dropped, the husky sound of it sending a shot of tension between my thighs.

I unfolded it. “Scarlet, have a good time. Review it, and you’ll get a thousand-dollar check from Jizzlywinks. PS: Go easy on Willis. He’s a good guy.” I knew even better than Elias what a good guy Willis was. Too good for me, but here I was on his lap anyway. I couldn’t help myself.

“A thousand bucks?” I turned the vibrator over in my hands and inspected the buttons on the realistic balls area of it.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to do it.” He spread his fingers wide on my hips, as if greedy to cover as much of me as possible. It felt so good to be here, to forget about my messed-up life for a few stolen moments with him. Could he feel the riotous beat of my heart? His dilated pupils and firm grip told me he did.

“I’m not the sort of gal who’ll turn down some easy cash.” I ran my fingers up the shaft, tracing a particularly prominent vein.

He licked his lips. “Do you have any idea what watching you handle that does to me?”

“I have an inkling.” I rolled my hips forward, brushing his cock with my pussy.

His fingertips dug into me as he pulled me closer.

“Hang on, Sparky.” I scooted back and put the dildo between us. “I’m here to work.”

Eyeing my lips, he said, “My tongue can do things that gadget couldn’t possibly imagine. And you can even write a review of it, if you want.”

Holy shit. A heat wave coursed through my veins, and my composure was on the verge of cracking. “Let’s just see what it has to offer, okay?”

“Fine,” he grumbled and ran his palms down to my bare thighs, pushing the dress up as he returned his hands to my hips. “Are those pink panties?”

“Concentrate, Sparky!” I clicked a small blue button between the balls and the toy began to vibrate. “That would feel nice, I bet.”

He rolled his eyes. “Are you done? You’re done.”

“Wait.” I clicked the green button next to the blue, and it vibrated even faster—far more powerful than the little bullet I had in my bedside table. “What sort of batteries does this thing have?” I felt along the balls until I found a larger button at the base. “What does this do?” It depressed farther than the other two, and an ooze of lube appeared at the tip, coating the plastic head and dribbling down the shaft.

“Okay, you tested it. Done.” He pulled my hips closer.

A red button at the base of the gadget caught my attention. “One more thing.”

I pressed it, and the head erupted in a violent squirt. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, but it was too late. The goo splashed in my face, my eyes stung, and I lost my grip on the SquickyLube.

“Whoa!” Willis jumped, but kept me seated in his lap.

I wiped my face, eyes still closed. “What the hell was that?”

He shifted, then pulled my hands away. Fabric pressed against my face, wiping the goo off, but my eyes still burned.

“Elias said the prior prototype had a kink. I think that must have been it. It sort of vibrated out of control and slung the lube everywhere. Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I tried to open my eyes, but the sting intensified. “It burns my eyes.”

“Shit.” He scooped me into his arms.

I tried to grip his shirt, but met only smooth, warm skin. He must have used his shirt to wipe my eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Taking you to the bathroom so we can rinse your eyes out.” He set me on a counter and a faucet turned on next to me. “Keep them closed.”

“Not a problem.”

A cabinet opened and closed, and then a warm washcloth pressed against my right eye.

“I can do it.” I reached for him, but he batted my hands away.

“I got you.” He wiped my eyes and face, then wet the washcloth again and swiped it across my chest. “Do they still burn?”

I blinked them open, the sting subsiding. “No, they’re better.”

He peered into my eyes, and I realized how much more beautiful his irises were without his glasses.

“They’re kind of pink, but not bad. I’ve got some drops around here somewhere.”

“Thanks.” I swiped my hand across his nose, even though my vision was a little fuzzy. “You’ve got a little on you.”

He grinned. “Yep, that’s the first time any cock besides my own has come all over me.”

I laughed and blinked a few more times. A rattling noise caught my attention, and I leaned over to see what it was. The SquickyLube vibrated along Willis’s bedroom floor, the lifelike cock leaving a slick trail in its wake. It seemed to be coming for me. I leaned away and shivered.

Willis’s bathroom was small, but clean. I sat on a white marble vanity, and the floors were a slightly darker tile. The shower curtain was emblazoned with the Star Wars logo and read “Join the Rebellion.” Despite the sting in my eyes, I couldn’t help the smile that tickled along my lips. He was such a nerd.

“That thing is a hazard.” He tilted my head back and applied drops to each eye. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I blinked a few more times, and my vision cleared completely. And then I froze. Holy crap. Shirtless Willis was the best Willis. Broad chest, dusky nipples, and a flat stomach that hinted at a six-pack underneath. My mouth watered. Nerd or not, he was a gorgeous man.

He took the washcloth and swiped across his cheeks, his neck, and then down along his collarbones. “My shirt took the brunt of it.” The water left a sheen on his skin. Sort of like it would look if I licked him. Licking him was moving up on my bucket list with every second that passed.

“Scarlet?”

I stared.

No words came to mind.

The SquickyLube rattled closer.

Dropping the washcloth, he put his hands on either side of my thighs and inspected my eyes again. “One of your main recommendations needs to be a different lube provider. That stuff verges on toxic.”

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and I knit my fingers together to stop from touching him.

“Does it hurt?” The concern in his voice made me ache.

“I’m okay. Really.” I glanced past him as the SquickyLube crept into view right outside the bathroom door.

He turned to look. “I’ll take care of it.”

While he handled the abusive dildo, I scooted off the vanity and checked my eyes in the mirror. The pink was already fading. I could see his bed in the reflection. What would have happened if the SquickyLube hadn’t attacked? I knew the answer. Which meant I needed to leave.

I wiped at the spots of lube along the top of my dress, then left the bathroom. Willis knelt and cleaned the last of the snail trail left by the offending sex toy. When he looked up at me, a butterfly brigade twirled around inside my stomach.

“Your eyes better?”

“Yeah, they’re good.” I edged toward the door. “I should go.”

“Wait.” He stood, his toned body sending prickles along my skin.

“I don’t think we should do this.”

“Do what?” He smiled and approached. “Experiment with killer sex toys?”

“You know what I mean.” My breathy voice barely made it across my lips.

“Yeah, I do.” He peered down at me, and I clutched the sides of my dress to keep myself from falling into his arms.

“Keep it professional.” Especially since my plan ends with me dicking you over.

“Right.” He dragged his thumb across my bottom lip, and my eyes fluttered closed at the soft touch. “Professional.”

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to mine, slowly murdering my resolve with a sweep of his tongue and the pressure of his hands at my waist.

I meant to refuse, to tell him we shouldn’t do this. Instead, I opened my mouth wider and ran my hands down his smooth chest. He grabbed my ass, squeezing as he turned me around and walked me backward toward the bed.

This was happening, and I couldn’t stop it. Did I want to stop it?

The backs of my knees hit the mattress. “Willis.” I stared into his eyes as the last shred of my self-control floated from my lungs. “We shouldn’t.”

“I know.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “You’re right, but I don’t think I can go another day without knowing what you taste like.”

Ohmygod. I sat on the bed, and he prowled over me, scooting us into the middle as he settled between my thighs. Running my hands through his hair, I tugged as his lips slanted over mine, stealing my breath and ratcheting up the tension between my thighs.

He cupped my breast through the dress, his thumb sliding back and forth across my hard nipple. I moaned and rocked my hips upward, rubbing my clit against his thick shaft. The touch was a burst of electricity, and I knew my panties were wet.

His other hand tangled in my hair as he kissed down my neck to my chest. With a yank, he pulled the neckline down and fastened his hot mouth to my nipple. I arched my back as he sucked me, his tongue lashing the stiff peak while his other hand squeezed my left breast.

My body was on fire, Willis lighting me up with each caress. Slowly, he kissed lower and pushed my dress up past my hips.

“Fuck,” he bit out as he stared at my panties.

I gripped the sheets as he pulled my panties down and tossed them aside. His eyes darkened as he stared at my pussy. Spreading my legs as wide as they could go, he swooped down and ran his tongue from my entrance to my clit. I bucked, the overwhelming sensations almost too much to bear.

He wrapped his large palms around my thighs, his fingertips resting on my hip bones as he pressed his mouth to my clit.

“Willis.” I barely got his name past my lips.

Groaning into my flesh, his tongue dipped and swirled. I looked down at his flexed shoulders, the tension in him mirroring my own. It was the most erotic thing I’d ever seen. He stabbed his tongue inside me, sending a whoosh of air from my lungs as I pressed into the bed and thrust my hips against his face.

He slid his hands under my ass and lifted, bringing his meal closer to his mouth as he feasted on me. Focusing on my clit, his tongue did a wicked dance, rubbing and flicking until my legs shook and I was hanging on by a thin thread. With a low groan, he slipped two fingers inside me.

My entire body tightened around those fingers as his tongue gave me no reprieve. Each lick sent me higher, until I froze and fell over the edge of my pleasure. I gasped and moaned, my release eclipsing every thought that vied for space in my mind. Complete silence reigned inside me except for the shaking refrain of delicious satisfaction.

When I floated back down to earth, Willis kissed my mound and crawled back up to my mouth. Brushing his lips against mine, he asked, “Was that okay?”

Even in my blissed-out state, I laughed. “That was far better than just okay, Sparky.”

He smiled against my lips and kissed me, sharing my taste. Then he pushed up and climbed off the bed.

I stared, too languid too move. “What are you doing?”

“I need to, um. There’s a situation here.” He glanced down at the erection pressing against his jeans. “And I don’t want to rush this. So, I’m just going to hop in a cold shower real quick, and then I’ll be back. You just relax…and yeah.”

Who was this man, and why hadn’t a woman snapped him up yet? The litany of “he’s too good for you” started up in my mind, but I pushed it to the background as I sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. “Come over here.”

He glanced to my chest, one of my breasts still exposed. I grabbed the other shoulder of my dress and pushed it down, giving him the full view.

“Jesus.” He grabbed the back of his neck but didn’t take his eyes off me.

When I sank to my knees on his soft wool rug, his eyes widened.

“You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” I let my gaze wander down his toned body and then froze on the sizeable bulge in his jeans. My mouth watered, and I tweaked my nipples as I caught his eye again.

He returned to me, his gaze locked with mine, and ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t know if I can be gentle about this.”

His words hit me right between the thighs, and my body started ramping up the tension again. God, what this sexy nerd did to me with just his words.

“Let’s see.” I grabbed his jeans and undid the button and the fly. Pulling down his Superman boxers, I freed his cock and took a breath. Medium length, it had a smooth head that was reddened with blood and a thick shaft. A beautiful cock, as far as penises went.

Gripping him, I stroked down to his base and then back to his tip. My fingertips couldn’t meet. Damn.

He groaned and fisted my hair. “Lick it.”

His command was like electricity moving through water, thrilling the parts of me that were already drenched with lust.

Opening my mouth wide, I ran my tongue along his tip and stared up at him. He clenched his eyes shut, then opened them and locked his eyes with mine.

I rested my hands on his hard thighs and took him as far into my mouth as I could. His groan radiated through his body, and the hand in my hair pulled me closer. I gagged, but didn’t give up, running my tongue along the bottom of his shaft in a crisscross motion as he eased back a little.

Eyes watering, I bobbed my head, rubbing the tip of his shaft against the roof my mouth as I sucked and licked his hard length. A salty twinge on my tongue spurred me on, while his hands in my hair made sure I stayed right where he wanted me.

His hips surged forward with steady strokes, fucking my mouth as I took as much as I could again and again. I gripped the base of his shaft with my hand, working it in tandem with my mouth. The wet noises grew louder, and his grip in my hair grew tighter.

“I’m close.” The words hissed through his gritted teeth. He was beautiful, every muscle tense as he stared down at me.

I didn’t stop, only moved faster, taking him deeper and using my hand to increase the pressure. Pornographic images of him coming on my face, my tits, my pussy flooded my mind, and I moaned against his shaft.

His cock thickened even more, and he groaned. “I’m coming.”

I fastened my lips around his shaft and sucked as he came, each spurt coating my tongue as I swallowed him down. His masculine grunt rang in my ears as he finished, and the tension slid off his body like rain from a roof.

When he was spent, I swallowed once more, then leaned back and rested my head against his mattress.

“Fuck, woman.” He reached down and grabbed me under my arms, then lifted me and hugged me to him. “You are too much.” His lips on my neck were an extra scoop of ice cream on top of our sexy sundae. He kissed lower, then stopped. “Who are you?”

His question splashed me like an ice water bath. If he knew who I really was—or what I had planned for him—all this would be over.

“Hey.” He must have noticed I’d stiffened. Sitting me on the bed, he knelt in front of me.

I pulled my dress back into place, covering myself as his sated look darkened into an almost-frown. “Don’t shut off. I’m sorry I asked.” He stroked my cheek, but I leaned away.

“I need to get going.” I rose and hurried into the living room.

“Scarlet, please.” He followed me. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t worry about it.” I forced a smile. “I had a great time.” Snagging my handbag, I hurtled toward the door. “I’ve got my homework. We’re all good.”

He put a hand on my shoulder. “Slow down, please.”

I shrugged him off. “No, it’s fine. I’ll see you Friday night, okay?”

He sighed, as if my words had pulled the plug on the Willis balloon and all the air was escaping. “All right.”

I opened the door and stabbed the elevator button with a vengeance.

“Is this going to be weird now?” He leaned on his doorframe and gave me a doleful look.

“No, of course not. We’re both adults, Sparky.” I wanted to go back to him, to just walk into the arms I knew would be open for me. I couldn’t.

The elevator opened.

“Friday,” I called and walked inside.

The doors almost closed before Willis wedged his foot between them.

They opened, and he walked inside and invaded my space. “Thanks for coming over.” He tilted my chin up and brushed his lips softly across mine as the elevator doors closed and we descended. The sinking feeling in my stomach had to come from the change in elevation, right? He dropped more gentle kisses on my mouth, my cheeks, and even my nose.

The doors opened on the lobby level.

“This isn’t over.” Willis stepped back, and I almost crumpled against the wall behind me.

He walked me to the doorman. “Get her a cab, would you?”

Gene smiled and perused Willis’s shirtless and shoeless exterior. “Yes, sir.”

Willis drew his wallet from his back pocket and handed me some bills. “For cab fare.”

“Thanks.”

Gene walked outside to hail a cab.

Willis kissed me again. Not soft. Not gentle. Just pure ownership, even bending me back as his tongue made a believer out of me. Setting me back upright, he said, “Friday, then.”

In a daze, I nodded my agreement. “Friday.”

Sitting in the cab on the way across the river, I tried to make sense of how I’d been so overcome by a man who wore Superman boxers. No answer came, but I resolved that we wouldn’t take it any further. No more mind-blowing orgasms, no more soul-searing kisses, no more erotic blowjobs. I was going to be a professional…well, as professional as a con-woman could be. My future—and Hannah’s—depended on it.

My phone beeped. I pulled it from my bag and checked the message.

A delicious shiver shot down my spine. I wanted him again, and not just the third base stuff. I wanted to ride home plate bareback.

I shook my head and stared down at the turbulent river.

Yeah, real professional.