Sarah
Frank’s seated at the bar when I step into Derby’s. My eyes land on him and I pause, jaw dropped. This is the first time I’ve seen him out of a suit. He’s sexy as hell all dressed up, but holy shit. In his casual clothes? He’s so far out of my league it’s ridiculous. His hair is tousled and begs me to run my hands through it. His T-shirt hugs his broad shoulders and the most sculpted pair of biceps I’ve ever seen stretch the sleeves. He’s not giant, but he’s cut, hard and lean, like a runner or a gymnast. He slides his glasses up his nose, the dark frames offsetting his dark hair and eyes.
And here I thought he was going to be the one who didn’t know what hit him.
I regain my composure and sidle up to the bar. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Frank shifts in his stool, a grin lighting his face. “Hey there.” His gaze turns molten as he takes in my dress. I love knowing he’s as affected by me as I am by him.
I cock a hip and suck in my bottom lip. “Damn, Wilde. Who knew you had that hiding under those stuffy suits.” Despite myself, I run a finger along the edge of his sleeve, my nail dragging across his skin. I imagine him leaning in, the scent of his cologne wrapping around me as his lips whisper across my own and then drop my hand to my side before my reaction gets me in trouble.
Frank shifts and the muscles in his arm bunch and jump with the movement. “I have more energy than I know what to do with. My gym time is a requirement or I start driving the people at work crazy.”
He’s driving me a little crazy right now, looking like he does, his gaze smoldering into mine the way it is. I’ve never felt so helpless in front of a man before, so at his mercy, as if a mere whim on his part could set my life on a totally different path and I’d be more than happy to follow him wherever he led me.
It’s a heady feeling and I don’t know if I love it or hate it.
The bartender, a redhead with big boobs and an even bigger smile, stops in front of me, giving me a chance to regain my composure. “What’ll it be, beautiful?”
I drag my eyes off Frank and glance at his drink. “I’ll have what he’s having.”
“One Jack and Coke, coming right up.” The redhead drops a hand on the bar, then turns to grab a bottle of Jack Daniels from the shelf behind her.
Frank sips at his mostly full drink and then slides it away, turning his attention to me. “Well. You got me out on a Wednesday when my own mother couldn’t. Now what?”
“Now we lean in real close, like this.” I rest an elbow on the bar and fiddle with my hair, bringing my face closer to his. He smells of aftershave and cologne, the faintest whiff of whiskey on his breath.
“Like this?” Frank closes the distance between us, pivoting so his knee brushes mine.
I nod and lick my lips, my gaze darting to his mouth. “Just like that.”
“Now what?”
“Now you ask me a question. I’ll answer and ask one of my own.” I lean back and give him a dubious look. “Have you seriously never done this before? I feel like these are things you should know. This is dating 101, Wilde.”
Frank grins as the bartender slides my drink my way. “Maybe I’m just testing you.” He shrugs and wraps his hand around his glass but doesn’t take a drink.
I narrow my eyes, waiting on his response.
“Right.” Frank shifts and looks away, a smile playing across his face. “I’m supposed to ask you a question.” He pretends to think. “I can’t decide if I should go with ‘What’s your sign?’ or ‘What’s someone like you doing in a place like this?’ Thoughts? Suggestions? I’m feeling a little out of my league here.” He gives me a devilish grin that tells me this is a man who gets my sense of humor, an odd blend of sarcasm and honesty.
“Wow. Maybe I was giving you too much credit when I said these are things you should know by now.” I swirl the straw in my glass, ice clinking merrily, and then take a drink. “Aquarius, by the way. Or actually, I’m on the cusp of both Aquarius and Pisces, which makes for quite the smorgasbord of personality traits. If you believe in that stuff. You?”
“I definitely don’t believe in that stuff.”
“That’s not what I was talking about and you know it.”
“Fine. I’m a Leo. Whatever that means.”
“Isn’t that one of your brothers? Leo?”
Frank lifts a brow and fidgets with his Jack and Coke. “Indeed it is. And here I thought you weren’t paying attention.” He cocks his head, studying me. “You remind me of him, a little.”
“I remind you of your little brother. That sounds…creepy.” I run my finger around the rim of my glass.
“When you put it like that it does.” Frank takes another small sip of his drink, grinning at me as he swallows. “What I mean is, Leo is his own person. He does what he needs to do to make himself happy and has a rebellious streak wider than the Grand Canyon. He lives by his own rules and no one else’s. I’ve always admired that in him. I think I see that in you, too.”
The low murmur of conversation intensifies around us as more and more people take up the empty seats. Frank and I lean closer, talking about everything and nothing. My body riots every time he laughs, a surge of electricity coursing along the surface of my skin, crackling in the air between us. It’s easy to be with him and I find myself staring into those dark eyes, feeling like I’m falling.
The longer we talk, the deeper I go.
The deeper I go, the more I never want it to stop.
I’ll just stare at him and fall, fall, fall, for the rest of forever.
“Did you ever contact McDougan & Kent about that admin position?” Frank breaks into my train of thought as he takes the final sip of his drink. The bartender offers him another and he declines.
I sling my hair over my shoulder and slide my glass her way. I’m always up for one more drink. “Honestly?” I say to Frank. “I chickened out. It feels too much like a real job, you know? I just need something to tide me over while I’m here, not an actual career or anything.”
Frank looks crestfallen. “Well, shit. Here I was, getting my hopes up that I’d have an excuse to see you every day.”
I grin because I can’t help it. “Do we really have to work at the same place for that to be the case?”
“I guess not, though, being serious for a second, I’d like to point out that a paycheck from McDougan & Kent is nothing to sniff at. So, you know, time with me every day. Benefits. A cushy job with a decent paycheck. If you’re gonna get stranded in a strange city and have to find work, it really couldn’t get much better than the one I’m offering, can it?”
“Since we’re being serious, aren’t you worried that me taking the position, knowing I’ll only be there for a short time, will reflect badly on you?”
“Why? Because I talked about a job opening to a woman I met when she crashed her car in front of me?” Frank shrugs. “Nothing to worry about there.”
I promise to think about it and the conversation moves on. When I finish off my second Jack and Coke, Frank sneaks a peek at his watch. “Wow,” I say. “And here I thought we were having a wonderful time…”
He laughs. “Believe me, I am not at all ready for tonight to end. You are so much more than I bargained for. I just have that meeting in the morning and I’m already out way past my bedtime.”
I glance at my phone. “Wow! It’s twelve thirty? When did that happen?”
“That it is. And I think it must have happened somewhere between the awesome company and the fascinating conversation.”
I grin and slide off the stool. “Well, let’s get you home before your coach turns into a pumpkin, Cinderella.” I genuinely feel bad about keeping him out so late, especially knowing he has an important meeting in the morning, but the evening truly flew by.
Frank pays the bill and leads me out of the bar, his hand strong and warm on my lower back. I pause as the door swings shut behind us, a silky breeze moving through my hair. He pushes a strand out of my face and then traces a finger down my arm, his touch leaving a trail of sparks to detonate in its wake.
I tilt my head, my gaze glued to his mouth.
Frank leans in.
I close my eyes and breathe him in.
All he needs to do is kiss me. Run his hands up my body and into my hair. We’ll share a cab back to his place and I’ll show him what it means to live by my own rules.
I lean in to him, press my hips against his, the heat from his body searing my own.
I grip his arms.
And then with the strength of a thousand saints and martyrs, I pull away. “I’ve already kept you out too late,” I say, unable to drag my eyes from his mouth.
Frank swallows hard and then nods. “Good night, Sarah.” His voice is thick and gruff. It rasps through his throat as his eyes hunt mine, heavy with desire. He drags a thumb across my lips and every nerve in my body screams in pleasure. “Let’s do this again sometime.”
And with that, he hails a cab, opens the door, and helps me inside. I give the driver the name of my hotel and spin in my seat to watch Frank watch me drive away, his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes locked on mine.
I wasn’t going to apply for the job at his firm, but that almost-kiss changed my mind. If we have that much chemistry flickering through the air between us, I’d be a fool to walk away from a chance to spend as much time with him as I can. If Frank isn’t worried about me and my temporary status affecting his job, then I won’t worry either.
I mean, really. What’s the worst that can happen?