realized he was the
only single currently in the place. His mind quickly focused on the
ambiance and he got the slightest suspicion that maybe Talia had been
playing hard to get; maybe she wanted him and she was captured by the
thrill of the game. A cocky grin spread across his face as his
fingers scratched along his freshly shaved jaw. If she wanted to play
games, he was in. Thoughts of her moaning his name had trickled in
when a curvy hostess appeared, her raven hair curling over her
shoulders.
“Table
for one?” She batted her eyes as she flirtatiously thrust her
breasts closer.
On
any other night, Landon would have flirted back, but tonight he was
focusing all of his energy on Talia and getting her into his bed.
“Actually, I’m meeting someone.” He watched the
hostess’ shoulders fall as she withdrew from him and reached
for the menus.
“Right
this way.”
She
led him to a booth in clear view of the front door, but just out of
sight of the hostess’ station. He was certain it was strategic
on her part, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Taking the
menu she dropped in front of him, he focused on it until she was no
longer in his peripheral.
A
soft breeze swept over his table and he found himself anxious,
checking to see if Talia had arrived. He was disappointed to find
another couple entering, but he quietly chided himself, remembering
he’d arrived nearly half an hour early for their date. He spent
the next thirty minutes looking from his menu to the front door and
back again, trying to calm the quiet anticipation he felt. Not one
minute early, Talia finally sauntered through the door. Her hair was
blowing around her as the winter wind followed her through the door.
Her cheeks were pink from being kissed by the wind and he realized he
wanted to cause her skin to flush like that. He wanted to be the
reason her hair was a mess all around her. And he pondered what she
was wearing. Whatever it was, he found that take-charge façade
sexy as hell.
While
shaking his head trying to clear his thoughts, he began wiping his
hands on his napkin and rose when Talia approached the table. “Good
evening, Petal.”
She
rolled her eyes, but smiled faintly at his remark and took a seat.
“How
was your day?” His eyes looked over her brown camisole, briefly
hovering on the even rise and fall of her chest framed by the
slightest bit of lace. He planned to enjoy every minute of this
evening.
“Fine.”
Talia’s voice was soft and empty while she looked anywhere but
at Landon. “Thank you.”
A
silence fell between them and the thoughts of her moaning his name
came creeping back in. The fidgeting of Talia’s hands on the
table caught his attention and he cleared his throat to say, “Thank
you for coming.” He forced his eyes to smolder when she looked
to his face. She grimaced in response, however, and it caught him
off-guard. The pliable woman he’d convinced himself he was
meeting wasn’t sitting before him, or maybe she was better at
this game than he realized. “Is everything okay, Petal?”
He had to get her talking.
“It’s
Talia.”
He
was taken aback by her reply. “What was that?”
“My
name … it’s Talia Byrne.”
“A
beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
“Really?
You’re going to use that line?” Talia’s voice grew
indignant.
“It’s
not a line. Look…” Landon suddenly was tongue tied. The
cockiness he felt just moments before had quickly faded at the
realization that he’d completely read the situation wrong.
Genuinely frustrated, he grunted and mumbled, “Why can’t
I win with you?”
Talia’s
eyes shot open in response. She must have heard him. “I didn’t
realize this was a game.” She inched toward the edge of the
booth, looking rather offended.
“It’s
not, it’s just…”
“This
was a mistake.” She rose from the booth, only stopping when his
hand took hers.
“Talia,
wait.”
She
looked down at his hand, her eyes softer than before.
He
let
only single currently in the place. His mind quickly focused on the
ambiance and he got the slightest suspicion that maybe Talia had been
playing hard to get; maybe she wanted him and she was captured by the
thrill of the game. A cocky grin spread across his face as his
fingers scratched along his freshly shaved jaw. If she wanted to play
games, he was in. Thoughts of her moaning his name had trickled in
when a curvy hostess appeared, her raven hair curling over her
shoulders.
“Table
for one?” She batted her eyes as she flirtatiously thrust her
breasts closer.
On
any other night, Landon would have flirted back, but tonight he was
focusing all of his energy on Talia and getting her into his bed.
“Actually, I’m meeting someone.” He watched the
hostess’ shoulders fall as she withdrew from him and reached
for the menus.
“Right
this way.”
She
led him to a booth in clear view of the front door, but just out of
sight of the hostess’ station. He was certain it was strategic
on her part, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Taking the
menu she dropped in front of him, he focused on it until she was no
longer in his peripheral.
A
soft breeze swept over his table and he found himself anxious,
checking to see if Talia had arrived. He was disappointed to find
another couple entering, but he quietly chided himself, remembering
he’d arrived nearly half an hour early for their date. He spent
the next thirty minutes looking from his menu to the front door and
back again, trying to calm the quiet anticipation he felt. Not one
minute early, Talia finally sauntered through the door. Her hair was
blowing around her as the winter wind followed her through the door.
Her cheeks were pink from being kissed by the wind and he realized he
wanted to cause her skin to flush like that. He wanted to be the
reason her hair was a mess all around her. And he pondered what she
was wearing. Whatever it was, he found that take-charge façade
sexy as hell.
While
shaking his head trying to clear his thoughts, he began wiping his
hands on his napkin and rose when Talia approached the table. “Good
evening, Petal.”
She
rolled her eyes, but smiled faintly at his remark and took a seat.
“How
was your day?” His eyes looked over her brown camisole, briefly
hovering on the even rise and fall of her chest framed by the
slightest bit of lace. He planned to enjoy every minute of this
evening.
“Fine.”
Talia’s voice was soft and empty while she looked anywhere but
at Landon. “Thank you.”
A
silence fell between them and the thoughts of her moaning his name
came creeping back in. The fidgeting of Talia’s hands on the
table caught his attention and he cleared his throat to say, “Thank
you for coming.” He forced his eyes to smolder when she looked
to his face. She grimaced in response, however, and it caught him
off-guard. The pliable woman he’d convinced himself he was
meeting wasn’t sitting before him, or maybe she was better at
this game than he realized. “Is everything okay, Petal?”
He had to get her talking.
“It’s
Talia.”
He
was taken aback by her reply. “What was that?”
“My
name … it’s Talia Byrne.”
“A
beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
“Really?
You’re going to use that line?” Talia’s voice grew
indignant.
“It’s
not a line. Look…” Landon suddenly was tongue tied. The
cockiness he felt just moments before had quickly faded at the
realization that he’d completely read the situation wrong.
Genuinely frustrated, he grunted and mumbled, “Why can’t
I win with you?”
Talia’s
eyes shot open in response. She must have heard him. “I didn’t
realize this was a game.” She inched toward the edge of the
booth, looking rather offended.
“It’s
not, it’s just…”
“This
was a mistake.” She rose from the booth, only stopping when his
hand took hers.
“Talia,
wait.”
She
looked down at his hand, her eyes softer than before.
He
let
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