Eric paid the cab driver as Joni dug through her purse for her keys. She was steadier than he’d expected, given the amount of alcohol they’d consumed.

“Ah ha!” she said, pulling the keychain out. “Found ’em.”

He took her hand and led her to her apartment building. She lived on a nice quiet street that actually wasn’t too far from his condo. Apparently she’d been living just a few blocks from him this entire year and he’d never seen her, never met her. Fate had a funny way of throwing people together in the oddest ways at the perfect time.

His phone beeped and he glanced at the screen. Lucas. Asking him where he was. Eric grinned. Bastard. He clicked the phone off. He’d keep Lucas in suspense tonight. And hopefully, by tomorrow, he’d have made some progress with his conquest.

Because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind Joni was made for him. He wasn’t one of those romantic slobs who fell in love at first sight. Or at least, he didn’t think he was.

But everything inside him said that Joni could be the one. She was funny, pretty, down-to-earth, with just enough of a sarcastic edge to call him on his bullshit and keep his feet firmly on the ground. His money and his past NFL career didn’t impress her.

Only time would tell if his first impression was the right one. He was determined that, despite Joni’s desire for a one-night stand, they’d be spending a lot more nights together. Maybe all of them.

He entered her apartment, perfectly aware that up until a few hours ago, this was the place she’d shared with Jeff. There were lots of masculine things around to drive that point home.

Joni noticed as well. She walked across the room and picked up a pair of running shoes. “Jeff’s,” she said, holding them up to show him.

Eric wondered if she’d have a change of heart about his presence here. After all, her world had just been turned upside down. Maybe she’d decide she was wrong to indulge in a dalliance with a stranger. Not that they felt much like strangers anymore. Eric had never shared so much of himself with a woman. And he sure as hell didn’t intend for this to be the wham-bam event she was anticipating.

“He just bought them.” She walked to the sliding glass doors that led to a small balcony. Opening it, she stepped outside and tossed the shoes out into the night. “I told him his stuff would be in the front yard. Wanna help me move the asshole out?”

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

She gave him a look that screamed “Are you serious?” then she glanced around the room for more of her ex-boyfriend’s stuff. Jackets, gloves and hats joined the shoes. By the time they headed for the bedroom closet, they were cracking up, Eric laughing so hard, his sides hurt. Her sense of fun was infectious. He’d never seen a woman deal with a broken heart like this. She was equal parts poise, pissed and relieved, and it was making its way out of her not in tears, but in good-natured laughter.

Joni threw open the bedroom window and started pitching his clothing out as Eric handed it to her.

“You realize,” he said, when they’d tossed everything they could find out onto the front yard of the apartment building, “Jeff is going to be pissed as hell when he finds all his stuff outside tomorrow.”

Joni shrugged. “I couldn’t give two shits how Jeff feels about anything. He slept with that woman. While he was in a relationship with me.” It was the first time he’d heard her voice crack, seen any sadness, since she’d left her car in the parking lot at Charleston.

“I’m sorry, Joni.”

She shook her head, clearly fighting down the sudden rush of emotion. Once she’d gotten the brief bout of sadness tucked away, she faced him again, her grin back in place. He had to hand it to her. She was one tough chick.

“That’s not your apology to make.” Then she looked around at her much emptier room. “You know what? I like it. It looks great in here.”

He laughed. The place was a mess. In their dash to toss Jeff’s stuff out, they’d managed to make quite a pile of empty hangers in the middle of the floor. Most of the dresser drawers hung open and a lot of her clothing and shoes were strewn about as well.

But he didn’t bother to contradict her. If she was happy, he was happy. “It looks fantastic.”

“You haven’t lied to me once tonight, have you?”

He opened his mouth to assure her he hadn’t, but she cut him off.

“No,” she said. “You don’t have to answer. I can tell you haven’t. Thank you.”

“Just for being honest?”

She nodded. “For that. And for salvaging what was shaping up to be the worst birthday in history. So much for flirty-dirty thirty. Instead I was looking at the double birdie.” As she spoke, she flipped up both middle fingers.

Eric reared back. “It’s your birthday?”

Joni dropped down into a chair near the window. “Sort of puts a different spin on just how pathetic my life is, doesn’t it?”

“It’s your thirtieth birthday?”

“Yeah. How old are you?”

He didn’t hesitate to respond. “Thirty-five.” Then, Eric walked over, reaching out a hand to her. She took it, allowing him to pull her up into a hug. “What do you say we put that pathetic comment in past tense?”

“I could go for that concept. Seems like it’s my night for moving on anyway,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, much the same way she had on the dance floor at Pat’s Pub. “I guess I should be depressed and maybe I will be tomorrow when the tequila wears off, but right now, I just feel lighter, happier, hopeful. Does that seem weird?”

He loosened his grip, then cupped her cheeks with his hands. “Nothing about you is weird, Joni.”

She gave him an amused wink. “Stick around awhile. You’ll figure out exactly how odd I am.”

“I’m going to take you up on that.” Eric accepted the invitation she wasn’t consciously making.

Joni rolled her eyes. “You’ll be gone before I wake up in the morning.”

He’d shared too many stories, thought himself witty by making her laugh over all his escapades. He’d regaled her with his crazy exploits, of how he’d been forced to find creative ways to escape the bedrooms of clingy lovers he’d picked up for what he’d thought were single evenings of fun.

“We’ll see.”

Joni glanced at the bed and he recognized the first traces of nervousness. She’d admitted she didn’t take casual lovers, didn’t pick up guys in bars—or parking lots—and bring them back to her place. The courage he’d seen stiffening her spine all evening seemed to be weakening.

Eric walked to the bed and sat down. Then he patted the mattress next to him. “Come here.”

She licked her lips, biting on the lower one. He didn’t force the issue. He just waited patiently. Joni didn’t disappoint. She took in a deep breath, then joined him on the bed.

He turned, cupped the back of her neck with one hand and pulled her to him for a kiss. She didn’t resist.

He loved the way she gave herself over to his kisses. He’d noticed it in the bar. Joni didn’t hold back anything.

Eric had never spent much time on kissing. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the act. It was just that he always had other places he’d rather be…like inside the woman. With Joni, he didn’t seek to rush through this part. Instead, he gave himself time to explore, to taste, to touch.

Tonight wasn’t going to end the way Joni expected, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. The hungry way she clung to him, her tight grip in his hair and her soft moans told him it had been far too long since she’d felt any sort of passion. And while he didn’t intend to consummate the relationship yet, he wasn’t going to let her down either.

Her fingers found their way to his shirt and as they kissed, she slowly slipped each button free. Charleston catered to a higher class of diners, so he’d put on a freshly pressed, crisp blue button-down dress shirt, though he’d skipped the tie.

Once Joni had it completely open, he broke off the kiss just long enough to slip the cotton over his shoulders and tug off the white t-shirt he wore beneath it.

He started to kiss her again, but Joni held him back, her hands pressed firmly against his shoulders. Her gaze slid along his chest and he grinned at her open appreciation.

“Damn. Didn’t realize guys built like this really existed. Sort of thought it was a myth.”

He chuckled. “Well, you just made all those hours at the gym worth it.”

She didn’t reply. Instead, she drew her hand over his pecs, smoothing her fingers over his bare skin. She wasn’t shy about her perusal. Joni took her time, studied him at leisure. He let her look her fill because he intended to get the same from her as soon as he had her shirt off.

When she leaned forward and ran her tongue over his brown nipple, Eric sucked in a deep breath and suddenly worried about his ability to stick to the plan. His cock was so thick, so full, it hurt. Throbbing, constricted. Regardless, he didn’t dare to take off his pants. If the dick came out, all bets were off. He wouldn’t be able to resist pushing into her and fucking her until they both passed out.

But that would be a mistake and he knew it. Tonight wasn’t about sex.

“Your turn,” he said, dying to see and touch her breasts. She had a healthy amount of cleavage, curves in all the right places. He was a boob man and he had a pretty good suspicion hers were just his type.

He reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it off. She surprised him with her lacy black bra. For some reason, he’d expected something more practical and plain. It appeared Joni was hiding a wild side.

“Pretty,” he said, dragging his fingers along the tops of her breasts, barely touching the lace trim.

“I like expensive underwear. Forgot to mention that during our tell-all at the bar.”

Eric pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, just underneath her ear. “I like surprises.”

She tried to turn her head, to draw him back into a kiss, but he wasn’t letting her off that easy. He wanted his peep show and a good long time to enjoy it. He moved his lips from her neck to her shoulder, so Joni’s kiss landed on the side of his face.

Wrapping his arms around her, he unfastened her bra with a quick flick that made her snort.

“Damn playboys,” she murmured, her tone filled with humor. “I can’t get myself out of this bra that fast.”

He winked, then tugged the lace away.

She sucked in an audible breath that she held. Despite her obvious nervousness, she didn’t lift her hands, didn’t try to cover herself from his rapt stare. She was as perfect as he’d imagined. More so.

“Damn,” he whispered.

“They’re just boobs,” she said dismissively.

Eric didn’t bother to correct her with words. He was going to show her with actions just how wrong she was. Lowering his head, he sucked one of her tight, rose-colored nipples between his lips.

Joni hissed, her hands flying to his hair. “God,” she breathed. “So good.”

Amen to that, he thought. Then he amended it in his mind to too good. He continued to play with her breast, sucking one hard nipple as he caressed the other with his hand. After several minutes, he switched.

Through it all, Joni urged him on, tugging on his hair and whispering…words of praise, of need. Eric ran his tongue along the valley between her breasts. “I’m going to take you here one night. Put my cock in between and fuck your tits.”

She closed her eyes. “Oh wow. Keep going. I had no idea I was such a big fan of dirty talk.”

Eric’s lips curled up even as he took her nipple back into his mouth. He’d never laughed this much with any woman. He loved the way she spoke the things she thought without trying to act coy or cool.

Joni dragged her nails along his back, then her fingers drifted around his waist to find the button of his pants. He grasped her wrists and used that hold to push her back on the bed. Eric came over her, placing her hands by her head on the pillow.

They began kissing again, their touches growing rougher, hungrier. He grunted when Joni nipped his lower lip. Then he got revenge, biting her earlobe. She tried to break the grip of his hands, but he held firmly.

His control was wavering. If she got free, got her fingers around his cock, he was done for. However, while he was determined to keep his own pants on, the same didn’t hold true for her.

“Keep your hands there. If you try to move them, I’ll tie you up.”

“Promises, promises,” she muttered.

“One night. Soon.”

Her brows furrowed. “You keep talking about future nights, but this is it, hotshot. It’s now or never.”

He ignored her. Mainly because there was no way he was going to let this be his only night in her bed. Joni was just coming off a long-term relationship where the guy had betrayed her trust. It stood to reason she wasn’t willing to jump right back into the fire.

Literally right back. Hell, her ex still had a yard full of shit to pick up.

Even so, he wasn’t going to let something that had so much potential end here. They’d just have to find a way to make it work for both of them.

Eric slid his hands along her sides, loving the way she trembled beneath him. Mercifully, she kept her hands on the pillow as he worked the button on her pants free and tugged the zipper down. She shifted, lifting her hips to help him shed the linen and the lace panties that matched her pretty bra. He was going to have to get her to model some more of this sexy underwear for him later.

He tossed her clothing to the floor, pleased when her legs fell open for him, naturally, without prodding. She wanted him and it appeared he’d earned her trust. That or the tequila was really working in his favor.

He grinned at the thought as she gave him a quizzical look. He wiped it away with one touch. He stroked along her wet slit, evoking a quick gasp and then a shudder from her.

She was so ready for him. It would take mere seconds to shed himself of his own pants and slide into her. He closed his eyes and focused. Not tonight. Not when they were both more than a little tipsy.

Who was he fooling? They were wasted.

God willing, they’d revisit this tomorrow—sober—and he’d have his chance then. For now, he had to make damn sure she was willing to give him that second opportunity.

He moved between her outstretched thighs and lowered his head to her pussy. She jerked slightly. Eric had clearly taken her by surprise. When he placed his lips to her clit and sucked on the tight nubbin, she reared up.

“Ohmigod. What the hell?”

Two things rang through. One, she liked what he was doing…a lot. And secondly, she was genuinely surprised. Hadn’t the asshole she’d just dumped ever gone down on her?

“No. Never.”

He started when she replied, unaware he’d asked the question aloud. Then it was his turn for shock. “Never?”

She shook her head. He chuckled when she sardonically said, “It’s occurring to me I should have kicked the idiot to the curb a long time ago.”

“Ya think?”

Joni giggled, but the sound was cut short when he ran his tongue along her slit.

“Oh sweet Jesus,” she breathed.

He loved her heated response and praise. There was no doubt she was appreciating his efforts on her behalf. Wrapping his lips around her clit, he sucked once more as he pressed two fingers inside her.

Joni’s back arched, her hands stretching up to grip the railing of her headboard. She began to thrust toward him, begging for more. He continued to play with her, taking his time while pushing her higher and higher, then Eric gave her what she wanted. He added a third finger to her pussy, driving them in deeper, curving them to stroke her G-spot. He nipped at her clit and she went off like a firecracker.

“Ahhhh,” she cried. Eric lifted his head, desperate to see her face as she came. He slowed the motion of his fingers in her pussy, enjoying the tight squeeze of her inner muscles. He let her ride out the storm completely before he withdrew them.

She went limp on the bed, her eyes remaining closed long enough that he thought she’d fallen asleep.

When she finally opened them, she smiled. “That was incredible.”

He nodded, in full agreement. “Yeah. It was.”

She stirred and he knew instantly what her intent was. He moved over her, pressing her back down to the mattress with his body. He kissed her softly, then looked at her.

“Time for sleep.”

She frowned and shook her head. “No. You didn’t—”

“I’m not fucking you tonight, Joni.”

“I don’t understand. Does this have something to do with the bet you made with your friend? Because I have to tell you, I think you’ve already skirted a line.”

He chuckled. “This has nothing to do with the bet.” And everything. He didn’t say the last.

“Then why wouldn’t you—”

“Because we’re drunk, Joni. You’ve had a stressful night and I have no intention of being a regret. So we’ll talk about this again tomorrow when we both have clearer heads. I’m hoping when you’re sober you’ll still want me. At which point, you and I will come back to this bed and fuck each other into oblivion.”

Eric halfway expected her to argue the point, but instead she reached up and cupped his cheek. “You’re a pretty cool guy, you know that?”

He chuckled. “Don’t tell anyone. If something like that got out, my womanizing reputation would be ruined.”

“I just wanted to say…if you decide to leave before I wake up…I had a really great night.”

She expected him to escape. And why wouldn’t she?

“You can tell me that again tomorrow.” He lifted her so that he could tug the covers on her bed down, then the two of them settled beneath them together. She snuggled into him, her head resting on his chest. Eric had never wanted to stay with a woman after sex. Never felt the need to hold someone close.

With Joni, he never wanted to let go.