Angel

 

As I finished my second drink, the alcoholic warmth in my belly and throat was growing more and more pleasurable by the minute. I knew I should have refused the second drink, but there was something about his manner than I knew I couldn’t refuse. He reminded me of someone. Someone I’d known and loved. Trey.

 

The name brought a flood of painful memories back to me. Boys like Trey had always been my weakness, even after he and I were broken up for good. It had taken years for me to be able to think of Trey without crying, but I finally could. Somehow, this stranger was threatening to bring it all back. He was gorgeous — sculpted tanned face, bulky muscular body without an inch of fat, wavy brown hair. Stunning blue eyes that he’d kept hidden behind sunglasses until we were in the bar.

 

I couldn’t believe he’d taken such an interest in me. But the chemistry between us was undeniable. Every time he leaned close, I felt my heart start to pound in my chest. The adrenaline rush from Randy and Nick’s attack had long faded, but a new one was threatening to take its place. I shuddered as the handsome stranger rested a hand on my leg.

 

“You did a good job,” he said slowly, inspecting my knee. “You used to washing off a lot of cuts and scrapes?”

 

I was, of course, because having an eight-year-old son meant that literally every day, I cleaned up a cut. “Yes,” I said shyly, without elaborating. Even though I loved Chuckie more than anything in the world, I was hesitant to mention him. Sometimes, finding out a woman was a single mom was a turn-off to guys. I wasn’t looking for anything, but I had to admit the attention he was showing me felt good. It had been a really long time since I’d let myself talk to a guy and flirt and relax. It reminded me of what it was like to feel wanted, to feel needed. To feel loved, I thought in my tipsy brain. Automatically I felt guilty. I knew what it felt like to be loved; Chuckie loved me more than life itself. But it’s not the same, I thought with a twinge of guilt. I missed being loved by a man, someone who would hold me and cuddle me until all my dark fears in the night went away.

 

The guy finished his beer and gave me a lazy grin. “What do you say about one more?”

 

His voice was low and sensual and I shivered as I felt lust tear through my body, like fingers ripping wet silk. I wanted this man suddenly more than I’d ever wanted anyone in my whole life. I didn’t stop to think about what that meant as I leaned back in my stool.

 

“Sure,” I said. The guy grinned at me and my stomach did a flip-flop.

 

“Same thing? Something different?” He winked at me as he asked.

 

I had a feeling he was testing me. But part of me, the part of me that was enjoying his attention, decided to flirt back. I licked my lower lip and tried to wink at him. Since he didn’t laugh, I imagined my wink had the desired effect. I let my eyes trail down his body. He was clad in a t-shirt and dark jeans, but under the cotton of his shirt I could tell he had a marvelous, sculpted body. I saw his rock-hard abs clench and twist as he shifted and flagged down the bartender. The muscles in his biceps were bulging and I saw a grin sneak onto his face.

 

“Hey, barkeep!” he called loudly. “Same thing for me, and something different for the lady.” He grinned and I felt a blush cover my face. “She likes different things,” he said softly, meant only for me to hear.

 

A shiver of lust ran through my body and I felt my lower belly clench with desire. If I’d been drunker, I would have dragged him to a dark corner and plastered my body against his. He had big, strong, veiny hands and I shivered as I thought about what they would feel like running over my body. Take me. Just for the night, make me yours.

 

The bartender handed me a shot and a glass of something swirling blue. “This is different,” she told me with her eyebrows raised. “You probably don’t want to drive after this.”

 

Closing my eyes, I lifted the glass to my lips and knocked the shot back. My mouth stung — it was almost like the soft tissue was numbed from the drink — and I gasped and coughed. The guy laughed before reaching out to pat me gently on the back. As he did, I caught a whiff of his scent and desire rose in me like a tidal wave. He smelled like a blend of sandalwood and tobacco and leather and I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. No doubt about it, this guy was trouble.

 

When I opened my eyes, I realized the guy was staring directly at my face. I blushed.

 

“What is it?” I asked softly.

 

He kept staring. The blush deepened on my face and I returned his gaze, as hard as I could. His intense blue eyes were boring deep into my soul and I shivered. I hadn’t been this intimate with someone in a long time, even though we had yet to touch.

 

Before I could think about what was happening, he leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. At first the kiss was chaste, reasonable. But after a few seconds, I started to feel the heat from his mouth seeping into mine. The kiss grew alive and sparks flew between our bodies. I moaned softly into his mouth and tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling myself as close as possible to him. I was barely aware of the guy wrapping his arms around me and crushing my body to his. As our lips and tongues danced together, arousal began to thump in my lower belly. He groaned and pulled me off the barstool until I was practically in his lap. Feeling all of the sexy stranger’s muscles pressed against my body made me shiver and before I knew it, I was crawling on top of him and wrapping my arms around him, pulling him as close as possible. He responded by eagerly pulling me close. I could feel a giant, hard bulge in his dark jeans, pressed up against me. I loved how hard I’d made him, as if this was the kind of thing that never happened, when in reality, he was probably the type to pick up girls all the time. Lust coursed through my body and I pressed my forehead against his, deepening our kiss. He tasted amazing, like leather and beer and soap, and I wanted to be covered in his scent. I wanted to smell it on my pillows in the morning. I wanted to smell it on my skin.

 

He groaned and tangled his hands in my hair. I cried out softly as he nibbled and sucked on my lower lip. I was so aroused I could feel my panties were soaked and every time I twisted, they rubbed against my sensitive skin. The stranger’s hands were slipping around my back, up my shirt, rubbing the soft skin underneath. I hadn’t had a man’s hands on me in years, and I loved the feel of his calloused fingers sliding over my skin. As they slid around to my front, I gasped as I felt his fingers tweak at my nipples through my lacy bra. I blushed madly as I deepened the kiss. If only I’d known I was going to meet this guy today, I would have worn matching panties. As I twisted my body against his, another fierce bolt of desire shot through me.

 

The bar around us faded into nothing as we madly pulled at each other. He broke the kiss and nudged my head up to lick and suck at my neck. God, this feels so good, I thought. My body was swimming in lust and alcohol and there was nothing more in the world I wanted than this guy. I wanted him to take me, to make me his. His tongue slid between my lips and danced with mine, his hands toying with my breasts under my sweater until I was whimpering softly into his mouth. His touch was magnetic; I craved it like I craved breathing. He was doing incredible things to me, and the worst thing was I just wanted more. I shivered at the thought of his tongue licking down my body, between my legs, sucking my clit until I cried out with pleasure.

 

I wanted to wrap my mouth around his cock and suck until he came in my mouth and his whole body was shaking. I wanted to bring him to his knees with lust and desire for me. As he gnawed at my wet mouth, he pressed his crotch against my body and I felt his stiff erection poking me through his jeans. He was huge. I shuddered, imagining what it would feel like the first time he slid his hard cock inside of my soaked pussy. I wanted to take him all the way. I wanted to spread my legs and let him slide in until I was screaming.

 

Breathlessly, I pulled away. He was staring at me, the lust wild and evident in his eyes. His lips were shiny with our mingled saliva and his breath was coming in damp bursts, just like mine. My heart was beating like a jackhammer in my chest and I felt painful arousal tugging at my crotch. More, my body was begging me. More, more, more.

 

But when we weren’t touching, the reality of the moment sank in. I blushed and coughed, tasting alcohol. God, I’m really drunk, I realized. This is what I get for not having a drink in months. The bar around me was bleary and brightly-colored; I could tell it had long since gotten dark outside. What the fuck was I doing in a bar with this hot stranger? Yeah, I wanted him. But oh god, did he ever look like trouble. And yet, there was something familiar about him.

 

“I have to go home and take care of my son,” I blurted out. “He’s with a babysitter.”